[Announcer over pa] Here's the kickoff. The winner of today's game
will move on to the state championship one week from today.
[Crowd cheering]
- [Jason] Come on, let's go. - [Quigley] Get in there.
- Play your game, buddy. - Good work, jenner. Let's go.
Good hustle.
[Announcer] A victory today will send the crows to the state championship.
Remember to stop by the Talon tonight after the game.
- A portion of all sales... - 80 are you the guy?
Well, I guess that depends on what you're looking for.
Mikail mix-il—plik.
Mxyzptlk.
Let me guess, you want to buy a vowel?
No, I just would like to put 80 on the game.
You mean the game that started already?
Well, I'm sorry. I can't take bet after kickoff.
Rookie, huh?
Well, maybe in your case I'll make an exception.
Can you put me down for Smallville to win?
You sure about that? I have a funny feeling about the quarterback today.
Yeah, well, as much as I hate to admit it, I never bet against Clark Kent.
Well, suit yourself.
But don't say I didn't warn you.
Rule number one, a bet is a bet.
[The hives' "walk idiot walk" playing]
J“ well, is it true what they say about it? You ought to do what I do and doubt it... j“
[announcer] Here we go. Ten seconds left in the fourth quarter.
It's fourth and one. If the crows don't score here, their season is over.
[Boy] Defense.
[Announced Clark Kent brings the crows to the line.
All right, guys, here we go.
Ready?
J“ they say, "this is all I need to get by" the truth is, baby, it's a lie... j“
fumble.
[Announcer] And a fumble for the crows.
The ball's picked up by Clark Kent.
He's charging.
Trip.
[Blows whistle]
[Announcer] Touchdown! Clark Kent. The crows win the game.
What a victory. Unbelievable.
Smallville now takes on the Topeka valley huskies
in the championship game one week from today.
[Groaning]
[Ominous music playing]
[Coach] Did you see what happened?
- [Man] You'll be all right. - [Boy grunting and groaning]
[Theme music playing]
J“ somebody save me j“
j“ let your warm hands break right through it j“
j“ somebody save me j“
j“ I don't care how you do it j“
-j“ just stay, stay j“ -j“ stay with me j“
j“ come on, I've been waiting for you j“
j“ to stay with me j“
j“ I made this whole world shine for you j“
j“ stay, stay j“
j“ come on j“
Is he okay?
His collarbone's broke in two places.
I can't figure out how you could pummel a guy outweighing you by 100 pounds
and shatter his collarbone.
I'm sorry.
It must've been an accident. I mean, I got a surge of adrenaline.
Adrenaline doesn't explain that you went from chucking hay
to chucking 60-yard passes overnight.
Well, I guess I'm a fast learner. I mean, you said yourself I was a natural.
A natural who refused to see a doctor after he collapsed a couple weeks ago.
What are you trying to say?
Coach quigley thinks you're on some kind of performance-enhancing drug.
What? Like...? Like steroids?
- What do you think? - Well, I put myself on the line
and said there's no way that Clark Kent would do something like that.
- I'm not on drugs. - I hope not.
Because if it comes out that you're not on the same playing field as these guys,
it's gonna be disappointing to have to forfeit an entire championship season.
And a college career.
[Pensive music playing]
I can't imagine what it must've been like to grow up in a war-torn country.
Obviously. I guess this is as far as you can get from scavenging the streets.
But growing up hand-to-mouth does tend to make you resourceful.
Resourceful enough to get the attention
of my father's LuthorCorp foreign exchange scholarship.
So how do you like Smallville high?
I think it is the perfect place for me to make my American dream.
There are many opportunities
and the girls are pretty.
Well, I hope the classes aren't too difficult for you.
I reviewed your application, and must say
I was surprised by your poor test scores and grades.
Look, mikail,
I'm just curious why my father would award a scholarship
historically earmarked for future nobel prize winners
to a perennial c student.
You want to send me back?
I'd just like to know what you're really doing here.
