Confessions Unbound

What I saw of "Lara"

Fri, 02 Nov 2007 06:37:25 GMT

I only saw parts of "Lara" since I was watching Ugly Betty (no, not out of spite). But a couple of things struck me in the scenes I saw and it's probably a good thing that I didn't see the full eppy. Spoilers within.

1. Lana the liar, I mean, Luthor. Lana has gotten even better in lying with her "Lex is bad, blah, blah, blah and I want to help the grassroots people." Such a little Luthor! That's both a good and bad thing. The Luthors are twisted, not because they want to be that way but because they're wired and/or branded that way by what they put each other through. They emotionally and mentally destroy the people they love. I'm generalizing, but maybe people should be really worried when they're being too nice.

2. The purple in Lana's office. Lex has been associated with purple since S1 I believe, but Lana has been associated with it due to her relationship with Lex since S6. The color itself is long associated with wealth, power and royalty. I've just learned purple was Cleopatra's favorite color (read more here). Lana went to Lex's ball as Cleopatra in Wither. Her use of the goddess/queen Isis also continues the "royalty" link. The purple may also suggest Lana's current duplicitous/mysterious behavior. On an emotional level, the purple may symbolize her anger; one definition of "empurple" means to make angry (Oxford Concise).

3. "Isis" and other mythological parallels. I've seen fantastic analyses on LJ and elsewhere about the possible symbolism attached to Lana's use of the "Isis" for her "foundation", so I won't elaborate much. Isis was the Egyptian goddess of fertility and motherhood, which was suggested about Lana since S6 promos where she wore a green dress in some of the photos. Greg (Metamorphosis), Zod (Zod) and Lex (Lexmas*, Static) have all affirmed this suggestion by seeing Lana as the ideal potential mother to their children. In terms of Isis's role as a goddess who protected the weak, Lana implies she is trying to project the image of helping those hurt by 33.1. While she may indeed be helping others, there is a more devious agenda afoot since she also uses the equipment in the foundation for her surveillance on Lex (sounds very much like the way Lex handles 33.1). Added noteworthy tidbits include Isis's marriage to Osiris, the god of the underworld. The term "underworld" suggests darkness, death, or crooked activities. Interestingly, Lex and Lana have also been paralleled by L/Lers to Hades (Greek god of the underworld) and Persephone (Greek goddess of the underworld). I'll take the liberty of equating Isis to Hera in Greek mythology, with whom I often compare to Lana. If my memory doesn't fail me, in addition to being the goddess of marriage, Hera was also the goddess of motherhood like Isis. She and her husband, Zeus, loved each other almost as passionately as they tricked and attacked each other. Likewise, Lana and Lex are experiencing another "hate" period. I don't expect the writers to hold strongly to any part of the Egyptian or Greek myths, but these are interesting textual cues nonetheless.

4. Hit me over the head why don't ya, the Jor-El/Lara/Zor-El triangle mirrors Clexana. As an extension, Zor-El apparently was Krypton's version of Lex, even shown in Zor-El's long jacket which Lex also favors. The fact that Zor-El was the "Lex" in that triangle made me cringe because he came off as desperate and insane. Some people already think Lex's reaction to needing and losing Lana is portrayed in such a manner. So what exactly are we supposed to interpret from Zor-El saving Lara's DNA if he's meant to mirror Lex? It's already been revealed that Lex saved Lana's DNA and used it to clone her, a process which, we are led to assume, was never brought beyond model stage (Kara). Although, Lana's part in Lex's cloning project is evidently over based on Kara, we've also heard that the clone issue is not over. I still want an explanation from Lex about his attempt to clone Lana and I freely admit I'm confused as to how Lana escaped her SUV if a starter bomb was in the car with a lifeless clone model. I'm not saying that a Lana Clone lives, but there are loose ends I wished Al and Miles were more careful in tying up. I wish I understood half of what the weirdness on this show means.

5. The Luthor men. Say what you will about Lionel, but he does love Lex in his own warped, twisted way (btw, John Glover is still hot!). In my humble view, he's trying to warn Lex about the abyss Lex is about to fall into. But, much like Lex's subconscious version of Lillian, his delivery of parental/paternal advice is horrible and destructive to Lex's already unstable self-esteem. Previously, he has been cruel to Lex under the guise of strengthening him and with the intent of shaking him up. Ultimately, Lex becomes more self-destructive in attempts to either avenge what Lionel does or find Lionel's approval. This scene reminds me of Lex and Lionel's closing scene in Mercy when Lex knew Lionel was protecting Clark's identity, reinforcing a sub-theme of "sibling rivalry". Btw, I missed the scene where Clark and Lex hugged. When I read about it, I was thankful I didn't. Lionel's greatest error was mentioning Lana, imho. His implication that Lex is fascinated with all things Clark, thus his interest in Kara, is accurate. However, there may be an implication that Lex loved/loves Lana only because Clark loves her. Some viewers already think this way. But the text actually proves otherwise. Lex's response is rooted in anger but also heartbreaking as he says he learned how to treat women from his father. Therein lies a reality. Still, some of what Lionel says also carries truth, particularly his doubt about Lex's claims at change. Lionel should know, not only because he knows his son but he has also faked enough things to know the difference.

6. Wrath trailer. It strikes me that Lana appears more passionate about hating Lex than she is about loving Clark right now. She has a right to her anger if that's what she wants. Nevertheless, I ask again -- why is she going after him now when she had her chance to kill him in Kara? What difference does having superpowers make? And, according to this trailer, when Lex warns that she'd lose Clark forever, she quickly says, "I'll get over it!" Superpowers or not, that's a loaded response if that is indeed her response. We'll have to see the entire episode in order to understand the full context of the line, if it remains in the final cut.

*I forgot to mention Lexmas in my first posting.

Afterthoughts on "Cure" and "Action"

Fri, 26 Oct 2007 05:52:31 GMT

Abbreviated reactions: Cure was great. Action was so-so. I loved the tense Clex scenes, where Lex not only helps Clark but is in control (Cure) and, since he sees himself as a hero, he sort of foreshadows his and Clark's dual solitude (Action); Dean Cain/Dr. Knox is awesome (Cure); Lois and Grant's flirting is quite entertaining (Action); I'm thrilled Chloe is still Clark's official sidekick (Action); I'm intrigued by Lex's continued attempts to expose Clark's superhuman nature, only to find himself derailed again (gives the homicidal Warrior Angel fan his collection in the hopes of getting him to confess and identify Clark as a superhero but the young man decidedly keeps quiet, Action); and Lionel is back, calling Lana on her crap (Action)!

1. Why did Lana pay someone to hack into Lex's security system? (Cure) The reason she'll confess to -- Leverage and control. She wants information on Lex's dealings to expose him. She may even say she's giving Lex a taste of his own medicine. Added to that, she gets a little control finally. From Sneeze and Wither to Promise, she implied she felt a loss of control about how she lived in the house and how she married Lex. Now, she may relish knowing she has some control within Lex's environment the way he previously had with her. If the "Wrath" description is any indication, she wants to use whatever she learns to publicly expose what he's done.

The reason she may not readily confess to -- Obsessive fascination. I agree with those who say her expression is not one of hate per se, and that is due to Kristin's interpretation of the character in that moment. Although the cameras have a timed rotation, Lana evidently manipulates the controls by using up/down buttons to zoom in/out and change frames. If she has some control over what she wants to see and she's only interested in uncovering his wicked deeds, then wouldn't the writers, director and editors want the computer screen to be the last frame? Why end on her looking at Lex's face? This may only be a means to an end, but the more she watches him, the more he remains in her life.

2. Lex's knowledge of Lana's hijinks (Cure, Action). If Lex is fully truthful in his conversation with Clark at the hospital in Cure, he may not know Lana's methods although aware of her intent. In Action, Lois tips him off about the land that someone with L.L. initials purchased near Reeves Dam. Intentional or not, it's convenient for Lana because Lex continues to get heat by default for all the crap she pulls. Yet, one would think that after realizing Lana knew current information about his dealings with Knox in Cure, he'd sic someone on her to undercover how she's acquiring information. He's been back to his brainy self since Bizarro and even if he doesn't yet know that she's having him watched, after evaluating all that she's done to him and to his father, he might already be putting all the pieces together. We'll have to wait/see. He and Lionel are gathering enough counter-leverage to consume her if they'd like, but will they use it?

3. Clark and two duplicitous LLs (Cure). Based on their word choices and disclosure timing, Clark recognizes the discrepancy between what Lex and Lana say about the acquisition and use of the $10 million in Lana's possession. Lex tells Clark she "stole" the money and is using it get more information on him. Later, Lana says she "got" it from the divorce settlement and will use it to "help" others. (Creepy Labyrinth black-hearted pink-wearing Lana!) Whether or not Lex divulges the information out of goodwill or sabotage remains to be seen, but the result is the same -- Clark begins to question Lana's honesty. It's possible he wants believe Lana because he needs to believe that this love he's sacrificed so many things for is not based on a lie, a misconception, an illusion. I'm almost sure he'll initially give her a slap on the wrist and then join her in blaming Lex (and Lionel) for the way she is.

4. Twisted Lana (Action). Luthor by marriage, but truly a Luthor by personality. Insanity is a marked family trait. (I'm not being facetious.) In Action, Lionel rightly says she's using Luthorian instincts even though she has dropped the name. In conjunction, she adopts the mores of a Luthorian sub-culture that's founded on betrayal and conspiracy. How did she develop these instincts so quickly? IMHO, she was inclined towards this behavior long before her marriage to Lex and suppressed it until one incident unleashed it. After the faux baby and cloning situation Lex perpetrated, she likely feels she lost her innocence traumatically to him (and Lionel). As a response, her counter-phobic nature is released to exact revenge. But, on another level, her own neurosis is also at work. She is paranoid by nature, but after the faux baby, everything Lex and Lionel do and say now unnerves her.

