Ep 3.2 - Phoenix

[yellowqueen22]

Clark is back home in Smallville but Morgan Edge is determined to get a hold of the blood "Kal" was supposed to steal. Lex returns home and gets to the bottom of who set him up.

[OutlawAngel]

I really loved this episode. I liked this original Morgan best. I also liked that there was no FotW. For the most part the episode was Clark battling himself. And the Clark/Jonathan fight was th best fight of the series to me.

[UpandAtom]

The special effects in this episode were great. Lot of good performances by the actors. The only bad thing was that Pete wasn't around for Clark's return.

[OutlawAngel]

I probably shouldnt of gotten a laugh out of this but now rewatching the episode I laugh because Jonathan gets knocked out/passes out 3 times.

I have to wonder why didnt they take him off to the doctor or something. No wonder the man was brain dead by the end of this season.

[vyperman7]

I was very dissapointed with the opening fight between JK and Clark. It was far too short. That is one aspect of the show I have always been dissapointed with. Every fight has always been too short and not that satisfying.

Overall the episode was decent. But in terms of a follow up to Exile, it could have been a hell of a lot better.

[UpandAtom]

I thought the fight scene was great. Lot of great special effects and Jonathan finally whipping some sense into his boy.

[LexLuv180]

This was a good one. I noticed Clark seemed happy when he used his intimidation tactics on Morgan in the car. A little left over from the Red K maybe?

[TKFlash]

That fight with Johnathan was the best fight I've seen, and Clark got his butt kicked.

[OutlawAngel]

I know I might not be in the majority on this but I loved Phoenix more than I did Exile but both of them are among my favorites.

[EricN68]

Looking back, one of the most bittersweet moments of this episode is Clark and Lex reuniting. They seem happy to be friends; and Lex does a very generous thing at the end by buying the farm in the Kents' names. Of course he has an ulterior motive, but it's still great to see what good friends they were at one point, and sad to think that they are fated to be mortal enemies.

[red-K glory]

This episode was a great continuation from Exile. Season 3 is just plane awesome! I was totally cool how Lex got off the island and got his revenge on Helen. This whole episode was great!

[metal gear kal-el]

Did anyone get a Macgyver vibe when Clark cracked the photo frame and used the glass to get the tape off, then finally use heat vision to explode the truck. Although I think Macgyver would of got out of that situation a lot cooler.

[sup3rp3t3]

here is the pheoenix avatar:

[kidburla]

Why is this episode called Phoenix?

Phoenixes burst into flame and then are reborn. The scar on Clark's chest could be considered "flame", but I thought there might be a better explanation that I've missed.

[sup3rp3t3]

we dont write the episodes. u ask them lol. i have no idea!

[Welling_is_pretty]

I liked this episode. Not as much as Exile before it, but it was good.
I enjoyed watching Clark 'fake' being Kal when he ripped the door off. My fave scene in the episode, or it would be except for the Clark/Lex moment.
Also, watching the scene where Lex pays for hte farm and asks only that the Kents "consider me part of the family" was tough to watch because about five minutes later (figuratively speaking) they were treating him like dirt again.

[Keldaz]

^^ lol word.

Anyhow... I liked this episode, it felt like it was longer than 40 minutes. :)

Great episode i have to say :)

[InAFlash]

Overall I think this was an entertaining episode. I love Clark's reaction to Morgan Edge at the farm when he takes the door off of the car and the fight scene between Clark and JK.

However, I do think it was bad writing to have Lana show up at the barn when Edge's two thugs were there. She ends up killing one of them but never questions Clark or his parents about the incident again. It seems to me that Lana would want to know what exactly the Kent family was involved in and why she had to kill someone. I guess the writers could'nt come up with a decent explanation for Clark to give her so they chose to forget about it.

[tallville]

i agree with the majority. the fight scence kicked ass. this episode wasn't as good as exile but it was still a very good eppy.

[LuthorRequiem2]

"Why is this episode called Phoenix?

Phoenixes burst into flame and then are reborn. The scar on Clark's chest could be considered "flame", but I thought there might be a better explanation that I've missed."

I think it's more a metaphor for Clark being reborn into a good person again. Once the red K has left his system, the scar on Clark's chest or "flame" disappears, and this symbolizes his badness disappearing as well, and him being born anew again.

