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"Heat" is the second episode in the second season of Smallville, and twenty-third episode overall. It aired on October 1, 2002.

Summary[]

Clark goes into hiding after he discovers a startling new power that quickly gets out of control and accidentally harms Lana. However, after a hot new teacher uses kryptonite-enhanced pheromones to convince Lex to marry her, then spellbinds Jonathan, Clark must get a grip on his new power in time to keep Jonathan from killing Lex.

Recap[]

→ see also Category:Screencaps from episode 2x02

202 Desiree Lex

Desirée uses her "pheromones" on Lex

It's the first day of sophomore year for Clark and his friends, in the middle of the worst heat wave in Smallville. Lana is making a video letter for Whitney who has shipped overseas. Pete is on the football team again this year. Chloe arrives fresh from Metropolis and her Daily Planet internship, and Clark tells her how much he missed her. She counters that he didn't write very much and she met a cute boy that made her forget about Smallville all summer. They meet their new biology teacher, extremely attractive Desirée Atkins, who is wearing very little and puts on a sex-education video. Clark tries to pay attention, but he keeps glancing at Ms. Atkins. Suddenly, the projector screen bursts into flames.

After everyone is evacuated, Lex Luthor drives up. He introduces a confused Clark to Desirée as his new fiancée, gives Clark a wedding invitation for that night, and asks him to be the best man. Clark is shocked, but Lex seems sure of his decision. Later that day, Lex asks Desirée to sign a pre-nuptial agreement and she agrees to do so, but then kisses Lex while blowing a purple substance into his mouth. Lex suddenly tears up the pre-nuptial agreement.

Clark tries to explain the fire to his parents and they suggest he stay close to home and just wait and see what happens next. However, Clark doesn't want to let Lex down and serves as his best man. At Lex's reception, Clark and Chloe acknowledge that her fear that Clark would leave her alone at the dance came true, but she claims there are no hard feelings because Lana's life was in danger.

That night, Clark goes to the Talon with Lana to finish his portion of the video letter. They talk about Whitney and how he asked Clark to look after Lana. Lana admits that she feels uncomfortable about putting her life on hold while Whitney is away. She brings up Lex's recent wedding. She muses that it is a little strange, but she admires Lex for following his passion and suggests that someday perhaps she and Clark can follow theirs. Suddenly, Clark sets the espresso machine on fire with a blast of heat from his eyes, and he uncontrollably singes the walls of the coffee shop. They manage to put it out, but are both shaken.

Heat1

Desirée tries to seduce Clark.

Jonathan finds Clark alone in the barn the next day and Clark announces that he isn't going to school because he doesn't want to set any more fires. He is upset that he has put people in danger until Jonathan tells him how they will learn to control it. In an open field, he encourages Clark to control the fire by learning how to set it off. After practicing setting fire to several scarecrows, some water barrels, and the mailbox, he is able to control it well enough to pop corn (without thinking about sex). He is still practicing lighting candles when Desirée Atkins shows up in his loft. She tries to seduce Clark, saying that Lex is standing in the way of them being together, and breathes a purple mist into Clark's face. However, he is unaffected and uncomfortable about the situation. He says he won't betray Lex. She seems embarrassed and apologetic and asks him not to tell Lex as she runs away.

Heat2

Jonathan helps Clark learn to control his heat vision.

Clark tells Chloe what happened and she is skeptical, even after she finds out that Desirée Atkins has an alias: she was born Alison Sanders, 02/12/1974, in Smallville, Kansas. Clark insists that she has a hold on Lex and goes to talk to him. However, Desirée has already talked to Lex and told her own version of what happened that night. Lex is angry because he thinks Clark is obsessed with his wife. He doesn't believe anything Clark says and throws him out. Desirée tells Lex that she simply changed her name, and changes Lex's focus with more purple mist.

202 jail

Clark is charged for suspicious fires.

