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"Unsafe" is the eleventh episode in the fourth season of Smallville, and seventy-seventh episode overall. It aired on January 26, 2005.

Summary[]

Claiming to be cured, Alicia Baker is released from Belle Reve hospital and comes to Smallville to rekindle her relationship with Clark. Initially skeptical of Alicia, Clark finds himself enjoying dating someone who knows his secret, but when she pushes for more, he hesitates, causing her to use red kryptonite on him. Kal emerges and whisks Alicia off to get married in Las Vegas. Meanwhile, Lana decides to sleep with Jason in order to win him back. Lex is unimpressed with Lionel's moral makeover.

Recap[]

→ see also Category:Screencaps from episode 4x11

Unsafe141

Lana confronts Jason about their relationship

At the Talon, Clark is sitting alone studying. When two girls invite him to a party, he politely declines. Martha asks him why he doesn't go and he mopes that it's not worth starting a relationship with someone he'll have to lie to. Martha sympathizes and assures him he'll find someone. At Belle Reve, Alicia Baker is being released by her doctor, William McBride. He proclaims her cured and releases her to her parents.

Unsafe2

Clark and Alicia rekindle their relationship.

Alicia approaches Clark who is alone in his loft. He is very surprised to see her and assumes she escaped. However, she tells him she was cured and released and drove her parent's car to visit him. She shows him a lead bracelet that she must wear to prevent her from using her powers. He reminds her that she tried to kill both him and Lana Lang and she reminds him that she was sick, but is better now. She tells him that she kept his secret for over a year and the thought that someone different like her was out there was the only thing that gave her hope in the hospital. Clark enlists Chloe to make sure Alicia did indeed get released and they learn that her doctor proclaimed her cured. Against his parents' judgment, Clark asks Alicia on a romantic date.

On their date at the ice-skating rink, Clark and Alicia are having a great time until she spots her doctor lurking. She slips away from Clark to confront him. Dr. McBride tells Alicia to break up with Clark, claiming that her obsession with him in the first place was what caused her psychotic break. He indirectly threatens to put her back in Belle Reve if she doesn't stop seeing Clark. Alicia returns to Clark's side and begins to talk about running away to California, where nobody will know who she is or what she did. She begs Clark to come with her, but he is hesitant and a bit alarmed at her change in mood.

A newly released Lionel Luthor pays a visit to Lex. He explains that he has a new lease on life and wants to start charitable organizations to share his good fortune. Lex is unimpressed by Lionel's new cause. Lionel explains that he is trying to make the best of being penniless.

Unsafe3

Lana and Chloe discuss things.

Alicia breaks into the Torch office and finds a red kryptonite class ring. She pries the gemstone out of the ring. Returning to Clark's barn, she tells him that she made him a necklace and wants to see him wear it before she goes. The necklace contains red kryptonite, and Kal takes over.

Lana goes to visit Jason at his school, but he is not happy to see her. He tells her that their relationship won't work because he doesn't think Lana is ready for "that kind of relationship." Lana is hurt and confused. Later, she goes to talk to Chloe about her relationship problems. She realizes that Jason wants to break up because he doesn't think she's ready for a sexual relationship and tells Chloe that she thinks that now she is. Chloe admits that she's surprised Jason and Lana haven't had sex yet, but tells Lana that she should make sure that Jason is worth remembering if she decides to sleep with him. Chloe also offers her own story—admitting that she lost her virginity the summer she worked on the Daily Planet. She says it wasn't special and she sometimes regrets losing it too soon. Later, Lana invites Jason over, saying she actually is ready for an intimate relationship and Jason confesses that that's not the reason he broke up with her. He tells her his theory on how he thinks his mother orchestrated their whole relationship.

Unsafe5

Alicia gets more than she bargained for with a very eager Red K Clark.

In Clark's barn, Alicia and Kal are getting into a very heated moment when she asks him to slow down, because she's a virgin. Kal is not very interested in her trepidation, proclaiming, "That's great! So am I!" Eventually, he blurts that he wants Alicia to marry him and breaks her lead bracelet off. They teleport to Las Vegas and are married in a quickie ceremony. They rent a hotel suite to consummate their "marriage".

Unsafe6

Clark is upset with Alicia for "drugging" him.

They chase each other around the hotel room while losing various articles of clothing. Making out on the bed, Alicia decides that she wants to be with "all of Clark" and takes his necklace off. Clark instantly goes back to normal and is horrified that Alicia "drugged" him to get him to do what she wanted. She says she was desperate to be with him and Clark realizes that she might not be better after all. They argue until Alicia teleports away.

