S marks the spot

[xparrot]

SPN 2x19 was terrific fun as always. We caught John Shiban's writing credit at the beginning so didn't bother watching for plotholes, just enjoyed the ep. Loved Dean especially, fitting into the prison environment so uncomfortably easily, so determined to do the job. Sam questions the merit of helping convicted criminals at such risk to themselves, but Dean is blind to human evil, except when it's directly targeting his family. As far as he's concerned, it's Us vs Them, and while he's relentless and ruthless in his pursuit of Them, when it comes to Us he is solidarity all the way. If Agent Hendricks was in danger from a ghost, Dean might bitch about it, but he'd save him in an instant without hesitation. The only exception are people who are deliberately using ghosts/spells/etc.; they're siding with Them. (And folks who go after Sam, naturally!) Everyone else in the human race is part of Dean's extended family, and gets the protection that implies.

Of course the other reason the plotholes didn't bother me is because after a steady diet of Smallville, I'm becoming inured against the common garden variety of logical inconsistency. SV doesn't so much have 'plot holes' as it has 'a few tightrope strands of plot suspended swaying over the void'. Which doesn't mean that "Nemesis" wasn't awesome.

Not that I liked it unreservedly. In contradiction to most of the rest of the fandom, I still cannot stand Lana. I can't enjoy the badass villainess-in-training when I know she's going to flipflop back to helpless victim in a week or two anyway. And while I think she's justifiably outraged, what Lex did to her was totally, undeniably beyond the pale (even if she should have seen it coming) - it gets to me how much she revels in playing the Luthor game. She doesn't hesitate to sink to their level. Even if she's bad at it. Hello, opening the briefcase in Lex's office? Which she knows is wired with cameras?

She better be found out. It doesn't sit well with me that a hick farmgirl can run rings around Lex flippin' Luthor, who has been trained in this kind of psychological warfare and manipulation from birth. Unless you want to argue that Lana has natural talent for corruption, while Lex has been wrestling against his dark side all his life...(I gotta admit, it would be fun if Lana stayed married to Lex and they contentedly passed time manipulating and backstabbing one another. All the more entertaining if Lana did it supposedly to protect Clark, only to make herself such that Clark is forced to go against her...that would be kind of awesome. And I just made myself almost enjoy thinking about Lana, I'm going to be quietly sick now.)

Oh well. gnine and I are still trying to figure out why Lex wanted to marry her at all. One would think he would be less than eager himself to be trapped in a loveless marriage, after what happened after his last two weddings. The whole faux-fetus plot is entirely nonsensical to us.

But who cares about Lana! We have Clex! And it was marvelous fun. After racing to finish "Contingencies" it was great to see that I didn't have to; pretty much everything that happened in the fic is totally supported in the episode, up to and including Chloe wanting to see Lex dead and Clark not being able to, for heroic reasons or something else. Loved Clark & Lex talking, loved that Lex came back for him (and at substantial risk to his own life; he could have just run off, with the clock ticking - for all the times Clark has saved Lex, how many times has he actually put himself in danger to do so? gnine pointed out that if Clark hadn't bothered to come save Lex, Lex would probably have gotten out safely anyway; Clark doesn't do a heck of a lot...)

Loved the Martha-Clark conversation. (even if I did shriek at "Maybe this is the one time Lex was actually telling the truth", because yeah, I know, hyperbole, and Lex is being an ass now, but what about, oh, most of 3rd season when Clark blamed everything from global warming to the Spanish Inquisition on Lex and it was never Lex's fault?) Loved that Clark actually is wondering if part of who Lex is is because of him. The answer, MacLeod Clark, is YES. OH YES. Not that I blame Clark for what Lex has become. While Clark made some major mistakes with Lex, he's not accountable for Lex's choices. And he shouldn't guilt over lost chances; all the what-ifs don't mean anything. Maybe if Clark had told Lex the truth from the start it would have gone beautifully; maybe it would have gone horribly wrong (I wish the show had just once given us some evidence for the latter, but...) There's no way to know.

But the truth is that every person is a product of their environment, a result of the influences around them; and Clark was an incredibly strong influence on Lex's life, and knew it. So yes, whatever Lex is, Clark played a role. And it's great to see Clark realizing this, to see him wondering if maybe there were things he could have done differently. Not just for the Clex; it's good for Clark, a necessary part of growing up and coming into his own as a hero, to realize how significant he really is in people's lives, to make an effort to do right by them.

And loved that Clark said, "I saw a glimpse of something I hadn't seen in years - my friend." Not that he saw good in Lex, not that he saw a chance for redemption; just that incredibly personal epiphany. That whatever else Lex was, or might be now, Lex was Clark's best friend, and he can't forget that. It ultimately doesn't matter if Clark had anything to do with Lex's fall; even if he's not responsible at all, he's still losing something in losing Lex, something worth fighting for.