5. Who's the real threat? Lana may actually believe Lex is a threat to her funky Clana fairy-tale. But truly, she is the only threat to her relationship and the Luthor men see that as plainly as she seems to already sense it. In Fierce, Lex baits her about Clark's acceptance of her thievery, and, in Action, Lionel reminds her that her handling of this hurt will undermine Clark's higher calling and lead her into inescapable darkness. The common factor in both conversations is Lana's veiled concern about Clark's discovery of her actions. Why? Because she appears very aware that her moral perspective is too opposed Clark's own morality for them to truly work. She has feared disappointing him since S1's Accelerate. Like Lex, she may feel she needs Clark to stay sane. Clark helps her keep her illusions of goodness and safety alive. She might have implied this in her "one day the world will need you more than I need you". She says she doesn't want to be the one holding him back. While appreciate the last part of the sentiment about her not being willing to hold him back, some selfishness leaks from her within. Unlike Chloe, Ollie, Martian Manhunter and even Kara who try to get Clark to see what he can do for others, Lana isn't even willing to sacrifice this so-called great love of hers for the work. Clark's still dragging his feet and maybe I'm being too impatient, but the reason why he's still dragging his feet is because he does need a free clue that the world already needs him more than she does.

Now, some general stuff . . .

6. Lana protecting Clark? Lana is trying to balance two very different personalities. She wears white or pink around Clark when she's pretending to be "good Lana". But in revenge-mode against the Luthors she wears black. The shift between her "Clark's domestic goddess girlfriend" persona and her "Angry Luthor ex-wife" persona doesn't appear easy, but it's so very deliberate as seen in her answering a call from Clark after she has just whacked Lionel with a shovel. This may be spun as Lana protecting Clark, but this is about Lana's anger and hurt, not Clark's protection. My recall may be hazy, but in Fierce Lana spun her "crime" as a means to protect him from Lionel. That may be true on some level, but it's never that simple with a Luthor. (I'm just calling her by her right name.) Lionel pegs her accurately in Action when he warns her against using the excuse of protecting Clark. He tells her, "I don't believe your good intentions. This is about retribution." (Thank you, Lionel! Just admit this is about revenge, Lana.)

7. Repercussions? I cannot excuse what Lex did to Lana; I can only try to understand what the writers are doing with him even though I'm still unhappy with the faux baby idea and still need a reasonable explanation for Model 503. Call me crazy, I just don't believe Lana hates Lex with the intensity that some believe she does. However, I agree that she hates the things he did to her and I completely get why she wants revenge. Still, her excessiveness in doing so sort of stuns me. When Lionel confronts her for being the psycho that kidnapped him, she keeps up her pretense instead of confessing or justifying herself. That may be because she falsely thinks it's easier to cover up what she did to him than what she did to Lex.

To find the truth of anything Lana says, I will watch her movements when no one is around or when she's around Lex. Her reactions with Lex may be her most honest moments because they've pretty much stripped each other emotionally naked.

I'm happy with loony, lying Lana as long as she owns it without blaming Lex or Lionel for the way she is. She makes her own choices. Like Lionel, others need to call her a psycho when she acts like one in order to make this personality shift realistic. But when her choices continue to be explained away, she remains an unrealistic, obstructive character no matter how allegedly "dark" she gets.

8. Spoilers. None of Lex's ex-wives have co-existed with him after the end of their marriage so this L/L situation is new territory for the characters and viewers. Spoilers for Wrath indicate Lana wants to kill Lex or tries to kill him (again!). I believe one of the reasons she didn't kill Lex in Kara is because she's just not comfortable with in-your-face retaliation. She's more comfortable with passive forms of revenge. But maybe once she gets superpowers she feels empowered and wants to finish what she couldn't do in Kara. Still, it's over the top, even for Lana.

From the little we know of the eppies until Wrath, Lex doesn't seem interested about reinvolving himself in Lana's life as much as she seems to be involved in his life since investigating Kara and pursuing his 33.1 projects are evidently preoccupying him. (I suppose Lex and Lois's so-called Thomas Crown thingamajig is still to play out).

There's no clue if Wrath will finally bring on any kind of reflection or closure Lex and Lana have about their history and relationship. Like some of my fellow L/Lers, the idea of a dark L/L or a resurgence of L/L in a less romantic, even more sexual way is admittedly appealing. Those "pure evil genius"/wall of fire ads the CW quickly took off the air last season are still burned in my consciousness. However, as of right now, I believe Action and any others the writers conjure up may end up as efforts to prove how "scarred" Lana is. Unfortunately, hope is rare in my SV-watching experience.

"Fierce" (Smallville)

Fri, 12 Oct 2007 05:15:48 GMT

My analytical fervor for Smallville has evaporated thanks to Al and Miles' handling of L/L. But so far I've watched the first three eps of the season. I'm just taking things week-by-week. At the rate things are going, I don't think I'll be missing very much if I do choose to miss an eppy.

Now, Fierce! What a bad episode. Oh so bad. Bad. I ended up flipping between channels and I still caught a good bit of it. It proved to be as textually disappointing as it sounded in spoilers and it felt choppy. All of Lex's scenes (even with Lana) were the only substantive parts. I unexpectedly missed Lionel and Lois tonight.

1. Clana. I don't think I saw all of their scenes, but Clana wasn't nauseating. They seemed kind of pointless, underwhelming, and worn-out. If I was a Clana fan, then maybe I would be thrilled, but how weird Clana are. And boring! Did Clark even ask any questions? He just seemed to happy she was there, any old explanation she gave was fine. However, there was foreshadowing about the breaking of their illusions, delivered by Lex and even Lana herself. I think Labyrinth Lana is the Lana we'll be seeing with Clark for much of the season.

2. Season mood. I've said before that S7's start feels like the beginning of S5, especially from Lex's end -- he finds Lana first, he watches her cavort with Clark and blatantly treat him like dirt, he gets fixated on Kryptonians, and he becomes interested in a spaceship. Believe me, Lex is still Lex. He's just more subtle than we hoped for S7 Lex, but the Lex in "Fierce" is smart, perceptive and intent.

3. Lex/Lana. Strangely enough, I'm growing to accept Lex and Lana's current antagonistic chemistry given the context of their recent interactions. Their antagonistic chemistry may actually meet their romantic/sexual/kissing chemistry if well-written. But given all of Al and Miles annoying interviews it doesn't appear that L/L will ever have any interaction other than antagonistic. They'll unlikely even tread a combative sexual relationship that some are hoping for after their Shanghai rendez vous. It will be interesting, but I don't see the EPs going in that direction, especially since losing Lana's love is apparently partly responsible for Lex's dark course ::head aches::

Anyway, Lex is still wearing his ring at the beginning. What that wedding ring represented still means the world to him. Like many L/Lers, I just wanted him to take off the ring and move forward, but part of me is also touched by how much he really wanted this last great love of his life to work. He's so crazy and screwed up, but there's still such a human side to him. At the Kent Farm, he responds to Lana's arrogance with politeness. He still seems to want some sort of peaceful ending for them. This may certainly all be an act, but he does tell her he loves her (present tense). The sentiment is believable because I don't think he'll ever get over her. But the ring comes off by the end of episode. It's time to move on and he'll be filling the void by befriending/investigating Kara and pursuing his other projects. I'm sensing he's back to his old self.

Another person back to her old self is Lana. Now see, trying to shoot her husband isn't her way and Lex knew that, but inviting him to meet her at her lover's house is more Lana-esque. No shame, Lana. No shame. She hates the boy and it shows. Similar to her romp up the hill with Clark in Mortal, she tends to smack Lex in the face quietly. That's her way. She's not interested in apologies or his love, she just wants him to fix a legal crisis that she created and get their marriage legally over with. Although she rejects the monetary [divorce] settlement, she also doesn't deny taking his money as her means of living while on the run. She is something else isn't she? Similar to their meeting in Shangai, he seems dually annoyed and relunctantly impressed by her bravado.

A couple of interesting things:

(1.) Lex noticeably baits Lana about Clark's possible inability to handle knowledge of the embezzlement. He can actually admire it because he understands what drives her, but can Clark? While Lex's illusions have slowly been broken, Clark's illusions are still in tact and I sincerely believe Clark will find a way to excuse Lana's growing number of secrets once they're exposed. Despite Clark's pending reactions, Lex actually destabilizes her arrogance a little (a la Hidden). It's almost as if he's trying to remind Lana that she's trying to be something she's not.

(2.) He also purposely plants seeds of anxiety about his desire to meet Kara. I'm unsure if he actually expects Lana to do or say anything, but he says it so deliberately it's almost as if he wants to intrigue her, he wants her to know he's up to something, he wants to instigate her destructive self-protection and her destructive love for Clark. Whether or not he expects anything, this lays the groundwork for what she begins doing in Cure. He leaves with an air that I read as "You think you're protecting Clark's secrets, but I'm never far away. I'm onto him. I'm onto all of you."

Even though he's complimentary and apparently meek, he retains situational control. He's stirring up the already muddy waters, not by interfering directly with Clana but by messing with Lana's insecurities a little bit. I don't know, but doesn't this Lex sound like the Lex we know?

4. Kara/Clark. I like the cousins' dynamic. I think LV plays her rather well as Kara goes through a compressed version of Clark's identity crisis. I'm sort of surprised her attraction to Jimmy was so instantaneous, but I see some sparks between them in their meaningful stares at each other. Lana's not as invasive in their relationship as I expected and I suspect she'll be off doing her own thing while they are figuring out their destinies.

5. Lex/Kara meeting. Pretty good. It was a lot like the old S1 Clex scenes, just more probing and semi-confrontational in tone. He's friendly at first, but it's not about friendship. He wants to thank her for saving his life. More importantly, he wants her to admit to who she is. That's the purpose of the confrontation. The irony in this scene is the irony we've been seeing since S1 -- here's a guy whose supposed to be the villain, but he's being honest from the get-go while the good guys are so scared that they lie. The more they lie to him, the more intent he becomes to uncover the truth by being just as deceptive as they are.

