Does Clark's Character Need to Be Redeemed?

[Hopefulsuicide]

No, it's not just about Lana, he simply hasn't emotionally or mentally matured. He still has the same guilt issues, he still has the same angry outbursts and self doubt. He still resists having the responsibility of becoming a beacon of hope and saving the world because he just wants to be 'normal'. Everyone says he has changed, he is nearly Superman, but some of us simply cannot see it... all i see is a little boy all dressed up in big man's clothes and a reporters badge going 'look at me, i'm all growd up'

[Tompouce]

No, Clark makes mistakes, that is all. He is learning like most of us. He is done to be a hero. Without experiences, you don't know things and by the way you can handle them. I am confident. CLLLLLLLLLLLARKKKKKKKKK COOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMME BACKKKKKKKKKKKK

----- Added 31 Seconds later -----

you can not handle them. Roooh, sorry lol

[Poweranimals]

What would you have Clark do? Date Chloe or Lois out of pity?

It was no secret how Clark felt about Lana from day one. Clark tried to have a relatiuonship with Chloe, but who broke it off? She did. She really only has herself to blame for that. I don't believe that he's led Lois on either. He didn't think Lana was coming back. Lois said herself, "Lana's not coming back." He was trying to move on. But Lana's return obviously changed things as he wasn't expecting it. He would've have made any moves towards Lois if he knew Lana was coming back.

[Sunny8]

In what way? You mean that he is still going after Lana? It's either that or not give their relationship any resolution...

No I wish it was just that. He does not know what he wants. He does not know how to make a decision and stick to it. He is fickle. He was really going forward this season and making strides to becoming a Superhero--to becoming Superman. But in 'Bulletproof', when he more or less tells Lana that they have to think about what they want and pretty much forget about the world, he is back to square one with his destiny. That shows to me that he has not matured emotionally.

[llk6165]

all i see is a little boy all dressed up in big man's clothes and a reporters badge going 'look at me, i'm all growd up'

Too funny... b/c I said practically the exact same thing earlier this week.
Great Minds...

[Pantalaimon]

No I wish it was just that. He does not know what he wants. He does not know how to make a decision and stick to it. He is fickle. He was really going forward this season and making strides to becoming a Superhero--to becoming Superman. But in 'Bulletproof', when he more or less tells Lana that they have to think about what they want and pretty much forget about the world, he is back to square one with his destiny. That shows to me that he has not matured emotionally.

Well, maybe that wasn't the best of lines, but to me it seemed what was meant was that he wanted to try to have both: help the world and have Lana at the same time. To me that was the whole point of this arc. Call it selfish, but I don't think it's a step back. He had never really considered being in a relationship with Lana while doing his superhero stuff at the same time (like the cop in Bulletproof). They wanted to show how Lana didn't have to be a reason for him not to fulfill his destiny as superman.

Clearly the arc didn't convince many people, but to me it made sense on some level. And however you feel about Lana's powers (I didn't like that really), I don't think it made Clark look bad necessarily. He was still as decisive as early in the season and he didn't seem immature to me.

[TOMophilus]

...he still has the same angry outbursts and self doubt.

Well, thatīs what heīs inherited from Jonathan Kent! I never could really stand this ill-tempered man. I am actually surprised to see Clark so mild-mannered given that he was raised by such a man.

[SVsleuth]

Here's how I see it. Clark struggled for seven months to get over Lana, but couldn't seem to shake the deep feelings he has for her. He watched the breakup video over & over, trying to convince himself that Lana was right to leave, that they were better off apart. But deep down, he doesn't believe that.

By the time of Chloe's wedding, however, he's starting to come to grips with the fact that Lana is never coming back - that as much as he wishes things could be different, they're not. Into this environment he suddenly is smacked in the face with the reality that Lois is interested in him, has feelings for him. Clark wonders if it's time for him to try to live in the present and not the past, so he makes the decision to TRY to explore something with Lois, to find out if there could be anything there. That's all. He didn't promise Lois anything. He was making an attempt to accept the reality that Lana was gone & he can only move forward. He NEEDS someone to love & someone to love him. He wishes it could be Lana, but, in Bride, in the context of a wedding and a romantic atmosphere, decides to take a step with Lois, to TRY to put Lana behind him, live in the present and move on. But, when Lana showed up, just when he was finally about to let go of her, he couldn't deny that his desires to be with her are as strong as ever.

This doesn't make him irredeemable. It shows that, although he's an alien, his emotions & his struggles are just as real as anyone else's. Smallville has always wanted to emphasize the humanness of Clark over his deification. That's what this is about. He has emotions. He has struggles. He's not perfect. The way he acted is perfectly normal. He never ever said he stopped being in love with Lana. He will always be in love with Lana. But when he believed that all hope for him to be with her was gone, he decided to make an attempt to move forward without her. That's all asking Lois to dance was. And the almost kiss was likely just him wanting to test the waters, see if there are any sparks, because he just realized that she has feelings for him and maybe he ought to pay more attention, or he'll be alone forever. So he decided to give it a try, test it out.

I know Clois fans don't want to see it that way. But it's not likely that Clark suddenly had an epiphany & looked into Lois' eyes and realized that she's his soulmate or something. That's not where they were. Even Lois is not there. She discovered she has feelings, and she wants to explore them, if he's ready. He almost was. He thought he was. But, for him, it was always only because he thought all chances with Lana were gone. That doesn't make him a bad person. It makes him human.

