Smallville rant (pre-review of 8.04)

[bop_radar]

Ok, guys. Unpopular (and unexpected) fannish opinion warning on this one, but I need to get it out there. I've realised what is bugging me about this season. And it's kind of huge. This is in response to 8.04 so may be spoilery, but I'm going to review 8.04 separately because I have other stuff to say about it. It's the Clois. I hate it. It's now become clear that it's not just some errant bad writing--they are deliberately characterising Lois as having (strong) feelings for Clark.

WHY?! Since WHEN?!

I've racked my brains and I don't understand it. Until now there has been attraction there, sure, but it's been very firmly repressed/buried and it's been something that is subtle and nuanced and all the sweeter for that. They've been able to play moments where Lois has softened a little towards Clark and then quickly shut down on him again in comedic fashion. There's no more of that. In this episode, she pretty much had an entire monologue where she admitted to herself that she had very strong feelings for him but was fighting them.

No. Sorry. That's not my Lois.

Here's why:
1. It breaks canon. It's way, WAY too early! And also Lois does not fall in love with Clark first: she falls for SUPERMAN. (ETA: deleted because it's not really my main gripe for reasons made clear in the comments.)
2. It's this season's writers imposing a view of Lois on the character that has not arisen organically. I can't think of one plausible reason why Lois has suddenly got this level of jealousy about Clark. She falls for heroes, damn it! And she has never seen Clark as one. It makes no sense.
3. It changes the Lois and Clark dynamic--what I love about that dynamic is Clark pining and Lois being kickass and oblivious. This is flipping that around and I'm being selfish here: that doesn't float my boat.
4. It's not even internally consistent within this season--last episode she had some amazing scenes with Oliver and worked through her emotions about their break-up. She's growing and beginning to consider that she may have been too hasty in her feelings there. She may be able to consider dating a hero in the future... That's great! And then suddenly she's lusting after Clark. Um... Weird connection there because--and I point this out again, because it's important--she does not view Clark as a hero.
5. Even more tragically, they are defining Lois solely through her romantic plot this season. So far she has no other plot. Sure, she's a reporter but now that plot is all about Clark and his entry at the Daily Planet (and their ongoing flirtations). I really want to believe they will give her her own arc that's separate from that, but I'm not sure... the closest we got to it was having her scenes with Oliver last season which so far are my favourite Lois scenes in season 8. Coincidence? I think not.
6. There's an accompanying issue that we saw in 8.02, which I'll call the 'Lois and Clark' effect: it's the tendency to tear Lois down or make her look like a ditz or an idiot for comic effect and so that Clark can sigh wryly and with superiority and we can all remember who's really great. It's the main reason that while I loved that show as a teenager, I cannot swallow it now. Tearing down strong women = not cool in the naughties. Not cool and NOT HOT. And on SV, doubly unnecessary because Clark is already great, already fully defined in his own world.

Sigh. MEGA-SIGH.

They just took my ship and changed the entire dynamic on it's head. They took my favourite character and rewrote her. I am feeling a MASSIVE disconnect with Lois now... I switch in and out of her depending on how heavily Clois-y the scene is. Not Clois-y at all? GREAT. Somewhat Clois-y? Hmm. Very Clois-y? I got nothin'. It is SO WEIRD. It's a total reversal for me from previous seasons.

This is my one great ship of all time, people! It's the one thing I thought Season 8 might be good for. Why is it being taken away from me?! *weeps*

I know I may be pretty alone in this opinion--my liking of Clois is about a very specific dynamic that I know is not everyone's cup of tea, and I respect that. I am sure there will be people who will like the Clois this season more than ever before because it more closely correlates with a dynamic they like. I am sure there are counterarguments to the case I've put here... and I'm happy for those of you who disagree with me and are finding it either not a problem or actively enjoyable. That's awesome. You rock on. But it doesn't work for me and I need to face that because I think it's an overall direction that will remain consistent this season and it's going to irk me.

But fear not! I have other things which are delighting me no end and actually greatly enjoyed this episode... so my next post will be more interesting positive.

Comments

[mskatej.livejournal.com]

Oh noes! *HUGS YOU*

I haven't seen the latest episode but I have also not loved the Clois dynamic this year (and I *adore* the pairing) - the thought of her having feelings for Clark doesn't bother me intellectually but I may well react the way you did once I see how they handle it in 8.04.

Hopefully the story I am writing will be to your taste! (I plan to call on your beta-reading skills in due course, btw, so if it doesn't you can always just tell me to rewrite. *g*)

[bop-radar.livejournal.com]

It does bother me intellectually and I felt some scenes were terribly overwritten and heavy handed in this ep. Erica's doing a great job but it's clearly the direction she's been given.

