xparrot: Chopper reading (lex purple)
[personal profile] xparrot
Because we watched the SV premiere. Several days ago. Yeah, it took us a while to process. Time to fan the flames of indignation, etc.

Okay, so it was better than most of last season. Unfortunately that's not saying much. If you liked the ep, don't read this. Unless you want to point & laugh at the crazy fangirls, of course! In that case, go right ahead.

We liked some bits. (The Clexy ones, specifically. And Bizarro, who was hot and shirtless. Mmm. Was that really Tom Welling's voice, or was it electronically manipulated in some way? Good show, TW.)

Most of the other bits? Not so much.

Biggest sticking point for me: Lex Luthor doesn't want revenge.

Let me repeat for posterity's sake. Lex Luthor doesn't want revenge. For his "beloved" wife who was, apparently, brutally murdered - and he doesn't care who did it. Yes, I know, saved by an angel (exhibiting powers he's observed in known aliens for several years now, but he doesn't make this logical leap - oxygen deprivation, bad writing, or a bone thrown to all of us who have believed that he saw Clark as an angel from the first moment he opened his eyes on the riverbank?), seeing world in whole new light, etc. But to not care?

The only way I can make sense of this is that Lex actually knows what Lana did, and turning himself in is in fact restitution for what he did to her before, i.e. the fake pregnancy. He's not confessing this to spare her reputation and give Lana her freedom. Or something.

(There's also the Lex-nalysis spin, that Lex is talking the fall to be punished for 33.1 et al, that after his Supergirl salvation he no longer can live with what he's done, but cannot confess those crimes because he still believes they're necessary for the sake of the planet.)

(The third thought is that he's got some mastermind plan in motion, in which his imprisonment is a key factor, perhaps to provide an alibi when the major shit goes down--oops, sorry. I was channeling JLU!Lex for a second there.)

Speaking of jail-time: Smallville Police: most incompetent ever, or just Kryptonian-blinded? So they arrest Lex Luthor on the extremely circumstantial evidence of a single recording of a private conversation in which he was arguing with his wife and strong words were spoken (although he never threatened her life outright.) It'd be hard to argue a car bomb is a crime of passion, so how exactly are the prosecutors planning on spinning this? Lex Luthor, billionaire, decides he wants the nice public murder of his wife on his record?

Meanwhile, it never occurs to the cops to talk to the infamous jealous ex-boyfriend who not only was in the papers as the third point of their love triangle, but several months before abducted the murder victim. In front of oodles of witnesses.

Presumably Lana set up Lex in some other way (assuming she's how the police get hold of that office recording) - made sure to call a couple dynamite companies from his office? Planted Vehicular Explosions for Dummies in his briefcase? - but to explain this I would have to think about how Lana smoothly and competently arranged all of this, pulling the wool over two pairs of Luthor eyes, and then I would start frothing at the mouth. I'm going to just assume that Lionel switched sides for the billionth time and helped her out, because otherwise, the frothing.

...Lex's office. That reminds me. How the hell did Lois get in there? I know Lex's security sucks, but seriously, people. Is the Luthor mansion on permanent open house? Is Lex so strapped for cash that he sells tickets?

And about Lois. Or about Clark. [livejournal.com profile] gnine will be going off about this in her own post, but it bears mention - Clark lets Lois wander off to confront Lex about what happened to Chloe, even though his later conversation with Chloe herself makes it clear that Clark had a good guess what really happened, that it was Chloe's mutant genes kicking in. Therefore, letting Lois go to Lex was nothing short of criminally stupid. Not only is Lex dangerous, as Clark says - but if Lois marches in and starts demanding to know how her cousin got brought back to life...that's pretty much telling Lex exactly what Chloe's mutant power is. Which really, really wouldn't be a good idea. He'd have her trussed up and in a cell in 33.1 in five seconds flat. That power is just the finishing touch his supersoldiers need.

Clark Is Dumb, part 2 - Lana "dies" and he has the amazing revelation that humans are fragile. What about when his dad died? I felt for Jonathan there. Sorry, man, you're nothing compared to the all-consuming love-power of Lana Lang.

I also feel sorry for Chloe. She's crying her eyes out for Lana, who faked her own death to get back at Lex. Meanwhile when Chloe's death got faked to save her from Lionel, Lana was living it up in Paris and dating Dean Winchester.

Martian Manhunter talking about the Bizarro, how he was rejected all his life and that's why he's the way he is...shout-out to Lex apologists? I thought it pretty obviously could be referring to Lex as easily as to the Bizarro. Interesting that it seemed perhaps to inspire some sympathy in Clark...I'd hope that this is a sign for things to come, but I know better than to hope. Smallville has beaten that out of me!

And last thought - what happened to the little kid (boy? girl? I couldn't tell) Lois was running around with in the collapsed tunnels? He/she is presumably the experiment number whatever Lex was so concerned about, but where are they now? Not that I actually care about anything that happens in the show these days, but...I don't want to go back and check, did it say if the kid was taken to the hospital, or did they run away, or what?

Oh, Smallville. Why can't I quit you?

