"Obsession" is the fourteenth episode in the third season of Smallville, and fifty-eighth episode overall. It aired on February 18, 2004.
Summary[]
Clark is forced to use his powers in front of Alicia, but he is surprised to find out she has powers of her own. The two develop a bond through their shared secret, but things turn ugly after Alicia becomes obsessive about sharing Clark with anyone else - especially Lana. Meanwhile, Lana asks Lex to investigate Adam.
Recap[]
→ see also Category:Screencaps from episode 3x14
Clark and Alicia are forced to reveal their powers to each other.
During an economics class field trip to the LuthorCorp headquarters in Metropolis, Clark and Chloe are trading sarcastic comments back and forth, so the teacher separates them. She directs Clark to an elevator containing one other classmate, the pretty, blonde Alicia Baker. As they are riding down, the elevator cable snaps and it begins to free-fall down the shaft. Clark uses his heat vision to burn out the security camera, then punches through the wall of the elevator and grabs a pipe to stop it. Alicia looks on in wonder and Clark asks her not to tell anybody. As rescuers try to pry the elevator open, she approaches Clark and the two disappear in a cloud of green smoke and reappear on the ground floor unharmed. It is Clark's turn to look at Alicia in wonder and she also asks him not to tell.
The next day at school, Clark approaches Alicia. She tells him she has been able to teleport since the meteor shower. Clark explains that his abilities are also connected to the meteor shower.
In Adam Knight's Talon apartment, Lana finds a diary detailing what she and Clark have done together over the past few weeks. He catches her snooping and she threatens to evict him. He coolly reminds her that it's not that easy to evict someone and she should check her tenant laws.
Clark and Alicia talk about their powers.
Clark gets up the nerve to ask her on a date. Lana tells Clark about the journal and asks Lex's help to get rid of Adam. Clark and Alicia are at his loft and they look through his telescope and talk about being different. Clark assures her that he doesn't think she's a freak. While dropping her off at home, she says that her parents don't understand her; they are very overprotective and used to try to keep her from teleporting. They almost kiss goodnight, but Clark is too shy.
Clark and Alicia are busted by Jonathan
Later that night, Clark is shocked when Alicia appears in his bed in her underwear. Clark is initially reluctant, but Alicia takes the lead and they start kissing, until Jonathan bursts into the bedroom. Clark is left to explain to his parents exactly how Alicia got into his bed. They are skeptical and don't think dating Alicia is a good idea. They ask Clark how much he told her and Clark maintains he didn't tell her about his weakness to meteor rocks. However, Alicia is still at his house, listening to the whole conversation. She is pleased when Clark announces that he thinks he's found someone with whom he can have a real relationship.
The next day at school, Pete congratulates Clark on having a girl in his bedroom and Clark finds his locker lined with pictures of Alicia. Alicia is unimpressed with his suggestion that they "set a few boundaries." Clark goes to talk to Lex about her clinginess and Lex suggests that he might be encouraging Alicia by telling her what she wants to hear. Clark goes to Alicia's house to talk to her, but she's not home. Her parents are reserved and a little fearful. They live in fear of their daughter and cannot control her at all. They tell Clark about a lead room they kept Alicia in to stop her from teleporting, but she begged to be let out. They warn Clark to back off because the last boy Alicia dated did not fare too well in the end.
Clark returns home to his loft to find it completely redecorated by Alicia. She has put pictures of herself everywhere and has scratched out a yearbook photograph of Lana. As Clark looks around annoyed, she appears next to him. He confronts her about invading his loft and they argue until Alicia receives a call; her father is in the hospital. He takes her to the hospital, but he suspects Alicia did something to her father. Sheriff Adams also suspects and asks Alicia questions until she begins to cry. Clark asks her if she harmed her father and they argue until she teleports away.
Alicia turns the tables on Clark.
Clark returns home to find her in his kitchen. He asks her to turn herself in, but she refuses. She slyly says that both of their families will be safe if they keep each other's secrets, then leaves. Unsure what to do next, Clark visits Chloe. He tells her what Alicia can do and the two figure out a way to lure Alicia out.
Chloe goes to Alicia's house and makes up a story about how Clark needs help because the sheriff is blaming him for her father's injuries. Alicia finds Clark at an old warehouse and he once again tries to convince her to turn herself in. She says they should just run away and Clark pretends to agree. He tries to trap her in a lead-painted room, but she figures out his plan and uses a meteor rock to subdue him. She leaves him incapacitated on the floor and walks out.
Jealous of her friendship with Clark, Alicia attempts to kill Lana.
Alicia arrives at the Talon and threatens Lana with a knife, saying that Clark told her all the secrets he would never tell Lana. Back at the old warehouse Clark is able to kick the paint can over onto the meteor rock and dash after her. Clark arrives and douses Alicia in lead paint. She is unable to teleport away. Lana comes over to the farm and to thank Clark. Lana tells Clark that she told her the truth about Clark. She also mentions that Clark is still love with her. Clark and his mother talk about how he feels like he will never have a meaningful relationship if he always has to lie about his abilities. He tries to get Martha to understand his attraction to Alicia was based on the fact that he was able to be himself around her.
Lionel discusses Adam's failures.