--So don't listen to your mother, Clark. You're going to be freakin' Superman; you don't ever have to let go if you don't want to. And you sure as hell did give up on Lex - deserved or not - and you shouldn't, not if you're going to be worthy of the incredibly heavy mantle of the hero. By the way, hope isn't your greatest weakness. Kryptonite is. Just want to clarify that.

Also, regarding Lionel, I will never believe he's "made an effort"; I will never believe he's gone good. Sorry, drugging your son to drive him to a schizophrenic break, so you can commit him and submit him to illegal electroshock therapy, so he can't testify that you murdered your own parents? Yeah, that trumps faking a pregnancy, hands down. If Lionel is redeemable after that, then Lex is totally, utterly forgivable - but Lionel isn't trying to save Lex. (Unlike in 4th season, in which I honestly believe Lionel might have reformed, and in part because he was so eager to reform Lex as well. The genuinely saved tend to want to save others.) Instead Lionel's damning his own son to get an in with the good guys. It's manipulative as ever, and I love the Magnificent Bastard for it, but man, Martha is blind sometimes.

Finally, the very end was the awesome, and not just because when I first saw the director's cut last week, I predicted exactly what happened, that we were going to go to credits with Lex standing over the not-dead husband. (Also not just because, hey, Helo! Great to see you! Even if you were cheating with a blond chick. Poor choice, that. Sharon's so much hotter.) But because Lex finally confirms that whatever 33.1 and Project Ares are, he puts them above his own life. I don't know what Lex thinks he's doing, fighting against mutants, fighting against alien invaders (he did have the Zoner attack video on the Ares disk), whatever. But he's not in it for profit or power; he's got a cause bigger than himself. He's found his Great Things and they're consuming him, he's letting them consume him for the greater good, and I can't help but find a tragic nobility in that.

Comments

[ladydey.livejournal.com]

Word!!! I was actually really glad to see that the Project Ares had something to do with Zoner attacks - this is Smallville so I can't think that they will actually follow through and give Lex a noble purpose, but as for right now I am comforted by thinking that Lex is trying to protect his planet while everyone else has their heads stuck in the sand - and like you various stories have talked about he's willing to shoulder the burdens that that demands.


I know that I put this down somewhere else, but what I really want is for Lana to go totally darkside, become absolutely repulsive to Clark (where he actively tries to shun her), but she still thinks she's in love with him and Clark's starts moving on with his life. I want her still married to Lex, but throwing herself at Clark and acting awfully so Clark is just disgusted - especially if Lex can realize that she's just awful too; so Lana is getting no love from anyone. I know that will never happen, but I can dream.

[xparrot.livejournal.com]

I am totally surprised myself that SV (or at least Caroline Dries) is giving Lex a nobler purpose, but I really can't read it any other way (it must be noted that Dries also wrote "Oracle", and the Fine-Lex confrontation which the whole world-saving Lex-nalysis hinges on...she, at least, seems to be all about ascribing great things to Lex, whether or not the rest of the staff agress with her...)

And hee, if that happened to Lana - so totally awesome. I'd actually enjoy her character then. Besides, isn't Lana Lang traditionally supposed to be the one obsessed with Clark, not vice versa?

[ladydreamer.livejournal.com]

I'm really going to be dubious if Lana isn't found out. You're dead on for the flip-flopping and her being so bad at it. I knew she was good at being a phoney, but she shouldn't be about to out-Luthor Lex, and OMG security cameras. Not to mention turning up the music to deafening loud and then turning it off immediately. Like the servants don't know what that means. Like that shot up case isn't going to raise suspicions with Lex. *eyeroll* At the beginning of the season when she went all coldly evil, I thought, "Cool! She can learn from Lex and join in his fight!" But then they backtracked. So now it's just... not even as awesome. When she went evil in Arrow, it was For Lex and For Saving the World. Now it's for her own selfish reasons, which is really just Lana per usual.

pretty much everything that happened in the fic is totally supported in the episode, up to and including Chloe wanting to see Lex dead and Clark not being able to, for heroic reasons or something else.
I was swearing at that when I watched, but I think this is an important reversal, since Clark pretty much copped out on being a hero in "Static" (despite Chloe arguing with him to save Lex) and been all I Wanna Kill Lex! for half the season. This step puts Chloe back in her place as Human, while Clark is Super.

