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For the eponymous character, see Victoria Sinclair.

"Roulette" is the fifth episode in the ninth season of Smallville, and the one hundred-seventy-ninth episode overall. It aired on October 23, 2009.

Summary[]

Oliver is drugged and kidnapped by a woman named Victoria AKA Roulette, after he accepts her invitation to play a dangerous game and finds he must fight for his life. When Victoria is shot dead and Oliver is arrested for it by the police, he turns to Chloe for help. Meanwhile, Lois berates Clark for not telling her about Oliver's suicide attempt.

Recap[]

→ see also Category:Screencaps from episode 9x05

905Smallville0072

Oliver meets Roulette.

Oliver finds himself in a bar, playing all sorts of gambling games, wasting all his money. A Chinese woman with a snake-like tattoo on her back approaches him and tells him "You look like a man with no luck." Oliver begins to flirt with her, and she tells him that she knows his type. Oliver asks "What's my type?" and Victoria says "A player who can't find a game to satisfy him."

She sets three cups on the table upside down, and spins them. Then she asks Oliver to pick one and he points to the middle cup. She lifts it up and underneath is a red pill. She hands the red pill to him and says, "What do you have to lose?" to which Oliver replies, "Absolutely nothing." He swallows the pill then walks outside. He falls down on the street with Roulette standing over him, realizing the pill was poison. He wakes up in a wooden box with a flashlight next to him. Switching on the flashlight, he reads the blood written on the box: GAME ON.

905Smallville0240

Lois and Clark's movie night.

Clark arrives home in his 'Blur' attire, to find Lois doing her laundry in his living room. He quickly super speeds into his usual casual clothing; Lois turns around just in time to see him arrive and informs him that they'll be watching shark movies together. Clark begins to pick up her clothes & underwear off the couch, and Lois tells him to settle down because he can't have anything else to do in Smallville. As Clark begins to enjoy himself, Lois starts the film, only for his super-hearing to pick up a woman in distress, screaming for help. Clark makes up an excuse to Lois that he's off to get some popcorn for them, which gives him the opportunity to super-speed off to save the woman from a carjacker and return with a bowl of popcorn without alerting Lois of his mysterious disappearance. Clark rejoins Lois on the couch, just as the film begins. Lois notices Clark nervously fidgeting with his hands during the film.

905Smallville0268

Oliver wakes up.

Oliver feels around inside the wooden box and is able to jimmy the hinge open with a piece of wire from inside the flashlight. It springs open and he jumps out stating that's the last time he'll trust "a woman with a dragon tattoo." He's dressed in a white suit and is barefoot. He turns around and sees another wooden coffin with someone banging on the inside and muffled struggling sounds. He brushes away the dirt on the lid and reads the name "Alexander Luthor" on the box. Oliver breaks open the box only to find a pair of speakers inside and a voice laughing through them. Oliver shouts for the Toyman to come out and face him like a man. The voice states that it's not the Toyman - it's someone else that Oliver destroyed. He says that Oliver can get out of the game at any time if he says the safe word, but since Oliver never bothered to learn the rules of the game and ask, he doesn't know the safe word. He asks if Oliver has had his rabies shot as a large dog jumps through the window and begins to chase him. Oliver jumps through the shattered window and runs through a junkyard. He spots an empty car and jumps in, closing the doors to keep the rabid dog out - but as soon as he does that, he realizes that the doors are locked. A truck then speeds towards the car and crashes into it.

Clark comes back from another one of his "concessions run" and we see all the snacks that Clark has brought back. Lois is a bit annoyed, but Clark asks her if everything is okay, since she showed up with 11 loads of laundry and every shark movie known to man when she's even been known to take socks to the dry cleaners. She cracks and explains that it's Oliver's birthday and they always go out for Beer-Pong, but he hasn't returned her calls. Clark offers that maybe he's celebrating with someone else, but all the same, it wouldn't hurt to pay him a visit.

