| Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman | |
| Season 2, Episode 15 | |
 | |
| Air date | February 26, 1995 |
| Written by | Grant Rosenberg |
| Directed by | Philip Sgriccia |
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Having escaped from prison, the Prankster sets his sights higher than just tormenting Lois; he wishes to kidnap the President of the United States.
Plot[]
Kyle Griffin (a.k.a. the Prankster), his father, and his buddy Victor break out of prison using an instant camera with a modified flash which makes people freeze for a few minutes and remember nothing of what happened while they were frozen.
The President of the United States is visiting Metropolis to present an award for having the lowest crime rate in the country, and Lois is scheduled to interview him. She fears his visit will be cancelled over security concerns due to the Prankster's escape, and frantically tries to assuage his bodyguards. Due to the Prankster's intense grudge against Lois, she also needs an alternate place to stay. She is uncomfortable staying with Clark now that they are dating, and all the hotels are booked due to the presidential visit, so Jimmy Olsen agrees to let her stay with him.
Lois and Jimmy get on each other's nerves during her stay. When some of Jimmy's friends drop by and get noisy, Lois calls the police on them with a noise complaint. After he finds out she was the caller, Jimmy goes from apologetic to furious.
Griffin, his father, and Victor infiltrate the Metropolis Dept. of Light and Power and play with the lights all over Metropolis. They call Lois, threatening to shut down the runway lights at the airport. While Clark races to the airport, Lois heads to the Dept. of Light and Power and finds all the workers frozen. Griffin and Victor catch her, chain her to a boiler, and rig the boiler to overload in order to lure Superman there. When Superman arrives they flash him with the camera, but it doesn't work, so they flee while he is busy freeing Lois from the boiler.
Due to concerns over the Prankster, the president cuts his visit short, leaving Lois only a five-minute interview. She asks everyone what one question they would ask the president. Clark suggests asking what position he would play if he were a professional baseball player and why, which Lois dismisses as idiotic.
Hoping to find info on how he can make the camera work on Superman, Griffin breaks into the Daily Planet newsroom and freezes everyone there so he can hack Lois's computer files. He takes the opportunity to humiliate the frozen Lois by removing her dress, putting it on Jimmy, and posing her with a cigarette. At his hideout, he reviews her notes on the incident where Superman was blinded (in "The Eyes Have It"), which clue him in on the adjustments he needs.
Having noticed a colorful twinkle in Griffin's eyes lately, Lois and Clark suspect he is wearing customized contact lenses to protect himself from the effects of the flash. They ask Dr. Emil Hamilton to create some similar contact lenses as a defense.
By impersonating a presidential aide, Griffin lures Lois to the Lakeside Towers and kidnaps her. When Superman comes to her rescue, Griffin uses the modified camera to freeze him. He pushes Superman off the top of the tower, then throws Lois down after him. Superman survives the fall and recovers from the flash in enough time to catch Lois. However, Lois points out that if he confronts Griffin again, he'll just be frozen again.
Bobby Bigmouth gets Lois and Clark the address for Griffin's hideout, in which they find evidence he is planning to kidnap and ransom the president. Hamilton has prepared protective contact lenses for Lois and Superman, but without knowing the exact frequency of light Griffin is using, he can't guarantee they will work. To play it safe, they arrange for Superman to take the president's place in his limousine.
Griffin freezes the entire motorcade with a deluxe-sized, perpetually flashing version of his device, but Superman and Lois are protected by their contact lenses. Lois decks Victor and Superman cuts off Griffin's attempted escape, accidentally knocking out Griffin's contact lenses. Griffin is immediately frozen by his own device. In retaliation for his pranks on her, Lois drops Griffin's pants, exposing his tacky boxers to the public. Superman destroys Griffin's device, and the now unfrozen presidential bodyguards take Griffin and Victor into custody.
Lois nails the presidential interview, and admits that she "broke the ice" using the question Clark suggested. Relieved of her stress over the interview and the Prankster, Lois tells Jimmy that she was an ungracious houseguest and apologizes to him. Jimmy accepts her apology, but forgets to dismantle the prank he set in retaliation, and Lois's rigged desk sprays Silly String all over her. Jimmy flees the building in fear of Lois's wrath.
Cast[]
Main cast[]
- Dean Cain as Clark Kent/Superman
- Teri Hatcher as Lois Lane
- Lane Smith as Perry White
- Justin Whalin as Jimmy Olsen
- K Callan as Martha Kent
- Eddie Jones as Jonathan Kent
Guest starring[]
- Rick Overton as Victor
- John Pleshette as Dr. Emil Hamilton
- Cliff DeYoung as Special Agent Carrigan
- Harold Gould as Edwin Griffin
- Sal Viscuso as Bobby Bigmouth
Special appearance by[]
- Bronson Pinchot as Kyle Griffin/The Prankster
Co-starring[]
- Allen Lulu as Mike Carney
- Barry Ashley as Vendor
Trivia[]
Early in the first act, Lois comments "What is it with me and people breaking into my apartment and flashing lights in my eyes?" This is a self-deprecating joke acknowledging that the same thing happened in a previous episode of the same season, "The Eyes Have It".
Quotes[]
Lois [after Superman answers her latest cry of "Help, Superman!"]: "Superman! Oh, I hope I never get laryngitis!"