“Upgrade” Airs Tonight!
BRIAN AUSTIN GREEN RETURNS AS METALLO AND CLARK IS INFECTED WITH RED KRYPTONITE – Zod continues to pose as “The Blur” and asks Lois to investigate one of Tess’ secret labs. An explosion rocks the lab, and Lois is rescued by John Corben who was a subject of multiple experiments. While investigating the explosion, Clark is exposed to red kryptonite. An infected Clark takes Zod to the Fortress. Tess turns to Chloe for help and they send in Corben to stop Clark from revealing all his secrets.
In the meantime, when the episode is over come back here and let us know what you thought, or email us so we can read your thoughts on the air!
Super excited for this one and I think the picture above says it all as to why.
*Sigh* This is gonna be a long day.
not as long as yesterday for me
zod looks more like dr.who than the blur dressed like that, might just be the accent.
I’m looking forward to this one too. Metallo was one of my favorite episodes of the season. I thought that episode was fantasic on so many levels. Every single member of the cast had some fanastic moments in it and Brian Austin Green was one of the best guest stars this show has ever had.
I’m really excited for tonight. I’ll be away all weekend so I won’t be able to really talk about the episode for a few days. That will be hard!
You know…it’s funny. On top of all this incredible stuff with Clark and Metallo tonight…..Lois talking to Zod and thinking he’s the Blur is making me uncomfortable….in a good way. What I mean to say is that I think the show WANTS me to be uncomfortable with it because it’s just so alarming that Lois has been put in this position.
You know this show has always been very careful to keep Lois loyal to Clark at all times. When you go back through the years even back to Season 4….Lois is one of the few characters who has NEVER betrayed him and always been loyal to him when the chips were down. Pretty much every single other character on the show with the exception of Jonathan and Martha (and poor Jimmy) have betrayed Clark at some point. Lois is so intensely loyal to Clark and we know from canon that Lois is always so loyal to Superman. And we are seeing that play out in Smallville now with her willingness to do whatever it takes for the Blur. But God…it just makes you want to bang your head against the wall out of frustration that Lois has been put in this position to be tricked because Clark won’t be freaking honest with her!!! AHHH!! That’s good drama folks!
if it even comes close to last night’s supernatural i will be satsifed
i hope lois finds out metallo blames the blur for the death of his sister rebecca . i also hope that metallo finds out that the kandorians gave him the kryptonite heart.
LOL – Was that an episode recap? I anticipate few surprises after reading that.
Joe, if you’re talking to me….I’m just basing my spec on Brian Peterson’s interview yesterday where he confirmed that Zod is going to be continuing to trick Lois into thinking he’s the Blur in this episode and that it’s really going to cause problems. I honestly have no idea idea how it’s going to play out. All I know is what Brian Peterson told fans yesterday in his interviews with TVguide, IGN and Eonline. I think it has the potential for good drama.
no that’s just what i would like to see
lois just killed someone? cool
I love this episode!!!!!!!
not a bad episode they missed a good Kara name drop in Clarks talk with Chloe in my opion at least sv can do is mention her a little to show fans that she still exists and that sv has not forgotten Clarks cousin that is why sv has lost a little respect from me.
Pretty good episode. I’m glad to see the Chloe/Clark tension a little less than it was before. I really liked Clark admitting that he could relate to Zod on some level and that it drew a sort of kinship from him, even with all their differences. It was nice seeing them work together, but it’s doubtful there will be more of that considering Tess just came and fueled the flames of rivalry between the two by showing Clark was a threat to Zod’s position of power over the Kandorians. (A bit of a 180 from her previous talk with Zod that Clark was not the enemy). I’m beginning to believe that Tess just likes to manipulate Zod, just for her own entertainment rather than for any particular goal, because she is being quite inconsistent.
I’m not sure how I feel about Metallo being presented as pretty much a good guy as I thought he was supposed to be a “supervillain” but that doesn’t seem to be the case. (I wouldn’t mind that so much if he weren’t supposed to be a bad guy in the comics).
Did anybody else catch when Lois said Dr. Vale? That was probably a reference to Emmett Vale right?
The 9th season is nearing its end and they’re doing a good job it setting up for wrapping things up.
