"Dichotic"
Original airdate: November 19, 2002

Clark tries to warn Lana and Chloe about Ian, an overachieving student, dating both girls at the same time.

Who is Ian Randall? Obsessed with getting good grades to win the Luthor Foundation college scholarship, Ian intends to graduate high school at the end of his sophomore year. Realizing his shop class grade will bring down his GPA, he stabs and kills the shop instructor, Mr. Frankel.

Chloe becomes interested in Ian, offering to do an interview with him for The Torch. Ian offers math tutoring to Lana. Taking "double date" to the next level, Ian physically splits himself in two, dating both girls at the same time, asking them not to tell each other to save the other's feelings.

What's up with Clark? Ian lies to Clark about his shop grade, causing suspicion. Clark's suspicions prompt him to warn the girls about Ian. He tells each one separately that Ian is playing them off each other. Both Lana and Chloe dismiss Clark's warnings as jealousy.

Clark confronts Ian about seeing both girls at the same time, accusing him of using the girls to get his scholarship. Ian says he's just jealous.

Still suspicious, Clark and Pete look for the shop instructor. They find Mr. Frankel dead in a closet of the shop class. The room is torched, and Clark sees Ian there. Clark rushes to Chloe's house, finding Ian and Chloe making out. He tells Chloe he suspects Ian of murder. Chloe tells Clark Ian has been with her for the past three hours.

What's up with Jonathan? Working in the barn, the tractor falls on Jonathan's leg. Clark arrives in time to lift the tractor off and using x-ray vision, sees that he has broken his leg. Clark takes care of all the chores while Jonathan recovers. Martha blames herself for the accident, since she wasn't at home to help.

What's up with Lex? Lex visits the hospital to be sure Jonathan gets the best care. There he meets Jonathan's doctor, attractive female Dr. Bryce. As he discusses Jonathan's care, he inadvertently offends Dr. Bryce with his offers to fly in a specialist from Metropolis.

A frustrated Lex loses his temper over a parking ticket, landing him in an anger management class. At the class he again meets Dr. Bryce. She refuses when he first asks for a date. Lex is persistent and interested. Later they do make plans to get together.

How it ends: Clark and Pete play super sleuth by paging Ian to meet both girls at the same time. They know they're seeing double when they see him in two different places at the exact same time.

Back at The Torch offices, Lana tells her new roommate Chloe that Ian is playing them both. Ian comes by The Torch. Then realizing Clark is on to his secret, he locks both girls inside. The second Ian is there too. He leaves a note on the computer, which Clark finds, leading him to the bridge at the Smallville Dam.

Each of the two Ians struggle with the girls, trying to throw them over the bridge. One Ian throws Chloe over. Clark jumps off the bridge, landing at the bottom before Chloe, then safely catches her in his arms. The second Ian tries to throw Lana from the bridge. In the struggle, Lana grabs the railing, and finds herself dangling by one hand from the bridge, over the ravine, with the second Ian hanging on to her feet. Clark grabs Lana just as she loses her grip, about to fall. The second Ian does fall to his death.

Later at the Talon, Chloe and Lana try to apologize to Clark for not heeding his warnings about Ian. Clark tells them both he'd never let anyone hurt them. The girls wanted honesty. Clark says he expected more from both of them than just treating him like the jealous boyfriend. Clark says, "If you want to be friends, let's be friends." When he leaves the Talon, he seems content with that arrangement for the first time. Both girls look a bit disappointed.

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