Recruit

Season 4, Episode 13, Aired
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Episode Summary

Clark is approached by Met U for recruitment and meets Geoff, a former Smallville resident. It soon becomes apparent that he is using his powers to paralyze anybody who gets in his way...including Lois.
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Fan Episode Reviews (13)

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  • The Lost Football Career of Clark Kent

    5.1
    "Mediocre"
    By lenzinoH20, Apr 20, 2011 Report Abuse
    Recruit-Clark is approached by Met U for recruitment and meets Geoff, a former Smallville resident. It soon becomes apparent that he is using his powers to paralyze anybody who gets in his way...including Lois.

    While I'm all for a light fun, "Recruit" feels like another straight to dvd worthy episode as Clark spends a day in college and finds that the star quarterback of the university is a meteor freak. It does make for an entertaing storyline with Clark spending a day at Met U, and the colleg hijnks that happens to him like getting seduce by a group of soroity. I also loved Lois in this episode, like in the teaser when she out drinks a bunch of frat boys and karate kicks one in the gut. I even liked Clark running into Lois at Met U and him trying to hide her in one of the closets. The interaction between them is always interesting and they are the highlight of the episode.

    The main problem with the episode is the lame meteor freak plot that just bored me to tears. Chris Carmack (Geoff Johns) gives a dull performance and the character just falls flat. At the end, your supposed to feel bad for him, but considering he just tried to drown Lois, it makes no sense. Although, the situation with Geoff makes Clark realizes he never wants to cause that kinda pain just to be the best football player. Clark's decision to quit football shows much maturity in the character and he ultimately learns that some sacrifices need to be made with the power he has. "Recruit" part college comedy/part meteor freak drivel, depending on your mood, you may find this fun or just boring. I found it boring!moreless

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  • Lois gets drunk, bashes a masher, and gets arrested. Clark tries out for the Met. U. football team, learning how the world of big money sports corrupts everything. Lana learns from Lex that Jason may be hiding secrets from her.moreless

    6.5
    "Fair"
    By cxtasy, Dec 07, 2008 Report Abuse
    After last week's appearance of a more mature and admirable Lois, we could expect the trend to continue, but this story starts with a pile of wasted college students engaging in a drinking contest with her, and of course tough-gal Lois can drink anyone under the table. Binge drinking can be so much fun, the producers seem to be saying. This is another variation of their glorify-it-then-condemn-it story philosophy. And last week Lois was ridiculing the fratboys for having a puking contest. A loaded stud named Coop follows her out to the street to make a pass, so she summarily lays him out with a karate kick to the midsection and wanders back to her place in her pajamas. A disappointing beginning to what should be a good followup to Clark's grief and Chloe's discovery in "Pariah."

    Next morning, the police Lois arrest for assault - Coop is paralyzed. It's going to be tough to make something interesting out of this start. And everything from last week has been forgotten - this week it's all about football again, as Clark wants to try out for the Met. U. team. Bulldogs player Geoff shows up to take Clark to the tryouts, but we first have to listen to a ponderous script about their football exploits by means of contrived dialog, the writers thinking we'll be impressed by pumping them up through sports statistics.

    Lois makes bail with her credit card, while Chloe heads to the Met. U. financial aid office. Lois doesn't believe Coop could have suffered paralysis with just knocking the wind out of him. At least Chloe doesn't let on about what she knows about Clark, so a bit of continuity is a relief.

    Jason meets Lex about the job offer - but Jason refuses to get involved if Lex is attempting to break him away from Lana. Lex continues to emphasize the threat posed by Genevieve. Lex cites the many childhood trips she took with Jason, investigating Countess Isabel Thoreau, who possessed Lana - and finally he begins to believe Lex. Lex wants to know how those trips were connected to the mysterious Thoreau. Will Jason do it? Leave that question unanswered for the moment.

