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Clark is feeling a little blue about things because people seem so down on heroes lately. There's a big, nationwide vote coming up where people get to decide whether or not to repeal the VRA. What kind of crazy political system is this? Anyway, Martha is out campaigning against the VRA and reminding people that they need their heroes. She's shot by a mystery gunman while making one of her speeches that unfortunately (and unintentionally) call to mind recent tragic events. She was only grazed by the bullet, but Clark is still worried about the risk she's taking. She's adamant about protecting him and even talks to Chloe about watching over Clark. Chloe seems kind of sad about that prospect.
Clark and Oliver investigate the shooting and find bullet fragments made of kryptonite. Clark realizes this means that he was the intended target. The shooter must know his weakness. Lois suddenly finds her anti-VRA stories in the Daily Planet being censored. She confronts Tess, who turns out has nothing to do with it. The responsible party is none other than Lionel Luthor, who has spent the last few months in this universe quietly taking over all his old businesses. This brings up Tess's old father/abandonment issues. You know who else has issues? The Lex clone that escaped Tess's lab a while back. Lionel magically manages to find him and discovers that Alexander was the one who's been trying to kill Clark. Lionel promises Lex that he'll help him take down Clark, but their family reunion is short-lived once Lex realizes that Lionel chose Clark over his own son in both universes. He sets the mansion on fire with Lionel and Martha inside, then heads to Clark's loft to finish him off. Tess manages to talk him out of it. He doesn't have to end up like the original Lex. Clark rushes to the mansion and saves his mother, then, after a moment's hesitation, saves Lionel instead of letting him fry.
At the end, Clark cheers up when Lois and Chloe take over a bunch of websites and post pro-Blur videos from all his fans. The VRA is repealed. Clark, Oliver and the other heroes can come out of hiding. Less cheerful: Lex is sick. Tess holds him and promises to always be there for him, even as she tries to inject him with a syringe of cyanide. He doesn't notice, though, because the needle breaks on contact with his skin. Mysterious! Stay tuned for the full recap.
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Want more? The full recap starts right below!Daily Planet. Tess walks down into the basement and heads for the elevator. Shouldn't there be a lobby? People always seem to head for the basement whenever they need to go upstairs. Tess looks uneasy. She glances around as if expecting something to happen. Maybe this is the first time she's been back to work since the whole VRA thing. She wasn't at Carter's funeral, but did someone abduct her and stick her into one of those virtual reality things from last week? It's hard to know. These characters don't seem to have a life unless they're on the screen and explicitly spelling it out for you. As Tess waits for an elevator, some employees give her odd, knowing smiles. It all feels like a more polite version of a "walk of shame" or something. Lois comes up to her and says, "Looks like you've been taking spin classes, and not in the gym!" "What are you talking about, Lois?" Tess asks, confused. She's not even angry or exasperated. Being accosted by Lois's inanities is just so commonplace that there's no sense getting upset anymore. Lois rails at Tess for turning her anti-VRA article into an anti-vigilante article. She shows Tess a proof of the edition. Tess skims over it, her confusion growing because she didn't approve any of the articles. And why would Lois assume that Tess was suddenly against the vigilantes? Aren't they all on the same team now? Lois doesn't seem to think so: "You know, I have better things to do than deal with your mess." With that, she turns on her heel and leaves Tess to stew in her bewilderment. [And ours. Did Tess approve other articles, only to have them replaced at the last minute? Or did she assume there was no edition today? - Zach]
Tess makes it up to her office only to find someone sitting at her desk. His back is turned and the room is shadowy, so she doesn't immediately recognize this brazen intruder. "Excuse me," she says with all the indignation she can muster. The man turns in his seat. His leonine mane and neatly trimmed beard come into view. Through her shock, Tess just manages to breathe, "Lionel Luthor." Her mouth moves for a while, words not quite making it past the big disconnect in her brain. Finally, something stammers its way out: "I thought you were...?" "Yes, well, rumors of my death have been greatly exaggerated," he says with a discomforting smile. Tess looks frozen in place. Somebody save her!
