. ▁ ▁Character ▁development ▁ ▁Story line ▁pro gression ▁ ▁In ▁season ▁two , ▁Lion el ▁moves ▁from ▁being ▁rec urr ing ▁figure ▁to ▁a ▁regular ▁character . ▁This ▁season ▁features ▁the ▁grad ual ▁un ve iling ▁of ▁Lion el ' s ▁increasing ▁invol vement ▁with ▁the ▁characters ▁of ▁the ▁show . ▁It ▁begins ▁with ▁more ▁direct ▁invol vement ▁when ▁L ut hor ▁h ires ▁Mar tha ▁Kent ▁as ▁his ▁assistant , ▁and ▁then ▁indirect ly ▁when ▁he ▁becomes ▁the ▁conserv ator ▁of ▁the ▁K aw atch e ▁c aves ▁and ▁tries ▁to ▁un lock ▁the ▁mystery ▁of ▁the ▁symbols ▁on ▁the ▁cave ▁walls . ▁During ▁season ▁three , ▁Lion el ▁becomes ▁the ▁villa in ▁of ▁the ▁show ▁when ▁he ▁tries ▁to ▁discover ▁Clark ' s ▁secret ▁and ▁drives ▁Lex ▁into ▁a ▁psych otic ▁break down . ▁This ▁allows ▁Lion el ▁to ▁use ▁electro sh ock ▁ther apy ▁on ▁Lex ▁to ▁er ase ▁his ▁knowledge ▁of ▁Lion el ' s ▁co - opt ing ▁of ▁Morgan ▁Edge ▁to ▁kill ▁Lion el ' s ▁parents ▁for ▁their ▁life ▁ins urance . ▁The ▁cre ative ▁team ▁experiment ed ▁with ▁Lion el ' s ▁character ▁in ▁season ▁four , ▁creating ▁a ▁story line ▁in ▁which ▁Lion el ▁is ▁reform ed . ▁Executive ▁producer ▁Greg ▁Be eman ▁said ▁the ▁character ▁development ▁failed , ▁and ▁as ▁a ▁result ▁Lion el ▁returned ▁to ▁his ▁normal ▁self . ▁John ▁Glo ver ▁found ▁playing ▁Lion el ▁as ▁a ▁straight ▁arrow ▁was ▁" bor ing ". ▁ ▁Season ▁five ▁expl ores ▁the