Heat (Episode) - SirJeffCena

"**Heat**" is the second episode in the second season of *Smallville*, and twenty-third episode overall. It aired on October 1, 2002.

## Summary

Clark goes into hiding after he discovers a startling new power that quickly gets out of control and accidentally harms Lana. However, after a hot new teacher uses kryptonite-enhanced pheromones to convince Lex to marry her, then spellbinds Jonathan, Clark must get a grip on his new power in time to keep Jonathan from killing Lex.

## Recap

It's the first day of sophomore year for Clark and his friends, in the middle of the worst heat wave in Smallville. Lana is making a video letter for Whitney who has shipped overseas. Pete is on the football team again this year. Chloe arrives fresh from Metropolis and her Daily Planet internship, and Clark tells her how much he missed her. She counters that he didn't write very much and she met a cute boy that made her forget about Smallville all summer. They meet their new biology teacher, extremely attractive Desirée Atkins, who is wearing very little and puts on a sex-education video. Clark tries to pay attention, but he keeps glancing at Ms. Atkins. Suddenly, the projector screen bursts into flames.

After everyone is evacuated, Lex Luthor drives up. He introduces a confused Clark to Desirée as his new fiancée, gives Clark a wedding invitation for that night, and asks him to be the best man. Clark is shocked, but Lex seems sure of his decision. Later that day, Lex asks Desirée to sign a pre-nuptial agreement and she agrees to do so, but then kisses Lex while blowing a purple substance into his mouth. Lex suddenly tears up the pre-nuptial agreement.

Clark tries to explain the fire to his parents and they suggest he stay close to home and just wait and see what happens next. However, Clark doesn't want to let Lex down and serves as his best man. At Lex's reception, Clark and Chloe acknowledge that her fear that Clark would leave her alone at the dance came true, but she claims there are no hard feelings because Lana's life was in danger.

That night, Clark goes to the Talon with Lana to finish his portion of the video letter. They talk about Whitney and how he asked Clark to look after Lana. Lana admits that she feels uncomfortable about putting her life on hold while Whitney is away. She brings up Lex's recent wedding. She muses that it is a little strange, but she admires Lex for following his passion and suggests that someday perhaps she and Clark can follow theirs. Suddenly, Clark sets the espresso machine on fire with a blast of heat from his eyes, and he uncontrollably singes the walls of the coffee shop. They manage to put it out, but are both shaken.

Jonathan finds Clark alone in the barn the next day and Clark announces that he isn't going to school because he doesn't want to set any more fires. He is upset that he has put people in danger until Jonathan tells him how they will learn to control it. In an open field, he encourages Clark to control the fire by learning how to set it off. After practicing setting fire to several scarecrows, some water barrels, and the mailbox, he is able to control it well enough to pop corn (without thinking about sex). He is still practicing lighting candles when Desirée Atkins shows up in his loft. She tries to seduce Clark, saying that Lex is standing in the way of them being together, and breathes a purple mist into Clark's face. However, he is unaffected and uncomfortable about the situation. He says he won't betray Lex. She seems embarrassed and apologetic and asks him not to tell Lex as she runs away.

Clark tells Chloe what happened and she is skeptical, even after she finds out that Desirée Atkins has an alias: she was born Alison Sanders, 02/12/1974, in Smallville, Kansas. Clark insists that she has a hold on Lex and goes to talk to him. However, Desirée has already talked to Lex and told her own version of what happened that night. Lex is angry because he thinks Clark is obsessed with his wife. He doesn't believe anything Clark says and throws him out. Desirée tells Lex that she simply changed her name, and changes Lex's focus with more purple mist.

At the Talon, Chloe trades a message to Whitney for an interview with Lana (about the fire). They talk about Chloe's summer in Metropolis and Chloe admits that it was a mistake to indulge in her feelings for Clark by going to the spring formal with him because ended up getting hurt. She also admits that she made up the story about meeting somebody in Metropolis. Lana assures her that Clark still cares for her and Chloe boldly counters that Clark simply cares for Lana more. Lana and Chloe decide that in order to keep Clark from ruining their friendship, they will define themselves by what they do instead of by who they date.

Lex arrives to inform Lana that he's closing the Talon in 24 hours. Lana is upset and tells Clark, who knows Desirée is behind it. He confronts her and she admits that she can control whomever she wants, but Clark doesn't back down. That night, Desirée blows up her own car. Clark tells his parents what's been going on, but they are interrupted by Sheriff Miller, who reports that Ms. Atkins claims Clark blew her car up. He explains that he is to take Clark down to the sheriff station for questioning. Clark reluctantly goes along with him, but Jonathan assures him that they will find a way to solve the problem.

