Crush

"Crush" is the nineteenth episode in the first season of Smallville, and nineteenth episode overall. It aired on May 7, 2002.

Summary[]

Chloe falls for Justin Gaines, a telekinetic seeking revenge against the surgeon who couldn't heal him and the driver who hit him. Clark is jealous and counsels with Lana. Lex reconciles with his childhood nanny, and Whitney's father dies.

Recap[]

At Metropolis Children's Hospital, Justin Gaines is in the art room when Dr. Nathan Wells comes in to check on him. He is dressed in a tuxedo, apparently on his way to a charity benefit. Justin will be returning to Smallville tomorrow. He has been in hospital for five months since he was in a hit-and-run accident, but his rehabilitation has not gone well, his hands are crippled. He can barely hold a pencil. He used to love to draw, but the portrait he's working now looks terrible. He has severe nerve damage, his level of recovery is actually remarkable considering the original injury, but Justin is not grateful. He is deeply resentful of what's happened to him. Drawing was the only thing he was ever good at, and now he's no good at it. He blames Dr. Wells. He has five malpractice suits against him, so he figures he probably did something wrong in his case as well. Dr. Wells joins his wife, Renée, in the hall and they get into the elevator together. Although Dr. Wells had spoken very kindly to Justin in the room, he speaks very disrespectfully of him in the elevator. As the elevator descends, we see another portrait that Justin has been working on. It is obviously Dr. Wells, and it is quite good. Suddenly, the elevator begins to fall from the 14th floor to the 5th. Dr. Wells forces open the doors and finds that they have stopped between floors. He helps his wife up and out, and then we see Justin scratching out the hands on the portrait of Dr. Wells, and when he tries to climb out, the elevator continues to fall, severing his hands.

It's career fair day at Smallville High School. Danny Kwan tries to recruit Clark for the Air Force. Pete gets a job on Mayor Siegel re-election campaign. Chloe is nervous about trying to get one of the four spots available for high school students at the Daily Planet out of more than 500 applications. Pete reminds her that she could try the Metropolis Inquisitor, but Chloe has her heart set on the Planet. He suggests she try again on Saturday when she and Clark are planning to be in Metropolis for a journalism student convention. Clark realizes he totally forgot to register their places, and now its too late to get tickets. Chloe is extremely upset and points out he's been spending a lot of time with Lana and Lex and completely neglecting his other friends. Near tears, she storms away, and Clark doesn't understand why she is so upset. Pete is also slightly annoyed at Clark's cluelessness. Pete tries to explain to him that Chloe really likes him. She wants to ask Clark to the spring formal, and she was really looking forward to spending a day with him.

Justin returns to school that day. Chloe is very happy to see him. They have been sharing email messages for the past six months during his recuperation. Sadly, he will not be able to resume drawing the comic for the Smallville Torch. Justin offers to buy Chloe a cup of coffee and although she sees Clark over his shoulder, she agrees and they head off together.

Crush257 — Justin uses telekinesis to draw a picture of Chloe.

Clark catches up with them later back at the Torch. Justin admits that that he didn't remember anything about the accident for a long time, but now he thinks that part of the license plate was DDI. Chloe is excited about looking into it for him. Clark says that he managed to get a couple of tickets to the conference from Lex, but Chloe is still angry at him. She firmly emphasizes that she and Justin will investigate the accident without his help and she has decided to go to the convention with Justin. When Justin drops his portfolio, Clark sees a newspaper clipping of Dr. Wells accident.

Back at the Kent Farm, Lana visits with Clark and asks about Chloe. He admits that he does feel that they could become more than friends, and that he did feel jealous when he saw her with Justin. When Clark admits that he's surprised he never saw it before, Lana says that sometimes the right person is in front of you and you never know.

Justin is frustrated trying to do a portrait of Chloe with his crippled hands. He tears up the page and throws it away. Then he picks up five pencils and pieces of chalk with his mind and starts creating a beautiful portrait.

Crush184 — Pamela Jenkins meets Lex at his mother's grave.

Lex Luthor is visiting the grave of Lillian Luthor, his mother, when he meets Pamela Jenkins again for the first time in years. He is not happy to see her. It is the ninth anniversary of his mother's death.

At school the next day, Clark tries to convince Pete that Justin might not be any good because of the clipping he saw in his portfolio. Justin over hears them and tells Clark to let him have his chance with Chloe. Clark delivers the pies to the Talon and meets Whitney. His father is on the mend and he has tickets to see Our Town at the Metropolis Play House. He's being very sweet to Lana, but she seems a little less than thrilled. When Whitney leaves she admits to Clark that Mr. Fordman's illness defined their relationship, and now that he is better, they have to redefine it. She asks how Clark is doing with Chloe. He admits that he's afraid of losing a friend, but he chose friendship over romance once before and he regrets letting the moment slip past him.