[smlgrl1547]

i loved the end of the episode it's a real Clana moment between Clark
& Lana

[redKfan]

i have aids

[LanaandPete]

Also thought it was weird that Pete wasn't in this episode nor mentioned, and he and Clark didnt have a reunited scene

[tibbit78]

What did I think of Phoenix? I liked Phoenix for 7 reasons. They are:


1) Favorite Clark and Chloe lines:


Clark: Chloe, I just came to say thank you.

Chloe: Oh, it's one of those days, because I can never tell with you, whether you're gonna walk in and it's gonna be an apology or an accusation.

Clark: Chloe, I gave you absolutely no reason to stand by me. But you knew where I was all summer and didn't tell anyone.

Chloe: Yeah, well, that's what friends do for each other, Clark.


2) Best Chloe & Lana scene: (I love this scene, because I just loved their lines).


Chloe: Let's face it, Lana. Clark has more issues than "Rolling Stone." Look, I know what I did was wrong, and as much as I hate to admit it, it really felt good being the person he confided in again.

Lana: Clark's always been more comfortable talking to you.

Chloe: It's because he's not in love with me.


3) Funniest moment in the episode:


Actually, I have 3 funniest moments in the episode. It's the quotes that made me laugh.


1) Helen: Oh, Lex... Thank, God.

Lex: Trust me, I've done that already. God seems to be the only one on my side lately.


2) Morgan Edge (to Clark): I know you're quick. But you can't get to both of them at the same time.


3) Helen (to Lex): You're not drinking?

Lex: Well, I sort of lost my taste for champagne. Did you sleep well last night?


4) Favorite Clark related moments. Well, actually I have 2 favorite Clark Kent moments. They are:


1) The Clark & Lex moments:


Lex: Am I too early for the farm auction?

Clark: Lex?

Lex: Three months on a deserted island was almost worth it just to see the look on your face right now.

(Clark and Lex smile as they walk towards each other and hug each other. This is the reason why I love this Clark & Lex scene).

Clark: Aw, man! Aw, Lex, we thought you died.

Lex: Well, apparently fate has bigger plans for me. I heard about the farm. Anything I can do?

Clark: No, Lex, you know my dad. It's good to see you, Lex.


2) The Clark & Lana Moments:


Lana: Clark, I know there are things about you that you try to shield me from, but you don't have to protect me anymore. Whatever it is, I can handle it. I really want to know you.

Clark: Look, um, Lana... The way you looked at me in Metropolis, you were disgusted.

Lana: No, I was confused. You can't blame me for that.

Clark: I don't blame you. But I can't stand for you to to ever look at me that way again.

Lana: You weren't yourself.

Clark: Yes, I was, Lana, I chose to let that part of me out, and it's always gonna be there. Trust me, you don't want to know me the way you think you do.

Lana: Clark, that's my decision to make.

Clark: Lana, I'm sorry. I wanted this so much. All last year I tried so hard to be the right guy for you, but I'm not. This will never work.

Lana: Clark, you never had to try.


5) I only wish that Clark didn't push Lana away at the end of this episode. I wish that Clark would try to give this relationship a chance.


6) What do I like best about Tom Welling's performance? Everything about this episode. I like the way he expresses himself, by the look on his face: Happiness, anger, seriousness, etc. Tom Welling did a fantastic job.

What do I like best about Kristin's performance? The expression on her face at the end of this episode, when she was talking to Clark. I especially liked the scene between she and Allyson Mack, when they were fighting with each other over Clark. That was a very good scene.

What do I like best about Allyson's performance? The scene with her and Kristin (when Lana & Chloe were fighting over Clark about not telling anyone where Clark Kent was). And the scene with her & Tom (when Clark came by to thank Chloe at the torch, and Chloe was angry at Clark for taking his frustrations and anger out on Chloe). That was a great scene for Allyson Mack.

What do I like best about Michael Rosenbaum's performance? The best Michael Rosenbaum performances were Lex & Louis out on the island. Michael did a fantastic performance in that scene. And the other scene with Helen & Lex on the plane, when they were arguing about Helen try to kill him off.


