the Tragedy of Lex, part II
Jan. 23rd, 2007 01:12 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
xparrotI've been getting some really thought-provoking comments on the last rant on this, enough to want to compose a follow-up to place the blame where it really belongs. It's not really Clark, asshat or not. It's poor writing.
I said before that "Asylum" was Lex's most tragic moment, for being his most noble. The first time I read the recap of "Asylum" I was furious at Clark. But watching the episode itself, I honestly don't blame him. It's an incredibly tough position he's in. He knows firsthand how dangerous Lionel is, so much so that he's not sure how to save Lex from him; he's grateful that Lex's brain didn't get totally fried, and terrified that next time it might be, or worse. Not to mention, he's only 16 or 17 years old, and mental illness is scary. Especially when it's your cool, reliable, older friend who has always only ever been in control of every situation. Even knowing Lex's psychosis was initially drug-induced, it's still beyond Clark's understanding, beyond the limits of even his strengths. I honestly believe Clark doesn't tell Lex about those lost seven weeks then because he's worried about Lex, and not his secrets at all.
"Memoria", though, is pretty unforgivable. Going to Lionel, fully knowing what Lionel did to Lex before, what Lionel's love for his son means in practice...it doesn't even make sense. Except that Clark Kent has apparently read the comic books like everyone else, and knows Lex is doomed to be his enemy.
Ultimately? The biggest tragedy of Lex is that the SV writers wrote themselves into a corner. In the very beginning, having rewatched the pilot, they wrote Lex quite ambiguous - maybe he was a sincere friend, or maybe he was just using people, seducing them for his own ends. But then they made it clear that Lex's feelings went far beyond slick sociopathic manipulation, and ultimately damned themselves.
There was a way out, and I don't know why they didn't take it. "Memoria" is a crux already. The shocking revelations about Julian's death pretty much cement Lex's place as victim as much as perpetrator of his future crimes: abuse victims become abusers themselves, it's not moral as much as psychological, and after enduring the childhood implied by Lillian's murder, it's frankly amazing that Lex turned out as well as he did.
Instead of that confession, what if the episode had gone completely differently? By the end of third season, it would have been reasonable for the good Lex of the earlier series to start slipping down into the darkness that is destined to claim him. So what if Lex had regained his memories of Clark and his powers - and had turned on him? Had pulled an Onyx!Lex and sought to get control over Clark, had threatened blackmail or exposure or worse? And then at the episode's end he could have lost the memories again, returned to the status quo none the wiser - but Clark would have been, and we viewers as well.
Then Clark's reluctance to ever tell Lex the truth would make sense. Then Clark rejecting Lex's friendship at the end of season 3, and tentatively accepting it back in season 4, would have been an act of great, if foolish, generosity, wanting to believe in Lex even knowing better. Not the smartest thing to do, but the right thing to do, as a friend.
And yes, it would have made Lex a far less sympathetic character - but he's the villain. You're not supposed to sympathize with him that much, certainly not at the hero's expense. And every time Clark lies to Lex afterward, it would have been justified. Maybe not totally right - it's still lying - but understandable.
But the writers didn't do this. I guess they couldn't do it. Because even as late as third season, it wouldn't have been in character for the Lex Luthor they had been writing, the Lex Luthor who risks or offers anything for his friends, the Lex Luthor who suffers guilt to the point of recklessness, who would instantly exchange himself for a roomful of hostages, who would test an experimental cure on himself rather than risk someone else under his care dying. The Lex Luthor who knows his self-proclaimed best friend is lying to him, and yet still is willing to throw all his questions away for the sake of that friendship. This Lex, you can't see betraying Clark, not at that point in the series, not for any reason. Having written this Lex, they had no choice but to write Clark as inexplicably petty and selfish with his secrets as he is, or else they never would have been able to fulfill the demands of comic-book destiny. They developed a Lex Luthor with such a strong or desperate heart that he would not walk away from Clark Kent - and left themselves no choice but to write a Superman who would walk away from Lex Luthor, even when he reaches out for help.
