'Smallville': Undercover blues

On tonight's Smallville, Clark Kent shows us how to arouse suspicion while trying to uncover police corruption. Meanwhile, Lana destroys everything a woman believes to be true. We even get a single tear out of the carnage. Good times.

John Jones is in pursuit of a suspect (in a car with a little martian guy hanging from the rearview mirror - *wink wink, nudge nudge*). Playing chicken with the perp, the bad guy flinches and veers off, smashing into a big garbage can. After a brief skirmish, said bad guy is apprehended. Later, after some other cops take him away, somebody starts taking shots at John. Though he ducks through his car, the sharp shooter tags him anyway thanks to some heavy duty bullets. And the sniper is wearing a Metropolis police badge.

Clark is at the hospital looking through a coroner's report when Lana pops up with some coffee. He totally forgot they were supposed to meet after work. She appreciates his new suited look. They share an oddly touching moment while he vows to find the "Wedding Monster" and stop it. Carnage always makes me feel romantical. Lana leaves before things get too heavy, just in time for Clark to see John get wheeled into an operating room with the lead doctor saying no one is to be allowed in.

Oliver shows up on the scene quickly, he heard the call on his scanner. Clark says they can't let them operate but Ollie assures him it's okay, Emile the surgeon is on the payroll - a precaution he took care after he got poisoned. John was supposed to have met Clark after his shift - does that have something to do with it? Probably. Ollie suggests they each follow their own leads to figure it out since they don't really do teamwork well.

At the Mansion du Luthor, Tess is sparing with some dude named Terrance when Lana pops up. She thanks Tess for not trumpeting her return in the Daily Planet. They share equally double-sided compliments on how Lex could trust/be tamed by either and it's all fairly civil until Lana asks if Lex would trust her if he knew about all the money going into a project called "Prometheus." Or maybe someone else is calling the shots? Of course Tess denies and Lana says that he can turn that kind of devotion against a person. As Lana leaves, she unzips her bag to check on a little device with a green blinking light. She smirks a bit and continues on.

Meanwhile, Clark's supersped his way to the Isis Foundation for an assist from Chloe who just wants to be sure she's back at the hospital by the time Jimmy wakes up. She's hacked a bit and found that John pulled the profiles of some officers from the 44th Precinct. Though Chloe's glad to be Brainiac free, she misses being able to access everything ever in a millisecond. They of course take this moment to discuss Lana and Chloe says she understands the need for closure but don't drop-kick Lois in the ass to get it.

The ballistic report says a "BG-49" armor piercing bullet is what went ripping through John's car and chest. Except the recovered bullet went missing. Only someone on the inside would've been able to swipe the evidence. But no cop is going to rat on one of his own to a reporter so Chloe goes to work to cook up something to get Clark into the 44th. Cut to said precinct where two cops rib another officer named Danny about meeting his new sidekick - a transfer from Coast City. It's Clark. Duh.

Clark's alias is Joe Foreman. Not terribly creative but fine. Riding along, they make some small talk before he asks about John getting shot. Danny says wearing the badge is like wearing a bullseye. He goes on to gripe about costumed vigilantes getting in the way and taking all the credit. Clark asks if he thinks they're making it worse. All Danny knows is that "cops have rules, capes don't." They get a call that a junkie is robbing a pharmacy. Danny takes down his visor to put a kiss on a picture of he and his wife for luck and a mugshot falls out. Clark looks at it then Danny takes it back fairly quickly, stating it's just someone they're looking for.

Arriving on the scene, the junkie takes off running. Danny goes into pursuit, ordering Clark to stay and make sure everyone's all right. He loses the perp in the alley. The thief steps out from his hiding place and prepares to shoot Danny in the back...when all of a sudden he hears a ruckus. He turns around to see Clark standing over the dazed robber, his gun nearby on the ground. Danny says he owes him one.

Back at the Isis Foundation, Lana is speaking to someone through her bluetooth headset and sending them files she jacked from Tess' wi-fi network. They have a 3D, rotating figure of a male body. Hmm. But, to Lana's surprise, when she sends the file, the source pops up as "unknown."

