Hothead - Recap

The Smallville Crows near the end of a football game in driving rain. The quarterback cannot find his receiver and tries to run without success. Coach Walt screams at the boy, reminding him that he called in a pass play; the boy makes excuses and the coach grabs his facemask and demands he read the coach’s jacket – the word Coach written there means Walt is in charge, because (he says) he knows what’s best for the boys. He sends in the same play, telling the quarterback they’ve practiced it hundreds of times so he shouldn’t need to see his receiver. He should know where that receiver is and throw there. The quarterback follows instructions, throws the pass. The receiver snags it and scores, giving the Crows their victory.

Inside the locker room Coach Walt and his team are exuberant. The coach reminds them that another team is eating crow that night. The quarterback picks up the cheer, reminding the team how this was the coach’s hundred and ninety-ninth win and how important next week’s game will be.

Sometime later Coach Walt sits in a private sweat box – a gift from the alumni association for twenty years of dedicated service. He ladles water over the hot stones and greenish mist rises from them. A few of the stones have greenish inclusions.

Here is where Principal Kwan interrupts the coach, informing him that several of his players cheated on their math midterm. The coach tells him to keep it quiet and deal with it in the off-season. But Kwan refuses to sweep a major academic breach under the carpet just to win a football game. Coach Walt angrily tells the man that this game is his legacy; Kwan doesn’t care. He says his job is to educate youngsters. Coach Walt becomes livid as he claims he has been educating youngsters his whole life, and that many have gone to college or gotten good jobs on recommendations from him. Principal Kwan, unmoved, tells the coach that winning doesn’t make him right and that come Monday he will suspend the players.

Back in his office the coach gets madder and madder the longer he things about the principal’s decision, finally smashing his hand on the desk. Shockingly, the desk bursts into flames!

The next morning Chloe Sullivan, Pete Ross and Clark Kent walk into school. Chloe has written an article for The Torch, the school’s newspaper, about Coach Walt’s sometimes brutal techniques. It has earned her hate mail, mostly from people with poor sentence structure who use obscenities liberally – the coach’s players, she believes. Pete wryly suggests that she’s giving the football team too much credit if she really believes they read the school paper.

As they walk by Lana and Whitney talking, Lana seems disappointed when Whitney comments that something is “no big deal.” Lana thinks whatever they’re discussing is a big deal.

Several football players gather around Coach Walt as he discusses their situation. chloe comments that the source of the exam remains a mystery, then pulls out her camera to snap the meeting between the coach and his suspended players. One player notices her; disliking what he sees, he tosses a football at her but Clark easily intercepts it. After she and Pete turn to leave Clark returns the football hard enough to double over the original sender; Coach Walt notices that and watches Clark leave, clearly thinking.

Inside, Coach Walt buttonholes Clark. He tells Clark that he has lousy technique but great power; Clark somewhat shyly thanks him. The coach then asks why Clark hasn’t joined the team and Clark answers that he dad needs him on the farm. Coach Walt is undeterred, suggesting that the team needs Clark on the field. Clark tells the coach that his dad is kind of stubborn; Coach Walt remembers Jonathan Kent well as one of the most talented athletes he ever coached. Then he tells Clark that talent is in his genes; Clark replies that the Kents adopted him. The coach becomes a little irritated and reminds Clark of the times he has stood at the trophy case gazing at his father’s pictures, then tells Clark he wants to be a part of that. Clark agrees to think about it and the coach calls Whitney Fordham over to ask him how Clark would do. Whitney believes Clark would do alright, especially given the team’s situation, and the coach comments that Clark seems afraid. Clark reiterates his father’s objections and Coach Walt unlimbers his biggest gun: he tells Clark that every son must at some point step from his father’s shadow and be his own man. Then he asks if Clark is ready to be his own man, and that convinces Clark. The coach tells Clark he’ll see him at practice, three pm, and not to be late. Pete reminds Clark that his father forbade this and tells him to call him when the hurting stops.

Lana talks to Whitney. It seems to her that he does not regard the cheating as a particularly bad thing, and that perplexes her. The she tells him that she has noticed how he loves football and is great at it, and that she wants to find something she can be great at.

