Cast

Tom Welling as Clark Kent
Kristen Kreuk as Lana Lang
Michael Rosenbaum as Lex Luthor
John Glover as Lionel Luthor
Annette O'Toole as Martha Kent
John Schneider as Jonathan Kent
Jensen Ackles as Jason Teague
Allison Mack as Chloe Sullivan.

Written by Todd Slavkin and Darren Swimmer.
Directed by Jeannot Szwarc.

Original Airdate

Recruit originally aired on Wednesday, February 9, 2005.

Synopsis

Clark is being actively recruited by Metropolis University, while Lois is called to court after an assault.

High Point

Chloe's dialogue and its connection to the Richard Donner film. Very nice touch.

Low Point

With exits like that, how does Clark expect to keep a secret?

The Review

I have to give originality credit for a decent excuse to integrate Lois into the cast more fully. I also have to credit Szwarc for pulling back on the blatant feminism. This is how it should be: strong female characters who can hold their own without belittling the male characters. (I know that Szwarc just did the opposite bias to many past directors, but two wrongs don't make a right.) I give it 5 out of 6.

The effects were fairly limited this week, but nicely done nonetheless. I give it 5 out of 6.

The story had only one noticeable plot hole, which might only seem like a plot hole because I've underestimated the investigative abilities of some of the characters. Still, Melvin was located pretty quickly by two people who didn't even know his name. (He was referred to by Clark only as "some other student.") I give it 5 out of 6.

The acting was pretty good this week, as well. Tom Welling is getting more natural all the time, as the character he plays is getting more and more confident. Kristen Kreuk does a decent job of playing mad, which was most of her limited screen time this week. I'd prefer to see the Luthors take on a more prominent role again, though, since Rosenbaum and Glover are two of the best actors on TV, and they play so well off of each other. I give it 5 out of 6.

The emotional response was moderate for most of the episode. It wasn't until the final act break that I really started to see the long term effects come out. Before that, the scenes with Chloe were really the only ones that worked well for me. I give it 5 out of 6.

The production was considerably better than I've come to expect from Szwarc. The output seems great when it lacks the personal feminist signature. (It worked with Supergirl to some degree, but it came across so strongly in Szwarc's last episode that it interfered with the story.) This story was allowed to tell itself, using numerous outdoor locations for shooting without looking like a low-budget cost cutting plan. (In fact, shooting outdoors in this much rain would cost considerably more than usual.) The subtleties with Chloe and Clark's conversations worked very well with the editing and camera choices, too. I give it 6 out of 6.

Overall, it's a strong episode. I don't mind the odd Freak of the Week, especially when the fallout has lasting repercussions. I give it 5 out of 6.

In total, Recruit receives 36 out of 42.