Clark shows up at Danny's house for a bbq later and finds his son running around dressed up as "The Red & Blue Blur." Danny isn't particularly happy about it but his wife, Susie, assures it's just a phase. When the kid falls and Danny goes to check on him, Susie thanks "Joe" for looking out for Danny. He's been out of sorts since his partner Mike got killed one night on the job. Way to bring the bbq down, lady.

A couple of the other cops toast Clark for earning his keep first time out. He takes this opportunity to once again bring up John, saying it was a shame. Dimple Chin Cop agrees, then looks at Schmoopy Cop and Danny - all looking a bit shifty - before saying it's a shame that nobody knew him. A lone wolf like him sticks out, Dimple Chin says. But, says Clark the Earnest, we're all supposed to look out for each other. Dimple Chin congratulates him for having stones. He advises to leave the detective work to the desk jockeys...oh, and always wear your vest unlike Jones. Suddenly, Dimple Chin, Schmoopy and Danny get texts. They have to go and Danny brings Clark with them.

That night Lana shows up at Isis and finds Tess there. After some more Lex/relationship/"Sorry about your miscarriage...snark, snark" exchanges, she demands the data Lana stole - the theft corrupted all their files and "Prometheus" is the only chance Lex has at surviving. Tess pulls a gun, Lana grabs it, thus begins the chick fight. Kudos, it's a pretty good one. They go crashing around the office and Kristin Kreuk gets to show off some of those Street Fighter: Legend of Chun Li moves she learned. Lana finally is able to grab the gun and turns it on Tess.

Meanwhile, Clark and the Three Stooges arrive at a waterfront warehouse where the guy from Danny's mugshot is waiting with two on-duty cops. This is the guy that killed his partner but he got off on what Danny called a technicality. He proceeds to beat the dude up. The guy says he's sorry and cowers which gives Danny pause. Dimple Chin says not to go easy and Schmoopy tosses Clark a crowbar, telling him to "man up" and help.

Thankfully, this is when some taser-arrows come flying through the air. Green Arrow takes out Schmoopy, Danny and one of the uniforms before momentarily grappling with the other and finally tasering him and Dimple Chin. Clark catches the one meant for his chest. When Ollie sees him, he says Clark's name and asks what he's doing there. Clark just tells him to leave. Too bad Danny wasn't knocked out and witnessed their little exchange.

Back at Isis, Lana escorts Tess at gunpoint into her secret computer lab. They exchange more pithy dialogue about loyalty and Lana says it's time for Tess' eyes to be opened. Punching some keys, the screens in the room suddenly have her image on them. When Tess turns to look at the monitors, so does the camera. When Lana speaks, it echos. Huh? Turns out Tess has a nano-transmitter in her optic nerve - she's been wired to be Lex's eyes and ears. Tess is shaken and, as her eyes well with tears, Lana apologizes.

Clark heads to the hospital to check on John, who's recovering but not out of the woods. Danny shows up and confronts him about the Green Arrow and being so worried about John. Clark responds by saying he wants to take down the guy who shot him, who he's figured is one of those yahoos at the warehouse. He pushes to figure out who Danny's protecting but he says you don't narc on your fellow cops. So why is shooting one okay? Danny is wavering but doesn't know what good one man can do. Clark says he should ask himself why he puts on that uniform and walks away.

The next morning, Oliver shows up at the farm to ask what Clark was doing with those dirty cops. And by ask I mean demand to know. They have a "what's right/what's wrong/people can be saved" argument and Oliver storms out saying that while Clark's playing detective (he's narrowed the shooter down to Simmons or Talbert - one is Dimple Chin, one is Schmoopy, not sure which is which), Ollie's going to make sure they don't kill someone else (the perp from the beginning was found at the bottom of a river).

At the precinct, Dimple Chin gets in his squad car where Danny is waiting for him. He'd been checking up on "Foreman" and found out he's not who he seems. When Clark shows up at Simmons' house, he uses his x-ray vision on the car parked outside and sees a sniper rifle. Like a dumbass, he opens the hood and grabs the gun. Why would you handle evidence? So stupid. That's when DC, Danny and some other cops roll up and arrest him. Clark tells Danny that he's better than setting up an innocent man. More conflicted facial expressions, which don't lessen when DC tells him that it's time to get his hands dirty and take out the last loose end - Green Arrow.