Since episode “Metallo” fans, myself included, have been hoping that Brian Austin Green would return in a future episode and I’m glad that those hopes weren’t in vain. He did a good job in this episode and I did enjoy the interaction between him and Lois. I would’ve like more moments between Corben and Clark/Blur but with how things were going on in the episode, it probably would’ve been a bit too much.
Speaking of Clark, seeing him under the affects of red Kryptonite is something I like seeing every once and a while. Doing it sparingly it makes it more important when it happens and it also helps to shake things up and this wasn’t an exception. There’ll definitely be repercussions of Clark on being red K.
One thing that makes me curious is what’s going on with Tess. Is she just deceiving Zod, actually in leagued with him or just playing both sides and will stay whoever the winner is in the end? As this season comes to an end it’s making me more believing that Tess won’t be around when it’s over.
Lastly, as for Zod, I’m not surprised that he was going to share the “key” in restorying his followers’ their powers. Curious to know whether he knew that Clark was under the affects of Kryptonite as it seemed as he knew that there was something off about him and knew that it was an opportunity to use him to his advantage.
As a whole, I enjoyed this episode and continues to what likely is going to be a great season 9 finalie. I’ll rate this episode a 4 out of 5.
@Nol That’s who I instantly thought of when I saw the episode.
First off, before I get into my thoughts about the episode, I was expecting a trailer for next week, but we didn’t get one. I’m assuming that they just don’t have one or Kelly and Brian really want to surprise us for next week, because I looked on Smallville’s wiki for episode titles and we are not going to have anymore breaks until the season finale.
I thought this episode was a good episode, it didn’t have the “Oh S***” factor that “Checkmate” had but had some really awesome moments.
First of all, Brian Austin Green had a lot of “sexy time” in this episode. He had a lot more to do in this episode I thought than in “Metallo” in terms of range of emotions and I thought he got to show more range as actor as well. If he doesn’t return I feel this was a good way to wrap up his character until we see the iconic Metallo in “The Man of Tomorrow’s” Future. His departure kind of reminded of Victor Stone’s scene with his girlfriend in the barn in “Cyborg” I loved his scene with Kal-El in the Fortress and how he knows what Kal-El is going through in not knowing that he needs to be saved. I really enjoyed that. I don’t know what’s going to happen if John gets that Red Meteor Rock Heart inserted into his chest, but all and all. One of the best wrap ups of a character if we never see him on the series again, but however, like it was with a lot of guest stars on Smallville the door is open. I hope he also does another episode of SHoE to talk about this episode, I don’t believe 4 GB 8 GB iPod Nanos and Zunes can contain “The Sexy” of Brian Austin Green. You will need 120 GB to 160 or at least 30 to 80 GB iPod Classics, iPod Touches (32 GB, 64 GB) , iPhones (32 GB) and Microsoft Zune (30 to 80 GB or 120 GB) or (32 GB to 64 GB) Zune HD’s. To get the full “sexy” LOL. (I may have a man crush on B.A.G.)
The Red Meteor Rock angle was probably the best use of Red Meteor Rock on Smallville. Well, maybe not the best but most interesting. Every time it has been introduced Kal-El learns more about himself. And he learns two things.
Much like “Echo” where Kal-El learns more about humanities motivations. In this episode, he learns more about the villains he will combat and how they are not that different than who he actually is. If nothing else the scenes with Kal-El and Zod reaffirm in me anyway that at one put Lex and Clark were friends and there was a real friendship there at one point. Similar to his kinship with Zod I do think there is not necessarily a friendship there, but there is some a lot of respect and a lot of commonality that these two have for the other. And Kal-El knows now that he needs to look at things from a different perspective when it comes to his friends and enemies alike.
The other thing Clark learns as a result of being drunk on Red Meteor Rock is how truly dangerous can be. This is something we have seen in Superman The Animated Series with Darkseid Brainwashing Kal-El. Which is continued in Justice League Unlimited, the idea if influenced Kal-El can be extremely dangerous and not in the crashing engagement parties and buying Nintendo GameCube with HD-TV at Discount Eddie’s “Open All Night.” In the I can harm people that I care about and I can be the ultimate weapon. This season has really been about Clark learning lessons in becoming “The Man of Tomorrow” that he will become and these may be the two most important this season so far.
