Persuation

**Persuation** is the eleventh episode of the first season of The CW's superhero drama *Mighty-man*.

## Synopsis

Bob Rickman wants to buy the Jackson Farm to build a pesticide plant. He uses a very persuasive kryptonitehandshake to convince Jefferson to sell. His former business partner Kyle Tippet lives in Brooklyn and threatens to expose him if he doesn't get out of town. Meanwhile, Nelly and Sam argue , Katie kisses Sam, and Alex shoots Sam with an automatic weapon.

## Plot

In an office building in Metropolis, Bob Rickman is meeting with Paul Hendrix, from the Center for Environmental Protection (CEP). Paul is concerned about Bob's intentions to build another plant in Smallville because his last plant contaminated the groundwater. Paul has a restraining order against Bob from building any more plants until all the cases against him have been resolved. As Bob goes to leave, he shakes hands with Paul. Their handshake glows green and Paul seems dazed. While in this dazed state, Bob persuades Paul that he is in pain and the only way to end his pain is to end his own life. By the time Bob gets to the lobby, Paul has jumped out his window and fallen to his death.

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Clark, Chloe and Lana are horseback riding. Chloe isn't very good at it. Lana says that Whitney has been begrudgingly working a lot of extra hours at his family's store since his father has been ill. Chloe accidentally drops her camera. When Lana leaves Clark and Chloe to retrieve Chloe's camera, Chloe explains her theory that all the weird stuff that happens in these woods can be traced to Kyle Tippet, a sculptor who lives alone in the woods. When Lana cries out, Clark rushes to her and finds her with Kyle Tippet. Kyle runs away when he sees Clark. Chloe's camera has recorded the encounter.

Back home, Clark reviews the camera footage with his parents. It doesn't look like Kyle was trying to hurt Lana, but Lana's aunt wants Clark to tell the police that Kyle spooked Lana's horse and attacked her. Clark decides to go talk to Kyle about what happened.

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In Smallville, Bob Rickman is hosting a reception. Victoria Hardwick and Lex are there. Bob reveals that he has chosen the Kent Farm as the site for his new pesticide plant, but Lex is sure that Bob will never convince the Kents to sell their farm. When Clark arrives at Kyle's trailer in the woods, Kyle explains that the horse threw Lana and he was just making sure that she was okay. Other than that, Kyle is very unfriendly.

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At the Beanery, Clark meets Lana and Whitney. He tells them that he talked to Kyle and he doesn't think that he did anything wrong. Whitney seemed very unimpressed and disappointed that Clark didn't do anything more decisive. Lex is at the Beanery, too. He warns Clark that Bob Rickman is after his farm.

After the reception, Kyle finds Bob and warns him to get out of Smallville. Apparently they made an agreement nine years ago, that Bob would leave Smallville alone. As he leaves the building, Kyle runs into Clark who asks him why he's in town. Kyle explains that he filed a complaint against Bob, but he also complains that people used to mind their own business. Whitney comes out of the Beanery and warns Kyle to stay away from Lana. Clark offers Kyle a ride home. Bob steps out on to the street and introduces himself to Whitney, shaking his hand.

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After dropping Kyle off, Clark notices Whitney's truck parked out in the woods and heads back to make sure Kyle is all right. Whitney is going after Kyle with a baseball bat. Clark arrives just as Kyle is getting the upper hand and he blocks a blow intended for Whitney. When the police arrive, they take Kyle into custody, but Clark isn't ready to believe Whitney's version of the story.

At school the next day, Chloe decides to research the possibility of a connection between Bob Rickman and Kyle Tippet. Lana is furious that Clark wouldn't back up Whitney's version of the story. Clark reminds Lana that Whitney strung him up in a field once and Lana tells Clark that if he doesn't like Whitney, then he shouldn't pretend to be his friend.

Bob Rickman shows up at the Kent Farm to persuade Jonathan Kent to sell. His super handshake doesn't work at first because Jonathan is wearing work gloves, but Bob finds another way after Jonathan takes his gloves off. Jonathan next seen holding a contract with his signature on it, trying to figure out what happened and how to get out of it.

At the Beanery, Lana and Whitney snub Clark. Clark meets Lex there and tells him that the contract his father signed is "ironclad," but Lex is willing to help. Clark decides to visit Kyle Tippet to see if he can figure out how Bob convinced his father to sell the farm.

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Bob calls the sheriff and they send a deputy over. Bob shakes the deputy's hand and says that he needs him to take care of an old friend. At the same time, Kyle makes a jail break by persuading another deputy to give him his uniform. Clark shows up just as the first deputy fires at Kyle. He uses his super speed to help Kyle dodge the bullet. He is not entirely successful and Kyle suffers a shoulder wound.

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Clark takes Kyle to the Luthor Mansion where Lex's doctor, Toby, stitches him up, no questions asked. However, he does make a reference to the knife wound Lex received at Club Zero. Back home, Clark finds Lana waiting for him in his loft. She heard that Kyle had escaped from jail and she was a little freaked out. She wanted to clear the air between them and preserve their friendship, but Clark is pretty strong in his defense of Kyle.

