6.14 Transition
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Brainiac’s reappearance forces Clark to make a painful decision. Lana drops out of college when Lex asks her to help him run LuthorCorp. Chloe makes a personal appeal to Lois.
So we pick up where Clark was facing down 12 copies of Fine.
Chloe had just betrayed him.
She had not!
Whatever helps you sleep at night.
Lionel claimed to be Chloe's father.
Lex was about to claim the weapon.
Lana may
or may not
have convinced LuthorCorp shareholders to restore Lex's full executive power.
And Lex was mass producing the black gunk which he thinks can kill Fine and thus Kal-El.
Thus we open with Clark preparing for his doom. He reaches into his jacket and pulls out...
Deus ex machina in the teaser? What the hell?
[Annoyed] No. It's nothing we haven't already seen.
It's the daddy crystal.
Clark's only bargaining chip.
The head Braininac tells him he can't possibly destroy them all.
He offers to spare Clark's life if he hands over the crystal.
Clark threatens to destroy both Jor-El and Zod.
Brainiac says Clark would never kill his own father.
Clark exclaims, "I can't kill him. My real father is already dead!" Then he throws the crystal out towards space.
You can't do that! We need Jor-El later!
Keep your skirt on, missy. We're not getting rid of Jor-El.
The Brainiacs all make a guttural scream. We go into super slow mo and one by one they jump or fly for the crystal.
Cut to inside the temple. It would be nice to have some zoom in view so we know things are happening nearby. Lex pulls his hand back from the weapon. Suspicious, he turns towards Fine, "These don't look like the markings in the cave."
The one Fine in the temple cocks his head.
"Why won't you touch the weapon? Why didn't you bring it to me?"
I like it. Lex is thinking.
Actually we just needed to buy some time for Clark to get rid of the other Fines.
I'll take what I can get.
"It's an older kryptonian dialect. I told you, the weapon imprints on the first person to touch it. My programming will not allow me to kill a kryptonian, no matter how vile. If it imprinted on me it could never be used against Kal-El." Pause, "A human must wield the weapon."
Lex turns back towards the weapon.
Brainiac is visibly relieved Lex bought his story. End our teaser.
We open back up with a comely woman announcing the results of the shareholder vote. She's thrilled Lex has his power restored. Lana stands just behind her. The motion has narrowly passed. The two women hug and our guest star whispers to Lana how lucky Lex is to have an advocate such as her.
Great, that's all we need, more Lana pimpage. Are you sure Al and Miles didn't get a pass at your script?
Maybe this young woman is playing Lana just like she's going to play...
Tom, don't give it away yet!
But on the bright side now that Lex has authority again he can finally fire Lionel's sorry ass. That's going to be a fun scene!
Too bad we didn't include that scene.
What?!?!?
Sorry. Couldn't fit it in.
One of Lex's few victories and you steal it from him?!?
We didn't steal it. It's just off-screen.
Why's the best stuff about this show always off-screen?
Look, you may be a lead but this is the story of Clark Kent. We don't need a scene for every time Lex scratches his ass.
We can has a huge arc about tertiary characters like Chloe and Lionel but you can't show Lex finally defeating his father?
Defeat? Hardly.
Can this "guest" star be Mercy?
Sure, why not?
[pumps fist] Yes!
Wait. That's going to complicate things between Lana and Lex!
Yes.
Yes!
I'm co-author on this episode and I don't want her to be Mercy!
Kristen, she's going to be doing Lex's dirty work. I think making her Mercy is a good idea.
Me too.
I'm all for it. Best of all Lex will finally have some decent security.
See? That's reason enough for it not to be Mercy.
Kristen, throw me a bone here!
We can't let Lex have decent security.
Why not?
He, uh, he just can't.
Why not?
It goes against everything this show is about.
I thought someone dissing Lana is against everything this show is about.
Sure, giving Lex some decent security does create some challenges...
Like requiring decent writing.
...but it's not insurmountable.
I agree.
[Heavy sigh] OK. She can be Mercy.
[Claps daintily] Yay!
