Superman: The Animated Series (TV Series)

Where There's Smoke (1998)

William H. Macy: Director

Quotes 

• Director : It was about ten years ago. A teenaged girl named Claire Selton came to us with enormous pyrokinetic potential. But I never got to see her fulfill it.

  Clark Kent : Why not?

  Director : The government men. They took her.

  Clark Kent : Took her? As in kidnapped?

  Director : [finishing a root beer float]  Mm-hmm. Can I have another?

  Clark Kent : [fixing it as they talk]  What'd they do with her?

  Director : Stripped away her past, code-named her "Volcana," and tried their hardest to turn her into a living weapon.

  Clark Kent : Poor kid.

  Director : Ah, don't feel too sorry for her. If this is the same person we're talking about, she could give as good as she got.

  [slurpring the float] 

  Director : Ahh. This is almost paranormally good.

  [laughing] 

  Director : I... paranormally. That's... that's really good.

  Clark Kent : [hearing an explosion with his superhuman hearing]  Uh, I have an errand I need to run.

  Director : Oh, don't worry about me.

  [slurping some more float, then telekinetically adding more ice cream] 

  Director : I'll be fine.

• Clark Kent : Ever have anyone who exhibited pyrokinetic abilities?

  Director : Py... pyrokinesis?

  Clark Kent : You know, the ability to start and control fires.

  Director : [evasively]  Oh, dear. Look at the time.

  Clark Kent : You haven't answered my question.

  Director : I have another appointment. Billy will show you out.

  Billy : I knew he was gonna do that.

• Director : Please, don't turn me in.

  Clark Kent : You gonna tell me what's going on?

  Director : You take me someplace safe, and I'll tell you everything.

  Clark Kent : Deal. By the way, that was a nice diversion tactic. How'd you do it?

  Director : Uh, the tires? A form of kinetic manipulation. As they say, I'm also a client.

• Director : We opened the institute about 20 years ago. It was the first school to offer paranormal children a place where they could fit in.

  Clark Kent : And you also help them develop their abilities?

  Director : Let me show you.

  [a boy telekinetically swirls a glass of water] 

  Director : Like most things, telekinesis takes practice. This little girl had a 40% accuracy rating when she got here.

  [said girl draws a circle on a piece of paper, and the doctor she's with holds up a card with a similar shape] 

  Director : Now it's up to 92.

  Clark Kent : Impressive. But tell me something. Who pays for all this?

  Director : I... I thought you were doing a story about paranormals.

  Clark Kent : Just trying to be thorough. Where does your funding come from?

  Director : Why, we have donors and...

  Clark Kent : The government?

  Director : Mr. Kent, we do some very worthwhile work here, and the government gives us considerable... encouragement. But if the public at large knew that this was how some of their taxes were being spent...

  Clark Kent : They wouldn't understand.

  Director : Exactly.