Season 1, Episode 11: Hug

 "Hug"
Episode 11

Air Date: February 2nd, 2002

I think my only problem with this episode is that the title makes no sense and sounds dumb. "Hug"??? Shouldn't it be called "Handshake" or "Persuader" or something??? I'm just saying this is already one of those occasions where a title is so random and doesn't describe the episode in the least.  Like was Hug the only thing they could come up with writing the script??? O_o  Anyway, "Hug", as dumb of a title as it is makes for yet another superb outing for the show that pits Clark and his fellow residents against a business tycoon named Bob Rickman, who seems to literally have power over the people he makes business with....and stand in his way as we see by that chilling opening sequence of Rickman persuading a man to jump to his death from a top of a building.  Yikes!!! Once again, I love when these character come into this show as they have history with Lex that builds on his very shady past.  Michael Rosenbaum really has that cold charismatic wit that makes Lex's scenes with Rickman just pop with genuine animosity and entertaining tension.  Tho I'm growing quite bored of Victoria just being there...only seemingly being there to cause more corporate trouble for Lex and his resentment toward his father. Meh! But I really enjoy Rickman as he provides Clark with a nemesis that can control the people around him and forcing him to use his brain to find out what is really going on instead of superspeeding in and throwing someone around. 

Another side of the story that works is Kyle Tippet aka the crazy man who lives in the forest who has a past with Rickman as well as sharing the same power of persuasion that he has.  Both actors do a fine job, being the yin and yang of the shared power they have as well as Kyle's relationship with Clark that builds during the episode.  Clark will become very accustomed throughout the series to befriends the character everyone seems as odd or dangerous as the town of Smallville believe he is a serious threat when he is seen over an unconscious Lana and attacking Whitney who is under the thrall of Rickman's power.  Also a nice change of dynamic is seeing Clark and Lana at odds because of their opposite views of Kyle, Lana seeing him as a criminal while Clark may not know the whole story but knows Kyle isn't the threat that people are making him out to be.  Not to mention, Kyle gives us a hilarious sequence of persuading Chloe to kiss Clark....ha! I mean, clearly this is all about playing on Chloe's hidden love for her best friend which is kinda on the noise but it still works.  Tho I don't understand why Lana brings it up at the end of the episode when her and Clark apologize to each other??? Seriously, this teenage triangle between these three is just Zzzzzzzz....nothing really necessary about it but to give melodrama for the WB demographic watching the show.  Ugh!!!

Also, Rickman is one of those one off villains that leaves a lasting impression on the characters, not just because he make Jonathan Kent of all people sign off his farm for yet another Power Plant in Smallville, but that tension filled climax as we see Lex has been persuaded to kill both Kyle and Clark.  I have to say, this is the first of the foreshadowing rivalry between Superman and Lex we get on this show with Lex gleefully being evil and enjoying the reveal of Clark's incredible powers while Clark tries desperately stop him and protect Kyle.  The whole set up is nice, especially the sequence of Lex shooting multiple bullets into Clark.  Sure, it won't kill him but as shown in this stage of his development, Clark was clearly hurt and the way it was directed alone was just chilling! Yikes!  Just hearing what Lex really thinks of Clark and knowing he's hiding secrets from him is refreshing here....even tho it will be overused so many times during the overall duration of the series.  But here, it's shocking as hell to get a confrontation like this between the two iconic enemies this early on and the show as it did not disappoint.  "Hug" (Horrible title withstanding) is a very solid episode for the show that works from a story perspective of mystery and suspense with an unlikely ally and a menacing villain that work to build on our main characters from Kyle's friendship with Clark or Rickman's desperate attempts to get a relentlessly disdained Lex to shake his hand....what a nice cliffhanger at that scene that wonderfully set up the action confrontation at the end. :)

Final Kryptonite: A-