I said before that "Asylum" was Lex's most tragic moment, for being his most noble. The first time I read the recap of "Asylum" I was furious at Clark. But watching the episode itself, I honestly don't blame him. It's an incredibly tough position he's in. He knows firsthand how dangerous Lionel is, so much so that he's not sure how to save Lex from him; he's grateful that Lex's brain didn't get totally fried, and terrified that next time it might be, or worse. Not to mention, he's only 16 or 17 years old, and mental illness is scary. Especially when it's your cool, reliable, older friend who has always only ever been in control of every situation. Even knowing Lex's psychosis was initially drug-induced, it's still beyond Clark's understanding, beyond the limits of even his strengths. I honestly believe Clark doesn't tell Lex about those lost seven weeks then because he's worried about Lex, and not his secrets at all.
"Memoria", though, is pretty unforgivable. Going to Lionel, fully knowing what Lionel did to Lex before, what Lionel's love for his son means in practice...it doesn't even make sense. Except that Clark Kent has apparently read the comic books like everyone else, and knows Lex is doomed to be his enemy.
Ultimately? The biggest tragedy of Lex is that the SV writers wrote themselves into a corner. In the very beginning, having rewatched the pilot, they wrote Lex quite ambiguous - maybe he was a sincere friend, or maybe he was just using people, seducing them for his own ends. But then they made it clear that Lex's feelings went far beyond slick sociopathic manipulation, and ultimately damned themselves.
There was a way out, and I don't know why they didn't take it. "Memoria" is a crux already. The shocking revelations about Julian's death pretty much cement Lex's place as victim as much as perpetrator of his future crimes: abuse victims become abusers themselves, it's not moral as much as psychological, and after enduring the childhood implied by Lillian's murder, it's frankly amazing that Lex turned out as well as he did.
Instead of that confession, what if the episode had gone completely differently? By the end of third season, it would have been reasonable for the good Lex of the earlier series to start slipping down into the darkness that is destined to claim him. So what if Lex had regained his memories of Clark and his powers - and had turned on him? Had pulled an Onyx!Lex and sought to get control over Clark, had threatened blackmail or exposure or worse? And then at the episode's end he could have lost the memories again, returned to the status quo none the wiser - but Clark would have been, and we viewers as well.
Then Clark's reluctance to ever tell Lex the truth would make sense. Then Clark rejecting Lex's friendship at the end of season 3, and tentatively accepting it back in season 4, would have been an act of great, if foolish, generosity, wanting to believe in Lex even knowing better. Not the smartest thing to do, but the right thing to do, as a friend.
And yes, it would have made Lex a far less sympathetic character - but he's the villain. You're not supposed to sympathize with him that much, certainly not at the hero's expense. And every time Clark lies to Lex afterward, it would have been justified. Maybe not totally right - it's still lying - but understandable.
But the writers didn't do this. I guess they couldn't do it. Because even as late as third season, it wouldn't have been in character for the Lex Luthor they had been writing, the Lex Luthor who risks or offers anything for his friends, the Lex Luthor who suffers guilt to the point of recklessness, who would instantly exchange himself for a roomful of hostages, who would test an experimental cure on himself rather than risk someone else under his care dying. The Lex Luthor who knows his self-proclaimed best friend is lying to him, and yet still is willing to throw all his questions away for the sake of that friendship. This Lex, you can't see betraying Clark, not at that point in the series, not for any reason. Having written this Lex, they had no choice but to write Clark as inexplicably petty and selfish with his secrets as he is, or else they never would have been able to fulfill the demands of comic-book destiny. They developed a Lex Luthor with such a strong or desperate heart that he would not walk away from Clark Kent - and left themselves no choice but to write a Superman who would walk away from Lex Luthor, even when he reaches out for help.
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no subject
Date: 2007-01-23 07:37 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-01-23 08:22 pm (UTC)He's just... driven to be great.
I'm not sure about Oliver Queen though, I don't actually mind him that much. I can't say he's ever going to be a favorite character any time soon, but he's OK.
