 Gough and Millar always had intentions of bringing Christopher Reeve onto the show . When the pair learned Reeve enjoyed watching Smallville , Gough and Millar decided they were going to bring him on for season two . They had already crafted a character , Dr. Virgil Swann , they knew would reveal the truth about Krypton to Clark , and they decided Reeve would be perfect for the part . According to Gough and Millar , it was " natural " for Reeve to be the one to educate Clark about his past , and help him see his future . As Gough describes it , the scene between Clark and Dr. Swann is a " passing of the torch " moment for the series . Gough and Millar explain the importance of the character : " Dr. Swann provided the first tantalizing answers to the quest plaguing Clark for all of his young life . ' Where am I from ? ' ' What happened to my parents ? ' ' Am I truly alone ? " The creative team flew to New York to film Reeve 's scenes since he used a wheelchair and required additional assistance when travelling . Although James Marshall directed the episode , for Reeve 's scenes in New York the Smallville crew sent Greg Beeman as a stand @-@ in director . Gough , Welling and Mat Beck travelled alongside Beeman to New York , where John Wells , who had previously lent his White House office on The West Wing to the Smallville crew for season one 's " Hourglass " , allowed the team to use the production offices from Third Watch for Reeve 's scenes . 
