The Credible Nerds

Pete Ross is back!! I didn't realize how much I missed Pete until I saw him back on the show. While I would occasionally wonder what happened to him and felt it a shame that he was no longer a regular, This episode made me realize that Smallville needs more Pete. With Pete back in Smallville, it wasn't just a cameo appearance, we were able to see how Pete gained powers and had to face the same trials that Lana Lang had to face a few episodes ago when she was given Clark Kent's powers. He felt he could handle them like Clark has and could be a Hero. Again, the subject matter of Clark hiding out and not going public with his powers for the good of humanity was addressed. Again, Clark declines to go public and to stay in the shadows. Pete's powers were similar to Elastic Man from the fantastic four. He could stretch his body anyway he wanted. However, these powers were only due to kryptonite infected gum and would only be usable when he was chewing the gum and were temporary. Pete learned first hand how hard it is for Clark to keep his secret and gained a greater appreciation for Clark and their friendship deepened. While Pete is only back for this episode, I hope that he comes back to Smallville at a later date and that we get to see more of Pete in action.

FULL REVIEW:

Jimmy Olsen and Kara Kent are out on a date and go to a club, held in the gum factory of Stride, in hopes to renew Kara's memories. Jimmy goes to get Kara a drink. We then see Pete Ross as he is at the club too. He's looking for some gum, and he goes backstage and finds an open box of gum and gets some.

Back at the dance floor, One Republic is playing for the crowd and Kara is dancing to the music. We see Pete put a piece of green gum in his mouth, and it glows at it appears to be meteor rock infused. Jimmy comes back and takes a cell phone photo of Kara dancing and Pete is in the background. A speaker breaks loose and is about to fall on Kara. Pete goes to grab Kara, and his arms stretch and grab Kara. Jimmy has captured the ordeal on his camera. Pete looks at his arms in wonder.

At the Kent farm, Lionel Luthor is visiting with Lana Lang and Clark Kent. They discuss how Kara still has amnesia and how they should tell her the truth about who she is. Kara is spending a lot of time with Lex Luthor, Pete shows up at the Kent farm and they renew their friendship.

At the Luthor mansion, Kara visits Lex and they talk about how Kara is trying to recover her memories. Kara asks Lex how well he knows Clark and if he trusts him. Lex says he can't and that Clark is evasive. Kara questions why Clark isn't telling her the truth. Lex talks to her about the symbols on her bracelet and how they are important to revealing her identity and that Clark knows something.

Back at the farm, Clark and Pete are playing ball. Clark goes to dunk, but Pete steals the ball with his stretch arms. They talk about Lionel and how all of a sudden he's a saint. They talk about how Pete has changed his whole life because of Clark and to protect his secret. Pete reveals his new ability and Clark tells him that they need to find a way to reverse it. Pete gets angry and accuses Clark of being jealous and that he isn't going to try and hide his abilities like Clark has been. He threatens Clark that if he tries to stop him, then he will reveal Clark's abilities. Pete leaves angry.

At the Daily Planet, Jimmy shows up to talk with Chloe Sullivan and he shows Chloe the picture. She recognizes Pete and fills Jimmy in on their past friendship. He wants to expose Pete and his powers to bring a positive spin to meteor freaks. He has interviewed Pete and Chloe offers to review the interview before publishing it. Chloe goes to close the window showing the Pete Ross picture, the files were being uploaded to another computer.

Chloe goes up to Lex's office and accuses Lex of stealing her files. While we the the audience saw the file being uploaded to Lex's computer and Lex doesn't tell Chloe. Lex tells Chloe that she doesn't have rights working for him and threatens to fire her if she doesn't back down.

At the Stride factory, Jimmy is there talking with people and Clark shows up and he and Jimmy talk about Pete. Jimmy wants to expose his powers to improve the meteor freaks reputation, while Clark wants to protect Pete by not revealing his powers. Jimmy leaves and Clark walks past a stack of Stride boxes and is weakened. He moves the boxes and sees a crack in the concrete with a stream of liquid with the neon green glow.

