By Omar G
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.
Get the origins of the heroes and villains that keep popping up on this show. Come back week for the full detailed episode recap.