Identity

Season 8, Episode 7, Aired
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Episode Summary

Jimmy takes a picture of Clark saving Lois from danger but it comes out in a blur on film. Tess decides the story should make front page for the Daily Planet. Chloe refuses to help Clark.
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Fan Episode Reviews (30)

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  • Clarks Identity in Trouble... The end is an amazing twist... Awesome adding to the brilliants of smallville...

    10
    "Perfect"
    By traceyr65, Apr 07, 2011 Report Abuse
    Jimmy and lois are walking down the street when a man mugs them, with the flash of Jimmy's camera, clark super-speeds into the camera sight saving lois from a passing car. Later we see the picture printed with a red and blue blur in the focus, with lots of research Jimmy guesses that is clark when he sees a photo of him with his parents wearing red and blue... Clark denies it...

    Clark sets up a plan with chloe (awesome, pretty and smart), and Oliver to trick Jimmy in thinking it was a mask man aka oliver instead of clark... The next day the picture is published front page, Jimmy says to Clark that he wishes he was him cause he someone everyone can rely on... The whole time lois is on a date with sebastian (a meteor freak from black creek), who realises that lois knows about him, heading to her apartment he tries to kill her.

    In the hospital we see Sebastian in bed, and chloe standing watching, asking him how much of the man who stopped him story/life he got through. Admits alot, Chloe takes off her gloves. touches him cause his brain to overload and die. I can believe it, i remember it happening in another episode but i cant remember which one... The one with glove in the hospital.moreless

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    0 1

  • Look up in the sky!

    9.5
    "Superb"
    By vereese, Dec 16, 2010 Report Abuse
    I gotta say... My feelings on this episode are kinda conflicted. On the one hand, I really liked the idea of Jimmy finding out about Clark, and I really wish that Clark had admitted to being Superman. It would have made his life SO much easier, and Jimmy is so sweet. Ah well, just adds to the mystery of the show. I'm really glad Ollie has decided to resume his role as the Green Arrow. I missed him. He's another really sweet character, and you can always count on him being there for Clark and Chloe. Besides, Mr. Justin Hartely is one fine specimen of a man... :P
    What really unnerved me was the ending- Chloe essentially killing Sebastian. That's not the sweet Chloe we learned to love! But I did love that scene... It took me a few minutes to decide whether I liked it or not, and I decided that it was relatively... awesome... It really shook up her character, and it left the fans with their mouths gaping open. The final thing that made this episode so enjoyable were the not-so-subtle hints to Clark's future identity: the "Look! In the sky!" yelled by one of the bystanders, the headline "Faster than a speeding bullet!" and Clark's humorous statement "Never wear the red cape again. It looked ridiculous." (or something to that effect) All in all, an excellent episode, definitely worth more than one view :)moreless

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  • And yet another great and amazing episode from Smallville,its very well written and well directed and the grahics were amazing. This is why Smallville is one of the Best TV-Shows on TV right now. I hope it continues that way.moreless

    10
    "Perfect"
    By GemiSantana, Nov 06, 2010 Report Abuse
    This episode is about revelling the secret identity of clark kent,and it well make clark think about creating his destined role in the future by becoming SUPERMAN,which will be in the future but first Clark has to FLY!!!!!!!!!! By the way Tom Welling is a Great actor and perfect for the role of Superman.

    In the episode Jimmy takes a photo of Clark using his super-speed in saving Lois from danger, but it comes out in a blur on film. Tess decides the story should make front page for the Daily Planet as the mysterious new 'superhero' that Metropolis has. But Chloe refuses to help Clark anymore to protect his secret, so Clark turns to Oliver for help when Jimmy gets too close to discovering Clark's secret. Meanwhile, Lois meets Sebastian Kane, a new reporter to the Daily Planet, who has the power to see peoples memories by mere touch and has been hired by Tess to find the missing alien crystal.moreless

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  • And they say that a hero can save us...