Pete shows up to the Daily Planet and he and Chloe hug and talk about Chloe's job at the Planet. She reveals that Lex is hacking into her computer and monitoring all the computer's on the network. Chloe indicates that the only way to stop that would be to unleash a virus into the system. Pete reveals his ability to Chloe and she cautions him, while Pete doesn't agree with that. Pete urges her to publish his story on the front page regardless of what other meteor freaks think and how it will affect them.

At the Kent barn, in the loft, Kara is going through Clark's things and Lana catches her. Kara asks Lana about the symbols, and Lana gives a evasive answer. Kara reveals that she knows that Lana knows about them and that Lex has told her about the symbols. Lana warns Kara about Lex and to not trust him. Kara pleads with Lana to tell her the truth, but Lana is quiet. Kara promises her that she will uncover the truth sooner or later.

At the Planet, Jimmy comes into Lex's office and finds Pete on Lex's computer. Pete is uploading a virus to the computer system. Lex walks in and finds Pete and tries to convince Pete to work for him. Lex tells him that he thinks Kara's bracelet is locked in Lionel's vault and he wants Pete to recover it. Pete still says he won't do it, but then Lex tells Pete that if he doesn't then he will tell the world that Chloe is a meteor freak too. This reveal stuns Pete, and Jimmy who is still watching from the shadows.

Clark shows up to the Planet and talks with Chloe about the Stride gum factory and how he discovered the source of Pete's powers. He has destroyed the meteor infected gum and tells Chloe that the gum is affecting Pete's personality. Chloe notices that all of the computers have suddenly crashed due to a virus. Chloe realizes it was Pete. Just then Jimmy comes in and tells them how Pete is going to steal something for Lex.

At LuthorCorp, Pete goes up to Lionel's office and finds the secret vault, which everyone seems to know where it is. Pete uses his powers to open the vault and finds the bracelet inside. He turns around and Clark is standing there. They discuss how Lex is trying to get to Pete to reveal his secret. He asks if he knew Lionel had the bracelet. Pete tells Clark that he will take care of Lex so that he won't be a problem anymore. He pulls out a kryptonite rock from the vault and leaves it on a weakened Clark along with the bracelet.

Pete goes back to the factory, with One Republic putting on another concert in the background, to meet with Lex and starts to choke him. Pete is blindsided by a henchman, and his power is gone. Pete is manhandled by Lex and his guard. He tells Lex that he won't give him the bracelet no matter what.

Back at LuthorCorp, Lionel walks in finding Clark with the Kryptonite. He removes the rock and Clark takes the bracelet and tells Lionel that they will talk later and he rushes off to save Pete.

At the factory Pete is tied up to a chair and Lex is asking for the bracelet. Pete tells him that he doesn't have it and he never did. Lex gives the approval for the henchman to torture Pete. Clark arrives and takes out the henchman and Lex without them realizing who it is. He frees Pete and Pete thanks him.

At the Kent farm, Clark and Pete, with a broken arm, talk about what happened. Pete apologizes for acting the way he did. They talk about Clark's secret and how hard it is to keep it. Pete realizes that he has a hero inside of him, and that he needs to find out another way to save the world.

Pete goes to the Planet and apologizes to Chloe for the way he acted. He tells Chloe that he knows she has a power, but he doesn't have to know what it is. They embrace and Jimmy shows up and sees them. Jimmy feels threatened and Chloe tells him, again, they are just friends. Chloe asks about his date with Kara, but Jimmy tells her that it has fizzled. Jimmy tells Chloe that he is still interested in her, they agree to go out for coffee.

At the Kent barn, Clark hides Kara's bracelet in a box under the floor in the barn.

At the Luthor mansion, Lex is there and his assistant tells him about a constellation and that the last time these stars were aligned was October 7th 1989, during the first meteor shower. She says there is something else, but before she can tell him, Kara walks in and the assistant ends up leaving. Kara tells Lex that she doesn't trust Clark and Lana and doesn't want to live with them on the farm anymore. Kara wants to live with Lex and he agrees.

In a deleted scene, Clark confronts Lionel about how he hadn't told him about having Kara's bracelet. Lionel tells him that he found it in Lex's possession. Clark tells him that it is safe now. Lionel tells Clark that the bracelet has far more significance than they can imagine.