Originally aired May 12, 2004
Written by Brian Peterson & Kelly Souders
Directed by Terrence O'Hara
Lana is kidnapped by Emily and kept captive. Clark decides to tell Lana his secret so they can finally become a couple. Lionel learns that Lex has been working with the FBI to bring him down.
Tropes present in the episode:
- Antagonistic Offspring:
- Emily kills her own father when he arrives at the Talon to warn Lana about her.
- Also, Lex finally obtains evidence of his father's crimes and gives it Agent Loder, allowing the FBI to arrest Lionel for murder.
- Bullet Time: Happens again when Clark and Emily both move at Super-Speed.
- Calling the Old Man Out: After Lionel exposes Lex's alliance with the FBI, Lex insists he was only doing what Lionel taught him to do because he framed him for the Metron murders.Lionel: You betrayed me, your own father!Lex: I protected myself, just like you taught me to.Lionel: Lex, whatever problems we have, keep them within the walls of our own house. Don't stoop to this level!Lex: Spare me the lecture, Dad! I had nothing to do with the murders of Dr. Teng and her team at the Metron lab. You sold me out to the cops for your inexplicable blood experiments!Lionel: I did it to make you stronger!Lex: The hell you did! You can't hide every deceitful thing you've done to me under the, under the guise of mentor-ship! You brought this on yourself. You've gotten careless.
- Lex also does this again to Lionel in the final scene before the FBI arrives to arrest his father.Lionel: [after Lex enters his office] "Forgive them, for they know not what they do." Is that what you expect from me, forgiveness?Lex: Don't try to make me out as your own personal Judas. I didn't come here for forgiveness; I came here to congratulate you on sweeping another mishap under the rug. [Lionel makes a questioning look] Emily Dinsmore?Lionel: Oh, yes—Emily Dinsmore. I should have remembered. You should have warned them. Belle Reve has a habit of misplacing its patients. The details; I've always tried to teach you, Lex—the Devil is in the details. If you don't pay attention to the details, he'll win.Lex: Then it's a good thing I'm a fast learner. You went through all the trouble of having your own son committed to an asylum and shooting six hundred volts of electricity through his body just to cover up your trespasses. But like I said, Dad, you've gotten careless.
- Lex also does this again to Lionel in the final scene before the FBI arrives to arrest his father.
- Get Out!: Lionel's response to Lex after he questions him about why he was becoming so careless.Lex: You brought this on yourself. You've gotten careless. Why is that, Dad? Why would you risk everything on all these obscure projects? What could be that important?Lionel: If you had given me any reason to trust you, you wouldn't have to ask that question. Get out.
- Intangibility: Emily displays this ability.
- Keeping Secrets Sucks: Discussed between Clark and Martha when the former announces he's going to tell Lana the truth about himself.Martha: Clark, asking someone to keep your secret is a big responsibility. Look at Pete; it hasn't been easy for him.Clark: I know. And Pete has had some close calls. But I'm still glad I told him and so is he. It's made us better friends.
- Sadly, it's also the reason why Pete decides to get on the bus out of Smallville, mostly likely leading Clark to change his mind about telling Lana.Pete: I know that I told you keeping your secret wasn't hard, but I lied. I walk around every day, afraid that I'm gonna slip up.Clark: Well, why didn't you tell me sooner?Pete: Because you needed a friend. And so did I.Clark: You don't have to move. You don't have to change your whole life. There must be a way. No one has to know we're friends.Pete: There's a lot of things that I can handle, but I could never live with myself if I betrayed you. [...] I'll see you around, Clark. [hugs Clark and leaves]
- Sadly, it's also the reason why Pete decides to get on the bus out of Smallville, mostly likely leading Clark to change his mind about telling Lana.
- Man Hug: Pete does this while saying goodbye to Clark.
- Manly Tears: Pete shares a tearful farewell with Clark before he leaves Smallville.
- Plot-Relevant Age-Up: Between this episode and "Accelerate", Emily underwent quite a growth spurt.
- Put on a Bus: Pete decides to move with his mother to Wichita because keeping Clark's secret is too much of a burden to him.
- Strong Family Resemblance: Peter Dinsmore notes that Emily looks like her mother.
- Uncertain Doom: The last we see if Emily in the franchise she's alive, but it's heavily implied that Lionel had her whisked away to parts unknown. And while it's quite likely he kept her alive for his own purposes her accelerated aging likely means she won't have a very long lifespan either way.
- Villain of the Week: Emily Dinsmore returns in this episode.
