Oracle's Ratings

[enamored]

It seems to me that it is the viewers that have invested a lot of themselves into particular favorite characters or ships and feel that they have been let down in some way that have stopped watching.

I guess that I just enjoy the show for what it is without such expectations of the direction the show should go in. My only real expectation was that Clark and Lana would end because Lois is Clark's future.

When viewers expectations are dashed for whatever reason some of them are going to tune out. Now why anyone expected Clana to go one forever is beyond me since the mythos does not have them together in the future. Clearly, it is Clark's destiny to be with Lois eventually so his relationship with Lana was not meant to last. I would have expected Clana shippers to understand this and accept the inevitable break-up.

It is never possible to make everyone happy but I for one am not going to abandon a show just because they didn't write things the way that I feel they should have done it. Even when I'm somewhat disappointed with a show or with the direction they seem to be taking something, I am more interested to see just what they do with it and where it will end up.

To me the show is still lots of fun and I intend to see where it takes us.

[dhacker615]

Originally posted by canon
Yeah, Hypnotic was just really worst episode after a month's hiatus. I'm baffled why Al and Miles went with that kind of storyline. I'm no Clana fan but the way the final breakup was written was completely awful......totally in bad taste.

I think it was a combination of things. They set out with a lot of ambition for this season, but the overall talent level on the writting staff has degraded over time. Almiles haven't written anything themselves all season. Second tier writers like Kelly Souders & Brian Peterson got big episodes, like "Hidden". Rather than making mistakes in filler episodes and FOTW episodes, they made mistakes in big episodes.

The irony is that the continuity (the big problem in prior seasons) has gotten better. Little mistakes started to snow-ball. Take "Hidden" for example, it was a strong episode overall, but after Clark got shot Jor-El point blank said someone was going to die. A little ambiguity on that would've helped in "Reckoning", since Clark pretty much chose to have someone else die in the middle of the episode. On the other hand, Jor-El was a long way from clear about why he did it, or how it worked. That has hurt with Lionel/Jor-El arc. Jor-El has always been portrayed as bad guy just like Lionel, why do two bad guys become one good guy?

By the time "Hypnotic" rolled around things were a total mess. Were Clark & Lana still a couple? Why didn't she believe him? There was no way of knowing.

[canon]

Originally posted by dhacker615
By the time "Hypnotic" rolled around things were a total mess. Were Clark & Lana still a couple? Why didn't she believe him? There was no way of knowing.

You know I really thought Clark-Lana broke up in Reckoning. I was quite surprised that they open Hypnotic with the two of them at the Talon discussing their relationship as if it wasn't over..... a mental lapse on the part of writers I supposed. Smallville ratings slightly declined after Reckoning but still a good number of people were watching it -- a little over 5 million I think, and around 6 million when Cyborg aired. It was post Hypnotic episode that ratings drastically decline with just a little over 4 million watching. :-(

Hope the season finale will bring ratings up.

[dhacker615]

Originally posted by canon
Hope the season finale will bring ratings up.

I think that 'Smallvile' probably gets renewed no matter what, so I just hope that the season finale is good enough that people keep watching into S6. The show still has some life in it.

God forbid, TPTB learn from the heavy slide in the ratings over the course of this year and have milestone episodes that build on top of each other and keep the relationships straight in the filler and FOTW episodes.

Not a lot to ask really. Maybe they could even straighten out a few of the characters on the motivation side.

[Fly by guy]

Last summer, TPTB must have learned something becuase the start of season 5 was great. With syndication assured they did what they wanted for themselves, Lexana. I think season six early on will be watershed time for SV. Either they want to have good numbers and care about the fans or they say, "This is the last season, I've enjoyed all I can stand" and they continue with the just plain awful shows that started after Reckoning. Does anyone go back and watch those shows again, besides Cyborg?
A visually challenged person could hear this ratings fall coming. Lana forgetting 5 years of Lex's crap.
This season doesn't need another meteror shower. The ratings can be the substitute instead. Hey, look out, fans falling by the millions........AHHHHHHHHHHH


Lots of posts this morning, just got around to viewing Oracle. SV just doesn't seem that important anymore. I've got Grey's Anatomy tonite. I'm covered.