As far as Chloe and Clark’s friendship goes, I think both of them got a huge reality check. Chloe when Clark shoved her to the ground tells me that Chloe might want to think twice before keeping secrets from Clark again because I know he barely hit her, but there is that possibility now in Chloe’s mind that “you know what, maybe I shouldn’t screw with Clark”. Because if he is upset he will make his point in some way, I’m not saying violence but some way. As far Clark I think he finally understands what Chloe’s role is and respects it if nothing else and he give her, her props at WatchTower towards the end.
Lastly, the general feeling of this episode is no one’s really sure where everyone stands. Tess, is just being Tess and her little back and forth with Zod. (Loved her interactions with mostly everyone in this episode.) Even though Clark and Chloe have an understanding now that doesn’t mean they agree about how to handle Zod and The Kandorians. And what about Zod and Clark, they have become blood brothers in more ways than one. I think there is some animosity because of Tess getting Zod paranoid but there is a new found respect between those two.
I am looking forward to the last few episodes more so now than in all eight seasons prior because you can kind of know in a general sense what’s going go down but this season I have no clue.
Episode Rating 4 out of 5
This episode wasn’t what I expected at all but I really enjoyed it.
check this out: http://media.daemonstv.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/SMALLVILLE-Charade-4.jpg
have fun pulling your jaw off the floor
@Woo, I’m a little disappointed you didn’t say a word about Lois. tsk tsk. I come at this show as a Clark fangirl, but Lois was on fire tonight. And I thought all of her scenes with Corben were spot on. Plus, I like that unlike some other women in Clark’s past, she was gracious about Corben’s reverence of her, but put her foot down that Clark is the one for her. That’s class, people.
I honestly have to watch this episode again (once the iTunes finishes dl-ing) because I missed a few things (my fault, I was tweeting my reactions while watching). I’m pretty sure that, like Checkmate, I’ll love it more upon second viewing.
For those that are wondering about Tess’ seeming 180 wrt her loyalties to Clark, I think those loyalties were shot to hell after Checkmate.
And I also heard the “Dr. Vale” mention. I actually tweeted “DR. VALE!!!!!!!!” I love subtle name drops. It’s almost up there with the Michael Holt ref from AJ.
hey u guys if your woondering why they didnt show a preview tralier for charde its beacuse people in newyour and new jersey didnt get to see upgrade
@Natasha I didn’t mention the Lois stuff because I guess I just forgot about her part in the episode because no disrespect towards you, but Lois story was really minor compared to what else was going on in the ep.
@Mike I get it now, why we didn’t a trailer for next week. New York is a big mark TV wise or in general.
Geekwood moment for me because I live in Washington State. Kal-El and Zod on the Space Needle.
@ Woo, I don’t think it was minor. I think they were deliberately drawing a parallel between what Clark and Zod were talking about wrt Clark’s friends still fearing him and not trusting him because he isn’t “human” and then having Lois prove that even when someone has been known to have a past ill intent and be “not human” and yet she still showed compassion to him and helped him and trusted him. It was an obvious foreshadowing to how Lois will be with Clark/Superman once (if ever with this show) she is let in on the secret. She’s not going to fear Clark or his intentions because she will see past his “inhumanness” and trust his good heart.
But that’s ok, I forgive you, lol.
@Natasha thank you you’re so kind. But you brought an interesting point. Kal-El had no idea what Lois had been doing this whole episode. And I think that was interesting. I think this season if there was a theme for this is who can I trust? Because if nothing else this season has been about trust or lack of it. @MJ You and I have discussed this since the tail end of the eighth season Oliver, Kal-El, and Chloe have not done a good job with the trust and in a way that cost Jimmy his life. This season that idea has been brought to full fruition this season.
It was great. I always like a Red K episode, especially one that I didn’t see coming. I mean yes, I saw the spoilers, but I wouldve never guessed that Clark would “Inhale” the stuff, makes it seem more and more like a drug. “Hey zod, what’s up? Yea I just got done sniffin some red k. You wanna go make some snow and try to talk to my daddy? Cool.” and I’m sorry, but I’m just feeling a little over-kill with the Zod/Tess thing, no. But all around I liked the episode. And I’m ready to hear the guys say what they think the deal was with the anger triggered red k? Maybe some of you commentors can tell me. What do you think?
