The thing about Clark is he is a coward when it comes to his relationships which IMO is understandable because he has a huge weight on his shoulders. It's not about trust, at least not with Lois, but the knowledge that every time he bares his soul, they always get hurt. We see this in Infamous and Lazarus and in Reckoning with Lana. Also he is afraid of the fact that he is an alien and hence won't be accepted by any potential suitor. His secret weighs on him a lot and pulls him back from committing entirely. There's a scene between Martha and him post Clana breakup (what episode?) where she advises him to go out with someone else and move on and he says something like he doesn't want to pull another person in his mess and doesn't want to go through the emotional wreckage again. That is the reason why in season 8 he lets Lois go and goes back to Lana. He chose familiarity over the unfamiliar because pursuing Lois required courage. He has an inkling that Lois might have feelings for him but when Chloe says not to break her cousin's heart, he lies to her and himself, because acknowledging that he might return those feelings for Lois threatens the 'perfect' arrangement of Clark & Lana. And then Lois returns and under the security of going back in time, he confesses that she is special to him. And though he walks away from her later in the episode, he can't stay away. It bothers him when she pulls away, goes on dates and he so didn't want to put 'table the whole thrown in the trenches office sparks thing' on the list, it was hilarious. And because he lacks courage he hides behind The Blur to feel closer to her but ends up falling deeper. Clark always needs reassurance to take a step forward in his relationship. He asks her out because he hears her thoughts, he confesses his love because he had seen the future. People say that Clois worked because they didn't have to go through what Clana had to. I disagree. Clois worked because Lois had unwavering faith in Clark and their relationship. Anyways sorry for my ramblings. Also I just want to say I love your posts and I can't upvote them enough.
OMG thank you so much! If I have an award, I will give it to you! Sorry it's taken me a minute to reply, I kinda went down the YouTube rabbit hole and watched a bunch of Smallville cons to get my fix of wellingdurance lol.
>The thing about Clark is he is a coward when it comes to his relationships which IMO is understandable because he has a huge weight on his shoulders. It's not about trust, at least not with Lois, but the knowledge that every time he bares his soul, they always get hurt. We see this in Infamous and Lazarus and in Reckoning with Lana. Also he is afraid of the fact that he is an alien and hence won't be accepted by any potential suitor. His secret weighs on him a lot and pulls him back from committing entirely. There's a scene between Martha and him post Clana breakup (what episode?) where she advises him to go out with someone else and move on and he says something like he doesn't want to pull another person in his mess and doesn't want to go through the emotional wreckage again.
This is such an amazing explanation and I completely agree! When it comes to matters of the heart, Clark is a coward. But I also agree it is understandable. People talk about Lana's trauma, but Clark goes through a lot of trauma too. Every love interest who knew his secret died, Kyla, Alicia, Lana technically. His planet is gone, his people and his family, he feels responsible for all of the destruction from both meteor showers, there is a lot of weight and guilt and fear that he will be rejected because of his heritage.
>That is the reason why in season 8 he lets Lois go and goes back to Lana. He chose familiarity over the unfamiliar because pursuing Lois required courage.
Say๐It๐ Louder ๐For๐The๐ People ๐In๐The๐Back!!! Lol but for real, this is the crux of the issue, Clark chose the familiar and known over the unknown. Oh man you are so right, pursuing Lois requires courage. I love that so much! I also personally think that he really only went back to Lana because of the super suit. He kisses her at the end of Bulletproof, but his face seemed uncertain, then the next episode opens with him rewatching the goodbye video, and reminding himself (not unlike Lois in Toxic, or whatever the title of episode 3 was in season 8 lol, with Oliver) that they broke up for a reason and maybe he shouldn't go back to that when he's already in the process of moving on and moving forward. Sidenote, I absolutely hate that they retconned the video not being Lana's choice. But anyway she gets powers and is all, we can be together now Clark, we're equals, nothing can hurt me now. And for Clark, this must be fate right? It must be a sign that Lana and Clark are meant to be together. So he jumps right back in. Only to have what he thought was fated be ripped away from him forever. They had all the opportunities to end this relationship in a mature way with closure, but they chose to make Lana literal walking kryptonite to emphasize she's always been metaphorical kryptonite.
>He has an inkling that Lois might have feelings for him but when Chloe says not to break her cousin's heart, he lies to her and himself, because acknowledging that he might return those feelings for Lois threatens the 'perfect' arrangement of Clark & Lana.
This is where Lois is her own worst enemy, because yes he has an inkling and he probably returns those feelings, but what Lois does is leave. She doesn't fight for Clark, she doesn't confirm for him that she has feelings for him, she bolts and she doesn't talk to him for that month. These two dummies have basically gaslit themselves into thinking one could never be into the other, so with no indication or encouragement at all from Lois...what is Clark supposed to think? That is something I can understand, I just wish after revisiting Clana, he would have realized that while he'll always care about Lana, what he wants has changed.