That may have been the shortest teaser ever. We pick up where the scene left off. "You got a hug for your long-lost daddy?" Lionel asks. He comes around the desk, opening his arms. He should be wearing a Dracula cape. Tess steps back. She remembers the other Earth Clark told her about. It was a strange place where everyone was dangerous and interesting and Smallville was appointment television. She realizes that's where this Lionel is from. Lionel laughs off the question. "It doesn't matter where I'm from, Lutessa, I'm still your father," he says. In both worlds, he was evil enough to give her that name. He says as far as anyone in this world knows, he faked his death. That's a pretty big crime, but it's probably safe to assume that everyone is just so glad to have an unapologetically evil Lionel back that no one wants to press charges. Tess reminds him he abandoned her, but he says in his world it was she who turned on him. Not that he blames the other Tess, what with the way he neglected her. He pleads for a second chance to be her father. It looks like Tess's defenses are starting to crumble a bit. She wants so badly to have a father who wants her, or even just acknowledges her, that she could almost make herself believe this snake oil salesman. "What exactly do you want, Lionel?" "To provide for my family," he says, "for you, and for your brother." He talks about how the other Clark betrayed him. Tess points out that Clark wasn't his son in this world and Lex is dead. That leads to Lionel revealing that he knows about the clone, who he accuses Tess of "discarding." He shows her pictures and files of Alexander. To pile on the guilt, he reminds Tess of the "crippling scars" such a thing can leave on a child. He calls her "Lutessa" again and I get a neck spasm. Tess, nearly in tears, tries to leave the room, but Lionel grabs her arm and pulls her toward him. It's inappropriately kind of hot. He demands to know where Lex is, but Tess doesn't know. She swears to find him before Lionel does. I think all her hopes for a father figure just went out the window.
Watchtower. Chloe and Oliver lie snuggled together on a sofa bed right in the middle of the main room. Maybe they couldn't wait to get up the stairs. Oliver is fast asleep while Chloe, draped across his bare chest, watches him lovingly. After a while, she caresses the side of his face. He wakes up and smiles when he sees her. "And they say being a wanted man is supposed to be a bad thing." He brushes the hair off her forehead and looks at her like he can't believe he's not dreaming. Chloe glances over at something on the nightstand. Oliver follows her gaze and teases her for peeking at something. She tries to deny her wandering eye, but can't. She begs for a quick peek. Alas, it's just her laptop. How she can think of checking the Internet with that hot hunk of man lying in bed to her is a mystery for the ages. Luckily, Oliver is understanding of his girlfriend's addiction. "The government may have framed me a terrorist, but it would be truly criminal to keep you from checking up on the world." There is chest every time I pause the screen to write. Progress is slow. Oliver sees his opportunity to go for a walk, you know, to "stretch his legs." Chloe is also understanding of her boyfriend's proclivities but reminds him that the last time he went for a walk, he ended up stopping two muggings and a bank robbery. Oliver beams at the memory, but Chloe gives him a playfully stern look. "I wore the hoodie," he says in his defense. She just doesn't want him to get caught again. "I just got you back; I don't want to lose you again," she says. He leans in for a kiss, but something on the laptop catches their attention. They snuggle together to watch a pro-hero rally taking place downtown. "Our heroes need us now more than ever," a young man says to a cheering crowd. People start chanting "Vote down the VRA!"
Clark whooshes into the Kent farmhouse wearing his Blur outfit, then whooshes upstairs and down again, now dressed for work. He calls out to Lois. She's just coming in through the front door, arms overflowing with pro-hero posters and boxes of buttons. She's been going door to door, rallying support for the heroes. "I just singlehandedly swayed thirty more votes in our favor!" she beams. When Clark says he doesn't have time for politics, she reminds him that his mom has been campaigning across the country. Senator Kent has apparently won enough support to "force a national vote" to overturn the VRA. I knew politics in this show's universe were crazy but... what? Clark isn't hopeful about the vote tomorrow. Lois drags him over to the TV to show him the pro-hero rally. She says he lost sight of the fact that a lot of people still believe in the heroes. "They just need something to give them to courage to come out and fight," she says. If they need as many pep talks as Clark does, I think they're pretty much doomed.