Clois beta for you?! SURE! I have a feeling you'll be pretty close to the mark for me... ;)

[mskatej.livejournal.com]

Yay! Although, I was planning on having Lois fall in love with Clark (as opposed to Supes). :/ Perhaps I will rethink that bit.

[bop-radar.livejournal.com]

Hahahaha, oh noes! You shouldn't change it just for me though. Perhaps you can get me on board with such a premise? I do feel it's got more of a place in fanfic than in canon.

[mskatej.livejournal.com]

Well, I've been struggling with what story to tell actually so nothing is set in stone, and very little has been written so far. Hrm. I may email you privately about this because I think I need a sounding board/advice. You will probably wake up to my moaning tomorrow morning! :D

[carolandtom.livejournal.com]

Yay! Although, I was planning on having Lois fall in love with Clark (as opposed to Supes). :/ Perhaps I will rethink that bit.

No, please, don't rethink it! lol I love Lois falling in love with Clark instead of Superman, it makes me like her better.

Of course, you'll write what you like but I couldn't help begging. :D

[mskatej.livejournal.com]

Hee! I know exactly what you mean. And don't worry, it shouldn't be an issue because I'm setting the bulk of the story before Clark is Superman.

[morganichele.livejournal.com]

I am liking some of the Clois, but I have to totally agree with you about a few things. One of them (which is HUGE, IMO), is that Lois is NOT supposed to fall in love with Clark Kent...she's supposed to fall in love with Superman.

This really does itch at me. It's basically like a total-alternate-universe Lois Lane and Clark Kent. :/

And, I do think it's a bit early. But, alas...they're both exceedingly pretty. lol. I tend to go a bit mushy-brained when I look at them. :P

[bop-radar.livejournal.com]

It IS huge. *nods* HUGE. But I'm not really emotionally upset about it... at least not right now. I'm a bit annoyed, but mostly I'm intellectually disappointed. Emotionally there's still so much in the show that I do love--and I'm still enjoying the Clark side of the ship a lot.

[taragel.livejournal.com]

Oh see that? I knew I wasn't imagining it! They've been making Lois be all flighty and longing about Clark this season! (Not so much last week when Ollie was on his potential deathbed, but definitely in the two preceding episodes.)

I actually didn't get to watch last night's ep because Verizon Fios and my Tivo do not play nicely together (sigh...rantyness quelched). But I agree that the rewriting of Lois is very irksome (apparently this season Chloe isn't the only one being lightswitched--I believe that is the term I just learned). I don't know the character well as built in mythology but I liked the SV Lois quite a bit and I don't want her to turn into another Lana or Chloe, just endlessly pining after Clark. Blegh.

Clearly I'm going to have to get my enjoyment from the SV men this season. Bring on the Ollie and Davis show! (Ok and Clark can stick around too for upping the pretty factor.)

[bop-radar.livejournal.com]

Yeah, you were not imagining things. I had thought it was some errant writing (which has happened before!) but I think 4 eps is proof that it's a consistent direction now... Last week was a bit of an anomaly because they returned to the Lollie.

Lightswitched! Aarrrrghhh. How I have come to hate that term and it's rampant use in SV meta... but yeah... I actually disagree with 90 per cent of the times that people argue characters have been lightswitched on SV, but I've got to say that I do think Lois has been lightswitched into liking Clark. Booooooo. As you point out, we've seen that story before!

I too am finding other enjoyment on the show instead... The boys are great value--and there's some superlatively pretty (and sexy) Clark in this episode. :D

[taragel.livejournal.com]

Re: lightswitched--Is it unique to SV fandom? I've never heard that term before. Interesting shorthand though to say the writers make a character do a 180. (I'm even tempted to co-opt the term for the scene in BSG's Taking a Break where our painfully repressed Leemo collapses in the corridor sobbing for his lost wedding ring/failures as a married man!)

Ooh pretty Clark to look forward to. Yum.

[bop-radar.livejournal.com]

Yup 'lightswitched' is an SV term. It comes from a line Lex said in season 1 or 2: 'the road to darkness is a journey not a lightswitch'. Fandom cried 'lightswitch' on Lex's journey MANY a time between then and his final descent and I usually passionately disagreed with them since I think that SV did a good job of showing the gradual darkening of Lex and the reasons why. But SV does suffer from doing the dance of one step forward two steps back a lot of the time--often there is less consistency between sequential episodes than there is if you look at a season as a whole. And that's partly to do with the comic book style they go for and their obsession with iconic moments. Anyway. I diverge...