[Kreukie]

Originally posted by enamored
When viewers expectations are dashed for whatever reason some of them are going to tune out. Now why anyone expected Clana to go one forever is beyond me since the mythos does not have them together in the future. Clearly, it is Clark's destiny to be with Lois eventually so his relationship with Lana was not meant to last. I would have expected Clana shippers to understand this and accept the inevitable break-up.

See, you don't get it.

What upsets Clana shippers is that Smallville was meant to be about Clark's life in Smallville, his time before Superman, Lois, the Daily Planet...ect.

Lana has always played a big role in that timeline in Clark's life.

But now they brought Lois in and now every other episode we're beated over the head that Lois is the one and Lana isn't.

Why is it such a need for Clois to be so over foreshadowed and Clana to be broken up, when Clois doesn't happen anytime soon and we're still in the timeline where Lana has her biggest role in Clark's life?

This is like if the productors of Lois & Clark had in Lana for 13 episodes for two seasons and everytime she's was on the series we're beated over the head about her past with Clark.

So they don't pair Clois as quickly as they could have, because they want to continue doing flashbacks to something that happened 10 years ago between Clark and Lana.

Then when fans start complaining about it, we'll have people such as yourself saying "I don't get it, why are all the Clois fans so upset over the fact Clois aren't together yet? You guys should know they're destiny to be together."

Then Clois fans will be like "You're missing the point, this timeline is about Clois, not Clark and Lana, why are we being informed about something we already know has already happened? Why can't they just put Clois together like they should be already at this point in the story, why are they lagging when it comes to pairing them up?"

Clana fans are saying the same thing, just what's the rush in breaking Clana up when Clois doesn't happen anytime soon?

Do you understand why Clana fans are so turned off by the series at this point?

Also doesn't help that they're pairing Lana up with Clark's Foe when Lana has never ever shown interest in Lex in that way until recently out of nowhere, so soon after her break-up with the man she loved with all of her heart.

A lot Clana fans, are Lana fans sometimes before Clana fans. So when you go screwing with her character, you going screwing with a lot Clana fans.

So there's a lot more to why Clana fans are upset with this seires besides the Clana break-up.

[enamored]

I personally have liked the Lana/Clark pairing up. I think that they have great chemistry together but I'm not a shipper of any kind.

I figured that we have already had five seasons of Clark's obsession with Lana and feel that it was more than time for something different. The unfortunate fact of TV is that when a couple that viewers have rooted for finally get together it usually spells the end of their relationship or the end of the show. It is the anticipation of the relationship that catches the viewer's interest. Once the relationship is cemented it apparently becomes boring. Just look at TV history---Sam and Diane on Cheers, Lois and Clark on Lois & Clark, Tony & Angela on Who's the Boss, etc.--all of these pairings becoming permanent spelled the end of the shows.

On Smallville, there had already been so much back and forth with Clark & Lana. I think most viewers were ready for some kind of conclusion to the relationship--either stay together for real or break up entirely. If they had remained together I think that their relationship would have hindered the possibility of Clark fulfilling his destiny because he would always be worrying about whether his actions might cause Lana harm. And again, would viewers lose interest in a happy couple as they have in the past?

As for the whole Lexana thing. Who better for Lana to turn to. Although she has not always trusted Lex, he has at times been her mentor and advisor. Additionally, Lana has just had her heart ripped out by Clark. She has always sought approval on some level and probably needs that now more than ever. She already knows that Lex has feelings for her. Who better to stroke her ego. Not only that but the encounter with the spaceship profoundly affected Lana and Lex is as eager to get to the bottom of it as she is. They have a common cause so it's not really out of nowhere.