Lionel is an asshole. Making an effort, in this case, means that ever since he came out of whatever Clarkthrall he was in since Clark was in his body, he has consistantly tried to cut Lex down in busness, in relationships, and emotionally. He has tried to control him on every level and then moves in on the family Lex was trying to get acceptance from. He's not really even magnificent anymore, manipulative, yes, but he's sucking Superman's ass so he can be on the side with the most power. Why the "good guys" listen to Milton Fine and Lionel Luthor about Lex is beyond me.

But he's not in it for profit or power; he's got a cause bigger than himself. He's found his Great Things and they're consuming him, he's letting them consume him for the greater good, and I can't help but find a tragic nobility in that.
How flippin cool is that? I'm so proud of Lex for doing that much. I'd be prouder if he had more of a moral compass, but he IS trying so hard to fight when everyone else is running around like a bunch of idiots consumed with their own little lives.

[xparrot.livejournal.com]

Yeah, at the very beginning of the season, they almost had me with the Lana - when she was genuinely siding with Lex, and her 'let the world hang!' attitude...could've been very interesting. But now, yep, it's all about Her. And her little "would lose my love forever" to Lex would have been so much the more meaningful if she hadn't already lost her love for Lex before he ever did anything to her. Grr.

I was swearing at that when I watched, but I think this is an important reversal,

Aww, yeah, I was watching Chloe thinking you were gonna be upset! But I do appreciate the reversal for the reasons you name, because it gives Clark the chance to be the better person - the Best, as Superman should be.

Heh, Lionel sucking ass to be on the winning side is so absolutely Lionel - the only problem I have with it is how he's got all the good guys snowed. Makes them look dumb. Actually I wouldn't even mind this except that it makes Lex look bad, that Lionel can convince them but Lex fails so utterly. Not right that after 6 seasons, Lex Luthor is still getting trumped by big daddy!

I'd be prouder if he had more of a moral compass, but he IS trying so hard to fight when everyone else is running around like a bunch of idiots consumed with their own little lives.

Yes!! I'm working on a longer post about this, but really more and more what it's coming down to to me is that while I don't agree with a lot of what Lex is doing, I'm ending up on his side because at least he is doing something. The "heroes" are so ineffectual and self-absorbed and petty that it's really hard to side with them, these days...while Lex is looking beyond his own pain and damnation for the world's sake.

[ladydreamer.livejournal.com]

And her little "would lose my love forever" to Lex would have been so much the more meaningful if she hadn't already lost her love for Lex before he ever did anything to her. Grr.
LOL. So true. At least she's NICE to him now that she hates him.

I was watching Chloe thinking you were gonna be upset!
Awww... people think about me :D I take comfort in the fact that in both your show and the story, Chloe figured out that death was not the answer (in like two seconds in the show), whereas Lana sat on her ass and was going to let Lex die. Then didn't apologize or care when Chloe brought it up. Whee!

I'm really sorry that I brought up the ass-sucking metaphor, because Clionel is really creepy. I have to say, the good guys have their moments, but they are pretty dumb. I guess it might be because Chloe's just a sophomore and the rest of them are college dropouts as far as I can tell. They aren't getting that Get Your Ass In Gear experience that comes with having teachers who don't love you. I think Lex failed because he insisted on being genuine most of the time. Lionel is nothing but twists and manipulations, even if he does want Martha. If Lex had pulled out some of the trauma earlier he could have manipulated the Kents a lot better.

[xparrot.livejournal.com]

At least she's NICE to him now that she hates him.

Hee, this is a great point!

If Lex had pulled out some of the trauma earlier he could have manipulated the Kents a lot better.

Yeah, that's the thing about Lex, he's getting terribly bad examples. He's tried being honest in relationships and invariably gets screwed over for it (telling Clark the truth over and over and over and never getting it returned). While his father is a lying bastard and gets by much better. You can't blame Lex for eventually giving up and deciding he can either be honest or be loved, not both...

[aerynvala.livejournal.com]

You know, you keep talking and I keep falling more in love with your brain. I love that Lex (for the moment) has a higher purpose to his actions. He very much is a tragic figure, I've felt that almost from the start.

[xparrot.livejournal.com]

SV's Lex just sees so tragic to me on so many levels. Starting with the fact that from the beginning, becoming a supervillain is his worst nightmare...the only way he's ever going to be happy with himself is if he entirely kills off the person he was at the show's start. That's just sad!

[bagheera-san.livejournal.com]

I don't like the ep unreservedly either, but I can't pin down why. Maybe because it was good and so felt slightly AU, as if it didn't quite fit with the rest of the show, especially the Lana parts. It's like S4 Lex: now I'm evil, now I'm not, now I'm helpless... did the fake pregnancy make her stupid(er)? Has she discovered her own equivalent of redK? Mostly I'm afraid it will be without consequence.

Also, I didn't get what was up with the tunnels and the water purification system. I need to rewatch when I'm not falling asleep in my seat.