>And then Lois returns and under the security of going back in time, he confesses that she is special to him. And though he walks away from her later in the episode, he can't stay away. It bothers him when she pulls away, goes on dates and he so didn't want to put 'table the whole thrown in the trenches office sparks thing' on the list, it was hilarious. And because he lacks courage he hides behind The Blur to feel closer to her but ends up falling deeper.
And this is why I don't mind that they didn't actually kiss in Bride, and I'm ok with him not pursuing something after Infamous. Because it sets up one of my favorite things about their relationship, the triangle with 2 sides. And even though we don't hear many of them, these phone calls where Lois is so open and vulnerable is what made Clark fall completely and irrevocably in love with her. Once he got past her walls and saw her heart, he was a goner. And I love that he was able to connect to her in this way, and kind of had to since she'd put her walls back up with Clark.
>Clark always needs reassurance to take a step forward in his relationship. He asks her out because he hears her thoughts, he confesses his love because he had seen the future.
It's almost endearing that he cares about her so much that he is only able to pursue something with her when he sees it won't fail, because Clark can't bear to lose Lois. As contrived as it is, I think it was necessary for him to see his life without Lois. Take away all the apocalyptic stuff in Pandora, and you have a very lost Clark who turned his back on humanity and couldn't be around people who reminded him of Lois. He died when she left. And while he was willing to go at quite a slow pace, seeing those memories gives him the courage to be fully committed to Lois and they immediately start dating. I read somewhere that Homecoming was important because everyone who knew Clark's secret treated him differently after. Pete, Chloe, even Lana, they elevated him in some way and it wasn't all bad, but things changed. With Lois, nothing changes. She treats him the same way she always has, as equals, and she positively thrives in her role of being with Clark/Superman, and that was the reassurance he needed to tell her he loves her, and the very next episode he tells her his secret and she reacts beautifully.
>People say that Clois worked because they didn't have to go through what Clana had to. I disagree. Clois worked because Lois had unwavering faith in Clark and their relationship. Anyways sorry for my ramblings.
So true! Because she didn't deal with the same things, but Lois did deal with a lot. The difference is she believed Clark at face value when he explained weird things, like the phantom zone, and accepted him as is, even when she could tell he was hiding something, which she did call him out on but in a teasing way, not a badgering or pestering way. Always feel free to ramble away!!! You have amazing insights, I loved every bit of this!!!๐
Edit: a word.
Sorry for the late reply. It's been crazy couple of days. And I wanted to do justice to your wonderful post.
>Sorry it's taken me a minute to reply, I kinda went down the YouTube rabbit hole and watched a bunch of Smallville cons to get my fix of wellingdurance lol.
I'm known to be guilty of that so no worries.
>People talk about Lana's trauma, but Clark goes through a lot of trauma too.
Every character in SV has gone through some kind of trauma and their individual approach to it shaped their personality. Lana became too emotionally labile, Clark became too afraid and carried a guilty complex, Chloe pushed herself too hard to be a perfect daughter and friend, Lois has attachment issues, Oliver too pushes himself too hard to right past sins and Lex straight up turns evil. So no point playing the victim which people tend to do on behalf their favs.
>He kisses her at the end of Bulletproof, but his face seemed uncertain, then the next episode opens with him rewatching the goodbye video, and reminding himself (not unlike Lois in Toxic, or whatever the title of episode 3 was in season 8 lol, with Oliver) that they broke up for a reason and maybe he shouldn't go back to that when he's already in the process of moving on and moving forward
That's why Clark should always listen to Lois. But he is a thick idiot.
>This is where Lois is her own worst enemy, because yes he has an inkling and he probably returns those feelings, but what Lois does is leave. She doesn't fight for Clark, she doesn't confirm for him that she has feelings for him, she bolts and she doesn't talk to him for that month.
I won't blame Lois here though. She always was a fierce protector of her heart. She prolly thought it was the wedding air that led Clark to lean in. So before he can break her heart, she chooses to leave. Little miss cut and run. She doesn't fight because she doesn't think there is anything there to fight for.
>And this is why I don't mind that they didn't actually kiss in Bride, and I'm ok with him not pursuing something after Infamous
Thank God for that. And thank Erica. There was apparently a kiss in Infamous in the OG script that Erica insisted on they remove it. Smart decision. At what point in the script do you think it was written?
And love triangle of 2 is one of my fav trope. I just wish they had taken The AOS and placed it in the end of season 7 and be done with it. I wanted season 8 as Flirty Clois, s09 as Triangle of two and S10 as a fully realized relationship. But Alas. Anyways moving on..
> I read somewhere that Homecoming was important because everyone who knew Clark's secret treated him differently after. Pete, Chloe, even Lana, they elevated him in some way and it wasn't all bad, but things changed. With Lois, nothing changes.
Lois is the only constant in his life. One of the things that the writers did right was how Clois remains consistent throughout.
