Dichotic

Season 2, Episode 9, Aired
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Episode Summary

A Smallville student, Ian, displays the ability to make clones of himself and uses his power to date both Choe and Lana. Meanwhile Lex goes to anger management class and meets an attractive local doctor.
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Fan Episode Reviews (13)

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  • One of the best yet! Clark isn't so forgiving at the end.

    10
    "Perfect"
    By bbagnall, Feb 08, 2011 Report Abuse
    This is one of the cleverest episodes yet. A psychopath named Ian Randal starts using Chloe because she will write a promising article in the Torch that will help him get a scholarship. He also uses Lana in order to put in a good word to Lex Luthor, who runs the scholarship program. Clark is shown to be a little jealous every time he sees Ian with either Chloe or Lana, yet he also realizes Ian is a jerk who is making moves on both of them, which will end up hurting both his friends. Every time Clark warns one of them about Ian they blow him off as being jealous, which is kind of true, but then Clark also has a valid point. In the end they realize Ian was a jerk and Clark was right, and they apologize to him. Surprisingly, Clark doesn't accept their apology and gives them the news before walking out. For a brief moment we see Clark's face at the end, and you can tell he feels like a man for once in his life. It's an interesting episode about love, life and growing up.moreless

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  • this was a good ep i thought

    8.5
    "Great"
    By cube2k8, May 10, 2010 Report Abuse
    in this ep of smallville clark and pete are in shop class were they have to make things out of stuff to get a grade and there is a kid in there that is tring to get the lex luthor scaolship so he needs to graduate with all as. thing is he does bad job and clark sees the grades and notices he gets c plus but then sundden the shop class is closed and cloey and lana start to find him attractive the kid and he helps them both but they both think there one he is choosing and he is not really in love with the other and lana and cloey both start lieing to each other. but clark tries to help them as he finds out the teach er was murderd and he quesion him about it and clarks learns by tricked he played that the kid nad be in two places at once. by making clones of himself. can clark save them before its too late. it was a good ep i thoughtmoreless

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  • A Smallville student, Ian, seems to appear in two places at once, and commits murder to advance his chances for a college scholarship. Clark's suspicions lead to a trap to capture Ian, while both Lana and Chloe doubt Clark's motives and actions.moreless

    7.0
    "Good"
    By cxtasy, Oct 27, 2008 Report Abuse
    At the Smallville High metal shop class, Clark has created a new "S" symbol for the school, but we who know better recognize that letter shape from a certain comic book shield. Here also is introduced another student being sharply criticized by an unsupportive, mean old shop teacher, but student Ian is going to be unhappy with his class grade. Ian confronts the shop man later, demanding an "A" to qualify for a Luthorcorp foundation scholarship. Refused, he murders the teacher, seeming to be in two places at once, or "Dichotic," a word which does not appear in the dictionary, but may be made up from "dichotomy," for "divided in two." The SV screenwriters aren't the first to make up new words on the spot these days.

    While getting a parking ticket from an obnoxious meter guy, Lex loses it and golf-clubs the man's little Chevy, while Lex's car (is it a Lexus?), tagged "LEX XIV" is unscathed. That tag first appeared on a Ferrari F355 in "Red," about five episodes back, so the crew is just switching tags whenever they acquire a new exotic loaner, probably from Ferrari-Maserati of Vancouver. Across town, Clark and Lana are moving her into Chloe's house, and apparently no one has heard of another high school murder. Back at the farm, a jacked tractor falls on Jonathan, but Clark has just arrived and does the heavy lifting, and a quick x-ray shows a compound fracture of his right leg. Ian drops by to see Chloe, who gets the funny line, "Days like this I could really use two of me." If she only knew. She wants an interview about his ambitious plan to graduate as a sophomore, and he's interested in her. At the hospital, Jonathan is treated by Dr. Helen Bryce (Emmanuelle Vaugier), and a cast and crutches are prescribed for his future. Lex arrives with an offer to fly in another orthopedist to get Jonathan the best care; this is only slightly offensive to the doctor, but now they have met, and something will develop here.

    At the Talon, a chance meeting lets Clark hear Ian claim that the shop teacher gave him an "A" in the class, but Clark knows that's not true, as Clark had previewed the grade book for Pete, and saw Ian's "C" grade. Ian makes study dates with both Lana and Chloe, leaving Clark in the dust. At home, Ian divides into two like an overripe amoeba, so he could double-date with himself. Chloe picks him up in her red '60 Ford Falcon, while the other him strolls out of the Talon with Lana, a seemlingly seamless scene, but the cut-and-switch occurs when the camera pans through a light pole.

    Finally, Ian's crime is becoming known; metal shop class is canceled, but no one knows the teacher's location. Clark tells Lana about Ian's date with Chloe, and it appeared that he bailed on Chloe to study with Lana. Meanwhile, Lex and Dr. Bryce are consigned to the same anger management class, and she remembers him enough to turn down a social invite; Lex doesn't remember.

    Chloe has written an article about Ian for the Torch; it's poorly written and two short paragraphs on her monitor are simply repeated - saves time for the intern who was tasked with writing this, but that quality of writing wouldn't get Chloe an internship at the Daily Planet. Clark tries to tell her about his suspicions of Ian, but his mind isn't quick enough to keep up with Chloe. So he tries the direct approach with Ian, who simply puts Clark down for jealousy. Suspicious about the shop teacher's disappearance, Pete and Clark check the classroom, discovering the body, threatened by a fuel fire, and spotting Ian nearby. When Clark encounters Ian and Chloe, Ian has the perfect alibi for the fire-starting - "he" was with Chloe. Or was it "he" #2?