Later Clark talks to Jonathan Kent, and Jonathan immediately realizes Coach Walt used the “be your own man” speech. Jonathan tells Clark he must quit and Clark asks his father not to make him do that. Jonathan points out that they already had this conversation and reminds Clark of the possibility that someone will get hurt. Clark tells his father he’s sick of feeling punished because he has gifts and suggests that most parents would be happy. Jonathan tells Clark he doesn’t need to live vicariously and Clark bitterly tells him that he doesn’t – because he got to play. Jonathan tells Clark he won’t sign the permission slip and Clark says he’ll play anyway.

At the Luthor home, three men wait. Lex strides in and jeers at them. Dominic, their evident spokesman, asks Lex why he’s late and Lex reminds them he cancelled the meeting. But Lionel insisted they come out and conduct it anyway because the plant’s quarterly numbers have come in twenty percent below predictions. Lionel wants drastic action and Lex advises Dominic that he plans drastic action. Dominic misinterprets this to mean Lex will take his father’s advice to cut staff by twenty percent; Lex instead plans to increase staff by twenty percent. Lex believes that one must spend money to make money, and by positioning himself this way he will corner the market when the sector bounces back. Dominic reminds him Lionel sent him to Smallville to turn the plant around and Lex retorts that Dominic actually sent him away because wants to surround himself with drones instead of people who might challenge his archaic business practices. Dominic tells Lex he’ll pass that comment on to Lionel and Lex invites him to do so gladly, then adjourns the meeting. On Dominic’s way out Lex asks him to say hi to his sister, a comment that clearly stings Lionel’s advisor.

Lana has returned home from school early. Her aunt Nell asks why and Lana tells Nell she no longer has cheerleading practice because she has quit cheerleading. The crisis of faith prompted by the football team cheating scandal and Whitney’s inadequate display of remorse has suggested to Lana that life is more than memorizing and shaking. Her aunt warns her not to let bad apples spoil an experience, but Lana wants to try new things. She wants to get a job, earn extra money so she can travel between school years. Nell offers her a job at the flower shop but Lana wants to do this on her own.

Clark suits up for practice; Jonathan arrives and takes a seat. Clark is glad to see his father but Jonathan tells him he doesn’t support Clark’s decision and has only come to see that no one gets hurt. On the field, another player tackles Clark and Coach Walt angrily tells him to quit looking in the stands; he’s not out there to be a tackling dummy. Chided, Clark’s second attempt succeeds; he races past defenders, knocking them over or clearing them with a leap, and reaches the end zone. Coach Walt enthuses over the performance as Jonathan leaves the stands, clearly disgusted.

Principal Kwan confronts Coach Walt in the coach’s office. One of the boys who cheated has come forward accusing the coach himself of providing the exam. Kwan took the matter to the school board and got stonewalled – the coach has a lot of friends. Learning that doesn’t surprise the coach, who knew and coached many of them. Kwan promises to get all the boys to come forward; the school board will be unable to ignore that evidence, and the coach’s career will be over. Coach Walt angrily slams his hand on the desk; once again Kwan has roused his temper. Nearby a television bursts into flames; Kwan merely loose bemusedly at the coach and leaves his office.

Kwan walks to his car as Coach Walt watches through his office window. Kwan enters his car and tries to start it while the angry Walt concentrates. Suddenly, the steering column of Kwan’s car, and then the gearshift, burst into flame! Kwan attempts to leave but then the door catches and he cannot reach it. Pete and Clark emerge from school and hear Kwan’s cries for help; Clark sends Pete back inside for help, races to Kwan’s car and tears off the door, then pulls the unconscious man free and escapes with him seconds before the car goes up in a fireball that flips it completely over!

Later, at his home, Martha tells Clark the principal received some burns and suffered from smoke inhalation, but will recover and likely leave the hospital over the weekend. Jonathan asks if anyone saw Clark; Clark avers not and tells his father he wrapped his hands in his jacket. Clark pointedly comments that he missed his ride; Jonathan remains upset and again tells Clark he could have hurt someone. Clark truthfully points out that he did not.

Moments later Martha talks to Jonathan. She wants Clark to take a shot at football. She reminds Jonathan that Clark has not had a normal life because the Kents have been constantly afraid someone might get hurt. Jonathan contends Clark’s gifts come with responsibilities and Martha says this isn’t about his gifts but about trust. Jonathan then reveals a fear that someone will suspect the truth and take Clark away. Martha suggests that if they don’t start trusting their son, no one will have to take him away because he will leave on his own.