[xparrot.livejournal.com]

Most of the reservation for me was Lana. I can't stand her. She makes my skin crawl when she's onscreen. I don't think I've ever hated a character quite as much as I hate her, and while it provides a certain measure of entertainment at times, other times it's just frustrating...and yeah, now she makes zero sense as a character, so...(and heh. I have this thing that I quite like a lot of 4th season, but only if it's taken as a whacked AU. There's those eps near the end that apparently 1st season Lex dropped through a timewarp, with no hint as to given why he and Clark are so buddy again. My personal theory is they started having sex again then for some reason, but...)

"Nemesis" will count for something if it's remembered in future eps, if Clark's attitude toward Lex actually changes. I have doubts that there will be any lasting consequences, though, except for the super soldier, of course...

I think the water purification system was just Lex's excuse for whatever facility he was really building down in the tunnels, but I actually have no idea...

[lukita.livejournal.com]

The water purification system makes a lot of sense if Lex thinks the Earth is in danger from aliens. It's underground, it's like a maze, the lab is just a bonus for his super soldier right now, but if the aliens does come, there's also technology down there. And I just put way too much thoughts into that.

[xparrot.livejournal.com]

I wonder if Lex knew the kryptonite was down there. He knows the invaders are vulnerable to meteor rock; makes sense he'd want a place with extra protection from them...

[lukita.livejournal.com]

Considering this thing is deep underground, those kryptonite has to come from somewhere. Even if Kryptonians has been visting Earth for a long time, mineral and whatever gets pushed up, not down the Earth's crust. I'm half tempted to say the thing can probably survive a nuclear blast, but I'll actually have to look up radiation and concrete ratio. I'm pretty sure there's no lead though if Lex expects people to live in them for awhile and probably be powered by itself. He must have started this project during S5 for it to be up now but then SV has never used Earth Logic about these things.

Wonders what other projects Lex have. His 'end world hunger' is probably still going on, even if he have to start from scratch again. Hummm... and while I hate to borrow from Anne McCaffry of all people, I won't be surprised if he have some sort of cloning thing as well for livestock and such.

Hee~ This is so much fun.

What burns me...

[greenlady2.livejournal.com]

... about this show:

Where to begin?

We all know, from comic book canon, that Lex and Clark are destined to be less than friends. That Lex is going to grow up to be Evil. Or at least Amoral. Or something along those lines. We knew that going in.

But then, we have had a steady stream of people, some of whom knew Lex in the past, most of whom never met him before he showed up in Smallville, and they tell Clark, and us by extension, that Lex going to be Evil.

And the last few seasons, guess what? Lex is turning Evil. And Clark, Chloe, Lois and so on, are going around saying, 'Lex is Evil.'

It's like a school essay, you know? First you tell your readers what you're going to tell them, then you tell them, then you tell them what you told them.

I don't like being told what to think, especially by hypocrites, which describes most of the characters in Smallville. And yes, I realize that term describes most people on Earth, and probably Krypton too. But you'd think there would be one or two more perceptive people hanging around, wouldn't you? Just for variety.

If I hadn't felt I was being choked by the whole 'Lex is Evil' thing, I might have swallowed it with a bit more ease. As it is, I stopped believing in it long ago. If they actually showed him eating live babies, I wouldn't believe it.

I have a lot more to say on the subject, but since that would involve regurgitating most of the history of Smallville for the last few years, I should probably stop now. Most people reading this would know more about it than I do.

I will say, though, that someone who would take murder raps for two people -- one of them his mother, for killing his beloved baby brother, when he himself was just a child -- deserves better from life. But they're not the kind of people who get what they deserve.

A Tragic Figure, yes.

Re: What burns me...

[xparrot.livejournal.com]

It's like a school essay, you know? First you tell your readers what you're going to tell them, then you tell them, then you tell them what you told them.

Hee! Genius!!! Yes, that's it exactly. It's Tell instead of Show on a massive scale...(and heck, it plays like a high schooler's essay too...grand theory, not a lot of supporting evidence...) There's definitely an aspect of us all being contrary...they're so relentless about stating Lex's evilness that it's satisfying to poke holes in it. But they also show quite a bit less than they tell; so many of Lex's actions are not nearly as wicked as the lighting would imply, when given half a second of thought...

The other thing that's annoyinng me now is that Lex saving Clark in "Nemesis" was the first time in half a season that we've seen Lex do anything that wasn't presented as if it were eeevol. The guy couldn't eat Thanksgiving dinner without coming across as nefarious! Lex Luthor in the comics is all about playing the benevolent businessman, when he's secretly always forwarding his own agenda - he does charity work and a lot of other definitely good deeds, even as he works towards his own wicked goals. While SV's Lex is portrayed as evil even when he's bringing a woman out of a coma...and yes, he had an agenda for that, but Chloe got her mother back for a little while (crazycakes bitch though
Moira might be), and she wouldn't have if it weren't for Lex.