Justin find Chloe at the Torch. She is excited to tell him that she sent her contact at the DMV the partial license plate number he gave her. Justin gives her the portrait he did. Then he tells her that when the car hit him and he was lying in the road, he thought of her. He admits that he had a crush on her and he regretting not doing anything about it. Chloe is touched and they kiss passionately; all the office supplies in the room begin to float. When Chloe opens her eyes, she is startled and everything falls to the floor. Justin admits that he's been telekinetic ever since the accident, but he doesn't want to become an addition to Chloe's Wall of Weird. But Chloe is not freaked out- they kiss again just as Clark bursts in without knocking. Chloe leaves the room to talk to Clark, and while she is away, a fax arrives from the DMV with a hit on the partial license plate number with a match. In the hall, Clark tries to warn Chloe away from Justin. Chloe is still angry with Clark. She says Justin told her Clark was talking about him, and doesn't want to hear what he's trying to say.

Pamela visits Lex at the mansion. She reveals that she did not abandon him after his mother's death. Lionel sent her away. She has come seeking forgiveness, but Lex is still angry. Pamela leaves sadly.

That night, when Principal Kwan arrives home, he finds a garbage can in his driveway. When he gets out of his car to move the can, Justin confronts him about the accident. Kwan says that it wasn't him, but Justin slams him up against the garage door. He pulls up the lawn lights and impales Kwan's jacket, so he can't move away. He turns on the car, puts it in gear and crashes it into Kwan and through the garage door and against the far wall.

Lex visits Clark in his loft and is highly amused at Clark's attempts to understand the female psyche. Clark explains his dilemma with Lana and Chloe and Lex offers some advice, saying that if he cannot choose between the two girls, he will lose both of them. He also remarks that some people are meant to be alone, and Clark looks disappointed at his bluntness. Martha Kent walks in with the news that Principal Kwan has just been killed in an accident.

At school the next day, Clark finds a distraught Chloe working on a memorial issue. She's fighting back tears but still trying to get the issue together. Clark offers to help but she turns him down. Clark notices that Kwan's license plate starts with DDI, but Chloe is so upset, she will not entertain suspicions of Justin.

Clark goes to the Kwan house to investigate. He asks Danny if Justin happened to come by last night. He explains that Justin believes that Principal Kwan was the hit-and-run driver because he matched part of the plate. When Danny acts sullen and guilty, Clark guesses that it was Danny at the wheel of the car. Danny admits that his dad was trying to protect him.

Chloe goes to Justin's house because he wasn't in school that day. Chloe finds a sketchbook in his bedroom filled with comics of Dr. Well's accident and Principal Kwan's murder. She guesses that Clark was right to suspect Justin. When Justin enters the room, he tries to kiss Chloe, but she makes an excuse and a quick exit, but Justin notices his sketchbook is out of place.

Crush631 — Clark asks Chloe to join him at the convention.

At the Talon, Clark's mother tells him that he did the right thing convincing Danny to turn himself in. Then Chloe calls from the Kent Farm in a panic. She tries to tell Clark how Justin caused the accidents, but Justin is there and he uses his mind to take the phone from her hand. He closes the door and throws her across the room. He picks her up and drops her, spraining her ankle. Finally, he hits her on the head with a horseshoe, knocking her unconscious. Just as he advances on her with a chain saw, Clark arrives and takes the hit. He tells Justin that he killed the wrong man. Justin throws Clark across the barn, but Clark, being far more powerful than Justin imagined, super speeds right back to him and defeats him by throwing him against a wall. He goes to check on Chloe, who has revived. He hugs her as she begins to cry.

Lionel shows up in Smallville to tell his son that they are selling Cadmus Labs. Lex reminds his father that their deal memo gives him 50% ownership with veto rights, but what he really wants to talk about is Pamela Jenkins. He's afraid that Pamela will ask Lex for money. She has lots of medical bills because she is dying of cancer.

In the hospital, Lex brings Pamela the book she was admiring at the mansion. Pamela explains that she is ashamed that it took her so long to come to see him. She is angry that she let Lionel scare her away. She expresses regret that she couldn't help him grow up and tells him how proud she is of the man he has become.

The next day at the Talon, Chloe tells Clark that Justin is being held in the psychiatric ward. She admits that Clark was right about Justin but Clark is sorry he turned out to be right. He asks Chloe to join him at the student journalism convention. Chloe agrees to go and they make up. Their relationship seems to be starting to develop. Lana watches their exchange and seems upset by it. When Whitney walks in, she seems resolved to tell him it's over, but she doesn't get the chance. He has come to tell her that his father has died.

Everyone is at the funeral, dressed in black. It's raining, appropriately, as Lana looks longingly at Clark before following Whitney and his family.

