I completely agree with your reading of why Lex hangs on to Lana so desperately, though (because I look at the show through clexy lenses) I also see it as having much to do with Clark. Lex said it himself: he wants everything Clark had. More to the point, Lex knows that Clark used to idealize Lana in much the same way that Lex himself idealized Clark; to be loved by that idealized person means that one is redeemably human, normal, deserving. Early in their friendship, Lex saw Clark as pure-hearted and good and everything he wanted to be worthy of, and all that time, Clark wanted to be loved by Lana. Now that Clark's fallen off Lex's pedestal, Lex can claim a little satisfaction by walking away with Lana's (apparent) love.
As for why Lana sticks with Lex early in s6, I think she's terrified. Like Lex, she's scared out of her mind of an alien invasion, and with plenty of good reason. She's pretty sure that Clark is a good guy, but at the same time, a) Clark's hurt her terribly, many times; b) Clark has NEVER trusted her with the truth; c) she knows for sure that Clark is deeply involved with whatever went down with Zod, and he's not telling her exactly what his involvement was, so she doesn't know for sure if she can trust him. And Lex, for all his problems, is more truthful with her than Clark was, is fighting the same fight she is, and has the power to protect her -- somewhat, maybe, but still. Lana's deep-down neediness has been a major character trait ever since season 1, when she could never shut up about the tragedy of her parents' deaths. She's always wanted to be adored, protected, treasured, and trusted, and though Lex brings a ton of baggage with him, that's exactly what he's offering her.
On the whole, your unpacking of Lex's motivations throughout s5-6 is renewing my interest in the show. I think SV works a lot better when you ingest it in whole-season chunks (which is how I watched seasons 1-5, having not discovered the show until 2005), instead of watching week by week (as I've been doing with s6); it's easier to track the larger arcs, and disregard the individual episodes' inanities.
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winterfish
no subject
Date: 2007-03-22 04:24 pm (UTC)As for why Lana sticks with Lex early in s6, I think she's terrified. Like Lex, she's scared out of her mind of an alien invasion, and with plenty of good reason. She's pretty sure that Clark is a good guy, but at the same time, a) Clark's hurt her terribly, many times; b) Clark has NEVER trusted her with the truth; c) she knows for sure that Clark is deeply involved with whatever went down with Zod, and he's not telling her exactly what his involvement was, so she doesn't know for sure if she can trust him. And Lex, for all his problems, is more truthful with her than Clark was, is fighting the same fight she is, and has the power to protect her -- somewhat, maybe, but still. Lana's deep-down neediness has been a major character trait ever since season 1, when she could never shut up about the tragedy of her parents' deaths. She's always wanted to be adored, protected, treasured, and trusted, and though Lex brings a ton of baggage with him, that's exactly what he's offering her.
On the whole, your unpacking of Lex's motivations throughout s5-6 is renewing my interest in the show. I think SV works a lot better when you ingest it in whole-season chunks (which is how I watched seasons 1-5, having not discovered the show until 2005), instead of watching week by week (as I've been doing with s6); it's easier to track the larger arcs, and disregard the individual episodes' inanities.