Nocturne
From Smallville Wiki
| Nocturne | |
|---|---|
| |
| Series | 2x05 |
| Episode | 26 |
| Writer | Brian Peterson & Kelly Souders |
| Director | Rick Wallace |
| Broadcast Date | October 22, 2002 |
| Production Code | 175055 |
| Navigation | |
| Previous Episode: Red
Next Episode: Redux | |
Contents |
[edit] Summary
Lana finds a secret admirer in a boy named Byron, a former test subject for one of Lionel Luthor's projects. When exposed to sunlight, Byron becomes violent and exhibits super strength. Meanwhile, Lionel hires Martha Kent as his new personal assistant.
[edit] Recap
The next day at school, Lana shares the love letter with Chloe and Pete, but she seems less interested in sharing it with Clark. It seems like she is still mad at him for the way he acted under the influence of red kryptonite. Clark thinks the letter is from a stalker rather than an admirer.
At the Talon, Lana shows the letter to Lex. He likes the poem, and Clark comes in and tries to apologizes for criticizing it. He complains that Lana didn’t want to share it with him. Lana says he can't expect her to share everything with him when he insists on remaining so secretive. He tries to warn her about her admirer, and she gives him a hard time about the way he's always spying on her with his telescope.
At the Luthor Mansion, Lionel Luthor is firing his fourth assistant in a month. It is Lex's job to hire them, and Lionel is unhappy with his choices. Lionel is reading the newspaper with a special mechanical device that reads typewritten pages. He become frustrated and throws the device across the yard, just as Martha Kent comes up the walk to collect the monthly check for organic produce. She greets Lionel, takes the paper from his hands, and continues reading for him. When she comments on the news story, Lionel compliments her on her understanding of the business world.
Byron is writing another letter to Lana when his mother comes down to the cellar to bring him a book. He complains to her about having to stay in the cellar, but she assures him that it is better this way. When she leaves, he moves a poster from the wall and removes several cinder blocks. He finds Lana at her parents' grave. She has fallen asleep waiting for him. When she wakes up, he runs away, but she calls out to him and stops him. When she shines her flashlight in his face, he raises his arm. Suddenly, Clark jumps out of the bushes, startling him. He falls back, hits his head on a stone, and faints.
Clark and Lana take Byron to the Talon and feed him chocolate cake. He quotes Shakespeare and explains that he has been home schooled. Clark notices scars on his wrists. When he hears the morning milk truck, he becomes very anxious to get home before his parents wake up. Clark and Lana drive him to his house but as he runs across the yard, his parents greet him on the porch. His father levels his rifle at him, so Clark and Lana jump out of the truck. Mrs. Moore pulls Byron into the house. Mr. Moore threatens Clark and Lana with the rifle, so they turn and go.
Martha tells Jonathan that Lionel offered her a job. She wants to take it, but Jonathan thinks it is a very bad idea. When Clark and Lana arrive, they tell them they are afraid the Moores are abusing Byron. They return to Byron's house with Sheriff Miller, but Mr. Moore claims that his son died eight years ago and he has never seen Clark or Lana and accuses them of playing a cruel joke. The sheriff leaves, but he promises Jonathan that he will get a warrant. Meanwhile, Byron is in the cellar, chained to the wall.
At the Smallville Torch, Chloe has found Byron's death certificate, signed by Dr. Emil Jenkins. Eight years ago, Dr. Jenkins supervised a medical trial over at Metron Pharmaceuticals in which Byron was a participant. All the children in the trial were being treated for antisocial behavior.
Lex is furious with Lionel for hiring Martha and warns him not to hurt the Kents and Lionel makes fun of him. Meanwhile, Clark and Pete arrive at Byron's house. They go through a boarded-up window and find the cellar door. Byron asks to be left alone, but Clark breaks his bonds and carries him outside. When he gets out into the sunlight he falls to the floor of the porch and growls. When he stands up, he throws Clark across the yard, and when he turns to Pete, his eyes are black. He throws Pete into a car and runs off. Clark takes Pete to the hospital where he is diagnosed and treated for a broken arm.