Clark returns to Smallville and tries to find Alicia. Making calls in the barn, he is approached by Dr. McBride. McBride threatens to shoot Clark to get him out of the way and Alicia teleports in front of the bullet. With Alicia falling to the ground Dr. McBride hurries to check on her but Clark super pushes him out of the barn. Alicia tells Clark she would keep his secret no matter what.

Unsafe4

Alicia protects Clark from exposing his secret.

At the hospital, Clark and Alicia talk about what happened. She apologizes profusely, but he breaks up with her and leaves her lead bracelet, silently asking her to put it back on. Back at home, Clark has to face the music from his parents. Jonathan is too angry to talk to him, but a disappointed Martha gives him an unreasonable stern lecture about the sanctity of marriage, completely ignoring the fact that Clark was on Red K and keeps lecturing stays surprised of his actions even then. Clark tearfully confesses that Alicia makes him feel free to be himself. Still disappointed, Martha tells Clark that she wants him to use better judgment from now on. Alone in the barn, Clark gets one more visit from Alicia, who is back on her feet. She says she just wanted him to know that he made her a better person and that she is truly sorry. Clark is clearly still angry at her, but she says she loves him and turns to leave. Clark gives her one last hug as she cries in his arms and they get back together.

Cast[]

Starring[]

Guest Starring[]

Co-Starring[]

Uncredited[]

Mentioned[]

Featured Music[]

  • "Laura" - Scissor Sisters
  • "Beautiful Soul" - Jesse McCartney
  • "Life for Rent" - Dido
  • "Welcome to My Life" - Simple Plan
  • "It's Now or Never" - Elvis Presley
  • "Funny Little Feeling" - Rock N Roll Soldiers
  • "Break So Easy" - Jonathan Rice

Title[]

  • Unsafe, a combination of the prefix "un", meaning not, and "safe", means involving or causing danger or risk; liable to hurt or harm, or lacking in security or safety.
  • Alicia and Clark are drawn to each other despite the fact that their relationship is "not safe" for either one of them, neither physically nor emotionally.
  • Alicia's love for Clark brought out her obsessive and impulsive tendencies; she even risked getting shot for him. By his own admittance, Clark was strongly attracted to her; even before she exposed him to red kryptonite, he dated her against his parents' wishes and despite her past actions.

Notes[]

  • Antagonist: William McBride
  • Clark uses the following abilities in this episode: super strength, super speed, invulnerability and heat vision.
  • The age of consent in Kansas is 16. The original airing of this episode concluded with a public service announcement by Allison Mack urging teens to practice safe sex and included the website teenpregnancy.com.
  • Clark and Alicia's marriage was not legal since it would have been impossible to obtain a marriage license so quickly. Also, since Clark is 17, Nevada law would have required him to have either a parent or guardian present or written, notarized permission to marry. With no official document or legal permission, they probably just paid the church to simply perform a ceremony. At the end of this episode, Clark even acknowledges that it wasn't legal, and Alicia to her credit, never tries to act as if the marriage is binding once Clark rejects it.
  • While they are arguing, Clark refers to the necklace as red kryptonite instead of "red meteor rock," suggesting that perhaps Clark told Alicia of his true origins, but he was shocked that Alicia knew how it would affect him. How she knew is not explained. She simply tells him, "I know everything about you."
  • Clark does not share a scene with either Lana or Lex in this episode.

Trivia[]

Continuity[]

  • Alicia Baker and Clark Kent first met in Season Three's Obsession.
  • Chloe previously told Lana in the episode Heat that she made up the story about a romantic relationship during her Daily Planet internship to make Clark jealous, but confirms in this episode that she did indeed meet someone named "Jimmy". She could have however kept it a secret because she expressed regret over losing her virginity. It was speculated that the boy was Jimmy Olsen, who later appears in Season 6 and the love affair is confirmed in the episode Wither.
  • After taking the necklace off, Alicia points out to Clark that red kryptonite makes Clark "lose his inhibitions." Martha Kent will later say something similar to Clark in Season Six's Crimson.
  • Connelly was last seen in Asylum.
  • The red kryptonite ring that was in Chloe's drawer was taken by Clark in Exodus and was destroyed in the Clark-Jonathan battle in Phoenix, so it is unclear where the one Alicia used came from, although Chloe could have just got another class ring when she realized that the original ring had been taken, or it is the ring owned by Pete Ross, who once used it on Clark in Rush and might have left it to Chloe after he moved to Wichita at the end of Season 3.
  • It can easily be considered very unfair of Martha to scold and lecture Clark so sternly at the end of this episode. Clark clearly told her about the red kryptonite, and yet she kept going with her very narrow and straightforward lecture. Especially since he had no control over himself and did not choose to put on the necklace unlike when he was in Metropolis for three months where he deliberately put it on, and after then the Kents were much more forgiving, even though Clark committed way worse crimes during that. Another thing is that she should know by now that Kal would never ever take that lecture in mind, while Clark already knew he would never marry like that.

