Originally aired September 24, 2002
Teleplay by Philip Levens
Story by Alfred Gough & Miles Millar
Directed by Greg Beeman
Clark saves Lana from the tornado and races home to find Jonathan missing and his spaceship gone. Jonathan and Nixon end up trapped together underground. Lionel is left in critical condition.
Tropes present in the episode:
- Animate Inanimate Object: Clark's spaceship flies toward the tornado, only to get struck by lightning, which causes the key to fall out, leading to the ship powering down and landing in a field.
- Asshole Victim: Nixon does everything in his power to blow the lid on Clark's secrets, and even tries to murder Jonathan with a gun, when Lex sneaks up from behind and kills Nixon with his own gun.
- Bad Guys Do the Dirty Work: Nixon's last words to Jonathan before he attempts to kill Jonathan so he (Nixon) can escape with a Kryptonite-weakened Clark contains this trope.Nixon: [to Jonathan] Like I said, the public has a right to know. And unlike you, Mr. Kent, I am willing to kill for what I believe in.
- Big Damn Heroes: Lex shows up in time to save Jonathan (and, by extension, Clark) by shooting Nixon dead.
- Enemy Mine: Jonathan and Nixon work together to try and escape from the church ruins. Unfortunately, Nixon betrays Jonathan by weakening Clark (who arrives to save both men) with a chunk of Kryptonite and leaving Jonathan behind (fortunately, Jonathan gets free and catches up to Nixon).
- Feud Episode: Clark and Lex's friendship goes through a tense patch after Clark learns that Lex was acquainted with Nixon after Lex had previously acted as though he didn't know him. Fortunately, it doesn't last long.
- Jerk with a Heart of Jerk: After working together to try and escape the crypt, a semblance of a bond seems to develop between Jonathan and Nixon, and Jonathan actually opens up and tells him a story from Clark's childhood, but the moment Clark rescues them, and he realizes Clark is allergic to the meteors, he basically abducts the boy, and almost murders Jonathan.
- Mundanger: Roger Nixon, a non-powered human who plans to expose Clark's secret to the world and comes very close to succeeding.
- Papa Wolf: Jonathan tackles Nixon and punches him when he attempts to drag a weakened Clark away.Jonathan: [as he punches Nixon] You are not taking my son!
- Punctuated Pounding: Jonathan, as he lays into Nixon near the end.
- Sadistic Choice: Lex is faced with a difficult decision when he learns his father suffered heavy damage to his optic nerves and the doctors can either operate immediately while his condition is critical or operate when Lionel is more stable. Lex chooses to operate immediately. Lionel later tells his son he would have done the same thing. Unfortunately, both Luthors got it wrong and Lionel cannot see anymore.
- Villain of the Week: Roger Nixon, a tabloid reporter who schemes to reveal Clark's secret to the public.
- Wham Line: Lionel to Lex:
Lionel: Then we both would have been wrong. I'm still blind, Lex. The operation failed.