[Hopefulsuicide]

No I wish it was just that. He does not know what he wants. He does not know how to make a decision and stick to it. He is fickle. He was really going forward this season and making strides to becoming a Superhero--to becoming Superman. But in 'Bulletproof', when he more or less tells Lana that they have to think about what they want and pretty much forget about the world, he is back to square one with his destiny. That shows to me that he has not matured emotionally.

ITA

Too funny... b/c I said practically the exact same thing earlier this week.
Great Minds...

What would you have Clark do? Date Chloe or Lois out of pity?

It was no secret how Clark felt about Lana from day one. Clark tried to have a relatiuonship with Chloe, but who broke it off? She did. She really only has herself to blame for that. I don't believe that he's led Lois on either. He didn't think Lana was coming back. Lois said herself, "Lana's not coming back." He was trying to move on. But Lana's return obviously changed things as he wasn't expecting it. He would've have made any moves towards Lois if he knew Lana was coming back.

No i don't want him to date them out of pity. I simply wish he had good enough taste in women... no strike that, i wish he had the same taste in women as SUPERMAN does...

Well, thatīs what heīs inherited from Jonathan Kent! I never could really stand this ill-tempered man. I am actually surprised to see Clark so mild-mannered given that he was raised by such a man.

i actually agree with this, JK on Smallville was portrayed as a very hot headed and stubborn man

Well, maybe that wasn't the best of lines, but to me it seemed what was meant was that he wanted to try to have both: help the world and have Lana at the same time. To me that was the whole point of this arc. Call it selfish, but I don't think it's a step back. He had never really considered being in a relationship with Lana while doing his superhero stuff at the same time (like the cop in Bulletproof). They wanted to show how Lana didn't have to be a reason for him not to fulfill his destiny as superman.

Clearly the arc didn't convince many people, but to me it made sense on some level. And however you feel about Lana's powers (I didn't like that really), I don't think it made Clark look bad necessarily. He was still as decisive as early in the season and he didn't seem immature to me.

I agree that Bulletproof was about Clark realising he could have both, but they didn't explore it at all, because straight after we have Lana completely ruin this idea by deciding she can't be with Clark unless she has powers like he does...

[SVsleuth]

I agree that Bulletproof was about Clark realising he could have both, but they didn't explore it at all, because straight after we have Lana completely ruin this idea by deciding she can't be with Clark unless she has powers like he does...

That is NOT what Lana did! Lana had plans to use the suit when she still believed she could never be with Clark - that it was best for him if they went their separate ways. The tape of Lana with Dr. Groll from the previous summer proves that. She was already in the process of pursuing that plan - whether or not it was a good one - during the entire 7 months she was away & she had no intention of coming back to be with Clark. Lana had a whole host of other reasons for her plan, which I've already expounded on in my reply to Triplet's review of Power, so I'll just mention them briefly: get out from under Lex's thumb; prevent Lex from using the suit; prevent Dr. Groll from continuing to help Lex; find a way to thwart Lex's evil plans at every turn, staying one step ahead of him; prevent Lex from harming Clark; stop expecting Clark to fight evil alone, for all of us, but instead join in the fight herself, doing everything within her own grasp to accomplish that, willing to endure pain and suffering to stop Lex - not out of revenge, but because she knows, better than anyone, how evil he really is, & how dangerous he can become.

Lana's decided not to just yell out, "Somebody, Save Me! Clark, Save us!" anymore, but to do everything she can do herself. Clark shouldn't have to shoulder the burden alone. People shouldn't leave it all to him.

Lana is trying to do SO much more than just "deciding she can't be with Clark unless she has powers like he does". That's not what this is about for her. She may have discovered along the way that her chosen path does open the possibility of her being able to be with Clark. But no way was that her primary motivation for doing what she did with the suit.

[Hopefulsuicide]

at what point did she say she had no intention of coming back to Clark?

she didn't come back straight away... why? because she knew he wouldn't approve of the methods she was using to get powers so she could be equal with him share the burden, whatever you want to call it

and what was the first thing she did when she got those powers? did she save the world in some amazing way? no, she invited Clark onto the roof top to convince him to give her a snog, while looking down on him with eyes that sparkled with victory

and then what did she continue to do after that? hang around Clark, ask Clark if she could patrol with him (as though she couldn't do it alone ) etc etc

she did nothing with that suit that didn't involve Clark... and now, she is FORCED to leave him, she MIGHT do something good with it...

we will never know

[suzieQ]

at what point did she say she had no intention of coming back to Clark?

In Bride!

and what was the first thing she did when she got those powers? did she save the world in some amazing way?

The first thing Lana did with her powers is SAVE Dr. Grohl from being shot by Tess! Of course this was witnessed by Clark.

and then what did she continue to do after that?

Lana explained to Clark why she did what she did. And what happened? Clark wanted to be with her.....and .....he kissed her!

hang around Clark

...had Supersex with Clark.......

ask Clark if she could patrol with him (as though she couldn't do it alone ) etc etc

......in which Clark replied......"all I ever wanted was someone to work with me ....side by side.....just like my Mom and Dad"! .......and he kissed her! Seems like Clark was happy and more than willing to have Lana be with him....side by side! It was a dream come true for him to be with her like this...Clark made that clear.

and now, she is FORCED to leave him, she MIGHT do something good with it...

we will never know

Oh yes we DO KNOW......Imra, in Legion, clearly says that Lana does do good in the world, "Lana, you are known for more than just your relationship with Clark"!

I think some people should rewatch the episodes so that they can get the facts, of words and events, correct.