Smallville

[hils]

BLAH!!!

I wondered how long it would be for the euphoria to wear off. The answer is now.

This episode was slow, boring and pointless.

Well, not entirely pointless I suppose. We've established the Clois, which frankly was more fun when it was subtle, and Chloe has finally moved on from Clark (for which I say a massive hoorah even if I hate Chimmy)

But the crystal is back so that's something. I'm hoping against hope that this Season will end with Clark getting the crystal back, rebuilding the fortress and going off to become Superman in the final episode.

But, yeah, not impressed with this one at all.

Comments

[notsowise-sage.livejournal.com]

I didn't mean it's something that we've missed - it's not been mentioned, or actually hinted at - it's the way Clark's behaving round it. It doesn't feel right/true unless something like that were known.

It will drive a wedge between them at this rate though - if Clark becomes hell bent on fixing Chloe, she'll likely as not turn away from him, because as far as she's concerned this is the best thing to ever happen to her. Though, one does wonder where she's getting money from. She doesn't seem short of it for someone who's currently unemployed (unless Lana left the Isis foundation all the money she got from Lex?)

[hils.livejournal.com]

They never explain these things. Like how Lois and Clark both got journalism jobs despite the fact neither of them went to college.

Lana has never had a job from what I can tell, yet she could afford to go to college and art school before she started sponging off Lex

[notsowise-sage.livejournal.com]

I think they just consider the materialism to be a distraction from the actual story - but the omission bugs me. There's no way as a simple struggling reporter that Jimmy was covering her (well financially anyway... I don't need to know about the bedroom thank you). Of course, Lois did live with Chloe for a bit - but it's a bit of a sucky thing to do, just live off your house mate because you don't want to/can't get another job. Of course, if she were hacking computers to earn a living, that would make sense, and spoil her in Clark's eyes. More fuel for the drift between them later on?

Lois I can actually understand, you'd be surprised how easy it is to work for some of the rags, she starts off at the Enquirer, which is supposedly notorious for it's sensationalism, and outlandishness, and lack of journalistic integrity - they saw Lois as a chance for more alien/weird things stuff, which is what she took to them to start with. From there, she just had to worm her way into the Daily Planet as an existing reporter. Gets you round the university/college issue (trust me I know, I don't have a degree, and do a job that most others I know that do it have a degree - work experience, and title on CV can be worth as much).

As to Clark, this also makes sense, and they've covered it pretty well (after Clark's character was spoilt by pulling him out of SU), Lois gives him the application, and she expects he'll start down in the reporters pool, where they spend most of their days hoping for a story, and a byline, while mostly photocopying, and researching for the big dogs (regular by-liners, features, and opinion writers). The reason Clark's rocketed upwards is Lex. They may not have been getting on at the end of their relationship, but Lex could have easily left instructions for him to be taken care of - if you want it from a slash point of view. More realistically (and still kind of slashy), Tess would have known about Lex's interest in Clark (though not fully understood it), and when his application came in, she decided to put him where he is. Knowing that this would either gain her brownie points with her mentor when he returns, or keep Clark in a position for Lex to deal with him. It means she has pretense to be in contact with Clark, while she suspects him of having something to do with, or knowledge of Lex's disappearance. What Clark does with this opportunity though, is he becomes a real reporter through it, and like Lois, once it's there, it's there - qualifications regardless.

[hils.livejournal.com]

It makes a bit more sense with Clark, I guess, since he has the journalistic experience of The Torch and before he got this job he was being supported by his parents.

No one seems to know where Gabe has disappeared to and I suppose Lana's Aunt Nell could have paid for her college and art school but they never explain these things.

This is my main issue with Smallville, the gaping plot holes. It's like no one can be bothered to think about this stuff. All it takes it a throwaway line of dialogue now and then

[notsowise-sage.livejournal.com]

The Torch wouldn't really be considered much experience, unless it was for an internship - which his job isn't.

I reckon, he'll take a break from the Daily Planet at some point, when he goes off to become Superman, which allows the Chlois to die down, and Lois to bury her feelings. Perry can come in - re-hire Clark based on the degree he's going to pretend he has (which will be the reasoning behind him disappearing - or some further relevant work experience abroad), and the comic story takes over from there.

Of course we won't see past him disappearing, but it's nice to know that season 8 is going in a proper direction for this to happen, after certain producers really lost their way with the Superman legend - different Earth or no.

[hils.livejournal.com]

Aye, in the Superman Birthright book (which is ace) Clark spends his first few years out of Smallville travelling the world and using his powers to help people whilst writing stories about it at the same time, which is what gets him his job at The Planet.

[notsowise-sage.livejournal.com]

I haven't read that one - but it makes sense in many ways. Clark would find it difficult to attend university - being a reporter is fairly easy as he needs to be out and about a lot, he does need to be where the action is, etc... but as his responsibilites grow, and the risks - he'd miss a lot of university. And though he can write very fast, it would increase the risk of him being noticed.

Travelling the world, and writing is the perfect thing - it's training, it allows him to learn what there is in the world, what he'd be saving beyond Metropolis, and gives him experience to get a job.

Thusly, Smallville, actually isn't far off a pretty perfect explanation of how a corn boy from Kansas (or whichever state Smallville is in this week), can become a world class reporter. That and his connection with a certain caped hero of course.

[hils.livejournal.com]

Hehe! There's always an explanation. Like Peter Parker and his Spidey photos

[notsowise-sage.livejournal.com]

Yeah - sometimes they don't say these things, because they expect you to work it out, or for it to be natural knowledge.

I forget it's name, I've not seen it in years, however there's this fantastic Japanese war film I once saw. It seems to start in the middle, but this is because people in the West don't know Japanese history, so the fact that it's just a segment of history, and we're meant to know the back story going into it was lost on me.

Similarly, we wouldn't need an explanation of how the American, or British civil war's began, it's ingrained knowledge we carry with us.

In a way, how Clark and companions make some of the social and economical movements should be expected by us, we can fill in the blanks without being told. Rather than wasting air time, when the situation, or object in question isn't necessary. Just like we don't see heroes going to the loo - it's a given that it happens, and it's not going to affect the plot.

I do think it's a bit careless in Smallville though, you can make too many of these assumptions on behalf of your audience.

[hils.livejournal.com]

Oh, yeah, I definitely think there's too many gaps

Like Al Gough being surprised that people didn't immediately assume it was Lex who had faked Lana's pregnancy