7) Phoenix:


What I liked about Phoenix was the Clark & Jonathan relationship: Clark feels bad for his Dad sacrificing his body to bring Clark back home. Clark tells his Mom that whatever Jor-El did to his Dad, must have been too much for his father's body to handle. Jonathan answers Clark back, "The important thing is that Clark is back home with us now." Clark asks his father Jonathan, "You made a deal with Jor-El, didn't you?" Mr. Kent answers Clark, "Clark, the most important thing right now is that my son has his life back." Clark answers back, "I'm not sure I want it back. And being Kal-El, I could just do whatever I wanted. It was like this huge weight had been lifted off me." Jonathan tells Clark, "Look, I'm not saying that staying is going to solve all your problems, but at least this way we can face it together as a family."


I love Clark & Chloe relationship. Clark comes into the Torch to say thank you to Chloe. He tells Chloe, "I gave you no reason to stand by me. But you knew where I was all Summer and didn't tell anyone."

Chloe answers Clark back, "Well, that's what friends do for each other, Clark." (Indeed, they are such great friends! One day Chloe even told Clark that he's her BFF, which means Best Friends Forever).


I also liked Clark & Lex's friendship in Phoenix. They hug each other after Clark says, "Lex!" and Lex answers Clark, "Three months on a deserted island was almost worth it to see the look on your face right now." Lex tells Clark about what went on while he was on the island, and Clark tells Lex, "Lex, I guess we all got to take a look at our dark side sooner or later."

Then Lex buys the Kent Farm back, so the Kents won't have to sell their farm. Lex tells Martha & Jonathan Kent that after his plane went down, the compass Jonathan gave Lex as a wedding gift, guided Lex to a safe harbor. Lex: The lease I can do is help you keep your farm. Jonathan Kent was very appreciative of Lex and said, "We will find a way to pay you back," and Lex answers, "If it's not too presumptuous, I hope you'll just consider me as part of the family." This was a great episode.

























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[Yasise]

I watched this episode so many times now - I did again yesterday - I love it, but everytime I see that truck scene, where they put Clark in to bring him to Morgan Edge and Lionel Luther, I'm just like "this was so not logical"!

I'm speaking of Clark's reaction to kryptonite.

The other time, he can't even raise his arm when being exposed to kryptonite and here, in this episode, he manages to get rid of the bandages around his wrists and and to throw the kryptonite away? I'm always like "?????".

Sorry, I don't want to be considered as a narrow-minded person, but I think the writers should have been more consistent with that "kryptonite reaction stuff". There are so many examples throughout the seasons till today.

What do you think about that?

[Eri-El]

This was a good one. I noticed Clark seemed happy when he used his intimidation tactics on Morgan in the car. A little left over from the Red K maybe?



I was thinking the same thing......I just rewatched it. I love this epi because it does seem like Clark has the guts to be tough even with no Red K

[Flowergirl123]

The fight was really good. And I was happy tha he broke up with Lana at the end but it was sad.

[WellingFan]

Loved this episode as well, brilliant start to another great Season!

[Sunny8]

Things I found interesting about this episode:

*Clark pretty much tells Lana she is not the one in this episode. He knew then. Why did they put these two back together? He always broke up with her over the years for the same reason. Were there no other girls in Smallville that he could have hooked up with? How could anyone say that these two ever had a good relationship?

*I liked that Jonathan allowed Lex to help the family for once. In Zero he gave Lex back the money that Lex owed the family because of something totally stupid. Jonathan made his family suffer unecessarily at times because of his pride and anger.

Overall, a good episode.

[melbow]

I miss helen bryce sooo damn much!! maybe it's a good idea to bring her back and have a arc with tess for a couple of episodes! Maybe she and lex are still married and she want all the money and al hiss stuff and the house!

[sithius]

I always wondered in this episode why Clark wasn't able to superspeed and save both his mom and dad. I mean, surely it's not a case of his superspeed not being developed enough so that he isn't fast enough? Because in a season 4 episode, which is only perhaps a year after this episode, Clark saves Chloe in that football game in the blink of an eye. If I were Clark I would have saved both my parents, then knocked out the thugs and superspeeded Morgan Edge out of town then done the whole threaten to kill him thing. The last thing I would do is show him my weakness!

[SGuthrie27]

I think Clark wasn't certain, at this point, whether or not his super-speed was truly fast enough to allow him to save both parents if Edge's thugs pulled the trigger at the exact same time, and I don't blame him... though it was relatively stupid of him to reveal his weakness so readily. He could've probably faked them out and saved his parents some other way by catching them off-guard while pretending to leave to get the actual blood sample.

