Charade - Recap

At Maxwell's, a ritzy club, Lois lurks in the shadows. Outside, Ray Sacks arrives and his bodyguard tells him that a man inside is ready to collect the million-dollar reward. Sacks continues in and tells everyone that he's glad to be out of prison, and that they couldn't keep him inside. The bodyguard directs Sacks toward the man looking for the reward, a street photographer. Sacks tells him not to push it. They're interrupted when Lois burst out of the celebration cake. Sacks recognizes her and Lois blows him a kiss... and sees Clark in the crowd. She walks over and punches him as photographers take pictures...

Later that night, temporary editor-in-chief Franklin Stern calls them both into his office and demands an explanation. He figures they were having a lovers' spat and they deny it. Stern doesn't care and tells them that they're both fired.

Twenty-four hours earlier

Chloe is waiting on a street corner to meet with Lois. As she waits, Oliver sends her a romantic text message. Lois arrives and explains that she's going to have a rooftop dinner with Clark that night. Chloe has found her a telescope as a present and wonders why her cousin is making a big deal out of the dinner. Lois explains that she plans to drop the l-bomb, but admits that things have been different since they decided to keep secrets from each other. When Lois says things are changing and they're going to admit their secrets to each other, Chloe becomes worried.

Clark arrives at the farm to find Chloe waiting for him. She's worried that Lois is going to involve her with the Kandorians, but Clark explains he's making dinner to get Lois to open up and reveal her secret. Chloe notes that when Clark asked Lois not to tell anyone about her contact with the Blur, he asked her to lie to him. Clark considers that and figures that he and Lois both have to admit their secrets and he should trust her.

At the Planet, Clark and Lois go up in the elevator together and alone, and make out in the elevator. They arrive at the office and discover that the new temporary editor has everyone working harder than ever. They discover that they've been given the same desk and Stern introduces himself, and explains that the board is searching for a permanent editor and he plans to get the job. Stern then explains that he's checked and discovered they're having an interoffice relationship. They both deny it, and Stern tells them that they've been out of the office too much. He tells them to get the scoop on Sacks, who had his life sentence reversed. Only the person who gets the story keeps their job.

Chloe is using the computer in Oliver's LuthorCorp office to hack the Swiss National Bank when Tess comes in. They start sniping at each other, and Tess insists that she's still CEO of LuthorCorp. She asks where Oliver is, and Chloe claims that he's out of town. When Chloe questions the Kandorians, Tess says that they are better as allies than enemies. Chloe isn't impressed, and lets slip that she's working with Green Arrow. Tess wonders what heroes see in her, and Chloe warns her to be careful before she runs out of people to betray.

Clark and Lois start researching the story and conclude he has powerful friends downtown. There's a party for him at Maxwell's that night, and Clark figures if the both break the story and its big, Stern will keep them both. . They both agree to split up to cover more ground and Lois leaves. As she gets in the elevator, she calls the Blur and manages to leave him a message saying she wants him at Maxwell's to back her up because Clark isn't bulletproof.

At Watchtower, Clark asks Chloe to find Oliver. She discovers that Sacks is paying a million dollars for photos of the Blur, and that he frequents a particular pizza ship.

Lois confronts Sacks at the pizza shop and asks him who got him out. When Sacks calls over her bodyguard, Lois warns that her editor knows where she is. Sacks simply tells his bodyguard to take care of it and get rid of the body. As the bodyguard escorts Lois into an alleyway, Clark arrives and tosses him away. As Sacks escapes, Lois thanks him for his help and says that she's gained new purpose by helping him. When she mentions her message, Clark realizes that she's been talking to someone else. Clark quickly leaves and the street photographer emerges from the shadows, happy he got a photo of the Blur.

The photographer runs away before Lois can stop him. Clark arrives and accuses her of lying about her contact with the Blur. She insists it's between her and the Blur, and Clark asks if she knows who she's really talking to. Lois mistakes his feelings for jealousy and takes offense when Clark asks who the Blur is. She explains that the Blur wants to tell her, but won't because it would put her in danger. That's why she trusts the Blur. Lois turns and walks away, leaving Clark alone.