Martha steps up the podium, surrounded by American flags. She encourages people to speak up for their heroes. "My father once said, 'Life only asks of you what you can handle,'" she says. So the platitudes weren't just on the Kent side. Then she says, "Sometimes we can't do it on our own, and that's why we need to join together in this crusade like a family, so that our united strength shines through the darkness like a beacon!" She's raises her arms and the crowds cheer. Argentina won't cry for you! "None of us is born to hate," she goes on. "We're taught to." She says that's what they need heroes for. She whips the crowd into a frenzy. Truth! Justice! Take a stand against fear and hate! And so on! She leads them in another round of chanting against the VRA, punching the air with every word. "See, there's still hope," Lois says. Clark smiles like he's starting to believe it. That's when the sound of gunfire rings out from the TV. Clark turns back toward the screen. The moment draws out in slow motion before Clark super-zips out of the living room. We are spared having to see Martha shot, which I wonder may have been an editing decision after the recent tragedy in Arizona.
Metropolis General. By the time Clark gets there, Martha has already been admitted. Did he run around the planet a couple of times first? People drive from Smallville to Metropolis faster than he super-zipped there. He opens the door to the exam room, fearing the worst, but finds her chatting on the phone with Lois. There's a spot of blood on her shoulder and her left arm is in a sling. She holds out her other arm for a hug, then finishes up her chat with Lois. "Are you OK?" he asks, sounding very young and scared. Nothing turns us back into kids quicker than seeing our parents hurt. She assures him she's fine. She was wearing a bulletproof vest and the second bullet just grazed her. Now that he knows she's OK, he gets a little upset that she didn't tell him her plans. "I could have protected you," he says. But she's the one protecting him. It's too dangerous for any of the heroes to go out in public now. She's determined to get back on the campaign trail right away, but Clark is worried that more people will be hurt. "Clark, if you don't let me do this, there will never be a day you can come out of hiding." Her voice is pleading. She's not scared of dying. She's scared for her son. She says that she and Jonathan agreed they would protect Clark at any cost, even if it cost them their lives. "I'm willing to sacrifice the same thing your father did," she says. Oh, please don't! There's not enough of the show left to deal with all of Clark's resultant moping! "I'm not ready to say goodbye to you, too," he says. He vows to find the shooter and zips away.
Martha is left near tears in his wake. "He's just worried about you, Mrs. Kent," Chloe says from the doorway. "We all are." She goes in for a hug, accidentally squeezing Martha's injured shoulder. After apologizing, Chloe gets riled up about the heroes needing protection, but Martha isn't surprised. She says she and Jonathan always knew what a big responsibility Clark would be. Chloe mentions Martha's "red queen" role in protecting Clark. Martha narrows her eyes thoughtfully. "I've been watching you, too," she says. Chloe looks a little uneasy. Was there a spycam hidden in that sofa bed last night? No, Martha's talking about Chloe taking over the Suicide Squad. What she doesn't understand is why Chloe left Clark in the first place, so Chloe explains it was to protect him... without overprotecting him. "We both needed to leave in order for Clark to stand up on his own," Martha says. That's not how her departure's been treated so far, but whatever. Martha's worried Chloe went too far. "Clark needs you as much as the world needs him." She says Chloe is part of their family. Chloe talks about how she looked to Martha as a mother figure. She credits Martha with teaching her how to take care of the people she loves. Martha asks Chloe to watch over Clark. Chloe smiles, but it looks like she just died a little inside.
Violence is breaking out in the streets of Metropolis. Clark has gone to the scene of the shooting where pro-hero and anti-vigilante groups are starting to get violent. There are only about two dozen people, but they're shoving each other enough for twice that number! Clark touches a spot of blood to the podium. One of the flags is spattered with blood, too. He scans the crowd and sees a suspicious-looking guy in a hoodie. "Hey, what are you doing?" he asks. The guy turns to look at him; it's Oliver. "Does Chloe know you're out here?" Clark asks. Indeed, she does not. But Oliver was going crazy just hiding out in Watchtower. They were probably running out of clean sheets, too. They decide to work together. Oliver says the cops haven't even found any bullets. This puzzles Clark, so he goes sniffing around the area behind the podium. There's a phone booth nearby, its windows shattered. As Clark approaches, some of the glass lying in the street begins to glow green. He makes a pukey face and backs away. "It's kryptonite!" He says the bullets turned to dust on impact. He and Oliver realize that the shooter knew his weakness and meant for Clark to get in the way. "This wasn't political," Clark says. "It was personal!" Couldn't it be both? A lot of people know his weakness, even though it seems to come as a perpetual surprise to everyone on this show.