Just got home from a weekend away and I feel like I have so much to catch up on with this episode. I still feel like I need to watch it again.
@Natasha and Woo…it’s kind of funny because before the episode aired I wrote a post (up above) where I said that it seemed pretty important at this point that Lois was the one character on this show (with the exception of Martha, Jonathan and poor Jimmy) who has NEVER betrayed Clark. Even back in the early days in Season 4 she was always loyal to him and would always admit in weak moments that she thought he was honorable, trustworthy and worthy of her loyalty. It seemed signifigant to me that at this stage in the game Lois is that sole person in Clark’s life who has really never faltered in her loyalty. Obviously, we the audience know that this is very important because if these two are going to be joined in marriage then there should never be a question about where their loyalties lie. Therefore, the show has actually done a good job about always showing us that Lois, though very flawed, has always had an innate sense about Clark’s goodness and has remained on his side.
After making that comment on Friday afternoon, I thought it was pretty ironic to hear what Metallo said to Lois. It seemed like the writers were speaking directly to the audience when Metallo told her that she had ALWAYS been honest and kind and loyal. It was almost as if the writers were saying, “Yes we hear you. We know that Lois has always been loyal and true and has always reached out to people in need.” It seemed pretty clear that John’s speech about Lois went much deeper than just his feelings for her. He was really summing up where Lois stands now on this show and where she will stand in Clark’s life in the future. Much like the parallel that was drawn between Chloe and Oliver and Lois in “Conspiracy” (Chloe and Oliver don’t trust Clark’s choices….Lois says that she is staying with Zod because “it’s what Clark would do.”) this seemed to be a clear parallel in an episode where Clark talked about wanting to belong and to feel as though he could truly have family. Clark always has family in Lois. She has never waivered in her loyalty to him and she has proven that she will love and accept him without ever putting him on a pedastool or denying his humanity. Clark is not as alone as he thinks he is because Lois is there. And if he could let her in on the truth he will never be alone again. Let’s hope he figures that out soon.
@MJ, I’m really trying to figure out if the PTB are just dropping anvils wrt Lois and Clark’s relationship (secret keeping, family, loyalty, trust) or if they are actually foreshadowing that Clark wants to or will reveal his secret to her soon. I hope it’s the latter. Even if he doesn’t do it by the finale, hopefully we’ll at least hear his desire to want to do so and his reasons why he hasn’t.
Natasha, I agree. At this point, I think we really need to hear from Clark’s mouth why he continues to keep Lois in the dark. The bottom line is that Clark is the star of this show and as an audience we should never have to question with such frequency what he is thinking. The writers can only keep distance between Clark and Lois for so long before it gets ridiculous. As much as I enjoyed their sexy scene in the beginning of “Upgrade” (and believe me…I thought it was very intimate and sexy) the interruptions between them are starting to get to be too much. These two need to really talk things out and figure out where they stand with each other in this relationship and in order for that to happen we need to hear some kind of verbal declaration from Clark as to why he continues to keep Lois in the dark. I’m hoping we will see something on this front soon.
The only thing keeping this from being Clana Part Deux is that Clark is actually happy this time. He smiles (will wonders never cease) and laughs and genuinely enjoys being with Lois. If this wasn’t the case, if Clark wasn’t being his bold, assertive, awesome self with Lois that he’s been all season, I would question why the PTB even decided to go their with the relationship. Now I need to know if this thing with the secret isn’t just rehashing old territory or they are actually going somewhere with it because not only has the trust/loyalty/betrayal thing been the theme all season, his secret and who he can trust it with has been the theme of the series. So, yes, I think everything dealing with Lois’ story in Upgrade was very important to not only the episode, but to Clark and to Clark’s journey. Everything Lois did for Corben in Upgrade was only a slice of what she would do for Clark if she knew his secret. This is a MAJOR part of the arc the writers/producers have been building all season. We’ve already seen it in Idol that she was willing to die on that rooftop to protect Clark. I’ve already played devil’s advocate by guessing (probably correctly) why Clark hasn’t told Lois his secret, but I can hold out till the series finale (though I don’t want to, I will) if we could finally hear from Clark himself his reasons why he hasn’t told her. The fact that someone could impersonate Clark as the Blur to trick Lois is proving that it is dangerous for her NOT to know. It’s not an accident that the writers have gone with this Zod-as_blur mini arc towards the end of this (STELLAR) season. It’s more than just “shipper stuff”. This is “MYTHOS stuff” we’re dealing with.