What potential did my father see in you, mikail?
[Whispers] Cut.
Ah!
Potential you do not see on a report card, Mr. Luthor.
Oh, hey.
I didn't realize bookies made house calls, especially after hours.
Well, I guess I just walked right into the lion's mouth.
- What are you talking about? - Well, you know,
you're a first-timer and you show up at the end of the season.
I have some questions.
And I don't think it is coincidence
that you are also Smallville's most notorious whistle blower.
Notorious, huh? I like the sound of that.
So this bet, it was just research for the article?
Front page, if you play your cards right.
Well, I don't suppose that being a local celebrity
is going to be good for business.
I think maybe you, uh, should change professions.
- You just found my achilles' heel. - What, greed?
No. Pretty girls with infectious smiles.
I'm still writing the article.
Well, if you don't even know when to place a bet,
I don't think you have the inside scoop you're looking for.
Promise not to mention my name, and I'll let you shadow me.
I'll be your personal escort through the seedier parts of Smallville.
If I cut you a break, I expect a full behind-the-scenes tour.
Of course. And the first stop
is the winner's circle.
So, what are you going to do with the money?
Uh, textbooks.
Oh. Don't go too crazy.
Well, my dad's on unemployment, so my college fund
sort of took a massive hit this year.
How would you like to make enough money to pay for a semester's tuition
before you wake up tomorrow morning?
I have to go to the sharks game in Metropolis tonight.
Sharks, 8-1.
Chloe, if you want the big article, you have to get inside the mind of a gambler.
You have to be ready to raise the stakes.
That is, if you aren't scared.
Count me in.
There's more to life than championships, Clark.
I bet it's easier to say that when you have one.
Dad, when I put on that uniform,
it's like I forget who I am, but at the same time
I've never known myself better.
It's more than just a game.
I allowed you to join the football team because I thought you understood
your responsibility not to let anybody get hurt.
I accepted that responsibility because I know I can control my abilities.
Then explain to me why there's a kid lying in a hospital bed.
Have you ever seen me trip? Ever?
Something happened out on that field. I couldn't control my own legs.
Just because you're strong doesn't mean you can't get rattled like anybody else.
Sorry, but the last place you need to be is on that football field and you know it.
Coach quigley's likely to be at the victory party tonight.
- I'll give him a call. I'll be the bad guy. - No.
Dad...
Like you said, it's my responsibility.
[The Donnas' "fall behind me" playing]
J“ I can't believe she bought it she got too close and she caught it j“
j“ had a point but she forgot it... j“
hey, coach, can I talk to you for a second?
- What's up? - Kent. Kent.
Huge save today. Oh, man, what a play. You put us in the championship.
- The team put us in the championship. - Coach said there'd be scouts there.
- I can see the ring on my finger. - I can see scholarships.
[Jay] Oh, yeah. I can't wait, man. I can't wait.
Hey, Clark, you're here.
[Students cheering]
Coach, coach, coach.
[All chanting] Coach, coach, coach...
All right. All right.
Topeka west may have three titles under its belt,
but I know we have a real shot at the championship.
And this year we got it all, an impenetrable defense,
- an aggressive offense. - [Boy] Oh, yeah.
And a golden arm!
[Cheering and whooping]
Let's go take the title home!
[All chanting] Crows, crows, crows...
- [Mikail] I like the new textbooks. - Hi.
Don't worry. I just took 10 percent off the top for fun.
The rest of my winnings are tucked safely away for college tuition.
Well, I'm glad that my tip paid off for you.
Are you kidding me? The game was awesome.
I haven't had that much fun on a couch since Johnny rosenblatt in fifth grade.
I mean, all of those painted beer bellies and foam hands
make sense when you have something riding on the game.
Now, see, why would you want to go and spoil the fun by writing that article?
Because it just keeps getting juicier by the minute.
Are you sure about that?
Why? Are you gonna do something to change my mind?
Nice try. You're very cute.
