Precipice

Season 2, Episode 19, Aired
EDIT

Episode Summary

After Lana is almost assaulted by a college student, Clark injures the boy while helping her. When the Kents are sued for damages that could cost them the farm, Clark tries to find a way out of the lawsuit. Meanwhile, Helen's obsessive ex-boyfriend comes to Smallville to win her back but when she turns him down, he stabs her, prompting Lex to take the law into his own hands.moreless
9.1
out of 10
EPISODE RATING: Superb
602 votes
  • Your Rating: 10
    "Perfect"
  • Your Rating: 9.5
    "Superb"
  • Your Rating: 9
    "Superb"
  • Your Rating: 8.5
    "Great"
  • Your Rating: 8
    "Great"
  • Your Rating: 7.5
    "Good"
  • Your Rating: 7
    "Good"
  • Your Rating: 6.5
    "Fair"
  • Your Rating: 6
    "Fair"
  • Your Rating: 5.5
    "Mediocre"
  • Your Rating: 5
    "Mediocre"
  • Your Rating: 4.5
    "Poor"
  • Your Rating: 4
    "Poor"
  • Your Rating: 3.5
    "Bad"
  • Your Rating: 3
    "Bad"
  • Your Rating: 2.5
    "Terrible"
  • Your Rating: 2
    "Terrible"
  • Your Rating: 1.5
    "Abysmal"
  • Your Rating: 1
    "Abysmal"
Rate It

Watch Online

Amazon
Buy
iTunes
Buy

Cast & Crew

See All EDIT

Fan Episode Reviews (9)

See All

  • Dullville

    4.9
    "Poor"
    By lenzinoH20, Dec 13, 2010 Report Abuse
    Precipice-After Lana is almost assaulted by a college student, Clark injures the boy while helping her. When the Kents are sued for damages that could cost them the farm, Clark tries to find a way out of the lawsuit. Meanwhile, Helen's obsessive ex-boyfriend comes to Smallville to win her back but when she turns him down, he stabs her, prompting Lex to take the law into his own hands.

    An episode is a completel snorefest and just gets dull as it moves forward, "Precipice" annoys more than it entertains. First off, this episode she's the introduction of Sheriff Nancy, who has to be the worst recurring character Smallville ever had. I don't know it's Camille Mitchell's acting, her unbearable accent, the horrible writing for the character or Camille Mitchelle herself, but everytime she's on screen, I wish my TV would break in half! Second, the 2 storylines in this episode bore me to tries. Who wants to watch Clark do community service for an hour? It's also extreme for Clark to use his powers on a couple of jocks out in public. The storyline just gets even more pathetic when one of the jocks turns out to be faking their injuries. How many times has that cliche of a plot twist been used in tv shows, especially sitcoms! Also, Lana's self-defense storyline is both rushed and unconvincing, I mean at this point, Lana is anything but threatening and her doing some facny kicking moves don't helo. It was also incredibly cheesy how Lana said she was saving Clark this time, really Lana....really? If that wasn't enough the other plot with Helen's ex-boyfriend returning and going all "Fear" throughout the episode grew more tedious. Anson Mount is creey enough in the role, the situation doesn't play out any differently then any other horror movie. I just couldn't wait until it was over as there wa snothing remotely exciting or tense about it. "Precipice" is all things that can go wrong in a Smallville episode, bad storylines, boring developments, weak plots etc.moreless

    DO YOU AGREE?

    0 3

  • hey

    9.0
    "Superb"
    By cube2k8, May 10, 2010 Report Abuse
    in this ep of smallville lana is assulted by older guys from school and clark beats him up really bad and injurers him but clark thinks he is faking his injuries so he can take everything they got. and also in this ep hellen sees a old boy friend of hers that comes to town and is still ussive about her and lex kinda realizes that . and the man makes her car not start and then smashes his own head on the mirror and then also goes after her and stabs her. she gets rushed to the hospital and lex decides to take matters into his own hands. and clark has lana pretend she wantes to talk to him to get him to confess and he does after doing a spin kick and knockes him out . and meanwhile clark is on the other side trying to help lex and not get him to do something he will regret this was a great ep i thought.moreless

    DO YOU AGREE?