@MJ and Natasha No disrespect to you guys, I’m less concerned with Clois and more concerned with Zod, Tess, and Kal-El. The Clois stuff can be put in the back burner as far as I’m concerned.
@Woo, it’s not disrespect. People all watch this show for different reasons. Personally, I’m equally interested in EVERYTHING. Zod and Clark, Tess (will she die? God, I hope not. I love Cassidy Freeman), Chloe (will Chloe leave the show? Will she pay for her choices this year?) Oliver, Martha, Perry and Clark and Lois. As far as I’m concerned, all plot points are important for different reasons and nothing really has to be put on the back burner. In my opinion, the BEST episodes are the ones that combine a little bit of everything. They tend to showcase Clark the best and show us the most well rounded side of his personality and journey. Putting anything on the backburner usually does a disservice to some kind of development. But honestly, it’s just my opinion. However, I will say that I think you are going to be dissapointed if you think the Clois stuff is going to be pushed aside. There are thousands of fans that watch this show for that relationship and the PTB know it. They know they have to keep those fans happy. I’m a fan who personally watches the show for EVERYTHING and anything related to Clark. I appreciate every plot line he is involved in.
I’ll also say this: Superman is by nature always going to have a love story and it’s always going to be important. He’s not Batman or some other hero out there fighting crime and coming home alone. His love story has always been one of the most important sub themes in his history going all the way back to the first comic book to EVER feature the character over 70 years ago. (Lois was the only other original character to be featured in that comic book and he asked her out on a date in the FIRST comic.) Richard Donner famously said when he was making the Superman movies that he knew that if he “got the love story right” that everything else would fall into place. So, while I respect and understand that people just aren’t as interested in it as others, it doesn’t really change the nature of this character or his story. There are superheroes out there in the world of comics who are single or who are not in monogamous relationships. Superman isn’t one of them and really never has been. In order to be true to the canon, the love story between Superman and Lois Lane is going to be a major plot point. My prediction is that while it may not be feautured every week it’s never going to be pushed to the “back burner” or treated as unimportant from this point on. The writesr are staying true to the canon by making it important.
But that’s just my opinion.
//I’m a fan who personally watches the show for EVERYTHING and anything related to Clark.//
Word.
//Superman is by nature always going to have a love story and it’s always going to be important. He’s not Batman or some other hero out there fighting crime and coming home alone. His love story has always been one of the most important sub themes in his history going all the way back to the first comic book to EVER feature the character over 70 years ago. (Lois was the only other original character to be featured in that comic book and he asked her out on a date in the FIRST comic.)//
Double word.
I don’t mind it if some fans aren’t interested in the Clois relationship. If Lois had never been introduced in this universe, I’d still be watching just to see Clark’s journey on the way to Superman. If Lois wasn’t directly involved in the A plot (for the first time in the 6 years she’s been on the show), then I would probably agree with you, Woo, that the Clois stuff isn’t as important as the Checkmate/Zod plot.
But she WAS introduced to this universe, and she IS finally a part of the A plot this season. Lois is directly involved in the Checkmate/Zod storyline and has been since she first put on the Legion ring in Doomsday. I could argue that she’s been directly involved since Clark first called her as the Blur in Stiletto. So, by definition, the A plot is also the Clark/Lois/Blur relationship because it all ties together. Her relationship with Clark and her relationship with the Blur is going to come to a head in these last few episodes, so if you want it to be put on the backburner, then I’m sorry but you’re going to be disappointed.
Now, I personally don’t care if Clark and Lois kiss in every fricken episode or if they ever do the deed (not that I won’t watch if they do ;D), but since they’ve decided to “go there” by tying all of these elements together with Zod/Checkmate/Tess/Blur/Clark/Lois, then, yes, that relationship does matter in the overall scheme of things.