I have to admit that I, too, was immensely sad that Helen Bryce was never brought back... even for a single episode... She was a fascinating character who had an interesting relationship with Lex that probably could've been explored in more depth. I always thought it'd be cool/funny if Helen showed up at Lex & Lana's wedding in "Promise" and said, "You can't marry him, because he's still MY husband!" *Gasp!* LOL! :D

Seriously, though, there's an even bigger "Phoenix" mystery that was never resolved... How on Earth did Chloe's hair grow THAT MUCH between "Exile" and "Phoenix"?! :p

--SGuthrie ><>' :)--

[6157]

I watched this episode so many times now - I did again yesterday - I love it, but everytime I see that truck scene, where they put Clark in to bring him to Morgan Edge and Lionel Luther, I'm just like "this was so not logical"!

I'm speaking of Clark's reaction to kryptonite.

The other time, he can't even raise his arm when being exposed to kryptonite and here, in this episode, he manages to get rid of the bandages around his wrists and and to throw the kryptonite away? I'm always like "?????".

Sorry, I don't want to be considered as a narrow-minded person, but I think the writers should have been more consistent with that "kryptonite reaction stuff". There are so many examples throughout the seasons till today.

What do you think about that?

That's not the only plot hole here but since no one else has mentioned it, maybe I'm missing something.

What the hell was Helen Bryce's motivation to kill Lex? Wikia says it was a plot with Morgan Edge but they NEVER mention it or refer to it once during the episode.

[9-SOSIHTWB]

8/10, I wasn't keen on the Clana ending!!!

[BohoRoohaha]

I wish there was a scene of final closure between Clark, Jonathan and Martha about Clark leaving to Metropolis, and Martha losing the baby, everything else in between. Did that ever happen? I don't remember. We can chalk it up to one of those "Scenes I would have liked to see in Smallville moments"

[Nimkong]

I liked this episode but it wasent better than Exile.Liked the johnathan/clark battle,morgan edge was tight in this one.But i dont like how lana and clark broke up after 4 episodes

[jon-el87]

I miss helen bryce sooo damn much!! maybe it's a good idea to bring her back and have a arc with tess for a couple of episodes! Maybe she and lex are still married and she want all the money and al hiss stuff and the house!

You might have something there. Helen might still be alive, she might not have been decleared legally deceased and because of that, is still legally married to Lex (so, was Lex and Lana's actually marriage legal?).

Seriously, the writers should really adress both Helen Bryce and Lucas Luthor (seeing how they both, have got legal claim over Luthorcorp. Seeing how they're the wife and half-brother, of the now (decleared) deceased CEO)... (Among the ultimate fate, of a lot of characters, in the first few seasons. Are they dead? (Which would explain, why we haven't seen any meteor freaks, since Injustice; They've all passed away.)

[SmallvillesBiggestFan]

I thought Lex said his marriage to Helen was anulled.

[smallville forever]

im sure lex did say that to lionel he takes off his wedding ring when asking to rejoin his father

[SmallvillesBiggestFan]

During the summer, I am rewatching the entire series. I just finished Phoenix. I was positive that Lex and Helen's marriage was anulled, but so far, I haven't come across any such statement.

In Phoenex, Helen says to Lex. "If you want this marriage annulled, I understand" (or something like that. But Lex acts like he want to make up with her (to trap her).

So far in my reviewing they are still married.:confused:

[wendelboe]

During the summer, I am rewatching the entire series. I just finished Phoenix. I was positive that Lex and Helen's marriage was anulled, but so far, I haven't come across any such statement.

In Phoenex, Helen says to Lex. "If you want this marriage annulled, I understand" (or something like that. But Lex acts like he want to make up with her (to trap her).

So far in my reviewing they are still married.:confused:
Maybe Helen is presumed dead now, and because of that they can't exactly be married

[smallville forever]

its safe to say that after trying to kill lex the marriage is definatley been annulled

[Lonnietoons]

I really liked this one. I loved the fight in the beginning although it's too short. I gotta say I think the way Clark talk in the scene is horrible though O_o He sounds sooooo freakin' weird and the whole ripping off his shirt and all was weird too, but...
It def. wasn't Jonathan's day loool poor guy, but at least he didn't look like a fish like at the end of the previous episode XD
Anyway the best fight scene in the show of what I've seen.

