Originally aired January 21, 2004
Written by Ken Horton
Directed by Thomas J Wright
When Clark attempts to stop a robbery, he ends up blinded when he uses his heat vision and the heat beams are reflected off a piece of Kryptonite jewelry and back into Clark's eyes. Soon after, Clark develops super-hearing.
Tropes present in the episode:
- Big Damn Heroes: Clark arrives in time to save Pete from being crushed.
- Disability Superpower: Clark develops super-hearing after he's blinded. He retains it after he regains his sight.
- Distressed Dude: Pete, for much of the episode.
- Don't You Dare Pity Me!: When Lana tries to help a blinded Clark, Clark tells her that, just because he's blind now, doesn't mean the issues between them are gone.Lana: Well, if you need anything, I'm here for you. Class notes, help writing papers. One thing I learned from my accident is that you can't go through something like this alone.Clark: Just because I'm blind, doesn't mean the issues between us disappeared. This [gestures to his sunglasses] doesn't change anything.Lana: I was just offering a helping hand, Clark, but I won't make that mistake again. [walks off]
- Hoist by Their Own Petard: Nathan uses his sonic scream on Clark, who falls back against a pile of cars which ends up crashing down on top of Nathan (Clark super-speeds out the way).
- I Have Your Wife: Nathan kidnaps Pete in an attempt to force his mother, Judge Abigail Ross, to let Masterson walk free.
- Mythology Gag:
- Martha calls Jonathan and Clark "supermen" while railing against Jonathan for refusing to hire people to help out on the farm due to his failing health.
- After partially regaining his sight, Clark starts wearing a pair of corrective lenses.
- New Superpower: Clark gets super-hearing in this episode.
- Nice Job Fixing It, Villain: Nathan tries burning Clark's eyes with a blowtorch, but this only causes Clark to begin regaining his sight.
- Unwitting Instigator of Doom: When his super-hearing first activates, Clark overhears a private phone conversation between Chloe and Lionel in which Lionel outlines his intentions to have Lex sit in his office sharpening pencils because he believes Lex isn't up to the challenge. Later, Clark tells Lex but doesn't divulge where he got the info from. Lex later tells Lionel, who incorrectly assumes that Chloe told Lex about their private conversation. Chloe insists she isn't Lex's source, but Lionel refuses to believe her and has her column at the Daily Planet cancelled. To make matters worse, Lex fires Chloe's father from LuthorCorp to gain an advantage in his game of one-upmanship with Lionel.
- Villain of the Week: Nathan Dean, a metahuman with the ability to emit a loud, piercing whine.
- What the Hell, Hero?: Clark isn't happy when he learns that Chloe had been working for Lionel and investigating him for months.Chloe: Believe it or not, Clark, I was trying to help you.Clark: By spying on me?Chloe: No, by trying to understand why he's so intrigued with you.Clark: And if the Torch got new computers, or you made a name for yourself, that's okay, too. After accusing me of keeping secrets, how could you do this to me?!
