Title:
JITTERS
Production:
Season 01 | Episode 08 | 08
Original air date:
December 11, 2001
Writer:
Cherie Bennett & Jeff Gottesfeld
Director:
Michael W. Watkins
Series regulars:
 
Tom Welling (Clark Kent)
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Michael Rosenbaum
(Lex Luthor)
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Kristin Kreuk (Lana Lang)
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Allison Mack (Chloe Sullivan)
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Sam Jones (Pete Ross)
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Eric Johnson
(Whitney Fordman
 
Annette O'Toole
(Martha Kent)
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John Schneider
(Jonathan Kent)
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Guest stars:
Jessica Amlee
(Little Girl)
Kendall Cross
(Little Girl's Mother)
Michael Eklund
(Will)
Michelle Goh
(Suki, Lex' Girl)
Mitchell Kosterman
(Sheriff Ethan Miller)
Yvonne Myers
(Doctor)
Tony Todd
(Earl Jenkins)
Robert Wisden
(Gabe Sullivan)
Next / Previous Episode:
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Ratings:
Viewers:
Overnights:
Adults (18 - 49):
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Clark comes to the aid of his high school class after they are held hostage
at LuthorCorp by a former janitor who claims to have been sickened by a project
he worked on at the plant.
Who's Earl? Earl was a farm hand for the Kents until he took a full-time
job at LuthorCorp working as a janitor on level 3. The experimental fertilizer
project on level 3 ended in an explosion. Seems they were spraying kryptonite
over corn to make it grow. After the explosion, Earl was left with an ailment
that caused him to break out into intensely violent seizures. Level 3 was closed,
the elevator to it sealed, and Lionel Luthor denies it ever existed. Even Lex
doesn't know about it. In an attempt to see Lionel about getting access to level
3 for a potential cure, Earl accidentally kills a security guard. Now he's wanted
for murder. He flees and hides out in the Kent's barn, waiting to talk to Clark's
father.
What's up with Clark? His parents go to Metropolis for the weekend
to celebrate their anniversary. Clark intends to throw a small party that turns
into a messy bash. He is called away from the house to the barn where Lana and
Whitney encountered a violent shaking. Clark and Whitney discover Earl hiding
there. When Earl gets jiggy, Clark tries to help him, but Earl's kryptonite
poisoning affects Clark and he is unable to get near him without getting sick
himself. Clark visits Earl in the hospital and learns of level 3. Conveniently
Clark and his class have a field trip to LuthorCorp the next day and Clark vows
to investigate.
What's up with Chloe? She's hella embarrassed when the LuthorCorp tour
guide turns out to be her dad who cracks corny fertilizer jokes during the tour.
She, her dad, and the rest of the class is taken hostage after Earl breaks out
of the hospital and back into LuthorCorp.
What's up with the Kents? They return early from their anniversary
celebration after calling Clark six times and getting no response. They watch
Clark hyper clean their house. Jonathan learns of Earl's plight and vows to
help. He and Martha learn of the hostage situation and head to the plant. They
run into Lionel and argue with him over how the hostage situation is being handled.
What's up with Lex? He has no idea there is a level 3 at his own plant.
He volunteers to go into the plant to negotiate the release of the students.
He convinces Earl he'll show him level 3 if he will release the hostages.
How it ends: Clark breaks away from the hostage situation to see if
he can find level 3. Using his X-ray vision, he sees an elevator behind a brick
wall. He smashes the wall and brings Earl and a stunned Lex to level 3. Level
3 is now an empty warehouse. While the three are walking on a catwalk above
the warehouse, Earl starts to shake and the catwalk breaks away leaving him
and Lex hanging. Clark risks his life to grab Earl: Lex is clinging to Earl's
legs. Clark barely manages to save them. Lex asks him how he did it, and Clark
says "adrenaline, I guess." Lionel tells the media level 3 is just a forgotten
warehouse and Earl is a sick man. Lex cuts in and tells the media that LuthorCorp
is all about family and that's why they'll be helping Earl get well.
