Episode 11 of "Smallville"
s01e11 Hug
Title: Hug
Original Air Date: 02/05/2002 on WB
Director: Chris Long
Writer: Doris Egan
Guest Stars: Leanne Adachi (Nurse), Ben Cotton (Paul Hendrix), Gregory Sporleder (Kyle Tippet), James Ralph (Deputy #1), R. Nelson Brown (Lex's Doctor), Kelly Brook (Victoria Hardwick), Rick Peters (Bob Rickman)
Plot Outline:
A guy in charge of a rival fertilizer firm to LuthorCorp's talks an EPA investigator into commiting suicide, then arrives in Metropolis. He is intent on buying up the Kent farm and using the land to build a rival company to Lex's. After shaking hands with the man, Jonathan Kent inexplicably agrees to sell. Lex offers to have his lawyers help. Meanwhile, Clark befriends a local recluse. It turns out that the recluse and Lex's rival were both salesmen who were caught in a car accident and exposed to kryptonite. They both gained the same power of "persuasion" on anyone they touched, as the recluse graphically demonstrates to Clark by having Chloe kiss him! Lex's rival finally manages to shake hands with Lex, and convince him to try and gun down Clark. Clark manages to knock out Lex and the recluse takes out his former partner, "convincing" him to shoot himself. The recluse decides to go back into the world, but not before telling Clark that he shouldn't hide from his powers either. Fortunately, people under the influence of the persuasion power don't recall what they did, so Lex doesn't know about Clark's superpowers...yet.