Kent Farm. Lois is multitasking. She's baking muffins while trying to find a paper for her pro-hero piece. She's on the phone with someone now. We don't get to hear the other side of the conversation, but Lois says, "Well, then, you don't have any business calling yourself 'fair and balanced,' do you?" She hangs up. Way to burn those bridges, girl! Martha comes in through the kitchen door, dragging a big suitcase behind her. No one picked her up from the hospital? Maybe Chloe gave her a ride. Also, wouldn't there be tons of security, considering she was just shot? I need to stop thinking or I'll never get through this recap. Lois helps her inside and serves up a fresh muffin with a side of possible shooting suspects. Martha says she's already impressed with her. Lois relaxes. Martha gives her a necklace that Jonathan's mother gave her on her wedding day. She remembers being worried she'd never measure up in her mother-in-law's eyes. "You are a perfect fit for Clark," Martha says. "You inspire him." It's an unending task. Lois smiles, but she's sad. "He's losing hope," she says. She's frustrated because no one will print her stories. Martha tells her about the early days when Perry White printed pamphlets out of a storage unit. The idea is "so rebel" to Lois that it gives her an idea.
Lionel drives up to a brick building. Its windows have been boarded up and covered with graffiti. Trash litters the streets. A man huddles over a fire that burns in a rusty steel drum. Lionel looks at the building's facade with distaste. Inside, water runs down the walls from exposed pipes. Paint peels off the doors in thick flakes. There are no vermin around only because they all died from lead poisoning. Lionel comes to a room where a redheaded young man sits at a small desk, hunched over something intently. The young man's blue-eyed gaze lifts from his work when he hears a floorboard creak behind him. He raises a gun and turns to face Lionel. "You've grown up, Alexander," Lionel says. I was stunned to learn that the actor, Lucas Grabeel, is 26. He looks ten years younger, and sounds it, too. "I watched your body fall 40 stories," Alexander says. "It was the greatest moment of my life." For all his bravado, his hand is shaking. Lionel easily snatches the gun away and empties a kryptonite bullet into his palm. Frowning, Lionel looks around the rest of the room and finds Clark's S-shield scratched into the wall, the symbol crossed out. "You shot Martha Kent," Lionel says, aghast. "Why would you do that? I understand she's a perfectly lovely woman." Alexander explains he was trying to kill Clark, hoping the "kryptonite bullet would tear through him." He has a creepy flat affect the whole time he talks. Lionel swears he'll protect Alexander, but what Alexander wants is his help in killing Clark. Lionel seems disturbed at first, but he regrets choosing Clark over his own son once before. He sees this as a second chance. "We'll work together," he says, taking Alexander's face in his hands. "You're my flesh and blood... my only son." (Except for the one who turned into a vampire.) He embraces Alexander, with promises of ruling their family empire. It's so weird and creepy. I'd watch a whole series of this.
Daily Planet. For some reason, a box of Perry White's "personal mementos" is in the storage room. Lois sifts through it, finding mostly remnants of Perry's days as a peace-loving hippie. Chloe scampers into the room, looking like one-half of Spy vs. Spy. She's nervous about being there, afraid someone will recognize her. Girl, this is the Planet. These people are not that observant. You could cruise in there naked, moon everyone with "I am Chloe!" tattooed on your butt and they'd still be oblivious. She takes off her giant sunglasses and has her first genuine look around the room. "What's with all the Woodward and Bernstein?" "Actually, it's more like Perry and White," Lois says. "These are Perry's files!" "That explains the smell of Old Spice and young ambition," Chloe says. Lois explains her plan to go guerrilla in order to support the heroes. Chloe unnecessarily brings up bananas, then wonders how much good passing out pamphlets will do. Lois's idea is more modern than that, though. She asks Chloe to hack into a "couple" of news websites that become "all" websites when Chloe presses her for a specific number. They smile adorably at each other.