My main complaint about the term lightswitch is that it's been overused by people who haven't been bothered to look deeper beneath the surface or at the bigger picture on the show. They felt a disconnect and immediately labelled it 'lightswitch' when it wasn't... and if I'm guilty of that with Lois I will suck it up and admit it. I hope I am! I hope someone can tell me where this sudden liking of Clark came from, plausibly, within canon.

pt.1

[duskwillow.livejournal.com]

Aw, sorry to hear you're not enjoying Clois this year. :(

I doubt this will help, but here's my view on where they're going with the show this year.
I agree that they're pushing Clois forward full speed. But I think they're doing that with all the storyline this year. Clark got a job at the Daily Planet without us seeing how; Chloe has a supercomputer brain and they're pushing her storyline in that direction; we're getting mini Ollie spin off inside Smallville with flashbacks of his GA origin and whatnot; we have already established new She Lex villain; Davis was weird & naked in the alley already in the first episode he was in, and so on. I don't think they're taking anything slow any more on the show.

It's now become clear that it's not just some errant bad writing--they are deliberately characterising Lois as having (strong) feelings for Clark.

To me it was obvious this season that she likes him a bit. But there might have been stronger feelings under the surface. She just dealt with leftover feelings she had for Ollie in the last episode (and that was the first time we saw them together on screen this season), and put an end on that chapter of her life.
So to me her feelings for Clark hit her a bit unprepared, ergo the over the top jealousy fit and poking Clark in the arm after she caught him in the elevator with Maxima. I don't think she saw it coming, that is why she didn't answer when Maxima asked her if she feels anything for Clark.
Also, the anvils were really big in this episode, but SV was never subtle.
So I'm OK with her falling for him, as long as they'll have Clark fall for her too. Because I do not want any one-sided 'he loves me not' crap.

And also Lois does not fall in love with Clark first: she falls for SUPERMAN.

She does fall for Clark in modern age comics, after the revamp in 1986 (I think that's the right year?).

She may be able to consider dating a hero in the future... That's great! And then suddenly she's lusting after Clark. Um... Weird connection there because--and I point this out again, because it's important--she does not view Clark as a hero.

But she thinks Clark's a good guy. Like she said to Lana in Reckoning - she'd be happy to end up with a guy like Clark one day. She's attracted to him and thinks he's good looking. The foundation was already there even before this season.

Even more tragically, they are defining Lois solely through her romantic plot this season.

This I hope will change, because I also have problems with her having only romantic storyline. I want her to write that Lex expose even if he's not here anymore. Or get another really big story. They can explore her as an ace reporter without Clark always being there. Or get her another solo storyline.

pt.2

[duskwillow.livejournal.com]

There's an accompanying issue that we saw in 8.02, which I'll call the 'Lois and Clark' effect: it's the tendency to tear Lois down or make her look like a ditz or an idiot for comic effect and so that Clark can sigh wryly and with superiority and we can all remember who's really great.

Sure, Lois missed some things in that episode. But so did Clark, he was at the sight of the accident, and then later right next to Plastique when she killed that guy. And he still didn't place everything together or notice anything weird, even with his superpowers. Chloe took Plastique home even though she knew nothing about her, had enough sense to do a research on Davis but not on a kid living with her, and didn't realize she was behind the accident and murder until she almost got blasted away. And she's the one with superbrain. Everyone has their stupid moments, it just depends who you focus on.
Like in this episode, how they had Lois explain to Clark what endorphins are.

I mean this is Smallville. People get blown up in houses or in cars, but then they come back alive. Lex is suddenly evil and a brilliant mad scientist who is able to clone people. Chloe is a meteor mutant after 5 years, even though she never mentioned she was in the first meteor shower. There are fake babies. Lionel died a saint, and people he tried to kill few years ago think he's a good guy! Lana is kidnapping and torturing people, but Clark thinks everyone makes mistakes, so it's alright, and he redeems her in the end. And this year in particular they are taking giant lapses forward. IMO the show is too flawed to expect them to do everything right/how I'd prefer it. And with 22 episodes, 18 left, and Erica not being in all of them, they probably feel pressured to hurry the Clois storyline a bit if they want to start/do it this season (especially if it's the last one). So they also hint at offscreen, like when Chloe said last week that Clark and Lois are joined at hip and spending all their time together. For me what works best is to kick back and relax, knowing the show will always be flawed but at least it's moving forward this season (unlike the last year and a half).

This turned really long. O_o

Re: pt.2

[mskatej.livejournal.com]

LOL I love you. And I found this really interesting:

She does fall for Clark in modern age comics, after the revamp in 1986

I didn't know that!

Like you say, I'm definitely happy with Lois falling for Clark as long as it's mutual, although I'd prefer for Clark to fall for her first.

