Hug

Season 1, Episode 11, Aired

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9.1
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EPISODE RATING: Superb
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A salesman has a kryptonite-based ability to force anyone he touches to obey his commands.
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Fan Episode Reviews (17)

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  • A crooked businessman, who has designs on land in Smallville, has the power to hypnotise people into doing his bidding when he shakes their hand. Clark meets the man's former partner, who gained the same ability during the meteor shower. Another ace ep...moreless

    9.5
    "Superb"
    By Jay-Spacedust, May 21, 2011
    This review contains spoilers.

    "Hug" is another first season episode that I really enjoyed. Recovering from the interesting but off-balance "Shimmer", "Hug" offers a great story that kept me gripped throughout.

    I did find it a little convenient that Clark just *happened* to meet "good handshake guy" Kyle after Lana is thrown from her horse (she mistakenly thinks she is attacking him), at exactly the same time "bad handshake guy" Bob also appears on the scene plot-wise. Of course, this is just a plot convention to get the story running, but even so, I did find it a little over-convenient (especially by 'Smallville's usually creative and well woven plot threads).

    ...But I can forgive that for all else that happens in this episode. I really liked the back-story that was given to Bob and Kyle (former friends, who were both affected by the meteor, turning Bob bad); I felt that it really fleshed the characters out and brought them to life, making them much more believable.

    As with this majority of 'Smallville' episodes, this one is pretty much played straight, only with a fun though heavy handed comment from Clark near the beginning that he doesn't want to grow up to "wear a suit and do lots of flying" (!), and of course, Chloe kissing Clark (under Kyle's influence, when she challenges him to prove his power). Many fans seem to love this, but for me personally... meh. It's okay, but hardly hilarious, though some of this feeling may be down to the fact that I usually find Chloe quite annoying anyway.

    The episode also boasts some great special effects, most notably, several instances of bullets flying and Clark intercepting / dodging / being hit by them, all in slow motion. For a moderate TV budget, I found these effects to be pretty much of movie quality.

    Both Rick Peters and Gregory Sporleder give very solid performances as Bob and Kyle respectively; I particularly liked Kyle, and felt he's a character that I would like to see more of. I won't research ahead to see if he ever does return (bear in mind, until watching the series on DVD, I've only seen the first and very early second season, before Channel 4 here in the U.K. started darting the series all 'round the schedules and I lost track of the series).

    The episode also holds some nice parallels regarding friendships turning sour. Both regarding Bob and Kyle, who were friends before the meteor gave them their "special handshake" powers; Lana and Clark, who fall out after Clark accuses Whitney of attacking Kyle (which indeed he did, under Bob's hypnotic influence); and that of Lex and Clark Lex, again under Bob's influence, tries to kill Clark (thus witnessing some of Clark's own special powers, which ironically Lex will forget as his memory returns). The final scene, of Lex and Clark in the barn looking out at the sky, with Lex insisting that their "friendship will be the stuff of legends", is a terrific ending to a solid episode.

    All-in-all, this is another first season episode that I enjoyed throughout. I give "Hug" a very decent 9.5.moreless

  • Very original...

    9.1
    "Superb"
    By skysurfer66, May 21, 2011
    Again, this episode is one that I would rate as above average. The dialogues are good. This was a good freak of the week episode. And the guest stars were good as well. I also loved the scene when Chloe was "hypnotized" by Kyle when she kissed Clark, it was SOOOOO funny! I also loved the scene when Lex was also hypnotized bye Bob and started shooting at Clark. The slow-mo effects were really well done and really cool. Overall this episode was really good and i think I'm gonna give it a 9.1. Great work you guys at the studio!-moreless

  • Great climax.