But I already gave you anonymity, and it's going to press tonight.
But you're just starting to scratch the surface.
And I can give you so much more dirt.
You're just trying to stall the article, aren't you?
I don't think you understand me, Chloe.
I always get what I want.
[Rock music playing]
On looks, apparently, because your charm just ran out.
Stop.
J“ oh, I'm all gone j“
kiss me.
J“ I'm all gone j“
j“ I'm all gone j“
this is me asking you nicely.
Now, you're going to drop that article whether you want to or not.
[Ominous music playing]
I've never seen you miss before.
I've also never seen you shrink away from responsibility, no matter how difficult.
You saw the look on those guys' faces. I couldn't let them down.
I just thought I could find a way to play like everyone else.
Clark...
Open your hand.
What are you doing? You know how dangerous kryptonite is.
I always get better after it's gone.
So what if I'm playing sick? Other guys play injured.
If dad knows I don't have my abilities and I can't hurt...
You are not taking meteor rocks out on that field.
I know this is hard. You can't make yourself sick.
- And I can't quit either. - Clark, the answer is no.
You asked your father if we'd ever seen you trip before. Never.
Not without kryptonite.
I was so excited to see you get a chance to be like everyone else
that I guess I forgot for a moment that you aren't.
I didn't think anything of it when you tripped.
But you've never had mishaps like other kids.
Something happened to you out there.
And if you really wanna play in the game on Saturday,
you need to find out what it was.
It's all right, Clark. You can stay.
I thought you had some restraining order against me.
- This mean you're talking to me again? - No.
This just means I'm willing to take a chance on getting your Dr. Jekyll side.
What's up with the self-flogging?
I'm watching the editor's tape of the game, trying to figure out what happened.
It's like I had no control.
Like my mind was sending one message, but...
- But your body was getting another. - Yeah.
The foreign exchange kid?
Mix-a—— —mxyzptlk.
Say that three times fast. He's our new resident puppet master.
This is kind of embarrassing, but he made me kiss him.
Made you?
Yeah, it was just like how you explained your trip.
It was like someone else was controlling me.
Okay, but why would he want me to throw the game?
Clark, he is the biggest bookie in the school.
- The power to control the odds. - Let me do a search on his name.
[Pensive music playing]
Guess I shouldn't be surprised that mxyzptlk didn't bring anything up.
Well, what's that?
It's mikail's name backwards.
- Looks like a nursery rhyme gone bad. - Yeah.
It's some legend from the piatoryer region in the Balkans.
That's near where mikail's from.
It says the region has been terrorized for centuries by a bloodline of people who have...
Who can control the hand of luck.
It's not luck if they're controlling people.
What does it say about the backwards name?
The family changed their name and fled to escape the stigma
after the village mysteriously burned to the ground.
Mikail's still running from his heritage.
It doesn't exactly say how to stop the kissing bandit, does it?
Oh, here. "According to the legends,
the only thing that stopped them was a plague of locusts."
There may be one other force they didn't count on.
Think about it. Who brought him here in the first place?
You want me to deport a LuthorCorp exchange student?
Gambling on crows games isn't a sanctioned extracurricular.
I'm surprised you care so much about some half-rate bookie.
Or is there something else about mikail you're not telling me?
Lex, you sponsored him. I just thought you might wanna do something about it.
Of course, I'll look into it.
Though, I'm surprised you didn't go to the principal first or coach teague.
But then, I can see how that could be more complicated than it sounds.
Why would it be more complicated?
Come on.
I can't be the only one who's picked up on Lana's fondness for quarterbacks.
Even retired ones.
Yeah, to be honest, it has been hard to see her with someone else.
Don't worry.
Paris can have a magical effect on people,
but the enchantment has a funny way of waning the longer you're gone.
I know Lana. She's never been this serious about anyone.
You sound awfully concerned for someone who let her walk out of his life.
I guess the, "if you love them, set them free" thing backfired.
It's not about love, Clark.