At the Talon, Chloe trades a message to Whitney for an interview with Lana (about the fire). They talk about Chloe's summer in Metropolis and Chloe admits that it was a mistake to indulge in her feelings for Clark by going to the spring formal with him because ended up getting hurt. She also admits that she made up the story about meeting somebody in Metropolis. Lana assures her that Clark still cares for her and Chloe boldly counters that Clark simply cares for Lana more. Lana and Chloe decide that in order to keep Clark from ruining their friendship, they will define themselves by what they do instead of by who they date.

Lex arrives to inform Lana that he's closing the Talon in 24 hours. Lana is upset and tells Clark, who knows Desirée is behind it. He confronts her and she admits that she can control whomever she wants, but Clark doesn't back down. That night, Desirée blows up her own car. Clark tells his parents what's been going on, but they are interrupted by Sheriff Miller, who reports that Ms. Atkins claims Clark blew her car up. He explains that he is to take Clark into custody. Clark reluctantly goes along with him, but Jonathan assures him that they will find a way to solve the problem.

Lana and Chloe visit Clark in jail to tell him that Desirée was with her boyfriend when the meteors hit. A few weeks later, Desirée's boyfriend murdered her parents and Desirée inherited everything. Five years later, she has become a teacher and one of her students murdered her wealthy husband in a jealous rage. Unfortunately, she invested in dot coms and is now broke and going after Lex. Clark guesses that the reason she went after him was to convince him to kill Lex. Clark knows that his father has gone to talk with Desirée and he hatches a plan to get out of jail. After the girls leave, he sets a small fire and when Sheriff Miller lets him out, he super speeds away to find his dad.

Heat3

Desirée uses her powers to control Jonathan.

Martha Kent is looking for Nell Potter at the Talon, where she runs into Lex. Lex tries to express concern for Clark, but Martha shuts him down. She reminds him that Clark has been a true friend for over a year, and he's only known Desirée for a week. Jonathan goes to talk to Desirée, who is swimming topless. Angry with her, he turns to leave, but she manages to catch him with a stream of purple mist, causing him to instantly become smitten with her and fall under her control. She only obliges his kiss after he agrees to do something for her.

Back at the Luthor mansion, Lex asks Desirée why he feels so lost since meeting her, and she lets Jonathan in, who is wielding a shotgun. Under her influence, Jonathan shoots Lex, but Clark arrives in time to vaporize the bullet in the air. Jonathan is undeterred, and Clark has to knock him against a wall to stop him. As they fight, Desirée sets Lex's shirt on fire. Clark heats the door handles to prevent her escape while putting Lex's clothing out.

Back home, Jonathan explains that Sheriff Miller is letting Clark go with just a warning. He and Lex are not discussing his attempted murder. Desirée has been taken into custody. Lex goes to visit Clark and tells him that he is getting an annulment. He mentions that he should control his feelings as well as Clark controls his for Lana. Clark goes to visit her, and she explains that Lex gave her back the Talon. She admits that she is going to tell Whitney the truth, and when Clark leaves, records herself breaking up with Whitney.

Cast[]

Starring[]

Guest Starring[]

Co-Starring[]

Mentioned[]

Featured Music[]

  • "My Friends Over You" - New Found Glory
  • "Hot In Herre" - Nelly
  • "A Little Less Conversation" - JXL vs Elvis Presley
  • "Truth Or Dare" - N.E.R.D. featuring Kelis
  • "Tomorrow" - Avril Lavigne
  • "Seventeen and I'm Feeling Lonely (Top 40 Mix)" - Diana Walters

Title[]

  • Heat means a very hot tempature or climate.
  • In this episode, a massive heatwave hits Smallville.
  • Clark gets a new power in this episode: heat vision.