Clark's dorm room. Chloe notices his window is open. She hands Lois the necklace, pokes her head out of the window and sighs.
Lois inspects the necklace. We start seeing black and white flashbacks from Brainiac’s point of view. There's a shot of the ship, of Brainiac taking the two weapons, of him placing one in an ornate box, and we hear the audio of Brainiac telling Clark he cannot help him anymore. He must find the weapon on his own and then Brainiac brushing Clark's cheek.
What the hell is that?
It's Lois having visions.
Duh. So now she's psychic?
No. This goes back to the first episode of the season.
Huh?
You don't remember Fine putting the Vulcan mind meld on Lois?
Obviously not. When did that happen?
When Martha regained consciousness she saw Fine placing his hand on Lois' forehead. She asked what he was doing to her.
He replied wasn't her concern.
So now that you have decided to actually use that plot point may I ask exactly what it is you plan to do with it?
He knew that eventually he would have to shut himself down. He implanted some of his memories in her brain and then in a Relic type fashion...
I was really hoping we had put that episode behind us.
...in a Relic type fashion when she touches an object the good or bad Fine has touched she'll have a vision just like Clark did.
Of all the different ideas we've had on the show over the years you two just have to pick that one to bring back?
You don't like it.
It was stupid enough the first time.
I kind of like it.
If you'd seen the original episode you wouldn't.
All the more reason not to watch the old episodes. Listen I think this could be really cool. Can we give her a flash back of when Fine confronts Lex in the shower.
See, it's already headed in the wrong direction. We need to nip this whole thing in the bud before it gets out of hand.
Don't tell me you're afraid to show a little skin, Michael. Besides it'd just be black and white stock footage from a previous episode.
I think it'd a stupid idea. This episode is going to be full of crying and stupid ideas, isn't it?
What if we showed a flashback of the naked exploding women robots too?
I'm not as easily bought off as John, Mack. No matter what you offer I'm not endorsing this idea. I'm not for sale.
Too bad, maybe you could have gotten something out of it. Now you get nothing and we go with the idea anyway.
What could I possibly get out of it that would be worth it? Lex and Lana sex?
Maybe.
You can't be serious. [pause] Are you?
[winks at MR] I guess now you'll never know.
Arrrggghhh!
[shaking his head and smiling] Cut back to show Lois. Her eyes are unfocused and she wobbles. She tries to steady herself against the door frame before falling.
Chloe helps Lois sit up, "Are you OK?"
Woozy. "I, I don't know."
"What's wrong?"
"When I touched the necklace I had a vision."
Nervous. "A vision of what?"
"Of a ...” Embarrassed, “It's crazy."
"Hello? Curator of the wall of weird here!"
She'll never live that down, will she?
Hesitation. "A spaceship. And a crystal. And someone telling Clark he had to find some weapon."
Trying not to let on it's important, "Who told this to Clark?"
"I don't know. It was like I saw it through his eyes." Lois pauses. The cousins look at each other expectantly. "I think it might have been Kal-El. Is that where Clark went? To Find some weapon?"
"I don't know where he went, Lois." Turning away so Lois can't see her lying, “I think you must have hit your head harder than I thought when I tasered you. You’re seeing things.”
“I may be seeing things but that doesn’t mean they aren't real. If Kal-El really exists we have no idea what abilities he possesses. He could communicate telepathically.”
“But Kal-El doesn’t exist.”
“I wouldn’t be so sure, Chloe. I’ve seen enough evidence to make me wonder and I'm the skeptic of the family.”
Turning back to Lois, “A couple of ‘visions’ isn’t proof.”
Lois studies Chloe for a moment. “No." But it's obvious Lois is just agreeing to disagree. She pulls out Lionel's tape. “You want to watch this or not?”
Chloe takes the tape. She tells Lois that looking into Kal-El can only lead to trouble. She urges her to stay out of it.
Unconvinced, "Like you?"
"Lois please. Trust me, this isn't something you want to be involved with. There's nothing to Lex's mad ravings about an alien invasion. If you dig into it I guarantee it will only stir up Luthor sized trouble. Please promise me you'll stay out of it."