Although he diverts the gov. agent using the "I was saved by an angel" thing, he's been down this road before with Clark and since "Kara" he senses this girl has been walking (or flying) somewhere in the world. Before this, his investigator says she was exactly where Lex expected her to be, which means he's already connected the dots between her and Clark. He tells Kara flat out he doesn't believe his underwater salvations by both her and Clark are coincidences. The fact that Clark and Kara are relatives makes it even more glaring. He just wants someone to finally admit his knowledge is accurate and to trust that he won't be as manipulative with the truth as they fear. At the same time, he's also interested in the spaceship (a la S5, S6). He's trying to gain her trust by telling her he's harmless and he'll protect her secret. Depending on how difficult her relationship gets with Clark, she may actually trust him for a brief period. For now, she's sticking to Clark's hit-or-miss plan of "blending-in." Lex warns he'll find out the truth sooner or later. In other words, he already knows the truth and he'll get concrete confirmation sooner or later. Yes, this Lex sounds familiar!

Last week there was some talk about a Lex/Kara pairing. Who knows. His interactions with her may act as an emotional replacement for what Lana couldn't become, but as of "Fierce" it seems his interest in Kara is benign and primarily investigative.

6. Jimmy and Grant. I missed Jimmy so much. He's so sweet! Shame on him, though, for eyeing Kara while still with Chloe. And, shoot me, I really like Grant Gabriel in all his obnoxious glory. Some have argued that Michael Cassidy is too young to play the role, but he's been selling Grant. At least, I'm buying the Grant that Cassidy is selling. He needs to take his loud speaking down a notch, though. His voice sounded very high-pitched because of it. Of course, we know there's more to his story and many suspect he's working for Lex. Hee!

Off to bed.

Extras from "Freak" review

Wed, 21 Feb 2007 03:18:30 GMT

My review for "Freak" is finally up at Confessions. At the moment, I'm really busy with some other writing projects, but I really enjoyed this episode more than I anticipated. Major props to Mr. Rosenbaum for delivering his vision so precisely. As usual, the original draft of my review was rather lengthy and required shaving. Below the cut are three short paragraphs that I had to delete, but needed to save somewhere.

DELETED PARAGRAPH FROM "TEXT AND SUBTEXT": Luthor affection.

There is a noticeable economizing of lip kisses between Lex and Lana. Cheek kisses now abound and the long formal table we saw in Rage was elongated for their engagement party in Crimson. Luthors do not typically show affection; in fact, Lex is more warm and tactile with Lana than he has been with any woman. So if cheek kisses delivered with affection are now a Luthor norm, then I will accept it (kicking and screaming, but I'll accept it). Regardless of what kind of kisses are exchanged neither Lex nor Lana are in doubt as to their feelings for each other, which is heartening.

DELETED PARAGRAPH FROM "TEXT AND SUBTEXT": Skepticism unleashed.

As Lex tries on a tux, he snarks about looking like a waiter serving tea. Lana runs with it and compliments him, to which he responds, "Good answer." Beginning here, the mirror in the room becomes a palpable symbol of the reflection of one's actions. Lex then shifts their conversation to Chloe. On one hand, he appears nervous about how much Chloe saw in the back alley concerning Daniel Kim's abduction. Yet, knowing Lana is just as hypercautious and skeptical as he, it also seems as if he wants Lana to confront Chloe to find out how much Chloe actually saw so he ignites her questions. The irony is that stirring up her suspicions ultimately and predictably leads her back to him.

DELETED FROM PARAGRAPH BEGINNING "Lana is often accused of being 'bi-polar' or hypocritical if she retracts….":

Yes, she shares Lex's desire for power, but her intent was to use it for good (Subterranean). And, yes, she supported the research on the black box and 33.1 in the interest of self-protection (Arrow, Static), but it doesn't appear she wanted to use their findings to make pre-emptive strikes or to disregard the rights of others in the process.

SV Reviews: Extras from Rage and Vessel

Sun, 12 Nov 2006 01:04:48 GMT

My review for Rage is up at Confessions. This is the unrefined, unedited version of a section discussing Lex, Oliver, and Clark's exchanges.

Ollie/Green Arrow, Lex, and Clark. What are we going to do with these boys? Lex gets onboard the RL65 project to undermine Ollie. The bad blood between these boys is understandably unsettled. This kind of research is right up his alley too, and I get whiffs of Resurrection. But, as is always the case with Lex, this situation has gotten more complicated. "This has gone beyond one-upmanship, Doctor," Lex tells Dr. Pamela Black. "Your research is now a personal cause of mine." Interesting, Lex. Is he interested in the insta-healing part of the project alone? If he is, then is it for himself since he's a constant moving target? Or is he interested in the volatile side-effects and, if so, is he planning of breeding a group of thugs? What's my favorite villain-in-waiting up to?

Dr. Black reminds me of Dr. Teng. She gets herself tied up with Lex and then tries to back out and what happens? She dies. Before Thanksgiving dinner, Chloe tells Clark that one of the kids from the half-way house killed Dr. Black. Did Lex set him up to trash the place and kill her? There is no solid evidence that he was directly involved and his involvement in the experiment doesn't automatically mean he's connected to the killer. He acquires the remnants of the serum, and it's very possible he takes it before she was attacked. [Edited: However, he could have known the killer or he could have sent the killer or both. I don't know.] While I can't condemn him, I can't absolve him either.

Green Arrow's showdown with Lex is awesome, but pretty basic. Clark is surprsingly the only levelheaded one in the mix, and when he arrives they're both bleeding. Ollie uses the serum to his advantage, but Lex (SV's official whipping boy) is hurt badly. Once again, Ollie hides behind the cloak of righteous indignation, avoiding a close look at his own actions. Clark is able to inject some stability, literally and philosophically, and reminds Ollie that, while they seek to right wrongs in their unjust world, it is not their responsibility to be murderous vigilantes. As usual, Lex recovers and is left with evidence to investigate -- the end of Ollie's arrow. Get him, Lex!

Now, Lex and Lana. Lex and Lana's personalities fascinate me, especially as they are both evolving into darker people. However, they bring their flaws and dysfunction into their relationships. The emotionality and desperation to hold on to each other in Vessel indicated a potential co-dependence between them. I could be wrong, but this chatty discussion was omitted from Vessel's review at Confessions for it's length and premature context.

Lex has a father who treats him like a distant relative and his exes are hybrids of psychotics and gold-diggers. Meanwhile, Lana still nurses wounds from her orphaned childhood and seeks emotional safety from guys who have way too much going on outside of their relationship with her. Her relationship with Clark was defined by co-dependence. Lana lost her identity, hid behind her fears and waited for Clark to give her the emotional connectivity she needed. She became disillusioned after the break-up and then threw caution to the wind with Lex, who is just as dysfunctional as she is, even more so.

But they share similar self-esteem and security hang-ups. Each understands, for the most part, what aggravates the other. Their efforts to forgive each other indicate an awareness of each other's flaws, but they also indicate that they hold each other to rather realistic codes of conduct. In spite of Lex's psychological and ethical chaos, Lana has found a guy who loves her and understands her in spite of her and himself. He gives her trust, thereby enabling her to feel trustworthy. In turn, she actively tries to trust him. Between Fade and Vessel, she is markedly happier, more animated, and more confident. She retains her stronger qualities and in her own quiet way gives Lex the hope he never really got from himself, Lionel, Clark, Helen or, most recently, his mother's memory. This is their healthy side.

Still, there were interesting elements in the second Mansion scene and the LuthorCorp rooftop scene. When Lex returns and shows her his powers, he wants to alleviate her fear and she wants to repress her fear to keep the man she knows. When he is about to leave, she wants to go with him. He can't take her with him, but maybe he wishes he could take her. He emotionally reassures her that he loves her and gives her the opportunity to be with him. Later, Lana deliberately ignores the anarchy around her to be with him. There is evident genuine love between them or, at the very least, the beginnings of love. They have found qualities in each other that they were unable to find in others. But there's also an emotionality, underlying desperation, and fear of loss in both scenes that reveal sparks of an unhealthy interplay.

Only sparks. Not a bonfire. Nothing to panic about or overthink. The romantic phase of their interaction has just started and, in this stage, they are to each other what they've never had before. However, they bring a lot of qualities into this relationship that make for an uneasy yet fascinating love story, if well-written. Hey, whoever said Lex and Lana would be easy? This is why I adore their interaction and possibilities so much.

Lex and Lana, Zeus and Hera

Wed, 25 Oct 2006 05:22:35 GMT

Recently a fellow L/Ler, Avalee, prompted me, by way of discussion on DTS, to revisit the Zeus/Hera parallels I've seen in Lex/Lana. Here's a comparative essay that was posted at Confessions on March 10, 2006. This was written before Hypnotic or Fragile aired so it reflects L/L's pre-romantic period. However, certain elements of Lex and Lana's relationship remain constant. Except for a few revised sentences, the original main text remains, and a new conclusion has been added to reflect early S6 developments.

The geek in me can't be suppressed. :) Finding L/L parallels with historical or literary figures is quite entertaining, since it undergirds an impression (or creates an illusion) of the writers creativity in terms of Lex and Lana's depth. Although it may be considered obscure, there are detectable lines that can be drawn between Zeus/Hera and Lex/Lana, so I decided to explore this more. Here's the first edition of my take.

