What's up with Chloe: Chloe confronts one of her dad's former co-workers about someone sabotaging her dad's efforts to get a job. She asks if he knows of any new jobs and he tells her Lex is opening up several projects but no one should get involved in them. Chloe isn't convinced and steals his security card and heads to a Luthor Corp lab. While she's snooping around she accidentally seals herself in a chamber and is contaminated by a gas that sprays down upon her. She escapes capture by the security guards and the next day she's developed the ability to make people tell her the truth. When ever she asks anyone a question they tell her the truth regardless of the consequences. Pete and Martha both let slip clues to Clark's secret.

What's up with Clark: Clark is alarmed that his mom and Pete are divulging secrets. Lana tells him that she got a call from a man who told her he thinks Chloe stole his ID card and broke into a Luthor Corp plant. Clark investigates and finds out that Lex was working on a project called Levitas, which sought to create the ultimate interrogator. He also learns the drug was still experimental and is considered lethal.

What's up with Lex: When he finds out she's been exposed, Lex summons Chloe to the mansion and asks her to help him recover his memories. He thinks if he's forced to tell the truth that his erased memories will come out. Chloe refuses to help him because her dad's been blacklisted by the Luthors. When she asks why Lex just doesn't walk away from Lionel forever, Lex tells her because he just wants his dad to love him.

What's up with Lana: Chloe tries to talk to Lana at the Talon. Since she can't lie, Lana says she's tired of being judged by everyone in town, including Chloe, and she's been accepted to an arts school in Paris.

How it ends: Chloe alienates the whole town of Smallville. She flaunts her new ability with reckless abandon, exposing everyone's darkest secrets. Only Clark is immune, which frustrates Chloe even more. She tries to get Pete to spill his "big secret," but is shocked when he kisses her and tells her he's always wanted to do that but he never has because he knows how she feels about Clark. Soon after, Chloe begins having terrible headaches and Clark seeks out the former head of the Levitas project, Mr. Doyle, for answers. Doyle tells Clark that Chloe will die if she doesn't receive help immediately. He gives Clark a possible countermeasure, but he's not sure if it will work, it's never been tested. At the hospital, Lionel has come to see Chloe. She tries to blackmail him by asking him if he hired Morgan Edge to kill his parents. He blurts out yes, because he needed the insurance money, and Chloe captures it all on her voicemail. However, Lionel isn't swayed and says the only way her dad will be able to work again is if she uses her new power to ask the Kents one question - where did Clark come from?

On her way to the farm she's run off the road by a guy who's life she destroyed during her recent truth inducing binge. Clark is able to show up in time to save her life and administer the countermeasure. It's a success and Chloe's life is saved and her new ability is gone. The next day she apologizes to Clark for pushing to far. When she gets home she finds out that Lionel has hacked into her voicemail and deleted their conversation. Meanwhile, Lionel asks Lex what he wants from him, to which Lex replies "It doesn't really matter, I'm never going to get it anyway." Lana tells a shocked Clark that she's leaving for Paris and says it's too late for anyone to talk her out of it.
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Now, why they gotta put on a good episode right toward the end of the season? Usually, this is the "offal" (or "awful," if you prefer) part of the season, where they dump all the inspirationless crap (remember the bee-girl episode?) up until the blow-out season finale. How dare you produce an hour of fairly good (fresh, even!) television, Smallville! I curse you!

All right. I'm better now. It was a dark and dewy night. A LuthorCorp van pulls up in front of a cute little house. A besuited guy we haven't seen before gets out of the van with his briefcase, looking forward to a night of high-definition TV rife with bikinis and very little back fat. (Sensing a trend here, readers? I'm jonesing for HD, y'all! HD!) A maroon car -- a Cougar, maybe -- pulls up. Ms. Chloe Sullivan gets out, leaving her headlights on, and comes to the guy. "Chloe! I thought that was Gabe's car," he says. I guess someone's borrowing the prop Beetle that Chloe usually drives. One Tree Hill? I'm looking in your direction. The man starts to comment on how long it's been since he's seen Chloe, but she reminds him that they haven't talked since her dad was fired from the plant. It's an accusation, buddy. Don't be all innocent with your HD channels and your pretty briefcase, probably full of naughty DVDs you picked up on the way home. I'm onto your digital lifestyle. "How's he doing?" Digital Guy asks, with what sounds like genuine concern. Chloe says her dad never expected to be doing the "Human Resources shuffle" this late in his career. Is that like the "Super Bowl Shuffle"? Hey I'm just asking. I don't mean to start no trouble. Digital Guy says he's sure it will work out. Chloe counters: her dad sent out dozens of inquiries and hasn't even gotten a nibble. That personal ad just isn't working out. And he hasn't gotten any inquiries on his résumé either! Life sucks! Chloe flatters Digital Guy by saying she knows he keeps his ear to the ground; she asks if somebody might be sabotaging her dad's job search. Digital Guy says he'd do anything for Gabe, but that he and his co-workers are being asked to be part of new experiments they want nothing to do with. He ominously says that Gabe would be better off putting LuthorCorp far behind him. Now, if you'll excuse Digital Guy, it's almost time for girls bouncing on trampolines. In High Definition! Chloe looks cold in the rain. She turns around and takes a gander inside Digital Guy's van. His LuthorCorp employee badge is hanging from the rearview. Oh no! It's Danger Chloe! (more... )
By: Omar L. Gallaga (TWoP)

