Who is Desiree Atkins? The hot new biology teacher (guest-star Krista Allen) is as steamy as Smallville?s current heat wave. Desiree uses her kiss and the power of pheromones to cast her spell over nearly any man she wants.
What's up with Lex? After meeting Desiree only a week ago, Lex plans an immediate wedding with Clark as best man. Desiree uses her pheromone power to avoid signing the Luthor pre-nuptial agreement.
What's up with Clark? On the first day of biology class with Ms. Atkins, Clark discovers a new power as he?s "hot for teacher," a burning glance that can set objects ablaze. The first fire he unintentionally starts is the film screen in class. Clark tells mom and dad about his new ability. Later at the Talon with Lana, Clark begins to feel aroused, and his heat vision burns the cappuccino machine and wall. Jonathan sets up a scarecrow at the farm, so Clark can practice, understand, and learn to control his new abilities. Desiree visits Clark in his loft, trying to seduce him. Clark refuses her, reminding her that Lex is his best friend.
What's up with Lex? Obviously under his new wife's influence, Lex turns against Clark due to Desiree's lies of Clark's advances. Next Lex tells Lana he's taking back the building that houses the Talon and her aunt's flower shop.
What's up with Chloe? Upset that Clark didn't keep in touch all summer, Chloe admits to herself and Lana that she still has feelings for Clark, but knows Lana has always been his focus. Chloe helps Clark dig into Desiree?s past. Chloe and Lana discover that the meteors enhanced Desiree?s pheromones. She is a "black widow," using her powers to marry wealthy men, then influencing other men to kill her husbands. Lex is her latest target.
What's up with Lana? She is shooting a video to send to Whitney overseas in the Marines. She admits to Clark that she misses Whitney, but it was unwise of them to leave their relationship as they did when Whitney left.
How it ends: Desiree blows up her car, blaming the explosion on Clark. Police take Clark into custody, linking him to three unexplained fires. Martha confronts Lex at the Talon about Clark?s innocence. Jonathan tries to reason with Desiree at the Luthor mansion. Instead, Desiree uses her pheromone powers to persuade Jonathan to kill Lex. Clark escapes jail, using his abilities to start a fire and evacuate the building. Clark rushes to the Luthor mansion, finding Jonathan, under Desiree?s powers, shooting at Lex with a rifle. Clark focuses the heat of his gaze on the speeding bullet, melting it in mid-air. Desiree sets Lex?s back on fire. Clark uses his gaze to heat the door handle, preventing Desiree?s escape, then smothers the flames on Lex?s back, saving him.
Later, when Lex and Clark talk about romance, Desiree, and the power she held over Lex, Clark admits to Lex that he can wait for Lana to settle her feelings with Whitney.
Alone as she finishes the videotaped message to Whitney, into the video camera Lana says, "We promised we?d be honest with each other, and the truth is?" (we?re left to guess what she said next).
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Clark goes into hiding after he discovers a startling new power that quickly gets out of control and accidentally harms Lana. However, after a hot new teacher uses kryptonite-enhanced pheromones to convince Lex to marry her, then spellbinds Jonathan, Clark must get a grip on his new power in time to keep Jonathan from killing Lex. Sam Jones III, Allison Mack and Annette O'Toole also star.

All the banners at Smallville High must be stuck at the dry cleaner, because the only one sitting at the front of the school today reads simply, "Welcome back!" in red letters against a yellow background. Welcome back from where? It seems an entire summer has passed since just last week, when a tornado ripped up hearts and trucks alike. The first thing we see inside the school is Clark, talking directly into a camera that somebody's holding. I guess I just never noticed it before, but Clark's got major Salem's Lot teeth. For some reason, he's moving around a lot as the hand-held cam follows him and his big red sweater. A "REC" signal at the top right continues to flash as Clark greets Jocko Whitney, that blond Adonis who left for the Marines last season. I'm wondering if maybe somebody issued a Code Red at Guantanamo Bay and Jocko got the snot beat out of him by his fellow troops. I suppose we won't know for a few more episodes, which is fine because I'm not sure I could handle the truth. Clark mumbles about it being warm where Jocko is and then backtracks and says that what he's saying sucks.