[urrutiap]

Does Dr Helen even return later on? Its been a long time since we've seen Dr Helen episodes later on after Pheonix

[nemmah]

I loved this episode, except for the fact that I could never quite figure out the whole Helen Bryce suddenly an evil gold digger thing. There was never any sort of vibe *at all* from her in season 2 that she was even remotely like that. It just seemed like her character did a complete 180. It's one thing to have Lex fooled, and it certainly made for a decent twist, but usually there are subtle hints or foreshadowing about the ulterior motives of a character, at least from the audience's perspective

[BkWurm1]

General comments...I still hate what they (TPTB) did to Helen Bryce. Makes no frick'n sense character wise. Sudden the woman who scorned her family's whealth and had such integrity that she became the trusted Doctor to Martha and Clark who was ready to leave the man she loved when he betrayed her trust was always just in it to get money to go shopping??? What the hell??

I couldn't even bear to watch her parts in the episode, just fast forwarded through them to avoid getting mad all over again. (Obviously that didn't work)

Smallville is so good IMO at ruining interesting and complex characters and making them cleched villians. Like Jason suddenly plotting from the beginning with his evil mother or IMO Davis, desperate not to be a monster and then in the end, his first act of freedom from his curse is to murder Jimmy and try to kill Chloe? Didn't fit with the story being told IMO.

Okay moving away from the perpetual irratation, I was again struck with pity for Lex. FINALLY he is accepted by the Kents as family and so very little time goes by before he is the pariah again. Just makes me sad.

Another random thing, I kind of hate Chloe's waaaay too flippy hair in this episode. Too little girlish. It was so edgy in Exile with the asymetrical cut but the producers just had to freak out and make AM get extentions on one side. The off kilter haircut was a better fit IMO for a Chloe that was dabbling on the darkside, even if her actions said she remained on the side of the light.

Now for the real reason I was compelled to revisit the forums. I just couldn't believe how strongly all my old Chlois beliefs came rushing back when I watched this episode. Yes, yes, I know I am practically inviting flames and yet I wasn't even looking for it and the contrast between what Clark tells Chloe and Lana just jumped out at me.

Jump back to Exile and we had Clark enraged by Lana betraying him even as she claims to love him. Contrast that with Clark's amazement over Chloe's loyalty even when he freely admitted to not giving her any good reason to do so.

(Yes I know kind of ironic since she had that deal with Lionel going on in the background but since I can benifit from knowing already that she never gave Lionel anything harmful and kept his location a secret, I'm going to stick with giving her the points for loyalty)

Personally, I also find it interesting that "Kal" trusted that Chloe wouldn't tell anyone. Yes, he threatened to run if she did, but if he was so worried about being found, he would have just moved on IMO, except that he trusted that Chloe would keep quiet.

Later we have Lana lamenting that Clark can talk to Chloe and Chloe saying it was because he wasn't in love with her and yet, at the end of the episode, we have Clark deciding that it is Lana that can't handle the real Clark Kent, that he'd tried to be someone else so that they could be together but that they could never work.

Again I think back to Exile. This time to the tremendous fight that KAL and Chloe have. Frankly, I love that fight. It is so raw and brutal and Chloe just gets right up in his face and calls him out on his cowardice for running away. He gets so riled that the sheild scar starts acting up and even as he is roaring and pushing her toward the door, she refuses to be intimidated. Only his last shouted "Get out" made her flinch. He pulls of the ring and Chloe's words seep in and they push him to go home only to misunderstand what he overhears.

I contrast that with Lana who shows up and he reacts very calmly to her arrival and her words only induce him to include her in his crazy exploits, not consider rejecting them. Later Lana whimpers and weeps and calls his mommy and daddy. (which is what he counts as a betrayal)

Once he is back in Smallville, both Chloe and Lana recognize that he was like a different person, but the show seemed to point out that Chloe was willing to see his dark side as a part of who she might have to deal (I saw this by the way she held him accountable but was willing to more forward) while Lana could only forgive him once she decided it really wasn't him at all, essentially pretending it never happened.

At the end of the episode, even though Clark obviously still has feelings for Lana (I won't call it love because I NEVER believed he ever really loved the real Lana, just the imaginary perfect person who represented being normal) he has learned a lesson from Jor-El's sadistic meddling and knows Lana isn't the right person for the real him.

(Brief rant now about how way back in Season 3 the main character already understood in a mature way that Clana would never work and not because of his secret, but due to a basic incompatibility with who he really was as a person and yet that dead horse got flogged for another 5 years!!!)