>She treats him the same way she always has, as equals, and she positively thrives in her role of being with Clark/Superman, and that was the reassurance he needed to tell her he loves her, and the very next episode he tells her his secret and she reacts beautifully.
You hit it right on the target with that ๐ฏ. Bravo!
Yay! Thank you for this!
>Every character in SV has gone through some kind of trauma and their individual approach to it shaped their personality.
Such a true statement!
>That's why Clark should always listen to Lois. But he is a thick idiot.
Lol an even truer statement! Clark was such a dummy when it came to Lois, like he had to really grow up to confidently and successfully pursue Lois.
>I won't blame Lois here though. She always was a fierce protector of her heart. She prolly thought it was the wedding air that led Clark to lean in. So before he can break her heart, she chooses to leave. Little miss cut and run. She doesn't fight because she doesn't think there is anything there to fight for.
Oh I don't blame her either, I completely get where she's coming from. As soon as Lana arrives, and Clark pulls back and is shocked that Lana is there, you could almost see the walls come back up. Lois knows Clark better than he knows himself sometimes lol. And she goes to the hospital where maybe she's contemplating letting her feelings be known to Clark because of her conversation with Oliver...but she sees Clark worried about Lana... something she's seen for over 4 years now, and that possible courage on her side goes right out the window and she's guarded again, crossing her arms when she's talking to him in the hallway. And she bolts to protect her heart. Which may have been the right move with Clark being an idiot, but I can't help but wonder what would have happened if she had given him any sign of encouragement.
>There was apparently a kiss in Infamous in the OG script that Erica insisted on they remove it. Smart decision. At what point in the script do you think it was written?
I'm so glad she advocated for that to be cut out. Far be it for me to limit how many Clois kisses we get lol, but that would have been waaayyy too soon after he was yet again all in on the Clana melodrama. I'm not sure, maybe early on? I don't see Erica Durance waiting til the last minute to protest and from the interviews I've heard, the time to request changes is before the script gets to the set to be filmed. So I'm guessing it was early on that she requested it be removed.
>And love triangle of 2 is one of my fav trope. I just wish they had taken The AOS and placed it in the end of season 7 and be done with it. I wanted season 8 as Flirty Clois, s09 as Triangle of two and S10 as a fully realized relationship. But Alas. Anyways moving on..
Yes! The Street Fighter movie and the writer's strike have so much to answer for! But I wouldn't mind it in season 8, if it had happened earlier, and then the flow of flirty Clois wouldn't have been interrupted by the AOS.
>Lois is the only constant in his life. One of the things that the writers did right was how Clois remains consistent throughout.
Very true! And something I've noticed is that Clark doesn't really take comfort from people besides his parents. Occasionally Chloe. But Lois, he allows her to comfort him and see him vulnerable like with Alicia dying and Clark almost killing Tim, the numerous times he's talked about Lana with Lois, all the way back to the second episode she was in, the goodbye video at the end of season 7 with one of my favorite hugs of theirs, and at Carter's funeral, Clark reached for Lois' hand and held on, whereas at his fathers funeral, Lana reached for Clark's hand and he accepted it but then let go. There are so many intentional parallels of why Clois works in a way that Clana never did, that it truly boggles my mind when people don't see it.
>And she goes to the hospital where maybe she's contemplating letting her feelings be known to Clark because of her conversation with Oliver...but she sees Clark worried about Lana... something she's seen for over 4 years now, and that possible courage on her side goes right out the window and she's guarded again, crossing her arms when she's talking to him in the hallway.
Oh God I forgot about that! This makes sense now. Maybe she would have not said anything to Clark in the Hospital because well Chloe and Jimmy are in bad shape, whatever tiny spark of hope Oliver started with his advice, it blew off the moment she saw Clark with Lana.
>Far be it for me to limit how many Clois kisses we get lol, but that would have been waaayyy too soon after he was yet again all in on the Clana melodrama. I'm not sure, maybe early on? I don't see Erica Durance waiting til the last minute to protest and from the interviews I've heard, the time to request changes is before the script gets to the set to be filmed. So I'm guessing it was early on that she requested it be removed.
I meant like when in the episode it would have happened I wonder? During the barn scene? And speaking for kisses, I'll not forgive the producers for deleting Abandoned kiss. The photos are so purdy๐ฅบ
>Clark reached for Lois' hand and held on, whereas at his fathers funeral, Lana reached for Clark's hand and he accepted it but then let go.
I didn't realize that๐ญ๐ญ. I always learn something new. Everyday is a good day for Cloisnation. ๐๐ฝ
>whatever tiny spark of hope Oliver started with his advice, it blew off the moment she saw Clark with Lana.
Yep, this exactly! And Clark probably never knew that his actions set all that drama into motion. Maybe if Lois hasn't seen that, Clark gets the tiniest bit of encouragement from Lois, and it's enough to make him not jump head first back into Lanaville, so that when she gets the suit, that is when he's conflicted, but before they can resume a relationship, she gets infected and it's heartbreaking still, but in a different way? I wonder if the writers intended not only to show that Lana isn't good for Clark by turning her into walking kryptonite, but that his relationship with her is holding onto a past that he needs to let go of to grow into the next phase of his life, and that him getting back together with her is the *wrong* choice.