We back away to a traditional camera view and see Lana, holding her recorder, telling Clark to just say what he feels. What if he feels like eating a Mounds? Because sometimes you just feel like a nut. Sometimes you don't. Pete walks up, wearing a backpack in a way wholly inappropriate for a teen. You're supposed to have it slung coolly over one shoulder, Pete, not strapped tightly to you like you're hiking the Adirondacks. Pete asks what's with Clark Kent, "movie star." Clark explains that Lana is putting together a video letter for Jocko. "I thought it was the least I could do," Lana says. Lana's right. It is the very least. Pete tells Clark to watch how the pros do it. He smoothly explains that the town is rebuilding after the storm, that the first week of school is a bear (bear?! Where!?!), and that the town is suffering from its worst heat wave in twenty-five years. I live in Texas, where it gets so hot you can fry an egg on an ice cube's ass. I have no sympathy to give. Pete bottom-lines: Stay safe, come home soon. (Or never. Whichever works for the show.) He adds that the football team is toast without Jocko on offense. And on defense? Totally scones. Lana laughs, shuts off her camera, and says that was perfect. She's wearing a new necklace, and her makeup doesn't look all shoveled on like it did the first season. Don't hate me, but Lana looks good -- and not in an unearthly, Crossing Over sort of way. "Yeah, super," Clark says. I groan. Pete walks off, telling Clark not to choke this time. He means with Lana, of course, although the line made me think of Lex Luthor. Lana asks whether Clark wants to give the video another try. They agree that Clark will give it another shot at the Talon later, perhaps over a wildly overpriced latte. (more...)
-- Omar G (TWoP)

Desiree Atkins is the new biology teacher. A heat wave has come over Smallville and everyone is feeling hot already, but when Desiree walks into the classroom, all jaws drop! To make matters worse, the first lesson is spent watching a sex ed video! Clark Kent can't stop staring at her, and she notices. He is constantly sweating, and then, his eyes start burning, and before he knows it, heat vision is coming out of his eyes, and he sets the projection screen on fire. The students are evacuated, and Lex Luthor arrives and runs up to Desiree and kisses her. He introduces her to a stunned Clark and Pete Ross as his fiancée. He then gives Clark a wedding invitation for that night, and asks him to be his best man. Clark is shocked but accepts, saying he is honored.

Back at the Luthor mansion, Desiree is looking over the pre-nuptial agreement that Lex wants her to sign. He explains that his father Lionel Luthor could disown him if he didn't get her to sign it. She understands, and says she will as soon as he kisses her. He goes to kiss her, and a purple haze emanates from her mouth and into his. They kiss, and suddenly, he is spellbound into agreeing to tear up the pre-nup, stating he plans to spend the rest of his life with her.

Clark returns home and tells his parents about the fire incident at school. They ask him to explain, and when they hear that he was watching a sex ed video, they figure that this new ability is triggered by hormones. They advise him to stay at home until he can figure it out, but he shows them Lex's wedding invitation.

The wedding goes successfully, and, at the reception, Clark admits to Lex that he is a little shell-shocked by the speed of the wedding. He is confused that, one minute Lex is off on a two-week business trip, and the next, he's engaged. Lex explains that, the first night he met her, he knew she was different and not after his name or his fortune. He says, "You can waste your time playing it safe or you can go for it. At some point, Clark, you just know when something's right". At which point, Clark sees Lana Lang and wonders.

After the reception, Clark and Lana go to The Talon for an iced coffee. They complain about the heat. They discuss Lex's sudden wedding, and she says she finds it romantic that he acted on his passion and wonders if they could ever do the same. Clark starts sweating even more, and his eyes start burning again. He tries to keep his eyes closed to stop the heat vision but can't control it, and he sets the coffee machine on fire. He freaks out and keeps moving his eyes everywhere, setting fire to everything he looks at. He manages to stop and protect Lana.

Frustrated and worried, he tells his father about the incident. Understanding that he needs to master this new ability, Jonathan takes Clark out the field, and gets him to practice on a scarecrow. He tells him to remember the emotion he felt at the time in The Talon. Clark thinks of Lana and sets the scarecrow on fire. He practices all day, and soon learns to control his heat vision. He proudly announces to his parents that he can even use it now without having to think about sex.

Desiree visits Clark in his barn. She comes onto him and tells him she saw him staring at her in class, and that she is attracted to younger guys. She goes to kiss him, and the purple haze emanates. However, it doesn't effect him, and Clark manages to pull away from her. She pretends to be ashamed and runs off.

Chloe Sullivan is researching Desiree, and finds that she was called Alison Sanders and lived in Smallville. Clark tells her about Desiree coming to him in the barn, and explains he feels she has a hold on Lex. He decides to go tell Lex what happened, but when he gets there, Lex tells him he knows that Clark is the one that came onto Desiree. Clark tries to explain what really happened, and even shows Lex that she is actually called Alison. While he admits he didn't know that, he tells Clark how disappointed he is and asks him to leave. Desiree walks in, and Lex asks her about her real name. She admits it. She kisses him, transfers the haze and he drops the topic without asking anymore questions.