    8.8
    "Great"
    By cybernaut_ev, May 21, 2011
    I love the climax in this episode. Lex witnesses Clark's powers and gives a droll "Clark, you've got some explaining to do." He let's loose maniacally spraying Clark with bullets and confides that he always thought Clark was hiding something, all under the influence of the bad guy. I love it when people's true feelings come out unintentionally because they're influenced by something. I also like the writers having them forget the incident because that preserves the pristineness of the storytelling. It's far more intriguing when they don't know Clark's secret than permanently changing the direction of the story by letting them in on it. I like Lex pulling away from the hug guy, saying "don't touch me" and Jonathan at first not being affected because he's wearing gloves. Those are all great twists and surprises. I love Clark's response to shaking hands by bone-crunching the guy's hand and giving a great reaction by moving on in a very determined "I-mean-business" fashion while unwittingly showing the guy he was completely unaffected. Great acting by Tom Welling. Another great, well-thought-out story.moreless

  • this was a good ep

    8.5
    "Great"
    By cube2k8, May 07, 2010
    in this ep of smallville there is a guy that has come to town that has the abilty to make people do what ever he wants a by a single hand shake. it is a pretty cool abilty. and there is a guy in the woods who they think is at falt. but clark thinks he is good and lana gets mad at him for taking his side over witneys and hers. but that is why he is superman he sees the good in people. but anyway the guy even gets the kents to sell there farm and clark starts to investgate and he lears that the guy also has the ablity to do the same and clark and the guy must try to stop him.moreless

  • A Smallville recluse is the key to thwarting the plans of a man who has strange powers to control others, even to buying the Kent farm to develop a pesticide plant. Clark chooses to support the unpopular one in this conflict.moreless

    7.5
    "Good"
    By cxtasy, Oct 06, 2008
    Businessman Bob Rickman calls on the head of the "Center for Environmental Protection," proposing to build a new pesticide plant in Smallville. Since his company's environmental track record features pollution, contaminated water, and just about every other eco-sin in the books, the CEP head turns him down cold, promising a restraining order against the plant. This exchange has no relation to how such proposals are actually conducted, but rather than roll one's eyes, we'll just follow along for the sake of the story. A handshake between the two conveys some unseen force, and the CEP head is suddenly waffling. Rickman suggests that he's feeling pain and isolation, and we see desperation in his eyes. As Rickman leaves and reaches the ground floor, a body falls from above and smashes into a parked cab out front - and it looks like a real body, not a dummy, so the Smallville special effects crew is getting pretty good, or there's an iron-man stunt crew on duty.

    Out in the forest, Clark and Lana ride horses slowly along, as Chloe struggles with her mount, and talks about a dangerous hermit in the area. Chloe dropped her camcorder; Lana goes back to retrieve it, and is suddenly heard screaming in the distance. A local character named Kyle finds her and seem to be aiding, but when Clark appears, Kyle disappears. Later, Clark and Chloe look at the video and try to identify the man, who did not appear to be harming Lana. Clark proposes to go see Kyle at his home.

    Victoria Hardwick (Kelly Brook) is still hanging with Lex for the third consecutive episode, but gets less and less screen time and part to play, so she must be on her way out as a continuing character. Rickman butts in, but no love is lost between him and Lex. The new plant is to occupy the Kent farm; Lex tells Rickman that the Kents won't sell.

    At Kyle's isolated trailer in the woods, Clark finds him to be strange and eccentric, and he seems to already know Clark. Clark gets back to Lana; she wonders why he didn't go to the police, and both she and Whitney question why he went to see Kyle. Lana remembers nothing of the incident in the forest as she suffered a mild concussion. Lex then informs Clark that Rickman is after the Kent farm, warning about his tactics.

    Then we see Rickman and Kyle have a relationship, it seems they have similar skills in controlling others, but Kyle warns him and leaves. Whitney is seen observing Kyle and Clark talk, and has a short confrontation with Kyle, warning him to stay away from Lana. Clark, being a friendlier type, offers Kyle a ride home. From the shadows, Rickman sees a chance to use Whitney, and approaches him with a handshake. Ok, so now Whitney is a tool. Clark drops off Kyle at his trailer, questioning why Kyle was at Rickman Industries - Clark informs him of the attempt to purchase the farm. Dialog flows pretty comfortably in these scenes, nothing forced or contrived.