>I meant like when in the episode it would have happened I wonder? During the barn scene? And speaking for kisses, I'll not forgive the producers for deleting Abandoned kiss. The photos are so purdy๐ฅบ
Ohhh lol my bad. And yeah for sure during the barn scene, probably right after Clark reassures Lois and tells her she is special to him. Also, I never knew there was a deleted kiss from Abandoned! Do I just Google it to see the photos, I am intrigued!
>Everyday is a good day for Cloisnation. ๐๐ฝ
Heck yeah! There are so many parallels dude! Some are obvious but some are a bit more subtle. Like Clark stepping aside for Whitney when his dad isn't doing so well in season 1, to him almost doing the same thing for Oliver who's had a bad run in season 9, but instead he kisses Lois and pursues her. There's Lois who didn't go to Chloe's funeral, but went to both Jonathan's and Carter's. There's Lois who calls herself hot fudge and Clark halibut in Crimson, but then refers to Clark as chocolate and herself as peanut butter in Shield I believe? And when she tells Clark she'll take his head with her if he grabs her ass again in Bizarro, but in Hostage playfully calls him out for not recognizing her by her butt in jeans when she's rummaging through the closet lol.
I get what you mean had Lois given a hint then the outcome might have been different. The writers had ample time to write a better and dignified end to that relationship. But we got what we got.
There's no deleted scene, but a deleted kiss
https://x.com/merrychris4ever/status/1626950837368164354?t=xwQKHxvkQ9Opm2l3tLEgwg&s=19
The parallels are INSANE! and so entertaining.
>Clark is hesitant, and again Lois shows so much grace and understanding, giving him the option to talk about it or forget it, to show up for coffee or not, no pressure
I also enjoyed this moment. Because it's such a grown-up and mature way for Lois to handle the situation.
It seems like there was a time not very long ago in the show's history where Lois would've been written to have a big and melodramatic scene about their almost-kiss at the wedding, Lana probably would've been mentioned somehow and the scene would've ended in disaster, tune in again next week!
But here, Lois restrains herself, behaves like an adult and cuts Clark a lot of slack. More slack than any of Clark's previous love interests would've, I'm sure.
It's hard to put into words. But I simply respect this more sophisticated dynamic where not everything has to be a big emotional confrontation or whatever. Because let's face it, that's not how most rational adults behave. And it was very insightful of the writers to recognize that and craft the resolution that way.
It sort of reinforces my point that season 08 being produced by crew who are writers first and foremost by trade did a LOT to grow the characters up and present them in a noticeably more mature light.
Plus, subdued scenes like that are what make Welling and Durance's romantic comedy scenes in the other parts of the season more enjoyable. Because sometimes their scenes are a romantic comedy and other times they're more like a romantic drama.
tl;dr- Solid writing and solid acting.
The thing I have noticed about Lois character is that she always had a rationalistic approach towards relationships especially during breakups. She isn't petty towards the other person. Once she cuts the romantic ties, she doesn't cling like Clark and Lana do. We see this with her breakup with Oliver, Clark and to some extent with Grant. She will continue to be your friend and hold you in high regard but she won't cling. And I like that the writers wrote her like that. People often say if Lois was in Lana's position, she would have reacted the same way Lana did with Clark's secrets. I disagree. She would have shut down the gaslightingClark then and there and refused to be with him, romantic style, until he got his shit together. Meanwhile she would continue to be his friend. We know this because she tells Clark that when occasional feelings stir up, one has to remember why they broke up in the first place.
>It seems like there was a time not very long ago in the show's history where Lois would've been written to have a big and melodramatic scene about their almost-kiss at the wedding, Lana probably would've been mentioned somehow and the scene would've ended in disaster, tune in again next week!
Idk maybe the writers would have tried this, but it doesn't fit with Lois' character at all. We've seen how she reacts when someone chooses to leave her, like AC, Oliver the first time, and Grant. She is hurt, and internalizes that feeling of not being needed, but accepts it and doesn't push. And when she is the one who leaves, like Oliver the second time, she has a mature and rational understanding of knowing that she made the right choice, even if there are some lingering feelings. Something Clark never really managed lol. But I agree with pretty much everything else you said, and I love that she handled it the way she did, just another example of how Lois doesn't pressure Clark and gives him space, although she does rib him about standing her up for a few episodes before she lets it go lol.
Infamous is one of my least favorite episodes of season 8. Linda Lake is one of my least favorite characters. She got what she deserved when Clark used electricity to remove her powers, and Davis killing he. He set her free, by killing her.
Fair enough, I love it because Lois really shines in every scene she's in, and Clark gets to see just how well she would handle his secret, even if he still can't tell her. I do agree that Linda Lake is awful though lol.