Clark is still at the crime scene, but he's moved to the top of what looks to be a three or four story building. From his vantage point, he watches cops milling around. Lucky for him, none of them look up. Oliver calls him. Clark tells him he's found the shooter's "crow's nest." There's a crossed-out S scratched into the metal flashing around the edge of the roof. Clark, having seen the symbol once before in Alexander's cell, instantly knows who the shooter is. "Don't worry, we'll find him," Oliver says. Naturally, Oliver walks through the doors of his LuthorCorp office at that very moment and finds Alexander standing there. There's an older gentleman kneeling in front of Alexander with a tape measure. "What the hell is this?" Oliver asks. Someone's either getting fitted for a new suit or about to film some porn. Lionel pops up from where he's been lounging on a sofa, reading through the dead Lionel's old journals. Oliver realizes the young fellow with the red pixie cut is Alexander. Lionel dismisses the tailor. Oliver threatens to people that Lionel is a fake, but Lionel's been working quietly to reclaim his assets for months now. He's bought LuthorCorp since Oliver's been in hiding. "You know, in this world you murdered my parents," Oliver says. "In mine, too," Lionel says in the tone of reminiscent of a cheerful kindergarten teacher, "and I had a very good reason!" Sadly, we do not get to hear that reason. When Oliver moves toward him, Lionel taunts him, tilting up his chin for Oliver to punch. Oliver stands down. Lionel says that Oliver's big mistake in stepping into the spotlight was trusting people. "They're vulgar, uneducated and stupid," he spits. The CW's like, "Hey, that's our target demo! Be nice!" Oliver has more faith in people, though. He thinks that the VRA will be repealed, but Lionel remains firm in his misanthropy. "You missed the mark, Green Arrow," Lionel says. "And now it's our turn," smarms Alexander. The show was better with Luthors in it, and I, for one, welcome our new evil overlords.
Daily Planet. Clark walks into Tess's office. She's been trying to reach him all day by phone, but he was busy trying to find the shooter. When he tells her it's Alexander, she's sad but not surprised. She breaks the news to him that Lionel is back, too, having followed Clark from the parallel world. Also, he knows about Alexander. Oliver walks in to deliver even more bad news, that Lionel has already found Alexander. Tess quite logically suggests that Clark use the mirror box to send Lionel and Alexander away. Clark is forced to admit he destroyed the box because he is a big damned fool. He figures he'll go ask Jor-El for help. Oliver reminds him that "snow dad has been a little frosty." Ugh. It's a good thing he's so easy on the eyes, because he can be such a pain to the ears. He and Tess think they need to think of something else. "Don't you have other ways to deal with them?" Tess asks. He could ignore them until May. That usually seems to work out pretty well. Instead of answering, Clark tells them not to do anything while he's away and then zips away to the Fortress. Tess looks like she's not down with that.
Luthor Mansion. For once, the moon is not full! Weird! Lionel shows Alexander into the study. "This is your home," he says. "You'll be safe here." Alexander has the original Lex's memories, so he must know what a big joke that is. Original Lex got kidnapped, pummeled, shot, hypnotized, burned or choked in his own home on a nearly weekly basis. He would have been safer running blindly through a minefield. He gives Alexander a little shoulder rub in front of the fire. "A Luthor's home is his castle," he says. It helps when the home is literally a castle. For some reason, they don't notice that Martha Kent is standing in the middle of the room until she speaks up and points out that this isn't really his home. She says they both know that Alexander is sick and needs help. Oh, yeah, wasn't he supposed to die in six weeks about twelve weeks ago? Lionel asks for a moment alone with Martha. Alexander looks unsure, but leaves the room. The conversation turns to Clark. "If you try to hurt him, I will destroy you," mama bear Martha says. It's pretty much guaranteed that he'll try to hurt Clark, isn't it? I don't think the "Red Queen" would be squeamish about putting Lionel in a world of pain preemptively. Lionel looks quite exhilarated. "I find you very attractive, Martha," he says. "I understand why I had such strong feelings for you." Martha looks perhaps a little revolted, perhaps a little something else. Lionel chuckles about the presents his other self enjoyed giving her. He reminisces about the wristwatch he gave her back in... oh, let's say it was the second season. Lionel is clearly trying to imply some kind of improper relationship, but Martha's not biting. She says they had nothing to hide. Lionel recalls the engraving: "To Martha, with deep affection." He moves very close to her. "Did you share that with your husband?" he asks in a filthy whisper. Martha doesn't flinch. She leans in as if to kiss him, then practically growls, "Stay away from Clark." She walks a few steps away. "You may have used him in your world to kill Lex, but you won't use him in this one."