Re: pt.2

[duskwillow.livejournal.com]

I think in the comics originally Superman was the main character, and Clark Kent was the disguise. So Lois falls for Supes. But then they changed it and Clark became the main character, and he used Superman as a disguise, so Lois falls for Clark. :)
I think she didn't know he was Superman until he told her after she agreed to marry him.

And yes, I would have also prefer if Clark fell for her first. But there seem to be some hints, so I'm hoping they're going in that direction. I'd love to see them both in love, but completely blind about how the other one feels, and acting all awkward. >:) I'm evil that way.

Re: pt.2

[bop-radar.livejournal.com]

I hope they do take the Clark-first, Lois-later path... but I fell like 8.04 busted Lois as completely in love with Clark already. I'm glad/intrigued that you don't feel it was as clear cut as that. If they can rein it back in a bit and have Clark accept his feelings for Lois before Lois accepts hers for Clark then I may be able to crawl back on board! *hopeful*

Re: pt.2

[bop-radar.livejournal.com]

Hee hee! Thank you for responding at such length--I really appreciate it and got a kick out of your 'this is Smallville' speech! ;) I agree. It's always been crazycakes. It's not completely unexpected, no.

with 22 episodes, 18 left, and Erica not being in all of them, they probably feel pressured to hurry the Clois storyline a bit if they want to start/do it this season
I do totally understand that. I have no problem with the fast forward button being pressed on Clois--I totally wanted that!! I just wish the writers hadn't felt that meant they had to make Lois crush on Clark. And that's completely selfish of me because it's my 'kink' so to speak, the dynamic I like best. I want Clark to pursue her and make her realise, against her will, that she *does* have feelings for him (because of course she does deep down) because that's what I personally find hottest. Completely selfish, yup. :) But also what I thought SV was going to go for because they had Clark meet alternafuture!Lois and have his eyes opened a bit about her banter, and they had him appreciating her more than ever before. The Clark side of Clois I'm still finding awesome. I'm just not finding the Lois side enjoyable or hot any more. It's such a personal thing--not a 'right or wrong' thing. I'm sure heaps of people will still find the dynamic as hot, or hotter.

Re: pt.1

[cbrownjc]

*delurks*

She does fall for Clark in modern age comics, after the revamp in 1986 (I think that's the right year?).

Yep. It was right after Crisis on Infinite Earths reset the DC Universe. She falls for Clark first starting from that point.

The movies and everything that have her falling for Superman first were all set before the Crisis happened (including Superman Returns). Smallville is really the first Superman retelling onscreen to be set in a very post-Crisis universe, so it's not incorrect to have her falling for Clark first, it's just a personal preference thing for most Clois fans (or non-fans) now. Because what Lois always falls for is suppose to be the "real" person and not the disguise, and pre-Crisis Clark Kent was nothing more than a disguise. Post-Crisis changed that to make Clark a real person in his own right (and even more after that, that their were actually three real sides to him: Clark Kent/Kal-El/Superman).

*relurks*

Re: pt.1

[duskwillow.livejournal.com]

Thank you! I have some knowledge about the comics, but it could be better, so clarification is always great. :)

Because what Lois always fall for is suppose to be the "real" person and not the disguise, and pre-Crisis Clark Kent was nothing more than a disguise. Post-Crisis changed that to make Clark a real person in his own right.

Oh yes, that is why I like that our Lois will fall for Clark first. Because the cape and tights will just be something he'll use to be able to have normal life and so his loved ones wouldn't be in danger. It's the man underneath the suit she falls for.
Same like she fell for Ollie without knowing he's the Green Arrow.

Re: pt.1

[cbrownjc]

*delurk*

Why I love SVLois falling for Clark first is not only because it works with the post-Crisis retelling of the myth, (and that I hate mostly everything pre-Crisis related as far as Superman goes anyway), it works for me in Smallville's retelling of the myth set in this post-crisis world. Because that's basically what the show is doing now (and has been since season 4 IMO).

Because, usually, Lois doesn't meet Clark until he has all his separate identities firmly established. So she only, really, meets the separate parts of a whole man.

On Smallville, however, Lois met the whole person in one go. Because Clark hasn't yet had to separate himself into different people. So, because Lois always fall for the real person and not the disguise, as Clark had no working disguises when they met and were becoming friends, it totally makes sense that at some point she'd start falling for him since she always falls for the "real" person.

For me, SV rendered any chance of Lois falling for Superman first impossible the minute she met Clark Kent and he had NONE of his separate identities established yet. Because Lois was meeting the full person from the outset, not just one or two separate sides of him.

Same like she fell for Ollie without knowing he's the Green Arrow.