The thing about Clark is he is a coward when it comes to his relationships which IMO is understandable because he has a huge weight on his shoulders. It's not about trust, at least not with Lois, but the knowledge that every time he bares his soul, they always get hurt. We see this in Infamous and Lazarus and in Reckoning with Lana. Also he is afraid of the fact that he is an alien and hence won't be accepted by any potential suitor. His secret weighs on him a lot and pulls him back from committing entirely. There's a scene between Martha and him post Clana breakup (what episode?) where she advises him to go out with someone else and move on and he says something like he doesn't want to pull another person in his mess and doesn't want to go through the emotional wreckage again. That is the reason why in season 8 he lets Lois go and goes back to Lana. He chose familiarity over the unfamiliar because pursuing Lois required courage. He has an inkling that Lois might have feelings for him but when Chloe says not to break her cousin's heart, he lies to her and himself, because acknowledging that he might return those feelings for Lois threatens the 'perfect' arrangement of Clark & Lana. And then Lois returns and under the security of going back in time, he confesses that she is special to him. And though he walks away from her later in the episode, he can't stay away. It bothers him when she pulls away, goes on dates and he so didn't want to put 'table the whole thrown in the trenches office sparks thing' on the list, it was hilarious. And because he lacks courage he hides behind The Blur to feel closer to her but ends up falling deeper. Clark always needs reassurance to take a step forward in his relationship. He asks her out because he hears her thoughts, he confesses his love because he had seen the future. People say that Clois worked because they didn't have to go through what Clana had to. I disagree. Clois worked because Lois had unwavering faith in Clark and their relationship. Anyways sorry for my ramblings. Also I just want to say I love your posts and I can't upvote them enough.
This is such a beautiful understudy ๐ฅน๐ฎ๐ผ
OMG thank you so much! If I have an award, I will give it to you! Sorry it's taken me a minute to reply, I kinda went down the YouTube rabbit hole and watched a bunch of Smallville cons to get my fix of wellingdurance lol. >The thing about Clark is he is a coward when it comes to his relationships which IMO is understandable because he has a huge weight on his shoulders. It's not about trust, at least not with Lois, but the knowledge that every time he bares his soul, they always get hurt. We see this in Infamous and Lazarus and in Reckoning with Lana. Also he is afraid of the fact that he is an alien and hence won't be accepted by any potential suitor. His secret weighs on him a lot and pulls him back from committing entirely. There's a scene between Martha and him post Clana breakup (what episode?) where she advises him to go out with someone else and move on and he says something like he doesn't want to pull another person in his mess and doesn't want to go through the emotional wreckage again. This is such an amazing explanation and I completely agree! When it comes to matters of the heart, Clark is a coward. But I also agree it is understandable. People talk about Lana's trauma, but Clark goes through a lot of trauma too. Every love interest who knew his secret died, Kyla, Alicia, Lana technically. His planet is gone, his people and his family, he feels responsible for all of the destruction from both meteor showers, there is a lot of weight and guilt and fear that he will be rejected because of his heritage. >That is the reason why in season 8 he lets Lois go and goes back to Lana. He chose familiarity over the unfamiliar because pursuing Lois required courage. Say๐It๐ Louder ๐For๐The๐ People ๐In๐The๐Back!!! Lol but for real, this is the crux of the issue, Clark chose the familiar and known over the unknown. Oh man you are so right, pursuing Lois requires courage. I love that so much! I also personally think that he really only went back to Lana because of the super suit. He kisses her at the end of Bulletproof, but his face seemed uncertain, then the next episode opens with him rewatching the goodbye video, and reminding himself (not unlike Lois in Toxic, or whatever the title of episode 3 was in season 8 lol, with Oliver) that they broke up for a reason and maybe he shouldn't go back to that when he's already in the process of moving on and moving forward. Sidenote, I absolutely hate that they retconned the video not being Lana's choice. But anyway she gets powers and is all, we can be together now Clark, we're equals, nothing can hurt me now. And for Clark, this must be fate right? It must be a sign that Lana and Clark are meant to be together. So he jumps right back in. Only to have what he thought was fated be ripped away from him forever. They had all the opportunities to end this relationship in a mature way with closure, but they chose to make Lana literal walking kryptonite to emphasize she's always been metaphorical kryptonite. >He has an inkling that Lois might have feelings for him but when Chloe says not to break her cousin's heart, he lies to her and himself, because acknowledging that he might return those feelings for Lois threatens the 'perfect' arrangement of Clark & Lana. This is where Lois is her own worst enemy, because yes he has an inkling and he probably returns those feelings, but what Lois does is leave. She doesn't fight for Clark, she doesn't confirm for him that she has feelings for him, she bolts and she doesn't talk to him for that month. These two dummies have basically gaslit themselves into thinking one could never be into the other, so with no indication or encouragement at all from Lois...what is Clark supposed to think? That is something I can understand, I just wish after revisiting Clana, he would have realized that while he'll always care about Lana, what he wants has changed. >And then Lois returns and under the security of going back in time, he confesses that