It's about what you're willing to do for it.
On that field, you'll do whatever it takes to win.
But if you're not willing to do the same for Lana,
maybe she doesn't mean as much to you as you think.
[Pensive music playing]
Clark on steroids. That's a little hard to picture.
It happens to a lot of guys.
They want so badly to outperform everyone,
before you know it, all they care about is winning, no matter what the cost.
You're not responsible for Clark.
Actually, I am.
Coach ouigley asked me to give him a drug test and I never mentioned it to Clark.
So I lied and said it came back clean.
- Why would you do that? - I don't know.
Because I believe in Clark, and because he knows about us.
I didn't wanna stir the waters.
All he's got to do is tell somebody at the school, and I lose my job.
- Clark wouldn't make it personal. - Why not?
I can't imagine what I'd do if someone tried to take you away from me.
Nobody took me away from Clark. I left.
Right.
Clark's a big part of the reason why I took off for Paris in the first place.
Oh. That must be from the book of things you never wanna hear about your girlfriend's ex.
Look, Jason, I'm with you now, and I couldn't be happier.
And I know, I know, Clark can be unpredictable,
but he knows that you need this job to stay in college.
I know it's hard because you're so close to him, but are you sure you really know him?
[Pensive music playing]
Don't get me wrong, mikail. I appreciate your entrepreneurial ingenuity.
But importing bookies tends to reflect poorly on a company.
These are just fun games.
The ins isn't exactly renowned for their good sportsmanship.
They're revoking your visa and sending you back.
But a man like you can pull strings to keep me here, yes?
If I wanted to.
But whatever talents my father saw in you,
they're not worth the embarrassment you bring to me and my company.
I've made the arrangements. You'll be halfway over the Atlantic by morning.
You don't really want that.
You want to know why your dad brought me here.
Not that badly.
- What if we make a wager? - Now, why would I take a bet
- when I could have you thrown out? - I know gamblers better than anybody.
You're the caviar kind.
When you hold everything, the only thing that can give you a thrill
is putting your chips on the one thing that can slip through your fingers.
And, uh, what would that one thing be, mikail?
Well, in this case, me.
How much do you believe in this quarterback friend of yours, Clark Kent?
The championship game?
What's the wager?
If the crows lose, you arrange citizenship for me
and one million dollars to start new.
And if the crows win,
I have a hard time believing you can cover that bet.
I can't.
But the reason your father brought me here was far more valuable than just money.
[Ominous music playing]
[Mikail] Oh, look.
A real live American football superhero.
What are you doing here?
I came here to thank you for ratting me out to Lex.
It wasn't hard to figure out. I knew Chloe would squeal, just not to him.
She's too proud.
You seem to be the common denominator.
So you forget, games are my business.
So if you don't know the players, you cannot guess the outcome.
I thought you'd be halfway back to the village of the damned by now.
I'm not cursed, Clark. I am lucky.
And on Saturday, in the championship game,
I'm going to be very lucky.
- If you think I'm gonna throw that game... - If?
When there is an if, there are odds, and I always beat the odds.
Choke.
[Coughing]
For example, the odds in the championship are based on you playing.
If you don't go out on the field,
then my profit margin takes an unfortunate turn.
That is why you're not going to tell anyone else about me,
and you are going to be on that field...
Unless you want to see more of your buddies in the hospital.
- Breathe. - Igaspsi
[dramatic music playing]
- Chloe. - Hey.
Clark, warm-up in 15 minutes.
I hope you had better luck with the locusts than I did with Lex.
Last time I checked, they weren't selling biblical plagues on Amazon.
But since every legend is born in the seed of truth, I looked up apocalyptic critters.
Besides eating crops, what else can they do?
When locusts swarm, they emit an energy wave to avoid crashing into each other.
Maybe mikail's commands operate on a similar frequency, like a radio signal.
Or dog whistle. Sound travels but the human ear doesn't pick it up.