Outside the Smallville Beanery, Chloe talks to Pete and Clark. She tells them cars don’t just spontaneously combust. Clark tells her the police decided the problem with Kwan’s car was faulty wiring. Chloe proposes a headline: jockstrap saves principal from burning car. She mocks Clark because she cannot believe he has been blinded by the Friday Night Lights.

Inside the Beanery, the three friends discover Lana working there as a waitress. Clark asks after he necklace; she cannot wear it here because of the strict dress code. That’s good for Clark since the necklace contains a piece of kryptonite that weakens him.

Lana tells Clark she quit cheerleading, which surprises him. He asks what Whitney said and she puts him off, suggesting that as his teammate Clark could ask Whitney himself. Clark then says he hoped he could see more of Lana as a perk of playing football; she tells him she has four shifts a week and he is free to drop in any time. About then her boss interrupts and dresses her down for keeping a table waiting. Lana apologizes but the boss tells her “Don’t be sorry. Be faster.”

Chloe thinks the work has turned upside down. Clark plays football and Lana waits tables. Days earlier she’d never have suspected that reversal. Then a football player comes in and talks briefly to a collection of players gathered at a nearby table, all those who cheated on the math midterm. The players all leave but not before Chloe overheard one of them repeat the coach’s summons to the field. She follows, determined to learn what would cause Coach Walt to call a meeting in the late evening. As she leaves Lana drops an order and the crowd applauds.

On the field Coach Walt talks to the group of dishonest players. He wants to know who told Principal Kwan about the test. A player named Trevor Chapell pipes up that colleges won’t even look at them with a cheating mark on their records; Coach Walt realizes that Trevor told Kwan. Enraged, the coach backhands Trevor and at the same time, the sprinklers transform from jets of water to jets of fire! Against a pyrotechnic backdrop Coach Walt warns the players to go home and to keep their mouths shut and emphasizes that nothing will stand between him and his legacy. They agree. Unnoticed, Chloe takes pictures.

Lionel storms into Lex’s office. Lex has made the business pages with his plans; Lionel is not happy. Lex tells his father that he reported this and Lionel acknowledges that “his drone” passed it on; Lex suggests his dad could have called any time and Lionel counters that the Luthor Corporation has a reporting structure and that Lex should not expect special treatment for who he is. Lex tells his father he never has; Lionel swings around the desk and cautions Lex not to try using wounded pride, telling him the tactic might have worked on Lex’s mother but it will not work on Lionel. He advises Lex that the Caesars of Rome sent their sons to the far corners of the empire to learn how the world worked, implying this is his purpose in sending Lex to Smallville. Then he proposes they fence: if Lionel wins Lex must fire twenty percent of his employees, and if Lex wins he may implement his plan.

They fence, and Lionel lectures Lex on the hazards of making rash moves without giving thought to consequences and warns Lex that his emotions rule him, a fatal flaw in a business leader. As he says this Lionel scores a winning touch and departs, telling Lex the workers must be gone by noon the following day.

Clark has suited up and prepares to leave the loft. His mother tells him he is as handsome as his father; Clark tells her she does not need to act as family peacemaker. She tells Clark that she advised Jonathan he was acting unreasonably but also tells Clark he has not behaved entirely reasonably. Clark reminds her the matter is one of trust and she asks her son to give his father a chance to adjust.

Chloe meets Trevor in one of the stadium ramps; he wants to know why she called him there. She tells him she wants the truth and that either way there will be a picture on the front of the Torch. He tells her to leave him alone and flees.

Coach Walt confronts Trevor and accuses him of talking to the reporter. Trevor tells his coach that he didn’t say anything as the coach’s hand grows hotter. When the coach releases the boy he clutches his arm in obvious pain; the coach sends Trevor home and tells the boy he’ll handle Chloe.

Coach Walt finds Chloe working on her story in the Torch office. Concentrating, he ignites the desk. The fire spreads quickly.

Outside, Clark wonders where Chloe is. Pete says he hasn’t seen her. Then Clark spots her framed by flames in the Torch office window and races to her aid. Inside, Chloe tries to escape but flames appear wherever she turns, almost as if they anticipated her moves. Clark races through the school at high speed and reaches the Torch office. When he arrives Coach Walt stops concentrating and the flames die back to guttering tongues.