    As Clark drives off, he spots Whitney's truck, and speeds back to the trailer, where Whitney is doing his major league batting impression on Kyle, who can duck pretty fast. Before Kyle can deal a deadly blow to Whitney, Clark intervenes and takes the shot, with slo-mo wood splintering. But Kyle is the one to be arrested a short time later. What story is Whitney telling? Just that Kyle swung first, but we can see Clark believes Kyle. Whitney is getting pretty irritating in this whole story.

    Chloe sees a chance to investigate, as suggested by Clark, a "tree-hugging hermit versus pesticide tycoon." Lana pops in the Torch office, burned at Whitney's treatment by Clark, who can't do much against Lana's tongue-lashing..."Don't pretend to be his friend."

    Rickman comes to the farm, but Jonathan is skeptical about any offer. He gets a telling line, "If I was interested in money, I wouldn't be a farmer, would I?" Jonathan leaves his glove off for the next handshake, and becomes chemically altered, right down to the green neuron level. He signs the offer for the farm; later Clark and Martha are stunned, but Jonathan can't explain his actions. Clark takes the contract, and meets Lex to talk about Kyle. Lex thinks the contract is iron-clad, but offers legal help.

    Clark heads to the jail to see Kyle, but Rickman subverts a deputy first, so we can figure on an assassination attempt by said robotic deputy. Kyle uses his influence to get released from jail, but is attacked by the deputy as he leaves, forcing Clark into another speeding bullet save. Kyle's wounds are tended by a friend of Lex, and Clark returns home. to find...Lana, a surprise. She's apologetic, she heard about the escape, which she wants to understand, but she and Clark have cross words again.

    Rickman sees Lex, who has the advantage of refusing to take his hand. Lex is trying to help the Kents get out of the land sale contract, and Clark comes in as Rickman leaves, but Clark is not affected by contact with him.

    Backstory - Rickman was trapped in a car during the meteor shower 12 years ago. Kyle has disappeared from the mansion, but Clark and Chloe find him at his trailer. They question Kyle about this powers; he was a sales partner with Rickman, and gained the power of persuasion through the meteor shower. In a clever scene, Chloe challenges him to prove his ability on her. Taking her hand, he suggests she show feelings for Clark. Not much of a challenge there, doesn't she already feel that way? She lays a big one on Clark, but in a moment, she has no memory of the move. Kyle tries to leave.

    Rickman sees Lex about dropping the farm as a proposed site for the new pesticide plant, and we see him offering a handshake to Lex. Will we have another victim of the unseen force? Clark calls Lex about Kyle going public about Rickman, and Lex arrives in his Mercedes sedan while Clark has a blue GMC pickup. Is Lex under another control? As Clark and Kyle enter the Merc, Lex locks the doors, douses the car with gasoline, and throws a lighter. Next week Lex will have a new car.

    Clark rips off the doors and runs with Kyle before the M-B explodes in some pretty first-rate special effects and pyrotechnics. Rickman rolls in and gives Lex an automatic pistol, giving Mr. Rosenbaum the opportunity to portray an insane killer - he does quite well at it. "Respect and fear are the best you can hope for," Lex yells, and fires on full auto, forcing Clark to dodge a lot of bullets, but of course he survives the attack, and now we expect Lex to remember none of this. Kyle and Rickman have a hand-to-hand fight, the gun ends up firing, and Rickman is shot dead. Kyle saw Clark survive several rounds, but will not expose his secret.

    So Clark let Kyle go, but the Smallville screenwriters have a habit of killing off a character with no consequences to anyone, no investigation, no arrests, no prosecution, no autopsy, and that plot hole opens up and swallows the story of Rickman.

    Lana finally comes to see Clark, somewhat apologetic, so they're friends again, all sweetness and light. This puts things back to neutral for next week's story, but what's wrong with a little tension carryover?

