Beyond Good and Evil

[Vergon6]

Anyone notice the book in the Lionel's fault conveniently in front of the item with Lionel's message in it (how did he get that apparatus anyways?). Anyways, back to the book. You may recall from the Pilot episode, Clark was inexplicably carrying a book, Beyond Good and Evil by Friedrich Nietzsche after he got to the school. Why someone in Grade 9 would be reading a book full of philosophy fit for a university level class is baffling.

But back to it, Lana makes a comment about the book, "So Clark, which one are you? Man or Superman?".

I think this was not only a call back to the pilot, but the name of the book alone (not the content) is symbolic of Lionel and the fight within himself between good and evil, and how in the end his role was beyond good and evil. Not exactly as eloquent as I wanted it to be, but I hope people understand what I am trying to say.

[Tebow15]

I feel what you are trying to say.

[bklvr]

Yes, I think it was a comment on how he both lived and died. Especially since becoming Jor-El's vessel, he had to change how he lived his life, yet was stuck with the legacy of his earlier evil choices - people not believing him, mistrusting him, his own son killing him, etc. But now he is dead, and is indeed beyond Good and Evil.

Thanks for pointing out the reference in the Pilot. I totally forgot. Do you think they planned this way back then, or was this just a call out to that episode?

[Vergon6]

Yes, I think it was a comment on how he both lived and died. Especially since becoming Jor-El's vessel, he had to change how he lived his life, yet was stuck with the legacy of his earlier evil choices - people not believing him, mistrusting him, his own son killing him, etc. But now he is dead, and is indeed beyond Good and Evil.

Thanks for pointing out the reference in the Pilot. I totally forgot. Do you think they planned this way back then, or was this just a call out to that episode?
I don't think they planned it out like that. They may have had some vague ideas of what they might do with Lionel in the future, but just like the whole Veritas thing, I think it is story line that evolved as they went along, and were able to stitch it into a semi-coherent back story retroactively. My guess is that they did not start really thinking about something like Veritas until Season 4.

[jimmyolsenblues]

great catch Vergon6 (http://www.kryptonsite.com/forums/member.php?u=38807), i have not seen the pilot in a long time.

[Odysseus]

Yes, I think it was a comment on how he both lived and died. Especially since becoming Jor-El's vessel, he had to change how he lived his life, yet was stuck with the legacy of his earlier evil choices - people not believing him, mistrusting him, his own son killing him, etc. But now he is dead, and is indeed beyond Good and Evil.

Thanks for pointing out the reference in the Pilot. I totally forgot. Do you think they planned this way back then, or was this just a call out to that episode?

They also had this book at the beginning of "Suspect" in Season 2, the episode where Lionel is shot, and Clark has to figure out who tried to assassinate Lionel. Lionel was reading it (or rather, a machine was reading it to him) in the opening scene.

[Vergon6]

They also had this book at the beginning of "Suspect" in Season 2, the episode where Lionel is shot, and Clark has to figure out who tried to assassinate Lionel.
It's been so long since I have seen "Suspect". I don't have the Season 2 DVD set, well I don't have Season 1 either, but I have re-watched parts that have been posted youtube of the Pilot.

[heromyth]

Dude, PHENOMENAL catch!!! I remember that scene from the pilot and thought it was clever allusion to Clark’s future as the “übermensch”, a term Nietzsche coined which can either be translated as “superman” or “overman”. That they used the book again, at such a pivotal moment, was nothing short of brilliant. Smallville plots have never majored in continuity but this time they were spot on.







Anyone notice the book in the Lionel's fault conveniently in front of the item with Lionel's message in it (how did he get that apparatus anyways?). Anyways, back to the book. You may recall from the Pilot episode, Clark was inexplicably carrying a book, Beyond Good and Evil by Friedrich Nietzsche after he got to the school. Why someone in Grade 9 would be reading a book full of philosophy fit for a university level class is baffling.

But back to it, Lana makes a comment about the book, "So Clark, which one are you? Man or Superman?".

I think this was not only a call back to the pilot, but the name of the book alone (not the content) is symbolic of Lionel and the fight within himself between good and evil, and how in the end his role was beyond good and evil. Not exactly as eloquent as I wanted it to be, but I hope people understand what I am trying to say.