Prey - UK Tonight!

[Lex Dance]

I never really saw how he would naturally take to his mantel without some heavy pointing in the right direction, it's almost like he's been pressured into being this person everyone else wants him to be rather than what he knows to be the proper thing to do - but it's direction Smallville and Clark need to be going at this stage.

Yes, I think it's a necessary evil and probably a by-product of the show being dragged out longer than it should have been. Early seasons suggested that the farm-boy could have made this transition but then too many other issues got in the way (ie. Lana!)

I also love Davis' character and he's quickly becoming my new favorite and filling that Lex shaped void - I think it's spoiling it to even say he has an alter-ego - but I will say "Bride" has to be one of a fave episodes EVER! (the episodes from now only get better and better).

Whoops! Sorry anyone who I've spoiled!
I've heard a lot of very good stuff about Bride - can't wait. I wonder what this will mean for E4's scheduling once we reach that point?

To me the “collecting” arc seems to be connected to the 33.1 arc - as a continuation of the efforts Lex was trying to achieve, you really think Tess is MORE devious? If so it’s only because the master plan for this arc was devised by Lex himself. In the mind of Tess she’s simply found out some of Lex’s plans and is continuing his “good work”, but I feel these are seeds left in purpose by Lex himself.

It's not so much that I think Tess is more devious than Lex, more that Tess' modus operandi seems more sneaky and moustache-twiddling, if you know what I mean! Lex surely has to be pulling the strings as I can't see how she would have that much intel, but Lex's army was more about his will to preserve humanity than any kind of criminal activity (which the glint in Tess' eye seems to suggest).
The only problem with this situation when coupled with the long view of Lex Luthor from the comics, is that I'm not sure if Smallville's Lex would feel as threatened by Superman. Obviously the idea of the Traveller being uncontrolled is a threat to humanity, but Lex's issues are with Clark and his secrets, rather than a fear of Clark as an alien despot. I'm not really sure where I'm going with this so I'll stop rabbiting now!

[psycosis]

Lex surely has to be pulling the strings as I can't see how she would have that much intel, but Lex's army was more about his will to preserve humanity than any kind of criminal activity (which the glint in Tess' eye seems to suggest).
The only problem with this situation when coupled with the long view of Lex Luthor from the comics, is that I'm not sure if Smallville's Lex would feel as threatened by Superman. Obviously the idea of the Traveller being uncontrolled is a threat to humanity, but Lex's issues are with Clark and his secrets, rather than a fear of Clark as an alien despot. I'm not really sure where I'm going with this so I'll stop rabbiting now!

Well yes, but it's always been the way of Lex Luthor to hide behind humanitarian issues while hoping to achieve his own goals, usually including his own rise to power. With the 33.1 arc he hid behind the veil of protector against an alien threat - but he was really only wanting to police Metropolis with his own super-army.

With Clark he would use his new found knowledge of his true identity as a weapon (in this imagary future of Superman anyway), Lex fancies himself as the true welder of the power Clark posses and Lex wants this power through any means - and he'd convince everyone Clark (or at that point "Superman") should not be able to weld such power as an alien would always be too large a threat to humanity because he would never have our best interests at heart - though of course Lex only sees his own selfish thoughts in everyone else. Fear is never an issue with Lex only control.

[Pesk]

It's not so much that I think Tess is more devious than Lex, more that Tess' modus operandi seems more sneaky and moustache-twiddling, if you know what I mean! Lex surely has to be pulling the strings as I can't see how she would have that much intel, but Lex's army was more about his will to preserve humanity than any kind of criminal activity (which the glint in Tess' eye seems to suggest).

Where tess is concerned, I see four possibilities:

1. Tess has already found lex and is carrying out his instructions, while he hides somewhere, that way no one can stop him or blame him if things go wrong. This to me seems like the least likely scenario.

2. Tess shares the same morals and intentions as lex, ie she too beleives that making an army to protect earth or controlling the traveller would be the right thing to do. And assembling the super 'villains' to fight for lex's cause also makes perfect sense to her. The fact that she thinks the same way he does could be the reason why he chose her to be his successor.

3. Tess was hired by lex because she shares his morals and intentions... but now she's in a position of power she has become corrupted and the actions she is now taking are her own. She is gathering super villains for some unknown purpose, possibly to increase her own power.

4. Here's my personal theory though: Tess doesn't work for lex at all! She's just an oppertunist who heard he had gone missing, so she showed up in the arctic, claiming to be his successor, and everyone just went along with that. Except lex's assistant, and well he seems to have vanished... maybe he discovered she's not who she says she is, and she had to make him 'disappear' so the truth wouldn't come out.

Bear in mind I'm watching these epsiodes for the first time on E4, so anything I said may already have been contradicted or confirmed.

[WellingFan]

Also i don't know whether this has been said but there is a break on the 30th of December after we have just seen episode 8 on the 23rd so i wonder if this is going to continue after that week are we are going to have a bigger break were the US get shown episodes continuing the season then we get to watch the remaining episodes all together.

Yip we will see Episode 8 before a break. Not sure how long but obviously the US guys have to get the episodes ahead of us and they are only 2 episodes ahead of 8. Quite a few weeks i'd imagine. But remember we are very lucky this year to be shown season 8 so much early than usual. Looking forward to the next episodes!

[psycosis]

Where tess is concerned, I see four possibilities:

1. Tess has already found lex and is carrying out his instructions, while he hides somewhere, that way no one can stop him or blame him if things go wrong. This to me seems like the least likely scenario.

2. Tess shares the same morals and intentions as lex, ie she too beleives that making an army to protect earth or controlling the traveller would be the right thing to do. And assembling the super 'villains' to fight for lex's cause also makes perfect sense to her. The fact that she thinks the same way he does could be the reason why he chose her to be his successor.

3. Tess was hired by lex because she shares his morals and intentions... but now she's in a position of power she has become corrupted and the actions she is now taking are her own. She is gathering super villains for some unknown purpose, possibly to increase her own power.

4. Here's my personal theory though: Tess doesn't work for lex at all! She's just an oppertunist who heard he had gone missing, so she showed up in the arctic, claiming to be his successor, and everyone just went along with that. Except lex's assistant, and well he seems to have vanished... maybe he discovered she's not who she says she is, and she had to make him 'disappear' so the truth wouldn't come out.

I see it as some strange amalgamation of all four - I agree it seems highly likely that Tess is a major opportunist, and if she was looking for Lex it's only so she could control him somehow (blackmail?) though she didn't expect Lex to find her and allow her to continue with "her" plans - and with Lex behind her she's become corrupt and hungry for more power. These are just theories though, so who knows for sure.

[Lex Dance]

Where tess is concerned, I see four possibilities:

3. Tess was hired by lex because she shares his morals and intentions... but now she's in a position of power she has become corrupted and the actions she is now taking are her own. She is gathering super villains for some unknown purpose, possibly to increase her own power.

This is the one I'm going for, Pesk. In that episode where Lex (or at least I assume it was Lex) contacted her, she seemed quite frightened - almost as if she had been found out. I could be reading too much into that so I guess we will have to wait and see!

4. Here's my personal theory though: Tess doesn't work for lex at all! She's just an oppertunist who heard he had gone missing, so she showed up in the arctic, claiming to be his successor, and everyone just went along with that. Except lex's assistant, and well he seems to have vanished... maybe he discovered she's not who she says she is, and she had to make him 'disappear' so the truth wouldn't come out.

I like this idea and it could well be the one they go for (and it would also fit with my own assumption). I also imagine it would be quite a handy plot device to keep Lex/Rosenbaum off screen for as long as they needed (which sadly and most likely will be until the end of the series).