Visage

## "Visage"Season 02, Episode 11

**"Visage"** is the eleventh episode of Season Two of The CW's *Smallville*. It was written by Todd Slavkin & Darren Swimmer and directed by William Gereghty. It is the thirty-second episode of the series overall, and premiered on January 14, 2003.

## Synopsis

Whitney returns to Smallville, eager to start back up where he left off with Lana. But everything isn't what it seems... Meanwhile, Lex gets suspicious with his relationship with Dr. Bryce, only to find that she has been having meetings with Lionel.

## Recap

Clark is trying to help Lana with a leaky drainpipe at the Talon apartment. She runs to get a wrench and Clark uses his heat vision to weld the leak. Lana is amazed that he fixed it and is visibly aroused by his physique when she looks through his wet T-shirt. Clark indirectly says he misses her living across the street from him. While cleaning up, Clark asks Lana about Whitney. Lana admits that she is scared because he's been missing for over a month and the military sent back his personal effects, including her meteor rock necklace. Clark asks if she's going to start wearing it again, but to his relief, she says it doesn't feel right. In Aceh Province, Indonesia, Whitney is trudging through the wetlands with three comrades in arms. They talk about how no one is looking for them any more, but they are determined to get back to base and back home. They start taking artillery fire and start running. They are very near a point where they can get a signal to the scouts. One man is hit as the other three trudge on, double time. When the third man is hit, Whitney goes back for him and pulls him through the water, but when they reach shore they appear to take a direct hit.

The next day at school, Pete and Chloe are all upset about Mrs. Biserri's class. She has told them that Alexander Graham Bell didn't actually invent the telephone. They are disillusioned that they believed one thing about a person and then find out it isn't true. Chloe mentions she felt the same way in first grade when she found out that Betsy Ross didn't design the U.S. flag.

Clark asks Lana to go to a winter festival with him, but she says she has to take extra shifts at the Talon. He tells her that working herself to the bone isn't the best way to cope with worrying over Whitney and she changes her mind and agrees to go. Just then, Whitney himself walks into the school. Lana runs into his arms, leaving Clark alone in the hallway. Clark tells his parents that Whitney has returned, but admits that he's sorry Whitney is back because he was just starting to get close to Lana. Jonathan doesn't appreciate Clark's attitude and tells him that Whitney deserves a hero's welcome.

Lana and Whitney are catching up at his house. He tells her that the thought of seeing her again kept him going and Lana realizes he doesn't remember the video she made. Whitney says some of his memories are gone and Lana does not tell him what the video letter said.

At the Luthor Mansion, Lex confronts Helen with photographs of her with Lionel, despite her claims that she has never met the elder Luthor. Lex reveals that he's done a complete background check on Helen, and knows that Helen accepted thousands of dollars from LuthorCorp and demands an explanation. Helen is indignant and storms out.

Chloe and Lana talk before Whitney's Welcome Back party. Lana tells her that Whitney doesn't remember her breaking up with him and she can't dump him now that he needs her; she might even be falling in love with him again. He doesn't have all those annoying secrets. At the party at the Talon, Whitney seems changed, saying he's not interested in football or in giving the Smallville Torch an exclusive interview. Lana tells Clark she can't go to the festival with him after all, and Whitney asks if they saw a lot of each other while he was gone.

He excuses himself abruptly and goes into the bathroom to splash water on his face. He is enraged and rips a stall door off its hinges and throws it. Clark comes in and Whitney advances on Clark, accusing him of taking his girlfriend. Clark maintains that they are just friends, like he promised, but Whitney warns him to stay away from Lana.

The next day, Clark approaches Lana at school but she is angry with him. Whitney told her that "Clark" was the one in a jealous rage who tore apart the bathroom. Clark tries to tell her that Whitney is lying, but she is offended by the accusation.

A US Marine officer, Lieutenant McNulty, arrives at the Fordmans' to deliver the news that Whitney's remains had been found, but he is suitably confused when Whitney walks up to greet him, carrying a baseball bat. Whitney bludgeons the officer to death while his mother screams in horror. Whitney then takes Lana to visit her horse, Heisman, and notices that she is wearing her necklace again. He says he wants to be with her all the time and suggests they move in together. He gets upset when Lana disagrees, saying her hesitancy is because of Clark.

Lex vents to Clark about Helen over a game of pool and Clark tells him about Whitney's erratic behavior. Lex offers to set Whitney up with a specialist in post-traumatic stress disorder. Whitney terrorizes his mother for information of his old life, but Clark interrupts him by ringing the doorbell. Clark tells him that he needs help, but Whitney is still hostile and pushes Clark down the steps and across the lawn. Recognition dawns on Clark. He x-rays Whitney and sees a glowing green skeleton which he recognizes as Tina Greer. Back inside, Whitney morphs into Tina Greer in front of Mrs. Fordman.