At Watchtower, Clark returns to tell Chloe what happened. He explains that he may have lost Lois' trust, and that he did it to himself. Someone is impersonating the Blur, and Clark explains that he stole Lois' phone. She's erased her list and Chloe tries to recover the data so he can discover what information the fake Blur wants. Chloe traces Lois on a pay phone, telling the Blur that he needs to get to Maxwell's before the photographer sells the photo to Sacks.

Lois goes to Maxwell's and spots the fake cake in the alleyway. Meanwhile, Clark slips into the club and listens in on Sacks conversation with the photographer. Lois hen emerges from the cake, sees Clark, and punches him. However, it's a distraction so she can smash the photographer's camera and the Blur photos. As Clark gets Lois out, Sacks assures the photographer that he just needs him, and has his men usher him out. Above, a man with a black king chess piece on his breast pocket handkerchief watches the events.

Later, Clark and Lois are packing to leave and Lois explains she had to do something extreme to destroy the photo. She thinks that Clark has something against the Blur and doesn’t like. As Lois leaves on her own, one of Maxwell's men grabs her. She's taken to a lab beneath Maxwell's and strapped to a table along with the photographer and several others. The Black King watches her as the machine sorts her memories. He then talks to Sacks and praises him for his work on the operation. Finally, he explains that they've all had limited views of the Blur, and that he's combining them to get a positive ID. When Sacks asks why Lord is after the Blur, Lord tells him that the White Queen wants to recruit metahumans, but he plans to restrict them. When Sacks notes that Lord must have powers, Lord says that means he knows how powerful they can be, and why he has to eliminate them.

At Watchtower, Chloe tries to find a clear image of Lois' abduction, while Clark discovers that a number of criminals that the Blur put away have been released. A little digging discovers the fact that Maxwell Lord funded Sacks' party, and he has enough money to influence the governor and get Sacks released. Clark goes to the club to confront Lord.

At the club, Sacks is on the phone boasting to his people that he's been made a black knight in Checkmate. Clark arrives, knocks him out, and destroys the chess piece.

In the lab, Lord is using his power to read Lois' memories and force them to the forefront. He realizes that she knows him. Clark arrives and tells Lord to step away, but Lord refuses and warns that he'll destroy Lois' mind if Clark comes any closer. He admits he's impressed that Lois is so dedicated to guarding the Blur's identity, and realizes that it's love. Before the completed image of his identity can appear on the screen, Clark leaps up and shatters it, and Lord flees. Lois wakes up and realizes the Blur is there, and says she'd give anything to know the Blur's name, but he can't because the secret protects her and everyone else. Without his secret identity, he couldn't protect them. Lois tells him to go and Clark briefly rests his hand on her should before leaving.

As Lord slips out of the club, a man captures him at gunpoint and ushers him into a nearby limo. Inside, Lord finds the Red Queen waiting for him, lurking in the shadows.

Later, Chloe finds Clark at the barn. He's worried about how he's put himself in an untenable position with his secret identity. Chloe points out that at least he tried to be honest with Lois concerning his secret. She then confirms that Zod was posing as the Blur, and Clark realizes that Zod has been betraying him all along. Chloe tells him that he has to take precautions with Lois so no one can impersonate the Blur again, and Clark agrees.

Lois gets a handwritten message saying to meet the Blur at their first phone booth. Clark tells her that it will be their last conversation ever. He refuses to put her at risk again, but Lois explains that she feels like she's working for something greater than herself, and it's the most important part of her life. Clark asks if there is anything else as important, but Lois says that it's not about what she wants. He promises to watch over her but says not to trust anyone else who calls and claims to be him. Clark says goodbye and hangs up.

Lois goes to the Planet rooftop for her dinner with Clark. When she hesitates, he assures her that she can tell him anything. Lois wonders why she did lie to him about talking to the Blur and sharing things with him that she couldn't share with Clark. Clark assures her that he still wants her in his life, but Lois wonders why he's okay with her betraying him. She explains that what she has with the Blur isn't what she has with Clark, and figures Clark can't understand having a calling. He realizes that she felt selfish because when she was helping the world, she couldn't take anything for herself without hurting someone. Lois wonders how he can understand, but Clark simply asks if he's enough for her. Lois doesn't have an answer.

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