Smallville--It's ANVILicious!

[sinanju]

After tonight's episode (Committed), I think I may finally be done with this show.

I started watching Smallville eight years ago because, well, c'mon--it's SUPERMAN. It's the story of Clark learning to use his powers and beginning the Hero's Journey, with his future nemesis, Lex Luthor right there with him. The HoYay* factor between Clark & Lex was entertaining too.

And then there was Chloe. My favorite character on the show, bar none. Yes, partly because she's a doll. But also because I like the character.

Over the years, I endured a lot bad episodes, and more a little Idiot Plotting. But there was plenty to keep me entertained as well. The Clark/Lex sparkage. Chloe pining after the Big Dumb Alien, who pined after Lana, etc. The last couple of seasons, though, I was watching mostly for Chloe.

I'm a Chloe/Clark shipper. Clark doesn't really deserve her, but she wants him so I want her to have him. Alas, the powers that be introduced Lois Lane. A loud-mouthed, lowbrow moron (who admittedly looks good in skimpy clothes) with no interest (zero! nada!) in journalism. She stumbled around the show for several seasons before getting a Super!Journalist! upgrade overnight, while Chloe (who'd spent years working her way up to working on the Daily Planet) got summarily bounced and seems to have given up on journalism.

And now, in what is probably the last season, they're flinging the anvils fast and furious. Chloe & Jimmy Olsen (her fiancee now) get kidnapped, tied up and interrogated with a lie detector (and the threat of potentially lethal shocks to the other if they lie). Why?

So the writers can drop anvils on the Chloe/Clark shippers. So they can "prove" that Chloe no longer carries a torch for Clark. That Jimmy is the only man for her. And later in the episode, when Lois and Clark are interrogated likewise, so Lois can 'fess up that she loves Clark.

Got it now, you dimwitted viewers? Chloe doesn't love Clark. Lois does. They have a destiny! A bond! (As various one-shot characters have been saying about and/or to them since the season began).

Okay, Smallvlle writers. You've made your point.

I'm done.

* HoYay is short for "Homoeroticism--Yay!" (And if anyone thinks the fans are seeing things that aren't there, you're wrong. At WorldCon in 2006, one of the writers for Smallville, who was involved in pre-planning was their designated "go-to gal" for exactly that. She reports being asked once, "Will the gay sex people like it?" and replying "We are SO there!")

Comments

[kzmiller.livejournal.com]

Man, they gotta do something with Lois so that she's less of a jerk. The Lois character has always been a problematical one for me, but I was kinda hoping that the series would make her kewl. Not so. If anything, the Smallville Lois is even more irritating than all the other Lois characters I've seen in visual media combined. When she first came onto the show I thought okay, this was inevitable, I guess. I reluctantly accepted her as the love interest and was at least grateful that the Lana-whiny thing would be less and less of a focus. Bonus, right? But Lois--ugh. They just can't seem to dress her up in any way (I mean figuratively, literally she's got great physical presence) that keeps me from gagging. Bleh. Bleh bleh bleh.

I only watch these on DVD and as the series wears on I pick them up at Costco. Each time I pick up a new season I dread how it's going to play. My dreadometer has just shot up into the red zone. Thanks for the fair warning!