Rogue - Recap

Lex invites Clark to a Metropolis Museum display of the breastplate of Alexander the Great, and notes that it has an S symbol on it and was reputed to provide the wearer with invulnerability. Lana arrives and Clark is surprised to see her. He realizes that Lex set them up, and Lex makes a hasty exit. Whitney is there, clearly uncomfortable, and Lana goes to get her aunt. Lex tells Clark that he can't keep avoiding Whitney and that the quarterback is the enemy. One of Lex's old girlfriends, Victoria Hardwick, comes in. Clark leaves them alone and Lex offers to give her a private tour, with Victoria gladly accepts.



Outside, a police detective, Sam Phelan, is beating a snitch and tells him to get the evidence against him from the Internal Affairs files at the police station.

Clark walks outside and notices an oncoming bus. The driver has a heart attack and the bus goes out of control, heading for a homeless man. Clark superspeeds in front of the bus and blocks it with his body before it can hit the sleeping homeless man and his dog. As people emerge from the museum to investigate the noise, Clark superspeeds away... unaware that Phelan has seen the entire thing.



The next day, Clark returns early in the morning to the Kent farm and tells Martha and Jonathan what happened. They're worried that he may have been seen, but the newspaper article on the crash has no mention of any witnesses. As Clark goes, Jonathan admits that he's proud of Clark for what he did.

Phelan meets with a museum security guard that he's blackmailed into providing him with security footage from the reception. The detective finds photos of Clark with Lex.

At the Luthor manor, Lex pours wine for Victoria and asks her what she thinks of Smallville. She's surprised that he's there and warns that Lionel has no plans to bring Lex back to Smallville. Talk turns to her father, Sir Harry, and the fact that she's now working as an executive vice president in her father's business. She is there to recruit Lex to work for her father, and they kiss.



Chloe, Clark, and Pete are working at the Torch when Lana comes by to ask what happened to him the previous night. Clark says that he was feeling ill. Meanwhile, Principal Kwan comes in and informs Chloe that he's receiving protests from parents about her using the paper to publish her conspiracy theories rather than school news. He suspends publication of the paper until he can find a new editor and leaves, and Lana offers to talk to him and see what she can do.

At the Beanery, Phelan approaches Lex, claiming to be an old friend. Lex says that they were never friends and starts to leave, and Phelan points out that he pulled Lex back several times. However, Lex notes that he was paid by Lionel to protect him, and says that there's nothing Phelan can do to him. Phelan says that he is looking for a witness to the crash and shows him the photo of Lex and Clark, but Lex denies knowing Clark and walks away.

At the barn, Clark looks around for his parents and hears someone moving in the shadows. On the ground he sees a Metropolis police badge. As Clark bends over to pick it up, Phelan drops a generator on him. Clark is unharmed and tosses it off, and Phelan applauds and introduces himself as his new best friend. He wants Clark to use his "gift" against the bad guys, and threatens to reveal Clark's secret if he doesn't help him.



Clark tells his parents what happened and that Phelan is a policeman. Jonathan assures his son that he didn't do anything wrong, and tells Clark that he'll talk to Phelan. Until then, he tells Clark to go about his life as normal.

That night, Clark is in the loft looking at the moon when Lex comes in. He asks about Phelan's investigation, and wonders why a Metropolis detective is investigating a car accident. Lex has confirmed that the official investigation is involved, and warns that Clark doesn't want Phelan in his life. When Clark wonders why, Lex explains that Phelan is a dirty cop and he'll use anything that he has on Clark. Clark says that Phelan only wanted to talk and Lex says if that's the case, Clark has nothing to worry about.

Jonathan goes to the Beanery and finds Phelan expecting him. The detective says that he wants Clark's help dealing with criminals, but Jonathan refuses to let him exploit Clark. In response, Phelan notes that Clark has been around a lot of crime scenes, and he might have an instinct to get involved. Jonathan offers to give him whatever he wants in return for Phelan staying away from his family, and refuses to give him Clark. Phelan leaves but warns that he'll tell the world what he knows. Jonathan angrily grabs him and slams him down on the table, but hastily backs off when everyone notices.



Clark is at the Torch checking news stories on Phelan when Chloe comes in and wonders what has happened with Kwan. Lana arrives and tells Chloe that they are back in business, but she's the new editor of the paper. Chloe figures that Lana is trying to pad out her college application and storms off, angry at Lana's perceived betrayal.