Some Smallville News: “Upgrade” is now available on Zune Marketplace for XBOX 360 and Microsoft Zune users. “Upgrade” is number 17 on Apple iTunes right now and on PlayStation Network “Upgrade” is Number Six. I still find it interesting that I first started listening to SHoE two years ago on my old 80 GB Zune. There was no place on the internet that iPod, Zune, PS3, XBOX 360 or Amazon Ubox costumers could watch Smallville. You couldn’t even watch the show on The CW’s website. And I know this bothered Derek back in the day remembering back in Season 7 where he said just that. Now, it’s interesting how much can change in two years Now, you can watch Smallville from all the services I just mentioned good to see the show doing so well ranking wise.
@MJ and Natasha “on the back burner” may not have been the correct wording. I think I am like Tom Welling in that regarding when Derek told the story in the “Persuasion” podcast about Welling saying in a writer’s meeting saying “Clark is in love with Lois when did this happen?” I think I’m seeing Steve and Derek’s point about this relationship coming out of nowhere. At least with Lana it was a slow burn (maybe too slow for some people) and I think that’s why I bought it more than I am with Lois & Clark. Now, if they pay off this Lois & Clark thing with the Zod angle being like the classic Superman, Clark, and Lois triangle we have seen in “Lois & Clark” and the comics. I’d be on board with it or have it be more of a vocal point next season I’d be more on a board with it. I just think that Lois and Clark has moved a little too fast for my taste. Which is ironic because all the characters have spoken about is keeping everything slow.
@Woo..ok. I’m not going to try and dispute your opinion because you are entitled to it. However, you have brought up some inaccurate statements that I do think have to be addressed. These were things that people came out of the woodwork to address with Derek after that podcast and they still apply.
First off, I think you are misrepresenting Steve’s thoughts. You need to listen to the Disciple podcast. Steve loves Clois. He’s happy they are together. He spent a long time talking with Mairzee Almas about how comfortable the relationship was and how enjoyable it was. He actually told Damien on the “Warrior” podcast that he was worried that he was going to get burned by investing in the relationship and liking it. Professor Bailey and Steve debated the speed of Clois during the “Idol” podcast and Prof. Bailey argued pretty convincingly that it was time for them to be together on Smallville and WHY it was the right time. He also said he liked them in “Escape.” So Steve’s recent thoughts on Clois have all been positive. Please don’t misrepresent what he has said most recently about this.
A lot of people corrected Derek when he referenced that quote by Tom Welling a few months back and here is why: because he didn’t use the quote correctly.
I’ve actually seen this quote from Comic Con used several times over this past year. Here’s the problem I have…you have to look at the entire quote. Because he’s saying something different than many people have made it out to be by just quoting the first sentence and leaving out the rest. Yes, he began his quote by saying that he walked into the writers room at some point last year (we have NO idea when. It could have been early Season 8 for all we know) and said that he didn’t know when Clark had fallen in love with Lois. But here’s the important part of that quote that seems to always get left out.
” I said Clark doesn’t know he has feelings for her. If he does and people see it, that’s one thing, but he doesn’t know.’ … So last year Clark wasn’t necessarily aware of these feelings. There was something, there was a reason why he found himself next to Lois. And this year, that’s what’s beginning to change, he’s starting to realize he has these feelings for her.”
Now personally, I find the second half of Welling’s quote to actually make perfect sense with what I saw onscreen in Season 8. But Tom Welling never said that Clark didn’t have feelings Lois. He said that Clark didn’t KNOW that he did. He had no idea how much she meant to him on a conscious level. Or as Kelly and Brian put it in their interview prior to “Savior”–Clark had been in denial about these feelings for a long time. Hence, why her vanishing act at the end of “Doomsday” was such a wake up call. When he found her again on the train he couldn’t deny what he felt for her anymore.
I don’t have any problem with someone quoting Tom Welling but it needs to be done properly. Taking his quote out of context does not accurately represent his views on the subject. Tom Welling NEVER said that Clark did not love Lois. In fact, he CONFIRMEd that Clark did have feelings for her all last season but was in denial about them.
If you are looking at Smallville from a comics perspective, then yes, I can understand why you would think it’s early for Clark and Lois to be together because the timeline is different from what we are used to in the Superman canon. But the again, EVERYTHING is different on Smallville from the Superman canon that we love and know on Smallville. EVERYTHING has happened earlier. For the life of me, I can’t figure out why people seem to have a problem with ::this:: change to the timeline but have no issue with Clark meeting Lex, the JLA and every other villian he will ever fight as Superman. And on THIS show, these two people have known each other for going on 6 years. All you have to do is go back to earlier posts on this thread to see people spell out episode by episode the slow growth between these two for the last 6 years. I’m not going to take the time to do it on here because it’s already on here in spades.
