Hex
From Smallville Wiki
| Hex | |
|---|---|
| |
| Series | 8x17 |
| Episode | 169 |
| Writer | Bryan Miller |
| Director | Mairzee Almas |
| Broadcast Date | March 26, 2009 |
| Navigation | |
| Previous Episode: Turbulence
Next Episode: Eternal | |
Contents |
[edit] Summary
At Chloe's birthday party, a mysterious magician named Zatanna grants Chloe's wish to be more like Lois - transforming Chloe into Lois' double. Zatanna searches for her father's book of spells so she can conjure up his spirit but not before also granting Clark his deepest wish.
[edit] Recap
Chloe is standing alone on the balcony at her birthday party at the Ace of Clubs. Someone puts a present from Clark in front of her, she turns around and sees Oliver who explains Clark's in Keystone helping Bart Allen with a crisis. Chloe finds that Clark has given her a copy of Tales of the Weird & Unexplained. Oliver notices that she's feeling melancholy and takes her back inside. Chloe sees Lois and admits she is feeling sorry for herself because Lois has the life of a reporter that she had always wanted, and because her own marriage is falling apart. Lois comes over and gives her a birthday cupcake, then apologizes for having to leave to cover a story in Mexico City.
As Lois goes, a magician, Zatanna, notices Chloe and Oliver talking. Oliver prepares to leave on an emergency as Zatanna approaches him, but he redirects her to Chloe. Zatanna invites Chloe to make a wish. Chloe gazes at Lois and then blows out the candle on her cake, as Zatanna's eyes glow.
Later, Chloe goes to bed alone. The next morning, she wakes up and looks in the mirror, and discovers she suddenly looks exactly like Lois. While struggling to get dressed, Chloe calls Lois, who says that everything is fine and she hasn't noticed anything weird.
At the Planet, Chloe quietly impersonates Lois. She goes to Lois' desk and does a web search on Zatanna, and finds the location where she's performing. Clark arrives and asks how she got back from Mexico so quickly. He comments that Lois called him several times from the airport the other night, and also notices that "Lois" is not dressed in her usual fashion. Chloe resents that he called Lois but not her. Not knowing he's really talking to Chloe, he admits he understands Jimmy's side of the story on their breakup. Clark sees a report on a police standoff and, puzzled by her strange behaviour, drags Chloe with him.
At LuthorCorp, Oliver reads an article on Lex Luthor but is interrupted when Zatanna comes in. She asks for his help and notes her father was John Zatarra, the world's greatest magician. Zatanna explains that she wants a book that belonged to her family and that Lex acquired the book at auction. Oliver explains that Lex's lawyers won't let him near Lex's personal collection and he can't get the book. Zatanna offers to give him one wish and she promises to offer him anything he wants if he gets her the book by midnight. When he looks away for a second, Zatanna disappears.
Clark begins to notice that "Lois" is acting oddly. When she trips over her high heels, Clark catches her and Chloe notices that Clark is looking at her strangely. They arrive at the address where a man is yelling in Latin on a loudspeaker. A policeman comes over and pays "Lois" the money he owes her from Friday's poker game, then explains that the man, Yuri, is an antique dealer who has been shouting in Latin. Chloe translates it to mean that Zatanna cursed the man with magic, and Clark is surprised that she understands Latin. Chloe tells him to take her at superspeed to Zatanna's performance. When Clark tries to pass it off, Chloe rattles off enough information to convince him that she's really Chloe and knows his secret.
