Tess in "Scion"

[Connor_Kent]

Can't say I was shocked when I saw Lionel call her inferior. He pretty much did the same with his real daughter in Luthor. I was just waiting patiently for the time when Tess wouds make him eat his words. I also liked how she had made the tube with a clone's ashes. She always has a plan.



Don't know. I still couldn't find a good enough reason. At the end of Beacon, she didn't know that Alexander was turning into Conner. Yes, the prospect of Lionel manipualting him was still there, but all Tess knew, was that Alexander was a normal person that was quite close to dying. That's why I thought it was an extreme measure.



Yeah I was expecting the worst too. But when she started talking about Alexander as their pet project, I started laughing. Anyway, at the end of day, it didn't make a difference, so I guess I can live with it. As long as she doesn't do it again.

Oh I agree, I thought her actions were a bit much and especially polarizing with Fortune as her next episode. I thought Tess was much better written this episode than Beacon and Fortune. They struck more of a balance in this episode. While I would've liked something to had been mentioned about it, I think they did address that everyone was well aware of Tess wanting to just get rid of Lionel/Alexander at that time.

[MrZeppo]

I love Tess. I was okay with Tess in the beginning, but over this past season I really have grown to love her. I love whenever she has a chance to smile or be funny. Stoic and vengeful Tess was interesting and all, but this Tess has cemented her in SV history for me.

I really want her to survive and live. Cassidy is enchanting. Plus I love that she curses like a sailor. LOL!

[SGuthrie27]

I really loved how much she's developed since she was introduced in season 8. Her line saying that killing Lionel is not who she is anymore was so great.

Thoughts on her in tonight's episode?

I'm SO glad that someone opened up a thread about Tess for this episode. I had one I'd established for Cassidy Freeman's performances earlier in the season, and this is yet another episode where she was really given the chance to shine, and she did so in a BIG way! She was gorgeous, she showed so many different moods and emotions, and her interactions with all the other major characters in the episode were simply stunning and flawless. I am more impressed with her with each episode that she's a part of. Well done, Cassidy, and hooray for Tess Mercer!!!

[costas22]

Oh I agree, I thought her actions were a bit much and especially polarizing with Fortune as her next episode. I thought Tess was much better written this episode than Beacon and Fortune. They struck more of a balance in this episode. While I would've liked something to had been mentioned about it, I think they did address that everyone was well aware of Tess wanting to just get rid of Lionel/Alexander at that time.

Yeah, I liked how she was written here too.Beacon was too depressing for her (at least most of what happened there was rectified in Scion) and Fortune was more like a WTF episode for her. I m going to ignore she was in it.

Anyway, I don't expect that it will be brought up again. Since the only purpose of the Beacon cliffhanger was to show that something was different about Alexander, they could have done that differently, but it is what it is.

I'm SO glad that someone opened up a thread about Tess for this episode. I had one I'd established for Cassidy Freeman's performances earlier in the season, and this is yet another episode where she was really given the chance to shine, and she did so in a BIG way! She was gorgeous, she showed so many different moods and emotions, and her interactions with all the other major characters in the episode were simply stunning and flawless.

She was so gorgeous. And I loved how she was beaming in certain scenes. I know we also saw her happy and relaxed in the last episonde, but at least here it was genuine.

[umm]

To be honest i kinda hated how easily he was outsmarted by her. Do you think the old school real universe lionel have been that easily done by tess?

Me too, I mean this is Lionel we are talking about, frankly this what's been missing ever since Lionel went mellow and Lex left Smallville Clark hasn't had a real challenge.
And if you don't have a real challenge, you can't excell, which is why Clark's development feels lackluster at times.

Let's face it, nothng compares to the old Lionel and Lex, not Zod, not Darkseid, not Doomsday! Lex had smarts, elegance in his planing, now that was a villain. And of course he learned from the best, namely the old Lionel, whom he later bested. And frankly Tess is no Lex and therefor can't compete with the old man!

[Connor_Kent]

Me too, I mean this is Lionel we are talking about, frankly this what's been missing ever since Lionel went mellow and Lex left Smallville Clark hasn't had a real challenge.
And if you don't have a real challenge, you can't excell, which is why Clark's development feels lackluster at times.

Let's face it, nothng compares to the old Lionel and Lex, not Zod, not Darkseid, not Doomsday! Lex had smarts, elegance in his planing, now that was a villain. And of course he learned from the best, namely the old Lionel, whom he later bested. And frankly Tess is no Lex and therefor can't compete with the old man!

Tess held onto the adoption papers since Abandoned. There's no way Lionel would've gotten ahold of them.

[Kevin24]

To be honest i kinda hated how easily he was outsmarted by her. Do you think the old school real universe lionel have been that easily done by tess?

I agree with you. I just don't feel that Tess is on his level but apparently she really isn't because she is above his level.

[CloisFan10]

Yeah, her line "That's not who I am." i was waiting for her to pause and say "...anymore."
Another thing, it does seem that no matter what the Luthor family just can't help but be bad, and bring out the evil in those around them. Maybe Darkseid came to Lionel because Darkeseid already has infulence on that family. He met their ancestors back in the old wars and made a deal with them and now the long line of Luthor blood already has the darkness.