Notes[]

  • This episode features an uncredited cameo appearance from Rose McGowan. [picture needed]
  • Antagonist: Desirée Atkins
  • Clark develops heat vision in this episode.
  • Clark uses the following abilities in this episode: super strength, super speed (off-screen), and heat vision.
  • Originally in the Pilot Clark was to have developed his heat vision in a sex ed class (similar to the episode). It was dismissed for the time as the creative team thought it was too soon, and wanted to develop better visuals for it.[1]
  • Lionel Luthor does not appear in this episode.
  • There are many occurrences that relate to the effect of Heat. (ex. While watching a sex-Ed tape, nearly all the students in the class get sweaty.)
  • Desirée uses pheromones to get men to do what she wants them to, similar to the DC comic book villainess Poison Ivy. In the movie Batman and Robin, she turned two friends against each other. Also in that movie, Poison Ivy got her powers from an evil mad scientist whom she then killed. The scientist was played by John Glover.
  • Desiree is also similar to La Encantadora, a beautiful woman who uses her magical Mists of Ibella to get what she wants and she's also similar to the character of Maxima who appears in Season Eight's Instinct.
  • In a deleted scene, Lex and Desirée are seen having sex.
  • Lex goes to Lana with the buyout agreement and refers to her as his business partner; but since Lana is a minor, Nell Potter would have been the one to sign the agreement.
  • When Lex's back is on fire, Clark throws a red table towel over him which resembles the Superman cape.
  • When Lex enters the Kent barn to talk to Clark at the end, Clark is reading Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury, to go along with the heat and fire theme of the episode.
    Fahrenheit 451

    Clark reading Fahrenheit 451

  • At the very beginning of the episode, when Lana is shooting the video for Whitney, one can see the lighting and camera equipment used for the show in the background while she is filming Clark.
  • During this episode, Clark's heat vision resembles a rippling haze rather than intense red beams.
  • Chloe refers to herself as "Cupid's cannon fodder" for dating Clark; this is reminiscent of her line "I'm not a crash test dummy you can use to try out your dating skills" in, ironically, Cool.

Spoilers[]

Locations[]

Quotes[]

Clark: Now I know something's wrong. The only person who says "hunky-dory" is my father.

Clark: Trust me. Next time I have a date, I'll be able to take her out without setting her on fire.

Lex: All my life, I've had to second-guess the intentions of others. I'd reached the point where I'd started to think friends were a luxury I couldn't afford, till I met you Clark. From the day you pulled me out of that river, you've been the one person I could trust completely.

Desirée: I'm really sorry about the air conditioning in here, but it looks like we'll all have to suffer through this together.
Pete: Bring on the pain.

Clark: What would you say if I told you Miss Atkins a.k.a. Alison Sanders, showed up at my loft last night and... tried to seduce me.
Chloe: I'd say you were living the voyeuristic fantasy of every male student in this school. Clark, she just married Lex. Why would she possibly be interested in you?
Clark: Thanks.

Chloe: Hey, sorry we didn't have time to bake a file in a cake.
Lana: So how are you holding up?
Clark: Besides being accused of being a serial arsonist and trying to sleep with my best friend's wife, I'm great.

Lana: Going to the Spring Formal with Clark is not a mistake.
Chloe: (laughs) Yeah it was. I let myself indulge in my feelings for him and I end up getting hurt.
Lana: Least you are brave enough to take the risk.
Chloe: Oh yeah, that's me, Cupid's cannon fodder.

Lana: Let's define ourselves by what we do, not who we date.

Chloe: Clark Kent seems to be immune to some members of the opposite sex.

Lana: A relationship built on secrets and lies is doomed to failure.

Martha: You set it on fire just by looking at it?
Clark: Hello? I'm Clark! I'm the kid who can lift up tractors and see through walls!

Clark: Dad, you were right. Once I understood what triggered the heat, I was able to control it without thinking about...(a dish of corn goes pop) sex.

Jonathan: (Jonathan prepares to help Clark learn how to control his Heat vision.) Alright, rule number 1: Always practice away from the barn. Come on.
Clark: Dad, I don't get it. I thought the whole point was to stop this from happening.
Jonathan: Well, in order to find the off-switch we need to find the on-switch, right?

References[]

  1. Smallville: The Official Companion Season 2

External links[]


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CategoriesMain Characters · Relationships · Villains

ComicsThe Comic · Season 11 · Miniseries


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