So basically, I felt like there was a huge foreshadowing in these episodes about who WOULD be the right fit for him in the future. By the time Delete rolled around we already had Chloe Sullivan trying to disguise who she really was by using a very familiar pen name. I can't help but look back at where the season started with Exile and Phoenix and see a connected pattern.

The show is done. The past is kind of pointless, except that even knowing now how everything ended, I still see the same old things in the old episodes that pointed IMO to a very different direction. Like I said, doesn't really matter, but yeah, it does because whereas once I wondered if I had imagined the whole thing, now I'm sure I had very good reason to keep my original expectations.

Ok, I feel better now. Thanks for letting me purge.

[Supsfan]

General comments...I still hate what they (TPTB) did to Helen Bryce. Makes no frick'n sense character wise. Sudden the woman who scorned her family's whealth and had such integrity that she became the trusted Doctor to Martha and Clark who was ready to leave the man she loved when he betrayed her trust was always just in it to get money to go shopping??? What the hell??

I personally hate the whole Calling to Exile run(I thought Phoenix was alright if you try ignore as much of the previous 3 episodes as possible) because it just felt like the producers were pulling stuff out of there butts to try force "drama". The Helen is evil fits the bill in that regard.

Speaking of stuff in that Calling to Exile run that made no sense(along with Helen):


Okay moving away from the perpetual irratation, I was again struck with pity for Lex. FINALLY he is accepted by the Kents as family and so very little time goes by before he is the pariah again. Just makes me sad.

So for 2 season Jonathon practically turns his back on Lex only to be his stand in dad at the wedding. I never really got this and it just felt completely out of place.

I always say you can pinpoint any problems on the show how it was written to this series of episodes(forced drama, Clark being depressed beyond belief doing stupid things because of it, storylines that don't really add up, etc)

No don't even get me started on what the hell was the point of Martha getting pregnant.


Now for the real reason I was compelled to revisit the forums. I just couldn't believe how strongly all my old Chlois beliefs came rushing back when I watched this episode. Yes, yes, I know I am practically inviting flames and yet I wasn't even looking for it and the contrast between what Clark tells Chloe and Lana just jumped out at me.

This is one thing I hate about the Chlois theory, everything somehow gets twisted as some "proof" of Chloe = ILL even though there is absolutely no tie in to comic Lois Lane. Simple fact is Chloe sold Clark out for a job at the paper and Chloe should have told his parents what he was up to(and even admitted later on part of her liked being the only one who knew, which was very bad reasoning not to tell). It wasn't really Chloe's shining moment on the series, yet it somehow gets twisted as some link to Chloe being like a character she isn't and never was.


I'm going to stick with giving her the points for loyalty

While it's nice she didn't tell Lionel, I do think telling his parents loses her points(something was obviously wrong with Clark at the time and he needed the proper attention).


Later Lana whimpers and weeps and calls his mommy and daddy. (which is what he counts as a betrayal)

I am no Lana fan but she did the right thing(calling his parents) and you make it seem like she committed a sin. It's like if I had a friend who had a bad drug habit(red K in clark's case) and he would get mad if I outed him for it, tough love is sometime the best thing you can do. Just sitting idolly by and letting that guys life rot away doesn't mean you are being loyal.

[BkWurm1]

Later Lana whimpers and weeps and calls his mommy and daddy. (which is what he counts as a betrayal)
I am no Lana fan but she did the right thing(calling his parents) and you make it seem like she committed a sin. It's like if I had a friend who had a bad drug habit(red K in clark's case) and he would get mad if I outed him for it, tough love is sometime the best thing you can do. Just sitting idolly by and letting that guys life rot away doesn't mean you are being loyal.

Yes Lana did the right thing based on what the audience knows, absolutely, but I'm not sure I agree based on what Lana knows that she did the absolute right thing. In the real world, I would say Clark is under age, so his parents should be called but Smallville practically treats all the kids as adults so I really don't look at the show with that automatic, parents must be informed viewpoint. So that being said...

She knows Clark left due to some unknown and hugely traumatic event. She goes to confront him and he doesn't want to talk about anything in the past. Yes Clark is acting wildly out of character, but he's not acting drunk, she has no reason to think he's on drugs since he also was acting wildly out of character before he left home. There is doesn't seem to be any real attempt made to figure out why he left of why he feels he needs to be gone, just a demand he comes home and when that doesn't work, she pretends to choose him so she can set up an intervention with his Dad. It's this lying to his face and tricking him thing that Clark reacts to as a betrayal.