Exactly. Which was pretty much set up for now. And SV Lois has been shown to be uncomfortable with the "hero" side of these guys, not the "normal" side (because of the issues with her father). She didn't fall for Green Arrow, she fell for Oliver. Green Arrow was just the secret surprise she didn't expect.

And now, falling for Clark makes Superman the secret surprise she isn't going to expect.

*relurk*

Re: pt.1

[bop-radar.livejournal.com]

For me, SV rendered any chance of Lois falling for Superman first impossible the minute she met Clark Kent and he had NONE of his separate identities established yet. Because Lois was meeting the full person from the outset, not just one or two separate sides of him.
Awesome points, especially this part. Thank you again! I like your argument very much and you have cemented for me that my real issue is not with Lois falling for Clark rather than Superman, it's for Lois falling for Clark before Clark falls for Lois. i.e. it's about the (im)balance of feeling between those two 'real' characters rather than any identity issues. And that won't be an issue for many people because they probably don't have my crazy thing of loving the aloof, unaware-that-she-has-feelings girl pursued by adorable devoted boy kink. ;)

Re: pt.1

[cbrownjc]

You know what? I'm not giving away any spoilers here, but I do think you're going to get the Clark persuading Lois dynamic because even with Lois recognizing there something - maybe - growing on her side, I really don't think she's going to pine after Clark, or even peruse him at all.

I said this in a review I wrote of the episode: "[H]aving Lois being the first one clued in to how she's feeling doesn't mean jack s**t - because she's Lois Lane. She's not going to whine, cry, angst, and do the longing act when it comes to Clark. She will fight, deny, and go down kicking and screaming into a relationship with him. And Clark is going to have to be the one to drag her into it.

Because having feelings for Clark other than friendship? Being attracted to and having a bond with him that could lead to falling in love with him? After having a front row seat to the Clark and Lana rollercoaster? And her little cousin writing intense love letters to him? Oh HELL no! Not going THERE thank you very much!"

It's why she turned down the offer to move back in with him at the end of the episode. Whereas, if he had asked her the same question at the beginning of the episode, there's no doubt in my mind she would have said yes.

Thank you for the greeting. I've been lurking and reading your journal and SV stuff since season six. Finally worked up the courage to finally comment. :)

Re: pt.1

[bop-radar.livejournal.com]

Ahh, I like your take on how Lois is dealing with this very much. I will certainly hope it plays out this way--you put a persuasive case for it, as I can't imagine Lois wanting to follow in the footsteps of Chloe or Lana either.

if he had asked her the same question at the beginning of the episode, there's no doubt in my mind she would have said yes.
Very good point! Yes, this is true... ok, she's going to fight it. That comforts me somewhat. :)

It's good to meet you at last! Thanks for reading and thanks even more for piping up and giving me another perspective to think about.

Re: pt.1

[bop-radar.livejournal.com]

Thank you for delurking to explain that!!

I'm happy to be corrected on that score. And yes, my main complaint is personal preference. ;)

Also, I quite *like* Lois falling for Clark (rather than Superman), but I need Clark to fall for her first.

Re: pt.1

[bop-radar.livejournal.com]

So to me her feelings for Clark hit her a bit unprepared, ergo the over the top jealousy fit and poking Clark in the arm after she caught him in the elevator with Maxima. I don't think she saw it coming, that is why she didn't answer when Maxima asked her if she feels anything for Clark.
I do agree--I think that's what they were going for. But the strength of her feelings and her reaction is what bothered me. If she'd had some instant jealousy and then wrestled it down and ignored it, that would have worked for me. Instead we got her screaming at Clark like a jealous girlfriend and even talking to herself about it afterwards. It was too heavy-handed for me to be plausible. But I take your point that they're going full tilt on all the storylines...

I guess I just don't understand where this liking of Clark came from.

I do not want any one-sided 'he loves me not' crap.
That would be the true death-knell of Clois for me. I'm disappointed now but not really upset. But if it turned into that... I'd be pretty angry.

She does fall for Clark in modern age comics, after the revamp in 1986
Cool. Thanks for that info. I've never been up with modern age comics.

The foundation was already there even before this season.
Totally! But to me there is a big difference from her looking at Clark and thinking 'yup, you're quite hot and you're a really nice guy but you're not my type' and her having the out-of-control hots for him. It makes their friendship awkward where it never was before.

. I want her to write that Lex expose even if he's not here anymore. Or get another really big story.
That would be great! Fingers crossed it happens.

[norwich36.livejournal.com]

I agree with you to the extent that I think they are rushing the Clois a bit, and it's making some of Lois' dialogue seem forced. I have to say, though, I have no problems with Lois having deeper feelings for Clark than she's acknowledging to herself as long as it's the same for Clark (which I think might have been hinted at in the tag scene of Instinct). But otherwise, yeah, the idea of Lois pining over Clark makes me want to vomit.