Lana arrives at the Talon to find that Adam is gone. She thanks Lex, but Lex says he had nothing to do with it. His security people can't even find him. Adam's fate is revealed when he is shown strapped to a chair in a medical facility. Lionel Luthor is seen walking in the room and asking him for his inability to uncover Clark's secrets. He sent him to Smallville to become Lana Lang's best friend and find out everything she knows about Clark Kent, but instead, he has alienated her completely. Lionel denies Adam the medication he needs and cruelly leaves him strapped to a chair to die alone in the dark.
Cast[]
Starring[]
- Tom Welling as Clark Kent
- Kristin Kreuk as Lana Lang
- Michael Rosenbaum as Lex Luthor
- Sam Jones III as Pete Ross
- Allison Mack as Chloe Sullivan
- John Glover as Lionel Luthor
- Annette O'Toole as Martha Kent
- John Schneider as Jonathan Kent
Guest Starring[]
- Ian Somerhalder as Adam Knight
- Sarah Carter as Alicia Baker
- Lynda Boyd as Mrs. Baker
- Paul Perri as John Baker
- Françoise Yip as Dr. Lia Teng
- Camille Mitchell as Sheriff Nancy Adams
Co-Starring[]
Uncredited[]
- Uncredited actor as Mr. Simms
- Uncredited Actor as Thomas "Fitz" Fitzpatrick
Mentioned[]
Featured Music[]
- "Last Call" by Barry Schleifer
- "One Thing" by Finger Eleven
- "Parking" by The Fuzz
- "Echo" by Blake Hight
- "Setting of the Sun" by Ben Jelen
Title[]
- An obsession is an idea, image, desire, or feeling that dominates one's thoughts.
- The title refers to Alicia Baker's obsession with Clark.
- The end of the episode also deals with Lionel's almost season long obsession with Clark's secret.
Notes[]
- Antagonist: Alicia Baker
- Clark uses the following abilities in this episode: super strength, super speed, X-ray vision and heat vision.
- Lana's yearbook dedication reads: "Great memories this year spent cramming at the Talon with the gang. Thanks CS, CK, PR, LL for always sticking by me! You guys are the best. Can't wait for summer relaxing at Crater Lake, riding through the fields, and of course NO homework! Everyone come visit me at the Talon for some iced coffee and other summer treats! I'll see the rest of you in the fall! Take care everyone!" . She also included a special note to Clark, which reads: "To Clark. The boy next door who became so much more. Xo xo Love, Lana."
- As Adam informs Lana, it is indeed difficult to evict someone. It is also illegal for landlords to enter rented apartments without permission.[citation needed]
- The Season 3 DVD contains a deleted scene in which a pair of LuthorCorp henchmen abduct Adam Knight by shooting him with a tranquilizer gun.
- In the Talon, Lex tells Lana "Believe me, there are definitely ways of getting rid of someone a lot faster than that." When he says that, a winged wall decoration is directly behind his head, resembling devil's horns.
- Obsession is a character in the comics who is obsessed with Superman and stole artifacts that allow her to have similar powers.
- When Pete talks to Clark about his dating Alicia he mentions that they had recent disagreements, a reference to their arguments in the previous episode Velocity.
Spoilers[]
- Alicia Baker's fate is concluded in the following season, with the episodes Unsafe and Pariah.
- Adam Knight's fate is concluded in the following episodes Resurrection and Crisis.
Allusions[]
- Chloe's comment about Alicia "going all Glenn Close" is a reference to Close's psychotic, obsessive ex-lover character in the film Fatal Attraction. Clark also referenced the film in Lineage. When Alicia returned to Smallville, Lois Lane referenced to the same character a third time.
Quotes[]
- Alicia: Come on, Clark, I know you managed to fry that security camera. I just... I can't figure out exactly how.
- Clark: With my eyes. They give off heat.
- Clark: She's gone.
- Jonathan: What did she do, Clark, climb out the window?
- Clark: Actually, she teleported.
- Jonathan: You're gonna have to run that by me one more time.
- Clark: Alicia was infected by the meteor shower. She can transport herself wherever she wants.
- Martha: Including boys' bedrooms.
- Clark: I just think that maybe we need to set some boundaries. You know, maybe some limitations.
- Alicia: We're special, Clark. People like us don't need boundaries and limitations.
- Lana: Alicia said that you, um, you told her the truth about yourself. Stuff you never told me. What did she mean by that?
- Clark: You know, Alicia said a lot of crazy things.
- Lana: She also, um, said that you were still in love with me. But, uh, but that was crazy, too, right?
- Clark: Right.
- Clark: You know, for a while, I thought that person was Lana, but I could never be honest with her. And then I thought it was Alicia because she was like me.
- Martha: Sweetheart, there's -- there's nobody like you.
- Clark: Maybe that means I'll always be alone.
- Lionel: Ah, advanced economics. Smallville High's best and brightest. Welcome to LuthorCorp. Now, you're all here to learn something about business. The most important element in anything to do with economic theory is the individual. Yes... you. Traditional rules, supply and demand -- they're secondary. But to rise above those rules, to know when to break them, requires absolute personal commitment. I consider it a prerequisite for success.
- Chloe: And I consider it despicable, immoral, and possibly illegal.
- Chloe: Welcome to the Lionel Luthor exhibit. Next floor: Victims, sycophants, and hatchet men.
External links[]
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