High-level power plays of the male partner. One of the first parallels between Zeus and Lex can be found in Lex's epic conflict with his father, Lionel Luthor. The Zeus/Cronus struggle saw the dissolution of one legacy and the start of another. In writing for Pantheon, Ron Leadbetter says, "When Zeus had grown into a young man he returned to his father's domain, . . . . However, Zeus led the revolt against his father and the dynasty of the Titans, defeated them and then banished them." Similarly, propelled by his father's deceit and unique brand of parenting, Lex was led to revolt against Lionel in Tempest, Insurgence, Skinwalker, Accelerate, Crisis, Legacy, Truth, Covenant, Gone and Vengeance, among other episodes. Once Lionel was incarcerated at the close of S3, Lex took over LuthorCorp and its projects. After Lionel's release from prison in S4, the son still seemed to be the master of the father, with Lionel relegated to the guesthouse. After his real and alternate experiences in Lex-mas, Lex decidedly takes a self-preservation route paved with power and money. When Lionel's hands reached for control of LuthorCorp in Vengeance, Lex obstructed his take-over. Therein lies another parallel, since Zeus's sometimes rash power-wielding is also detected in Lex as early Insurgence, where he rashly retaliates against his father, and as recently as Cyborg, where he spearheads unethical bionic research on Victor Stone.

High-level power plays of the male partner in a relationship. Zeus's overuse of power, especially in his romantic/sexual pursuits, was something I first referenced when the unbridled side of Lex (Alexander) visually took Lana in during Onyx, giving her the ultimatum to "live like a queen" with him or face ruin. Zeus was known for seducing most of the women with whom he had relationships by trickery or assault, including Hera. Keeping in line with Zeus's gift of seduction, Lex has earned the reputation of being a playboy since S1. In S4 we learned he embarked upon a series of short-term sexual relationships. Specific to Hera, one version of their love story says that he fell in love with her, but she did not return the affection. Driven by his desire for her, he turned himself into a wounded bird with which Hera fell in love and cared for. Once in her arms, Zeus returned to his old form. Like Zeus, Lex is far ahead of Lana in terms of his romantic feelings. She has not yet reciprocated his feelings, even though she is very aware of them (Onyx, Splinter, Lockdown, Reckoning). However, it appears his emotional honesty has begun to awaken her own desire, which understandably scares her, partly because of her commitment to Clark Kent and partly because she has been skeptical of Lex's motives around her since S1 (Metamorphosis, Craving, Nicodemus, Spell, Commencement, Splinter). Lex is a psychological and ethical mess, but he shields that part of himself from Lana. He wants her to like him and he makes himself emotionally and physically available to her, but he hasn't used any complicated stratagem to have her. Lana has responded by being his friend (Shattered, Memoria, Lockdown). Still, he wants more. Will he go into Zeus-mode to have her? Co-executive producer, John Litvak reveals in April 2006's issue of Sci-Fi magazine that Lex will indeed act on his desire for Lana by manipulating Clark and Lana's failing relationship.

High-level emotiveness of the female partner. Micha F. Lindemans says Zeus and Hera had dramatic conflicts, "Even Zeus usually could not stand up to her. Sometimes, when he got angry, he chained her to the mountain of Olympus by fastening anvils to her feet" (www.pantheon.org/articles/h/hera/html). Lex and Lana are not as dramatic. However, like Hera, Lana tends to be heavy-handed in expressing her beliefs, even resorting to manipulation when she's insecure (Fever, Lucy). She actively tries to trust Lex, but she has questioned his integrity in Mortal, Hidden, Splinter, and Lockdown, not to mention the countless times she's challenged his trustworthiness and his care in episodes like Drone, Heat, and Commencement. Lex's level-headedness renders him rather accommodating during her rants. However, he often "chains her" by either prompting her to rethink her line of reasoning (Talisman, Hidden) or by bluntly defending his rationale (Recruit, Splinter).

Cycles of strong attachment, detachment and reattachment, with issues of trust. Trust was a key issue between Hera and Zeus when they came to blows over his actions, her jealousy, or their differing perceptions of mortals. Michael Stewart provides a good summary of Hera's movements during the first of Iliad's books where Hera accuses Zeus of secrecy and conspiracy. Zeus tells her he would provide information to her as he believes is necessary ("Hera", Greek Mythology: From the Iliad to the Fall of the Last Tyrant. http://messagenet.com/myths/bios/hera.html. November 14, 2005). Their exchange sounded much like Lana's confrontations with Lex about his secrets where he admitted he was withholding information to protect her and he would disclose information as needed (Recruit, Commencement, Splinter). In her search for security and someone to trust, Lana often tests the trustworthiness of others. With Lex, she is especially hyperaware and they have been in conflict about his intentions and secrecy during S4 and early in S5. Her approach made him either apologetic, defensive or both (Spell, Recruit, Lockdown). Ironically, her questioning mirrors own self-questioning, since she has issues with truth and transparency as well. Nevertheless, like Hera who stayed with Zeus in spite of the many times he frustrated her, Lana has chosen to trust and reconnect with Lex after varying periods of detachment (Zero, Commencement, Splinter, Lockdown, Tomb, Cyborg).

Joint involvement in large projects. Later on, Zeus found himself in the middle of the Trojan War, not only because he had sons involved, but also because Hera was emotionally invested in the outcome. In seeking her own interests, Hera fought with him, sought his help and seduced him. Similarly, Lex likely had his own agenda in helping Chloe during Tomb and probably wouldn't have gotten involved at all. But he becomes involved, primarily because Lana asks for his help. Their joint involvement, yet peripheral view, in Chloe's mental care during Tomb also implies their quasi-Zeus/Hera dynamic. The foundation of Lex and Lana's friendship was first laid during their partnership in restoring/running the coffee-house/theater, The Talon. Although the partnership was suspended at S3's close, it was revived in Splinter as they attempted to unearth answers to questions instigated by the meteor showers that hit Smallville in 1989 and 2005.

ADAPTED CONCLUSION: With the L/L relationship firmly established in S6, new parallels are beginning to surface. Like Hera, Lana continues to challenge Lex's trustworthiness, reacting to surveillance cameras in her room at the Luthor Mansion (Sneeze) and tabloid reports of her as the "Next Lex Girl" (Wither). As in their past confrontations concerning her issues of trust and security, he has been simultaneously understanding and self-protective. In the end, they reach a satisfactory compromise. Like Hera, who would leave Zeus and then return out of love or loyalty or both, Lana returns to Lex's side in Wither after she questions his part in the relationship. In addition, the parallels for "joint involvement" continue, particularly with Lana's alliance with Lex against Lionel which is very similar to Hera's alliance with Zeus and their other siblings against Cronus (Arrow). Though they passionately challenge each other's strengths and vulnerabilities, Hera is considered Zeus' "queen" and the mother of his legitimate royal children. It appears that Lana already is or can be the same for Lex. I find the whole thing fascinating and I'm sure there's a lot more we can mine from the Zeus/Hera parallel. Let's see if the parallels hold.

Main sources:
http://homepage.mac.com
http://www.pantheon.org

Quick Update on Unbound

Tue, 24 Oct 2006 20:27:35 GMT

My hands are full lately, revising and editing my novella as well as doing some editing work, but I've taken some time to reorganize a few things.

Confessions of an L/Ler will:

1. Continue to carry weekly and monthly reviews.
2. Continue to feature L/L trivia, character and relationship analyses.

Confessions Unbound will:

1. Continue to hold unrefined, unedited paragraphs deleted from Confession's reviews.
2. Continue to feature updates on my non-SV writing projects. Note that these posts will be immediately friends-locked.
3. Have essays which are retrospectives on various episodes and L/L scenes. The ability to place such long pieces "behind the cut" is the main reason why I'm posting these essays here.

The journals will continue to work in tandem, with Confessions of an L/Ler remaining the main journal.

Random thoughts on Wither

Sun, 15 Oct 2006 19:48:02 GMT

I think L/Lers are still basking in the glow of Wither so I trust I'm not too late with this offering of deleted, unedited material from the latest installment of Confessions of an L/Ler. An edited-in clarification was made on Oct. 16.

Tracy Bellomo's hit-and-miss dialogue. There are parts of Bellomo's script that are brilliantly written. However, there are also parts of the dialogue I thought are either corny or difficult to deliver. Unfortunately, I did not write out all the examples, but one of those I remember is the exchange between Lex and Lana when Lana walks into the ball. He tells her that he wondered if he frightened her. She says, "You're going to have to come up with better scare tactics." ::squick:: "It'll take more than that to scare me away" would have flowed better. I also squicked over Lois's, "Keep it in your quiver jolly green giant". So, yeah, there are some pieces of dialogue I tripped over, but overall it's a great script.

Chimmy. If they're any cuter, I don't know what I'll do to myself. I really enjoyed their awkward discussion about their first time together two summers ago. Jimmy says he'll take it slow with her and Chloe proceeds to pounce on him. Clark's reaction to Jimmy being at the Talon apartment cracks me up. Jealous Clark? Later, Jimmy is a little jealous when he arrives at SVMC after Clark and Chloe find the boy in the woods. She reacts so cutely when he claims her as "his girl" (while Clark is looking a little jealous) and Chloe gently tells him that she thought the exploration in the woods would freak him out (which makes Clark smile). But he then gets into all kinds of trouble because he wants to impress her and she ends up saving his life. Aw. These two are so darn cute!

Clex. "If the horns fit . . ." Clark tells Chloe, in reference to Lex, as they try to determine the source of this strange vine. Man, Clark's opinion of Lex has really gone down the tubes. But he still trespasses on the man's property to investigate. ::shakes head:: Speaking of that greenhouse trip, how does Lex know when Clark is there? Does he have a Clark radar? But more to the point of Clark's visit, I wish he would just stop for a moment and realize that every bad occurrence is not Lex's fault. Sometimes he himself is to blame and he realizes that later. "Sorry, Clark, I'm all out of evil," Lex says. Although that's not entirely true, it's true in this case. He makes a dig about Lana being a "calming influence" on him. Although there is no woman in this world that can "calm" Lex, I think this is something he's really hoping Lana can do for him. Clark then says Lana won't fit in Lex's world, but Lex declares rather vaguely that he is doing everything to make sure she does.* Admittedly, moving into Lex's world is an adjustment for her and she is still maturing, but Lana's quiet ambition and interest in culture can definitely fit into Lex's world. But there is more implied here. It's possible he's talking about the darker sides of Lex's world because he then rants that Lana will eventually find out that Lex hasn't really changed. Clark retains an illusion of Lana always being "the good girl" and refuses to see she already has a shade of darkness that can be further harnessed under Lex's influence. Clark's apparent continued illusion about Lana also reveals a lack of awareness of Lex and Lana's relationship. Funny. Lex was always so much more aware of Clana's workings than Clark has been aware of L/L's workings. That's probably why he never saw L/L coming.