It is morning and Oliver wakes up with his face in a muddy puddle. He sees the car wreck sitting on train tracks. He walks over to a phone booth and tries to phone Chloe's, but the "dial tone lady" disconnects him. Oliver smashes the headset in frustration and then notices a stamp on his wrist from the club he was at the night before. He goes back to the club and finds the Chinese woman. She walks over, kisses him and whispers at him to be quiet because the people behind the game are there and will kill him if they discover him there. He asks why he should trust her and she tells him to trust his instincts. A couple of men come and attack the pair, but they overcome the attackers. The Chinese woman holds her hand out to Oliver and asks him "All in?" and the two run outside.

Oliver stops and asks her who she is and what's going on - her name is Victoria Sinclair and she works for some nasty guys. It's her job to knock out their targets and if she hadn't given him the red pill, they would have killed her. He promises to help her but he needs to know what they want with him; however, Victoria doesn't know and asks him who hates him enough to want him dead. Oliver realizes that there is a very long list of people that he's hurt. Suddenly, they hear gunshots so the pair continue to run, but Victoria gets shot. She tells him to let her go as it's the only way that she will be free, as a police car pulls up and the officers order Oliver to get up. He shouts that they have the wrong guy and they shoot him with a taser.

905Smallville0606

Lois becomes upset with Clark.

Clark and Lois go to Oliver's office after already looking for him at his apartment and his jet. There are empty champagne and wine bottles everywhere. Clark spots an invitation to the Roulette Club. Lois opens up Oliver's laptop, logs on and watches the security video of his suicide attempt at the Ace of Clubs. She gets angry with Clark because he didn't tell her about something so important and leaves the office. Clark picks up the Roulette invitation and stares at it.

Oliver is handcuffed to a chair and is being interrogated by a police officer since he has no ID or alibi. A FBI agent interrupts and states that this case has come under FBI jurisdiction. He puts a pair of shoes on the table, unlocks Oliver's handcuffs, and apologizes for the way he's been treated. He explains that they know about the 'Game' and have been tracking the group for a while. Their modus operandi is to target wealthy people and hack their bank accounts while they are distracted. He passes Oliver a laptop and suggests that he check his accounts immediately, but everything in his accounts is fine. The agent states that Oliver is lucky and he can go home after he fills out some paperwork, and leaves the room. Oliver looks at the laptop and watches as everything is suddenly drained from his accounts. He goes to the door, but it is locked and gas begins to fill the room. As he falls to his knees, Clark rips the wall off, explaining that he found the invitation to Roulette, which is only a few blocks away, heard Oliver yelling and asked what's going on. Oliver says it's "Game over."

905Smallville0698

Clark rescues Oliver.

Clark takes Oliver to see Chloe at the Watchtower, and explains that Oliver is being used as a pawn and they need to figure out who is doing it. Chloe quickly looks up Victoria Sinclair (aka Roulette) and reads that she's made a career out of betting with high stakes. Oliver asks Chloe for his Green Arrow gear back, but Chloe refuses. She says she locked up his stuff hoping that one day he'd want it back, but not under these circumstances. Oliver states that he will handle this situation how he sees fit but Clark asks him how that turned out last time. Oliver walks out, telling 'Boy Scout' he'll sort out his financial mess with the help of his lawyers.

Clark wants to go after Oliver, but Chloe tells him that he has bigger problems to deal with: she pulls up the video of Oliver's suicide attempt and zooms in on a freeze frame of Lois' attempted assassin and the tattoo on her back. Clark doesn't understand how she could have been at the Ace of Clubs because he himself had buried her. Clark decides to seek out Jor-El for help identifying this woman.

905Smallville0821

Lois fights Roulette.

Lois is walking on a city street talking on her cell phone with someone from Oliver's GPS tracking company. She is getting more annoyed with every step she takes until she spots Oliver's yellow sports car parked a few meters ahead. Victoria walks up and tells Lois to get away from 'her car', but Lois counters that she has been inside that car enough times to know it belongs to Oliver Queen. Victoria claims that the car was a gift from Oliver but Lois doesn't buy it, and the two women get into a street brawl until Victoria points a gun at Lois.