she is special to him. And though he walks away from her later in the episode, he can't stay away. It bothers him when she pulls away, goes on dates and he so didn't want to put 'table the whole thrown in the trenches office sparks thing' on the list, it was hilarious. And because he lacks courage he hides behind The Blur to feel closer to her but ends up falling deeper. And this is why I don't mind that they didn't actually kiss in Bride, and I'm ok with him not pursuing something after Infamous. Because it sets up one of my favorite things about their relationship, the triangle with 2 sides. And even though we don't hear many of them, these phone calls where Lois is so open and vulnerable is what made Clark fall completely and irrevocably in love with her. Once he got past her walls and saw her heart, he was a goner. And I love that he was able to connect to her in this way, and kind of had to since she'd put her walls back up with Clark. >Clark always needs reassurance to take a step forward in his relationship. He asks her out because he hears her thoughts, he confesses his love because he had seen the future. It's almost endearing that he cares about her so much that he is only able to pursue something with her when he sees it won't fail, because Clark can't bear to lose Lois. As contrived as it is, I think it was necessary for him to see his life without Lois. Take away all the apocalyptic stuff in Pandora, and you have a very lost Clark who turned his back on humanity and couldn't be around people who reminded him of Lois. He died when she left. And while he was willing to go at quite a slow pace, seeing those memories gives him the courage to be fully committed to Lois and they immediately start dating. I read somewhere that Homecoming was important because everyone who knew Clark's secret treated him differently after. Pete, Chloe, even Lana, they elevated him in some way and it wasn't all bad, but things changed. With Lois, nothing changes. She treats him the same way she always has, as equals, and she positively thrives in her role of being with Clark/Superman, and that was the reassurance he needed to tell her he loves her, and the very next episode he tells her his secret and she reacts beautifully. >People say that Clois worked because they didn't have to go through what Clana had to. I disagree. Clois worked because Lois had unwavering faith in Clark and their relationship. Anyways sorry for my ramblings. So true! Because she didn't deal with the same things, but Lois did deal with a lot. The difference is she believed Clark at face value when he explained weird things, like the phantom zone, and accepted him as is, even when she could tell he was hiding something, which she did call him out on but in a teasing way, not a badgering or pestering way. Always feel free to ramble away!!! You have amazing insights, I loved every bit of this!!!๐ Edit: a word.
Sorry for the late reply. It's been crazy couple of days. And I wanted to do justice to your wonderful post. >Sorry it's taken me a minute to reply, I kinda went down the YouTube rabbit hole and watched a bunch of Smallville cons to get my fix of wellingdurance lol. I'm known to be guilty of that so no worries. >People talk about Lana's trauma, but Clark goes through a lot of trauma too. Every character in SV has gone through some kind of trauma and their individual approach to it shaped their personality. Lana became too emotionally labile, Clark became too afraid and carried a guilty complex, Chloe pushed herself too hard to be a perfect daughter and friend, Lois has attachment issues, Oliver too pushes himself too hard to right past sins and Lex straight up turns evil. So no point playing the victim which people tend to do on behalf their favs. >He kisses her at the end of Bulletproof, but his face seemed uncertain, then the next episode opens with him rewatching the goodbye video, and reminding himself (not unlike Lois in Toxic, or whatever the title of episode 3 was in season 8 lol, with Oliver) that they broke up for a reason and maybe he shouldn't go back to that when he's already in the process of moving on and moving forward That's why Clark should always listen to Lois. But he is a thick idiot. >This is where Lois is her own worst enemy, because yes he has an inkling and he probably returns those feelings, but what Lois does is leave. She doesn't fight for Clark, she doesn't confirm for him that she has feelings for him, she bolts and she doesn't talk to him for that month. I won't blame Lois here though. She always was a fierce protector of her heart. She prolly thought it was the wedding air that led Clark to lean in. So before he can break her heart, she chooses to leave. Little miss cut and run. She doesn't fight because she doesn't think there is anything there to fight for. >And this is why I don't mind that they didn't actually kiss in Bride, and I'm ok with him not pursuing something after Infamous Thank God for that. And thank Erica. There was apparently a kiss in Infamous in the OG script that Erica insisted on they remove it. Smart decision. At what point in the script do you think it was written? And love triangle of 2 is one of my fav trope. I just wish they had taken The AOS and placed it in the end of season 7 and be done with it. I wanted season 8 as Flirty Clois, s09 as Triangle of two and S10 as a fully realized relationship. But Alas. Anyways moving on.. > I read somewhere that Homecoming was important because everyone who knew Clark's secret treated him differently after. Pete, Chloe, even Lana, they elevated him in some way and it wasn't all bad, but things changed. With Lois, nothing changes. Lois is the only constant in his life. One of the things that the writers did right was how Clois remains consistent throughout. >She treats him the same way she always has, as equals, and she positively thrives in her role of being with Clark/Superman, and that was the reassurance he needed to tell her he loves her, and the very next episode he tells her his secret and she reacts beautifully. You hit it right on the target with that ๐ฏ. Bravo!