Lana and Chloe visit Clark in jail to tell him that Desirée was with her boyfriend when the meteors hit. A few weeks later, Desirée's boyfriend murdered her parents and Desirée inherited everything. Five years later, she has become a teacher and one of her students murdered her wealthy husband in a jealous rage. Unfortunately, she invested in dot coms and is now broke and going after Lex. Clark guesses that the reason she went after him was to convince him to kill Lex. Clark knows that his father has gone to talk with Desirée and he hatches a plan to get out of jail. After the girls leave, he sets a small fire and when Sheriff Miller lets him out, he super speeds away to find his dad.

Martha Kent is looking for Nell Potter at the Talon, where she runs into Lex. Lex tries to express concern for Clark, but Martha shuts him down. She reminds him that Clark has been a true friend for over a year, and he's only known Desirée for a week. Jonathan goes to talk to Desirée, who is swimming topless. Angry with her, he turns to leave, but she manages to catch him with a stream of purple mist, causing him to instantly become smitten with her and fall under her control.  She only obliges his kiss after he agrees to do something for her.

Back at the Luthor mansion, Lex asks Desirée why he feels so lost since meeting her, and she lets Jonathan in, who is wielding a shotgun. Under her influence, Jonathan shoots Lex, but Clark arrives in time to vaporize the bullet in the air. Jonathan is undeterred, and Clark has to knock him against a wall to stop him. As they fight, Desirée sets Lex's shirt on fire. Clark heats the door handles to prevent her escape while putting Lex's clothing out.

Back home, Jonathan explains that Sheriff Miller is letting Clark go with just a warning. He and Lex are not discussing his attempted murder. Desirée has been taken into custody. Lex goes to visit Clark and tells him that he is getting an annulment. He mentions that he should control his feelings as well as Clark controls his for Lana. Clark goes to visit her, and she explains that Lex gave her back the Talon. She admits that she is going to tell Whitney the truth, and when Clark leaves, records herself breaking up with Whitney.

## Cast

### Starring

* Clark Kent
* Lana Lang
* Lex Luthor
* Pete Ross
* Chloe Sullivan
* Martha Kent
* Jonathan Kent

## Notes

* Antagonist: Desirée Atkins
* Originally in the *Pilot* Clark was to have developed his heat vision in a sex ed class (similar to the episode). It was dismissed for the time as the creative team thought it was too soon, and wanted to develop better visuals for it.
* There are many occurrences that relate to the effect of *Heat*. (ex. While watching a sex-Ed tape, nearly all the students in the class get sweaty.)
* Lex goes to Lana with the buyout agreement and refers to her as his business partner; but since Lana is a minor, Nell Potter would have been the one to sign the agreement.
* When Lex's back is on fire, Clark throws a red table towel over him which resembles the Superman cape.
* When Lex enters the Kent barn to talk to Clark at the end, Clark is reading *Fahrenheit 451* by Ray Bradbury, to go along with the heat and fire theme of the episode.
* During this episode, Clark's heat vision resembles a rippling haze rather than intense red beams.
* Chloe refers to herself as "Cupid's cannon fodder" for dating Clark; this is reminiscent of her line "I'm not a crash test dummy you can use to try out your dating skills" in, ironically, *Cool*.

## Spoilers

* Chloe claims she made up the story about a relationship during her internship to make Clark jealous, but admits to Lana in *Unsafe* that she did indeed meet someone and lost her virginity to him. It was speculated that the boy was Jimmy Olsen and confirmed when Chloe and Jimmy reunited in season 6 premiere *Zod*.
* This is Lex's first wedding. He will have two more in the next four years in *Exodus* and *Promise*.

## Locations

* Smallville
	+ Smallville High School
		- The Torch
		- A chemistry lab
	+ Luthor Mansion
	+ Kent Farm
		- Kent House
		- Kent Barn
			* Clark Kent's Loft
	+ Talon
	+ The Sheriff's Station

## Quotes

**Lex**: All my life, I've had to second-guess the intentions of others. I'd reached the point where I'd started to think friends were a luxury I couldn't afford, till I met you Clark. From the day you pulled me out of that river, you've been the one person I could trust completely.

**Desirée**: I'm really sorry about the air conditioning in here, but it looks like we'll all have to suffer through this together.
**Pete**: Bring on the pain.

**Lana**: Going to the Spring Formal with Clark is not a mistake.
**Chloe**: (*laughs*) Yeah it was. I let myself indulge in my feelings for him and I end up getting hurt.
**Lana**: Least you are brave enough to take the risk.
**Chloe**: Oh yeah, that's me, Cupid's cannon fodder.

**Lana**: A relationship built on secrets and lies is doomed to failure.

**Jonathan**: (*Jonathan prepares to help Clark learn how to control his heat vision.*) Alright, rule number 1: Always practice away from the barn. Come on.
**Clark**: Dad, I don't get it. I thought the whole point was to stop this from happening.
**Jonathan**: Well, in order to find the off-switch we need to find the on-switch, right?