    Lex comes by to see Clark, remembering nothing of his violent episode. Didn't he ask about the Mercedes? Who explained that? Lots of loose ends, but we just gloss over the improbable here. They wonder about Kyle, who had been best friends with Rickman. "You think we'll end up like that?, Clark asks. Lex replies, "Trust me Clark, our friendship is going to be the stuff of Legend!"

    Prophetic words to we viewers, who know more than the cast because we read the comics. "Hug" is a pretty adventurous episode, with believable dialog, although most of the outcomes are pretty easy to see coming. But this one is at least a couple grades above last week's weaker episode, so see it again some day. Re-run rating C+.moreless
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  • TRIVIA (6)

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    • The newspaper clipping that Chloe displays of Kyle's arrest shows that the photo of Kyle has been glued on, showing it's a fake article.

    • When Lex swipes his card at the gas station, he swipes it with the magnetic strip on the outside, rather than through the reader. Nothing would happen in that case, but the pump turns on anyway.

    • When Kyle convinces Chloe to kiss Clark you can see in the corner that her head moves towards Clark but in the next scene her head is still facing Kyle

    • It seems to be a while before Kyle figures out about Clark. First, Clark superspeeds to rescue Lana and Kyle is there; second, Kyle swings the bat and it breaks on Clark who shoves him into the trailer. Third, Clark busts open the doors of the car and superspeeds him away. But Kyle only figures things out when he sees bullets bounce of Clark, which seems a little odd.

    • Lana asks Clark if Chloe kissed him. However, only Chloe, Clark, and Kyle were present when that happened. Chloe and Clark were clearly too embarrassed to discuss the kiss, much less tell others. And Lana never talked to Kyle, and Kyle almost certainly didn't talk to anyone else. So there's no reasonable way Lana could have heard even a rumor about the kiss.

    • So if Clark is vulnerable to kryptonite, shouldn't he be more vulnerable to the kryptonite-based mind control powers of the two salesmen, rather than immune? He's never been immune to people with krypto-powers before - why is he in this episode? He seems to have a pretty much normal brain, and his superpowers in all of his comic book appearances have never involved a resistance to mind control and telepathy. So why can't he be affected here? (editor's note: the same applies to future episodes such as the ones with Ryan where Clark also has immunity to telepathy)

  • QUOTES (19)

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    • Rickman: Miss Hardwick, I'm surprised to find you in Smallville. Lex: Don't encourage him, Victoria. It's funny, I was just saying what this town needs is more pesticides in the water supply.

    • Rickman: Lionel had mentioned that he'd exiled you here. Had dinner with him a couple of weeks ago. Lex: Yeah? What happened, somebody more important cancel on him?

    • Lex: How bad? Dr. Toby: It's no worse than when Ozzy snorted that row of fire ants down in Queensland. Clark: This guy really a doctor? Lex: He was. Now he's more of an on-call specialist. You know... actors, rock stars, billionaire's sons. Clark: How do you know him? Lex: Long story. Dr. Toby: What's a guy gotta do to get a drink around here? Lex: Finish sewing.

    • Kyle: Do you know what it's like to have to hide because of who you are? Clark: Yes, I do. But when you have a gift you can't just hide in a hole and hope it goes away.

    • Rickman: I'm just like you, Lex. Government employee sets my emission levels and I abide. You have an objection? Lex: Let's call it an interest. Smallville's my home now.

    • Chloe: (after being mind-controlled into kissing Clark) What? Why are you looking at me like that? And why is my mouth minty? Clark: Let's just say he proved his point. Chloe: Oh... God, did I just...? Clark: Don't worry. It was... fine.

    • Clark: Don't do this. I'm your friend. Lex: Oh please. You think I don't see the way your parents look at me? The way half the town looks at me? You're no different. Friendship's a fairy tale, Clark. Respect and fear are the best you can hope for.

    • Lex: You can learn a lot from someone you hate.