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| OFFICIAL DESCRIPTION (The WB): |
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Clark (Tom Welling) and Lex (Michael Rosenbaum) team up to rescue Clark's high school class after a janitor (guest star Tony Todd) takes them hostage in LuthorCorp. He claims his deadly "jitters" were caused by a mysterious contaminant and threatens to kill everyone unless he is shown a secret sublevel - which Lionel Luthor (guest star John Glover, Batman & Robin) denies ever existed.
Kristin Kreuk, Eric Johnson, Sam Jones III, Allison Mack, Annette O'Toole and John Schneider also star. Michael Watkins directed the episode written by Cherie Bennett & Jeff Gottesfeld.
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Earl Jenkins, former handyman at the Kent's farm, is beset by body-rattling jitters. He claims he was infected with a green mist while working at a secret "Level 3" at the Smallville Luthorcorp fertilizer plant. No one knows anything about it. Earl accidentally kills a man with his powers, then makes his way to Smallville where he is taken into custody. He escapes and takes a school group hostage during a tour of the plant. Lionel Luther flies in and refuses to negotiate, so Lex goes to confront Earl. Earl lets the kids go while keeping Lex. A gas main starts leaking and Lionel orders the plant into shutdown. Clark remains behind and using his x-ray vision finds the hidden Level 3. He, Earl, and Lex (who pleads ignorance) go down there. Earl starts jittering again, almost killing himself and Lex. Clark manages to rescue them both from a falling catwalk and stop the gas leak. Lionel denies everything, and Lex wonders how Clark was strong enough to rescue them both.
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Mr. Sullivan: Welcome to LuthorCorp, where we give a crap.
Chloe: Okay, somebody kill me now.
Clark: He even tried to teach me how to play guitar; said it was a good way to impress women.
Chloe: Oh yeah, we're all a sucker for a guy with a six-string.
Lex: I hear you're taking a tour of my plant tomorrow.
Chloe: (unenthusiastically) It's a class field trip.
Lex: What'd you do wrong?
Clark: It's that bad?
Lana: If I had a hundred people trashing my house, I'd be a little freaked out.
Clark: After the first few dishes, you kinda get used to it.
Pete: What are you going to do now that you're officially home alone?
Clark: I was thinking of having a few people over.
Chloe: Do my ears deceive me, or is Clark Kent actually suggesting a party?
Clark: A small gathering. You guys, a few other people, maybe...Lana.
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Song: "Bad Idea"
Artist: Bad Ronald
Album: Bad Ronald
Song: "The People That We Love"
Artist: Bush
Album: Golden State
Song: "Tie Me Up"
Artist: Handsome Devil
Album: Love and Kisses from the Underground
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Song: "Save Me"
Artist: Remy Zero
Album: The Golden Hum
Song: "Pacific Coast Party"
Artist: Smash Mouth
Album: Smash Mouth
Song: "My Bridges Burn"
Artist: The Cult
Album: Beyond Good and Evil
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Earl Jenkins is a former worker at the LuthorCorp fertilizer plant, at a secret Level 3 that both Lionel and Lex Luthor deny exists. Earl is now very sick and claims it came from a strange green mist he saw at the plant. Before working at the plant, he used to work with the Kents on their farm. Earl's sickness is uncontrollable jitters which cause him to accidentally kill a man. Since no one believes him, he takes hostage a whole class of Smallville High students who were touring LuthorCorp. The class includes Lana Lang, Whitney Fordman, Chloe Sullivan, Pete Ross and Clark Kent.
In order to find out the truth about his father's secrets, Lex volunteers himself as a hostage if Earl will release the students. As a gas leak begins, Lionel orders the shutdown of the plant, prepared to let his son die inside. Clark arrives to rescue Lex, and they find out that the Level 3 really did exist. Earl dies from his jitters, and Lex confronts his father who refuses to give him answers.
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