I mean no disrespect, but I honestly don’t understand how anyone could argue at this point that Clark and Lois being together has come out of nowhere. You can literally go on youtube and watch hours and hours of clips showing the slow progression from year to year. AT this point, we are heading into Season 10 which will most likely be the last season of Smallville. Clark and Lois have known each other for 6 years and have been working closely together at the Daily Planet for 2. It’s been over a year since their almost kiss in “Bride” and it’s been a full year since “Stilletto’ aired which served as a HUGE turning point in their relatonship. The relationship has to make sense for THIS show and THIS timeline. And on this show, I think everything has perfect sense if you really take the time to pay attention to what has gone on between these two for the last 6 years.
As for Clark and Lana….I enjoyed them in the early days. But, personally, they were the ultimate relationship that came out of nowhere for me. Because in 7 years I could never figure out WHY these two loved each other. Clark claimed he had “loved” Lana since he was 7. Why? Because she was pretty? Why did he love her? Who the heck knows. I honestly couldn’t figure it out. They spent 7 years telling me that he loved her and never showed me WHY. They were miserable together. They never smiled and they never seemed happy. That’s now how relationships work in real life. One of the best things, in my opinion, about THIS version of Clark and Lois is that we are finally seeing WHY they belong together as opposed to just being told that they do. I’m married myself and I can tell you from my own experience which relationship is more realistic and likely to lead to a happy marriage. And it wasn’t Clana.
Obviously, you are entitled to your opinion. But I did want to point out some of the inaccuracies with your argument. Personally, I think the show has done a fabulous job with the relationship. It’s been a real source of enjoyment for a lot of fans and I have enjoyed the different take on the famous love story. It’s nice to see such a classic story come to life in a new and realistic way.
@MJ As far as shippers go on this series and thank you for getting the complete quote of Welling because now it makes more sense what he said. The three main shippers on this series have been Clana, Chlark, and Clois. I, maybe like Clana the most because much like Professor Bailey had a thing for Annette O’Toole I have one for Kristin Kruek and I liked her and Tom or Lana and Clark for the majority of their run. Maybe I didn’t dislike it as much as many people did because I didn’t watch Smallville on a week to week basis until Season 7 the same I began listening to SHoE on my 80 GB Black Zune. If I had watched week to week for seven years like you guys did I would probably have gotten annoyed by it. And that’s probably why I didn’t dislike the Clana now in Season 5 no arguments here Clana was horrible and it wasn’t much better in Season 6. And probably one of the reason I had no problem with Clana because much like Derek I knew it wasn’t going to end happily ever after from “Pilot” forward.
Chlark I was intrigued by just on the basis of Chloe had not been in Superman medium before this and I really hoped after the kiss in “Vessel” that Chlark would have at least a shot at getting together. But once Jimmy showed up in “Zod” there went my hopes and dreams.
Now MJ I have had no problem with the things happening earlier. But I don’t know as it relates to Clois. I grew up on “Lois & Clark” and how that relationship was being built slowly. I guess my problem with the Smallville version that it has been subtly done that I hadn’t noticed much like Clark in that regard. My only thing now as pertains to Clark and Lois if you’re going to have them be a couple have it be a main plot point especially in Season Ten because it feels like in some episodes like in “Escape” it’s in the forefront and in “Upgrade” it feels almost like a C story compared to everything else.
Hey Woo. It’s totally cool. You know, if you didn’t watch the show week to week until Season 7 then I can totally understand why you might see Clana differently. I also don’t mean to be disrespectful…but do you mind if I ask how old you are?
I found that I like Clark and Lana a lot more back when I was in college because it was a very young relationship. Smallville premiered when I was a sophomore in college. Now, as I’ve gotten older, my perspective on what makes a “good” and healthy relationship has changed. Once I got got engaged and got married, I found that my perspective REALLY changed. So now I look at Clana and while I think it was cute in the early days, I see clearly that it was a relationship that was never going to last long term. In real life, when people are that miserable, the relationship just can’t be healthy and it won’t last.