    Lois and Chloe slip into Coop's hospital room - he's unresponsive. They try to learn about his friends - flowers are from his girlfriend Monique. Meanwhile, Clark rides to the recruit ceremony in Geoff's Escalade, a $50k vehicle for a football player? Geoff talks about certain alumni loaning rides to college players, explaining to Clark, "You have to be a hero out there." The team and boosters roll out the red carpet to Clark, and we see him as a bit of a pushover, with stars in his eyes. He's soon up to his eyeballs in coeds eager to ingratiate themselves with him, who plays the innocent. Naive Clark is soon in a bedroom with them, but before they pounce on him, he x-rays someone in the closet - it's Lois, who has found Monique, and details about Coop meeting a reporter, according to Monique's diary.

    Geoff comes to see Coop in the hospital; something is starting to wear off, so he was drugged. With another touch, Geoff paralyzes Coop even more, and Geoff smothers him on the spot to prevent him from exposing Geoff's secret ability. Clark and Lois meet up with Geoff, he reports that Cooper is dead, really bad news for Lois, as she now faces a manslaughter charge. They know Cooper was going to the newspaper about something related to the football team. Clark is now is a dilemma between his desire to be a team player, and supporting the investigation by Lois.

    Lana is angry at Jason for going to work for Lex, fearing more lies and deception. Jason reassures her that he won't let it break them up, and the position Lex offered will allow him to learn more about Lex. Lana blows in to the mansion to confront Lex, but he claims to be on her side. She wants the truth - Lex contends she won't like the truth. Lex is more mature, always in control of himself despite such accusations, but he won't tell her anything.

    At a requiem held for Coop at the Bulldog's stadium (BC Place Stadium in Vancouver), there's more illegal drinking by the underage team, but Clark does not partake. He overhears Geoff with another student who expects a payoff, and detects Geoff's power to paralyze. Clark now suspects Geoff has a meteor power. When Lois tries to collar Geoff's victim, she's overheard by Geoff, who gives her a quick case of paralysis, drags her into his SUV, and departs the scene. When Chloe returns, Lois is gone. She and Clark concoct the most complicated method possible to track Geoff - get a passcode from the dealer that supplied the vehicle, hack into the TripStar system, locate the vehicle using it's GPS signal, and voila! Perform the rescue. Shouldn't take more than half a day. Script guidelines apparently mandate a hacking session for Chloe in every episode in which she appears, whether it's plausible or not.

    Geoff, meanwhile, takes Lois to an underground utility tunnel for unknown reasons, but all Lois can do is move her eyes, as Geoff prepares to kill her. An overly elaborate method of committing murder has Geoff knowing that he can flood the chamber and drown Lois. Plot gimmicks have really loaded down this episode, for no apparent reason other than to add complexity.

    Chloe drops some hints to Clark that she knows something about him, but he doesn't react. Finally, the TripStar system operator gives Clark and address for the vehicle, so he speeds out before Chloe can even move. Just as Geoff is leaving the scene of the upcoming crime, Clark arrives, but Geoff's paralysis parlor trick won't work on Clark. Geoff makes a complete confession, just falling apart in the face of Clark's anger. In a moment, he pulls Lois free of a watery grave.

    Lois is released from the hospital, Clark tells Martha and Jonathan. He now sees that he would have to have to lie and falsify documents to protect his secret, so he's decided to drop out of the football scholarship. Martha and Jonathan assure him of college help somehow, despite the family's financial crisis.

    One more update on Lex and Lana - he shows her a photo of Jason with Genevieve in Paris the day before Lana met him. Jason grew up while Genevieve was researching Isabelle and he was aware of the Countess story since he was a child. This sounds like a terrible betrayal to Lana, as Lex asks her how well she really knows Jason Teague.

    Lois comes back to the farm to thank Clark for saving her life, as he asks with some humor, "Who would have thought I'd be relieved to hear your voice?" She explains she's out of the university, busted for the booze. With no place to live, she babbles about sleeping in her car and playing the hobo lifestyle, but finally Clark extends an invite to stay with the Kents. Zow, she's off to the shower, assuring him it won't last more than 30 minutes. Cute scene, but what a manipulator. "What just happened?" the bamboozled Clark asks himself.