Yeah. Now, what's interesting is that once locusts' signals are jammed,
they can't fly anymore without running into each other. It's permanent.
Maybe all we have to do is find something that will jam mikail's frequency.
And I think I know where to find that, so now we just have to find him.
In his quest for the American dream,
he's got a lot of bets riding on this game. He'll be here.
- Okay. - I gotta go.
- Good luck. - Thanks.
[Green day's "boulevard of broken dreams" playing]
[Announcer over pa] Greetings, football fans, and welcome to the championship game
between the Topeka valley huskies and your Smallville crows.
J“ I walk a lonely road the only one that I have ever knownj“
j“ don't know where it goes but it's home to me, and I walk alone j“
J“ I walk this empty street on the boulevard of broken dreams j“
j“ where the city sleeps and I'm the only one, and I walk alone j“
j“ I walk alone, I walk alone j“
j“ I walk alone, I walk a j“
j“ my shadow's the only one that walks beside me j“
j“ my shallow heart's the only thing that's beating... j“
[quigley] All right, let's go. All right, let's go, let's go. Come on, come on.
Leave it all out on the field.
Clark.
- [Quigley] Let's do it. - [Jason] Let's go, guys. Come on, man.
- [Jay] Come on. - [Cameron] Yeah, crows.
What are you doing?
Mikail said he'd hurt those guys if I wasn't out there.
A bunch of 250-pound guys banging into each other on a football field is one thing.
Getting hit by you is like getting run over by a train. It's a big difference.
I hope that doesn't happen. I think Chloe and I found a way to stop mikail.
Chloe and you think you found a way to stop him.
Well, I'm sorry, son, thinking is not good enough.
Dad, I know you don't agree, but taking responsibility
means having faith to make the hard choices.
And it also means being willing to accept the consequences.
Every handshake, every hug, every time I'm out on that field,
I make a conscious decision to fall when guys hit me so they don't get hurt.
No matter how hard you try, you can't understand that.
That's why it's my decision, not yours.
[Hopeful music playing]
You're starting to sound more and more like your father.
I hope so, dad.
[Announcer over pa] Now taking the field, your Smallville crows.
Today's crows captains are seniors Cameron jiff, Jay crozer, Austin pond
and Clark Kent.
The crows are undefeated in 13 contests this season.
They are led by third-year coach, Wayne quigley.
We'd like to thank today's sponsors: The Smallville ledger, LuthorCorp,
b.v. Davenport's auto body shop and old spice red zone.
[Ominous music playing]
[High-pitched squealing]
[Announcer] First down, Smallville. Ball on the 45-yard line.
[High-pitched squealing]
[Whistle blowing]
[Boy] Ready? Go.
[Clark] And down.
Hollywood-80. Hollywood-80.
Set. Hut. Hut.
Trip.
[High-pitch squealing continues]
[Quigley] All right. Let's go. Let's go. Let's go. Come on. Come on.
Hollywood-80. Hollywood-80.
Set. Hut.
Fumble.
- [Referee] Touchdown. - Yeah!
Damn right, crozer. That's the way to go.
[Social distortion's "reach for the sky" playing]
[Clark] Red—48, red-48. Set. Hut.
J“ when I was young I was invincible I find myself now thinking twice j“
j“ I never thought about no future it's just the roll of the dice j“
j“ but the day may come when you've got something to lose j“
j“ and just when you think you're done paying dues j“
j“ and you say to yourself dear god what have I done? J“
j“ and hope it's not too late j“
j“ 'cause tomorrow may never come j“
j“ reach for the sky, 'cause tomorrow may never come j“
j“ yesterday is history and tomorrow's a mystery... j“
[mikail] Filthy toy.
Stop.
Looks like someone's been broken. Sucks when you have to play fair, doesn't it?
Well, in my country you do not survive if you cannot adapt to the unexpected.
J“ hold you tight cause tomorrow may never come reach for the sky... j“
[announced Joe meszarrchek lines up behind center.