Unconvincingly, "I'll think about it."
Chloe sighs. Emphatically, "Whatever you do don't give Lex reason to believe you know anything about Kal-El. He's obsessed, Lois. If he thinks you know something..." Chloe trails off as if afraid to even imagine the possibilities. Instead she pleads to Lois with her eyes.
As if finally understanding the seriousness, "OK."
Back outside the temple. In super speed mode Clark pulls the black crystal from his jacket and slams it against a rock. The crystal breaks into about a dozen long shards.
And there just happen to be about a dozen Fines? How convenient.
Shut up, Michael.
He jumps into the air after the Brainiacs and begins throwing shads one by one. As each shard hits a Brainiac it explodes. With all the Brainiacs gone Clark falls back to earth, three shards left in his hand. With the other hand he pulls the real daddy crystal from his jacket, smiles, and spins it.
Sneaky!
[Smiling] And smart. Clark zips into the temple stopping short of the weapon room. Braniac is egging Lex on to take the weapon. Lex still hesitates.
Clark frowns. He throws one of the remaining shards.
Slow motion view of the shard headed for the final Brainiac. He turns in time to see the crystal and shouts, “Take it! Take it now! Kal-El is here!” Lex dives for the weapon.
Back to Lois and Chloe. Mamma Sullivan's video is ending.
You think you’re chopping up the action enough here, people?
Why? You think we need to cut it up more?
Hell, no! The way it’s going by the time Clark gets a hold of the weapon no one will care!
We have to stretch it out. There’s a lot of other stuff to tell with no action.
Well made some! You wrote the damn thing. Let Lionel and Martha do the nasty.
It’s not that easy.
Bullshit.
[Ignoring JG] We hear Mama Sullivan’s final words, “I hope someday you can forgive me, sweetheart. I will always love you.” Chloe stops the player.
Great. Let me guess. Chloe is crying.
Wouldn’t you cry if you hadn’t seen your mother since you were five?
That’s irrelevant.
Don’t worry Michael. Lex gets to cry too.
What!?!?
Well we can’t let him get the weapon. You don’t seriously think it’s all going to be fun a giggles when Clark steals it right out from under his nose.
Tom, I can’t believe you’re letting her get away with this!
It’s not what you think Michael. There’s actual physical pain involved so technically it’s OK.
And you get to visit the medical center.
Damn you, Tom. Damn you both.
We’re not going to show what else Mama Sullivan had to say?
No. Just lovey dovey stuff. No reason to waste time on that.
But that stuff is really important to Chloe!
Again, no reason to waste time on in.
Lois asks Chloe if she still thinks Lionel is her dad.
Chloe pulls out a little baggy containing one long hair. Solemnly, “No. But I’ll find out soon enough.”
Cut to Lana and Mercy beside the LuthorCorp helicopter.
Lana hands Mercy a thick folder, “You know what to do.”
“Don’t worry. Oliver will be putty like in my hands.”
They talk a little about how much Lex is counting on Mercy.
Mercy boards.
Lana looks on with little evil thoughts dancing through her evil little head.
Back to the temple.
I hope we can finish the scene this time.
Show Lex going for the crystal. Suddenly a shard of black crystal pierces his hand.
Holy crap! Clark wouldn’t do that.
He’d do it to save the world. He almost slit Lex's throat last season. This is just Lex's hand.
I agree with Kristen. He should beat the crap out of Lex too. Teach him to mess with “Kal-El.”
Lex screams in agony as he holds his wrist with his working hand. He turns just in time to see Fine explode. Contempt, "Kal-El!" He reaches for the crystal with his good hand. A second shard pierces it. He screams again.
Tom? What the fuck?
He looks at his hands in horror then spreads his arms out and falls to his knees.
Great. Give the Jewish guy stigmata, why don't you?
“Why won't you face me, Kal-El? Coward! Why don't you just come and kill me!?!?”
Cut to Clark hiding behind a wall. He's completely freaked out. Major guilt.