    9.0
    "Superb"
    By MovieMark, Jul 25, 2010 Report Abuse
    It's hard to believe it has taken eight years for this show to finally tackle the issue of having a secret identity. But, sure, as they say, better late than never. I mean, Yes, they have skimmed upon the subject in previous seasons, but there has never been an entire episode dedicated to the serious matter. So props, once again, to S8!

    Continuing the season's trend of integrating as many of the main players as possible into the fold and allowing them a chance to shine, remains to be this season's strongest aspect in making a story successful - it finally feels like a natural ensemble. Mr. Ashmore is a likeable guy, but we've never really been given a reason to actually like Jimmy or acknowledge him as a serious main-casting character...until now. He has been generally perceived as Chloe's toy-boy, but season eight has proven he's more man than we give him credit for.

    His mission to find this mysterious hero surprisingly leads him to the man of steel, and it's reassuring to know that he'd willingly keep Clark's secret, even if it meant jeopardising any potential promotions with the new information uncovered. This reassures fans that there is more to Jimmy than meets his camera, and it also reassures Clark, thus nudging these two fellows towards the strong friendship we know they'll eventually have down the line.

    There hasn't been an episode so far in season eight that has felt as though it was pure filler. The consistency of the season is giving each episode some much needed gravitas, playing a pivotal role in one way or another in finally getting to the stage where the people won't need to ask if it's a blur who saved that plane? No. It's Superman!

    Even Lois' subplot managed to have some payoff for the shippers, as we get a blink and you'll miss it smirk when we get a flashback to Clark zipping her up. It's moments like these that are fleshing out these characters in ways the show would have tripped over a few seasons ago.

    Kudos to the writers for having Clark take a moment to slap some sense into Ollie. Oliver has been big with the lectures this year, and some of them were needed, but it just goes to show how much Clark is growing as a character to finally stand up to one of his guides into super-hero hood. I'm loving the fact there's confrontation this year that doesn't end with tears. Chloe verbally power-slammed Clark last week, and Clark reignites Ollie's passion for his work. Again, it feels that tiny bit more natural.

    As for the ending? This season is promising quite a bit with so many villains on the cards. I've been wondering to myself if the SFX have been used sparingly so far so that the visual effects team can really sell the blows Clark will most certainly receive by Doomsday, Brainiac and Tess' gang of super freaks. Who knows? But Chloe's little stunt was magnificent. Brainiac has started to influence her it seems, more so than before, and since Chloe isn't exactly part of the Superman mythos, a Brainiac invasion of her body would be the perfect way to discard of the character, as much as it pains me to say.

    Great episode!moreless

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    5 0

  • While Clark tries to keep Jimmy from finding out his secret, Lois accepts a date with a new colleague. (some spoilers)

    8.0
    "Great"
    By MegEl86, Sep 07, 2009 Report Abuse
    Recap: Jimmy tries to sell Lois on a story about Metropolis's latest "stealth crimefighter" (Clark), when they are suddenly attacked by a mugger. When Lois tries to fend him off, she falls into the path of a moving vehicle, but Clark arrives in time and saves her using his superspeed. However, in an attempt to get a picture of the mugger's face, Jimmy inadvertantly snaps a photo of a red-and-blue blur in the middle of saving Lois. The next day, after failing to convince Jimmy that the photo is useless, Clark tries to get Chloe to delete it. Instead, she argues that the photo doesn't reveal his identity, but that it helps him create "the perfect alter ego." Eventually, Jimmy realizes that Clark is the blur in the photo, so Clark devises a plan to protect his identity, recruiting Oliver and Chloe to help him. Meanwhile, Lois accepts a date with new colleague Sebastian Kane, a meteor freak who's been recruited by Tess to find out if Lois stole the Kryptonian crystal (see INSTNCT).