Date: 2007-09-30 06:17 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] attaccabottoni.livejournal.com
It didn't seem like an important plot point, so I totally ignored the contrived meeting of Bizarro and Lois in the mansion. It serves the dual purpose of (1) showing that Bizarro was looking for sex with Lex and ended up jerking off in Lex's bedroom before providing a situation to show a kind of backhanded hint of future Clois, and (2) avoiding a scene where Lois has to grieve over Chloe's brief death (yet again), and/or Lois' discovery of Chloe's mutant powers. (And why aren't Chloe and Clark letting in Lois in this pertinent info on her cousin's health anyways?)

I also feel sorry for Chloe. She's crying her eyes out for Lana, who faked her own death to get back at Lex. Meanwhile when Chloe's death got faked to save her from Lionel, Lana was living it up in Paris and dating Dean Winchester.
Part of me is content happily living in the part of SV denial-land where "Lana-the-love-mutant" is the ultimate fanwank hypothesis. The more optimistic part of me is still holding out on the fake baby explanation. Maybe Model 503 is the one that nabbed Lionel, who/which will proceed to force the Magnificent Bastard to cough up his secret agenda behind the Lana-centric mysteries, or something.

I don't trust any character by this point (except the oblivious Lois) to be thinking straight. Lex, while still believable in his current craziness, is too much a mess, and the plot holes get more bizarre by the minute, as evinced by my increasingly cracky thoughts about them. And the more doomed they make Lex to be, the less inclination I have to quit looking for explanations for this show. *hugs your Lex-nalysis like a security blanket*

Date: 2007-09-30 06:37 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] lexii314.livejournal.com
Meanwhile when Chloe's death got faked to save her from Lionel, Lana was living it up in Paris and dating Dean Winchester.

::Pokes you hard:: Dean Winchester would never in a million years 'date' lana lang!! LOL.....!!! ;p

Date: 2007-09-30 07:06 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] jakrar.livejournal.com
I am frothing in complete sympathy. *smacks AlMiles* Try using logic and consistent characterization!

Date: 2007-09-30 07:08 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] jakrar.livejournal.com
Er...the snarl about using logic and consistent characterization was directed toward AlMiles, not toward you. Just wanted to make that clear!

Date: 2007-09-30 07:28 pm (UTC)
ext_9839: Yuko (woo)
From: [identity profile] lukita.livejournal.com
I watched the thing through Clex goggles, it didn't help much...

Oh gods, I think I'll agree with the others about Lana in China... But obviously she hates Clark and Lex both, except the police was a little too dumb to get the both of them and thus depriving us fangirls of Clex prison sex. ♥

...and dating Dean Winchester.

I have to remind myself that it's the shorter brother, gods being a Gilmore Girls fan really messed with my brain when it comes to Supernatural.

Date: 2007-09-30 08:07 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] ladydreamer.livejournal.com
The Lex-nalysis is the only thing that helps me make sense of Lex doing that. I buy it because MR is just that good, and I don't want Lex to be weak or stupid. The lack of wanting revenge is the only part I can't explain, and what I'm thinking is, he's too overwhelmed with grief (not just for Lana, for his drowned supersoldiers, his dad, Clark, his grand plans and all the effort and the piece of his soul he put into it, only to fail again and be wipe down to nothingness) and guilt to have room for the anger he's going to feel later. He SHOULD want to find Lana's real killer, if he hasn't figured it out.

Someone needs to write us Clex in prison, where the police arrest Clark later. I mean, it's only fair.

And as I have said elsewhere, there need to be double jeopardy kill Lana fics. Moral? Maybe not. Legal? Hell yeah :D

She's crying her eyes out for Lana, who faked her own death to get back at Lex. Meanwhile when Chloe's death got faked to save her from Lionel, Lana was living it up in Paris and dating Dean Winchester.
Lana is fucking unbelievable. She's the worst friend ever. I want to know why Chloe would ever want to be around her, if she weren't emitting her wonky love-me powers. Lana's not supportive, she doesn't care what's going on in Chloe's life, and she only talks about herself and asks for favors! Go away needy bitch!

Martian Manhunter talking about the Bizarro, how he was rejected all his life and that's why he's the way he is...shout-out to Lex apologists? I thought it pretty obviously could be referring to Lex as easily as to the Bizarro.
I literally commented on this in IM when I was watching. AND I want Bizex loving. They both WANT love... god, it's such a testiment to HOW MUCH Lex loves Clark (at this point, I ask why) that he wouldn't at least try to convince Bizzy to ignore Clark and start his own life. I mean, what's Clark gonna do if Biz takes a name and starts to assimilate? Whine? He can't attack him if he's not threatening anyone.

Date: 2007-09-30 10:46 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] kpjmm.livejournal.com
A lot of things had me going 'what?', through the whole show.

I thought the extras on the show were not great, but for the fishing boy. I hated Lex's minions and why have we never seen them before? His lawyer sucked and his security lady trying to get Lex to run away seems like an idiot to me. Why couldn't they have kept Bartlett?

Lex's army is totally destroyed? So, the only interesting thing for Lex's story is gone...great.