    0 0

  • Assailants are after both Lana and Dr. Bryce - Clark is the source of aid for both, but Lex barely avoids becoming a murderer. Lex and Dr. Bryce become closer than ever.moreless

    7.0
    "Good"
    By cxtasy, Sep 04, 2008 Report Abuse
    "Precipice" presents parallel, and similar story lines - assailants after both Lana and Dr. Bryce (Emmanuelle Vaugier). Lana get knocked about in the Talon by three brutes, but is rescued by Clark, oddly keeping his distance at first, then in the alley, he tosses one of the thugs into the windshield of the patrol car driven by new-Sheriff-in-town Nancy Adams (Camille Mitchell, in a role that will extend for a several seasons). There's got to be a better way of putting your man down, Clark. His reward for saving the damsel in distress is community service for assault, and a million-dollar lawsuit by Mr. Thug.

    In the same scene, Dr. Bryce is spotted by her ex-boy toy Paul from medical school, who claims a platonic coincidence in meeting her, but is soon spotted by Lex as a stalker. A crazed one, too, as he beats himself up to blame Lex.

    Lex assures Clark that crouching tiger Lana is about to find her hidden dragon. Lana gets buffed in boxing skills by Lex; she has tired of having to be rescued by Clark. Ms. Kreuk obviously has done some martial arts work before - she sports a wicked kick, too. Chloe is again a good source of counsel to Clark on Lana's new girl powers. Creepy Paul assaults Dr. Bryce, and Lex pursues him to a Vancouver train station - oops, that's Amtrak in Smallville - but Clark keeps the battle evened up until Sheriff Nancy rides in.

    Thug Andy finally gets a swift kick in the soft tissue by assertive Lana, and Lex, realizing his strong feelings for Helen, asks for her hand in marriage, the only significant story line progress in Precipice. An unusual episode for Lex - his role is entirely positive and admirable.

    One celestial gaffe by the graphics crew - another misplaced crescent moon over the Kent barn. If the moon is close to the sun's position, the crescent can't be turned upwards - it has to point toward the sun, which had already set. Re-run rating C, not much need to see it again.moreless

    DO YOU AGREE?

    0 1

  • Great Episode

    10
    "Perfect"
    By Beer75, Aug 22, 2007 Report Abuse
    After Lana is assaulted by a college student, Andy Conners, Clark loses control and seemingly injures the boy. When the Kents are sued for punitive damages, Clark begins to question his powers, while trying to find a way out of the lawsuit. Meanwhile, Helen's ex-boyfriend arrives in town, intent on winning her back. When she turns him down, he stabs her, prompting Lex to take the law into his own hands. "Precipice" is another great episode of "Smallville". The story shows that for any act of violence, there is a consequence, which sometimes may not be fair and inclusive generate false accusation.moreless

    DO YOU AGREE?

    0 0

  • Lana finally saves her own ass!

    8.4
    "Great"
    By sazloo07, Apr 12, 2007 Report Abuse
    I enjoyed this episode as it highlighted the fact that when CK saves someone, he has to be careful what he does, because he is not disguised. I didn't find the whole plot with Helens ex-boyfriend stalking her particularly appealing but still enjoyed the episode. Again i loved the witty dialogue and seeing Clark in his community service outfit! Clark: Forty hours of community service is not funny. It's an orange vest.
    Chloe: Oh, no! It's gonna clash with the plaid!
    Pete: Welcome to Smallville, where you stop the crime, you do the time. And finally i loved this episode because Lana finally decided to learn to fight, rather than having her butt kicked every week!moreless

    DO YOU AGREE?