I do like the idea of Lois falling for Clark rather than Superman, though.

[bop-radar.livejournal.com]

otherwise, yeah, the idea of Lois pining over Clark makes me want to vomit.
Totally!

(What's a 'tag scene'?)

I don't mind the idea of Lois falling for Clark rather than Superman--but I feel it's way too early for her to do so in SV canon.

And also, yeah, it's just not my ultimate dynamic. You know: the dynamic that I find ridiculously superhot and irresistible. It's still a likeable dynamic and these two are probably hot enough to carry it somewhat for me. But it's not my toally ultimate ship type any more.

[cloiser-trish.livejournal.com]

Aww really? Last night's episode Instinct actually made me start liking them again after a 'not so sure' start of the season... I didn't like the bickering after last season where it was all sap and hugs and crying... but I LOVED last nights episode, and I love emotional Lois lol

[svgurl.livejournal.com]

Aww, I'm sorry the Clois didn't work for you. *hugs* I can totally understand being frustrated at the lightswitch and them not following canon.

It changes the Lois and Clark dynamic--what I love about that dynamic is Clark pining and Lois being kickass and oblivious. This is flipping that around and I'm being selfish here: that doesn't float my boat.

I hope that even while Lois is pining, she'll still be kickass. She doesn't seem the type to just mope or anything so at least we can eliminate that possibility.

Maybe I'm too optimistic ... but I have hopes for this season. I would like to see some feelings on Clark's side though. :D

[bop-radar.livejournal.com]

Oh, yeah she is still kickass! I loved her 'bring it, bitch' line, for instance. But it doesn't change the fact that she's actively interested in him which lessens the dynamic for me personally. I don't reckon most people will have my issue with it. ;)

I'm just going to hang out and watch/hope for Clark's feelings to play more of a part...

[daybreak777.livejournal.com]

Quick comment!

See, I like Clois. I like Clark/anyone. Poor kid. I like when anyone cares about him. And heck, I just wrote Clois and had no idea about this ep when I did. (Um, hope you like that fic. Just total fantasy, but I wonder how it reads after this ep.)

But there was some wtf-ery here with Lois. Not Clark. I buy what you said last week to me about him waking up to the awesomeness of Lois. But Lois? Wasn't she crying over Oliver last week? When did she get so emotional? I don't really know her well, but she seems to be going back and forth between tough!Lois and emotional!Lois pretty quickly.

They are rushing the Clois because the series is winding down. I don't know why. These two have plenty of time, it doesn't all have to happen on the show. Silly writers.

Also, as much as I want Clark to be happy with some woman, he had like three love interests in this single episode. Goodness! I kinda cheered when Chloe told him she was over him (don't know if I believed her but it sounded convincing) and I actually ship those two. He's cute and sweet, but I'm glad when women have a good backbone around him.

Lois has that. I don't care if they hookup as long as she stays Lois around him. She's been a bit weird lately and not just over Clark.

So Boppy I am so sorry they are changing your ship. I wish shows would never end so they wouldn't feel this need to rush things. I hope you feel a bit better now. Sometime soon, I'll have to rewatch Instint. I watched it, but didn't see where Lois said she had strong feelings for Clark. The alien-girl said it, but Lois said those words? Did I block it out? *g*

I still think she's a bit oblivious. But again, I have to watch the ep again. Off to print out your full-ep meta because I liked it very much too!

[bop-radar.livejournal.com]

I don't really know her well, but she seems to be going back and forth between tough!Lois and emotional!Lois pretty quickly.
yeah she was. It's not really her being emotional that I object to--that's been well established before, especially where relationships are concerned (her achilles heel!) and Oliver was a very big deal for her--her first real love. So I have no prob with that, but I do have a prob with her insta!feelings for Clark.

he had like three love interests in this single episode. Goodness!
Hahaha, that's oldschool!Smallville too though...

Lois has that. I don't care if they hookup as long as she stays Lois around him. She's been a bit weird lately and not just over Clark.
Yeah, I hate the new writing of Lois. I still love Erica's performance *as* Lois but they've given her some weird material. Ah well. Such is the life of an SV fan. We gotta roll with the punches.

didn't see where Lois said she had strong feelings for Clark. The alien-girl said it, but Lois said those words? Did I block it out? *g*
The strength of her reaction to them in the lift spoke louder than words and then she had a little monologue where she was all 'Smallville? never!' but she was clearly protesting way too much. It was too OTT for me to be in any doubt that she had raging feelings for him. I'm glad other people think she's still oblivious though... I guess it just wasn't subtle enough for me (but it's hilarious that I demand subtelty from SV, I guess!)