    Lex has finally remembered his first meeting with Dr. Helen - in Metropolis some time earlier. He continues to pursue her, and succeeds in getting some personal time after hours.

    Clark has trouble convincing Lana that Ian is lying to both her and Chloe. He sets a trap, calling Ian to Chloe's house, while Ian's other half is trying to meet Lana per Clark's call. So he and Pete have now confirmed Ian was in two places at once. Lana and Chloe discover they're both being played by Ian, who shows up at the Torch, both of him, and they are in danger. Just how he abducts them we don't know, but next they all are on the dam, where the gals aren't good at fighting back. Ian #1 tosses Chloe over the rail, as Clark arrives and jumps after her for a long distance fall-and-catch. Next is Lana, and he pulls her to safety as Ian #2 goes to the bottom.

    Clark has a rescue and righteousness on his side, so Chloe and Lana apologize, sort of. They all agree to be friends, and that's all, folks. Clark smiles as he heads down the street from the Talon.

    "Dichotic" has no significant long-term story lines, although the beginning of a relationship between Lex and Dr. Helen may lead to something. However, it's only a beginning and not essential to see in order to keep up with future developments. So it's only an average episode in the Smallville series. Re-run rating C.moreless

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  • J.T.T.'s Split Personality

    7.6
    "Good"
    By lenzinoH20, Apr 13, 2008 Report Abuse
    Dichotic-A Smallville student, Ian, displays the ability to make clones of himself and uses his power to date both Choe and Lana. Meanwhile Lex goes to anger management class and meets an attractive local doctor.

    An enjoyable and entertaining episode that sees Jothnathan Taylor Thomas in his first acting gig since his exit from Home Improvement. Jothnathan gives an entertaining performance as Ian, whose an over achiever who can create a duplicate of himself. I liked how he play Lana and Chloe against each other, but it was so gulliable of both characters to take Ian's word over Clark's. At this point, Clark has saved them both how many times yet they would job in a relationship with a guy they bearly know over their friend. Anyway, the special effects were great with the double Ians, especially at the end. The seqeunce of Clark falling down the dam to save Chloe looked good.

    There was also the sub-plot with lex going to anger management. The scene where he loses it in front of a deputy was hilarious. I like the introduction of Dr. Helen Bryce as their relationship was the most ineresting of Lex's affairs. All and All, "Dichotic" is a solid Smallville otuing with a good guest star and nice developments.moreless

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  • Great Episode

    10
    "Perfect"
    By Beer75, Aug 22, 2007 Report Abuse
    Ian, a straight-A student, has the ability to duplicate himself. He uses his power to take extra classes, and date both Lana Lang and Chloe Sullivan at the same time. Clark Kent and Pete reveal Ian's secret, which forces Ian to try and kill both of the girls. Meanwhile, Lex attends an anger management session, where he meets Dr. Helen Bryce. "Dichotic" is another good episode of Smallville, when Clark becomes upset with Lana Lang and Chloe Sullivan. The story shows that life is made of choices and priorities, being impossible sometimes to get all of them at the same time.moreless

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Trivia, Notes, Quotes and Allusions

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  • Trivia

    ADD TRIVIA
    • At the end in the Talon with Chloe and Lana, Clark says that he never dated either of them. But, he took Chloe to the dance at the end of Season 1 in "Vortex," and he specifically referred to it as a date at the end of "Obscura." Edit
    • How did the two evil Ians get Chloe and Lana to the dam from the school? Would no one have noticed two of the same person dragging two kicking and screaming girls from the high school? Edit
    • Trivia: Lex Luthor's licence plate is "LEX XIV." Edit

  • Notes

    ADD NOTES
    • First appearance of Emmanuelle Vaugier as Dr. Helen Bryce. Edit
    • In the Season 2 DVD of this episode, there is a deleted scene at the end where both Ians die, and not just the one that fell. Apparently, what happens to one, happens to the other, hence why both die in the scene (and one vanishes). Good thing it was deleted, or else they would have had a tough time explaining Ian's presence in "Asylum." Edit
    • Music: "I Wish I Cared" by A-Ha (from "Minor Earth Major Sky"), "Uneven Odds" by Premonition. "I Want This Perfect" by Son of Adam, and "In A Young Man's Mind" by The Mooney Suzuki. Edit

  • Quotes

    ADD QUOTES
    • Chloe: Making me 0 for 2 in the "They always go for Lana" sweepstakes. Edit
    • Lana: Clark came by the Talon. I know about you and Ian. Chloe: For a guy so concerned with privacy, he can't seem to keep his mouth shut. Edit
    • Clark: Now. It's about Chloe and Lana. I know you're playing 'em off each other. Ian: I must've learned from the master. Edit

  • Allusions

    ADD ALLUSIONS
    • LEX XIV Lex Luthor's license plate is "LEX XIV", which seems to allude to "Louis XIV", King of France from 1643 until 1715, and the archetype of the absolute monarch. Edit
    • Pete: Any idea how an only child can make like the Olsen twins? Pete is referring to Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen who are fraternal twins. They are actresses and entrepreneurs who have appeared in various movies and television shows since infancy. Edit
    • Ian: A character duplicating himself
      There is a villain of the adult comic-book Superman, Riot, who has the ability to create duplicates of himself at will. He does it a lot more easily and rapidly than Ian does here, though. Edit

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