History Recap / SmallvilleS02E13Suspect

* AssholeVictim: While the evidence initially points to Jonathan as the one who shot Lionel, Clark and Pete's investigation turns up three other suspects who had motive for wanting him dead.

* ScrewTheRulesIHaveConnections: The reason that the Wild Coyote stays open after serving alcohol to minors and not asking for [=IDs=]. Mike the bartender and Sheriff Ethan were friends, and Ethan used his pull as Sheriff to let the bar stay open.

** Also Mike the bartender, since he helped Ethan frame their old high school buddy Jonathan. Unlike Ethan, Mike has no remorse for framing Jonathan.

Written by Philip Levens & Mark Verheiden

Directed by Kenneth Biller

--->'''Lex''': A representative from an offshore shell company, who bears an uncanny resemblance to Mr. Santori here, has been quietly approaching [=LexCorp=] employees and buying their voting shares.
--->'''Lionel''': Is that so?
--->'''Lex''': I was under the impression they had no intention of selling. What'd you get on them?
--->'''Lionel''': (''chuckling'') Now, now, Lex, don't be a sore loser. I'm just re-aligning your priorities. Your attempt to build [=LexCorp=] was at the expense of our mutual goals.
--->'''Lex''': The only thing we share is a mutual enmity. This father-son reconciliation act was just a smokescreen to buy out my company.
--->'''Lionel''': If you were ready to run [=LexCorp=], there's no way I could have taken it from you. Look at this as an opportunity for us to work together again, father and son.
--->'''Lex''': When I broke away, I swore I'd never be under your thumb again.
--->'''Lionel''': It was my hope that you'll stay and rise to the challenge.
--->'''Lex''': Your [[{{Pride}} ego]] wouldn't allow it. [[ThisMeansWar I'll fight you on this, and I'll win.]]
--->'''Lionel''': [[BringIt You better have something stronger than words to back up those threats]] because, as of this moment, [[KickTheDog you are just another employee]].

-->'''Lex''': It's hard to imagine working for a man who can enrage four people to the point where any of them had motive to kill him.
-->'''Clark''': Even you.
-->'''Lex''': (''{{beat}}'') You know that darkness you were talking about? [[RousseauWasRight I'm not sure we're born with it. People like my father find a way to bring it out.]]

-->'''Lionel''': It was simply a token of appreciation.
-->'''Jonathan''': Oh, I think it was quite a bit more than that!
-->'''Lionel''': It's all relative, isn't it? I mean, a Roget Dubois watch from me is equivalent to, uh, a Whitman's Sampler from you.

--->'''Clark''': My dad trusted you! How could you do that?
--->'''Sheriff Ethan''': Don't you see, Clark? It's not just about me. It's the Luthors. They're like a cancer, destroying everything they touch.
--->'''Clark''': The Luthors didn't kill anyone. The Luthors didn't frame my dad!

--->'''Lex''': So you took an honest man and destroyed him, and by proxy, almost ruined Jonathan Kent. How does it feel, Dad, knowing you brought this on yourself?
--->'''Lionel''': But I didn't, Lex. You did, engineering your ill-advised employee coup.

-->'''Jonathan''': I'm sorry for giving in to my own petty fears. And all it takes is one reckless moment to ruin everything.
-->'''Martha''': Jonathan, you didn't shoot Lionel.
-->'''Jonathan''': No, I didn't shoot Lionel. But I let my anger get the best of me. I haven't exactly kept it a secret how Jonathan Kent feels about the Luthors. What jury could possibly believe me now?

* ContinuityNod: Martha's father is mentioned, when she suggests he represent Jonathan. But due to their bad history, Jonathan knows he won't help him.
* TheCorrupter: {{Discussed|Trope}} in the final act between Clark and Lex. Lex speculates that people like Lionel can bring out the darkness in otherwise decent people.

* {{Foreshadowing}}: Right before he was shot, despite being blind Lionel knows who came to see him.

** Also Mike the bartender, since he helped Ethan frame their old high school buddy Jonathan.

Written by Philip Levens and Mark Verheiden

* AntiVillain: Sheriff Ethan is either a [[SlidingScaleOfAntiVillains Type II or a Type III]]. He didn't want to be evil; his arrangement with Lionel drove him to try and murder the man. When confronted with his crimes, he even breaks down in TearsOfRemorse.

--->'''Lex''': A representative from an offshore shell company who bears an uncanny resemblance to Mr. Santori here has been quietly approaching [=LexCorp=] employees and buying their voting shares.

--->'''Lionel''': You better have something stronger than words to back up those threats because, as of this moment, [[KickTheDog you are just another employee]].

* TheCorrupter: {{Discussed|Trope}} in the final act between Clark and Lex. Lex speculates that people like Lionel find ways to bring out the darkness in otherwise decent people.