She turns to go, but Alexander is right behind her. He whacks her across the face with the butt of a gun. She falls to the floor with a grunt. Lionel is horrified. He'll never get a date with her now! "Is that true?" Alexander asks. "You abandoned me in this world and wanted me dead in the ?" Lionel ignores the question and rushes to Martha's side. He gently touches Martha's hair. "Son, what have you done?" Alexander is made even more furious to hear Lionel call him that. He aims his gun at Lionel. Lionel chose someone else over him, twice. "You loved her son," he says. Lionel tries to smooth-talk his way out of this mess, but everything he says just pisses off Alexander even more. He starts throwing whiskey bottles at the wall. He says he knows he's dying, aging too quickly. He also has Lex's memories: "He despised every single one of you." Lionel tries another approach, telling Alexander that his hate can make him strong if he masters it. Alexander's not buying this Return of the Jedi crap and cracks Lionel across the face with his gun. Lionel falls back, unconscious. Alexander calmly pours whiskey all around the room. He pauses when he comes to Martha. He says he's taking pity on her: "I know how much it would kill you to watch your son die." You know what would also kill her? Actually killing her. He hurls the rest of the whiskey into the fire with a high-pitched "AAAAAAAAH!" that is unintentionally kind of funny.
Fortress of Barnitude. Tess is rifling around in Clark's trunks, although not in the fun way. She's looking for something amid all his notebooks and high school memorabilia. Clark whooshes up behind her. "I was halfway to the Fortress when I realized what you meant by 'taking care of the Luthors' another way," he says. He shuts the lid on the trunk and asks her if she's looking for the Phantom Zone crystal. She quite logically points out that Clark sent Slade there. Clark says the VRA didn't leave him any choice and promises to bring Slade back once the justice system isn't so effed up. Couldn't you send Lionel there until you figure out a way to send him back to his own world? Tess doesn't call him an idiot. Instead, she asks, "How can you be so good, Clark?" "Because no one taught him to hate," Alexander says behind them. He was probably hiding in the shadows the whole time, waiting for a good line to come in on. He says he's taken care of his father, and Martha, too. When Clark makes a move toward him, Alexander raises his gun. The kryptonite bullets glow green and Clark drops to the floor like a bag of rocks. Alexander starts to speechify about letting go of one's parents and growing up and Clark rolls around on the floor in pain. It's probably only partly because of the kryptonite. Clark and Tess both try to talk him back over to the good side, telling him it's not too late and he's not a killer yet. This just seems to make Alexander madder. He points the gun at Clark. "Always making yourself look better by making me look like some kind of monster!" Tess is like, "Dude, you're the one with the gun." She takes a step toward him. She tells him she knows how he feels. "After living in the darkness for so long, you feel like you can't step into the light, because it makes you feel ashamed." Also, because your eyes haven't adjusted and everything looks all glarey. Tess says Clark changed everything for her, and he can do the same for Alexander. Alexander looks like he has a headache. All... this... talking! It's overloading the exposition center of his brain! He doesn't understand why Clark would be willing to help his enemy. Clark says Alexander, unlike Lex, has Tess. Tess says she loves him, promises to always be there for him. His grip on the gun loosens and she takes it from his hand. She throws the gun across the room and Clark, quickly rebounding, whooshes away.
Luthor Mansion. The place is burning like Atlanta. Lionel is just waking up and looking around in confusion, like, "This fire doesn't belong here!" Clark is slo-mo running through the blazing hallway toward the study. He grabs his mother and zips her outside. He sets her down on her feet in front of the mansion. He watches the place burn for a while, then sees Martha's pleading expression. She doesn't want Lionel to die in the fire. She probably wants to kill him herself, although she's going to have to get in line. Clark nods once, then whooshes back into the building. The thing we see, he's throwing Lionel down the steps like a 16-pound Brunswick. Lionel rolls to a stop with a grunt. Clark stands over him. "This isn't over," he says. He zips away with Martha, leaving Lionel to watch as the mansion burns. A Luthor's home is his castle, and his castle is a smoking heap of rubble.
