Smallville Wiki
Register
Advertisement

"Rabid" is the third episode in the ninth season of Smallville, and the one hundred-seventy-seventh episode overall. It aired on October 9, 2009.

Summary[]

One of Zod's soldiers goes freelance and releases a virus into the air that turns humans into zombies. The only way to stop it is to make an antidote from the blood of another Kryptonian. After Lois is infected, Chloe pleads with Clark to donate his blood to stop the epidemic, even though it risks outing him to Zod.

Recap[]

→ see also Category:Screencaps from episode 9x03

903Smallville0032

Clark wakes up alone in the city

Clark awakes alone in Watchtower. He pulls a piece of surgical tape off his arm to reveal bruises and a puncture mark. His phone rings across the room and, as he goes to get it, he passes a needle that had been dipped in kryptonite used to penetrate his skin. His phone has a text message from Oliver: "I lost her". Clark quickly ventures out into what he sees are the deserted streets of Metropolis and makes his way to the Daily Planet. Upon arriving, the basement is in disarray and music is blaring in the background. He calls Lois's name a few times before seeing her in the back of the room. But when she turns around, she utters an animal-like growl and charges at him, and her face is horribly disfigured.

12 hours earlier

903Smallville0145

Lois and Clark at the Planet

Clark is listening to the police scanner at the Daily Planet but quickly turns it off when he sees Lois arriving. Lois is delighted to have Clark back as her partner but is also a bit irritated by the Blur not contacting her. Lois gets news of a fire but Clark is able to rush off and take care of it under the guise of getting them a quick cup of coffee. Lois is marvelling at the Blur having so quickly put out the fire while Clark tries to wipe a soot-mark off his hand. They then receive a report of a high speed motorcycle chase and Clark uses his Arctic breath to cool Lois's coffee to distract her while he rushes off and stops the biker as the Blur, only to find it's Oliver. They argue and Oliver mocks Clark, referring to him as God. Clark admits he was wrong about how he dealt with Davis but Oliver throws it back in his face, asking why he feels he has to plaster his symbol around the city. Oliver then speeds away past a cop car, which turns around to chase him.

903Smallville0324

Tess is attacked by Zombies

Tess is at the mansion, going over the satellite photos of the Kryptonian symbols that have been found around the world. Two of her security guards enter and she lambastes them about not finding the new Earth-fallen Kryptonians. The longer it takes them to look for the Kryptonians, the more time they have to blend in with humanity. They are interrupted by a loud noise in the hallway and find a security guard unconscious. The power goes down and another security guard is attacked by a crazy-looking person who crashes through a window. Tess attempts to call for help but has to fight off several of the crazy people, one of whom bites her in the struggle.

903Smallville0412

Tess turns into a Zombie

Lois and Clark arrive at Metropolis General, having heard that Tess was admitted. They discuss the reason for her being there and have a spat about the Blur, who Clark claims would side with him. They overhear Dr. Coats talking about Tess having a virus and go into her room to investigate. Clark notes Tess said she was attacked by zombies. Amused, Lois asks what made "Cruella De Vil" snap. When Lois tries to question her, Tess wakes with her face horribly disfigured and she violently flings Lois across the room. Clark has to hold her down to be sedated.

At Watchtower, Chloe is working on her computer but quickly changes the display when Dr. Hamilton enters. However, he has noticed and tells her they shouldn't have secrets from each other, but she says he's in the wrong business for that. Then Clark arrives with a sample of Tess's blood for them to analyze and identify the virus. Chloe hacks into security footage from the Luther Mansion showing the zombie-like intruders, and Dr. Hamilton hypothesizes that it may be a virus that affects the rage areas of the brain.

Clark speeds Dr. Hamilton across town to speak with the doctor at Metropolis General who reveals that the virus is probably airborne, and the hospital is being quarantined, along with any other places Tess had been. They learn that she had been to the Planet, from where she was taken to the hospital. Clark realizes Lois is in danger from other infected staff at the Planet.

Clark speeds to the Daily Planet to save Lois and they fight off the horde but not before she is bitten. He gathers her up in his arms and carries her away to find someplace safe, and Lois smiles softly at this side of Clark she's never seen before.

903Smallville0496

Chloe at the Watchtower

At LuthorCorp, Oliver is with the female cop who had chased after him. He is getting drunk as she walks around in just her shirt. She finds a picture of Lois in his wallet, and he appears pained to look at it. Oliver then downs some pills, claiming to have been "awake since Tuesday and those pills are the only thing keeping me vertical". The cop embraces him and knocks off his belt buckle, which they discover has a camera built in. After a brief spat when she accuses him of using the camera to put a sexy video on the internet, the cop leaves. Oliver decides that it was Tess who planted it to spy on him.