* LikeFatherLikeSon: After Clark grabs him and angrily hoists him into the air after he remarks Jonathan has a bad temper, Mike the bartender claims Clark's "just as bad as your old man!"

* VillainOfTheWeek: Sheriff Ethan

--->'''Lex''': Your [[{{Pride}} ego]] wouldn't allow it. [[ThisIsWar I'll fight you on this, and I'll win.]]

* ScrewTheRulesIHaveConnections: The reason that the Wild Coyote stays open after serving alcohol to minors and not asking for IDs. Mike the bartender and Sheriff Ethan were friends, and Ethan used his pull as Sheriff to let the bar stay open.

** In a flashback told from Dominic's POV, Lex calls his father out for manipulating him the whole time so [=LuthorCorp=] could buy out [=LexCorp=].

-->'''Lex''': (''to Clark'') You know that darkness you were talking about? [[RousseauWasRight I don't think we're born with it; I think people like my father find ways to bring it out.]]

* KickTheDog: In Lana's {{flashback}} to the argument between Jonathan and Lionel, Lionel mockingly compares his gift to Martha (an expensive watch) to "a Whitman sampler" from Jonathan.

--->'''Lex''': So you took an honest man and destroyed him, and by proxy almost ruined Jonathan Kent. How does it feel, Dad, knowing you brought this on yourself?
--->'''Lionel''': But I didn't. ''You'' brought this on with your ill-advised employee coup.

** In a flashback told from Dominic's POV, Lex calls his father out for manipulating him so he could buy out [=LexCorp=].
** Lex does this to Lionel in the final scene, but [[NeverMyFault Lionel refuses to accept any culpability for what happened]].

-->'''Lex''': So you took an honest man and destroyed him, and by proxy almost ruined Jonathan Kent. How does it feel, Dad, knowing you brought this on yourself?
-->'''Lionel''': But I didn't. ''You'' brought this on with your ill-advised employee coup.

* AntiVillain: Sheriff Ethan is either a [[SlidingScaleOfAntiVillains Type II or a Type III]]. He didn't want to be evil; his arrangement with Lionel drove him to try and murder Lionel.

* CallingTheOldManOut: Lex does this to Lionel in the final scene, but [[NeverMyFault Lionel refuses to accept any culpability for what happened]].
* TheCorrupter: {{Discussed|Trope}} in the final act between Clark and Lex. Lex speculates that people like Lionel find ways to bring out darkness in otherwise decent people.

* MyGodWhatHaveIDone: Sheriff Ethan's reaction after Clark confronts him about his actions.

-->'''Lionel''': No. ''You'' brought this on when you attempted to lead your ill-advised coup.

* TheButlerDidIt: Sheriff Ethan is revealed to be the one who shot Lionel and framed Jonathan for the crime.
* CallingTheOldManOut: Lex to Lionel in the final scene, but Lionel refuses to accept any culpability for what happened.

* {{Mundanger}}: Sheriff Ethan

-->'''Lionel''': No. You brought this on when you attempted to lead your ill-advised coup.

* AntiVillain: Sheriff Ethan

* NeverMyFault: When Lex calls him out on destroying an honest man like Sheriff Ethan, Lionel lays the blame for everything that's happened at Lex's feet.

* NotHelpingYourCase: Jonathan admits that constantly expressing his dislike of the Luthors won't help his chances of being cleared of the charges.

%%* MyGreatestFailure

-->'''Lex''': So you took an honest man and destroyed him, and by proxy almost ruined Jonathan Kent. How does it feel, Dad? Knowing you brought this on yourself?

-->'''Lex''': So you took an honest man and destroyed him, and almost did the same by proxy to Jonathan Kent. How does it feel, Dad? Knowing you brought this on yourself?
-->'''Lionel''': No. You who brought this on when you attempted to lead your ill-advised coup.

* AntiVillain: [[spoiler:Sheriff Ethan]]
* BigBadFriend: [[spoiler:Sheriff Ethan, to Jonathan.]]
* TheButlerDidIt: [[spoiler:Sheriff Ethan is revealed to be the one who shot Lionel and framed Jonathan for the crime.]]
* FrameUp: [[spoiler:Sheriff Ethan framed Jonathan for shooting Lionel.]]
* MyGodWhatHaveIDone: [[spoiler:Sheriff Ethan's reaction after Clark confronts him about his actions.]]
* NeverMyFault: When Lex calls him out on destroying an honest man [[spoiler:like Sheriff Ethan]], Lionel lays the blame for everything that's happened at Lex's feet.
-->'''Lex''': How does it feel, Dad? Knowing you brought this on yourself?
-->'''Lionel''': No. It was you who brought this on when you attempted to lead your coup.

* VillainOfTheWeek: [[spoiler:Sheriff Ethan]]

* EvilFormerFriend: [[spoiler:Sheriff Ethan, to Jonathan.]]

%%* MyGreatestFailure