This week on Smallville, the amazing origin of Clark Kent's glasses AND the first post crisis appearance of Pete's Mom on the WB. Great Caesar's Ghost! It must be sweeps week!

While shopping for a Martha Kent, Clark becomes a bystander in a jewelry store robbery by the Black Canary (actually just a guy with a bionic Adam's apple and no fishnets). Because he's Clark Kent and not me, he tries to stop the robbery but the fickle finger of fate leaves Clark blinded by a flash of kryptonite. On the positive side, Mr. Black Canary's "older gentleman friend" gets arrested.

Having lost his vision and not smart enough to go stand in the sun for an hour to heal himself, Clark has given up all hope of ever seeing again. He starts to wear dark glasses and talk about how he will just have to deal with this disability for the rest of his life (meanwhile the home viewing audience is pretty sure this dilemma will be over before Angel is on.)

Clark tries to go back to school with Pete's help, but Clark's super hearing takes this opportunity to kick in. That's right, the origin of Clark's glasses, the first appearance by Pete's Mom AND Clark discovers a new power in the same episode! Take that, "guest appearance by Christopher Reeves!"

Anyway, Clark can now hear every foot fall, slamming door and mouse fart in Smallville. The sensory overload drives him loony, but not before he hears Chloe on the phone telling Lionel Luthor that she is done spying on Clark for him. Poor Chloe…so cute…so naive.

Lex, having recovered perfectly from last week's electro shock therapy (minus the two bits of his memory that might actually move the plot along) has been offered his old job back, working for his Dad. But Lionel Luthor's intentions are not a Fatherly as Lex thinks, which Clark overhears and then tells Lex. Father and son turmoil abounds!

Meanwhile Mr. Black Canary has taken Pete hostage so that his Mom, Judge Ross will dismiss the case against his, oh let's call him "Daddy." Now it's up to a blind Clark Kent to overcome his sightlessness and super hearing to save Pete before his weekly execution.

By the end of the episode, Clark has regained some of his sight back in the all-time stupidest way possible, a blowtorch to the face, or as I call it, Kryptonian Lasik. Jonathan quickly let's us know that the blow torch must have burned off the scar tissue caused by the kryptonite beam of light.

Them Duke boys know a lot about Kryptonian ophthalmology.

I wonder now if Smallville has set up a reality where Clark Kent cannot possibly maintain a secret identity as Superman. Already too many people know his secret and there are dozens of others that know something about him is fishy. The Superman icon is also the Smallville high school mascot and Clark doesn't start wearing glasses until Season 3, I mean, high school. Everyone has already seen him without glasses so even that illusion is gone.

Maybe in the Smallville universe, the citizen of Smallville all know that Clark is Superman and maintain the secret out of respect or local pride.

Or maybe they think he's Green Lantern and Superman is some other guy.

Last week Sarah mentioned that Gough and Millar have an affinity for Batman. This week they drift heavily towards Daredevil. I promise readers right now that if Clark becomes elastic this season, we are done reviewing this show. (And I rescind that promise. -- Derek)

Overall, Whisper was on par with the episodes we've been getting all season. It didn't have anything particularly entertaining but didn't offend the palette either. In many ways, Smallville is a show that spends a lot of time coasting between great episodes and this was just another coaster.

Michael Goodson