Lex shows up at The Talon and tells Lana that he is invoking the buyout clause of their partnership agreement and gives her 24 hours to vacate The Talon. He is extremely harsh, and accuses her of entertaining guests after hours and causing the fire. She tells Clark about this. Clark sees Desiree in the school hallway and tells her he is onto her. She tells him that she influenced Lex into selling The Talon just to prove a point to Clark. She tells him that she can get Lex to do anything she wants.

Later, Desiree blows up her own car. She then accuses Clark of setting the fire onto her car, and Sheriff Ethan shows up at the Kents and arrests Clark. Jonathan promises to figure this out. He goes to confront Desiree at the Luthor Mansion, and finds her nearly naked, swimming in the pool. She tells him that she thinks Clark has a problem, that he is troubled, that he causes fires and then takes credit for putting them out. She seduces him, and spellbinds him with her haze. She tells him she needs a favor from him.

Lex meets Martha at The Talon, and she tells him that she always supported him, and even went against the opinion of her husband. In the same way, she tells him that he needs to know when to disagree with his wife. She tells him, that, deep inside, he knows that Clark wasn't the one who set those fires.

Chloe and Lana visit Clark in jail. They tell him that they've dug up Desiree's history. When she was young, she dated a guy and was with him in the car by the lake when the meteors hit. The next day, the guy went crazy and killed her parents, and she inherited everything. Later, she married a shipping executive, and then got one of her students to kill him to inherit his money. It is the typical black widow scenario. She then spent all her money and set her sights on Lex. Clark doesn't buy it at first, but Chloe explains that, since she was in the throws of passion when the meteors hit, it must have enhanced her pheromone level, and can get guys to do anything she wants. Clark realizes he needs to get out of jail, because he knows his father has gone to see Desiree. The girls leave, and Clark sets a fire off in his cell. Sheriff Ethan gets him out of the cell, and Clark runs away.

Lex confronts Desiree, telling her that he feels he is losing his sense of reason regarding business and friends. She tells him that it is too late, that the papers have been finalized and that everything he owns is hers. He tells her that she would only inherit it if he died, and then he asks her if she is planning on killing him. She walks towards the door and says no, but that Jonathan is, as she opens the door, Jonathan is standing there with a shotgun pointed at Lex. Lex tries to talk Jonathan down, and Clark shows up in time to burn the bullet that Jonathan has just fired at Lex. Desiree manages to run off. Later, Lex makes a statement that clears Clark. Lex also files for an annulment. He also apologizes to Lana with flowers, a new coffee machine and a re-written agreement to avoid this situation in the future.

Pete: Every year the incredibly aged Mrs. Kowalski
kicks off biology class with an ancient sex ed film.
Clark: Who told you that, your brother?
Pete: No, my dad.

Chloe: Clark, she was in the throes of major passion when the meteors hit. If her pheromone levels were enhanced, she could get a guy to do whatever she wants. Lucky for us, Clark Kent seems to be immune to some members of the opposite sex.

Martha: Tell me again your aversion to air conditioning.
Jonathan: Two words: electric bill.

Martha: You set it on fire just by looking at it?
Clark: Hello? I'm the kid who can lift up tractors and look through walls.

Clark: I just wanted to make sure everything's okay.
Chloe: Everything's hunky-dory.
Clark: Now I know something's wrong. Only my dad says 'hunky dory'.

Chloe: That's me - Cupid's cannon fodder.

A new very attractive teacher shows up and Clark and the class get to watch a sex education filmstrip while sweating in the record-breaking heat wave. Clark can't keep his eyes off the teacher who wears a dress that leaves little to the imagination. He gets excited, gets hot, looses control and basically ejaculates fire from his eyes, catching the movie screen on fire. The comparing his heat vision to sexual maturation is almost a mixture of ridiculousness and brilliance. You see, when Clark gets sexually excited the heat vision is set off. In the Talon with Lana, he lets loose another stream of fire. This time it is even more intense then the last one, which says something about his feelings for Lana. When it happens, though, it almost seems like Lana catches a glimpse of it occurring.

Desiree then starts using her charms for evil. She gets Lex to marry her and forget about a prenuptial agreement. She makes Lex evict Lana from the Talon. She also, talks him into believing Clark set her car on fire. However, unlike all the other men she comes in contact with, Clark is immune to her powers. (more...)

[Reviewed by April Stockwell.]