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Bob Rickman is an evil businessman with a supernatural power of persuasion, which he uses to buy the Kent farm despite Jonathan's repeated refusals. Clark recruits Rickman's reclusive former business partner to help undo the damage.

Director:

Chris Long

Writers:

Jerry Siegel (character created by: Superman), Joe Shuster (character created by: Superman)

Stars:

Tom Welling, Kristin Kreuk, Michael Rosenbaum

Cast

Episode cast overview:
Tom Welling	...	Clark Kent
Kristin Kreuk	...	Lana Lang
Michael Rosenbaum	...	Lex Luthor
Eric Johnson	...	Whitney Fordman
Sam Jones III	...	Pete Ross
Allison Mack	...	Chloe Sullivan
Annette O'Toole	...	Martha Kent
John Schneider	...	Jonathan Kent
Kelly Brook	...	Victoria Hardwick
Rick Peters	...	Bob Rickman
Gregory Sporleder	...	Kyle Tippet
Ben Cotton	...	Paul Hendrix
R. Nelson Brown	...	Toby - Lex's Private Doctor (as rnelsonbrown)
Mark Lukyn	...	Deputy #1
Leanne Adachi	...	Lex's Private Nurse

Storyline

Bob Rickman is an evil tycoon who intends to build a highly polluting plant in Smallville, and he needs to buy Jonathan Kent's farm. Rickman is famous because of his capacity of convincing people, but indeed he has a powerful gift of changing people's mind with his shake of hands, and he uses his new kryptonite power of persuasion against Jonathan. Meanwhile, the hermit Kyle Tippet, who was the former business partner of Rickman, helps Clark and Lex against the powerful and greedy industrialist. But Clark's quick kinship with Kyle causes a rift between him, Lana and Whitney who both dislike the mysterious hermit.

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Genres:

Adventure | Drama | Romance | Sci-Fi

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Certificate:

TV-PG

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

5 February 2002 (USA)

Filming Locations:

Vancouver Technical Secondary School, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

Company Credits

Production Co:

Tollin/Robbins Productions, Millar Gough Ink, DC Comics

Technical Specs

Runtime:

44 min

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Lana asks Clark what would he like to do later in his life, and he says: "I'm not sure, as long as it doesn't involve putting on a suit and doing a lot of flying." Later he wears suit every day on his Daily Planet job, and, of course, flies a lot as Superman.

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Goofs

(At18:00) The newspaper that Chloe is holding is obviously fake as we can see the photo has been glued to the paper instead of being printed on it.

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Quotes

Bob Rickman: Hello, Lex.
[he offers a handshake, which Lex doesn't take]
Bob Rickman: Oh, come on, Lex. This "Art of War" stuff is for amateurs.
Lex Luthor: It's not that. I just don't like you.

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Connections

References To Kill a Mockingbird (1962)

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Soundtracks

Into You
(uncredited)
Written and Performed by Jennifer Knapp

User Reviews

So much foreshadowing of whats to come

This was a fantastic episode with much foreshadowing. Clark and Lex are the ones who foreshadow what will become of both of them and a hint into their friendship. There were great quotes with Lex saying at the end of the episode that "Our friendship will be the stuff of legends." If only they knew. Another great quote was Clark saying he wants to be "Anything as long as it doesn't involve putting on a suit and doing a lot of flying". Haha.

The mutant of the week side story isn't bad either with a salesman having the power of persuasion with a shake of his hand.

Loving these early episodes with everything leading up to the later seasons where it all comes to a head.