part I

[latxcvi.livejournal.com]

I'm sorry that you're not getting the dynamic you were hoping for and I'm sympathetic to your frustrations about that. Personally, I prefer Lois Falls For Clark First to Lois Falls For Superman First because I like the idea of her falling for the actual guy rather than his persona (and that ties in to the fact that I always hated the trope that Superman was the real guy and Clark Kent was just a mask; to me it always seemed like such a ... reductive way of looking at the character). So yeah, I guess it all comes down to personal preference regarding the dynamic. The only thing I really need is that it be mutual; if Lois is realizing she's got deeper feelings for Clark, then I need the same thing to be happening on his side of the equation.

I wouldn't even think of trying to talk you out of how you feel -- what makes a 'ship work for people is often as individual a thing as fingerprints -- but I do disagree, somewhat, with a couple of your arguments.

1. It breaks canon.

This is problematic because if one is really going to go there, then Lois shouldn't be in Smallville at all. Neither should Oliver. There's never been any non-AU version of the uber-canon where Clark knew Lois before his first day at the Daily Planet or where he knew the Green Arrow before Clark became Superman. For that matter, it's only in the Silver Age Superboy line of comics that Clark and Lex knew one another and were friends before they were enemies. SV has played so fast and loose with many aspects of the canon already that I do think it's hard to single anything out -- other than Clark doesn't become Superman, Lex doesn't become a villain -- and say it's impermissible because it violates canon.

I can't think of one plausible reason why Lois has suddenly got this level of jealousy about Clark.

I read her OTT reaction as being precisely because she was surprised to find herself feeling proprietary about seeing Clark with Maxima. She didn't expect that out of herself, which suggests to me that what she feels was buried deep and she was taken aback when it bubbled to the surface. Even as she's talking to Maxima, she's denying that she feels anything. It's Maxima who insists there's something deeper there.

She falls for heroes, damn it! And she has never seen Clark as one.

I would argue that Lois falls for honorable men. She didn't know AC had any kind of powers when she dallied with him; she just knew that he had certain ideals about how the world should be that she found admirable. She fell for Oliver before she ever knew he was the Green Arrow and in fact, when she suspected him of being GA in Hydro, she was actually upset about it precisely because she didn't agree with GA's style of vigilantism. By my lights, she was crying about it to Clark because she thought she'd discovered that the honorable man she loved was really the sketchy vigilante whose moral compass didn't quite align with hers. She was upset because she wasn't quite sure she could reconcile the two. At the end of the day, she came to think better of GA because she thinks Oliver is an honorable man and that made it easier for her to give his actions as GA the benefit of the doubt that they were being done with good intentions.

It's SV canon that Lois already thinks Clark is an honorable young man (Reckoning).

Re: part I

[bop-radar.livejournal.com]

Personally, I prefer Lois Falls For Clark First to Lois Falls For Superman First because I like the idea of her falling for the actual guy rather than his persona
Yup! On balanced reflection me too. And I've just struck out that part of my complaint for that reason. And also because it's been well pointed out that SV is more consistent with post-Crisis comics canon.

what makes a 'ship work for people is often as individual a thing as fingerprints
Yeah, ultimately that's the problem. It doesn't work so well for me now and I'm not really attached to this post as meta--it's more just a record of my personal resignation about the dynamic flipping away from what I personally prefer.

She didn't expect that out of herself, which suggests to me that what she feels was buried deep and she was taken aback when it bubbled to the surface.
Paid. But I found the whole thing massively overwritten. If it had been more restrained I could have rolled with it, but the strength of Lois's reaction (she screamed and tapped at his chest and stormed off!) seems to me like she couldn't really remain oblivious to her reaction and its implications. Yes, she protests against it to Maxima but Lois ain't dumb. She knows what that kind of over-the-top behaviour means and she may not like it but she just realised she has feelings for Clark. I think that showed in their final scene too where she very carefully avoided telling Clark what Maxima said. Once upon a time Lois would have blurted that out to him and been all 'HAAAA! Isn't that funny!' Now it's too close to the truth for her to voice.

she was crying about it to Clark because she thought she'd discovered that the honorable man she loved was really the sketchy vigilante whose moral compass didn't quite align with hers
That's not quite my reading of that scene, but I agree that it's well established that Lois likes honorable men. And she does think of Lois as one--she has gone so far as to say she'd be lucky to end up with someone like him one day. But before that did not mean she was actively interested in him, it just meant that she recognised in him qualities she appreciated.

Re: part I

[latxcvi.livejournal.com]

On balanced reflection me too.

