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"Fracture" is the twelfth episode in the seventh season of Smallville, and the one hundred-forty-fourth episode overall. It aired on February 14, 2008.

Summary[]

Lois follows Lex to Detroit and discovers he has found Kara, who has amnesia. A busboy who is obsessed with Kara, fears Lex will take her away, so he shoots Lex and holds Kara and Lois captive. After Lex's comatose body is found, Chloe offers to heal him, but Clark refuses to let her.

Recap[]

→ see also Category:Screencaps from episode 7x12

Lex's memories are in green.

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Lex and Lois in Detroit.

During a stormy night in Detroit, Lois Lane is pursuing Lex Luthor, who is looking for Kara Kent. Since Lex attached a GPS device to Kara, he knows she is within 100 yards. After Lois leaves to go look for her, Lex picks up Kara's cuff bracelet. Meanwhile, Lois finds Kara locked behind a fence by a guy named Jacob Finley. Lois tries to find something to pick the lock, but she turns around and Finley points a gun at her. Lex arrives at the scene and points a gun at Finley in order to have him let go of Lois. As Lois breaks free of Finley's grasp, he and Lex shoot each other. Finley is wounded in his left shoulder. Lex is shot right between his eyes.

Finley locks Lois behind the fence with Kara, saying he will get them some money and then figure out what to do with Lois. Kara unties Lois's hands and explains that she got amnesia about a month ago. She wandered into a diner and met a waitress who gave her a job and a place to stay. Finley, who is a busboy, seemed very nice to her and she had no idea that he could snap so easily.

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Lana helps Clark and Chloe.

Clark Kent and Chloe Sullivan meet Lionel Luthor at the Smallville Medical Center, where Lex has been transferred. The neurosurgeon removed the bullet, but there is a strong chance that Lex may never recover. Chloe tells Clark that there are no suspects and no witnesses, even though many police are on the case. Lionel hands Clark a cell phone that he got from a cop in Detroit. On the phone, there is a picture taken less than twelve hours ago of Lex talking to Kara. Identifying the phone as Lois's, Chloe sees that Lois and Kara are in danger, especially since Kara doesn't have her powers. Chloe offers to heal Lex so he can tell Clark where Kara is, but Clark refuses to let her since he is afraid of the possibility that Chloe might die permanently.

At the Isis Foundation, Lana Lang brings up some information on Project Intercept, a Luthor Corp project developed for the military. It literally allows the interrogator to get inside the subject's head by linking their brainwaves. LuthorCorp still owns all the equipment, but the project was shut down several months ago after three of the interrogators died.

Project Intercept

Clark enters Lex's mind with Project Intercept.

Wanting to do the procedure himself, Clark goes to the LuthorCorp lab where Project Intercept is being held. Lana and Chloe are both very concerned for his safety, but he feels that it is his responsibility to find Kara. Lionel enters with a lab technician who explains that Lex will have no memory of Clark entering his mind. Lex's freshest memories will most likely be first. As Clark attaches himself to the equipment, Lionel explains that the only link between Lex's sub-conscious and reality will be a red door. The lab tech then starts the procedure, linking Clark and Lex's minds.

Clark emerges through the red door into a very dark and dreary corridor. He starts walking through and peers through a hole in a window, seeing Kara floating in the water before she saved Lex. While Clark continues walking, a young boy stares at him from the other side of the window. Unaware that the boy is following him, Clark enters a room and sees another one of Lex's memories.

Fracture

Clark watches Lex and Kara talk.

At a diner in Detroit, Kara is a waitress talking to Finley, a busboy. Clark calls her name, but he can't interact with any of the people in Lex's memories. Kara walks past him and offers coffee to Lex, who is becoming a regular customer at the diner. Lex kindly introduces himself and Kara introduces herself as Linda. He remarks that the name Linda doesn't really fit her. Trusting Lex, Kara tells him that she has amnesia and she doesn't know where else to go. Lex offers to get her some of the best doctors in the world, who can help her regain her memory. While Kara and Lex talk, Finley looks on with a jealous stare.