When Chloe accidentally inhales a mysterious krypto-gas, she discovers it acts as a truth serum to anyone who comes in contact with her and decides to take advantage of her new power by going to the Kents to find out Clark's (Tom Welling) secret. However, her new power comes with fatal consequences and Clark must find an antidote before she discovers the truth about him or worse, dies. Kristin Kreuk, Michael Rosenbaum, Sam Jones III and John Glover also star.

Lionel: Lex – thanks for dropping by.
Lex: Which of your obsessive-compulsive obsessions is behind today's summons?

Clark (to Lana): Klepto-Chloe? That doesn't sound like her.

Clark (to Lana): It's hard to make yourself scarce in Smallville.

Chloe: Is it me, or did I just clear out the lunch crowd?
Lana: It's you.

Chloe: At least you're still talking to me.
Lana: For now.

Lana (to Chloe): I can't wait to get out of here and go someplace where people don't judge me.

Chloe: Why don't you just walk away from your dad?
Lex: Because he won't give me the one thing I ever wanted from him.
Chloe: And that would be...?
Lex: I want him to love me.

Chloe: What is the big secret Pete?
Pete: I'm in love with you. (kisses her)
Chloe: Why didn't you tell me this earlier?
Pete: Because I knew how you felt about Clark and I just didn't see the point.

Lionel (to Chloe): Miss Sullivan, you're looking rather peaked. I suppose a steady diet of truth can wear on a person.

Pete (to Clark): As long as you're on on-line, you mind asking Mr. Jeeves how long it takes to die of embarassment?

Pete: As far as long shadows go, Clark, you're the dark side of the moon.

William (to chloe): I warned you to leave us alone. My mother doesn't deserve to be in jail.

Lex: Two invitations to your office in one week. I should be flattered. Lionel: You should be more careful.

Lionel: Now tell me what you want from me.
Lex: It doesn't really matter dad. I'm never going to get it.

Clark (to Chloe): That's the thing about the truth. It's bound to come out sooner or later.

Chloe (to Clark): There've been so many times when my curiousity has gotten the better of me... I guess thats just who I am.

Lana (to Clark): I'm leaving because of everything... I don't think I can be happy wondering if there's something else out there.

After breaking into Luthorcorp, Chloe is sprayed with a substance that causes everyone else to tell her the truth…everyone except Clark, that is. The teacher of the year, Mrs. Taylor, reveals that she’s been in hiding since 1972 because she’s wanted for murder from her radical days. Pete talks about Clark’s superspeed and confesses his love for Chloe, Martha tells her about Clark’s biological father, Lana tells her she doesn’t trust her, and Lex even reveals that all he wants from Lionel is his love. Chloe starts to go overboard and has too much fun with it, causing everyone to hate her and want to stay away, but she really goes over the line when she makes Lionel admit that he had his parents killed for their life insurance money (and records it on her cell phone voice mail). Lionel tells her the only way her dad will get his job back is if she finds out the truth from the Kents about where Clark came from.

Meanwhile, the side effects of the spray start to give Chloe headaches, and Clark finds out from the former head of the program that she’ll probably be dead by morning. On her way to the Kent farm, she gets woozy, and then William, Mrs. Taylor’s son, tries to run her off a bridge because she ruined his life by printing the story about his mom. She tells Clark on her cell phone where she is, and he rushes to her aid. Not only does he save her from going over the bridge, but he uses the counteractant he received from that guy to cure her by plunging a giant syringe full of it into her heart.

Lana tells Clark (after kissing him earlier in the show) that she’s leaving for the Paris School of the Arts. Lex and Lionel go at it again, with Lionel being suspicious (maybe he suspects the FBI thing?) and Lex wanting his missing memory back. Finally, Chloe goes to listen to Lionel’s confession, but it’s been replaced by a new message from Lionel telling her not to bother looking for it because it’s gone.

It’s nice to see a Chloe episode, especially since DC just bought the character to use in the comics. She’s been getting very little screen time lately for a character who played such an important role earlier in the season. But my main problem with this show was that Chloe seemed to become so uncaring as she forced the truth out of everyone. She said herself at the end of the episode that she wasn’t sure if it was the chemical affecting her, or if she just allowed her curiosity to get the better of her. And Clark was too forgiving at the end considering she was on her way to make the Kents tell Clark’s secret—for Lionel Luthor, no less. Maybe he was just relieved that it didn’t happen, or maybe he felt like he should have already told her the truth a long time ago. (more...)
By Christopher Valin