905Smallville0840

Oliver considers shooting Victoria.

Oliver enters the Roulette Club with a gun in his hand. He sees the back of Victoria sitting at the bar and raises the gun, about to shoot her. He hesitates, lowers the gun and walks towards her and realizes that it is Lois tied up and gagged, wearing Victoria's red dress and a black wig. Victoria comes in behind them with a gun raised. She's disappointed that Oliver doesn't have the killer instinct and tells him to drop his gun, and he complies. Oliver asks her to let Lois go, but Victoria responds that she's not going to play by his rules, since he didn't play by hers (he was supposed to shoot Lois). She shoots at him, but her gun runs out of bullets. Oliver rolls over, grabs his gun and points it at Victoria, who is using Lois as a human shield. Lois (through her gag) tells Oliver to shoot Victoria, but he says that she knows he won't if there's a risk that he'd hit Lois.

Oliver saves Lois, but then Victoria tells him that she has layered the place with gasoline. The club bursts into flame, but Victoria gets trapped beneath a fallen piece of wood. Oliver comes to help her and she asks why because she already caused him so much trouble, but Oliver keeps trying to help her. Victoria stands up suddenly while Oliver is still trying to help her and all the flames go out. Victoria reveals that she was trying to show Oliver that there was still a hero within himself.

905Smallville1050

Oliver congratulates Chloe.

Chloe is seen sitting outside the Metro Coffee Stop with a cup of coffee and reading the paper when Oliver arrives and places a queen chess piece before her, congratulating Chloe on the life and death experience game she put him through. At first, Chloe pretends to be clueless about the whole ordeal until Oliver recounts the events that took place in the game and summarized that she was the mastermind behind Roulette all along and had enlisted the aid of Victoria, Bart, Victor, and Dinah. Chloe finally admits she was indeed responsible because she thought this would be the only effective way to bring him back from the edge of the abyss by making him come face to face with his inner demons. Oliver expresses to Chloe his disdain for her methods as well as placing Lois' life in danger. Chloe reassures Oliver that although Lois wasn't part of the plan, the gun was loaded with blanks and Lois wouldn't have been harmed. Oliver inquires if Clark was aware of Chloe's involvement behind the game, but Chloe reveals that not only was Clark unaware, but he'd never approve this course of action. Oliver realizes she's right, he thanks her and takes her hand. “You saved my life, Chloe. Both the myth... and the man.” Chloe smiles back at him serenely.

Oliver returns to his work office when Lois arrives, demanding an explanation. Oliver informs Lois that Victoria was one of his psycho ex-girlfriends. Oliver apologies to Lois for the ordeal Victoria put her through. Lois asks Oliver why he didn't come to her to get help and Oliver admits he was too proud and too ashamed to admit he was in need of saving. Lois assures him some things between them haven't changed and she'll always be there for him as a friend. Lois then proceeds to start their annual drink-off celebration for his birthday.

Back at the Watchtower, Chloe finds Clark reviewing the surveillance footage. Clark informs her that he spoke with Jor-El who confirmed that Alia is a native from Kandor and that there are probably other Kandorians out there as well. Chloe immediately begins to run a full worldwide search to find more Kryptonian symbols. As they wait for the results, Chloe joyfully tells Clark that Oliver's returned to his normal state. Chloe's data search reveals Kryptonian crests scattered all across the entire planet.

905Smallville1219

Clark and Oliver watch the city

With a new sense of rediscovering himself after playing Roulette's deadly game of life & death, Oliver re-assumes his identity of Green Arrow and has joined Clark above the crow's nest overlooking the city. Oliver tells Clark he looks ridiculous in his black attire and suggests that Clark could use a tailor who has a better sense of color. Clark is happy to see his old friend back. Oliver also commends Clark in his efforts in fighting crime in the city and assures Clark that he can count on Green Arrow to help him as well. Clark is pleased as he tells Oliver he thinks they'll need all the help they can get in the days ahead.