[VilleFan]

I love how Tess has developed. She has never been a bad or evil person; it's simply taken a little while for her to realise that and properly step into the light as a hero. She started out following Lex's orders because of her debt and devotion to him, but when she discovered he'd been using her, she turned on him. His obsession with Clark had ignited one of her own, and she was so used to using duplicity to get what she wanted that she continued to do this in her quest to learn the truth. Then came Zod, the second man she let enthrall her - but the difference is, this time she truly believed she was doing the right thing. When she realises she was wrong, she turned on him and finally found her way to the right side. Of course, she still had to overcome her own fierce independence and determination to keep secrets, which came in with full force in the case of Alexander. But in this episode, she really completed her transformation from morally grey to good, and that's a huge step for the character.

The core theme with Tess, I think, is that the innate knowledge of right and wrong isn't as black and white for her as it is for someone like Clark, and that is why she idolises him. It's also why her allegiance is constantly flip-flopping - she's constantly doubting that she's on the right side. However, the scene from "Fortune" in which Chloe told her that Watchtower was in good hands and the entirety of "Scion" has shown that she now knows she is on the right side, no matter what her heritage may suggest. She's transcended the manipulations of Lex, Zod, and now Lionel, to come into her own, and that's been a fantastic character arc to watch.

Wow. An incredibly well-said post.

[Chlarkfan_phantom]

I loved it!! I'm loving her character development this season! I just hope she isn't killed

all i know is tess is hott!

Agreed!!

Agreed with this post. Although I'd say Oliver was probably the first man that she loved then he cheated/betrayed her and so she left him and went to Lex.

Wow.. that sounds weirder now that we know they're brother and sister.. oh god. I wish that revelation hadn't come to me.

----- Added 1 Minutes later -----

I love how Tess has developed. She has never been a bad or evil person; it's simply taken a little while for her to realise that and properly step into the light as a hero. She started out following Lex's orders because of her debt and devotion to him, but when she discovered he'd been using her, she turned on him. His obsession with Clark had ignited one of her own, and she was so used to using duplicity to get what she wanted that she continued to do this in her quest to learn the truth. Then came Zod, the second man she let enthrall her - but the difference is, this time she truly believed she was doing the right thing. When she realises she was wrong, she turned on him and finally found her way to the right side. Of course, she still had to overcome her own fierce independence and determination to keep secrets, which came in with full force in the case of Alexander. But in this episode, she really completed her transformation from morally grey to good, and that's a huge step for the character.

The core theme with Tess, I think, is that the innate knowledge of right and wrong isn't as black and white for her as it is for someone like Clark, and that is why she idolises him. It's also why her allegiance is constantly flip-flopping - she's constantly doubting that she's on the right side. However, the scene from "Fortune" in which Chloe told her that Watchtower was in good hands and the entirety of "Scion" has shown that she now knows she is on the right side, no matter what her heritage may suggest. She's transcended the manipulations of Lex, Zod, and now Lionel, to come into her own, and that's been a fantastic character arc to watch.

You always have an amazing way of saying things don't you Mars Bar? But I agree whole-heartedly.

[hellokitty]

I've come to really like Tess. I used to hate her with the passion of a thousand suns. But I have really started to love her character and the redemption arc she's on. Plus, she acknowledges her mistakes, even as she navigates going from ambiguosly evil and murderous to being someone Clark can count on and work with. I love that. It's hope in a beautiful red-headed package.

Plus her last scene with Lionel was ROCKIN'! She may be a Luthor deep down, but she's a different kind of Luthor. Loved her in Scion!

[luckycloisfan]

Yeah, her line "That's not who I am." i was waiting for her to pause and say "...anymore."
Another thing, it does seem that no matter what the Luthor family just can't help but be bad, and bring out the evil in those around them. Maybe Darkseid came to Lionel because Darkeseid already has infulence on that family. He met their ancestors back in the old wars and made a deal with them and now the long line of Luthor blood already has the darkness.

Yeah, she is all good now... cause she has CLARK KENT in life

Oh, so why did she show up at his house Twice unannounced and let herself in? The first time was with Connor... but then why did she come again? Was it just so Connor could over hear them?

And WHY can't she take care of Connor? He's not a pet that you just drop off at someone's house... and she has doctors experimenting on him constantly Okay.


I really get tired of her of Hero worship and Love of Clark... it annoys me to no end!!! She is so consumed with him. I guess the show just really NEEDED that with Chloe gone I liked her character until Luthor... but it's just been down-hill and really inconsistent since then

[doodie8808]

I have liked Tess since Checkmate last year when she did a togtal 180 light switch

[Chlarkfan_phantom]

Yeah, she is all good now... cause she has CLARK KENT in life

Oh, so why did she show up at his house Twice unannounced and let herself in? The first time was with Connor... but then why did she come again? Was it just so Connor could over hear them?

And WHY can't she take care of Connor? He's not a pet that you just drop off at someone's house... and she has doctors experimenting on him constantly Okay.


I really get tired of her of Hero worship and Love of Clark... it annoys me to no end!!! She is so consumed with him. I guess the show just really NEEDED that with Chloe gone I liked her character until Luthor... but it's just been down-hill and really inconsistent since then

I believe that her character has gone up-hill actually.

And a whole lot of people show up at his house unannounced. It's routine. meh..

But the main point is that Clark needed to be the one to help Connor. She wouldn't have been able to train him with his powers. Clark would bring out the good side in Connor as well. While Tess has gotten better, there is still that part of Luthor in her blood. She wasn't the right one to influence Connor is the right direction.

[hellokitty]

And her recognizing that and knowing that Clark was the best person for that task gives her all kinds of bonus points for me.