Cast[]

Starring[]

Special Guest Star[]

John Glover as Lionel Luthor

Guest Starring[]

Co-Starring[]

Mentioned[]

Featured Music[]

Song	Artist/Band	Scene
"Goin' Off"	!Laughing Us!	Played when Justin uses his telekinesis to chop off his doctors hands in the elevator.
"Nothing To Do"	Bottlefly	Played in the Talon when Whitney asks Lana to go to play before Clark discusses Chloe with Lana.
"Light In Your Eyes"	Louise Goffin	Played When Chloe and Justin kiss in the Torch office and objects begin to float around them.
"40 To 5"	Leave The World	Played when Clark and Pete talk about Justin in the hallway at school.
"You And I"	Micah Green	Played when Chloe is telling Clark that Justin has been locked up. Also as Lana is about to break up with Whitney, and he comes in the Talon looking sad.
"Time After Time"	Eva Cassidy	Played at the end, during the funeral for Whitney’s father.

Title[]

A crush refers to both the squashing, or "crushing" of something or the act of being infatuated with someone.
The title refers to Justin Gaines having had his hands crushed, and thus exacting revenge on those who wronged him by crushing them.
The title could also refer to the love triangle between Clark, Chloe and Lana referenced in this episode.

Notes[]

Antagonist: Justin Gaines
Clark uses the following abilities in this episode: super strength, super speed, and Invulnerability.
Danny Kwan says to Clark, "I see you in a uniform flying." This is an obvious reference to Superman.
Pete mentions an internship with Mayor Siegel. The name is an allusion to one of the original creators of the Superman character, Jerry Siegel. It also alludes to the Superman comics where Pete Ross is a political activist, who later becomes Vice President and later President of the United States.
Chloe says to Clark when realizing that Clark forgot about a conference, "Most men are from Mars, but you are from a distant galaxy I've never even heard of!". This is an obvious connection to Clark's home planet, Krypton.
Chloe accuses Clark of having a "saviour complex", which is sometimes directed towards Superman.
The design of the hero of Justin's comic at the Torch "Flaming Crows Feet", with a blue suit, yellow shield, red "S" and cape, is a clear allusion to the Superman.
This episode marks another of the times in which Clark is in the same head-on shot of Clark in a cemetery with an angel in the background. This first occurs in the Pilot.
This is the first and only appearance of Pamela Jenkins, the biological mother of Tess Mercer.
Jonathan Kent has a non-speaking role in this episode. He only appears at George Fordman's funeral in the final scene.
Cadmus Labs is mentioned by Lionel, as well as it's role in bankrupting Harry Hardwick.
Lex visits the farm to discuss a settlement with the Kents, possibly the one involving LuthorCorp pesticides killing their cows in Zero.

Trivia[]

Serge Houde also plays a priest in Season Eight's Doomsday, while in Season Two's Dichotic he is a teacher at Smallville High School, Mr. Frankel.
The book that Lex brings to Pamela in the hospital, the same book that both Pamela and Lionel were observing or reading previously, is titled "Leaves of Grass" by Walt Whitman.
Pamela Jenkins is portrayed by Donna Bullock. Bullock is married to actor Sherman Howard, who is no stranger to Superman, having played Lex Luthor on the 1980's Superboy TV series.

Allusions[]

Clark is reading Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus; A Practical Guide for Improving Communication and Getting What You Want in Your Relationships, a popular psychology relationship manual by John Gray.
Lionel reads a poem out loud to Lex: "I celebrate myself, and sing myself, And what I assume you shall assume, For every atom belonging to me as good belongs to you." This poem is from the Song of Myself by Walt Whitman.

Locations[]

Quotes[]

Danny Kwan: (to Clark) I see you in a uniform flying. Have you ever considered a career in the Air Force?

Chloe: (annoyed) You know, most men are from Mars, Clark, but you're from some distant galaxy that I've never even heard of.

Lana: Sometimes the right person can be in front of your eyes and you never even know it.

Chloe: What is with you Clark? Do you have some kind of a savior complex? If I'm in trouble, you'll rescue me. Other than that, you're emotionally unavailable.

Clark: I've got these two amazing friends who both happen to be girls.

Lex: For argument's sake, let's call them "Lana" and "Chloe".

Lex: (seeing Clark reading a book, amused) 'Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus'?

Clark: I'm trying to get an insight into the female psyche.

Lex: (holds up the book) I seriously doubt you'll find it in here.

Clark: Look, I know I screwed up, but why is Chloe having a breakdown?

Pete: You're not the most observant person in the world, are you?

Lionel: (reading) "I celebrate myself, and what I assume, you shall assume..."

Lex: "...for every atom belonging to me as good belongs to you."

Lionel: That sounds like a description of family.

Lex: Not ours.

Clark: It's like you find out this secret and it colors everything. I just can't believe I never saw it before.

Lana: Sometimes the right person can be right in front of your eyes and you never even know it.

Chloe: So should we do the "I told you so" part, or is my perennial bad judgment implicit?

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