Instinct - Recap

Tess is at the manor working with one of Lex’s former scientists, Dr. Arthur Grohl. He’s analyzing the blue crystal her team recovered from the Arctic and determines it’s an alien computer system of some sort. Tess is skeptical and Grogh proposes focusing a sonic burst through it. Tess gives him the go ahead and he fires the burst. A beam of blue energy shoots out of the crystal, through the ceiling, and out into space.

A man is walking down the streets of Metropolis when he sees a glow of energy in an alleyway. A beautiful woman appears in a burst of energy and says she saw the man’s Kryptonian beacon and came to investigate. She introduces herself as Maxima, Queen of Almerac. He doesn’t have any idea what she’s talking about but willingly kisses her. He starts to bleed from the nose and she informs him that he’s not Kryptonian and her kiss is lethal to anyone else. As the man dies at her feet, she leaves to find the Kryptonian.

Clark is making breakfast for himself and Shelby when he finds Lana’s (formerly) kryptonite necklace in a cabinet. Lois calls to have him come in to work on a story. He superspeeds to the [I]Daily Planet[/I] where she tells him that she was up all night because she’s still at Chloe’s and Jimmy snores. She realizes he’s still depressed over Lana leaving and tell shim to find someone else, then hands off her story on the man who died in the alleyway. The coroner’s report shows that he decided of elevator endorphin levels, and Lois notes that endorphins can result from strenuous sexual activity. However, that doesn’t match with the fact the man was found fully clothed and no human could have such high endorphin levels.

Jimmy returns to Chloe’s apartment to find her going through the things he has out to learn about his interests. As he puts a book away, he finds the love letter that a 15-year-old Chloe wrote to Clark when he was in a coma from Kryptonian fungus. He doesn’t believe her claims that she’s long over Clark and wonders why she never wrote him such a heartfelt love letter.

Tess receives a green dress from Oliver and an invitation to meet him at Ace of Clubs. Tess isn’t interested but Maxima has traced the crystal to the manor and confronts the CEO. Maxima’s comments about an alien Kryptonian intrigue Tess and she suggests they work together. Maxima thinks Tess is lying so she can have the Kryptonian all to herself. She knocks out Tess, sees the letter and the invitation, and assumes it’s from the man she’s seeking.

Lois and Clark go to the alleyway where the man died, and find the burn marks from her arrival. Clark uses his x-ray vision to detect a hidden alien symbol. Lois checks with the police and learns that there have been a trail of men dead from similar circumstances going from Metropolis to Smallville, and she figures a meteor freak is responsible.

Maxima puts on the green dress and goes to the Ace of Clubs. Jimmy is also there, drowning his sorrows. He’s the only one by himself and Maxima figures he’s the Kryptonian and approaches him.

Clark visits Chloe and shows her the symbol. Using her enhanced intellect, she recognizes the symbol using the information Brainiac downloaded into her brain. She identifies it as belonging to the Royal Family of Almerac, and that they use teleportation bracelets to fold space and move across the galaxy. Tapping into her stored knowledge, Chloe explains that their visitor must be looking for a perfect mate, and uses her kiss to test for the one whom is strong enough to survive. When Clark expresses concern about the full extent of Chloe’s powers and how she got them, she curtly dismisses him then suggests he help someone who needs his help: Maxima’s next victim. Checking the computer, she finds a police report on a dead man near the Ace of Clubs and Clark goes to investigate.

Jimmy and Maxima go out on the club’s balcony. As they start to kiss, he backs away and apologizes, saying he loves someone else. Maxima uses her influence and has him kiss her, and he starts to die of a heart attack. Clark arrives at the club and spots Jimmy. He runs to his side at superspeed and Maxima, similarly enhanced, realizes he’s the Kryptonian she’s looking for.

Tess meets Chloe at the Talon and asks for her help hacking a super-computer. Tess notes that she got arrested the last time she did illegal hacking, and Lex was the one who had her arrested. Tess says there’s nothing illegal involved but Chloe isn’t convinced. When Tess hints at using extortion to force Chloe to help, Chloe still refuses to give in and tells Tess she’ll need much stronger ammunition.