Looks-like-constipation type guilt?
Really painful constipation guilt.
Lex is in tremendous pain. The flesh around his wounds turns black. His veins pop out. His super hearing kicks in and he can hear Clark's heart beat.
Clark hasn't even heard Chloe's heartbeat, has he? What does this say about Lex's connection to Clark?
We'll have to replace the gayest look of the episode with the gayest moment of the episode?
"I can hear you, Kal-El! I know you're watching." Lex tries to pull the shards out of each hand. He's unable to get a grip. Fantastic Voyage type zoom shows kryptonite particles rushing to the wound. Lex desperately beats one hand against a pillar in an attempt to force the shard out. "Damn you, Kal-El! You enjoy watching me suffer, don't you?!"
Shot of Clark still hiding. He looks like he’s the one being tortured.
The old "this is going to hurt me harder than it's going to hurt you bullshit", huh? It's OK because Clark feels bad about it?
The area of blackening flesh expands.
Obviously in complete agony Lex tears up. He yells again, “I'm going to stop you! Somehow. You hear me!?! I'm going to stop you.”
He pounds his hands against the floor a few more times before finally collapsing.
Clark walks up to unconscious Lex, lead box in hand. He struggles to get Lex's ring off his finger and places it in the box. Then he removes the shards and puts the weapon in his jacket pocket. He strains to pick up Lex.
Why exactly is he straining? The kryptonite is in the box.
There is still some left in Lex's system.
The stuff giving Lex super strength? Wouldn't it bring Lex to consciousness?
It's the only thing keeping him alive. The black crystal was killing him.
As Clark carries Lex show his hands. The flesh around the wound is completely charred.
Cut a generic office. Lois sits stiffly at a table. Off-screen someone raves about something being “total crap”.
A half inch stack of papers land on the table in front of her causing Lois to jerk in surprise. She looks at this off-screen personality lips pursed, a bit defiant.
Pull back to reveal Perry. “Lois, is that the best you can do? Barely string enough words together to form a sentence?”
Her mouth trembles. You can tell tears are welling up in her eyes.
Getting up in her face, “Have you never ever heard of spell check?”
Lois turns away. She wipes an eye.
Perry backs off. He tells her they need to bring in a ghost writer.
Lois is silent.
Perry brings up Lois’ cousin. Maybe she could help her.
Trying to keep it together by not looking him in the eye. “No.”
Perry sighs and is silent for a moment. “Lois, look, maybe you’re not cut out for this. You’ve got spunk. I’ll give you that. You have a great eye for a story. But your writing? It’s terrible. Let me find you a ghost writer. People do it all the time. No one else ever has to know.”
Lois finally looks at Perry. She has a tear running down her face but is defiant, “I'd know.”
Perry sits down and tries to take Lois’ hand but she pulls it away. “It’s nothing to be ashamed of.”
Lois picks up the stack of papers and stands. “This is something I have to do myself. I’ll have another draft ready next week.”
“Lois...” but she's already gone. He rubs his forehead in frustration.
Cut to the hallway. Lois cradles the draft in her arms and leans back against the wall. She finally lets go and starts sobbing.
Tom? You green lighted all this crying crap? You always green light crying! What the hell is wrong with you?
Lois is crying and there’s nothing you can do about it, Michael.
So her cousin dies and she doesn’t cry. Her sister turns criminal right in front of her eyes and she doesn’t cry. Her surrogate father dies and she doesn't cry but when a practical stranger tells her she can't spell she falls apart?
He's killing her dream.
Her dream? Ha! We're supposed to believe writing is her dream?
We are now.
[coughing the word] c-Light switch!
Lois choked up talking about Jonathon when she resigned.
Lois is complex.
Hah!
Her priorities are screwed up.
Well that’s for sure but we don’t need crying to show that.
Lex wakes in a hospital, hands bandaged. The lead box sits at his bedside table with a note in the latch.
Lana enters. "Thank God you're alive!"
"Did you bring it?"
"Yes" She pulls out a vial with the silver liquid.