Clark and Jonathan return to Byron's house and speak with his mother. Byron's father is out looking for him. She explains that the change that came over him is a side effect from the drugs he was administered. Six other boys died while the doctors tried to reverse the effects, so they decided to bring him home and lock him in the cellar. She further explains that if he gets out of the sunlight, he will change back again. Lana is angry with Clark for going to Byron's house without her. Chloe arrives with information that the medication administered to Byron targeted his adrenal system. She also informs them that Lionel Luthor funded the research. Clark decides to ask Lex and Lana decides to join in the search for Byron. She finds him in the cemetery at his own grave. He insists that he is not going back down in the cellar. Lana tells him that the Luthors did this, and they might still be able to find a cure. He grabs her and Lana scratches him; he throws her against a stone. Lana falls unconscious and Byron runs off.
Byron is taken to the hospital and is resting under special lights when Clark visits him and brings him a book of limericks. Lana visits as well. Her wrist is bandaged, but it will be all right. Byron apologizes for hurting her. She says she knows it wasn’t really him. Clark leaves as they hold hands tenderly. Meanwhile, at the mansion, Lionel's arm is also in a sling. Martha informs him that the paperwork to fund research into Byron's condition is ready for him to sign. She has convinced him that funding this research will be less expensive than the advertising campaign that would be necessary to restore consumer confidence.
[edit] Recurring Role
- Mitchell Kosterman as Sheriff Miller
[edit] Guest Cast
- Sean Faris as Byron Moore
- Gwynyth Walsh as Mrs. Moore
- Richard Moll as Mr. Moore
[edit] Featured Music
- "Don't Ask Me" - OK Go
- "Underneath It All" - No Doubt
- "Nocturne In C Minor" - Chopin
- "Crazy Richie" - Cactus Grove
- "Love Song" - Sheila Nicholls
[edit] Episode Title
- A nocturne is a "a piece appropriate to the night or evening" or "an instrumental composition of a dreamy or pensive character".
- In this episode, Byron Moore is a romantic poet who is only normal at night or in the evening, when he is not exposed to sunlight.
- Byron Moore may be named after Romantic poet Lord Byron, and his friend and fellow poet Thomas Moore.
[edit] Notes
- Another one of Superman's nicknames is used to describe Clark when Lana calls him the "Man of Steel." Of course here she was referring to his lack of sensitivity rather than his invulnerability.
- Although Clark doesn't know it yet, he gets his great strength and other powers from the same source as Byron, the Earth's yellow sun.
- Lionel compares Lex to Prometheus, a Greek mythological character who was immortal but wanted to live among mortals. Various inconsistencies are present in the episode regarding the myth - Prometheus wasn't Zeus' adopted son, rather a Titan who, if anything was Zeus' cousin. Also it was an eagle, not vultures that ate his liver.
- Prometheus was also a poem written by the real world Byron.
- Byron would have to anchor himself in some way to be able to hold the helicopter down in seemingly the same way an ant could hold a balloon from floating away if it were properly anchored. How he does so is unknown, as he never displays powers of adhesion, flight, or other enhanced personal locomotion (given the circumstances of his upbringing, he would have had little chance to become aware of such abilities). Clark has also held a helicopter down on two separate occasions without being anchored to anything (in Gone and Exposed).
- Richard Moll and John Schneider previously worked together on The Dukes of Hazzard. Moll appeared on two episodes playing Milo Beaudry; a forceful lover interest for Daisy.
[edit] Quotes
- Lionel: Forget the self-pity, Lex. I wasn't criticizing, I was critiquing. There's a difference. And if I recall, I didn't ask for help. You offered.
- Lex: Well, I'm glad to see your condition hasn't softened your paternal side.
- Lionel: Just get me an assistant who meets my criteria.
- Lex: I don't think I would fit your criteria.
- Lionel: Probably not, but nobody's perfect.
- Lex: To tell you the truth, Clark, I was a little surprised. Considering all my offers to ease your family's financial situation have been met with a resounding no, it stung a little to see her name on my father's payroll.
- Clark: Well, to be honest, it wasn't exactly a unanimous decision at the Kent household.
- Lex: My father's the poster boy for family strife. I'm sorry it's spreading.
- Clark: Look at it this way, Lex. At least my father's not upset with you this time.
- Lana: If you really like someone, you accept every part of them, but you can't do that until they are willing to share every part with you.
[edit] External Links
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