    My Review: OK, right up front, the whole Clark-runs-around-trying-to-keep-his-secret-from-Jimy plotline was kinda lame, and I hated that Jimmy -- as in bow-tie-wearing cub reporter Jimmy Olsen -- figured out Clark's secret almost immediately, whereas it took Lex, Clark's former best friend, *years* to figure it out. And even then, Lex had to be told by Brainiac. *However*, I'm willing to overlook that since Clark gets one step closer to becoming the Big Blue Boy Scout we all know and love. Well, that, and 'cause of the Clois moments, of course. Speaking of, how sweet was it that Clark rushed to Lois's aid as soon as he realized she was in danger? Then again, she knew she could count on him, which is why she called him and not Chloe or Oliver. And for showcasing that aspect of the Clois relationship, I offer up most humble thanks to the Powers That Be. Also, thanks to TPTB for slipping in Lois smiling during the dress-zipping flashback; no doubt, a bone they decided to throw us Clois fans. In any case, moving on. I like how creative the writers got when it came to trying to throw Jimmy off Clark's scent, so to speak, and I loved the mention of the Clois kiss in HYDRO. All in all, eight blurry photos out of ten. (P.S. what was up with Kyle Schmidt's hair? I mean, it looked so good on BLOOD TIES; what happened between then and now? And who convinced him that's a good look?)

    Highlights: Clark saving Lois; Clark's debate with Chloe about Jimmy's photo; Clark zipping up Lois and exchanging some banter; Clark and Chloe trying (and failing) to convince Jimmy that Clark's completely normal; the flashback of Clark zipping up Lois, from Lois's POV; Clark checking in with Chloe and Oliver; Clark coming to Lois's rescue; Clark and Lois discussing her date, and Lois's "new mission in life"; Clark discussing capes and his destiny with a sober Oliver; and Chloe creatively protecting Clark's identity from "Sebastian".moreless

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Trivia, Notes, Quotes and Allusions

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  • Trivia

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    • The three-hour travel problem arises again. Sebastian gets out of the car and Tess calls her operatives to put the "attack Jimmy" plan in motion. They immediate go to work. However, it takes Sebastian three hours to take Lois back to her apartment above the Talon in Smallville. There's no indication what the muggers were doing in those three hours when the previous scene established they were going right after Jimmy. Edit
    • In the picture that Jimmy takes Clark is nothing but a blur while Lois can be made out clearly, but at this point both Clark and Lois would have been moving at superspeed, so it is inconsistent that they should appear so differently in the photo. Edit
    • In the opening scene, we see a visual effect of Jimmy's camera flash light moving slowly, much slower than Clark himself. This seems to indicate that when Clark superspeeds he moves faster than light, which he clearly wouldn't be doing. Edit

  • Notes

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    • Injoke: The phrase "Faster than a speeding bullet" at the Daily Planet headline in the article about the picture Jimmy took is an allusion to the 50s TV show The Adventures of Superman, where the Announcer said at the beginning of each episode: "Faster than a speeding bullet! More powerful than a locomotive! Able to leap tall buildings at a single bound!" Edit
    • International Air Dates: Norway: Saturday, February 14, 2009 7.10 pm on TVNorge Sweden: Friday, July 3, 2009 on TV6 Czech Republic: March 23, 2010 on TV Nova Turkey: April 18, 2010 on CNBC-e Edit
    • Sam Witwer is credited but doesn't appear. Edit

  • Quotes

    ADD QUOTES
    • Chloe: (to Clark) Writers have been writing under pen names since the invention of the alphabet. Oliver Queen has the Green Arrow. I think it's time for you to have one of your own. Edit
    • Lois: The only stealth crimefighter I know about wears green leather and plays with arrows, and I think he's hung up his bow. Edit
    • Lois: Well, if you like covering robbery and homicide, you've come to the right place. The crime rate's so high there's actually a "no vacancy sign" in front of county jail. Sebastian: Really? Metropolis seems like a safe haven compared to some of the places I've covered. Lois: Really? Like where, the gates of Hell? Edit

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