They arrive at the theater and Chloe admits that she understands why Clark defended Jimmy. They talk about his present to her and he admits that his life has become so weird that weird has become normal. He mentions that he wishes there were days when he could just be a normal reporter. They go to Zatanna's dressing room where she is assuring a photo of her father that it won't be long. They ask her to reverse the curse but Zatanna explains that it's what Chloe wants, and she won't change back until she no longer wishes to be Lois. Chloe insists she doesn't want it but nothing happens. Clark asks about the antique dealer and Zatanna explains that he wanted a deeper understanding of dead languages, and she granted the wish in return for his help in finding her father's book. When Clark confronts her directly, she wonders what he might wish for. Her eyes glow and she disappears, and Chloe wonders if Clark is okay. He insists that he's fine but Chloe isn't so sure. As they go outside, Chloe realizes that Clark once again thinks she's Lois. They spot a mugger and Clark simply stands there and watches. Chloe asks if he's going to do anything, and, uncharacteristically, he calls 9-1-1.
Back at the Planet, Clark thinks that "Lois" is trying to play a prank on him. She tries to get through to him and hauls him to the roof, then locks the door behind them. She tells him to open the door and when he grabs the handle, it comes off in his hand. He thinks the door needs better maintenance, so she tries to get him to use his super hearing. Clark concentrates and hears everything, but figures it's the acoustics. She tries to hit him over the head with a pipe and misses, and Clark still refuses to believe her, alarmed at her actions.
That night, two security guards are patrolling a LuthorCorp warehouse when they hear a noise. Investigating, they find an arrow that emits knockout gas. Green Arrow drops down and finds the crate containing Zatanna's book. Outside, he finds Zatanna waiting for him. She realizes that he's Oliver Queen and asks for the book in return for his wish. Oliver notes there's a lot of dark material in the book, and she admits she can grant anyone their wish except for her own. Clark and Chloe go to the sanitarium where Yuri is being kept. Yuri is once again capable of speaking English and realizes that they know what happened. Yuri warns them that the book is too dangerous, and that Zatanna will have to exchange someone else's life to bring her father back from the dead.
On the roof of the Daily Planet, Zatanna recites a ritual from the book, demanding that her father come back to life. Lightning flashes and a storm appears overhead. Clark and Chloe see the storm and rushes to the Daily Planet. Chloe tells him that he doesn't want to be a normal guy, and he has to use the power he can feel to jump to the rooftop. Clark considers her words, then sees that Chloe has inexplicably reverted to her normal self. Clark braces and then leaps to the rooftop. He tells Zatanna to stop the spell and asks what cost she is willing to pay. Zatanna is willing to sacrifice her own life to bring her father back. She walks toward the mystic vortex but Clark stops her and she wonders what he can know about losing a father. Clark says losing his father was the worse day of his life, but he had to let him go.
Chloe reaches the rooftop but is pulled into the mystic vortex. Clark asks Zatanna what her father would want her to do. Zatanna watches as her father appears in the vortex, then casts the spell to seal the portal. Chloe is knocked clear and Zatanna is left to stare at what might have been.
Chloe awakens the next morning, pleased that she looks like herself. Clark arrives with coffee and bagels. He thanks her for reminding him of who he is, and Chloe admits that she accepted her role to help Clark. Clark admits it was tempting to have a normal life, but realized where his responsibilities lay. He wonders why Chloe took so long to tell him what was going on, and she explains that she has had a rough time lately and is a bit jealous of Lois and Clark's partnership. She thinks Clark gives Lois "puppy dog eyes" and that Lois is a part of his life. Chloe wonders if he's afraid of being burned a second time, and Clark asks if she's talking about her and Jimmy. She admits that they both have to move on with their lives.
Oliver returns to his office and finds Zatanna waiting for him. She apologizes and says she wants to make sure something like that can't happen again. Oliver admits he respects her for making the tough choice, and she warns him that there are people with much greater magic power. Zatanna gives him a calling card and tells him to call her if he ever runs into them. She plans to do some catching up so she can make her father proud.
At the Planet, Clark is working on a story while Lois watches him. She wonders how long it took him to figure out who Chloe really was. She asks to see his framed copies of her rules, and suggests they should hang it up. Clark says it's personal, and Lois heads out for a date with a passenger she met. Clark asks if she wants him to give her a call if anything comes up, and she points out he ducked out on her once before. Lois says they should just stick to business from now on.