    Chloe happily tells Clark she got her financial aid for Met. U., obviously looking forward to seeing him there. He drops the news - he's not going. But she's proud of him - and as Clark points out that she's been saying a lot of wierd things about him being destined for greater things, she says it's just a hunch, but we see in her eyes and voice how much she now knows about him. She's almost eager to let him know that she knows, but not yet.

    In the final scene inside the stadium, we're supposed to feel Clark's anguish as he massages his painful memory of what might have been, and he slowly walks out of that empty place. Unless you're a big football fan, this whole end-of-the-world-if-you-don't-play-football scene falls flat, like much of this episode. Keeping up with the Jason-Genevieve-Lex-Lana connection is worth the effort, but even this story line is likely to be about two episodes in total length - it's just stretched out by being shown in snippets, about two cuts per week. "Recruit" is unfortunately about another trivial threat to Clark and company, and a trivial search-and-rescue plot for the Clark-Lois-Chloe team. Recommended for repeat viewing only if you forgot some of the background on the developing Lana-Jason thing. Re-run rating C-.moreless

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  • When Clark's approached for recruitment by Met U, he meets Geoff Johns, a former Smallville High football player with the ability to paralyze others with a touch. Clark learns about Geoff's ability and that Geoff's paralyzing anyone who gets in his way.moreless

    9.3
    "Superb"
    By scorpionqueen86, Nov 20, 2007 Report Abuse
    After outdrinking some frat boys at a Metropolis University frat party, Lois is harrassed by one of her drinking buddies, Coop, who unsuccessfully tries to flirt with her. She drop kicks him as soon as he tries to put a hand on her, but is arrested the following morning for having paralyzed him. She makes bail, then retreats to Smallville to enlist Chloe's help in proving her innocence. While visiting Met U for the weekend, Chloe and Clark discover that Geoff Johns, a college football star assigned to escort Clark around campus, can paralyze others with a touch. Meanwhile, Jason considers a job offer from Lex, which would mean spying on Lana and his mother Genevieve, and Lana learns that she and Jason didn't meet by accident.

    The whole Jason-Lana-Lex subplot was only semi-interesting to me, but that aside, this was an awesome episode, worthy of nine stars. Anytime Lois and Clark get together and banter, I'm there, and for some undefinable reason, I also enjoyed Clark being recruited by Met U. He got a taste of what it would be like to be a college football star, but saw the pressure Geoff was under to win and realized the scrutiny he'd be under as a college athlete. I'm not too keen on his decision to quit the sport he loves, but I liked the moral dilemma that arose from Geoff's situation: if you have special abilities, is it fair to use them on the field or any other form of competition? Anyway, I also got a kick out of the hints Chloe dropped ever since she found out Clark's secret in PARIAH.

    Highlights: Lois's drinking contest with a few frat boys; Lois walking home while trying to fend off Coop's advances; Lois waking up hungover; Jonathan and Clark discussing Clark's weekend at Met U; Lois and Chloe at Smallville High, and Chloe dropping hints to Clark; Clark's reception at the Met U football stadium; Clark being "attacked" by sorority girls; Lana confronting Lex about his job offer for Jason; Coop's wake; Lois trying to dig up information on Geoff; Clark and Chloe tracking down Lois; Clark saving Lois (:D); Clark offering to let Lois stay with him and his parents; Chloe's reaction to Clark quitting football; and Clark visiting the Met U stadium.moreless

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  • Great Episode

    10
    "Perfect"
    By Beer75, Aug 22, 2007 Report Abuse
    After a drinking competition, the winner Lois Lane hits a drunken abusive player of the Bulldog football team and later, the guy is found paralyzed and Lois is arrested for aggression. The Metropolis University offers a scholarship to Clark Kent to play football, and he is welcomed by the idol Geoff Johns (Chris Carmack). Seduced by the sorority girls and the reception of the other players, Clark takes a tough decision. Lex Luthor advises Lana Lang about the secrets of Jason Teague, including his encounter with her in Paris. In "Recruit", Clark Kent shows a great integrity, sacrificing his love for football and building the character of a future national hero. I liked the proud reaction of Chloe Sullivan. The new mystery arisen by Lex Luthor about Jason and his mother Genevieve is very promising.moreless