Oh, and here's a vid for both you and X-parrot. It was recced by a friend and when I saw it... well, it made me start watching Smallville again. It's sorta Clex and it's VERY good.
http://obsessive24.imeem.com/video/rVnM7nZt/sv_change/?ct=glKh9x
no subject
Date: 2007-01-24 12:38 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-01-24 12:57 am (UTC)He's never going to be one of my favorite characters but I don't have a problem with him.
Having said that I do very much see where you are coming from here. I don't agree, but that all just comes down to interpretation I guess.
It's interesting how two people can interpret a character so tottaly differently, don't you think?
no subject
Date: 2007-01-24 01:47 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-01-24 12:39 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-01-24 03:37 am (UTC)I haven't seen any of 6th season except "Justice" so I can't comment on Oliver Queen - he was rather cute in that ep but I don't know anything about his char. (I'd worry that my opinion would be biased anyway, because I flipping adore Green Arrow in JLU; he's hysterical...!)
And eee, I love that vid! I've had it for a while, it's one of my faves. Isn't it gorgeous? I love the use of the comic book shots, they emphasize it all so tragically...
no subject
Date: 2007-01-24 03:56 am (UTC)Green Arrow... I feel kinda meh about him. He's OK. Nothing to write home about. Justice was a good ep, but I'm getting tired of the 'Wow, this boy has a secret he won't share now I hate him!' Why is it always girls that pine after boys with Mysteroius Alter Ego's then get pissy when they're not around to have dinner with them or something. Do you see guys doing that?
Oooh, commitment! ::female swoon::
Sorry, I'm not an ultra feminist or anything, but that does annoy me a bit.
You are right, btw. The romance angle is Smallville's weakness, though I'm actually quite interested in what they're doing to Lana. She seems to be becoming evil, which is kinda fun.
I think villains, really good villains, come in two categories. 1: Utterly Irrideemably Evil, (AKA Joker (to an extent), Apocolypse, Zork, quite possibly Legato Bluesummers, Voldemort, ect...) and Evil With A cause So the could Almost be Good. (Lex, Magneto, Bakura (**arguably,** not sure about this one myself but...) Millions Knives, Snape, ect...)
Generally I find the latter category more interesting, though the former is fun too. But teh latter has more possiblity for character exploration. These tend to be the characters I'm interested in, anyway.
BTW, in case you're interested... I've written a entry in my LJ on character hatred, sort of inspired by Jakrar said. I'd be interested on your opinions, if you can spare them.
Thanks!
no subject
Date: 2007-01-24 06:07 am (UTC)http://theclexfactor.livejournal.com/tag/vids If you haven't seen these, they're ummissable. I don't know how to describe them; they're fanfic and vids at once, using footage to tell their own (marvelously Clexy) story.
http://www.somedistantgalaxy.com/vidsindex.htm - you can look here. Especially look for vyperman7 (aka Ryan Deffley; he's got more here: http://superkain.net/?cat=3) - he does fantastic work, beautifully timed and active. And "Brothers by Destiny" is one of the most lovely Clex vids I know, even if he claims it's not slash.
http://community.livejournal.com/sv_vids/68857.html - for anything else, try here. It's like a Clex masterlist!
(and if you're looking for non-Clex...er, sorry. I'm very...singleminded ^^;)
I am proud to call myself a feminist, and the femme chars in SV...drive me up a wall. They pine and primp and barely have any purpose beyond their love lives, and they cannot move past those for anything. Chloe just annoys the hell out of me, because she's awesome and funny and smart, but will not let go of the Clark thing and that just strikes me as unbelievable. I don't know any girls myself who'd carry a torch (er, pardon the pun) for six years for a guy who continually strings them along, no matter how hot he may be. It's just pathetic. Platonic friendship, guys - yes, it can happen. And high school crushes rarely last past high school (thank god). Yargh. Blech.
*ahem* Sorry. Like I said. Drives me up a wall ^^;
Read your lj post! Interesting thoughts, I left my own there...