Spoilers[]

Quotes[]

Chloe: And that, I take it, is exactly what our young Mr. Kent wanted to hear.

Chloe: Hey. I missed you in A.P. Lit today. What happened? You decide you just couldn't face the love songs of J. Alfred Prufrock?
Lana: No...um, I went to go see Jason.
Chloe: I'm sensing it didn't go so well. Sorry, but your poker face isn't exactly your strong suit. What's up?
Lana: I think I finally figured out why he's been so cryptic. He doesn't think I am ready for that kind of a relationship.
Chloe: What? What kind? Oh, that kind. Oh, okay. Wow, that answers a question I've been dying to ask you all semester.
Lana: Does everyone think that we've...
Chloe: Lana, you were alone with him for three months... in Paris.
Lana: Right...um. Well...we haven't, but I'm starting to think that I'm ready.
Chloe: First off, don't do this just because you're afraid of losing him if you don't.
Lana: It's not that. It is just Jason is in college, and I think he is used to relationships that are...that are a little more adult.
Chloe: Okay, at the risk of going after school special on you, two thirds of all people under the age of eighteen regret doing it too soon. And on behalf of that two thirds, just be sure you're really ready.
Lana: Wait a minute, are you saying that you...
Chloe: Yeah. During my internship in the Daily Planet. His name was Jimmy.  He was very cute, in a bow tie kind of way.

Alicia: Okay, Clark. You may be impervious to the cold but I'm turning into a human Popsicle.
Clark: Well, I do have heat vision.

Lionel: Corporate maneuvering doesn't interest me anymore.
Lex: So, what now, trying to kill me is going to be a full-time job?

Alicia: Okay. Can we just slow down a little? I want this to last forever.
Kal: I'm not sure that's one of my abilities but I'll do my best.

Alicia: Okay just one minute, all right?
Kal: What? What is it?
Alicia: I'm a virgin.
Kal: That's great, so am I!
Alicia: Really? It's just that... we don't have any kind of commitment or anything...
Kal: Oh, baby, nobody's more committed to making this happen than me! ... (awed) You are the most beautiful, amazing, sexiest girl I've ever met--and there's no way I'd like to get away.

Alicia: Does that mean you want me to be your girlfriend?
Kal: No. I want you to be my wife!
Alicia: What... Are you serious?
Kal: We were meant to be together. We could be in Vegas tonight, and wake up Mr. & Mrs. in the morning.

Clark: Yeah, yeah, skip to the good stuff, pops.
Minister: Do you, Clark Kent, take this woman to be your lawfully wedded wife?
Kal: Hell yes!
Minister: Well, you may kiss the br-- oh, I see you're already doing that
Alicia: Oh, my god, I can't believe this! I'm Mrs. Clark Kent

Alicia: Oh, God. I love you so much.
Clark: I know how you feel.
Alicia: Wait.
Clark: We don't have to wait. We're married.
Alicia: No. I just want this to be right. I want all of you.

Alicia: No! I don't think that rock forces you to do anything! Maybe it dampens your inhibitions, but... Clark Kent got himself into this situation, okay? Clark Kent asked me to marry him. Clark Kent brought me up to this hotel to make love to me.

Clark: I'm not so sure that drugging me was the best way to preserve the relationship. I wanted you with or without that rock.
Alicia: Past tense noted.

Clark: Is dad still upset?
Martha: What do you think?
Clark: How about you?
Martha: I'm upset. More than that, I'm disappointed.

Martha: Marriage is sacred, Clark! It's about two people who trust each other and are willing to go through life no matter how difficult it gets! I thought we taught you that! (softer) You're an amazing young man, Clark. You make life and death decisions every day, but you turn around and... and you do this. Why did you do it?
Clark: (crying) Mom, there's a part of me that never feels freer than when I'm with Alicia. She makes me feel normal and special at the same time.
Martha: I know how badly you want to be with somebody. I want that for you too. I guess I just expect you to use better judgment.

External links[]


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CategoriesMain Characters · Relationships · Villains

ComicsThe Comic · Season 11 · Miniseries


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