Again, we the audience know she is doing the right thing, but she doesn't really know it and from where I sat, her reasons for doing what she was doing was not because she was so certain that it was in Clark's best interest, but because SHE wanted him to behave in a certain manner. Clark didn't want to be found, but when Chloe told Lana where he was ( hoping Lana could lure him home), Lana made it all about herself and went all self righteous with her. "You've done enough."

Chloe's actions, keeping Clark's secret, are judged harshly by Lana, but the show never gives any indication that anyone knowing earlier would have benifited at all. I'd say it erred the other direction, making mention that just now Kal-El was done with his trial and now could go home.

The contrasts the show seemed to shove at me was that Lana was all about returning to the status quo and that she couldn't handle it when Clark didn't conform to her expectations vs the kind of friend he had in Chloe that had his back even when they were screaming in each other's faces. Conditional vs unconditional.

In this moment, Lanas actions were right, but then again, other than Lana, no one on the show accuses Chloe of doing anything wrong. Just the opposite, Clark praises her actions and rewards Lana, by breaking up with her. Just saying that the show led me to believe it was setting things up for a future when Chloe would be growing ever closer to Clark while he drifted further and further from Lana. Actually, that is what I got in S4 and 5. I'll even say that pattern repeated through 6 and in 7 the contrasts were even more blatant. I was only commenting that even now seeing the show with eyes that know how everything is going to turn out, I still find myself thinking and expecting the show to go a totally different way.

An then I get sad that it didn't.

[Supsfan]

In the real world, I would say Clark is under age, so his parents should be called but Smallville practically treats all the kids as adults so I really don't look at the show with that automatic, parents must be informed viewpoint.

If somebody runs away and leaves all his friends and family worried what they are up to(for 3 months no less), I do believe all friends and family deserve to be told no matter if he is 16 or 61 and everywhere in between. We do see the Kent family worried beyond belief and Chloe's information could have helped them out immensely. As I said I am no Lana fan so I don't view everything Lana does with rose colored glasses on, but in this case she was 100% right in everything she done.


In this moment, Lanas actions were right, but then again, other than Lana, no one on the show accuses Chloe of doing anything wrong

I don't need somebody to tell me Chloe did wrong to say Chloe did wrong. Seeing Clark's parents worried beyond belief tells me all I need to know in the situation(something which Chloe could have helped with). I think it was in Phoenix when Chloe said she liked being the only one who knew which to me came across rather immature and selfish(although props to her for saying it in a regretful way knowing that it was wrong). I find it hard to put on a pair of rose color glasses for Chloe's actions from Calling to Phoenix, since I think they were a low point for her character in those early seasons.


Just the opposite, Clark praises her actions and rewards Lana, by breaking up with her. Just saying that the show led me to believe it was setting things up for a future when Chloe would be growing ever closer to Clark while he drifted further and further from Lana.

For argument sake it seemed Season 3 had a pattern of Clark having major issues due to the fall out of Exile with everybody including Chloe. It's one of those things that I really disliked about Season 3. Watching Clark have non stop issues with Lana, Pete, Chloe and even his parents got tiring for an entire season. It seems like Season 3 was the first to delve into darker angsty storylines, then Season 4 became the "happy" season(hell in Crusade we find out for the first time in the series that Chloe was Clark's bff even though there was nothing in the first 3 seasons to make me believe that, especially S2+3 which it seemed like Chloe and Clark's relationship was drifting apart more then growing closer)


Actually, that is what I got in S4 and 5. I'll even say that pattern repeated through 6 and in 7 the contrasts were even more blatant. I was only commenting that even now seeing the show with eyes that know how everything is going to turn out, I still find myself thinking and expecting the show to go a totally different way.

When we see Clark run to Chloe many times in Season 5 and 6 demanding to know what Lana is up to, it was fairly obvious to me who was written as the love interest and who was written as the friend. I understand if you ask 10 different people about characters motivations and actions you would probably have 10 different interpretations about what happened, that being said anybody who tries and put a positive spin on Chloe actions in Calling-Phoenix is/was setting themselves up for dissapointment(as I said I find it hard not to look at that series of episodes as a low point for Chloe's character, hell it was a low point for a lot of characters and relationships on the show)