Interrupting Clark from viewing his memory, Lex appears in the hallway and starts choking Clark, telling him to get out of his head. The young boy appears and knocks Lex out with a baseball bat, explaining to Clark that Lex has been trying to kill him for quite some time now. The boy introduces himself as Alexander, Lex's young, good side. He takes Clark's hand and they run down the hallway, getting away from Lex. While Clark and Alexander continue to run down the labyrinthine corridors of Lex's mind, Alexander explains that Lex thinks he is weakening him. Alexander shows Clark into a locked room which Lex never visits. Before going to hide in a hole, he calls Clark his best friend. Back in the LuthorCorp lab, the lab tech tells Lionel that Clark is going in deeper than anyone has ever gone before.

Fracture245

Lionel and Lillian argue about Veritas.

Clark closes the door behind him and sees an outraged Lionel enter young Alexander's room, accusing Alexander of going through his briefcase. In fear, Alexander backs away from Lionel and claims he never opened the briefcase. Lionel grabs him and throws him into a table when Alexander refuses to confess what he's done. Alexander finally admits that his mother was actually the one who went through Lionel's briefcase. Lillian appears in the doorway and demands to know what Veritas is. She immediately begins fighting with Lionel, but he throws her to the floor and warns her to stay out of his business. Lillian harshly leaves the room, and Clark looks stricken as he watches the scene unfold.

Clark wanders into another room in Lex's mind and sees Lex giving Kara a necklace at the diner. She calls Lex a great humanitarian, caring more about people than money. Apparently, Lex has already arranged for his doctors to meet with Kara and get her the treatment she needs. After Kara goes to say goodbye to Finley, Lois arrives and shows Lex a picture she took of him talking to Kara, claiming she is going to show Clark. Lex pockets the phone. Lois and Lex both hear Kara scream and they go to investigate. In the lab, the technician tells Lionel that Clark is in too deep, and they have never been able to get anyone back from this point. Unable to pull Clark from the procedure, it is up to Clark to exit on his own.

Lex and Alexander

Lex chokes Alexander.

In Lex's mind, Lex grabs Clark and decides to give him the "grand tour". He pushes Clark into a room and shows Clark a memory of Lex having sex with Lana. Lex holds Clark's head in place and forces Clark to watch as Lana tells Lex that she will love him forever. With a smug grin on his face, Lex lets go of Clark. Clark runs through the hallway and meets Alexander who tells Clark that he found Lois and Kara. Alexander leads Clark to another room. Finding himself in the rainy Detroit junkyard, Clark sees Lex and Finley shoot each other. He picks up Lex's phone and see Kara's location with the GPS device Lex attached to her.

Clark starts to leave Lex's mind, but he sees Lex choking Alexander. Deciding whether to save Alexander or exit through the red door, Clark runs after Lex. Back in the lab, Lex has just flatlined. Doctors attempt to bring Lex back to life with a defibrillator. In Lex's mind, Clark seems to be affected by the shock delivered to Lex's heart. Wondering what is taking so long, Chloe enters the lab. Lionel explains that if Lex dies, Clark dies with him.

Chloe heals Lex 2

Chloe heals Lex.

With everyone except for Lionel cleared out of the lab, Chloe hesitantly uses her healing power on Lex. At this time, Lex's dark mind lights up and Clark attacks Lex just as he was ready to kill Alexander. Clark continues to punch Lex, then runs down the hallway toward the red door. Just as he is about to enter it, Alexander begs him not to leave. Before leaving, Clark makes Alexander promise that they will see each other again and that he won't stop fighting. As the door fades away, Clark runs toward it and says goodbye to Alexander, leaving Lex's mind. Clark quickly detaches himself from the lab equipment and finds Chloe unconscious in Lionel's arms. Lionel says that she needs a doctor, but Clark just tells him to take her home, saying that a doctor can't help her.

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Lois and Kara escape.

In the junkyard in Detroit, Lois is picking the lock when she and Kara see Finley drive up. They try to run away, but Finley finds them and points a gun at them, saying he just wanted to protect Linda. He prepares to shoot them to avoid them turning him in and sending him to prison. Clark super-speeds to the scene and pushes a stack of cars towards him, making him back away in a hurry and separating him from Kara and Lois. Clark grabs him, throwing him which incapacitates him. He super-speeds away before Lois and Kara see him. They climb on top of the knocked over cars and stare at Finley, confused.