I am one of the few that just doesn't care about BizarroClark. I actually like Clark better than BizarroClark. The scene with Lois was funny, but that scene was just plain weird. Lois wasted her time at the mansion, so I guess it's no big deal that Lex doesn't have any security.

I'm not a huge Chloe fan. I just wouldn't have cared if she died or not. In fact, I don't feel that way for Lionel or Lana for that matter.

I care for Lex, Lois, Clark the most. I am looking forward to Kara, because frankly they really don't have anything for Clark to do and Jimmy is a fun character.

I don't think Lex will be obsessed to Kara as he was to Clark by getting that close to her, but more like using her as a way to be close to Clark.

I really don't know what to think of Lex turning himself in due to trying to be 'good' again. I know that Lex isn't 'Dr. Evil' or full of nothing but hate like Clark says. I guess it will just be used a plot device to let Clark and Lana be together again. Which is ok, because the last thing I want is more Lex crying over Lana.

Lastly, I believe that Lex needs someone to be on his side. Clark has every major character on his side and Lex has zero! Anyone else see something weird about that?

Date: 2007-10-01 08:19 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] caligo16.livejournal.com
Biggest sticking point for me: Lex Luthor doesn't want revenge.
That jumped out at me too as strange. I don't think he's onto Lana at all yet...he really seemed to be mourning her so I think he really believes that Lana was murdered. I guess maybe he's just so broken at this point that he's not thinking completely straight and hasn't got as far as planning revenge against the real killer? Or maybe after his "religious experience", he thinks he should do the "right thing" and let the legal system see to justice instead of taking it into his own hands? Right now, I'm assuming that he was just turning himself in so as not to resist arrest and to go through the trial, but that he doesn't plan to plead guilty. At least I hope we're not supposed to think that he'll be pleading guilty to something he didn't do and let the real murderer get off free.

Another possibility that occurred to me is that Lex thinks Lionel killed Lana and framed him. He knows that Lionel is missing, but I'm not sure if he has any idea that Lionel was near the dam when it burst so maybe he just thinks that Lionel skipped town after framing him for Lana's murder. He seemed to be having people looking for Lionel since he asked his lawyer about him so maybe he still plans to have Lionel brought to justice for the murder, but is willing to sit in jail for the meantime because he feels that he deserves to suffer some too. Maybe...IDK, lol

So they arrest Lex Luthor on the extremely circumstantial evidence of a single recording of a private conversation in which he was arguing with his wife and strong words were spoken (although he never threatened her life outright.)
Ugh, that pisses me off so much. At most, they seem to have grounds to question him, but to issue an arrest warrant so quickly on the evidence we've seen so far...ridiculous. And where did they get the recording? Did Lana just drop it in the mailbox at the police station and they listen to it and don't bother asking how convenient it is for this to show up right after Lana's murdered?

lol, great point about Clark. After "Crimson", he should be the most likely suspect or at least one of the suspects.

I would have to think about how Lana smoothly and competently arranged all of this, pulling the wool over two pairs of Luthor eyes, and then I would start frothing at the mouth
Me too. But I think that we really are supposed to believe that Lana managed the whole thing because she's just that wonderful and amazing. And I'm really dreading to see how they're going to spin this so that Lana framing Lex for murder was somehow justified and that she's still the blameless victim here *rolls eyes*. Especially if she murdered her clone - There was a body. The death certificate in the hospital said DOA so there had to have been a body. And people have been speculating since Lex was looking at that long-haired "Ares soldier" in "Phantom" that Lex had a clone of Lana. Lana probably found out about the clone and then got it out of Lex's lab without Lex knowing (I think I died a little just typing that) and the clone died in the explosion (and isn't that murder? Unless the clone was somehow inanimate or not sentient...but Emily was definitely sentient...). Model 503 is probably the clone and when Lex learns that the body in the morgue is 503 instead of Lana or something, Lex will figure out what Lana did...and hopefully plan his revenge on her.

Date: 2007-10-01 10:35 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] bagheera-san.livejournal.com
I'm willing to cut Lex some slack in the redemption matter. Consider how over the top his reaction to the car accident in Pilot was (We have a destiny!) and by now, he is a good deal more confused and less stable. A rational reaction to Kara would be preferable, but on the other hand, Lex's life has been awfully full of religious imagery. Crucified people, twice. People rising from the dead. Near death experiences - multiple times, including the Ghost of Christmas Future. Martha Kent's immaculate conception miracle spaceship baby. Possession by evil spirits. And it's much easier for him to put his saviour in a different mental box from Zod, because if there was any doubt at all that aliens are evil, it would be a damn deal harder to justify the steps he has taken to fight them.

And, well, Kara didn't get wet. Obviously she must be a supernatural being.

Date: 2007-10-03 08:44 pm (UTC)
ender24: (Default)
From: [personal profile] ender24
//Meanwhile, it never occurs to the cops to talk to the infamous jealous ex-boyfriend who not only was in the papers as the third point of their love triangle, but several months before abducted the murder victim. In front of oodles of witnesses.//

your review is soooooooo funny!
except it wouldn't be more funny if it wasn't probably true!

//Lana was living it up in Paris and dating Dean Winchester.//
lolol, now i am really looking forward to watch SPN *ggg*

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