There's the snap. There's a fumble on play.
The crows regain possession.
The crows immediately call their last time-out.
Clark.
[Ominous music playing]
What are you doing here?
Here's how the last play in my game works.
If the crows score another touchdown, Chloe's dead.
If you don't go back out on the field right now
and lose the game, Chloe's dead.
Kent, let's go.
All right. You'll do an ace back, Montana post.
This is it. This is for the title.
[Announcer over pa] Crows have it, first and 10 on the 50-yard line.
Five seconds remaining on the clock.
- [Clark] All right, let's do it. - [Announcer] Smallville has time for one more play.
The season all comes down to this.
[Boy] Not this time.
[Suspenseful music playing]
Set. Hut.
[Announcer] Touchdown. The crows win. Can you believe that pass?
With one shot remaining
Clark Kent makes another unbelievable play.
[Dramatic music playing]
[Crowd cheering]
[Whooping]
Come on, man. We're missing the party.
[Announcer] It's been an unbelievable year.
Look at the well-deserved celebration in the end zone.
Congratulations to the crows on an undefeated season.
Looks like championship quarterbacks no longer have a curfew, huh?
I'm late.
Sorry.
[Whispers] Jonathan.
Clark...
Your mother and I know that mikail was arrested.
Now, when I was on that field, all I had to worry about
was completing the next pass or whether or not I was gonna get sacked.
We're very proud of you.
For everything.
Hey, you, come on.
- Good night. - [Jonathan] Good night.
I don't know what it is,
but no matter how many times I put you in the penalty box, it never sticks.
I hear you're quite the hero tonight, Clark Kent.
If it wasn't for you, we wouldn't have won the game.
Yeah, well, you can thank uncle Sam for that. My uncle Sam.
It's amazing the access a three-star general has to cool toys.
You never know when a jamming device for stealth fighters
will be handy at a football game.
Because of that jamming device, mikail can't control anyone anymore.
Awesome. But what I don't understand is how I miraculously came untied.
I don't understand how you got sucked into anything besides anonymous tips.
Well, we all have our weaknesses, I guess.
Except for you, of course.
[Lex] You'll find your accommodations more comfortable than county lockup.
And where are you taking me?
Don't worry...
- You're gonna have a lot of company. - I'm not worried. I can learn from you.
But I'm just sorry we can't make good on our agreement.
You underestimate the value of my winnings.
I told you, Mr. Luthor, I have lost my talent.
Mikail, if it's one thing I've learned,
it's that anything lost can be found again.
If you knew I had a special talent, then why did you bet against me?
I didn't. I bet on Clark Kent.
[Pensive music playing]
Like I said,
you're not alone.
Lana, where's Jason? I've been looking for him. I left him three messages.
Yeah, I know.
I thought he'd wanna know that Metropolis university offered me a scholarship.
That's great, Clark.
One of the scouts he called saw me in the game.
I wanted to thank him for trusting me.
Well, it's too bad that you couldn't return the favor.
Jason was fired this morning.
[Door opens]
Good to know the local football star still has time for his friends.
I wouldn't put it like that.
Wild guess.
You're not talking about the football star part.
Maybe I wasn't clear,
but what you and I talk about is supposed to stay between us.
I see.
So today I'm taking the role of the despicable, untrustworthy friend,
and as usual, our hero is making the fatal flaw ofjumping to conclusions.
You gonna tell me you weren't the one who got Jason fired?
A teacher-student liaison is a taboo that's pretty hard to come back from.
Oh, you're gonna take the moral high ground on this.
I'd hate to see Lana's infatuation earn her a Scarlet letter around town.
She has you to thank for that.
You and I were the only two who knew about it. Now everybody's talking.
You didn't do this to protect her.
You know Lana isn't meant to be with Jason.
Maybe a year ago I would've believed you got him fired
out of some twisted loyalty from being my friend.
But you didn't do this for me.
Why did you do it?
[Ominous music playing]
[Theme music playing]