Something important to note about Clark...

[DailyPlanetFan]

I don't think Clark was written as "poorly" as everybody thinks he was. I do agree that Lana is a major roadblock to the Superman we all know and love, so I think it was very consistent that Clark's weaker side come out when Lana comes back to town.

I mean, look at it this way: you wouldn't have been just as put off if Lana came back and Clark said, "I don't want anything to do with you anymore. See ya!" I would have been.

In Bride, Clark was all about Lois. Then Lana walks back into his life and he's like WTF. And all these feelings come rushing back. THIS HAPPENS TO EVERYONE, EVEN CLARK. Clark continues to fight the feelings for Lana, even telling her that he could have used some warning about her return. At the end of the episode, it was clear to me that Clark's heart was still with Lois. In essence, it was LOIS who was, sadly, giving up on Clark at that moment. (Did it ever occur to anyone that if Lois had stuck around maybe Clark wouldn't be so stuck on Lana?)

In Legion, Clark saw a new, grown-up Lana. He couldn't help but be attracted to her.

In Bulletproof, he sees what Danny Turpin has, and Lana's presence and everything swirling around in that episode culminated in a MOMENT of weakness for Clark.

In Power, Clark realizes what he's done and is sorry. He's going to talk to Lana about it, but then all hell breaks loose and he is consumed with doing THE SUPERMAN THING and finding Lana. He is deeply disturbed by Lana putting on the Prometheus suit. Anybody who didn't see that isn't watching the same show I am. But Lana has a way of "hypnotizing" him. Let's face it: dangle her in front of Clark and the cracks in his character begin to show. He indulges in another moment of weakness and kisses her.

I am sure that by the end of Requiem, Clark's going to realize that what Lana has done is, well, troubling. That it was irresponsible and selfish. And I'm sure Lana will see this too.

This is why they call it a "story arc" people. Wait for the conclusion before you judge.

[stenochick]

I would like to here words come out of Clark's mouth stating what he has learned from all this and how he has grown from it. I'll wait until the end of season 8. I'm very patient.

[Sunny8]

The only thing is, after the Lana 5 do I really want Lois with Clark now? Clark is going to have to do some hard chasing with me to make me see that he should be with Lois. Otherwise, he and Lana are welcome to each other in my book.

[PokaPlaya]

In regards to what DPF said it's fitting then that lana is contaminated by kryptonite in "requiem" thus effectively ending CLANA forever. The one woman that makes him weak and unlike himself is contaminated by the one thing that can cause him physical weakness. How's that for contrived irony. that aside, I think they've done a good job actually. A steady predictable progression to a full blown Lois/ Clark relationship this season would have pretty much meant the end for smallville as no real compelling storyline would be left unless you want a repeat of "freak o the week " as in season 1. Consumating that relationship now would spell the end for smallville thus I feel they are writing in anticipation of a season 9. While I didn't completely enjoy "power" in the context of Clois it was not that bad as a stand alone episode/ reveal of Lana's side story/ future. Plus, it provides a permanent reason for Clana to be over. He never really got a chance to say goodbye last year. WhileI agree that its seems like difficult a undertaking for the writers to go from this storyline to Clark apparently shifting his romantic attention back to Lois in Ep. 17 Hex, so far he has not really expressed how much he likes lois up to this point and therfeore I don't see this "flipflop" as an indictment of Clark's character as others have stated in recent threads.