As Clark is walking downtown, Phelan cuts him off in his car and warns Clark to put his family first, just like Jonathan did.

Over supper, Lex and Victoria discuss Sir Harry's publisher. Lex figures that Sir Harry wants Lex's shares to take over LuthorCorp, and Victoria is the one who set up the entire thing. He suggests that they work together and obtain both companies. When Victoria warns that it'll be dangerous, Lex says that's what makes life interesting. They share a toast to the future.

Phelan drives Clark to Metropolis and the home of an IA officer. He wants Clark to retrieve some files from a safe, and promises that once Clark performs this one job, he's free. When Clark notes that Lex warned him about Phelan, Phelan points out that Lex has secrets of his own. Clark breaks into the apartment and uses his x-ray vision to find the hidden safe. He then rips it out of the wall and throws it out the window onto Phelan's safe. As the police arrive, Clark gives him the file and superspeeds off as the police arrive.



The next morning, Clark claims that he was out late helping Lana at the Torch. He tells them that Phelan is out of their lives, but Sheriff Ethan arrives with a warrant to search the property. They find a dead man in the barn, shot through the heart. The murder weapon is hidden in Jonathan's truck and Sheriff Ethan arrest Jonathan for the murder. Clark tries to stop them, but Jonathan tells him to stay there and be strong. Martha goes with her husband while Clark goes into the house and finds Phelan waiting for him. He warns that Clark's actions complicated his life, and he's going to make Clark's life complicated. Clark grabs him and demands that he free Jonathan, and Phelan says that he'll do so in return for Clark's obedience. He tells Clark to stay close and leaves.

Clark goes to the Torch, and Lana assures him that she knows Jonathan is innocent. She worries that she screwed up everything trying to be a hero, and Clark worries that all he ever does is complicate his parent's life. Lana talks about how she ran away to Metropolis. When Nell found her, Lana asked if she ever regretted adopting her and Nell assures her that she loved her just as much and worried about her more. As Clark goes, Lana assures him that it will all work out.

Clark goes to see Jonathan in jail and admits that he lied about seeing Phelan, and that he almost lost his temper and killed Phelan. Jonathan warns him that he can't give in, and that once he does kill, there's no going back.

As Clark goes past the Beanery, Lex sees him and offers to provide a legal defense. Lex realizes that Phelan is responsible, and warns that Clark is in over his head. Clark insists that Lex can't help and walks away.

At the barn that night, Phelan comes to see Clark and explains that IA is asking him questions, and he has one more bit of business for Clark to handle. When Clark refuses, Phelan points out that Jonathan will go broke paying legal fees unless he helps him. Clark reluctantly agrees and they drive to Metropolis, unaware that Lex is following them.

At the Metropolis Museum, Phelan explains that he needs Clark to steal the $10 million in jewels on the breastplate so he can "retire." He shows Clark the blueprints and has Clark disable the security alarms. Phelan then calls in a bomb threat to get the security guards out of the building.



Lex arrives as the security guards come out. They find the supposed bomb placed in a newspaper machine across the street.

Phelan has Clark rip apart the barred case holding the breastplate.

Lex confirms the only thing in the package is an alarm clock.

As Phelan removes the breastplate, Clark uses his x-ray vision to confirm that the security guards are outside. He grabs the duffel pack containing the breastplate and throws it outside, and tells Phelan that his fingerprints are all over it. The detective tries to shoot Clark, who dodges the bullet and superspeeds away as the security guards arrive. A confused Phelan shoots at the guards and they gun him down. Lex kneels over the dying Phelan and asks what he had on Clark, but Phelan tells him to go to hell with his last breath.



The next day, Jonathan is released and returns home. He warns that Clark will have to be careful, and Clark assures his parents that no one saw him.

Lana puts out a new issue of the Torch with a headline protesting Kwan's suppression of Chloe's freedom of speech. Kwan admits that he admires Chloe's tenacity as she comes in, and she agrees to be more careful about documenting her stories. Once Kwan leaves, Chloe apologies for overreacting, and admits that she thought Lana was trying to cut Clark out of her life. Lana assures her that she wants to be friends with Chloe and doesn't want to interfere in their romance, but Chloe insists that they're just friends. She asks Lana the same thing, and Lana also insists that she and Clark are just friends.

At the manor, Lex is checking the museum security footage and sees a brief blur. Victoria asks him to come to bed and he says he'll be in, and then continues to scrutinize the video.



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