[lukita.livejournal.com]

Hee~ I won't mind if Lana keeps getting darker and not flip back to the side of angels, because if she does I will flip out. Because right now? The only thing Lana hasn't done and Lex has is... somebody help me out here. She've kidnapped (Clark), killed (Teague and someone I can't remember), manipulative (hoo-boy) and her hands aren't clean about 33.1 either. You know what? I think I'm going to flip out anyway. Grrr~ I hope Lionel kills her or maybe vice versa.

I hope SV have a great explaination for the fake!baby thing. Mostly because two scenes supports the Lex wasn't behind it, one was in "Static" when Lana told invisible Lex and the other is in "Promise" with Lex's dream.

Dood, you totally win with "Contingencies", not only did "Nemesis" not blow it out of the water it backed it up. ♥ Eeee~ *flails* Lex is trading his soul to save the world, I have this horrible feeling I'm going to think "Contingencies" is canon sometimes in the future. XD

[xparrot.livejournal.com]

I don't really care how Lana dies, as long as she does! Argh!!

SV is not going to explain the fake!baby thing at all, I have this terrible suspicion. Yeah, "Static" makes no sense. Lex's nightmare in "Promise" I think makes sense even for a fake baby - if he knows it's not real, it is a terrifying thought that one's lie is coming true in the worst possible way. But his reaction in "Static" is baffling. Maybe he's practicing his acting? Or else he's got a doublethink thing going that he's brainwashed himself to believe the baby is real to be convincing? Or maybe it's because at the time of the ep the writers hadn't yet figured out how they were going to resolve that storyline...

Hee, yes, the writer was very kind to provide supporting evidence for "Contingencies" - I'm still glad I wrote it first, because otherwise I'd've felt like I was ripping off bits of the ep! ^_^

[utopiantrunks.livejournal.com]

^_^ It's fun to read these analyses of yours when I catch the ends of the SV episodes before SPN... it seems like a lot of the slashy/angsty stuff happens in those last few minutes. XD

[xparrot.livejournal.com]

This ep had quite a bit of slashy/angsty goodness all the way through, but yeah, a lot of eps, you're probably better off just watching the last Meaningful conversations...(darn you, show, why aren't you better? you so could be...siiiigh!)

[bonnysprite.livejournal.com]

I caught the last few minutes of this ep, right before Clark dropped the wonderful "I saw a glimpse of something I hadn't seen in years - my friend" line. TW did a really good job of conveying the anguish and hope of that. Stinger right to the heart.

I could have kissed him then. It was so sad and so the Clark I see and know him to be.

And yeah, I can go with the severe whack up side the head Martha is deserving. She has no place giving advice about not trusting Lex when she has Lionel in her home. None.

Works been a bit manic so I'll be catching this ep at 1am on SPACE tonight, thank you for allowing me look forward to it. I can ignore the Lana black hole for all the Clex goodness I'll be getting, there are worse prices to pay. Like all Lana n Clark or Lex and no Clex.

What's this about "Contingencies", you're done?!! I can't believe I've missed it entirely. Didn't you like just start it? Well there's something even greater to look forward to. :)

Huge hugs for your the love you feed this fandom. You make the whole ordeal more bearable with your ep discussions and fanfic, but it's just as nice that you haven't thrown Clark to the wolves. Thank you for that so very much.

Now I will run off to see if I can't hunt down this wonderful fic I've missed. I'm certain I'll have more to share once I've read it and seen the ep.

Hugs.
kik

[xparrot.livejournal.com]

A lot of folks liked Lana in this ep, I just have zero tolerance for her...it's frustrating, really, I wish I could enjoy her more! As it is I'm still pretty much watching this show for the Clark & Lex...makes it kinda painful, when there's so little of it these days. But this ep was a breath of Clexy-fresh air!

Lex is my favorite char, definitely, but I really like Clark. I have to give SV credit for that, I've never cared for Superman, but SV has humanized him in a way I find very compelling. For all his faults and flaws, he is caring, and he does want to do the right thing, and you can see in him the potential to be the greatest hero. I don't mind that Clark makes mistakes, I just want him to realize it when he does. And in this ep, it really seemed like he did. To my mind, however much Lex Luthor hates Superman, Superman should never totally give up on Lex, no matter how much cause he has, no matter how much it hurts - that's what makes him Superman!

And yup, I finished Contingencies and posted it a bit before the ep aired. Unnecessarily, as it turned out! Hope you enjoy the ep, and the end of the fic (would love to know what you think of it!)