Lex holds out his hands. She waves the vial over them. The solution bubbles and Lex pulls his hands back in pain.
“What's wrong?”
“It burns. It never did before.”
Lana unwraps the bandage. The wound is still there.
“Try again.”
Lana waves the vial again. Lex winces. The wound heals itself nearly completely but a large patch of scar tissue remains. The vial stops bubbling.
Lex smiles through the pain. "I guess my body finally flushed all the meteor rock.”
Lana touches the scar and Lex reflexively pulls back in pain. "I'm sorry."
Lex nods towards the note.
She pulls it out and reads, "We are not enemies."
Lex holds up his hand. "Who other than an enemy would do this?"
“He had the chance. Why didn't he kill you?”
“He could kill any of us any time he wants. He's toying with me, Lana. It's a game to him, one sick elaborate game. But we'll even the odds somehow.”
"Lex. I'm so scared."
Crying again!?! You're killing me!
“Don't worry Lana. We'll beat him. We must.” They hug. Lex eventually pulls away, “And Mercy?”
Cut to Star city. Mercy sits seductively on Oliver's desk as he flips through some papers. She flirts shamelessly throughout, "The Luthors are dead set on acquiring Omega-Tech. If they do they'll have a true foothold in Star city."
"How do I know if this is anything more than speculation, Ms. Graves?"
"Call me Mercy."
Oliver looks serious, "Shoring up Omega-Tech’s finances could expose me to a hostile takeover."
“So you'd prefer to live on your knees than die fighting?”
This so calls for a little HoYay.
Oliver scowls.
“I know Omega-Tech like the back of my hand. If you follow my advice the Luthors will never get a controlling stake in the company and...”
“And what?”
“...as an added bonus we can ensure the Luthors get exactly what’s coming to them.”
Oliver smiles. “I like the sound of that."
Ratcheting up the flirting even more. “I thought you might. Shall we go over the details tomorrow?”
Flirting back a bit. “It would be my pleasure.”
I think maybe we should keep the Mercy thing ambiguous so the audience thinks she is on Oliver's side.
Naming her Mercy kind of gives it away. That was your idea.
Shit.
Lois enters Lex's office. She hands him a paper. “What's this?”
“My resignation. I saw your dad packing. I figured maybe I should resign before you had a chance to fire me.”
“I'd be more than happy to accept your resignation, Lois. But I'm not firing you.” He gives her a chance to take the paper back.
Surprised, she takes it. "No? Why not?"
"Let's just say it just took me a while to acquire a taste for your... unique charm."
Lois brightens.
"Don't thank me yet. Make the wrong move and you'll be out of here faster than you can say muffin peddling college drop out."
Angry, "Why you..." she stops.
Polite but challenging, "What was that Lois?"
"Yes sir," the the first time in a respectful manner, "Mr. Luthor. She walks off." Lex smiles to himself. Lana walks past Lois on her way out.
To Lana. “I’m glad you’re here. I’ve got a proposition for you.”
Martha’s office. Lionel pokes his head in.
Martha heard what happened. She’s sorry.
Lionel brushes it off but he is visibly sad.
He’s pretending to be. He’s got a plan dammit!
He says that now that he has no association with LuthorCorp maybe they can re-think their relationship.
And his plan is to get into Mama Kent’s pants! Yee Haa!
From world domination to dirty old man. Not exactly raising the bar is he?
Shut up, Erica. Martha is worth it.
The flattery is nice, John, but admit it. The MB has lost his edge.
No, Dammit! [Grabbing TW by the collar] You can’t do this to me! Lionel must have a plan!
Relax. We have the next ep. We’ll hatch something nefarious.
[Brightens and lets go of TW] Bless you, my boy! Bless you!
Martha is tempted but hesitant.
He lays his depression thing on thick.
She asks him to join her for dinner.
The girl’s dorm room.
Damn, this episode drags.
See? We had to drag the action out.
You just don’t get it, do you?
I know! Pajama pillow fight!
What?
To get the action going again have a pajama pillow fight in the girl’s dorm.
You are such an adolescent. Lana is packing. Everything.