Meanwhile, Chloe has isolated a suspect enzyme from Tess's blood and Dr. Hamilton says the DCA think the virus was deliberately released by someone. He also states that the virus induces sleep, during which it germinates and takes over the infected person. Chloe says an antidote can be made if they can find a blood type which contains that enzyme. Upon looking at the data, Dr. Hamilton says he's only seen a blood type like that once and it belonged to Davis Bloome.

903Smallville0571

The zombies attacks Lois and Clark

Clark and Lois are holed up in an office at the Planet while he wraps the wound on her leg. He tells her the infection is passed by an airborne virus, so she says they might not make it if they go outside. Saying she wouldn't want to go out without closure, she asks if he has any deep dark secrets. He dodges it by asking about hers and she tells him that she wanted to work with the Blur because she wants to be with him, saying she's never felt a connection like that before and doesn't want to be alone anymore. They gaze silently into each other's eyes for a few moments until Clark's phone rings, with a text message from Chloe to go to Watchtower. Suddenly, an infected person crashes through a glass door and Oliver follows with a 12-gauge pistol grip Remington 870 pump action shotgun which he has just fired. He says he was looking for Tess. They realize that sleeping induces the infection, so Clark leaves them boxed up in the elevator while he goes to get help, after specifically telling Oliver not to let Lois fall asleep.

Clark speeds to Watchtower and agrees to their plan to draw his blood using a needle dipped in liquid kryptonite. This proves extremely painful for Clark and renders him unconscious. Chloe and Dr. Hamilton have no choice but to leave him there so they can produce and deliver the antidote in the water supply.

903Smallville0606

Clark saves Lois

Ollie and Lois are trying to stay awake as Lois comments about how far he has fallen, seeing him take pills to stay awake. Then Oliver catches sight of himself in a mirror and tells her to say he's full of it and that he misses her. But when he turns back to her, she has fallen asleep. He tries to wake her, but the rage takes over and she leaps through the ceiling of the elevator.

Back at Watchtower, Clark awakes to his phone going off.

Chloe and Dr. Hamilton are aboard the Queen Industry jet, having already released the antidote into the water supply and now ready to release it into the clouds so it will mix with the coming rainstorm. Dr. Hamilton tells Chloe that he knows she has been tracking all the heroes, trying to protect them. She asks if he will keep her secret and he says she'll have to trust him.

At the Daily Planet, Lois attacks Clark, throwing him through a window into the street outside. He restrains her and tells her she will be ok, just as the rain begins to fall. She continues to struggle for a few moments before going limp, and soon wakes up normal. They embrace in the rain as other citizens of Metropolis fill the streets, also cured.

Clark finds Oliver drinking in an alley and yells at him for not being able to do something so simple as keeping Lois awake, asking if any part of the person he used to know is still there. Oliver admits that he looked in a mirror and Clark was right: he'd been running away from who he really is but now he knows. He thanks Clark, who leaves, and then pulls his Green Arrow suit out of a bag as he walks into the alley. He pours the remainder of his booze on it and sets it on fire.

At the farm, Clark is going through his wallet and finds an old picture of Lana. He puts it in an old photo album next to other photos of her. Lois enters and thanks him for helping her, saying she didn't remember being a zombie. But she did remember seeing a new side of Clark, which "starts with an 'H' and ends with an 'ero'." He jokes that he wasn't even wearing red and blue, and she claims he has a long way to go before he can do that. She says they make a good team, but that he never did tell her his secret. As he tries to think of something to say, she says "Relax" and goes to punch his arm, but he instinctively grabs her arm and she smiles at him, telling him to save the mystery. She leaves, but just outside the door she momentarily has the same vision that has been haunting her dreams. She leaves quickly as Clark looks on concerned from inside the house.

903Smallville1398

Zod sees the symbol for the House of El

Dr. Coats, the hospital doctor who treated Tess, enters an abandoned warehouse, and it becomes clear that he is one of Zod's soldiers. He is reprimanded by Major Zod for having released the virus because Zod fears it will break their cover. Coats says that, while it was a risk, it confirmed his suspicions that Jor-El survived and has taken the power from the yellow sun and is using his powers to be a savior for humans. He presents Zod with the symbol for the House of El as proof. Zod asks if he was successful in finding this man, and Coats presents him with the vial of the blood used to create an antidote. Zod seems to congratulate him and tells him to kneel, but he then cuts off his head with a sword. He stands over the body, in the sunlight shining through a skylight in the ceiling.

Cast[]

Starring[]

Guest Starring[]

Co-Starring[]

Uncredited[]

Mentioned[]

Featured Music[]

  • Brian Tichy - "Hate Fueled Man"

Title[]

  • Rabid means to be extremely furious and/or infected with rabies, a severe viral disease that is spread through biting.
  • In this case, it refers to a viral disease that turns people in Metropolis into rabid zombies, which are known in the horror genre to spread their infection by biting their victims.