[attaccabottoni.livejournal.com]

why Lex wanted to marry her at all.
They were genuinely in love with each other before the fake-baby plot or so, I can't think of any other canon-supported reason either. (The mutant!Lana theory is still my best bet though... when Lionel made that turn around and said he wanted to protect Clark by preventing Lana to elope with him, I thought he was going to reveal that he didn't want Clark be totally ensnared in Lana's love mutant clutches. :D)

pretty much everything that happened in the fic is totally supported in the episode
I was coming down from the high of rereading Contingencies (*sighs blissfully*) before I watched Nemesis... this was why I wasn't made into a gibbering wreck about their very heart-wrenching dialogue (I kept thinking about my favorite lines in your fic as well), because I always had faith in the Clex, and I knew they'll never let each other die if they can help it.

It doesn't sit well with me that a hick farmgirl can run rings around Lex flippin' Luthor, who has been trained in this kind of psychological warfare and manipulation from birth.
I'm with you, but they made Lana a kung-fuing witch, so I couldn't tell how far they're willing to make Lana go.

Yeah, that trumps faking a pregnancy, hands down.
*applauds* Is any other character going to remember Lionel's reign of evil? No? Damnit.

*goes off to read everybody's comments and more meta*

[xparrot.livejournal.com]

gnine had a great idea about the fake-baby, that Lana actually was pregnant and had a miscarriage during one of her many accidents, and Lex decided to...er...put off telling her until after the wedding, by giving her the hormones. Not that we think SV will really do this, but it would make a degree of sense. As it is it drives me nuts because it's so OOC for Lex - not only is it a higher degree of manipulative evilness in a relationship than we've ever seen him do before (and he professes to genuinely love Lana, while he damn well knows he's screwing her over, say what now?) - but man does he do it badly...letting her find out that easily? Unless he wanted her to find out...
...no, I'm not gonna think about it, it makes my brain hurt!

But the Clex was delightful, if too short. And yes, so wonderful to have proof how much Lex cares. Even if he cares for no one else - he's never going to lose his feelings for Clark. Aww!

Is any other character going to remember Lionel's reign of evil? No? Damnit.

I know. At least Martha admitted to not trusting him...but dude, you still invited him to Thannksgiving! (I am so never going to forgive her for inviting Lionel but not Lex & Lana...!)

[littlehollyleaf.livejournal.com]

Yo! I was linked over this way from finding 'Contingencies' in the Smallville Slash Archive :)

Wow, you just say everything about this episode that my subconscious was feeling but coudln't express. Kudos! One thing-

gnine and I are still trying to figure out why Lex wanted to marry her at all. One would think he would be less than eager himself to be trapped in a loveless marriage, after what happened after his last two weddings.

He married her as a dig at Clark perhaps? I know you're big on Lex not making his 33.1 projects personal, as I gathered from reading your fic (which, btw, was just incredible! I mean, seriously, I was sobbing when Lex was dying. Honestly. There were real tears. You wrote it beautifully, I was completely hooked. I think I might have died in a puddle of tears if you hadn't brought Lex back for a happy ending!). Anyway, since a relationship with Lana is personal, I figure Lex'd have no problem utilising it for personal reasons- as a attempt to make Clark feel as neglected as Lex does maybe? Or maybe just an attempt to draw himself away from Clark, and try and convice himself that he doesn't really care? Though honestly, Lana was a silly choice for that, she is nowhere near strong enough to maintain Lex's love and affection... in my opinion :p

I only really came here to feedback your fic. Damn. Soz about the rant. Um. Good job with 'Contingencies,' keep writing!

[xparrot.livejournal.com]

He married her as a dig at Clark perhaps?

Hee! I would love to interpret all of Lexana in a totally Clexy light, and I like the thought that while Lex is keeping 33.1 impersonal, that doesn't stop him from using his personal relationships...well...personally! Using Lana as a distraction from Clark also makes sense to me, though it doesn't explain why he was so desperate to marry her (that's what confuses us, more than why he wants to date Lana, why he's so eager to get a 20 year old girl to tie the knot, rather than waiting a bit.)

The other theory we have is that Lana is part of 33.1, and Lex wants to control her as a way to control Clark, if he's concerned that Clark may be an alien invader.

Anyway - so glad you enjoyed "Contingencies"! Thank you so much for reading and commentng. There will be more fic from me, I can promise that. (And no problem about the ranting, you're absolutely welcome to - this journal is all about going off on SV, these days. Much of "Contingencies" came from my series of Lex-related essays and the comments I've gotten on them...I'm a big fan of ranting!)