At the Smallville Medical Center, Lex wakes up, very confused about why he is completely fine. Lionel tells him a possible cover story: that he saved a dose of Oliver Queen's RL65 for himself, but decided to use it on Lex instead. Finally, Lionel tells Lex that he loves him, but Lex leaves without saying anything.

Clark has been waiting at the Talon apartment where Chloe has finally woken up. He confronts her about the fact that she was dead for eighteen hours. Worried about her, he tells her she can never use her power again because she might remain dead, but Chloe reminds him that it is her decision to make. Chloe begins to think that she might be pushing her luck with dying. When asked if she will ever use her powers again, Chloe just says she is confused about why she was chosen to be in charge of such an amazing gift.

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Lex talks to Kara.

Clark enters the Luthor Mansion and asks Lex why he was in Detroit with Kara and didn't bother to call him. Lex says that he did call, but Lana hung up on him twice. Clark goes on to say that he still cares about what Lex thinks, and he has seen that there is still good in Lex.

At the Talon, Lex visits Kara, who is listening to what used to be her favorite song. Kara notices that Lex doesn't have a scar on him, and Lex just says that he knows some talented doctors. As Kara continues to trust Lex, she tells him that she feels Clark is hiding something from her. Lex explains that they used to be friends, but he "grew up". Once again, Lex convinces Kara that this treatment will help her regain her memories and find out the truth about her life.

Cast[]

Starring[]

Guest Starring[]

Co-Starring[]

Mentioned[]

Featured Music[]

  • "Last Page" - Unease
  • "Is This Where" - Julie Gribble
  • "Say it Again" - Marie Digby

Title[]

  • Fracture means "a break, breach, or split".
  • In this episode, Lex's personality is shown as being split in two: a young good Alexander, and an older evil Lex.
  • The episode also shows how Lionel and Lillian's parenting fractured Lex, and started the young good Alexander down the path towards becoming the older evil Lex.
  • Clark breaches into Lex's head.

Notes[]

  • Antagonist: Jacob Finley/Lex Luthor (Mind's Dark Side)
  • Clark’s Abilities: Super-Speed, Superhuman Strength, Super Memory, Invulnerability (Nervous System),
  • Jimmy Olsen does not appear in this episode.
  • The line, "If there's one thing I've learned, it's that anything lost can be found again" was said twice in this episode: from Lex to Kara, and from Clark to Lex. Lex said the same thing to Mikhail Mxyzptlk in Jinx.
  • This is the second time Clark has toppled over a stack of crushed automobiles. The first time he did it by accident, though he was able to super speed out of the way in time.
  • Clark knows Lex is lying about calling him twice because Lana was no longer living at the Kent Farm at the time. She decided to stay with Chloe temporarily, which happened in Siren.
  • Despite Lois's reported familiarity with Kara, this is the first episode in which they've had any apparent significant interaction or screentime together (Kara knocked Lois unconscious at super-speed in Kara, and Durance and Vandervoort shared no scenes in Blue).
  • Though Lana and Lex would continue to be adversaries into Season 8, this is, peculiarly, the last episode of the series in which Kristen Kreuk and Michael Rosenbaum share a scene together.

In Other Media[]

  • Lex's white suit in his mind is similar to Lex's appearance in Superman: Doomsday.
  • Amnesiac Kara goes by the name "Linda," which is a nod to "Linda Lee Danvers," one of Supergirl's personae from the comics.