Cast[]

Starring[]

Guest Starring[]

Co-Starring[]

Uncredited[]

Mentioned[]

Featured Music[]

  • "Daisy" - Brand New

Title[]

  • Roulette is a female DC Comics super-villain character who runs a metahuman fighting place called The House.
    • The title refers to Victoria Sinclair, the show's adaptation of Roulette.
    • It is also the name of the club Oliver goes to in the episode, another nod to the super-villain.
  • Roulette is a game named after a French diminutive for "little wheel".
  • Roulette is also a female Marvel Comics super-villain who is part of the Hellions recruiting team.

Notes[]

  • Antagonists: Victoria Sinclair and Chloe Sullivan
  • This is the second time a character named Victoria appears, and the interesting thing is that both of them trick billionaires for their own gain. The first Victoria is Victoria Hardwick who appeared in 4 episodes in season 1 (Rogue, Shimmer, Hug and Leech).
  • Oliver is shown to have an accounts summary total of $3,137,012,336.96 in transferrable cash. This is an extraordinary amount of money to have as cash on hand, far more than the richest people in the real world have. This could be partially justified by having to finance the Justice League/Watchtower off the books.
  • Tess Mercer and Major Zod do not appear in this episode.
  • Jor-El is mentioned in this episode and it seems he helped Clark with the information about Alia, but he is not seen in the episode.
  • Lex's full name is seen on top of a fake casket, but there is no mention of him in the episode.
  • The storyline for this episode is somewhat similar to Season Eight's Committed, which was also the fifth episode of the season, and Season Five's Mercy. In all three cases, characters are taken hostage and forced to engage in some sort of test.
    • Similarly, the FBI plot of this episode is reminiscent from the Chimera two-part storyline where Lex is held by the FBI questioning him about his bank account. Later, the money is in fact stolen when he gives in his credentials through a cell phone, much like it happened to Oliver by using a laptop.

In Other Media[]

  • Roulette is the 52nd DC Comics character adapted into the series.
  • Clark's reference to an "anti-life equation" refers to the DC Comics character Darkseid, a major enemy of Superman who seeks the Anti-Life Equation, which is a key to universal domination and subversion of the will.
  • At the end of the episode, Oliver offers to hook Clark up with a tailor and create a costume with "a little more color". This references Clark's Superman costume, which definitely has more color.
  • Although they don't mention it, it seems clear that the movie Lois and Clark are watching is Jaws.
  • When Oliver breaks out of the wooden coffin, he muses that it'll be "the last time I trust a woman with a dragon tattoo" - this is a reference to the important Green Arrow character Shado.

Trivia[]

  • This episode is a homage to the movie The Game.

Continuity[]

  • Clark and Chloe see Alia on the Ace of Clubs footage from Oliver's speech, which occurred in Echo.
  • Oliver is suited as Green Arrow by the end of the episode, making it the first time this season Oliver has worn his costume (he burned one of his costumes back in Rabid) and the first time since Doomsday we have seen Green Arrow.
  • Lois uncovers the footage Oliver stored on his laptop about his suicide attempt, which occurred in Echo.
  • The 'game' that Oliver takes part in is similar to the one that Lionel Luthor and Martha Kent were forced to take part in during Mercy.
  • This episode marks the 5th appearance of Clark's 'black' Blur outfit, which he wears frequently throughout season 9 (except for Kandor, Society, & Escape) and in the season 10 premiere Lazarus. He previously wore this outfit in Savior, Metallo, Rabid, & Echo.
  • Alia was last seen in Savior.