[jakrar.livejournal.com]

Sorry for the lateness of this comment, but I have to agree with you on Lana's role in "Nemesis." Before seeing the episode, I just wanted her dead, however I could get it. Now, having seen her utter willingness to let Lex die, I want to see the bitch suffer before she buys it, preferably in some truly horrible and agonizing fashion.

Granted, if Lex was the one behind the fake-baby business, Lana has reason to be upset with him, but -- given all the times she's emotionally jerked him around with her 'I really love Clark far more than I love you, but if he doesn't want me, and you're properly worshipful, maybe for now I'll settle for you' -- I figure Lex manipulating her into marrying him by whatever means just makes them even. And let us not forget all the times Lex has risked his own life to save Lana's, while I recall her returning the favor only once (and ineffectively, at that).

On Clark's side, I am feeling more friendly toward him now that he's finally shown enough honesty to question his own role in Lex's recent actions. (I can still adore Clark in fanfic, but lately I've been really wanting to see him smacked around hard on screen, given all his ranting about Lex being evil incarnate, and all his hesitation over saving Lex's life.)

So, for me, the upshot of watching "Nemesis" is that I adore Lex even more than before, detest Clark somewhat less than before, and loathe everyone else more than ever before. And I'm still convinced that Lex is trying to save the world.

Hey, I don't know you, but...

[greenlady2.livejournal.com]

... on this matter at least, we're Soul Sisters. You just summed up my feelings about SV exactly.

Lex is the only character I ever really liked or understood. I love him. I'll love him even if he kills everyone else on the show.

Clark I could put up with when he was younger, and I could use that as an excuse.

His parents? Lex Luthor is powerful, rich, intelligent, curious as Hell -- and best friends with their Alien son. He's Danger Personified. So, what do they do? Try the best they can to antagonize him. Yeah, that will save Clark from any bad intentions Lex might have toward him.

Oliver is a bully and blows things up for fun, and he thinks he's better than Lex?

Okay, I better stop. I've giving this far more attention than it deserves. :-)))

Re: Hey, I don't know you, but...

[jakrar.livejournal.com]

A kindred spirit!

Lex is the only character I ever really liked or understood. I love him. I'll love him even if he kills everyone else on the show.

I'm totally with you there. Though, even now, I'd prefer that he keep Clark alive, if only to serve as his own personal sex toy. *eg*

As for Clark's parents, I will never believe that Jonathan even tried to give Lex a fair shake. Remember that time when Lex bitterly observed that Jonathan had never seen him as anything more than a Luthor, and Jonathan retorted that Lex had never given him reason to see him as anything else? That exchange came after "Jitters," where Lex risked almost certain death to save a bunch of hostages, a number of whom were friends of the Kent family, and one of whom was Clark himself. (Granted, Clark might have survived the plant blowing up around him, but I suspect that would have depended on how close Earl was to him at the time, and thus how weakened Clark was by the kryptonite embedded in Earl's skin. Certainly everyone else inside would have been killed, including Gabe, Chloe, Pete, Lana and Whitney, all of whom the Kents seemed friendly with.) But not once does anyone thank Lex for his heroic actions, or give him the slightest bit of credit for them. *gnashes teeth*

Oliver is a bully and blows things up for fun, and he thinks he's better than Lex?

In my opinion, SV's Oliver Queen is a sadistic sociopath who's learned to use other people's opinions to inflate his already bloated ego. Before he started worrying about how others might see him, Oliver tormented innocents (like Lex and Duncan) and got off on it. Now that he wants everyone to see him as a 'hero' so he can feel more self-important, he still torments people for pleasure, but he picks so-called 'villains' as his victims because that way he can pretend that his actions are justified. I don't believe for a minute that Oliver meant it when he apologized to Lex for having victimized him in the past, and I don't believe he regrets having gotten Lex tortured and nearly killed more recently.

I also believe that the only reason Oliver saved Lex's life when Duncan's astral self attacked them is that Oliver could not afford to have Lex die in his apartment, with the two of them known to be enemies and only the two of them present; Lionel would have done everything possible to pin the killing on Oliver, and Oliver knew that perfectly well, and he also couldn't afford to have the police search his place, since all his Green Arrow gear was hidden there. So Oliver saved Lex purely in order to save himself. (Notice that, in a later episode, Oliver goes to Luthorcorp armed and disguised as the Green Arrow with the clear intention of murdering Lex in cold blood; the only reason he delays at all is his desire to force Lex to first sign away his fortune.) In my opinion, Lex will never be as evil as Oliver Queen, yet Clark and everyone else sees Oliver as a 'good guy,' and it infuriates me, just as it infuriates me that the Kents now seem to see Lionel as an ally. *once more with the gnashing of teeth*

Sorry for all the vehemence, but SV brings it out in me. *sheepish grin* Glad to see that you and I agree, at least on some things!