    0 0
 

Trivia, Notes, Quotes and Allusions

See All

  • Trivia

    ADD TRIVIA
    • Clark gets fined for $1.500 for public harassment. That fine is put into 40 hours of community service. If $1.500 is equal to 40 hours (one week) of community service. That would make the monthly rate for community service $1.500 times 4 is $6.000. That is a very high monthly wage for community service. Edit
    • When Helen opens the door to the Pathology lab, there's only one door. But in the next shot from the inside, there's two doors. And there's windows in the door from the inside but not from the outside. Edit
    • When the supposedly injured college student enters his friends' truck, we can plainly see him taking off the neck brace despite the tint on the windows. So why does Clark have to use his x-ray vision to see inside? Edit

  • Notes

    ADD NOTES
    • Music: "Becoming" by Adam Tenenbaum, "Don't Fear The Reaper" by Gus, "Princess" by Matt Nathanson, "Don't Forget Me" by Red Hot Chili Peppers, "Let Me Be The One" by Sammi Morelli, and "Shakedown!" by TheSTART. Edit
    • This episode marks the first appearance of Camille Mitchell as Sheriff Nancy Adams. Edit
    • A trailer for season 3 aired after the 9/3/03 rerun of this episode. Edit

  • Quotes

    ADD QUOTES
    • Jonathan: Son, I got into a lot of fights when I was your age, too, believe me. But, Clark, these are not alien feelings. What you have to remember under these circumstances is that there are consequences. Martha: Your father is right. You don't make decisions in a split second you have to live with for the rest of your life. Jonathan: Clark, it's true. We are a flawed race, sure. But we're a flawed race that raised you. You're a lot more human than you think. Edit
    • Clark: Forty hours of community service is not funny. It's an orange vest. Chloe: Oh, no! It's gonna clash with the plaid! Pete: Welcome to Smallville, where you stop the crime, you do the time. Edit
    • Lana: Touch me again, and you'll have some real soft-tissue injury. Edit

  • Allusions

    ADD ALLUSIONS
    • Sheriff Adams: I ran a complete check on your son, Mr. Kent. He's been at more crime scenes than Eliot Ness. Eliot Ness was a famed enforcer of Prohibition. His team was nicknamed "The Untouchables" which is the title of a TV show and movie based on Eliot Ness and his team. Edit
    • Lex: No, I'm just a frighteningly good judge of character
      "The Recruit," starring Colin Farrell and Al Pacino seems to be referred to, here. Al Pacino is a recruiter for the CIA and his catch phrase throughout the movie is "I'm a frighteningly good judge of character." I'm not too sure how it relates here, for anyone who's seen the movie, you don't really get the connection, but it's there. Edit
    • Andy: Listen, John Boy...
      Another reference to that good ole homespun family and the TV show of the same name. Someone on the show must be fixated on the Waltons, because Lionel referred to them in Prodigal too. Edit

Show Forums

See All
Last Activity
Replies

Watch Smallville Full Episodes

See All

Related Shows

Season 2 Episodes

See All
Ep 23
Exodus (2)
Ep 22
Calling (1)
Ep 21
Accelerate
Ep 20
Witness
Ep 19
Precipice
Ep 18
Visitor
Ep 17
Rosetta
Ep 16
Fever
Ep 15
Prodigal
Ep 14
Rush
Ep 13
Suspect
Ep 12
Insurgence
Ep 11
Visage
Ep 10
Skinwalker
Ep 9
Dichotic
Ep 8
Ryan
Ep 7
Lineage
Ep 6
Redux
Ep 5
Nocturne
Ep 4
Red
Ep 3
Duplicity
Ep 2
Heat
Ep 1
Vortex (2)

Contributors

Become a contributor
More
Less

TV Listings

Full Listings
BROWSE | Shows | Videos | News | Listings | Forums | People | Photos | TV.com Blog

CBS Entertainment | About TV.com | About CBS Interactive | Jobs | Advertise

© 2012 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. | Privacy Policy | Ad Choice | Terms of Use