At Isis, Oliver arrives and warns Chloe that she'll be leaving her old life as a reporter behind forever. Chloe says after a day in Lois's shoes, she's sure she has the life she wants. Chloe goes into the computer center and begins coordinating Oliver's team of heroes as "Watchtower".
[edit] Guest Cast
- Yuri- Andrew McIlroy
[edit] Recurring Roles
- Zatanna- Serinda Swan
[edit] Featured Music
- "It's True" - Brian Wayy
- "Just Believe" - Brian Wayy
[edit] Episode Title
- A hex generally means a bad spell or cursing to another person.
- In this episode, Zatanna casts a spell on both Chloe and Clark.
[edit] Notes
- This features Smallville's version of the DC Comics character Zatanna. She is heard using her signature backwards-talking to cast her spells, most notably when she says, "close the door" as "rood eht esolc".
- The episode was planned to have Tom Welling directing it, but he was instead given episode 21.
- Tess Mercer and Davis Bloome do not appear in this episode. Jimmy Olsen was originally in this episode, but the scene was cut.[1]
- At one point in the episode, Clark's hair shows a curl just like the iconic Superman look he will use in the future.
- Clark and Bart Allen are mentioned being in Keystone City, which is usually the Flash's home town in the comics.
- Lois' Rule of Good Reporting has the word "beginning" misspelled as "begginning".
- Cyborg, Black Canary, Impulse, and Aquaman are all seen via photographs in the Isis computers. This is the first time the whole Justice League is seen together.
- Chloe compares her birthday party to the "napalm scene in Apocalypse Now," an extremely violent movie about the Vietnam War.
- Zatanna is the tenth DC Comics character introduced in Season 8. The others are Doomsday, Legion of Super-Heroes, Persuader, Dan Turpin, Emil Hamilton, Bette Sans Souci, Faora, Maxima, and Winslow Schott.
- This is the first time Oliver's new LuthorCorp office is seen on screen after he took control of the business in Requiem.
- While trapped on the roof with "Chloe", Clark says, "...I need to find a way to get off of this roof, unless my superpowers includes the ability to fly" As that is not an ability that Clark has yet, "Chloe" shakes her head negatively.
- This episode has three deleted scenes on the Season 8 DVDs. In the first scene, Chloe-in-Lois goes back to the Ace of Clubs to find Zatanna, but runs into Jimmy instead. Jimmy reveals that he was not invited to Chloe's party and as Lois, Chloe tells him that she feels very sorry for how things ended between them. In the second scene, Chloe still appears to be Lois, and she and Clark encounter a mugger. Because Clark has been hexed to believe he is a normal guy, he simply calls 911, while Chloe chases the mugger down and stops him, to Clark's amazement. In the third scene, Lois returns from Mexico and Chloe, restored to normal, tells her what happened. Lois tells Chloe that she only went into journalism because she admired Chloe's passion for it and has always looked up to her. She believes Chloe should get back on track and has scheduled an interview and application for her to return to the Daily Planet. Chloe looks hopeful and touched at her gesture.
[edit] Continuity
- The last time Chloe's birthday was celebrated on-screen also involved magic in Spell, and was also a party planned by Lois.
- Clark's birthday gift for Chloe is a vintage copy of Tales of the Weird & Unexplained. This was one of Chloe's favorite books growing up; she lost it during her move to Smallville in the eighth grade. The first time Chloe and Clark met, she told Clark about losing the book, and he used his superspeed to check the book out of the Smallville library for her, which was shown in Abyss.
- The last time members of the Justice League were together was in Odyssey and here they appear on the Isis Foundation screens.
- After Zatanna first casts her spell on Clark, Chloe comments that magic affects Clark just like the rest of us, which has been shown in Spell.