Notes[]

Normal 9x3 (480)

Ripped shirt.

  • Antagonist: Coats
  • Clark’s Abilities: Super-Speed, Super-Breath, Arctic breath, Super-Strength, Super-Hearing
  • Oliver burns his Green Arrow outfit at the end of the episode, marking a full decline for him, which started last year. (Doomsday)
  • This is one of the few episodes this season that does not feature any new DC comic book characters.[1]
  • The term 'zombie' is mentioned once when Clark & Lois are in the hospital visiting Tess. Lois: "Seriously? Alien orbs, now she's rambling about zombies?"
  • Clark is puzzled at how Hamilton is going to extract a sample of his blood. This is strange, since in Phoenix, he personally provided a sample by cutting his arm with a sharp piece of kryptonite. Also, the negative effects on Clark appeared much weaker that time, so it's unclear why the same method wasn't used again instead of actually injecting him with the dangerous substance.

In The Comics[]

  • In Lois's vision, the flag with the symbol of the House of El, apparently created from the remains of Clark's uniform, is similar to an image in the comic book storyline "The Death of Superman."

Trivia[]

  • Jody Thompson appears as a police officer who makes out with Oliver. She also appeared as Gia in Season Five's Fade, where she kissed Clark.
  • At the beginning of the episode, Clark wakes up and finds Metropolis deserted. This bears a strong resemblance to the first scene of the film 28 Days Later. The appearance and behavior of the virus-infected zombies is also very similar to the "Rage"-infected zombies from the same film. The opening sequence is also similar to the ending sequence from the film Resident Evil.
  • This is the second episode of the season in which all main cast members appear, which is rare for Smallville in recent years.
  • Lois's outfit is similar to Jill Valentine's outfit in Resident Evil 3. Mainly the blue top and the black knee-high boots.

Continuity[]

  • This is the third episode to feature a virus. The first was Scare where LuthorCorp's serum caused several townsfolk to be overcome by their inner fears. The second was Thirst where Buffy Sanders was infected by a kryptonite-based vampire bat rabies.
  • This is the third consecutive episode in which Lois has had the same vision. In Savior and Metallo, it appeared in her dreams, but in this episode she is conscious.
  • Lana Lang is shown in a photo. The last time Lana was on screen was in Requiem.
  • Tess was investigating the Kryptonians after she released them from the Orb in Doomsday and they disappeared in Savior.
  • Oliver returns to Metropolis after he left in Doomsday.
  • Emil Hamilton comes to help Chloe again. He was last seen in Metallo.
  • Clark and Emil both mentioned Davis Bloome. He was last seen in Doomsday.
  • Doomsday was mentioned by Oliver. He was last seen in Doomsday.
  • This episode marks the third appearance of Clark's 'black' Blur outfit, which he wears frequently throughout season 9 (except for Kandor, Absolute Justice, Part 1, and Escape) and in the Season Ten premiere Lazarus. He previously wore this outfit in Savior and Metallo.
  • George the security guard was last seen in Savior.
    • This is George's 10th and final episode. He's the 8th most frequently seen recurring character in the series after Jor-El, Nancy Adams, Brainiac, Emil Hamilton, Ethan Miller, John Jones, and Nell Potter.
    • Despite being one of the more frequently seen recurring characters in the series, George's actor Mike Dopud never received "Guest Starring" billing that appears right after the opening credits in any of his episodes.

Allusions[]

  • Oliver makes a reference to the video game series Resident Evil when he says, "I was looking for Tess when the whole building went Resident Evil." This episode is very similar to the video game and film series Resident Evil, in which a virus which turns people into zombies is created by an evil corporation known as the Umbrella Corporation and is released into Raccoon City.
  • Lois refers to Tess as "Cruella", referencing the Disney villain, Cruella De Vil, an insane rich fashionista obsessed with turning 99 Dalmatian puppies into a fur coat.

Locations[]

Quotes[]

Clark: Everything okay? You just seem a little off.
Lois: The only thing I'm off is a certain blurry butt-kicker's to-do list. Little over a week and not so much as a 'Sorry, I've been busy saving the world, but gotta run.'
Clark: I didn't realize the two of you were actually seeing each other now.
Lois: At this point it's not really seeing, so much as still looking, but... a girl's gotta hope.

Lois: Okay, get your engines going. Looks like there's a major fire on East Brunswick.
Clark: You know, if we're gonna be here all night, I'll get some coffee.
Lois: That's what I love about you, Smallville. (Clark disappears) I say 'fire,' you say 'food.' (Clark reappears, coffee in hand) I'll take mine black. (pauses, surprised) That was quick. Do you smell smoke?
Clark: No.
Lois: (checking computer) The fire just got put out. By the Blur. He is so amazing. Here you and I are, just having a coffee, while he's out squelching five-alarm fires in three seconds flat.
Clark: (proudly) Two seconds.
(Lois gives him a look)
Clark: ...Not that anyone's counting.