Chloe enters and asks what’s going on.
Lana asks if Chloe has seen her necklace.
Chloe lies that she hasn’t and asks what’s going on again.
Lana is moving out.
Chloe wants to know if she did anything.
"No." Lana explains that Lex asked her to help him run LuthorCorp. Lana is going to drop out of college.
Chloe tells her that's a terrible idea.
Lana parrots something Lex told her.
So why exactly is that in a Chloe and Lana scene instead of a Lex and Lana scene?
You really are a screen hog aren't you?
Look who's talking!
Lana says you can get an education anywhere but you go to college to open doors. There are more doors open to her now than a college degree will ever open.
Chloe argues that if Lex loves her those doors will still be open after graduation.
Lana isn’t going to wait. She’s going to make things happen, just like Lex has. She tells Chloe she’ll be back for the rest of her stuff later. She leaves.
Chloe picks up her phone.
The phone rings in Clark's room. He lets his machine get it.
It's Chloe. Long message about how sorry she is for what she did and how she doesn't blame him for not wanting to see her. She wants to apologize in person and she has something very important to tell him concerning Lois. She's on her way over.
Back to Chloe. She hangs up and pulls a piece of paper from her purse. It’s the DNA test. Show that the results are “inconclusive”. Chloe wipes a tear from her eye and picks up the phone again.
Why doesn't she just get a test using Gabe's hair now?
You're thinking too logically here, Allison. Besides, he'd fake that one too.
Who? Who'd fake it?
You'll see.
Cut to Oliver’s secretary. In the background Oliver and Mercy are visible through glass office walls. They sit close and she touches him frequently. They both seem to be laughing a smiling. The secretary answers her phone and tells the caller that Oliver is in a business meeting. We hear Chloe’s voice explain she will be on the next flight to Star City.
Clark sits by a lake studying the weapon.
The episode is still not over? You two are going to get the "most boring episode ever" award.
Lori swims up to the edge.
"Well if it isn't the reclusive Clark Kent."
Clark looks up, "I thought I was alone." He awkwardly tries to hide the crystal.
Lori climbs out and grabs a nearby towel. "In a public park?"
"I'm at a lake in January."
Lori smiles as she dries her hair. "I get it. You want to be alone."
Clark is contemplative, "No."
She nods at the crystal, "It's beautiful."
Clark puts the crystal in his pocket. "It's a little cold for a swim."
"I find it refreshing. You should give it a try. A brisk swim might put a smile on that long face of yours."
"I didn't bring a suit."
Lori looks around. Coy smile, "You might not be alone. But we certainly are."
Clark blushes, "I don't think so."
"You're still scared of me aren't you?"
"Of you? Please."
"I didn't give you a fair shake the first time we meet. I've wanted to make it up to you ever since but could never figure out how. You look like you could use a friend. If it's too cold for a swim at least let me buy you a cup of coffee."
Clark hesitates.
"Please? Look. I'm not really good at the apology thing, OK? Don't make me beg."
Slightest hint of a grin, "No cameras?"
Smiling, "No cameras. Or screaming."
"And No slapping?"
Lori is now dressed. She wags her finger at him teasingly, "Only as long as you promise to be on your best behavior."
Clark can't suppress a huge grin. "Me?" They both chuckle.
Chloe walks up to Clark's door carrying an overnight bag. She takes a deep breath before knocking. She waits several seconds before closing her eyes and resting her forehead on the door. "Oh Clark. I'm so sorry." She slips a note under his door.
Cut to a coffee shop. Clark and Lori are both smiling and laughing. Lori is telling Clark about some of her past exploits.
"So. Tell me about you."
Immediately Clark gets serious, "There's not much to tell."
"Ah. Intensely protective of your private life. That's OK. I understand."
"You do?"
"I learned the hard way that revealing too much about yourself can quickly ruin a relationship."
"A relationship? Is that what we're in now?"
"No. We're just two acquaintances having coffee."
Flirting, "That's all?"
Flirting back, "I'm not looking for anything more." Serious again, "I just wanted to set things straight between us. And maybe cheer you up if I could."
