Mark Verheiden Talks "Suspect"
By Craig Byrne - January 2003

This interview is not to be reprinted in any form without the permission of KryptonSite or Mark Verheiden himself.

Everyone loves a mystery, and the "leafy little hamlet" of Smallville is full of them.

The co-writer of the January 28, 2003 Smallville, Mark Verheiden, took some time out of his busy schedule to talk about the mystery that is involved in the episode, which is titled "Suspect..."

KRYPTONSITE: Can you tell us a little bit about what "Suspect" is about?

MARK VERHEIDEN: It's a classic mystery, Smallville style. Lionel Luthor's been shot and it looks like Jonathan Kent's responsible. The question is, if Jonathan didn't do it, who did? That's the puzzle Clark has to solve.

KSITE: Judging from the previews this looks like a very adults-heavy episode. Is this the case, and what do you think of the direction the show has taken with the "grown ups" this year?

MV: "Suspect" is as much about Clark and Lex's friendship as it is about the Kents and Lionel. That said, executive producers Al Gough and Miles Miller have created an embarrassment of riches when it comes to our characters and we're interested in developing them all, because in some way they all impact on Clark's journey.

KSITE: What challenges, if any, were there in writing an episode like this?

MV: Every episode has challenges, but with a mystery, we wanted to make sure the twists and turns in the story still had a direct emotional connection to Clark, Lex, Lana and the others.

KSITE: What was the appeal to writing a story like this?

MV: It's always fun to work on something that plays around with the story-telling. "Suspect" has multiple flashbacks and some cool narrative techniques (which would probably constitute spoilers if I talked any more about them)...

KSITE: When you do an episode with a co-writer, as you did this time with Philip Levens, how do you split up the writing duties?

MV: We split it right down the middle. Philip and I have written enough episodes that we're pretty much on the same page when it comes to getting the story to work.

KSITE: I think a lot of younger fans especially have trouble identifying with the character of Jonathan Kent. What is your take on the character, and what do you believe drives him?

MV: Jonathan is a proud and decent man, intensely protective of his family, but he's also very human and makes mistakes. His hatred of Lionel and his deep suspicion of Lex is justified, but he sometimes lets his anger get the better of him, making a bad situation worse. The tragic thing is, knowing where Clark and Lex end up in the Superman mythology, Jonathan is right about the Luthors. The question is, does his attitude toward Lex play a role in pushing him to the dark side? All these factors make him a wonderful character to write.

KSITE: Are we going to see Chloe more anytime this season?

MV: Keep your eyes peeled for "Rush."

KSITE: Of your episodes written for the series so far, which one do you think has turned out the best?

MV: I'll pick two; I thought the first season episode "Rogue" turned out really well, it was the first episode without a "krypto" villain and it showed another side of Clark's personality. This season, I though the humor in "Heat" (the episode that introduced Clark's heat vision) worked well.

KSITE: Random trivia: Who shot J.R.?

MV: I don't think we can blame Lionel for that one.

KSITE: Who shot Montgomery Burns?

MV: Matt Groening.

KSITE: Who shot Lionel Luthor?

MV: Well, I'll rule out one option right here -- it's not attempted suicide! For answers, check out "Suspect!"

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Be sure to watch "Suspect" Tuesday, Jan. 28, 2003 on the WB!