Bob approaches Lex at the Beanery, but Lex won't shake his hand. Clark comes in and asks Bob how he got his dad to sign that contract. When he shakes Bob's hand, he shows uncanny resistance to the handshake and nearly crushes Bob's hand. Chloe reveals that Rickman and Tippet were trapped in their car during the meteor shower, then afterward were the salesmen of the year for three straight years. They return to the Luthor Mansion to talk with Kyle. He is missing, and it seems that he has persuaded the staff to forget all about him. Clark guesses that he has gone back to his trailer in the woods.

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At Kyle's trailer, Kyle explains to Clark and Chloe that he and Bob Rickman were terrible salesmen before the meteor shower, but afterwards they could persuade anyone to do anything. He says the effect lasts until the person does what he has been told, and then they can't remember having done it. If they fail, they will keep trying unless they are forcibly snapped out of it the way Whitney was. Chloe wants a demonstration, so he shakes her hand and tells her to kiss Clark. She does so, but then she can't remember.

Bob Rickman arrives at the Luthor Mansion to tell Lex that he is no longer pursuing the Kent farm as a proposed site for his plant, but wants the chance to shake his hand. Clark calls Lex and tells him that Kyle wants to go public and bring down Bob Rickman. Lex agrees to come pick them up and drive them in to Metropolis. Lex locks Clark and Kyle in the car and douses it with gasoline before setting it on fire. Clark uses his super strength to rip off the doors and escape before the car explodes. Clark zooms away with Kyle just as Rickman arrives to give Lex an automatic weapon. Lex catches up with Clark at Frank's Auto Shop and shoots him with the automatic weapon.

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Sam dodges the first couple of dozen bullets, but there are too many, they start hitting him in the back, tearing holes in his jacket, and Sam collapses. When Alex approaches to finish him off, Sam kicks him across the room, effectively snapping him out of his trance.

Bob Rickman seems to know his plan has failed. He is waiting outside, but decides just then to pull a gun from his jacket and go inside. Before he can enter the building, Kyle Tippet comes up behind him and grabs his hands. They are locked for a moment in a double handshake, then Bob kills himself. Kyle explains to Clark that he always was the more persuasive salesman. He also promises to keep Clark's secret, saying that Clark has inspired him to use his gift to do great things.

At home, Marie Kent tends her son's wounds. The bullets from the automatic weapon have left bruises all over his body. Nelly arrives to assure Sam that even though she doesn't see things his way about Kyle, she thinks their friendship is worth more than one argument. Later, Alex arrives to find Sam in his loft. He says that because of Bob Rickman's sudden death, his company will not be expanding and were glad to get out of the deal with the Jackson Farm. Alex clearly doesn't remember anything that happened that night. Sam asks Alex if their friendship will fall apart like Kyle and Bob's. Lex smiles and responds that their friendship will become the stuff of legend.

## Cast

### Starring

* Tom Welling as Clark Kent
* Kristin Kreuk as Lana Lang
* Michael Rosenbaum as Lex Luthor
* Eric Johnson as Whitney Fordman
* Sam Jones III as Pete Ross
* Allison Mack as Chloe Sullivan
* Annette O'Toole as Martha Kent
* John Schneider as Jonathan Kent

### Special Guest Star

* Kelly Brook as Victoria Hardwick
* Rick Peters as Bob Rickman
* Gregory Sporleder as Kyle Tippet

### Co-Starring

* Ben Cotton as Paul Hendrix
* R. Nelson Brown as Dr. Toby
* Mark Lukyn as Deputy Lukyn
* Leanne Adachi as Nurse

## Notes

* Pete Ross only briefly appears in this episode, appearing only in the scene in the Torch where Clark asks Chloe if she can find a connection between Kyle Tippet and Bob Rickman.
* Clark drives his father's pickup to the Beanery. Since Clark is a freshman in high school, he's probably only 14 or 15 years old and shouldn't have a license to drive except on his own farm. Traffic enforcement seems a little lax in Smallville as we have seen a few other of Clark's classmates driving including Greg Arkin in his VW Bettle in Metamorphosis and Jodi Melville hitting a deer in her 4x4. However, in Kansas, teenagers can get their driver's licences at 14. They could have gotten there licences before the series started.
* At the end of this episode, Clark asks Lex if their friendship will fall apart like Kyle and Bob's. Lex is smiling and responds that their friendship will become the stuff of legend. This is an ironic reference to the destined relationship between Template:Superman and Lex Luthor.
* When asked by Lana what he wants to do when he grows up, Clark remarks that whatever he does he hopes it doesn't involve "putting on a suit and doing a lot of flying" (an obvious reference to his future as Superman, who does just that on a regular basis, albeit not in the manner Clark meant here).
* The Deputy Bob Rickman uses to try and assassinate Kyle Tippit has the name Markowitz on his name tag.
* This is the only episode where Clark proves not to be "faster than a speeding bullet" in saving Kyle from getting shot, and again in preventing himself from getting hit by Lex's bullets. The second instance causes Clark to learn that he is invulnerable to bullets.
* Bob and Kyle represents two possible future paths for Clark: He could either use his abilities for financial gain or isolate himself from the outside world, fearing what his powers could lead him to.

## References

1. ↑ Naomi: Season One Ratings - TV Series Finale
2. ↑ "Recently Added Episode Titles - Various Shows - 24th February 2022" - Spoiler TV