Allusions[]

  • Lois tells Victoria Sinclair, "Nice try, vice city. Go grand-theft someone else's auto" when she claimed Oliver's car was hers. This was a reference to the 2002 open world game, Grand Theft Auto: Vice City.
  • Oliver referenced 1987's Fatal Attraction when explaining to Lois who Victoria Sinclair was.

Locations[]

Quotes[]

Roulette: Now, that's the face of a guy who's down on his luck.
Oliver: I think my luck's about ready to turn around. I don't remember seeing you earlier.
Roulette: Maybe not. But I've seen you before. Your type.
Oliver: And what type is that exactly?
Roulette: The player who can't find a game to satisfy him.
Oliver: I'll admit I've lost a certain lust for life... but luckily not other things.
Roulette: Then play a game with me.
Oliver: I'm all in.

Lois: About time you got home. Shelby's great and all, but the conversation... a little one-sided.
Clark: Shouldn't you be riding a mechanical bull somewhere? It is Friday night.
Lois: Correction. It's movie night. I hope you like sharks. We're gonna start with my favorite one.
Clark: You have your hands full with all your laundry. Maybe we should make movie night another weekend.
Lois: It's called "multitasking." You should try it sometime.
Clark: I hope I have enough detergent. How do you even have anything left to wear?
Lois: You know, most guys wouldn't complain if I suddenly found myself shirtless.

Clark: The name of the club is Roulette. He met a woman there named Victoria.
Chloe: At the risk of taking a belly flop into an awkward pool, what kind of game puts people through hell?
Oliver: The kind that starts with being buried alive and ends with bankruptcy.
Clark: That was quick.
Chloe: It looks like the two clues are one and the same. Meet Victoria Sinclair, a.k.a. Roulette.

Chloe: On a scale from one to Chernobyl, how big was the fallout?
Clark: Let's just say if there was an antilife equation, I think I found it.

Roulette: You didn't play by my rules. Why should I play by yours? You were supposed to shoot her.
Oliver: That's what I don't understand. You could have killed her yourself. You could have shot me when I walked through the door. Why set the scene?
Roulette: One can tie up loose ends with a simple square knot or one can choose the more elegant cloverleaf.

Oliver: What the hell is this?
Roulette: You kept asking me who did this to you. My question was always the answer. "Who did you destroy?". I hear you're some sort of hero. One that tried to bury that part of himself. You've just proven that that hero is still alive. Now it's time to resurrect him.

Oliver: Nice to play. I just started asking myself who knew about Lex, about Toyman. The things I'd given up, what I tried to do. Then it all occurred to me. Dinah shattered the glass in the warehouse, Bart rescued me from the car, Victor faked the computers, and Watchtower kept an eye on the whole thing. Right?
Chloe: You were living like you had a death wish. You had to face your demons if you were ever gonna make it out alive, and I had to push you over the ledge in order to pull you back.
Oliver: Did you have to push with a 3-ton truck?
Chloe: I didn't think a tricycle would be a strong enough point.

Lois: So... what was that about?
Oliver: Uh-oh. I've seen that look before, usually right before you sock me in the jaw.

Clark: I heard you were back.
Oliver: You do know, of course, you look absolute ridiculous in that, right? And I got a great tailor, hook you up with a little color, maybe.
Clark: Nice to see you finally discovered something worth living for after all.
Oliver: Yeah. More like a rediscovery, actually. You've done a hell of a job keeping the world safe on your own, Clark. I'm here to help you now.
Clark: Good. Something tells me... soon the world will need all the help we can get.


Previous Story:
Echo
Next Story:
Crossfire
EpisodesSeason 1 · 2 · 3 · 4 · 5 · 6 · 7 · 8 · 9 · 10

Minor CharactersSeason 1 · 2 · 3 · 4 · 5 · 6 · 7 · 8 · 9 · 10

Screencaps: Season 1 · 2 · 3 · 4 · 5 · 6 · 7 · 8 · 9 · 10

CategoriesMain Characters · Relationships · Villains

ComicsThe Comic · Season 11 · Miniseries


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