Clark pauses. "Thanks. You have."
Shot from outside of them smiling at each other.
Cut to outside Queen Industries. Chloe looks up at the building before entering.
Oliver's office. The meeting is breaking up. Oliver checks his watch and suddenly becomes much more businesslike. He thanks Mercy for the information and informs her he has another engagement as he stands.
She says she knew working with Oliver was the right choice. Oliver picks up her coat and she turns to let him slip it on her.
As soon as her coat is on she spins around and lays one on him.
Just as...
Just as Chloe arrives?
How did you guess?
We've got to screw over Chloe again somehow, right?
Right. As if from Chloe's POV we see the elevator doors open revealing Mercy sticking her tongue down a surprised Oliver's throat.
His throat is surprised or Oliver is surprised?
Both, I imagine.
Show Chloe turn away. She repeatedly presses the button for the bottom floor.
Show Oliver pull away from Mercy. She has a huge grin on her face but Oliver is looking towards the elevator.
Cut to show Chloe sadly staring back at him as the elevator doors close. Sad music abounds.
You guys suck.
They sure do. It's like the Chloe Sullivan show! Chloe and her new dad. Chloe and her boyfriend. Chloe and her insane mom. Oh, what ever is Chloe going to do now? Bah!
No crying?
No crying.
Well, I guess that's something.
La dee fucking Da.
Well Michael the fact we close with a Lex scene will raise your spirits.
As long as there's no crying.
Lex’s study. He’s inspecting the scar on one of his hands. A man enters.
Lex sits up straight, “You did it?”
Holding out a sheet of paper. “Yes. The actual results.”
It’s from the DNA testing company. Lex takes it and upon reading it smiles ever so slightly before crumpling the paper and throwing it into the fire.
Go to black.
Egad, it's still freaking Chloe Sullivan show, even when she's not in the freaking scene! How much is Allison paying you? I'll double it.
You think I like this, Michael?
I thought you'd like smart Lex screwing people over.
It should be somebody important, like Clark or Lionel!
[Smiles] My job is done, a little bit of something for everyone to hate.
I’ve got to say that episode really disappoints. A little exciting there at the beginning but it's a snore fest for the final half.
What the hell are we supposed to do? Let Lex get the weapon?
Yes!
If Lex gets the weapon it’s game over. Clark is dead.
Now that would be exciting!
[Shoots a be serious look at JG]
It would be!
Look, realistically how is Clark going to get the weapon if Lex has it? Lex would kill him.
Besides, I’m not really digging the whole stigmata thing.
It’s symbolic. Lex sees himself as the Earth's savior.
Hello, I’m Jewish. A hole in each hand isn’t doing it for me. Besides it means extra make-up time for the rest of the series. As if shaving my head wasn't bad enough.
And a bald Christ figure? It's a little ridiculous when you think about it.
[Aside to AM] I don’t knock your ideas like that.
[Surprised he’s offended] Sorry.
Maybe there can be a struggle for the weapon. Clark does something with his heat vision to kill the lights and because Lex has the kryptonite ring Clark can’t simply overpower him.
That's a perfect idea. Two or three minutes of complete blackness with only the grunts and groans of Tom and Michael to guide us as to what's happening.
Who's going to be grunting and who's going to be groaning?
What does it matter?
In my imagination it matters a great deal.
I'd imagine they'd switch off.
Even better.
Still no good. The other events have to happen later. Some of the stuff with Lex has to be the next day.
You guys just need to start over. This isn’t going to work. Trash your whole script.
There's not a lot we can do. The idiots who wrote the previous episode forced our hand.
Wait. I have an idea. What if we actually push a bunch of this stuff back ahead of the Clark and Lex battle?
How are we going to do that? That’s where the last episode ends.
But a lot can still be shifted if you do the ‘24 hours earlier’ trick.
That only works if what you show in the teaser is at the end of the episode you’re doing, not at the end of the previous episode.
