Not to disparage the WB's promo department -- again -- but they're really doing terribly immoral things to the pooch as far as I'm concerned if they couldn't make this episode, which was fairly interesting, nuanced and not infuriating, into a promo that went beyond Clark and Lana ad nauseum.

There were a lot of surprises, therefore, that weren't given away in the previews, but most of them spare the last weren't worth saving.

There's a new sheriff in town, a midwestern Marge Gunderson predisposed to dislike Clark and his meddling ways, hopefully destined to play a larger role than I originally predicted for the new principal. Not because I like her, particularly; her accent is grating and her introduction was terrible, but the character has potential in the development of our favorite future superhero, even if it's just a redux of Maggie Sawyer from Metropolis.

Her main argument against Clark is the realization that he has been at an inordinate amount of crime scenes -- true -- and that he has never had to take responsibility for some of his actions. Also true, but if we really want to get picky at the continuity, she's going to have to take it up with Chloe, Pete, and Lex, too.

To work on that second problem, she sentences Clark to community service after he loses his temper outside the Talon. Some drunks got tough with Lana, Clark got tough with them in return, and threw the ringleader right into the police car's windshield. This is what the promos focused on -- it took up less than 10 minutes, really, and served primarily to introduce Sheriff Nancy Adams.

(Well, and to provide another line to reassure me that somewhere, really, someone gets it: Jonathan reassures Clark that his temper, regardless of his super strength and abilities, is really very human and his feelings are not exactly alien.)

More central to the evening's events was the reappearance of Dr. Helen Bryce's ex-boyfriend Paul. When he realizes he can't get her back from Lex, he embarks on a duplicitous campaign to discredit the billionaire boyfriend, playing Prince Charming, beating himself up, and finally assaulting Helen herself in a rage.

Lex and Clark, despite repeated warnings from the new sheriff, follow the investigation and end up in a standoff with the crazed Paul. Clark, maybe finally starting to learn a bit of this lesson, is not immediately on hand to save the day, and Lex is forced to exercise his own restraint. Which he does, not killing the man who hurt the woman he loves.

Surprisingly, this parallel was not exploited. Nor was the plot with Lana saving Clark's ass from the frivolous lawsuit the injured ringleader brought against him, laying a little smackdown on the guy. (I would have preferred a Brady Bunch-style gambit with a good loud book drop, what with the guy's neckbrace, but kung-fu Lana seems to be popular.)

Realizing who really stayed his hand at the last minute (and refuting just the tiniest bit of that subtext movement), Lex proposes to Helen, who accepts, but not in so many words.

Speaking of Tom Welling's ass, that's next week. Not that I have a problem with derrieres in general, but man, why you gotta do that to Supes?

Sarah Stanek