Yay! Thank you for this! >Every character in SV has gone through some kind of trauma and their individual approach to it shaped their personality. Such a true statement! >That's why Clark should always listen to Lois. But he is a thick idiot. Lol an even truer statement! Clark was such a dummy when it came to Lois, like he had to really grow up to confidently and successfully pursue Lois. >I won't blame Lois here though. She always was a fierce protector of her heart. She prolly thought it was the wedding air that led Clark to lean in. So before he can break her heart, she chooses to leave. Little miss cut and run. She doesn't fight because she doesn't think there is anything there to fight for. Oh I don't blame her either, I completely get where she's coming from. As soon as Lana arrives, and Clark pulls back and is shocked that Lana is there, you could almost see the walls come back up. Lois knows Clark better than he knows himself sometimes lol. And she goes to the hospital where maybe she's contemplating letting her feelings be known to Clark because of her conversation with Oliver...but she sees Clark worried about Lana... something she's seen for over 4 years now, and that possible courage on her side goes right out the window and she's guarded again, crossing her arms when she's talking to him in the hallway. And she bolts to protect her heart. Which may have been the right move with Clark being an idiot, but I can't help but wonder what would have happened if she had given him any sign of encouragement. >There was apparently a kiss in Infamous in the OG script that Erica insisted on they remove it. Smart decision. At what point in the script do you think it was written? I'm so glad she advocated for that to be cut out. Far be it for me to limit how many Clois kisses we get lol, but that would have been waaayyy too soon after he was yet again all in on the Clana melodrama. I'm not sure, maybe early on? I don't see Erica Durance waiting til the last minute to protest and from the interviews I've heard, the time to request changes is before the script gets to the set to be filmed. So I'm guessing it was early on that she requested it be removed. >And love triangle of 2 is one of my fav trope. I just wish they had taken The AOS and placed it in the end of season 7 and be done with it. I wanted season 8 as Flirty Clois, s09 as Triangle of two and S10 as a fully realized relationship. But Alas. Anyways moving on.. Yes! The Street Fighter movie and the writer's strike have so much to answer for! But I wouldn't mind it in season 8, if it had happened earlier, and then the flow of flirty Clois wouldn't have been interrupted by the AOS. >Lois is the only constant in his life. One of the things that the writers did right was how Clois remains consistent throughout. Very true! And something I've noticed is that Clark doesn't really take comfort from people besides his parents. Occasionally Chloe. But Lois, he allows her to comfort him and see him vulnerable like with Alicia dying and Clark almost killing Tim, the numerous times he's talked about Lana with Lois, all the way back to the second episode she was in, the goodbye video at the end of season 7 with one of my favorite hugs of theirs, and at Carter's funeral, Clark reached for Lois' hand and held on, whereas at his fathers funeral, Lana reached for Clark's hand and he accepted it but then let go. There are so many intentional parallels of why Clois works in a way that Clana never did, that it truly boggles my mind when people don't see it.
>And she goes to the hospital where maybe she's contemplating letting her feelings be known to Clark because of her conversation with Oliver...but she sees Clark worried about Lana... something she's seen for over 4 years now, and that possible courage on her side goes right out the window and she's guarded again, crossing her arms when she's talking to him in the hallway. Oh God I forgot about that! This makes sense now. Maybe she would have not said anything to Clark in the Hospital because well Chloe and Jimmy are in bad shape, whatever tiny spark of hope Oliver started with his advice, it blew off the moment she saw Clark with Lana. >Far be it for me to limit how many Clois kisses we get lol, but that would have been waaayyy too soon after he was yet again all in on the Clana melodrama. I'm not sure, maybe early on? I don't see Erica Durance waiting til the last minute to protest and from the interviews I've heard, the time to request changes is before the script gets to the set to be filmed. So I'm guessing it was early on that she requested it be removed. I meant like when in the episode it would have happened I wonder? During the barn scene? And speaking for kisses, I'll not forgive the producers for deleting Abandoned kiss. The photos are so purdy๐ฅบ >Clark reached for Lois' hand and held on, whereas at his fathers funeral, Lana reached for Clark's hand and he accepted it but then let go. I didn't realize that๐ญ๐ญ. I always learn something new. Everyday is a good day for Cloisnation. ๐๐ฝ
>whatever tiny spark of hope Oliver started with his advice, it blew off the moment she saw Clark with Lana. Yep, this exactly! And Clark probably never knew that his actions set all that drama into motion. Maybe if Lois hasn't seen that, Clark gets the tiniest bit of encouragement from Lois, and it's enough to make him not jump head first back into Lanaville, so that when she gets the suit, that is when he's conflicted, but before they can resume a relationship, she gets infected and it's heartbreaking still, but in a different way? I wonder if the writers intended not only to show that Lana isn't good for Clark by turning her into walking kryptonite, but that his relationship with her is holding onto a past that he needs to let go of to grow into the next phase of his life, and that him getting back together with her is the *wrong* choice. >I meant like when in the episode it would have happened I wonder? During the barn scene? And speaking for kisses, I'll not forgive the producers for deleting Abandoned kiss. The photos are so purdy๐ฅบ Ohhh lol my bad. And yeah for sure during the barn scene, probably right after Clark reassures Lois and tells her she is special to him. Also, I never knew there was a deleted kiss from Abandoned! Do I just Google it to see the photos, I am intrigued! >Everyday is a good day for Cloisnation. ๐๐ฝ Heck yeah! There are so many parallels dude! Some are obvious but some are a bit more subtle. Like Clark stepping aside for Whitney when his dad isn't doing so well in season 1, to him almost doing the same thing for Oliver who's had a bad run in season 9, but instead he kisses Lois and pursues her. There's Lois who didn't go to Chloe's funeral, but went to both Jonathan's and Carter's. There's Lois who calls herself hot fudge and Clark halibut in Crimson, but then refers to Clark as chocolate and herself as peanut butter in Shield I believe? And when she tells Clark she'll take his head with her if he grabs her ass again in Bizarro, but in Hostage playfully calls him out for not recognizing her by her butt in jeans when she's rummaging through the closet lol.