    • Clark: I don't blame him; I don't see myself being a farmer when I grow up. Lana: Then what do you want to do? Clark: I'm not sure - as long as it doesn't involve putting on a suit and doing a lot of flying.

    • Rickman: You got a problem with progress, Mister Kent? Jonathan: No, I'm just skeptical about anyone who thinks they can solve my problems with money. Rickman: Why's that? Jonathan: Because if I was interested in money, I wouldn't be a farmer, would I?

    • Clark: I think I know someone who can help. Jonathan: No, I will not owe Lex Luthor anything, thank you. Martha: Right now you don't have anything to owe.

    • Lex: Ouch. What's that all about? Clark: I just won't cave on my opinion of Kyle Tippet. It's put me on the outs with Lana. Lex: So you're Atticus. Clark: Who? Lex: Atticus Finch? To Kill a Mockingbird? Clark: Never read it. Lex: You should. You two have a lot in common. Small-town heroes. Believe in the truth. Not willing to back down. Clark: How's it end? Lex: It's not about the ending, it's about the journey.

    • Lex: That, my friend, is the key to leadership. Not only knowing you're right, but convincing everyone else. If you can do that, the world's your oyster.

    • Chloe: I'm not out here doing this butt-bashing thing for fun. These woods are like the Bermuda Triangle of Smallville.

    • Chloe: Yeah. Don't you think it's a little odd that he lives all alone way out here in the woods? Clark: Thoreau did. Chloe: Yeah, Clark. So did the Unabomber.

    • Clark: Why are you so unfriendly? Kyle: Because I'm not interested in friends. Clark: Everyone needs a friend. Kyle: No they don't. Because they'll always betray you in the end.

    • Clark: It's still strange to think that he and Rickman were once best friends. Think we'll ever end up like that? Lex: Trust me, Clark. Our friendship is going to be the stuff of legends.

    • Lex: I always knew you were keeping secrets from me, Clark... but I never thought they were this good. Clark? You know that guy you're trying to protect? I'm going to shoot him now. Clark: Lex! Lex: There you are. Clark: Don't do this. I'm your friend. Lex: Oh, please. You think I don't see the way your parents look at me? The way half the town looks at me? You're no different. Friendship's a fairy tale, Clark. Respect and fear are the best you can hope for. Clark: Rickman's doing this to you. Lex: What if he did? Clark: You hate Rickman! Lex: You can learn a lot from someone you hate.

    • Rickman: Well I'd hate to think that you failed to get the job done. Lex: Relax. Failing isn't something I do.

  • NOTES (4)

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    • Kelly Brook is billed as Special Guest Star.

    • Injoke: During the episode, Lex calls Clark "Atticus" and explains that he was referring to Atticus Finch, the protagonist of To Kill a Mockingbird. Clark replies that he has "[n]ever read it." In the modern-age comics continuity, Superman #81, To Kill a Mockingbird is Clark Kent's favorite movie.

    • Music "Mistaken I.D." by Citizen Cope, "Into You" by Jennifer Knapp, "Into the Lavender" by Rubyhorse, "Have a Nice Day" by Stereophonics, and "Slow Down" by Wayne.

    • Injoke: Clark says he doesn't know what he wants to do for a job, but that he at least knows he doesn't want to be dressing up in a suit and flying around everywhere. His vision of him flying in a suit is much different than our vision of him.

  • ALLUSIONS (2)

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    • Kyle: He's somewhere between Bigfoot and the Blair Witch. Referencing The Blair Witch Project (1999), a movie supposedly made from footage found in the woods, chronicling three student filmmakers using a handheld camera to film their trek through the woods to make a documentary about the legendary Blair Witch.

    • Lex: Atticus Finch, To Kill a Mockingbird? Referencing the book To Kill a Mockingbird (1960) written by Harper Lee in which a black man is accused of beating and raping a woman after she had asked him to come onto her property to bust up an old chiffarobe.

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