Jimmy wakes up with Clark watching over him at the hospital. He admits that he did accept a kiss from Maxima, but he was at the club because he found Chloe’s love letter to Clark. Clark tells him that everyone has to move on and that Chloe did… and now she’s with Jimmy. Chloe comes in to check on Jimmy and Clark leaves out explaining how Jimmy ended up kissing Maxima. He goes to the <I>Daily Planet</I> to review the club’s security footage, only to find Maxima waiting for him. She uses her endorphin abilities to influence him into making out with her, and they get onto the elevator. The car stops at one floor and Lois is waiting to get on. Shocked, she leaves and Clark shakes off Maxima’s influence to go after her. Lois informs him she was just surprised, not jealous, and he can do whatever he wants with her.

Outside, Lois gets in her car only to find Maxima waiting for her. Maxima tosses Lois’ car down the street and then prepares to kill Lois as she climbs out of the car. She says that she sensed the strong bond between Lois and Clark and plans to eliminate her only rival. However, Tess’ personal security force arrives and draws a bead on her.

Clark goes to the Isis Foundation with the photo of Maxima from the security cameras. Tess is there, having broken in, and wonders what Clark is doing there. He claims he’s writing an article and came to ask Chloe for help. When Clark wonders why Maxima went to Tess, Tess says Maxima is looking for the blue crystal. She asks if Clark ever saw Lex with the crystal and he lies, saying he never did.

Before she can pursue the matter, Tess gets a call from her security team. Clark, overhearing the call, runs to the scene as Maxima prepares to kill Lois after having wiped out the security team. Clark hauls her away at superspeed into an alleyway. Maxima claims that Clark is the perfect mate for her, and she is the only perfect mate that he’s ever going to find. Clark considers her words… then activates the teleport bracelet Chloe described earlier and Maxima is forcibly sent back to Almerac.

Later, Clark meets with Chloe, who has easily figured out that Jimmy ended up in critical condition from kissing Maxima. However, she realizes that Maxima was influencing him and there was nothing he could do to resist. She finally shows Clark the letter he wrote her when she thought he was dying. She also says that while he doesn’t remember what she said, when he heard it he deliriously muttered “Lana.” Chloe isn’t ashamed of her feelings for him, saying they prepared her for when she met her true love, Jimmy. She wants Clark to give her away at the wedding and Clark agrees. He also says he has an early wedding gift for her: a way to remove Brainiac’s influence from her mind. He proposes using the blue crystal to recreate the Fortress and thus the Jor-El program, which should have the knowledge to “cure” Chloe. She’s still unsure if she wants the cure, and notes that Tess has the crystal. Putting two and two together, Chloe figure the crystal is the “computer” that Tess wanted her to hack.

Chloe goes to Lex’s manor where Tess is training with a kickboxing instructor. Chloe first threatens to press charges for against Tess for breaking into the Isis Foundation earlier. Tess apologizes, and Chloe says she’ll accept Tess’ earlier offer to hack the computer. However, Tess reveals that someone stole the crystal from her and she plans to get it back.

Lois comes to see Clark in the barn and tells him that it appears that the killer has disappeared. Clark thanks her for saving his life since he lies and claims he would have died from Maxima’s kiss if Lois hadn’t interrupted. He talks about what Maxima said and wonders if he might not recognize his soul mate, the same way he didn’t recognize Chloe’s love for him. He wonders if Maxima said anything to Lois and she lies and said Maxima didn’t say anything about her and Clark’s “bond.” Lois is off to find a place to live on her own, and Clark offers her her old room at the farm. Lois smiles and turns down his offer.

Tess is in her office checking her e-mail when she receives a mysterious message with a photo of the blue crystal attached. The contact, identifying him or herself only as “X,” says she isn’t ready for it yet.

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