*EDIT: My first draft says "vaguely" and indeed Lex is not specific. However, he may have been referring to his efforts to ensure Lana acclimates to his life or feel more comfortable with the way he lives (i.e. the security surveillance, the media scrunity, the availability of resources).

Lex and Lana's costumes. If it were up to me I think I would have opted for a Bogie/Bacall 1940s type thing, but the SV wardrobe department loves their symbolism. I didn't dig the headpiece for her gear, but the Caesar/Cleopatra parallels are unmistakable and quite apt.

"It ends tonight." The lead for All-American Rejects sings the line "I look at you with such disdain" as Lana walks in and I find it ironic because Lex actually looks at her with such approval. There is also one line that says "when darkness turns to light" and it makes me think of it as a biblical allusion to creation when light was introduced to darkness. Maybe, there is some reference to Lex and Lana's solidifying in the society as a couple or the "creation" of their coupling of sorts. It could also represent the resurgence of Lex's and Lana's separate hope in their relationship. Just a random thought.

Queen, Oliver (person). 1. Inheritor and CEO of Queen Industries. 2. Relocated to Metropolis from Star City in October 2006. 3. Attended Excelsior Prep. Boarding school. 4. Former classmate of Lex Luthor. 5. Jerk. Hee! I love Ollie. I really love him. Yes, he's a jerk! But, then again, so is Lex sometimes, and I love him too. It's a match made in snooty rich boy heaven. Was he out of place to insult Lex at Lex's party? Yes. But Lex precipitated it with his "You should see him in a tutu" comment. The boys obviously have ongoing rivalries and unfinished boarding school business that we'll see more of in Reunion.

Chloe. Someone needs to help me figure out why Chloe is everyone's "go to" girl. LJers have talked about Lana being the girl "looked at" and objectified. That's true in some sense. On the flip side, Chloe is the girl "looked to" to hack into, break into, explicate or psychoanalyze the world's mysteries. Being a friend to Clark and Lana is one thing, but in this episode alone she dishes out advice, she figures out how to kill the escaped phantom, and she saves both Clark and Jimmy. Yes, Clark. Who I thought was the future Superman. But it appears we need slap an "S" on Chloe and call her super. ::throws hands up in the air::

The fruit in the bowl. There's always some kind of fruit in the crystal bowl in Lex's library. Often, there are apples in varying shades of red, which I believe have metaphoric overtones. This time, I am unable to clearly see what kind of fruit is in the bowl. In my repeated attempts to ascertain any possible significance there, I see what seems to be something green. If I'm right, then "green" may link to the recent "bambino" rumors we've been hearing lately. I'll keep checking.

Being alone. Clark's aloneness, not just singleness, is palpably shown as the last segment starts off with Chimmy, goes to Lois/Ollie, and then to L/L. His aloneness is not attached only to Lana and Lex. It's also attached to Lois and Ollie and Chloe and Jimmy, with Lana and Lex being the most significant because they were closest to him. Each girl in the respective pairing is directly related to Clark and has varying levels of intimacy with him. Now, each of them is clearly moving on with men who really seem to want them in their lives and are not hesitant to let them know it. Clark sits alone in the barn, throwing his baseball back and forth against the wall. As solitary as he seems, this is a hidden blessing. It is this solitude, he'll probably be better able to find his true calling.

Confessions Reserve: Random thoughts on Sneeze

Fri, 06 Oct 2006 20:10:33 GMT

So we have Sneeze. Not a great episode. Not a bad one. I see it more as a transitional episode. However, it didn't have the potency of Vengeance, which was also transitional. Still there were some really good stuff in there and I have already updated Confessions of an L/Ler with all of my thoughts on Lex and Lana's interactions. These are random unedited, unrevised paragraphs that couldn't fit into the Sneeze Confessions.

[Edited out thought about L/L's car ride back to Smallville]. "It was nice of you to offer me a room at the mansion" is a touch too formal for L/L, in my opinion, but it may be either an unexpected writing glitch or intentional marker of her cautious recovery.

Lois wants to be a reporter when she grows up. She's jogging, minding her own business, and bam! A barn door lands in an open field feet away from her. It inspires her to investigate. When Chloe, who knows exactly why the door got where it is, tries to diffuse her interest to protect Clark, Lois refuses to let up. She writes an article, which Chloe again tries to sidetrack, but Lois is determined and eventually gets her first by-line in the Inquisitor. It's not exactly a reputable newspaper, but I like that Lois is finally moving along her "canonical" destiny, on her own steam yet indirectly inspired by Clark. She tells Clark and Chloe, "I think I've finally found my calling." Hmm. That was fast!

Clark and Chloe. As cute as their relationship is, I would have really preferred if Clark came up with the idea to blow the wall/safe open on his own or, at least, have it click when she mentioned that his massive lung capacity proved by the sneeze. I just wish the writers would stop having him limp along with people propping him up. But I guess I could forgive it with their so adorable Kent Barn exchange about flying the kite at their outing on the Lake and Clark's decision to make the clouds go away. It's times like these I miss Pete.

The Luthors and Oliver Queen. Lex goes to Luthor Corp to confront Lionel about Lionel's possible role in this most recent disruption in his life. Lionel declares his innocence. In fact, he doesn't believe Lex has forgotten what happened while Zod was using his body. Maybe that's because Jor-El's use of him as the "oracle" has lingered for some time or maybe he knows more about what happened with Lex/Zod than he lets on. Yet, he accurately ascertains someone else could have seen Lex/Zod. "There are some adversaries that cannot be defeated alone!" He calls to a defiant Lex. He seems genuinely worried and ready to assist. When he discovers Oliver Queen, Lex's old boarding school nemesis, has moved to town, he doesn't believe the relocation and Lex's disappearance are coincidental. He warns Oliver that if Lex is harmed Oliver will suffer. We can rightly call the older Luthor evil and heartless, but on rare occasions he shows he loves his son in his own crazy way. Btw, Oliver's white suit in the tag may indicate that he means no harm to anyone. His methods are just more grandiose and subverted than necessary. He's very easy on the eyes, though.

Awesome one-liners. Lex's "If you're looking for an encore performance, you're out of luck. Elvis has left the building" (to Lionel), Orlando's "Enough foreplay" (to Lex), and Oliver's detached "Abducted? My God" (to Lionel) are just a handful of quips that delighted me in an episode that could easily be forgettable.

Just a little bit of trivia, this warehouse scene was taped on the night of August 3 (according to a set visitor).

Isn't it interesting that Lana's right hand was injured by Zod and now Lex's right shoulder is shot by Block? These two are just so brutalized.

Symbolic or not? The shirt Lana is stripping off is plaid-ish. Kinda Clark-ish. Stripping away the last reminders of Clark maybe? I'm likely off the mark on that. But then the black bra she has comes off as well. Hmm.

I didn't love Sneeze as much as I loved Zod, but fascinating stuff anyway.

UPDATE: I'm not crazy! Clexana won an E! News Daily Poll

Tue, 03 Oct 2006 04:47:09 GMT

I was just looking at the 11 p.m. repeat of E! News and they usually do these daily polls. I was barely paying attention when the results for Oct 1's poll came up. The poll was "Which is your favorite TV love triangle?"

So the contenders were:

Kate, Sawyer & Jack
Meredith, McDreamy & McVet
Clark, Lana & Lex 39%
Lorelei, Luke & Christopher

That's all I saw and I think I went absolutely nuts when I realized that Clark, Lex & Lana won. Their names were the only ones in red, everyone else in blue, and if I am correct, they won with 39%. I didn't remember anyone else's results with any clarity, so I kept thinking that I must be crazy. Did I see things correctly? If I'm not crazy, it means that:

1. Smallville is definitely being watched if it was nominated.

2. Certain viewers on certain boards, who think they are the vox populii and believe no one wants to see Clexana, didn't get the memo on this.

3. Lex & Lana, one part of that triangle, is very likely enjoyed by others who aren't hardcore L/Lers like myself and others.

I'll be looking for another repeat of the show later today, since I'll be home. I just to make sure that I really am not loopy. If I'm right, I'll fill in the gaps about the other contenders.

Edit: So I'm not crazy but I'm such a dork. I should have taped the thing so that I could properly document the figures because it went by so fast. However, I was able to confirm that Clark, Lana and Lex indeed WON as the favorite TV love triangle with 39%. Kate, Sawyer, and Jack (Lost) got 15% and that was all I could get down. However, even without knowing the other votes, if we were to split the rest of the votes between the other three couples, Clexana still win. :D

"Share Your Confessions" challenge

Fri, 22 Sep 2006 19:34:20 GMT

Hi guys! I'm making the rounds on the boards. This weekend I'll be working on making changes to Confessions of an L/Ler and I'm fielding blurbs or "confessions" from L/Lers to feature on the blog.

I'm just looking for short confessions, approximately 40-50 words in length, on any ONE of the following questions:

a. When did you first see romantic potential between Lex and Lana? (N.B. Some have previously offered their answers to this in different L/L threads in different forums. If you want to use what you've already written, you can send it to me. Just let me know where you first posted and the date it was first posted).

b. What L/L scene has made you the happiest over the last five seasons and why?

c. How do you feel about some of the negative reactions to L/L's relationship?

d. What is on your "Lex and Lana Wishlist" for Season 6? (List as many things as you want, just ensure that it comes up to 40-50 words; the list doesn't have to be numbered).