Danny and Schmoopy take the junkie thief from earlier into an alley. Danny hides while Schmoop Dog starts beating up the guy and DC is perched on a nearby roof with his rifle watching the whole thing (they're in radio contact). Green Arrow finally shows up, punching Schmoop's lights out while the perp scampers off. Danny steps out, his gun trained on Ollie. They talk, Ollie telling him the Clark believes in him, while DC urges him to take the shot. He can't do it and DC trains his laser sight on Danny. Green Arrow knocks him down before he can get tagged and they scamper into hiding. DC radios for back-up as Clark and his escorts have arrived at the station. When they look away momentarily after taking Clark out of the backseat, he speeds off to help.

Pinned down, Danny tries to make it out but gets shot in the shoulder. With Ollie in his sights, before Dimple Chin (who I'm guessing is Simmons, but I just like "Dimple Chin") can squeeze the trigger, a red and blue blur appears in the scope. It's Clark. He knocks the rifle away and when DC pulls out his pistol, he just kind of cocks his head to the side as if to say, "I wouldn't do that if I were you." When he fires, the bullet ricochets and hits the gun and his hand. Clark attributes it to wearing a bulletproof vest. Danny comes out of hiding and apprehends Schmoopy, telling the cops that arrive on the scene that he's one of the good guys.

At the hospital the next morning, Clark and Ollie go to see John who's mostly recovered - just a little sore. Clark thanks John for pulling some strings and getting him out of trouble and asks why he didn't ask for help earlier. Because of pride, John says. After being so powerful, it's hard admitting you can't do something alone. This experience with the cops made Clark realize that knowing someone has your back can make you feel like you can do anything. But he means it in a positive way.

Tess, meanwhile, is not having a good day. Looking in the mirror, addressing Lex and tapping into the feed on her laptop, she tells him that she trusted him and did everything he's ever asked. He's seen it with his own eyes as well as hers. But that ends because she's shutting off his contact with the outside world and closing down all his bank accounts. Pressing some glowy button on her necklace, she tears up and tells Lex goodbye - jamming the signal. As a single tear drops she says, "I loved you, you son of a bitch." Ollie walks in to meet for a dinner date right then. She's proposing a merger...any kind he wants. Saucy. As they walk out, the camera pans past the "signal jammed" laptop screen to an issue of the Daily Plant that reads "Lex Luthor Declared Dead."

Back at Danny's house, his son is running around dressed as the Green Arrow...wait, Robin Hood, which Danny clarifies to Clark as he walks up. He apologizes for not telling him he was a reporter. Danny says it okay and admits he got turned around. There's an inquest next week but, whatever happens, at least he knows his family will be proud of him. When Clark asks if it's hard to put his wife and son through what he does for a living, Danny says he does it to protect them. It makes it all worth it. He asks if Clark has someone like that and he thinks a moment and smiles.

Walking into the Talon, Clark finds Lana making herself something with steam. He asks why she's staying. She says leaving is harder than she thought, but she will leave eventually. He says that maybe he doesn't have to sacrifice everything he loves to help the world, maybe they can come first. And he kisses her. And she kisses back. And then the credits roll.

Assorted Bits & Pieces:

• Danny's last name, we find out late in the episode, is Turpin. Comic or cartoon fans will recognize the name, though Danny is at the beginning of his career here and not a Lieutenant like we're used to seeing.
• I liked the Lana/Tess exchanges. The compliments mixed with accusatory statements with a touch of snark were fun. And I always appreciate a solid chick fight.
• And can I say I like this Lana better than...well, pretty much every other season Lana. She has bite, oomph, moxie, backbone, whatever you want to call it.
• I liked seeing John Jones again, even he was just getting shot. Can we get a little more character development for him, please?
• Clark is like the worst undercover guy ever. I know it's for the sake of moving the story along but geez, could you be a little more obvious? Poking around about deep, dark secrets on the first day of an assignment isn't suspicious at all.
• I'm glad Tess just jammed the broadcasting signal. I was worried she was going to mess with her eye. Ew.

What did you guys think about this episode? The kiss at the end? Tess being wired to spy for Lex? Clark's questionable undercover work? Anything else you want to add?

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