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"Jinx" from Season 4
"Jinx" from Season 4
In Smallville's first four seasons Smallville High School was a fixture in the show, with nearly every episode having at least one scene taking place at the greatest of the All-American high schools. With Season 4, it was Clark's Senior year at Smallville High, so this was the producers last chance to show Clark in as many high school situations before he graduated. "Jinx" is the best of these Season 4 high school episodes, with Clark on the football team, competing for the State Championship, while also having to stop a new foreign exchange student who just happens to have the ability to make people do whatever he says.
Complications arise when Clark trips on the football field and injures another player, the Coach thinking he is on steroids. Clark, who has never tripped before, claims it felt as if he had no control of himself. As usual, Clark's dad, Jonathan, doesn't want Clark to play in the State Championship, afraid Clark may expose his secret. Meanwhile, Clark tries to uncover the reason as to why he tripped, tracing it back to Mikhail, the new foreign exchange student, who happens to be the town's local bookie, who is trying to fix the football games with his powers of manipulation.
"Jinx" shows Clark wanting to be a normal teenager, but that no matter how much he wants to be normal, he never can be. Normal teens don't hit one another like Mack trucks when they trip. As well, no normal high school quarterback has to throw the winning touchdown in the State Championship while having to super speed right when you threw the ball to save your best friend from the baddie, then having to return to the exact same spot you were on the field so it looks as if you didn't move. This super touchdown is one of my favorite scenes in the show's history, and it always delivers in its awesomeness.
On top of it all, John Schneider and Tom Welling's chemistry really soars in this episode, as Jonathan tries to stop Clark from playing in the game, but Clark does so anyway. Plus, this episode is another fine example of how Smallville realistically approaches many of the characters from Superman lore, while keeping the core of the character in tact; as to how they transformed the Superman badguy, Mr. Mxyzptlk into a hard-nosed bookie, named Mikhail. "Jinx" is just a good, fun episode that is at times great familial drama, and at others it is Smallville at its most exciting.
Complications arise when Clark trips on the football field and injures another player, the Coach thinking he is on steroids. Clark, who has never tripped before, claims it felt as if he had no control of himself. As usual, Clark's dad, Jonathan, doesn't want Clark to play in the State Championship, afraid Clark may expose his secret. Meanwhile, Clark tries to uncover the reason as to why he tripped, tracing it back to Mikhail, the new foreign exchange student, who happens to be the town's local bookie, who is trying to fix the football games with his powers of manipulation.
"Jinx" shows Clark wanting to be a normal teenager, but that no matter how much he wants to be normal, he never can be. Normal teens don't hit one another like Mack trucks when they trip. As well, no normal high school quarterback has to throw the winning touchdown in the State Championship while having to super speed right when you threw the ball to save your best friend from the baddie, then having to return to the exact same spot you were on the field so it looks as if you didn't move. This super touchdown is one of my favorite scenes in the show's history, and it always delivers in its awesomeness.
On top of it all, John Schneider and Tom Welling's chemistry really soars in this episode, as Jonathan tries to stop Clark from playing in the game, but Clark does so anyway. Plus, this episode is another fine example of how Smallville realistically approaches many of the characters from Superman lore, while keeping the core of the character in tact; as to how they transformed the Superman badguy, Mr. Mxyzptlk into a hard-nosed bookie, named Mikhail. "Jinx" is just a good, fun episode that is at times great familial drama, and at others it is Smallville at its most exciting.
****
Tune back in next Friday for number 5 in my countdown of, "My 10 Favorite Episodes of Smallville of All-Time!"
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