Originally aired January 28, 2004
Written by Brian Peterson & Kelly Souders
Directed by Pat Williams
After Clark and Lana try to kill her, Chloe learns that they both received strange e-mails before their murder attempts and suspects that someone at the Summerholt Institute is trying to kill her for writing an expose.
Tropes present in the episode:
- Axes at School: A brainwashed Lana attempts to kill Chloe with an ax.
- Brainwashed and Crazy: Clark, Lana, Max's secretary, and the Kents at various points throughout the episode, thanks to Molly's hypnotic e-mails.
- Brainy Brunette: Molly has dark hair, and is a genius.
- Car Fu: In the teaser, a hypnotized Clark tries to run Chloe down with his family's truck.
- Crazy-Prepared: When Clark arrives to save Chloe from his brainwashed parents, Jonathan takes out a piece of Kryptonite and proceeds to attack Clark.
- Ear Ache: Max's secretary, brainwashed by Molly, kills Max by stabbing a sharpened pencil into his ear.
- Early-Bird Cameo: When Chloe asks her editor Max Taylor to look through some other articles she had been working and he balks, she suggests using a pseudonym, namely the name of her cousin who "isn't interested in journalism" and won't mind. The name of her cousin? Lois Lane, who makes her debut on the show the following season.
- Eating the Eye Candy: While Molly gets some anti-virus software, Lex checks out her rear. She seems to appreciate the attention.
- Evil Is Petty: Lionel takes back the new computers he "donated" to Smallville High in the aftermath of his arrangement with Chloe being terminated.
- He Knows Too Much: The reason Molly has been sending out hypnotic e-mails. Chloe was investigating Summerholt for a Daily Planet article and, by her own admission, had enough info to shut down the facility. This also ends up getting Max, Chloe's editor, killed.
- Mundanger: Molly Griggs, a normal human who sends out e-mails that hypnotize people to kill Chloe because she's writing an expose about Summerholt's unethical practices.
- Villain of the Week: Molly Griggs, a Brainy Brunette who sends out hypnotic e-mails.
- Would Hit a Girl: Adam kicks a brainwashed Lana in defense of Chloe.
