Tess is full of it

[xrayvision]

In Instinct, we saw a pretty big contradiction that further supports my theory that Tess is not out to look for Lex and was not put in charge of Luthorcorp.

There was a scene where Tess and Chloe speak and Chloe asks Tess how she knew about her past & Isis. Tess responds that she reviewed all of Lex's files and knows everything about her (though last I checked, I thought Lex didn't know about Isis).

Earlier in the episode, we saw Tess mock the idea of aliens & alien technology. This said volumes to me. How could Lex trust her with his entire company, all his data, all his records of all the bad stuff he did & trust her to live in his mansion if he didn't give her any information to the black ship (Brainiac) he researched, Brainiac's power source he also researched, and the orb & all that Veritas stuff. Clearly she has no idea of any of that stuff and would not mock it if she did.

I think Tess is a ruthless employee of Luthorcorp who saw an opportunity & seized it. I don't think she is looking for Lex, because I'm sure he would have been found by now. Instead, she is getting her hands on everything she can and is learning stuff herself while Lex is away. I think Tess is more like Helen Bryce than she is Lex's trusted 2nd in command.

[minerva73]

Didn't Lex find out about Isis in Wrath? He said that he knew a bit about Lana's secret room when he screamed at her for stalking him and tracking his every move.

Most of Lex's records about the aliens were deleted when Grant deleted the Project Scion files in Wrath IIRC. We saw images of the signin the Kent's field from Covenant and the spaceship from Arrival when Lana was going through the files, so I guess that they all got deleted when parts of the lab were destroyed and Grant deleted the rest of the things from the hard drive. Lex could've gone back and re-archived it, but he was quickly drawn into the mystery of Veritas a few episoes later.

Tess does know about some of what Lex was doing because of her comment about Lex naming his projects after star constellations (like Project Gemini). I don't know the exact quote, but I believe she was talking to Clark in that scene.

I agree to some extent, though. I do believe that she's looking for Lex, but she's also setting out to accomplish some of her own plans (like creating her Extraordinary League of Villains or whatever). The thing about she and Helen Bryce is that Tess even talked to her own hired assistant Kat about finding Lex while Helen only lied about finding Lex to the people that she knew were close with Lex.

[xrayvision]

I think whatever Tess said to Kat was a front to make it look like she's trying to find him.

As far as Lex's records, even if the ones on the computer were deleted, there would still be physical files based on research done. Like that file he showed of the black ship to Lana in Oracle (the one that Clark looked at when he broke into her dorm). There's no way she wouldn't know about that. I don't understand why she would mock the existence of aliens if she really knew about his research. I think she may know about some of the other stuff (the clone army), but not the key stuff that Lex found out.

I think Lex even saw the crystal for a second before Chloe pushed him headfirst into the cave wall in Commencement. I would think he would have told her about that if she's for real. She would at least know about the stones that formed the crystal (something that too many people knew in season 4).

[Sv.LoisLane]

Well... how could a ruthless employee become the active CEO of Luthorcorp? I mean, a corporation as big as that sure has an administrative system with at least 50 'big heads'. If she hadn'd had the power they wouldn't have allowed her get her current postition. The guy we saw in Odyssey (I can't remember his name) seemed to be one of those 'big heads' and yet couldn't overpower her.

And, IMO, Lex did know about Isis. He sure knew Lana stole 10 millions from him... so I think he tried to find out what did she do with them. He hasn't mentioned the foundation, but that doesn't bother me, because we haven't seen Lana actually working there either. She was just spying on him:rolleyes:.

As for the Brainiac/control device/etc. stuff... I think he hadn't the time to explain it to anyone, because not even him knew for sure what was going to come out of it.

Anyway, to me she's the new villain of the story and I hope PS3 will explore more her past/becoming the active CEO. This being said... I think the plot had to follow MR choice. We have Tess because MR didn't sign for another year... unfortunately:(.

ETA: I also think she's not looking for Lex anymore. She seemed to like his desk at the mansion a bit too much. She's getting used to this... and her egoism/self interest has the best of her.

[anitram]

I think the writers are deliberately keeping their options open by writing Tess as ambiguous as possible, so that by the end they can choose whatever reveal about her origin and true motivation that suits them best.

I'm very skeptical about there being any long-term plan for her character. I'm getting a very "indecisive" vibe from the way she's been written so far.

[ClarkyBoy14]

I think she's truly looking for Lex.

[hazzard]

Well this is what i think about Tess Mercer. I believe she is Mercy Graves, Lex's bodyguard and assistant from the superman cartoons. In one of the cartoon episodes Lex goes missing and she requires the help of superman to help find Lex, it all seems similar, so i think Tess becomes Mercy graves

[JNottle]

I can't remember exactly but in a Justice League episode didn't his assistant try to steal his company when he was gone until he came back and threatened them? Not sure if this was Mercy Graves though, they had blond-ish hair if I remember right.

[xrayvision]

Well... how could a ruthless employee become the active CEO of Luthorcorp? I mean, a corporation as big as that sure has an administrative system with at least 50 'big heads'. If she hadn'd had the power they wouldn't have allowed her get her current postition. The guy we saw in Odyssey (I can't remember his name) seemed to be one of those 'big heads' and yet couldn't overpower her.

And, IMO, Lex did know about Isis. He sure knew Lana stole 10 millions from him... so I think he tried to find out what did she do with them. He hasn't mentioned the foundation, but that doesn't bother me, because we haven't seen Lana actually working there either. She was just spying on him:rolleyes:.

As for the Brainiac/control device/etc. stuff... I think he hadn't the time to explain it to anyone, because not even him knew for sure what was going to come out of it.

Anyway, to me she's the new villain of the story and I hope PS3 will explore more her past/becoming the active CEO. This being said... I think the plot had to follow MR choice. We have Tess because MR didn't sign for another year... unfortunately:(.

ETA: I also think she's not looking for Lex anymore. She seemed to like his desk at the mansion a bit too much. She's getting used to this... and her egoism/self interest has the best of her.

Don't get me wrong. I'm actually liking Tess more & more. But I think she has a hidden agenda and isn't trusted by Lex otherwise she would know all about the alien stuff that Lex tested (the Brainiac ship, which Lex would have significant info on & more). Tess has a ruthless side and a softer side to her, which makes her an interesting villian and one who I think may be saved by Clark if Lex makes one final appearance to return & reclaim his empire.

[jpfort1957]

I agree with XRAYVISION. Tess is all for Tess and has a really bad case of PE. She's not the only emplyee with chip implants. Lex would never supply anyone person with all his secrets.