Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman
Season 2, Episode 14 (19 Feb. 1995): “Top Copy”
by John McNamara, Randall Zisk

Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman - Season 2, Episode 14

Title: “Top Copy”

Medium: television series episode

Original airdate: 19 Feb. 1995

Publisher:
Written by: John McNamara
Directed by: Randall Zisk

6 characters in this story:

Character (Click links for info about character and his/her religious practice, affiliation, etc.)	Religious Affiliation	Team(s) [Notes]	Pub.	# app.
Superman (Clark Kent)	Methodist / Kryptonian religion	Kryptonians; Super Friends...  The Justice League		13,409
Lois Lane	Catholic	Raleigh College [Superman's girlfriend, then wife]		3,859
Jimmy Olsen	Lutheran	The Legion of Super-Heroes [Superman's pal]		1,896
Perry White	Baptist; Elvis worship (ordained)	[Superman's (Clark Kent's) boss; Daily Planet editor]		1,574
Jonathan Kent	Methodist	[Superman's adoptive father]		816
Martha Kent	Methodist	[Superman's adoptive mother]		827

Tabloid news show reporter Diana Stride and her cameraman Rolf hatch a scheme to tag Superman so they can track his movements. To that end, they set a penthouse apartment on fire. Once they see Superman is on his way, Diana Stride jumps off the top of the building. After Superman flies away, Rolf's and Diana Stride's comments reveal that they are rather evil people. They believe that good ethics and values are disgusting.

Timecode: 5 minutes, 22 seconds:

Rolf: So good. So decent. Don't you just want to vomit?

Diana Stride: Nice quads, though.

Timecode: 6 minutes, 26 seconds: In a meeting with editors of the news show Diana Stride works for, she vows to find out Superman's secret identity and expose it on worldwide television. She wants to do all this for the sake of better ratings.

Timecode: 7 minutes, 25 seconds:

Clark Kent: Uh, Lois, about last night.

[Clark Kent wants to talk to Lois about what happened the night before: Lois and Clark were at the Daily Planet office playing a game of chess while waiting for an important FAX to arrive. Lois started to tell Clark that she thinks they should go on a date, as he had asked her to do in the previous episode, but they had been unable to do so because they had to work on a story assignment. But while Lois was trying to have a serious conversation about this serious topic, Clark heard about the a penthouse fire and he rushed out to stop it as Superman. Clark left Lois by making up a lame excuse about needing to return a rented video tape.]

Lois Lane: It's okay, Clark. We can finish the chess game some other time.

Clark Kent: I'm not talking about the chess game. I'm talking about us. You were trying to say something and I . . . I . . .

Lois Lane: Had a sudden urge to return a tape. It's perfectly understandable. I needed to express a deep personal feeling. You needed to save three dollars.

Clark Kent: Lois. You know, I really hope some day that you learn that . . . sometimes what it seems like people are doing isn't what they're really doing.

Lois Lane: What are you, a fortune cookie? If you had some other reason for leaving last night, say it.

Clark Kent: I guess I don't.

[Clark did not want to tell Lois the real reason he left because he does not want her to learn that he is secretly Superman.]

Lois Lane: Then I guess that's it. Let's get to work.

[Lois Lane and Clark Kent leave the office conference room they were talking in. As they walk by, Jimmy Olsen and Perry White can see that things are tense between the two reporters.]

Jimmy Olsen: Man, you're looking at two very tense people.

Perry White: Norcross and Judd.

Jimmy Olsen: Sorry?

Perry White: Billy Norcross and Serena Judd. Reporters before your time. Almost as good as those two. In fact, they were an inch away from getting the Pulitzer when they, uh . . .

Jimmy Olsen: Got involved.

Perry White: Yep.

Jimmy Olsen: And it didn't work out?

Perry White: It was such a disaster they should have filed for federal aid. Judd ended up teaching yoga to oil riggers in Anchorage. Billy Norcross drained every bottle in the Tri-State area, found God, and opened his own cable TV ministry.

[Jimmy Olsen whistles in amazement.]

Perry White: Yeah. All because they were partners. Best of friends. Fell in love.

[While Perry White tells Jimmy Olsen this story, we see Lois Lane and Clark Kent trying to work together, but exhibiting tension because of personal problems between them.]

