Question: In this episode, Lionel falls to his death. While still on the steps, covered with a tarp, the cop tells Lex that she needs a positive identification, so Lex must look at the dead body to confirm it's Lionel. Lionel was a well known public figure, and they obviously knew who he was well enough to get Lex to identify him. I've seen cops do this in other shows, so is it really a policy or practice to get family members to give a positive identification? Would they ever ask for it at the scene?
Smallville (2001)
1 question in Descent
More mistakes in Smallville
Martha Kent: Clark? What are you still doing out here?
Clark Kent: Well, I'm still doing my chores.
Martha Kent: Well, you usually finish those in about two minutes. How is it that I drove to Metropolis, attended the Children's Foundation dinner, and made it back before you finished?
Clark Kent: Because I'm doing them the normal way.
Trivia: When Clark confronts the Flash in his hotel room, he reads off the fake IDs Jay Garrick, Barry Allen and Wally West. Those are the secret identities of the first three men to be called the Flash in the comics. Also, this Flash says his name is Bart, like Bart Allen, the teen hero formerly known as Impulse and currently being called "Kid Flash." (00:10:35)
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Answer: This is a common TV/movie trope that sets up a dramatic "reveal." It mostly streamlines the plot and eliminates the need to film an entirely separate scene. In real life, identity is handled at the morgue. A photograph of the corpse would be shown to family, a close friend, or other associate. This is done in a visitor's room and not in the lab. The family can supply photos that the coroner could compare with the body. A person's identity can be verified by other physical traits-birthmarks, scars, medical conditions, etc. In extreme cases, DNA testing would be used.
raywest ★