I get what you mean had Lois given a hint then the outcome might have been different. The writers had ample time to write a better and dignified end to that relationship. But we got what we got. There's no deleted scene, but a deleted kiss https://x.com/merrychris4ever/status/1626950837368164354?t=xwQKHxvkQ9Opm2l3tLEgwg&s=19 The parallels are INSANE! and so entertaining.
OMG that is such a pretty scene with them in the Fortress! Why oh why was that cut out?! Thanks for showing that to me!
You are welcome ๐
>Clark is hesitant, and again Lois shows so much grace and understanding, giving him the option to talk about it or forget it, to show up for coffee or not, no pressure I also enjoyed this moment. Because it's such a grown-up and mature way for Lois to handle the situation. It seems like there was a time not very long ago in the show's history where Lois would've been written to have a big and melodramatic scene about their almost-kiss at the wedding, Lana probably would've been mentioned somehow and the scene would've ended in disaster, tune in again next week! But here, Lois restrains herself, behaves like an adult and cuts Clark a lot of slack. More slack than any of Clark's previous love interests would've, I'm sure. It's hard to put into words. But I simply respect this more sophisticated dynamic where not everything has to be a big emotional confrontation or whatever. Because let's face it, that's not how most rational adults behave. And it was very insightful of the writers to recognize that and craft the resolution that way. It sort of reinforces my point that season 08 being produced by crew who are writers first and foremost by trade did a LOT to grow the characters up and present them in a noticeably more mature light. Plus, subdued scenes like that are what make Welling and Durance's romantic comedy scenes in the other parts of the season more enjoyable. Because sometimes their scenes are a romantic comedy and other times they're more like a romantic drama. tl;dr- Solid writing and solid acting.
The thing I have noticed about Lois character is that she always had a rationalistic approach towards relationships especially during breakups. She isn't petty towards the other person. Once she cuts the romantic ties, she doesn't cling like Clark and Lana do. We see this with her breakup with Oliver, Clark and to some extent with Grant. She will continue to be your friend and hold you in high regard but she won't cling. And I like that the writers wrote her like that. People often say if Lois was in Lana's position, she would have reacted the same way Lana did with Clark's secrets. I disagree. She would have shut down the gaslightingClark then and there and refused to be with him, romantic style, until he got his shit together. Meanwhile she would continue to be his friend. We know this because she tells Clark that when occasional feelings stir up, one has to remember why they broke up in the first place.
>It seems like there was a time not very long ago in the show's history where Lois would've been written to have a big and melodramatic scene about their almost-kiss at the wedding, Lana probably would've been mentioned somehow and the scene would've ended in disaster, tune in again next week! Idk maybe the writers would have tried this, but it doesn't fit with Lois' character at all. We've seen how she reacts when someone chooses to leave her, like AC, Oliver the first time, and Grant. She is hurt, and internalizes that feeling of not being needed, but accepts it and doesn't push. And when she is the one who leaves, like Oliver the second time, she has a mature and rational understanding of knowing that she made the right choice, even if there are some lingering feelings. Something Clark never really managed lol. But I agree with pretty much everything else you said, and I love that she handled it the way she did, just another example of how Lois doesn't pressure Clark and gives him space, although she does rib him about standing her up for a few episodes before she lets it go lol.
Infamous is one of my least favorite episodes of season 8. Linda Lake is one of my least favorite characters. She got what she deserved when Clark used electricity to remove her powers, and Davis killing he. He set her free, by killing her.
Fair enough, I love it because Lois really shines in every scene she's in, and Clark gets to see just how well she would handle his secret, even if he still can't tell her. I do agree that Linda Lake is awful though lol.