- To prove that she is herself in Lois' body, Chloe reminds Clark of the time he left her at the Spring formal, which occured in Tempest and when she kissed him before General Zod took over the world, which was seen in Vessel.
- Lois gave Clark rules of reporting on his first day on the job, which was in Plastique.
- Lois mentions being stood up by Clark in Infamous.
- Clark mentions Chloe and Jimmy splitting up, which happened in Turbulence.
- Lois annoys Clark with her chair at the Planet, much like Clark did to her at the end of Odyssey.
[edit] Quotes
- Zatanna: I'm Zatanna, I give people what they want.
- Chloe: (to Clark) Up, up and away.
- Zatanna: I'm sorry. Have we met?
- Chloe-as-Lois: Does an enchanted cupcake ring any bells?
- Zatanna: You were the birthday girl.
- Clark: You need to reverse the curse you put on Chloe.
- Zatanna: Curse? Is that what you think happened?
- Zatanna: (to Clark) I wonder what your little wish would be.
- Computer: Aquaman online, Canary online, Cyborg online, Impulse online.
- Oliver: Arrow online.
- Chloe: Watchtower is officially online... let's get to work.
- Zatanna: Rough birthday, huh?
- Chloe: You ever seen the napalm scene in Apocalypse Now? More fire, less cake.
- Clark: Can't imagine you having anything more to say after last night.
- Chloe: Last night?
- Clark: Yeah, you called me five times from the airport, one from the airplane.
- Chloe: You had time to answer six phone calls and you couldn't call Chloe on her birthday?!
- Clark: Chloe knows sometimes I get hung up with the... farm. And, if this not so hidden attitude is because you still think that I'm taking Jimmy's side on the whole breakup thing, it's because I believe there are two sides to every story.
- Chloe: Really? Exactly what two sides?
- Clark: Look, he may have gone overboard on the whole... Davis Bloome serial killer thing but it's gotta be tough when the person that you're trying to build your life with doesn't believe in you.
- Clark: (to Chloe as Lois) Isn't there a limit to how tight a shirt can be to meet dress code?!
- Clark: Is there something on your mind Lois?
- Lois: So how long did it take for you to realize that I wasn't my usual charming self?
- Clark: OK, I have to admit I should've picked up on it sooner. You weren't as bossy as usual. And Chloe let me drive.
- Lois: Well, little blond sources tell me that you don't mind my assertive flair. Let me see it.
- Clark: Lois, I don't know what you're talking about.
- Lois: You have a terrible poker face, Smallville. Gimme gimme. Wow, who would've known you were this sentimental. I think you should hang it up so everyone can see it.
- Clark: This is a memento from my first day on the job. And a constant reminder that there's only one Lois Lane.
- Lois: You better believe it.
- Zatanna: (Reading from book): As Life is lived from front to back,Let death be turned back to front,
- Grant me my wish! Resurrect John Zatara. DAED EHT MORF KCAB (back from the dead).
- Chloe:(as Lois speaking on the phone to Lois):So, everything is OK with you in Mexico, Lois?
- Lois: Everything's great! Except for government oppression, and slave labor. Why?
- Chloe: It's just... You're sure? Nothing weird?
- Lois: No Chloe, what's going on you don't sound like yourself?
- Chloe: No, uh, me? Just got a frog in my throat.
[edit] External Links
- TV.com
- TVGuide.com interview with guest star Serinda Swan
- Interview with Brian Peterson from TV Guide Magazine.com here.
| Previous Story: Turbulence | Next Story: Eternal |
| Episodes: Season 1 · 2 · 3 · 4 · 5 · 6 · 7 · 8 · 9 Minor Characters: Season 1 · 2 · 3 · 4 · 5 · 6 · 7 · 8 · 9 Screencaps: Season 1 · 2 · 3 · 4 · 5 · 6 · 7 · 8 · 9 Categories: Main Characters · Relationships · Villains | |