As far as Chlark…I always liked their friendship but I always paid attention to what Clark was saying on the show. Clark repeatedly told us that he only saw Chloe as a friend. He repeatedly chose every other woman over Chloe. First Lana, then Alicia and now Lois. She clearly just wasn’t the person he was in love with. In my experience in my own life, when someone says that they only see someone as a friend repeatedly….that doesn’t usually change. Yes, friendships can turn into romance and some of the greatest romances start as friendships. BUT—there also comes a point when you realize that you just aren’t “the one” for somebody and you need to accept that and find someone where you are “the one.” You should never settle for less than being “the one” for someone. So that was always my perspective on Clark and Chloe.
As for Clark and Lois, the funny thing about “Lois and Clark” (which was a cheesy show but had some great moments) is that it was really only 2 seasons until Clark and Lois got together. It seemed like a lot longer because that show was on so long ago. (Can you believe it’s been almost 17 years since that show premiered?) But in reality, Clark and Lois on Smallville have known each other for WAY WAY longer than Clark and Lois on “Lnc” did before they got together. The relationship moved much faster on “LnC.”
And yes, you are correct that some of the development with Clois in Smallville over the years was subtle. That’s why sometimes I feel like people just weren’t paying attention and missed it. There was SO MUCH going on in the plots what with Lex and Lana and the Kents etc. that it was easy to miss some of it. But it’s there. If you go on youtube you can find all of the Clois scenes from Season 4 all together in one video and if you watch them…the development was there clear as day in the background of all the crazy drama going on. But it comes back to if people are paying attention to everything that is going on.
I sort of compare it to when people try and argue that Lex “light switched” into an evil villian. I’ve heard people say that over the years. Well, I could not disagree with that more. If you go back and look at Season 1 and you really pay attention to Lex, there were hints even from the first episode that Lex had this inner tendency to become a villian. Some of it was subtle but it was always there in the background. Lex had a dark side. But sometimes fans just don’t pay attention to the storytelling. They only pay attention to the huge plot points and they miss all the subtle nuances that are so important to the character development. Then the character and story moves forward and fans are like, “Oh that was a light switch” or “oh that came out of nowhere.” And I want to say…”NO….it didn’t. You just weren’t paying attention to what the writers were telling you.” Lex was not light switched into being a villian any more than Clark and Lois’ attraction came out of nowhere. But you had to PAY ATTENTION to everything that was going on on the screen. And some people don’t.
As for the relationship being an A vs. C plot. You know, I don’t really care if it’s the A plot every week. My personal opinion is that everything that Clark does on this show is of equal value. I want to see every side of his life be explored. I want to see him fight villians, work on his secret identity, work as a journalist, visit with his friends and have a relationship with Lois. So it doesn’t bother me that some weeks one factor of his life gets more attention than another. I thought it made sense for Clois to only get one scene in “Upgrade” because the purpose of “Upgrade” was to show us Clark’s desire for brotherhood with Zod and how that relationship was unfolding. This coming week, Clark and Lois will get more spotlight again. I don’t think it’s bad to take a break from storylines from week to week. I like the variety.
^^Same. As long as the focus is Clark and his life and his journey then the A, B, or C plot doesn’t matter to me. I guess I just like the fact that for the first time since Alicia, Clark is happy (and smiling, *gasp*) in his relationship, so anytime I get to see him without the weight of the world on his shoulders (which is how he is with Lois), I just revel in it. Sorry. I want to see him kick ass in every ep, but I want to see him be happy also.
Id say one of the few episodes that felt like the old Smallville. Could be because Clark was actually in most of the episode, I thought. I liked Metallo more this time. I liked his interaction with lois alot and pretty surprised he survived that explosion, and very cool he got that new heart because deep down he was a good guy, just was messed up losing his sister. Superbreath was something ive wanted to see since sneeze, i dont think hes used it since then, unless im wrong. Loved the fortress scenes but no terrance stamp was a letdown although clark saying ive had enough lectures and mind games, was funny. The end kind of worried me once zod started draining his blood in the bowl and their all standing there like followers and hes a messiah or something and obviously they were going to drink it, glad they ended it where they did because that was going to a place it shouldnt