Episode Report Card Omar G: C- | Grade It Now! YOU GRADE IT Cops + Capes = Crap
By Omar G | Season 8 | Episode 12 | Aired on 01.22.2009
In a hurry? Read the recaplet for a nutshell description! Finished? Click here to close.While on a stakeout at night in Metropolis, Martian Manhunter (now a Metropolis P.D. detective) is shot by a sniper. We learn early on that the shooter carries a badge, and not one of those fruity interstellar ones with a crystal embedded in it. We've got crooked cops in the big city. Instead of investigating using his powers like he does every other week, Clark unwisely goes undercover as a police officer from Coast City. He gets partnered up with the stereotypical cop with an adoring wife and kid (his name's "Danny" and the other cops call him "Danny Boy" fer cryin' out loud). If he was 20 years older and black, he'd be three days from retirement. Danny is running with some rule-bending cops who like to beat up the off-on-a-technicality murderer killed Danny's old partner. Seems fair enough, but Clark has enough qualms for both himself and for Danny. It's a moot point, though, because just as the cops are about to murder the cop-killer, Green Arrow steps in and immobilizes everyone but Clark with tranquilizer darts. Danny sees this, so the undercover jig is up. Clark convinces Danny to look into his own heart and find the Good Cop within, not the Bad Cop who would make for much better TV drama. Later, when he's in the middle of a set-up to kill Green Arrow (one of those meddling "Capes," as the cops call them) Danny decides not to shoot. The real bad cops are busted and Danny goes back to being a hero, but not before more sanctimonious lecturing from Clark. Martian Manhunter recovers from his injuries and says he got shot because of his damned foolish pride. Clark and Oliver resolve not to be so solo in their heroics because peeps gotta stick together like marshmallows. Dig?
Meanwhile, Lana pays a visit to Tess (oh yeah, Tess! I'd forgotten all about her) and says she knows that Lex is alive and that Tess is helping him. They get into a big, ridiculous martial arts fight and no one wins, especially not the viewer. Lana reveals to Tess that Lex has been watching her every move. So much so that he had cameras implanted into Tess's eyes after an accident so he could literally see everything she sees. Tess, disgusted by this betrayal of trust, finds a way to jam the signal, but not before getting all emotional and crying about how much she loved Lex. Then she immediately goes out with Oliver, with dirty promises of a "Merger" of his choosing. Good luck navigating that emotional minefield, Ollie.
Chloe pays a special visit for the sole purpose of warning Clark about getting it on with Lana again. She warns Clark that there's one person in the triangle who might get hurt: Lois. Clark thinks about that for about .4 seconds and then gets all up in Lana's grill again, especially after being inspired by Danny to do the hero thing for someone he loves. Despite not knowing how long Lana will be around or what she's up to, he kisses her. Yep, just like the good old, bad old days.
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Want more? The full recap starts right below!We open on an adorable plastic alien toy hanging from the rearview mirror of a police squad car in Metropolis. It's nighttime. The alien is a little green Martian with ear-horns sitting in a tiny spaceship, hanging from a keychain. How cute is that? To add to the joy, we find out that we're in the squad car of Officer John Jones, better known as Martian Manhunter (now without powers). He's calling dispatch, asking for a "20" (or, "Two tens." I would always be asking for one "40.") on a suspect. The suspect is driving north on Riverside with "Black and White" in pursuit. Harmonious! Manhunter does a drifty turn and speeds in pursuit. His siren and lights are on. The SUV he's chasing plows through some boxes and swerves to just miss an 18-wheeler. Jones has to stop his cop car to avoid a crash. The suspect, a puffy Asian dude with long, sleek hair, grins at having gotten away. Jones smartly circles back around and heads straight for the suspect. Have you ever played Martian Chicken? It's like regular chicken, but green. Manhunter keeps his cool, but the criminal loses it. He swerves to the right and hits a fence, then a parked car. The suspect unwisely runs out of the car and right into Manhunter's arms. Dammit! Passenger side next time!
Jones throws him against the fence. He gets punched, but still manages to get the long-haired dude on the ground. "You're under arrest for three counts of murder!" Manhunter tells him. Caught! Guess that's why they call him "Manhunter." Three weird, unnecessary cuts of the city are shown before we cut right back to the exact same location, minutes later. Another squad car has arrived to carry Longhair off. Jones thanks the officers for their assistance. Officer Obviously Corrupt gives him a slightly dirty look and says, "Just doing our job, Detective." Uh-oh. Trouble. He gives Jones one more unfriendly look before getting in the car. Jones grimaces. Mmm, those guys don't like me. Is it because I'm... a Martian? The police car drives off, leaving Manhunter alone. Suddenly, there's a gunshot. It pierces a Dumpster next to him. He ducks into the car, but the windshield is blown out. He tries to get out through the passenger side, but a bullet pierces the car door. A second bullet goes through the door and hits him right in the chest. Manhunter is knocked back and lands lying on his back. He's got a nasty, bloody wound on his upper-left chest. We cut to a sniper putting away the weapon. We don't see the person's face, but they're wearing a Metropolis police badge.