Daily Planet. Lois is again trying to cheer up Clark. He may have won against Lionel tonight, but he feels they're going to lose the vote tomorrow. He's surprised to see Chloe waiting at his desk. "You might want to take a look at this," she says. She shows him a website on her laptop: "A Beacon of Hope Shining Light on the Truth." It's what the guerrilla girls have been working on. What follows are short videos from fans of the Blur, all voicing their support for their favorite hero. The videos are from actual fans of the show, which is pretty sweet. I won't transcribe them, but the fans seem to come from many age groups and ethnic backgrounds. Especially touching is a video from a soldier. Clark is touched, too. "I can't believe they'd risk coming out to defend me," he says. "You have no idea how much you mean to people, Clark Kent," Chloe says. Clark kind of ruins the moment by moping that a couple hundred people won't be enough to change to vote. His self-esteem... it is like a hot air balloon that constantly needs refilling to stay afloat. He's up for a minute, then he starts to sink again, so someone has to fire up the burner to get him aloft once more. So Chloe tells him that hundreds of thousands of people have stepped forward to support him. "You're an American hero, Clark," Lois says. She and Chloe beam at him, but he just barely manages to smile back. Is there a color of kryptonite that could deactivate his bummer powers?
Kent Farm. Martha, Clark, Chloe, Oliver, Lois and Clark assemble around the TV, awaiting word of how the vote has gone. Even though it's still light out, the results are in: the VRA has been repealed. Martha bursts into tears of joy. Everybody hugs and hugs. Martha and Clark step away from the rest of the gathering. "I thought that people had given into the hate," Clark says. "I didn't realize how much hope there was out there." This will keep him cheered up for minutes and minutes! He says he wishes he'd had more faith. "I want to be the man you made that suit for." Martha tells him he doesn't need a suit to be a hero, but a bunch of longtime viewers are gonna be ticked if he doesn't give it a test run by the finale. Clark has started thinking that people need to see his face. It's a pretty nice face. He tells her about the future he saw where he was "disguised behind glasses and a bad hair cut." The idea of treating "Clark Kent" as the disguise doesn't sit well with him. Martha says the name and disguise don't matter. He'll always be her son, she says. "So you're saying I should become that hero and step into the light?" he asks. Her eyes fill with tears. "You are the light," she tells him. They hug. Clark smiles as Martha tells him his father would be proud.
Watchtower. Clark, Lois and Chloe walk inside, all filled with purpose and hope. They start taking all the plastic sheets off the computers. [And folding up the sofa bed? - Z] Clark uses a remote to open the iris, letting in the warm glow of the sun. Triumphant music plays.
Kent Farm, night. Tess sits alone in the loft with a copy of The Art of War and a small metal box. She opens the box, revealing a syringe filled with thick-looking, yellow liquid and a vial of more of the same substance. She picks up the vial, turns it over in her hands. It's cyanide. She takes out the syringe and takes the cap off the needle. She looks like she's been crying. When Alexander walks up the steps, she quickly hides the syringe and closes the box. He's wearing a lavender T-shirt and sweatpants. His complexion is sallow and he looks tired. "I feel sick," he says. She makes room for him on the sofa beside her and wraps a blanket around his shoulders. "I'm beginning to forget things," he says. She asks if he remembers what he did yesterday, but he doesn't. "What if I forget everything? What if I forget you?" She pulls him to her chest and rocks him gently. "I promise you that I will make everything OK," she whispers into his hair. He relaxes in her arms. She closes her eyes for a moment, then pulls the syringe from his hiding place. She positions the needle behind Alexander's neck, holds her breath, and brings her hand down. The needle bends on contact with his skin. She stares in horror as tears roll down her cheeks. Alexander remains calm in her arms, unaware of the betrayal. He didn't even feel the needle.
Stay tuned for week, when we get to watch everyone standing around talking to each other about things that are happening!
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