Clark’s made the football team as the back-up QB. So far he’s only on the bench since the coach already has his team decided on for the year, and the guys who have played together all four years are it. A spot opens up for Clark, however, when all of a sudden -- after a gulp of a green-glowing sports beverage -- the starting QB decides to inexplicably take off with his cheerleader girlfriend. Puzzled by the player’s behavior, Jason (Lana’s secret lover and the assistant coach) glances back at the girl who led the guy off the field. The QB misinterprets the look and snaps at Jason. Cut to the locker room, and Jason is getting changed when suddenly the deranged QB is going after him with a shotgun. Of course Clark save the day with some super-speed and a well-placed blast of heat vision, which he is getting really good at using, I’m happy to say. “Somebody saaaave me……!”
In the hallways at school the next day, the cheerleaders are leading the football players by the nose, in some case literally. Lois is on her cell with Metropolis U. trying to get out, which Clark gives her a hard time about. He shows her his red-and-gold football jacket – “not your colors,” she says. They both notice the odd behavior of the football players and cheerleaders as they walk into
Torch office, where Chloe has assignments for them both. Lois backs out after a call back from Metropolis and Clark tells Chloe that football has to take precedence for him. Chloe resorts to her pouty puppy dog look. Oh, get over him already!
Lex weasels his way into the episode – and tries to win back Clark’s heart – by buying the team’s uniforms. That gives him the right to hang out in the boy’s locker room, and talk second chances (I’m talking to you Clark). Clark isn’t moved though. “I know what you’re doing, Clark says, “and it’s not going to work.”
So Lois takes on the story anyway, trying to interview the cheerleader, who of course are less than friendly. Lois does get a glimpse of the head cheerleader’s notebook with notes about something called “The Love Molecule."
So, back on the field Jason drinks it and thinks Clark is after Lana, and Chloe drinks it and gets extra freaky for Clark. How freaky? She quits the
Torch and offers to do things for Clark that Lana never would as she casts her eyes downward! Ooh, nasty. Finally Clark tries it and since it’s laced with Kryptonite – the extra-spacey green hue not being enough of a clue for the boy apparently, he gets all weak, just as green with envy (hey I get it now!) Jason tells the team to rough Clark up. That’s not enough though as Jason does the SAME DAMN THING the guy did in the opening. Then Lex shows up and scares the guy off , without getting a good look him Lex tries to nurse Clark back to health, but by then he has sweated out the last of krypto-juice and his healing factor kicks in and Lex doesn’t get to touch Clark’s chest. But they have a moment, as Lex give Clark his file on him and says he is done investigating him, in another attempt to win back his heart, er, trust.
We get our first real glimpse of the Clark and Lois investigative team in a scene similar to the
Lois and Clark show, trying to get the formula from the head cheerleader girl. Chloe shows up, jealous of Lois and Clark, but she snaps out of it and eventually Clark protects the girls while taking on a whole football team.
Lex is finally back in Clark’s good graces by getting Lois into Metropolis U., Clark and Chloe have yet another moment where she’s reminded Clark DOESN’T LIKE HER, but she gets the mythology-referencing line of “Clark Kent – super-hero and journalist – who knew?” after he said he would play football and work on the
Torch.
The best moment of the episode is after Clark has a stellar performance on the filed which thrills the whole supporting cast in the stands – except Jonathan, who give us his patented look of worry, just like Pa Kent in the first
Superman movie. Whether it’s TV or the movies, we can always count on Jonathan to remind Clark that he shouldn’t be using his powers to win football games.
This episode was a slight variation on freak of the week, continued the new focus on school life and teen sexuality and was most notable for a lack of annoying Lana scenes. Not much forward momentum, other than Lois leaving (temporarily) and Clark and Lex burying the hatchet.
Next week (well, tomorrow, this is really late) –
The Flash!