Chloe’s headline will read “The Torch, torched!” She puts it together: the victims of fire all tried to thwart Coach Walk. Kwan launches an investigation and almost roasts in his car. Chloe tries to publish a story about Coach Walt’s fiery furor and the paper’s office burns. But she has no proof; that went up in smoke. Her only chance is Trevor Chapell but he is too scared. Chloe suggests Trevor might open up to Clark.

Lana waits on Lex at the Beanery; he orders a cappuccino. Clark enters searching for Trevor and tells Lana he thinks her job is cool. She won’t see him play because the new girl always gets the worst shifts. Clark orders coffee and Lana leaves to get it; Lex and Clark talk. Lex commiserates with Clark about the differences he has with Jonathan over joining the football team, sharing that the Luthors wrote the book on uncomfortable parent/child silences. Lex works on a plan to cut twenty percent of the work force. Lana returns with beverages and Lex realizes that each of them stood up to their parents while he caved in to his. He tells them they have inspired him but they downplay it. Lex tells Lana his drink is perfect; after she leaves Clark asks if its what he ordered and he tells Clark it isn’t even close...

Clark visits Trevor Chapell at home. He mentions to Trevor that Coach Walt ride him pretty hard and Trevor says the coach thinks he’s a father and that justifies it. Clark asks if the coach ever abused Trevor and then if the coach gave Trevor the math midterm. Trevor won’t say anything, clearly afraid of the coach. Clark says he can help but Trevor knows what the coach did to Principal Kwan and doesn’t believe Clark. Clark asks to see Trevor’s arm. Under the bandage lies a hand shaped welt.

Clark goes to the sweat box and tells Coach Walt neither of them is going on the field. Walt warns Clark not to tick him off; in the heater the kryptonite reacts to Clark’s presence. As it glows Clark feels the familiar weakness and sees his flesh react. Clark tells Coach Walt he knows about Trevor’s arm, and the coach responds by punching him! Weakened by kryptonite, Clark cannot defend himself when the coach hurls him into the sweatbox and locks him in. Kryptonite rocks spill across the floor.

On the field, the game progresses. Jonathan and Martha find Chloe and ask her if she’s changing her views on football; she tells them she came to support Clark. But Clark is nowhere around.

Inside the sauna, Clark calls for help and throws rocks weakly at the window, trying to escape.

Jonathan visits the field looking for Clark; Coach Walt claims he’d like to know where Clark has gotten to and sends Jonathan off the field, reminding him parents are not allowed there. Jonathan leaves to check the locker room and sends Chloe to check the school; when the coach sees this he turns the game over to an assistant, who sputters ineffective protests as Walt enters the locker room.

Clark manages to break the window of the sauna and Jonathan finds him there and hauls him out. He gasps out about the meteors; as Jonathan half drags Clark from the hot room, Coach Walt knocks him over the head with a fire extinguisher! Away from the kryptonite Clark quickly regains his strength and fends off Walt, finally kicking he throw a glass window into the locker area. Walt uses his fire powers but cannot harm Clark with them; Clark tells the man he needs help. Then he smacks the coach into the showers and tells him to give up. Enraged beyond reason, the coach transforms the shower heads into flame throwers. The room fills with fire and the coach disappears, presumably a victim of his own pyrokinesis.

Lionel enters Lex’s office. Lex offers a new proposal that reduces operating budget without cutting staff. The plan improves on Lionel’s idea by avoiding the bad press of a layoff. Lex offers his father another fencing rematch; Lionel smile and tells Lex he gets one chance to defy his father, but reminds Lex that empires are not built on clever bookkeeping. Lex tells his father that he has no idea what Lex is capable of.

Firemen inspect the school blaze they have just extinguished as Jonathan and Clark speak. Clark asks his father if he came to keep someone from getting hurt and Jonathan says no, he came to support Clark. Clark admits some things he said were out of line, and Jonathan says he does trust his son, but cannot help being afraid. It’s part of being a parent. Clark thanks his father.

Clark returns to the empty field and Lana finds him there. It’s peaceful now. Clark asks why she’s there and she tells him she was let go; she’s evidently not waitress material. Clark comments that Coach Walt won his two hundredth game and never saw it. Lana asks Clark if he’ll play next season and Clark admits he doesn’t know if football is for him. Like Lana, he’s not sure following the family legacy is what he wants. Lana comments that sometimes she just wants to scream and Clark suggests they do exactly that. On a count of three, they scream into the night...

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