If you want to share your confession, you can post it here. Or if you want to keep it private feel free to PM me at DTS or on Rapture's forum with the question you've answered and your answer anytime before 11 p.m. tomorrow night, September 23rd, 2006. My apologies for this being on such short notice, but I'd love it if you would contribute. Thanks in advance! :)

Confessions Reserve: Thoughts on Chloe in Vengeance

Wed, 09 Aug 2006 06:21:27 GMT

I saw Vengeance for the first time on July 21 and it was really good episode. As I watched, a particular character flaw of Chloe's re-emerged, but my comments couldn't fit in my Vengeance review, which was recently posted at Confessions. Be warned, I'm not a full-fledged Chloe-fan. Sometimes I like her. Sometimes I don't.

Clark/Chloe. Allison Mack and Tom Welling have such great comic timing together. The mock-robbery in Suicide Slums is hilarious and Allison's expressions are on the money. Yet, what I appreciated most in their scenes is that they both call each other up on their nagging character flaws. I have my issues with Clark that I won't get into now, but this episode helped to remind me why I have a like/hate reaction to Chloe. I find it difficult to root for her, no matter how perky and snarky she is. In Vengeance, Chloe thinks of how great the story of the avenger will look on the front page, after Martha was robbed and Jonathan's watch is stolen. Clark is still grieving without allowing himself to. His only surviving parent is attacked and then saved by a mysterious vigilante, and what's Chloe focus? His mother's savior on the front page. Forgive me if I've misread the situation, but my immediate impression is that this is so Chloe and it's one of her more glaring traits that makes her less likeable for me.

Let's say, for a moment, that I did get the wrong impression in Vengeance. Chloe's "story-first-people-second" flaw is not isolated. I remember Extinction and Truth as other references where the story comes first and people come second. In Extinction, I recall Lex being logged as one of the "freaks" on her Wall of Weird file and, because of his placement on her list, he was targetted. Excuses could be made that she didn't anticipate her file would be hacked into or that she was only documenting the effect of the meteor shower on the lives of others. However, the file didn't appear to focus at all on how traumatic and personal the meteor showers were to those people. Instead it appeared factual and impersonal, implying she found these people interesting as stories, not necessarily as people. Although Truth is an exaggeration, the situation highlights a part of who Chloe really is. She gratified herself, willfully using a rare ability to underhandedly gain personal and sensitive information. She exposed some of the information for her own benefit; other information she used simply for insight purposes. Granted Lex is manipulative as well and he doesn't have to be under any influence to do it, I try not to excuse his behavior. So I won't excuse Chloe's behavior either. She can be a dedicated friend and able resource, but she can also be heartless.

The one good thing is that she is often allowed ownership of her oversights, which is something Lana is unfortunately rarely allowed. Chloe will apologize for her missteps and she can be empathetic at times. But she is no paragon of kindness when she allows the facts of a story to come before her compassion. She doesn't always see people as people. She will see people as stories on occassion. That's what I see again in Vengeance. At the same time, she's got great bravado with Lex and Lionel. In addition, she's been an unexpected voice of reason for Clark when he repeatedly emotionally involves himself in a situation without thinking of the consequences. For keeping Clark in line, I applaud her. But I still have my issues with her. That's just how I feel.

Love Calculators and L/L

Mon, 31 Jul 2006 19:38:27 GMT

Some time ago an L/Ler at DTS brought over the results to an L/L compatibility test she did while playing around with a love calculator. It was meant to be fun and the results were surely fun to read. The love calculator is a game that tries to predict compatibility by using the first and last names of two people. Recently, while taking breaks from my writing, I revisited the love calculator thing and came up with some interesting, sometimes amusing, results.

A. The Love Calculator.

84% : Dr. Love thinks that a relationship between Lex Luthor and Lana Lang has a very good chance of being successful, but this doesn't mean that you don't have to work on the relationship. Remember that every relationship needs spending time together, talking with each other etc.

Comparative scores (from highest to lowest):

Clark/Lois: 88%
Lex/Lana: 84%
Clark/Chloe: 65%
Clark/Lana: 43%
Lex/Lois: 42%
Lex/Chloe: 16%

B. Links2Love. This site has 4 calculators. The second calculator is the only test which consistently scores higher than the others, but it also the only test which scores lower depending on which name is listed first. I calculated the average percentage of the four calculators and, for the sake of comparison, listed Lex and Lana's scores with each other as well as with others (from highest to lowest):

C. Yet another test at love-calculator. For this test, I looked at the prospective (some hopeful) pairings for Season 6 and put their numbers against Clark and Lana, whose relationship just ended (from highest to lowest):

Clark/Lana -- 93%
Clark/Lois -- 91%
Lex/Lana -- 55%
Chloe/Jimmy Olsen* -- 55%
Lois/Oliver Queen (Green Arrow)*-- 36%
Clark/Chloe -- 11%
Lionel/Martha -- 10%

*I also keep in mind that the storylines for all the couples, especially the rumored plans for Chloe/Jimmy and Lois/Oliver may or may not change.

So what's the point of all of this? Although the tests require the same criteria (first and last names), because the results are so varied, the results are not reliable enough to be taken too seriously even in real-life circumstances. As the disclaimers say, these tests are obviously harmless fun and are meant for fun.

On a more serious note, I believe Lex and Lana, a pairing so often overlooked and deprecated, deserves a chance. In the Smallville universe, Lex and Lana's success, and the success of all the other pairings, is in the hands of the writers. In the interest of dealing with the relationship in a somewhat objective manner, I began working on a relationship profile for them called the Relationship Series. It should be posted up in 5 parts at "Confessions" over the next few weeks. Until then, back to writing!

Lana Lang Character Profile (full version)

Sun, 23 Jul 2006 17:02:30 GMT

Initially meant for my writing and for L/L fic writers, the profile is for all L/Lers. As I was compiling Lana's character profile, I was allowed to really appreciate her strengths, even though they are hard to see sometimes. She's still got some growing up to do, but there's a lot more to her than meets the eye. All the writers have to do is mine what's already there. Here's my (raw) take on Lana's personality as posted on Confessions (July 12, 2006).

LANA ELIZABETH LANG

Defining moment: Witnessing her parents' deaths in the 1989 meteor shower (Pilot)

Self definition: "I am loyal and dependable." ("You've been abandoned and betrayed so many times how could you know that I wouldn't be next. Well, I'm not. I'm here", 5.22 Vessel).

Gifts: A dedicated ally

1. Loyalty: Remains dedicated to Whitney Fordman (Kinetic, Crush, Heat, Visage), Henry Small (Insurgence, Skinwalker), Jason Teague (Bound, Sacred, Lucy, Recruit), Clark Kent (Exile, Whisper, Hidden, Reckoning, Vengeance), and Lex Luthor (Zero, Prodigal, Whisper, Memoria, Lockdown, Reckoning, Cyborg, Vessel) in spite of sometimes trying emotional and ethical circumstances.

2. Believes helping others gives her purpose.
2.A. Helps Chloe Sullivan (Rogue, Tomb); Byron Moore (Nocturne); the Kawatche Indians (Skinwalker); Perry White (Perry); Sarah Conroy (Slumber); Seth Nelson (Magnetic); Lex (Shattered, Memoria); Clark (Whisper); Adam Knight (Delete, Hereafter); Ryan James (Ryan); Lois Lane (Gone); Evan (Ageless); and Victor Stone (Cyborg).
2.B. Allies with Lex (Kinetic, Nocturne, Perry, Splinter, Tomb, Oracle) and Clark (Slumber, Shattered, Ageless, Cyborg), as well as Chloe, Pete Ross and others (Hourglass, Nocturne, Perry, Delete, Crisis, Krypto, Forever).
2.C. Embraces "us-against-them" rhetoric, especially with Clark, Jason and Lex (Shattered, Run, Transference, Recruit, Ageless, Arrival, Mortal, Oracle, Vessel).

3. Flirtatious and witty: Enlivened with Clark (Hothead, Craving, Mortal, among others), Jason (Crusade, Façade) and Lex (Metamorphosis, Hothead, Craving, Rogue, Gone, Fade). She also jokes with Chloe in Spirit, including other occasions.

4. Quietly ambitious, competitive, and visionary.
4.A. Successfully competed in equestrian events (Metamorphosis, Ryan).
4.B. Restores and protects the Talon (Zero, Drone, Prodigal, Talisman, Façade). With the Talon in crisis, she says, "It's my battle, win or lose, and I'm determined to win" (Drone).
4.C. Desires self-reliance (Hothead, Drone, Arrival), and, once encouraged, pursues her goals (i.e. her interest in art, Memoria, Covenant, Crusade, Hidden).

Driving energy: Fear

1. Fear of being unloved. Left without much family in her life, she seeks verbal reassurance of love, showing signs of co-dependence with Whitney (Cool, Kinetic, Obscura, Crush), Clark (Exile, Accelerate, Vengeance, Cyborg), and Jason (Façade, Unsafe). Her desire to feel loved and needed appears to have led her into very brief relationships with Ian Randall (Dichotic) and Seth (Magnetic).

2. Fear of her darker inclinations: Fears disappointing Clark (Accelerate) and avoids the thought of hurting someone even during self-defense (Precipice, Commencement).

Addiction: Reclaiming security and safety

Lewis and Laura Lang's sudden deaths apparently created Lana's fear of unexpected danger and external threats. In S1, she confesses she stayed with Whitney because he made her feel "safe" (Cool). She also expresses a need for predictability and constancy in conversations with her aunt, Nell Potter (Ryan); Clark (Visage, Phoenix, Tomb, Cyborg); and Lex (Zero, Heat, Onyx, Vessel). She also clings to her deceased parents through their images (Pilot, Craving, Rogue, Void) and the Talon. In Kinetic she says, "I guess I'm just looking for something to hold on to." She would continue this in Talisman.

