Originally aired February 5, 2002
Written by Doris Egan
Directed by Chris Long
Shady businessman Bob Rickman comes to Smallville and uses a Kryptonite handshake of persuasion to convince Jonathan to sell the Kent Farm. Clark meets Kyle Tippet, a recluse who lives in the woods and happens to have the same power of persuasion as Bob, who happens to be an old friend of his, until Bob abused his power and Kyle decided to hide his own. When Whitney is involved, it strains Kent's friendship with Lana.
Tropes present in the episode:
- Arbitrary Skepticism: Chloe (y'know, the girl who has a wall packed with articles about all the strange stuff that's happened in Smallville) refuses to believe that Kyle has persuasive abilities.
- Attack Hello: A mild version. "Hi, Bob." Said by Kyle to Rickman after he sneaks up on the latter and uses his persuasive handshake to make Rickman shoot himself.
- Batter Up!: A brainwashed Whitney comes after Kyle with a baseball bat. Fortunately, Clark stops him.
- Bond One-Liner: Uttered by Kyle after he persuades Rickman to kill himself:Kyle: I always was the better salesman.
- Brainwashed: Rickman's victims, which include a health inspector (who commits suicide), Whitney (who tries to attack Kyle), Jonathan (who sells the Kent Farm), and Lex (who tries to kill Kyle and Clark).
- Compelling Voice: Both Rickman and Kyle can use Kryptonite handshakes to persuade anyone to do whatever they want them to do.
- Corrupt Corporate Executive: Bob Rickman, CEO of Rickman Industries.
- Cover-Blowing Superpower: Clark cannot evade all of brainwashed Lex's gunfire, even with super speed. Kyle tells Clark afterwards that he saw Clark get shot. As Clark fumbles for an explanation, Kyle reassures him that he won't be outed and urges Clark not to withhold his abilities from the world.
- Driven to Suicide: Rickman persuades a health inspector to jump out of his office window. He himself later ends up on the receiving end of this trope when Kyle persuades him to shoot himself in the head.
- Evil Former Friend: Rickman, to Kyle.
- Feud Episode: Clark and Lana's friendship becomes strained when Clark refuses to believe Kyle is guilty. They patch things up in the end, fortunately. Lana says it doesn't matter who's right or wrong about Kyle, just that they shouldn't break up their friendship over that.
- Foreshadowing: At the close of the episode, Clark wonders if he and Lex will end up like Bob and Kyle, and Lex replies that their friendship will be the stuff of legend. It goes without saying that both are right. Also, Clark thinks he doesn't want a job where he wears a suit and has to fly. He will wear two suits and will fly.
- Green Aesop: Seems to be the point here. The villain is a businessman who builds chemical plants that poison the groundwater.
- Handshake of Doom: Bob Rickman who has the ability to control people with a handshake. We see him first use this power to make an agent of the Center for Environmental Protection commit suicide when he refuses to let Rickman build a project in Smallville. Rickman's former partner and friend Kyle Tippet has the same power and it is suggested he is the more powerful of the two. This theory is proven correct when he and Rickman fight in the episode's climax and Kyle uses his powers to make Rickman kill himself.
- The Hermit: Kyle Tippet, though by the end of the episode, he decides he can't remain sheltered from the world and encourages Clark to not do the same.
- Irony: When Lex references To Kill a Mockingbird, Clark has no clue what he's talking about and says he's never read it, which is ironic considering that To Kill a Mockingbird is Clark Kent's favorite book in the comics continuity.
- Karmic Death: In the opening, Rickman persuades a health inspector to jump out a window. In the end, he gets persuaded by Kyle to shoot himself dead.
- Kissing Under the Influence: To prove his powers to Chloe, Kyle persuades her to kiss Clark.Chloe: What? Why are you looking at me like that? And why is my mouth minty?Clark: [wiping his mouth] Let's just say [Kyle] proved his point.Chloe: Oh, God, did I just...?Clark: Don't worry; it was fine.
- Once Done, Never Forgotten: During Clark and Lana's argument over what went down between Whitney and Kyle, Lana said that Whitney would never hurt anyone, though Clark brought up how he strung him up on the cornfield. Lana thinks it's all about Clark not forgiving Whitney even though he apologized and calls him out on it.
- Unwanted Assistance: Clark suggests they ask for Lex's help in buying back the farm. But of course, Jonathan doesn't want his help.Jonathan: I don't owe Lex anything.
Martha: Right now, you don't have anything to owe! - Villain of the Week: Bob Rickman, Corrupt Corporate Executive with a handshake of persuasion.
- What the Hell, Hero?:
- Jonathan gets this from both Martha and Clark after he unwittingly sells the farm to Rickman.
- Clark gets this from Lana for accusing Whitney attacked Kyle first. See also Once Done, Never Forgotten.
- Wounded Gazelle Gambit: Rickman pretends to have twisted his ankle to trick Jonathan into taking his hand so he can persuade him to sell the farm.