Timecode: 11 minutes, 38 seconds: Diana Stride has a videoconference conversation with a representative of Intergang. This conversation reveals that Diana Stride was once an active operative of the criminal organizaton. She considers herself "retired" now, but the Intergang representative reminds her that "you never retire from Intergang." She has the man cut to the chase and tell her what Intergang wants her to do now. Diana Stride was previously an assassin for Intergang. Intergang plucked her from obscurity, used its power and influence to establish her as a famous news reporter. With her contacts as a TV journalist, she was able to get close to world leaders. On orders from Intergang, she assassinated a number of these leaders and other powerful people. Now Intergang wants Diana Stride to kill DeSanto, her former partner in the assassination gang - a man who was captured by authorities and has agreed to tell the government what he knows about Intergang.

Timecode: 17 minutes, 13 seconds: Clark Kent looks at the half-moon necklace that Lois Lane found at the scene of Diana Stride's assassination attempt on her former partner, the Intergang operative turned state's witness.

Clark Kent: And you found this.

Lois Lane: Right after you disappeared. What happened to you, anyway?

Clark Kent: I thought I saw the assassin.

[Actually, Clark Kent turned into Superman and stopped the assassination. But he didn't see the assassin, who got away. he was busy taking the assassin's intended victim to the hospital. The man was a victim of Diana Stride's bullets, but the man didn't die.]

Lois Lane: You went after a professional killer by yourself? Clark.

Clark Kent: Come on, Lois. It wasn't that danger-- Well, no. I guess you're right. I guess I could've been killed, and then we never would've settled things. Maybe this is fate giving us a second chance.

Lois Lane: Nice. You rehearse that one?

Clark Kent: Improvised on the spot.

Lois Lane: A for effort. F for fat chance.

Timecode: 20 minutes, 14 seconds: Lois Lane strongly suspects that famous TV journalist Diana Stride is secretly the assassin for Intergang known as "Assassin X." Clark thinks Lois is reaching in coming to this conclusion based largely on the necklace she found. They are discussing how next to go about discovering the identity of Intergang's assassin when they see Diana Stride walk into the offices of the Daily Planet.

Lois Lane: Huh. Speak of the devil.

[Seeing Diana Stride gives Lois Lane an idea. Lois Lane tells Clark her idea, which they put into effect when Perry introduces Diana Stride to them. Lois holds up the half-moon necklace that she found at the attempted assassination scene. Clark looks at the necklace before Lois puts it on.]

Clark Kent: That' s a really nice necklace, Lois.

Lois Lane: Oh, thanks, Clark. It's not mine. I found it. [To Diana Stride] It's not yours, is it?

Diana Stride: Why, no.

Lois Lane: You sure? I-- I-- It's just that I saw you wearing one like it the other day. And I thought, how appropriate, you know, Diana, the huntress from Greek mythology, who stalks her prey by moonlight. It's really not yours?

Diana Stride: Really not.

Lois Lane: Oh, well, my mistake. Gosh, I just hope that, uh, whoever lost this little charm finds it, because they're probably in for some bad luck.

Timecode: 25 minutes, 46 seconds: Superman tells Diana Stride that he knows her story about him isn't a "tribute" to him. He knows she is trying to find out his secret identity. He tells her she needs to drop the story. If he keeps secrets, he explains, it is for the good of others, not for personal gain (like her).

Diana Stride: Superman, I . . . can't. You see, if I drop the story, I'm going to lose my show. And that's all I have. When you want so much from life, and then you get even more than you ever expected, the thought of having it all taken away . . . can make you do things. [Diana Stride turns her back to Superman and puts Kryptonite-laced lipstick on her lips.] Things that you never even thought you were capable of.

Superman: Don't-- Don't-- Don't cry.

Diana Stride: That's why I did this. Or maybe it's just because I'm no damn good.

Superman: There's good in everyone.

Diana Stride: Oh.

[Diana Stride kisses Superman on the lips. He allows her to do so for a second before she pulls away. Instantly he weakens due to the effect of the Kryptonite. He collapses to his knees, his head bowed.]

Diana Stride: Not everyone.

[Superman groans in agony at Diana Stride's feet.]

Diana Stride: Oh, Superman. Not on the first date.

Superman: You don't . . . want me as an enemy, Miss Stride.

Diana Stride: But I've got you.

[Superman flies out the window.]

Diana Stride: Yes! [singing] I've got you/ Under your skin. [She laughs an evil laugh.]

The process of listing characters who appeared in this source is not yet complete. Webpage for Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman - Season 2, Episode 14 (19 Feb. 1995) created 24 January 2008. Last modified 11 June 2014.

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