I just saw your comment above where you say that what you really need(ed) is for Clark to fall for Lois first and you know what? I'll admit that I've had a little twinge of resistance to her doing the falling first, too. Like, I can go with it if that's how they're playing it because I think he's going to be right on her heels -- i.e., I don't think it's going to be unilateral or unrequited at all; um, I also think it's going to take forever for either of them to say anything to the other, but that's a post for another day -- but there's a small part of me that wants him to go ass over tea kettle first. I think ... I think I like the idea of having the fact that Lois Is Really Awesome validated through Clark going ga-ga over her.

Re: part I

[bop-radar.livejournal.com]

Yes! Yes, that's it! *clings* That is the heart of my complaint--I probably tried a little too hard to 'legitimise' it, but really it's just personal preference. I want ga-ga Clark! :D Because it validates Lois but also because he's so cute when he's smitten.

part II

[latxcvi.livejournal.com]

It's not even internally consistent within this season--last episode she had some amazing scenes with Oliver and worked through her emotions about their break-up. She's growing and beginning to consider that she may have been too hasty in her feelings there. She may be able to consider dating a hero in the future... That's great! And then suddenly she's lusting after Clark. Um... Weird connection there because--and I point this out again, because it's important--she does not view Clark as a hero.

Lois' actual issue, IMO, isn't about Oliver's hero-ness. It's about thinking that what he's doing in the world is so much bigger than her/anything she could contribute. That's what she says in Siren and her commentary in Toxic is merely a continuation of the thread started in Siren; the only difference is that she's begun to consider that possibly she could be with a man despite the outsized nature of his ambitions/station in life compared to the smaller-scaled nature of her own. That realization, of course, is what sets the stage for her to be with Clark once he becomes Superman in the future.

5. Even more tragically, they are defining Lois solely through her romantic plot this season.

Now this, I absolutely agree is completely problematic. There's no reason Lois couldn't be, say, investigating Tess, or trying to chase down where Lex is. Or following up on the spate of grisly killings she mentioned last week. There's no good reason why Lois' professional aspirations are happening off-screen.

6. There's an accompanying issue that we saw in 8.02, which I'll call the 'Lois and Clark' effect: it's the tendency to tear Lois down or make her look like a ditz or an idiot for comic effect and so that Clark can sigh wryly and with superiority and we can all remember who's really great.

Again, absolutely agree that this is problematic. But. I think it's a complaint more justly leveled at Plastique than Instinct. I thought Instinct!Lois was pretty awesome -- giving Clark sound advice about moving on, willing to take on Maxima, able to get information out of the police about an on-going investigation, among other things. And based on what she knew as a character, her deduction that a meteor mutant was responsible was completely reasonable. She couldn't be expected to know, or to assume, that Maxima was an alien. I never felt like I was supposed to be laughing at Lois in Instinct, whereas I did get that sense during some of her scenes with Clark in Plastique (most notably I'm thinking of her failure to get any useful info out of that rookie cop after insisting that she could).

Re: part II

[bop-radar.livejournal.com]

It's about thinking that what he's doing in the world is so much bigger than her/anything she could contribute.
Oh absolutely! Completely agree with your points there--but she doesn't think that about Clark yet either. His ambitions do not seem bigger than hers, quite the opposite.

it's a complaint more justly leveled at Plastique than Instinct.
Definitely--I meant it to be levelled at 8.02, sorry if that wasn't clear.

[tasabian.livejournal.com]

There's an accompanying issue that we saw in 8.02, which I'll call the 'Lois and Clark' effect: it's the tendency to tear Lois down or make her look like a ditz or an idiot for comic effect and so that Clark can sigh wryly and with superiority and we can all remember who's really great.
De-lurking to say I think this is spot-on...After the sweet Clois friendship of S6, this feels like a big step backwards. I wish the writers would ease up on all the 'shipper-urgency and just allow the characters to settle into their new roles: more focus on actual journalism for Lois, Clark and Jimmy; more focus on the sinister encroachment of Brainiac for Chloe.

[bop-radar.livejournal.com]

Mmm, yeah I really loved the S6 friendship. I agree with the need for the writers to relaaaax. 22 episodes is a lot of time! And it's still possible to create shippy moments (of greater subtelty!) within more plot-oriented scripts. Sigh.

[latteaddict.livejournal.com]

wow, you picked up on their dynamic switch much earlier than I did. I saw the changes but I didn't actually think TPTB would follow through so I brushed them off. 'The Bride' changed that of course; strong hints turned into straight canon.

I hope they fix it and don't drag this back-to-front dynamic on much longer.

[bop-radar.livejournal.com]

SAME! I feared it and then my worst fears came to pass... but I am hopeful that Clark will pine after Lois now she's gone to Star City for a while...