You’re not following me. Lois’ meeting with Perry, Lex and Lana meeting with Mercy, Lionel confiding with Martha Lex may fire him, Mercy’s first meeting with Oliver, Lex asking Lana to drop out of college and her moving out? All that stuff could have happened the day before. Shove all that crap towards the beginning of the episode. Throw in a couple of scenes with Fine and you're set.
That stuff isn't crap.
It's a figure of speech. Whatever you call it shove it to the beginning so the good stuff is farther towards the end.
It's all good stuff.
[sarcastic] Sure it is.
Shove the exciting stuff towards the end.
Yeah but even if you do that there’s no lead up. We already had the lead up. We want to know what happens immediately.
Well tough shit.
It’s a bait and switch.
It’s not bait and switch. It’s please allow 20-30 minutes for delivery.
It will piss people off.
And our show has never done that before?
I’ve heard enough. I think Erica has a point. We could move some of that stuff up.
I agree.
That way it only takes us the usual interminable fifteen minute final act to wrap up everything instead of thirty minutes.
I still think it stinks.
You need a pajama pillow fight, I'm telling you!
Maybe we’ll even throw in a scene that shows that even though Lionel knows he’s going to get fired he’s up to something.
Now you’re talking!
The key!
What about the key?
He knows he’s going to get fired so he pushes Dr. Flunky to finish replicating the key before his security clearance is revoked.
I’m not sure I’m swayed yet.
And maybe in one of the final scenes he’s at the cave about to try the key out.
OK. Maybe that’s good enough.
Oh! Oh! Stick in a Lex and Lionel scene where Lex comes in and tells Lionel that maybe he can leverage the board but he can't blackmail the majority of shareholders. Lex assures Lionel the shareholders will side with him and restore his executive powers. Lionel can consider himself fired as of that moment. Lex wants him packed and out of his office the next day.
I don't know about that scene.
Lionel will try to lay the guilt trip on Lex about sacking his own father.
And Lex will hear none of it.
Once Lex leaves the MB heads over for Lois' office.
She's going through all the stuff she got from the archives. Just as she finds the folder for the project Chloe's mom worked on Lionel lets himself into her office. She hastily closes some of the folders.
She's not used to playing in this league so she's obviously nervous and Lionel is a bit suspicious of all the documents she's looking at.
She claims it's just a little research for one of her classes at Met U. Trying to change the subject she casually asks if Lionel has a problem with her getting a little homework out of the way since there's no current publicity crisis.
Lionel allows her to change the subject. He tells her he was surprised to hear she'd selected journalism as a major. Wouldn't business be a better focus considering her current career?
Lois counters that she chose journalism precisely because of her current career. "Know you're enemy. The press is out to get us. What better way to prevent that than knowing how they are trained and how they think?"
Lionel actually seems impressed. He says he had assumed she wasn't taking the college thing seriously and just wanted to hang out with her friends. Which segues into asking about Chloe.
Lois wants to know why Lionel is so interested in her cousin.
He lies that there's no reason. He's just interested in the life of his favorite employee. Suddenly he gets serious. He reminds Lois that their jobs hinge on the results of a shareholder vote that night. He glances at all the documents on Lois' desk and warns Lois that she very well might wake up tomorrow morning to find the lock on her office has been changed. If Lex fires her he'll confiscate everything.
Lois gulps. She thanks Lionel for the warning.
Lionel begins to leave. He says no matter, if this job doesn't work out Lois could always pursue a career in journalism.
Lois asks why he thinks she would want to do that.
Lionel says almost knowingly that she would already know her enemy, the questions businessmen really want to avoid, the questions they're least likely to be prepared to answer. He pauses. How to get a hold of information they don't want you to have. He eye's the documents on her desk again.
Lois stiffly thanks Lionel for the warning. He exits and she starts packing up of the documentation.
Are you two done re-writing our episode for us?
[Looking at JG] Are we?
I think we are. Erica it's a shame the two of us didn't get the chance to write an episode together.
The feeling is mutual. You are truly a magnificent bastard. In a good way of course.
Of course. And you are a magnificent bitch.
In a good way, of course.
Of course.
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