Trivia[]

  • The plot of this episode closely resembles the movies The Cell and The Matrix. It has also some similarities to the film Inception, released over two years later in 2010.
  • This episode uses almost identical sound effects/musical cues as the BBC series Torchwood, which has also guest starred James Marsters.[1]
  • Corey Sevier (who plays Finley) is Laura Vandervoort's real life fiance as of February 28, 2014. [1] They broke up in 2011

Continuity[]

  • Kara has been missing since Blue.
  • Lionel tells Lex that he Healed him with Queen Industries' RL65 healing drug, seen being manufactured last year in Rage.
  • This is the third time that Lex has a prolonged dream sequence while undergoing a near-death experience. The other two instances were in Season Five's Lexmas and Void.
  • Lex wears the same white suit he wore in Cassandra Carver's vision in Hourglass and in his hallucination in Scare.
  • Chloe mentions when she Healed Jimmy, which occurred in Gemini. Clark also reminds her of her incident in Bizarro when she ended up in a morgue after using her powers.
  • The first memory that Clark saw was Kara floating in the water before she saved Lex, which occurred in Bizarro.
  • Lillian Luthor was last seen in Void.
  • Young Lex was wearing his Excelsior Academy uniform, the prep school he was seen attending in Memoria and Reunion. It is revealed in Veritas that this childhood version of Lex is him at age nine, just before he was caught in the 1989 meteor shower.
  • This is the second time Lex's good and evil sides of him are portrayed as two different people. Although done in a different manner, the first time was in the Season Four episode Onyx. However, in Onyx, it was Alexander who represented Lex's darker side, rather than Lex himself as he hadn't given into evil yet.
  • This is the first episode in which the stained-glass window behind Lex's desk shows the Veritas logo.
  • Lex previously stated in Truth, and implied in Stray, that he wanted Lionel to tell him he loved him. Lionel tells Lex he loves him for the first time ever in this episode. However, the declaration seems to have no effect on him. This is likely meant to indicate that with Lex's evil side now dominant, he no longer cares about his father's love.
  • This is the first episode in which the term "Veritas" is actually spoken when Lilian confronts Lionel about it in one of Lex's flashbacks. The Veritas symbol can also be seen on the shield of one of young Lex's toy soldiers in the same flashback.
  • This episode marks the 68th appearance of Clark's red jacket & blue shirt outfit, which he wears frequently throughout the series.

Allusions[]

  • Lois tells Lex that she "never planned on being your Sundance Kid." This is a reference to the film, "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid", which ends as Butch and the Sundance Kid have a last stand against the Bolivian cavalry.
  • When Clark says "You're stronger than you think..." to the young Lex in the dream sequence, it closely resembles a scene in Grant Morrison's All Star Superman where Superman saves Regan, a girl who was attempting to jump off a roof. He tells her that she's "much stronger than you think you are. Trust me." This shows Clark/Superman already starting to inspire the human race.

Locations[]

Quotes[]

Lois: What are we doing, Lex?
Lex: No one asked you to be here, Lois.
Lois: Trust me, I never planned on being your Sundance Kid, especially in the armpit of Motor City.

Finley: Hey, bald man, look, is it really worth killing her to get to me?
Lois: Rhetorical question, Lex!

Doctor: I watched three field officers die after their brains went into electro-neural shock. That machine is a deathtrap.
Lionel: I pay you a small fortune, doctor, so please withhold your negative opinions.

Clark: Speaking of heartbeats, you didn't have one for over 18 hours.
Chloe:I was hoping we could skip the lecture and go straight to the "welcome back" dinner. I'm starving.
Clark: It's 15 hours longer than the last time, Chloe. I've been sitting here, literally, trying to think about what to say at your funeral.
Chloe: Well, let's both be glad that I'm alive, 'cause I know how much you hate giving speeches.

Chloe: Maybe I am pushing my luck with this whole death thing. I mean, it is death, after all.

Lionel: There is something I was afraid that I would never get the chance to tell you.
Lex: Yeah? And what's that?
Lionel: I love you, Lex. My son.

Lex: It's like a reflex. I see you and start defending myself.
Clark: That's what guilt does to a person.

Clark: There's a side of you that knows what's right.
Lex: Wow. Now what would I do without Clark Kent, voice of reason?
Clark: That voice isn't me, Lex, it's you.

Clark: Well Lex, there's nothing lost that can't be found.

Kara: See, Clark didn't even mention that you were friends. What happened?
Lex: I grew up.

Lex: There's nothing that's lost that can't be found again.

References[]

External links[]


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CategoriesMain Characters · Relationships · Villains

ComicsThe Comic · Season 11 · Miniseries


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