Preoccupations: Motives of others; Threats to security

1. Skepticism and suspicion.
1.A. Skeptical and distrusting of a person who doesn't trust her: Nell (X-Ray, Redux), Lex (Arrival, Mortal), and Clark (Phoenix, Reckoning, Tomb, Vessel). In fact, she pointedly questions Clark about his secret in S2 (Vortex, Duplicity, Red).
1.B. Questions the motives of people who show interest in her: Lex, in particular (Nicodemus, Resurrection, Talisman, Spell, Commencement, Hidden, Splinter).
1.C. Has insightful moments, despite inexperience: Confesses she knows people perceive her as "driven and self-absorbed" (Truth), sees through Lex's attempts at playing cupid in S1 (Craving, Cool, Rogue), questions Clark's savior ability (Vortex, Duplicity, Hidden), and detects the boys' separate evasive tactics (Resurrection, Onyx, Splinter, Reckoning, Vessel).

2. Protecting security. She fiercely protects the security she thinks she has, as she has with Jason (Recruit), Clark (Hidden), and Lex (Vessel). However, opportunities are often created where she is easily manipulated (i.e. finding out Lex is in danger, Oracle), doubtful (i.e. Jason, Recruit), or selfish/needy (i.e. reacting to Clark and Chloe's closeness, Crush and Fever).

Strengths needed: Faith in herself and others

Doubts her capabilities or judgment: Anxiously presents a 2nd business proposal (Kinetic), initially hesitates taking the advice to "embrace living" (Rush), questions integrating into her biological father's family (Insurgence), hesitates during kickboxing training (Precipice), concern over alienating Chloe when she begins dating Clark (Calling), questions her judgment about Adam (Hereafter, Resurrection); queries her relationship with Clark (Legacy, Hypnotic), and indecisive about her academic progress (Talisman, Forever, Thirst).

Coping Mechanisms: Projection; Phobic/flight or Counter-phobic/fight reactions

1. Projects unease (about Clark with Lex, Legacy) or separation anxiety (about leaving Smallville with Chloe, Talisman) on to others.

2.A. Phobic by avoiding discomfort or danger: Admits to defensive reading (Cool); confides in Chloe about her biological father before talking to him (Lineage); accepts the victim role when blamed for her father's marital woes (Witness); relies on Lex when unsure about Clark and Adam (Perry, Legacy, Obsession); clings to the Talon before leaving Smallville (Talisman); turns to Clark over her tattoo, Isobel, and Jason (Sacred); avoids addressing the Isobel/Gertrude connection with Jason (Krypto); hides her research partnership with Lex (Splinter, Lockdown); cautious about awakened desires and feelings (Fragile, Mercy); and initially lies about dating Lex (Fade).

2.B. Counter-phobic by lying, questioning motives or rejecting intrusion: Lies about Whitney's whereabouts (Metamorphosis); declines joining Nell's move to Metropolis when she isn't part of the decision-making process (Ryan); confronts Agent Frank Loder about planting bugs in the Talon (deleted scene, Memoria); snippy about Lex's apparent abandonment (Drone) and injection in her relationships (Spell, Recruit, Hidden); stages a break-in to obstruct the crystal search (Lucy); lies about giving Clark the crystal (Commencement); warns Chloe about interfering (Fragile); and chides Clark over his "break-in" (Oracle), inconsistency (Vessel) and plans for Lex (Vessel).

Life paradox: Lana's search for predictability and truth often makes her appear unpredictable and dishonest. Always looking for clues to justify her anxiety, she can become accusatory, defensive, deceptive, and retractable. Notice her behavior with Bad!Clark (Red), inconsistent Clark (Perry), intrusive Lex (Spell, Recruit), "Alexander" (Onyx), and super-powered Lex (Vessel). To feel secure or avoid being taken advantage of, she will trust only when she is trusted and she will reciprocate honesty only when it is given.

Keys to maturity:
1. Accept that uncertainty in life is unavoidable.
2. Acknowledge her own unpredictability and destructiveness.
3. Recognize her fears and calm them, thereby making less emotional and more rational decisions.
4. Trust her instincts and capabilities, and trust the good in the people she loves.
5. Redefine her idea of love by increasing her standards and adjusting her expectations.

NOTE: Even though Lana evolves, she will likely be preoccupied with the same issues but she might face her fears in more decisive, combative (counter-phobic) ways.

Resources include: www.9types.com, www.authenticenneagram.com.

Lex Luthor Character Profile (full version)

Sun, 23 Jul 2006 16:55:42 GMT

I wrote these character profiles for myself and for fan-fic writers, but it's really for any L/Ler. Making up Lex's character profile was almost as complicated as Lex is. He's such a wonderfully written and portrayed character, I hoped to look at his traits objectively. This is my (raw) overview of Lex's more noticeable character traits, as posted on Confessions (July 12, 2006).

ALEXANDER "LEX" JOSEPH LUTHOR

Defining moments: The death of his younger brother, Julian (Crush, Memoria), and losing his hair due to meteor radiation during the 1989 meteor shower (Pilot)

Self definition: "I am invincible and successful." ("We Luthors are made of tough and definitely expensive material. . . . I realize that what I more than anything is to live 'happily ever after.' And do you know what the secret to living happily ever after is? Power. Money and power. See, once you have those two things, you can secure everything else and keep it that way", 5.9 Lex-mas).

Gifts: A charismatic and knowledgeable future leader

1. Charming and charismatic.
1.A. Extraverted, friendly and reassuring: Initiates and pursues friendships with Clark (Pilot) and Lana (Metamorphosis), and introduces himself to the Kents (Pilot) and Chloe (Craving).
1.B. Motivates and influences others: Directs a company buyout (Tempest), convinces skeptics to work with him (Dr. Steven Hamilton, Craving; Dr. Frederick Walden, Rosetta; Dr. Lia Teng, Resurrection; Chloe, Magnetic; Mikhail Myxzptlk, Jinx), and even empowers Lana to find her strengths and independence (Kinetic, Drone, Precipice, Legacy, Talisman).

2. Protective (expresses a desire to fix problems).†
2.A. Of himself: Roger Nixon (X-Ray), Dominic Senatori (Reaper, Suspect), Rachel Dunlevy (Lineage), Morgan Edge (Shattered), Agent Frank Loder (Crisis-Covenant), and Jason Teague (Forever).
2.B. Of family and girlfriends/wives: Lionel Luthor (Vortex, Talisman, Mercy), Lillian Luthor (Crush, Memoria), Lucas Dunlevy (Prodigal), Victoria Hardwick (Shimmer), Helen Bryce (Precipice), and Lana Lang (Fade, Vessel; see 2C for more).
2.C. Of friends and friendships: Amanda Rothman (Zero), Clark Kent (Rogue, Leech, Kinetic, Redux, Perry, Memoria, Covenant, Devoted, Onyx) and Lana (Zero, Perry, Magnetic, Hereafter, Velocity, Sacred, Onyx, Commencement, Lockdown, Vengeance).
2.D. Of acquaintances: Whitney Fordman (Kinetic), the Kents (Nicodemus, Vortex, Dichotic, Phoenix, Devoted), Ryan James (Ryan), Chloe Sullivan (Delete, Gone, Tomb), Pete Ross (Forsaken), and the Lane sisters (Lucy).

† In turn, Lex hopes he will be loved and protected by those he loves and protects: Helen (Visage, Exodus), Clark (S1-S4), and Lana (Lockdown, both Reckoning realities, Vessel).

3. Resourceful and resilient.
3.A. Finds his way in and out of danger or entrapment: Victoria (Leech), Carrie Castle (Drone), Helen (Phoenix), Molly Griggs (Delete), Lionel (Crusade), and Clark (Cyborg). In Crusade, he tells Lionel, "You shouldn't wound what you can't kill, Dad."
3.B. Calm in crises and pragmatic (with exception of Dichotic, Suspect, Precipice, Exile, Shattered, and a few other instances): Offers to diffuse a hostage situation (Jitters); kills Nixon to save Jonathan Kent (Vortex); takes charge of the resurrection project (Crisis); attempts to handle the misuse of an experimental drug (Scare); faces unstable former Sheriff's Department officer, Greg Flynn (Lockdown); and kills invisible assassin, Graham Garrett (Fade).

4. Erudite and informed. He is multilingual (German and Japanese are among the languages he speaks) and an extensive reader (references classical mythology, history, philosophy, as well as thinkers like Nietzsche, Whitman, Churchill, Rilke and Donne, among others). In addition, he draws out as much information as he can about his obsessions, friends and enemies. His varied sources include his agents, classified records (i.e. Lojack records), as well as mainstream and tabloid news media.

Driving energy: Self-deception; Manipulation and social deceit

1. Self-deception. He believes the things he does are not meant to hurt people, but to help them (Talisman, Spell, Aqua, Cyborg, Oracle) and he will do what it is necessary to succeed (Lex-mas, Lockdown). His intent may indeed be good. Still, this self-deception justifies his actions and methods, but also keeps him focused on the positives and helps him to project a good image.

2. Manipulation and deceit.
2.A. Manipulates to fulfill his own agendas: Conspires with Victoria against their fathers (Rogue); finds his half-brother, Lucas, to outbid their father (Prodigal); offers Chloe protection in exchange for information against his father (Magnetic-Gone); publicly exposes Jason's relationship with Lana (Jinx); foregoes the feelings of sexual partners (Bound); inquires about the caves/stones (Blank); undermines Jonathan in senate race (Lex-mas, Fanatic); harnesses Simone's powers (Hypnotic); and maneuvers around detection to pursue bionic research (Cyborg).
2.B. Lies to hide his own guilt (steals Clark's vile of blood to Helen, Calling).
2.C. Lies to protect himself and others (Genevieve Teague, Pariah and Krypto; mass-producing Fine's vaccine, Oracle).

Addictions: Success and knowledge; Being in control

1. Ambitious and probing. He declares his plans for greatness in Hourglass and Leech. He would begin acting on his goals by creating his own company, LexCorp (Tempest-Exodus); taking control of LuthorCorp (Crusade to present); and running for the senate (Exposed-Reckoning). At the risk of disapproval, he launches projects researching/using kryptonite (Craving, Kinetic, Skinwalker, Rosetta, Delete, Velocity, Jinx, Sacred, Onyx, Arrival-Oracle). He also obsessively tries to uncover proof of Clark's evident unusualness (X-Ray, Leech, Fever, Visitor, Covenant, Blank, Mercy).

