Clark's sudden investigative morality

[clarkbunny]

I have to say I was a bit taken aback by Clark's sudden investigative morality over Lois' investigative techniques like stealing the autopsy files from the hospital.

It's not like he hasn't done it before with Chloe, why the sudden "you'll go to prison" morality with Lois? He didn't seem to have any hang ups with getting Chloe to hack into police, FBI, NASA, hospital, Lex's and other government agency computers to get info for him.

He himself stole a doctor's laptop from the hospital to get his hands on some information. He and Chloe were also hacking into hospital records to check out autopsy files not to mention stealing Chloe's death certificate and looking at Lana's autopsy file.

Just seems a bit odd for Clark to suddenly be taking the moral high ground over this.

On a side note, the whole 'rules of journalism' thing from Lois was really starting to wear thin after like the 2nd rule. I hope she stops the whole teaching journalism to Clark thing as it is already starting to grate.

[SueB]

Just seems a bit odd for Clark to suddenly be taking the moral high ground over this.

ITA. I thought his arguments against B&E, which has been a standard show M.O. for years was a complete WTF moment. In the second episode of the series (or thereabouts) he breaks open the door to the vets office where the deer that Amy Adams ate is lying just because Chloe asked him to help her with the story.

[jwm]

Maybe Chloe's experience with the DDS (even though in the end it turned out to just be Lex was the one holding her) changed Clark's perspective. I'm pretty sure he doesn't want Lois sent to jail and if Tess were to find out about criminal activity I doubt she'd hesitate to use it against Lois (or anyone else).

[Jade4813]

That was a little odd. It's not the first time someone's broken and entered on the show. It's not the first time someone's stolen something - for their own reasons or for a story. Hell, Clark himself has done it more than once...and he used to walk onto Lex's land like he owned the place, even after he was told he was most assuredly not welcome.

My best guess is that maybe thinking that Chloe had been arrested by the DDS (as jwm said) made him realize that there can be consequences to the things people do. Of course, I expect this realization will fade in a later episode - just as soon as he needs something that he either has to have Chloe hack to get or that he has to get that he shouldn't have access to.

I think it was another incidence of the writers forgetting conveniently things that have happened in the past to have a character do something to serve a scene in the present episode. They have these "hiccups" occasionally. I hope they won't have too many of them this year.

[clarkbunny]

^
LOL or maybe he's thinking about the Jor-el induced dream world where Lois got arrested at the end of last season.

Either way though his attitude did seem a bit over the top. Although he hasn't done any actual investigative reporting as such he has done some investigation - and had bumped into Lois 'undercover' on several occasions so hopefully he's not going to have this new guy "ooooh we mustn't do that" attitude for too much longer and goes back to his 'do whatever it takes/by any means method' of investigating.

[Jade4813]

Well, I guess if Ollie can get all indignant because of some pesky mosquitos, Clark can get all worked up about something he's done a million times before. :lol:

[susangail]

Maybe it's a reflection of Clark's taking his new job seriously. Breaking into a hospital and stealing medical records is wrong, no matter what Tabloid Lois says. Reporters are responsible to their editors for source provenance: it's not only who your source is but how you got the information that counts.

High horse aside, I give Clark credit for maturing beyond breaking into hunting cabins at 15 ;)

[jwm]

High horse aside, I give Clark credit for maturing beyond breaking into hunting cabins at 15 ;)
I'd give Clark more credit if he'd actually taken a stand. As soon as Lois brought out the file Clark was rifling through it as if he owned it.

Autopsies are something the press can usually get a hold of eventually. Like Lois said the only reason she wouldn't have access is if it was part of a case under investigation. Whereas I'm still taken aback by the time on a hunch Clark and Chloe broke into patient mental health records. That one was just really beyond the pale, worse IMO than even the many times various characters have removed evidence from crime scenes.

[unfocused]

I laughed when Clark said "it's rule number... 20" or something to that affect.

I just figured that since it was Lois (who doesn't know his secret) and not Chloe (who knows he can use the information to solve the crime and save lives) he didn't want to get her into any trouble or risk revealing his secret to her.

Or maybe clarkbunny is right, he did take it quiet seriously when Lois was arrested in the AU during Apocalypse. So maybe that had an affect in his judgment.

[Sue Denim]

I had to laugh out loud when I saw the title for this thread. You're right. Breaking and entering has been on SV since the beginning. Even Jonathan did it!

There's other issues I have with Lois and her brand of journalism, but for Clark to tell Lois about crossing lines and such...whatever.

[BULLITT]

Happens all the time in real life. People, he has heat vision. It's fantasy.:rotfl:

[SnowBird]

I think Clark is thinking of consequences since Chloe was abducted. He doesn't want the same thing or worse to happen to Lois. If that doesn't work for you, then it's because he needs to act Clark like. Or, he's afraid that Lois will find him out if he has to save her in front of her. IMO, probably all three.

[Poweranimals]

I have to say I was a bit taken aback by Clark's sudden investigative morality over Lois' investigative techniques like stealing the autopsy files from the hospital.

It's not like he hasn't done it before with Chloe, why the sudden "you'll go to prison" morality with Lois? He didn't seem to have any hang ups with getting Chloe to hack into police, FBI, NASA, hospital, Lex's and other government agency computers to get info for him.

He himself stole a doctor's laptop from the hospital to get his hands on some information. He and Chloe were also hacking into hospital records to check out autopsy files not to mention stealing Chloe's death certificate and looking at Lana's autopsy file.

Just seems a bit odd for Clark to suddenly be taking the moral high ground over this.

On a side note, the whole 'rules of journalism' thing from Lois was really starting to wear thin after like the 2nd rule. I hope she stops the whole teaching journalism to Clark thing as it is already starting to grate.

I think it had more to do with why they wanted the information in the first place. Usually, when Clark breaks in somewhere or steals files, it's for a good reason. Not just for a headline. People are usually in danger and Clark does what he does to help people. In this situation, Lois just wanted evidence for her story. It was a total fluke that the information ended up helping people.

[leDASHann]

Like some people mentioned, I think the consequences of Chloe's actions really got to him
This is Lois, who is now his journalistic partner and whose actions could possibly get him into trouble as well.

[clarkbunny]

I guess the 'it was just for a story rather than anyone's life was in danger' could be a good reason. Although i'm pretty sure Clark and Chloe broke into some places to get info just for their story at the Torch.

Something I found quite funny about the autopsy notes was that Lois was like "it says here he has a history of petty theft and burglary no history of arson" (or something to that effect). Since when do people's criminal records get included in a person's medical record let along their autopsy report?

It just struck me as funny when she said that LOL!

What next -
Lois: "Look Clark, it says here he still owes the library $10 for some late library books"