Clark goes to the Torch office to tell Chloe and Pete that Whitney is Tina Greer in disguise. Chloe says it's impossible because Tina committed suicide in the hospital last week by burning herself alive. Clark is skeptical, and outside the office he tells Pete that Tina probably knows his secret. He tells Pete to go warn Lana, and Lana overhears them. Clark reluctantly tells her his theory. He asks her to stay with Pete while he goes back to the Fordmans' where his mother confirms that Whitney is Tina. Lana promptly walks away from Pete and when he tries to catch up, she throws him across the hallway and knocks him out, revealing herself to be Tina in disguise.

She goes to the Talon as Whitney, and proposes to Lana. Lana is overwhelmed and finally confesses that she broke up with Whitney while he was gone. He seems to accept her decision and asks her for her necklace and she gives it to him. Tina pretends to be Jonathan, subdues Clark with the necklace, and throws him into the storm cellar speculating that the meteor shower must have done something to him, too. She ties his arms behind his back saying that she knows whom Lana wants to be with, explaining that she loves Lana and she will do anything to be with her. She morphs into a copy of Clark saying how easy it will be to live as him. He has a perfect life: great parents, good friends. She leaves him languishing in the cellar.

Lex confronts Helen at the Talon and again asks for an explanation. She tells him that Lionel bribed her to dump Lex and even when she didn't, he paid her anyway. Lex is apologetic, but she is still angry and leaves.

In pain, Clark tries to work his hands loose. Suddenly, the ship lights up and emits a blast of light, neutralizing the kryptonite in the necklace. Shortly afterward, Jonathan finds him and Clark quickly explains that the ship saved him and superspeeds away to save Lana.

Tina is going through Lana's clothes and morphs into Chloe as Lana comes in from the shower. She says that she talked with Whitney, and she says that Lana belongs with Clark. This almost blows her cover.

Tina goes to the Talon disguised as Clark and tells Lana that he's in love with her. He starts to kiss her, and she pushes him away just as the real Clark arrives. Lana is confused until Clark says he's the one who fixed the drainpipe. Lana recoils from Tina, calling her a freak. Tina is enraged and throws Lana across the room, knocking her out. Tina throws Clark through a door and they battle in the alley, seriously damaging the greenhouse. Tina advances on Clark and he superspeeds out of the way. She is impaled on broken wood and dies, asking Clark to take care of Lana.

Jonathan brings Clark home and reports that Mrs. Fordman will make a full recovery, but Whitney died in combat. Clark wonders if he could be as brave as Whitney if he weren't bulletproof, but Jonathan assures him that they are positive that he would.

Lex goes to the hospital to apologize again and begs Helen to take him back, saying he needs her help to prevent himself from becoming his father. They leave hand in hand.

Clark takes the kryptonite necklace, or what is left of it, to the Kawatche Caves and Lana shows up. She begins to cry as she talks about Whitney's death and how everybody she's ever gotten close to has left her. She tells Clark that she is sorry she isn't a better friend to him. She says she doesn't care if Clark has secrets because he is such a good friend and a constant in her life. Clark hugs her as she cries.

## Cast

* Kristin Kreuk as Lana Lang/Tina Greer
* Michael Rosenbaum as Lex Luthor
* Sam Jones III as Pete Ross
* Allison Mack as Chloe Sullivan
* John Glover as Lionel Luthor (credit only)
* Annette O'Toole as Martha Kent
* John Schneider as Jonathan Kent/Tina Greer

Special Appearance By* Eric Johnson as Whitney Fordman/Tina Greer
* Lizzy Caplan as Tina Greer

Co-Starring* Catherine Barroll as Betty Fordman
* Santo Lombardo as Holmes
* D. Neil Mark as Lt. McNulty

## Trivia

### Production Notes

* First appearance of an LGBT character on the show.

### Goofs

* In the scene where Clark plays pool with Lex, there is a point where they stop play to talk. At that point Clark picks up the #10 (blue striped) ball. Clark later rolls the ball across the table, when the camera cuts away the ball that's rolling is now the cue ball and not the #10. Other balls on the table change positions between the shots too.
* The Marine officer who goes to Whitney's house to tell his mother of his death introduces himself as a lieutenant, but the rank on his cover is that of a captain in the Marine Corps.

## References

1. ↑ http://www.pogdesign.co.uk/cat/Smallville/Season-2/Episode-11