2. Arrogant justice. Savors confrontation with an opponent: Krypto-tattooed thugs (Kinetic), Victoria and Sir Harry Hardwick (Leech), Paul Hayden (Precipice), Helen (Phoenix), Perry White (Perry), Mayor William Tate (Relic), Lionel (Covenant, Crusade, Gone, Vengeance, and others), Arthur "A.C." Curry (Aqua), Chloe (Mortal, Fragile), and Dr. Milton Fine/Brainiac (Aqua, Oracle).

Preoccupations: Control; Compulsion to work for love/approval

1. Desire to control physical and emotional environments often leads to sabotage.
1.A. Experiences emotional/psychological overload when multiple needs are jeopardized or simultaneously take on high priority: Parking meter maid (Dichotic); Dominic (Suspect); and Lana and Chloe (Commencement).
1.B. Rashness or miscalculation accidentally places him and/or others in danger: Counter-attacks against Lionel (Tempest, Prodigal, Insurgence, Magnetic, Shattered), the search for the "stones of knowledge" (Sacred), attempts to uncover Clark's secret (Crisis, Mortal, Hypnotic), and the vaccine creation (Oracle, Vessel).

2. Compulsion to work for approval and love.
2.A. Feeling unworthy of love (Crush), he believed he would gain approval from his father and society based on his performance (Hothead, Reaper, Truth, Reckoning), extravagant gifts (Pilot, Jitters, Whisper, and others), or good image (Zero, Devoted, Splinter, Reckoning, and others).
2.B. Believes redemption would be achieved through the "love of a good woman" (Heat, Visage, Precipice). NOTE: His continued desire for redemption is doubtful, but he still wants companionship (Lockdown, Oracle, Vessel). Yet, the emotion involved in the love chase makes him an easy target for manipulation (Desiree, Heat; Helen, Phoenix; Clark, Thirst; and Lionel, Splinter).

Strengths needed: Trust; Hope

1. Suspicion overwhelms trust. Confrontational whenever he detects signs of deceit: Lionel's machinations (Leech, Phoenix, Shattered, Mercy, and others); Bob Rickman's machinations (Hug); Helen's betrayal (Visage); Clark's secret (Leech, Blank, Mercy, and others); Adam's unusualness (Hereafter, Obsession); Jason's intentions towards Lana (Façade, Sacred, Recruit); Lana's angst (Metamorphosis, Commencement); and Chloe keeping Clark's secret (Commencement, Mortal).

2. Search for hope (struggles against inherited and cultivated negativity).
2.A. Seeks hope through friendships: Forges a friendship with Clark hoping that Clark's goodness would inspire him (Leech, Rogue, Asylum, Bound, Onyx, and others). When his struggle becomes more difficult, he tells Clark, "There's a darkness in me that I can't always control. I'm starting to think that's my curse, why every relationship I have ends badly. . . . Your friendship helps keep it at bay. It reminds me that there are truly good people in the world. I'm not willing to give up on that" (Devoted). As his friendship with Clark comes to an end, he attempts to avoid alienating Lana as well, telling her that she is "one of the few good things" in his life (Lockdown).
2.B. Seeks hope through the "love of a good woman": Confesses to marrying based on hopes that his wives would save him (Heat, Precipice) and later implies he wants a woman [Lana] to see and value the residual good in him (Façade, Void).
2.C. Seeks hope through success: Failure destabilizes his positive self-image, especially if he places high value on a specific goal (the senate race, Lex-mas, Reckoning).

Coping mechanisms: Denial; Isolation and compartmentalization

1. Denies failure and identifies with success: Noticeable surety in his romantic choices (Heat, Accelerate); surety in his control of a situation (resurrection project, Crisis; resources to rebuild the destroyed super-vaccine, Oracle); and surety in his bid for power (Lex-mas, Splinter).

2.A. Resists intrusion: Closes his laptop or puts away papers (Tempest, Ageless, Fade and others); and reveals his independence in handling his familial, psychological and moral demons in episodes like Prodigal, Memoria, and Bound.
2.B. Resists obstruction: Lionel's imposition on his life and choices (Red, Reaper, Lex-mas), Helen's pressure for disclosure (Visitor), Clark and Lionel's disapproval of his memory retrieval efforts (Memoria), Perry's delayed departure (Perry), his therapist's efforts to diffuse him (Shattered), Chloe's stalling about Clark (Commencement, Mortal), and Arthur "A.C." Curry's obstruction (Aqua).
2.C. Compartmentalizes or separates from feelings/ethics to accomplish tasks: Unable to relate to Lana's sentimentality about the Talon (Kinetic), bypasses Helen to acquire information on Clark (Fever, Calling), continues research on Clark's unusualness (Covenant, Blank), delays reaction to Lana fainting on the highway (Arrival), and seeks out Lionel despite their impasse (Mercy).

Life paradox: Even though Lex wants control, the emotion with which he responds (Insurgence, Shattered) or any limited access to information (Crisis, Oracle) makes him more emotionally and morally vulnerable than he believes he is. Interestingly, he once resisted becoming a tyrant (Hothead, Insurgence, Rush, Skinwalker), but the more he wants greatness, the more obsessive and cruel he can become (Aqua, Lex-mas, Cyborg).

Keys to staying morally healthy a little longer (if he so desires):
1. Redefine greatness by how he conducts himself, not by what he does or how much he acquires.
2. Continue to allow the people he loves most to see his vulnerabilities.
3. Accept that some things are unexplainable and irrational. (He won't accept this, but I had to put it out there!)
4. Acknowledge that only he can save himself by making better moral choices.

Resources include: www.9types.com, www.authenticenneagram.com

Relationship perception

Tue, 04 Jul 2006 00:02:46 GMT

The geek that I am, shortly after Fade aired I coincidentally began reading articles from the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, and while reading one article, I immediately thought of Clana and L/L. My application of what they said was omitted from my Fade review on Confessions.

Lisa Neff and Benjamin Kaney, who conducted a recent study on how perceptions affect relationships, conclude, "A love based on the false premise that all of the partner's traits are perfect should be fragile over time" (Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 2005, Vol. 88, No. 3, 480). Sounds like Clana to me. While their love for each other is genuine, it appears that neither of them loved the other person for who they were. They loved each other for the ideas of good they saw. On separate occasions they both expressed a fear of rejection if the other found out more about them than they wanted. In Accelerate, Lana said she was afraid of disappointing him. Even when she had a chance to tell him how she came to find the crystal and how blood was found on it in Commencement, she didn't say anything. Between Arrival and Hypnotic, Clark expressed that he was afraid Lana wouldn't accept him. In effect, they tried to maintain the pretense of what they thought they should be, holding on to their illusions of each other.

On the other hand, Neff and Kaney also say, "First, in the short term, [partners] who both love and accurately perceive one another may interact more positively with each other than [partners] who love without specific accuracy. Second, over time, relationship dissolution may be less likely for couples whose love is based on an accurate view of each other's specific qualities" (483). Lex and Lana have never pretended to be perfect around each other. Although Lex has often tried to ensure Lana is shielded from who he is and has made efforts to assure her that he means well, he's never pretended to be anything other than himself. He has not escaped his family and personal legacy, even with her. Meanwhile, Lana has brought her burgeoning courage, naivety and capriciousness without hesitation. Their current vulnerability to each other may limit an accurate view of each other; they have let each other off the hook very quickly probably because they valued the spirit of apology more than anything else. Yet, they have called each other up on their ish enough to reveal an awareness of each other's flaws. Each knows that the other is imperfect and has unhealthy moral or relationship habits, but they still value each other's good qualities. Who knows, maybe Lex and Lana will have better luck staying together than Clana.

Thoughts from Season 4

Fri, 23 Jun 2006 01:49:00 GMT

Cleaning out my folders again and I happened upon this comment I made early S4:

I'm of the belief that if Lex loves Lana as much as we're sensing, then maybe he doesn't think he can get Lana to fall in love with him on his own merit. Added to his past, he's probably looking at the *types* of guys she typically falls for. Whitney, Clark, and Adam (who I firmly believe was dark out of desperation, not by choice), and even Jason (whose moral future is still a question) are somewhat his opposite because they are/were physically pretty, jocks, nice (for the most part), down-to-earth, and "misundersood" boys, give or take a few flaws. That is a generalization, but I know you girls understand what I'm trying to say. Lex is so charming and sexy and is a great friend to Lana, but a bald, emotionally and mentally uneasy, erudite, sports car collecting, fencing, multi-lingual, twice-married, suit-wearing entrepreneur and Lana's typical choices in boyfriends are quite different. If they share similarities with Lex, these similarities are rather superficial (i.e. challenging her, bestowing gifts, having a well-to-do background and paternal issues, and so on). In addition, Lana may not see herself as Lex's type either; I think it was Li who jumpstarted that valuable angle of the discussion after Resurrection aired.

So, with his and Lana's combined romantic histories, when he has the chance, he'll probably think he has to work hard (quietly or openly) at not only getting her, but also keeping her. As confident and charming as he can be and as much as he wants love, it is possible that having true love might scare him, since he's been so unsuccessful in the past. With Lana, he may be even more scared because maybe, just maybe, he feels more for her than he's ever felt for any other young woman.

Hey there!

Wed, 24 May 2006 21:06:20 GMT

Welcome to "Spoken For", the geeky lj side-kick of "Confessions of an L/Ler". I hesitated working on the journal because I initially thought it a bit excessive to have two L/L journals, but I decided that I should least tap into the L/L community on lj. Don't ask me to explain the name, "Spoken For" because it has no real meaning behind it. But what it will do is archive unedited deleted portions of the rambles, reviews and essays I make on "Confessions" and give notices on "Confessions" updates. Although "Confessions" will remain my L/L center, I'll come here to play as often as I can.

J