Re: Hey, I don't know you, but...

[xparrot.livejournal.com]

Lex Luthor is powerful, rich, intelligent, curious as Hell -- and best friends with their Alien son. He's Danger Personified. So, what do they do? Try the best they can to antagonize him. Yeah, that will save Clark from any bad intentions Lex might have toward him.

This is an awesome point. I've never really thought about it that way but yeah. Not to mention, umm, Parenting 101? Telling your teenage son not to do something - e.g. "don't hang around with Lex Luthor" - is tantamount to saying "THIS IS THE MOST AWESOME THING DO IT RIGHT NOW!" That's just the way teenagers work. The much wiser parental strategy would've been getting close to Lex to be able to keep an eye on him, and whatever he got up to with Clark. Especially since Lex himself was being scrupulous about...er...courting the Kent family. (He totally was scoping Jonathan out to ask for Clark's hand :P)

I like the Kents in theory more than practice - I love close families and they're very caring of Clark. But the way they care is often highly suspect...raising Clark to be so suspicious of everyone that he lies without thought to the consequences, man, that's disturbing, especially since it's pretty much unjustified - there's all these people with wacky powers around town, and none of them have ever been dragged off by the government. Where exactly did they get their paranoia of laboratories? Was Martha an X-phile or what?

Re: Hey, I don't know you, but...

[jakrar.livejournal.com]

Where exactly did they get their paranoia of laboratories?

Maybe it all goes back to when wee!Clark picked up the bed, and Jonathan and Martha were going to take him to some doctor/scientist/whatever, and then belatedly realized that they'd probably never see Clark again if they turned him over. They keep remembering what they now see as a terribly close call, and they feel so much guilt and anxiety over it that they go overboard in stressing to Clark that he must never, ever let anyone find out about his differences.

Butting in

[lukita.livejournal.com]

Oliver is a bully and blows things up for fun, and he thinks he's better than Lex?

Grrr~ The Green Arrow pisses me off so much (okay, he's hot as well so I actually watched his scenes). Dood, if Lex can get enough proof that he's the Green Arrow, I can see Queen Industry stock head south fast, or blackmail material for the rest of his life. Not like it'll actually happen since GA is suppose to be the good guy. I wonder what he does with the information he stole from Lex? Cause I'm willing to bet my internet connection that not everything he stole is 33.1 related. Maybe he just frames them and hang them up on the wall labeled "ego stroke".

[xparrot.livejournal.com]

(Oh, there you are! I was worried "Nemesis" had broken your spirit...or rather confirmed everything you thought, such that you had no reason to watch the show anymore... XD)

More and more, we're baffled as to why Lex wanted Lana's hand in marriage, period. It makes no sense, unless it really is just to fuck with Clark's head (in which case, hee.) If he genuinely cares for her but is so doubtful that she returns the feeling that he has to manipulate her into marriage - umm, why the hell would he want to be in a "loveless marriage", anymore than Lana would want to be? Especially since the fake-baby plot would lead to fake-miscarriage eventually, and that tends to screw up relationships...you'd think he could come up with a better way to get her love. Like putting her in danger and saving her (hey, it worked for Clark, I can't see why else Lana is carrying a torch after Clark's been an ass to her so many times. I mean, yeah, Clark is pretty like a pretty thing, but Lex is nothing to sneeze at...)

In conclusion: the fake-baby arc is one of the stupider things to happen on this show (and that is saying something, considering, um, all of 4th season); and Lana makes No Sense and I am dying to see her die, in any way possible, just so I no longer have to watch her. Admittedly at this point I'm starting to dislike most of the rest of the cast almost as much (Clark I still like...I just think he's fallen in with bad company. Clark is easily influenced by those around him...he needs to spend more time with Lex, to get a perspective on the wider world, beyond just the people he knows personally...)

I shouldn't watch this show. It's bad for my blood pressure!

And I am convinced that at the very least, Caroline Dries thinks Lex is out to save the world. She's written him that way consistently...here's to hoping she'll be writing more eps to come!

[jakrar.livejournal.com]

More and more, we're baffled as to why Lex wanted Lana's hand in marriage, period.

I can only assume that he wants her as a hold on Clark, in case Clark turns out to be here to help destroy the Earth, or that she is indeed a love-mutant and Lex wants to use her powers to help save the human race from Zod and others like him. (Or, I suppose, she could have managed to genuinely ensnare Lex with her love-mutant powers, but I'd like to think he's smarter than to let her do that.)

I shouldn't watch this show. It's bad for my blood pressure!

Mine, too, but I can't bring myself to abandon poor Lex. He needs as many loyal minions cheering him on as he can get!