(Oliver is sitting in an alley drinking when he hears Clark's telltale "whoosh")
Oliver: There we go.

Clark: Oliver. Is this your idea of fun now that you've hung up your bow?
Oliver: Should have known it was you. Clark Kent, the king of buzzkill. You and your pet rock put on a hell of a barbecue, but I had my money on Doomsday, so...
Clark: You can try and play it off as a joke. But I know that the loss of Jimmy affected us both.
Oliver: Well, I guess God's got a sick sense of humor. Oh, I'm sorry. I shouldn't be taking your name in vain.

Clark: I'm trying to make up for what happened, not add myself to the casualty list.
Oliver: Yeah, well, I can't get my thrills leaping tall buildings or outrunning speeding bullets. We mere mortals, we have to rely on a tweaked-out Ducati and the open road.

Oliver: Who are you, huh? Wha-what's all this, what's the 'S' stand for? What is that, 'Superstar'?
Clark: It gives people hope.
Oliver: I'll tell you what, Clark. Why don't you, uh, go ahead and plaster your symbol of superiority all over the city so people can worship you like some kind of modern Jesus. That's what you want, right? That's why you're here? Here to save us?

"Don't you want to find out what made Cruella snap?"
— Lois, to Clark, about Tess's claim about being attacked by zombies
Lois: Look, I respect how quickly you managed to get the lowdown on Little Miss Lithium's mental break. [But] sometimes, you can be a little gullible.
Clark: Really. Why don't you call your new best friend, get him to weigh in on it?
Lois: I-I'm not going to cry wolf just to get a pity call from Studly Do-Right.
Clark: Something tells me he'd side with me on this one, anyway.
Lois: (laughs) Why? Because you have so much in common?

Clark: Can you run a blood test on this? It belongs to Tess Mercer. She's infected with something. Lois and I went to go see her at Met Gen, she attacked us both.
Chloe: That's different than the way she is on every other day, how?

Chloe: (viewing Tess' security footage) It looks like she had some visitors this evening. (one turns, revealing a zombie) And not the friendly kind.

Lois: Oliver? What are you doing here?
Oliver: I was looking for Tess when the whole building went Resident Evil.

Oliver: Got any idea what triggered this sudden appetite for human carpaccio?
Lois: All I know is, one minute, my copy editor's dozing, the next, he's trying to bite my face off.
Clark: Same thing happened to Tess. She was asleep. When she woke up, she became one of them.
Oliver: You think this thing incubates when people are sleeping.
Lois: Let's hope not. We only have a few hours till four million people get up to go to work.
Oliver: That's one hell of a rush hour.

Emil: I could try. It'll take me at least a half hour to cross town.
Clark: Do you get motion sickness?
Emil: Mm, not really. Why do you ask?
(Clark grabs Emil and super-speeds away, leaving Chloe alone)
Chloe: Really?

Emil: I'd prefer if there were no secrets between us.
Chloe: Then you're in the wrong business.

Emil: Huh. I've only ever seen an enzyme like that once before. In Davis Bloome.

Emil: Chloe, I found the antidote, but we're running out of time. Where's this mystery, extraterrestrial specimen with Davis Bloome's blood type?
(Clark super-speeds in)
Clark: You're looking at him.
Emil: Well, that explains a lot.

Chloe: I'm not sure if you've noticed, but the people who are the worst at taking care of themselves are the ones the world actually needs the most.

Clark: Is there any part of the person I used to know still there?
Oliver: Maybe not.

Lois: I just came by to say thanks. And to apologize, if I tried to rip your head off or anything.

Lois: I do remember seeing a whole new side of Clark Kent.
Clark: Which side was that?
Lois: I'll give you a hint. It starts with "H" and ends with "ero."
Clark: I wasn't even wearing red or blue.
Lois: Well, you've got a long ways before you can do that.

Lois: Last year, when I was talking with the Red-Blue Blur... for the first time in my life, I was doing something that mattered. And I wanted to work with him because we did such good things together. But then I started to realize that I wasn't just doing it to save people... I was doing it for me. I just wanted to be with him.

External links[]

References[]


Previous Story:
Metallo
Next Story:
Echo
EpisodesSeason 1 · 2 · 3 · 4 · 5 · 6 · 7 · 8 · 9 · 10

Minor CharactersSeason 1 · 2 · 3 · 4 · 5 · 6 · 7 · 8 · 9 · 10

Screencaps: Season 1 · 2 · 3 · 4 · 5 · 6 · 7 · 8 · 9 · 10

CategoriesMain Characters · Relationships · Villains

ComicsThe Comic · Season 11 · Miniseries


Advertisement