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  • this kid really wants to play foot ball and hell do anything to make it -even paralyzing and killing people

    7.9
    "Good"
    By 44fanatic, Jun 10, 2007 Report Abuse
    I thought geoff was cute i felt sorry that he wanted to play that bad to go to those kind of actions. anywho with the whole clark and chloe thing o my gosh!! i want clark to stop being stupid and just tell her hes pissing me off shes his best friend and future/past love yet he does know how she treats the people on the "wall of wierd". she needs to send him more signals lol but he is pretty stupid...

    finally theres dirt on jas0n he might leave woo hoo dont get me wrong -i like him i just dont like him with lana cuz... well he makes her happy lol {she doesnt deserve it anymore} and if clark and Alicia dont have each other chloe and him should , lanas just gonna ruin it AGAINmoreless

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Trivia, Notes, Quotes and Allusions

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  • Trivia

    ADD TRIVIA
    • Trivia: It's revealed that Clark is immune to the effects of alcohol. Edit
    • In the end where Geoff wants to kill Lois by drowning her, he says he wants to kill her quickly, but puts her face up where it's going to take her an extra 15 minutes to die. Edit
    • When Coop dies, none of the monitors he's hooked up to give any kind of alert even though it's clear they're still on him, registering his heart beat, etc. (In the DVD version they added his heart monitor registering his flatlining.) Edit

  • Notes

    ADD NOTES
    • The outside shot of the domed Metropolis U stadium is actually the skyline of Minneapolis, Minnesota. The stadium shown is the Humbert H. Humphrey Metrodome, home to the Minnesota Vikings. Edit
    • Another "Canadism" - the football field used as Metropolis U stadium is BC Place in Vancouver, a CFL (Canadian Football League) field. It's 110 yards instead of the normal 100 in the NFL and NCAA. Edit
    • Erica Durance is not credited in the opening or guest credits in the episode's original airing. In syndication, she is given a "Special Guest Star" credit. Edit

  • Quotes

    ADD QUOTES
    • Lois Shouldn't you be in pink elephant land right about now? Coop: I got another game for you. Only this time, we both win. Come on, baby, give me some. Lois: I've got a game for you, Football. It's called hide and go seek. You go hide, and I'll count to a billion. Ready, set, go. Coop: Oh, come on! Don't be like that! Lois: You got a girlfriend, bonehead, go bug her. Coop: Come on! (Coop lays a hand on her shoulder, but Lois knocks him to the ground) Lois: Now, don't you think hide and seek would've been a little more fun? Edit
    • Jason: Lana, the more Lex uses me, the more I get to use him and find out what he really knows. Lana: Okay, but that's just more secrets and more lies and at some point, it's all gonna blow up in our faces. Jason: Well, unfortunately when dealing with people like Lex and my mother, honesty isn't necessarily the way to go. Edit
    • Geoff: (about Lois) I can't tell you how to pick your friends, Clark, but that chick seems like trouble. Clark: I'm starting to figure that out. Edit

  • Allusions

    ADD ALLUSIONS
    • Lois: Shouldn't you be in pink elephant land right about now? Referencing the Disney movie Dumbo (1941) where at one point, the title character accidentally gets drunk and has a nightmare about pink elephants. Edit
    • Lois: I could ask you the same question, but it seems fairly obvious, Hef. Hugh Hefner is the creator of the adult magazine Playboy. He is well-known for his mansion and his many girlfriends. Edit
    • Geoff: calling Clark "C.K." as a nickname. A writers' allusion to the TV series Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman, where Jimmy Olsen's nickname for Clark was C.K. Edit

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