[dhacker615]

Originally posted by enamored
I personally have liked the Lana/Clark pairing up. I think that they have great chemistry together but I'm not a shipper of any kind.

I figured that we have already had five seasons of Clark's obsession with Lana and feel that it was more than time for something different. The unfortunate fact of TV is that when a couple that viewers have rooted for finally get together it usually spells the end of their relationship or the end of the show. It is the anticipation of the relationship that catches the viewer's interest. Once the relationship is cemented it apparently becomes boring. Just look at TV history---Sam and Diane on Cheers, Lois and Clark on Lois & Clark, Tony & Angela on Who's the Boss, etc.--all of these pairings becoming permanent spelled the end of the shows.

Here's the difference between SV and the shows you mentioned, SV is a sci-fi/action show. The ships are what makes the show fresh and different, but they aren't the absolute core of the show. On any given FOTW episode, it hardly matters if Clark is single, or Clark is with Lana, or Lana is with Lex, or whatever combination you'd like. The writers just need to keep it straight and throw a scene in to give you a nod that way.

The big mistake SV made was in S3, IMO. After they paired up Clark & Lana at the end of S2 they should've left it alone for the first 12-15 episodes of the season. The back-and-forth killed a lot of interest in their story. That is why I think they should hook Clark up with a girlfriend for most of S6. It is too late for Lana, but a nice steady relationship would eliminate a lot of the hints, winks and nonesense.

[Watching Smallville]

Originally posted by dhacker615
The big mistake SV made was in S3, IMO. After they paired up Clark & Lana at the end of S2 they should've left it alone for the first 12-15 episodes of the season. The back-and-forth killed a lot of interest in their story. That is why I think they should hook Clark up with a girlfriend for most of S6. It is too late for Lana, but a nice steady relationship would eliminate a lot of the hints, winks and nonesense.

I agree about Season 3, although I loved that season. SV writers have this habit of creating these extreme events that the characters can never really come back from. They blew up Clark's ship and killed Martha's baby. You can't really come back from that. Then they send Clark to Metropolis and turn him into a thief, a loose canon, and a fugitive. You can't really come back from that. Then they give Jonathan heart trouble, and finally they kill him off in Reckoning. They throw these huge events at us that change the tone of the show, change the nature of the characters, and then expect the audience to go along as if we're watching the same show. When we're not.

The right move for season 3 would have been to give Clark and Lana their chance and still do what they did with the mythos and the FOTWs. And lose irresponsible/Red-K Clark who killed his mom's baby and gave his dad heart disease.

[dhacker615]

Originally posted by Watching Smallville
The right move for season 3 would have been to give Clark and Lana their chance and still do what they did with the mythos and the FOTWs. And lose irresponsible/Red-K Clark who killed his mom's baby and gave his dad heart disease.

I agree with most of what you said. Season 3 was overall my favorite so far, but they took "Exodus" and "Exile" a bit too far. I get that Clark was being tempted by the proverbial Dark Side, but that was a bit much. The accident that killed the baby was never raised after "Exodus", which was the start of a bad trend. Althoigh none of that bugged me as much as turning Supergirl into a throw-away FOTW in "Covenant".

As the show moves into Season 6, they really need to move off the soap opera a bit and focus on making the mythos coherent and having scary, sci-fi driven episodes again. The irony is that I think the best way to do that is to give Clark a stable girlfriend for a while. They blew their chance with Lana is S3, which hurt this season IMO. The break-up drama was too much the same thing again. I really believe it too soon for Lois and it runs the risk of being more 'secrects' driven nonsense. In the current cast, that leaves Chloe.

I've been banging this drum pretty hard lately, but I really think it is a good idea. For one thing, it makes Chloe a bit less of a pure plot device (a real weakness this year). For another, it reduces the temptation for her to be such a Mary Sue. I think the writers really don't want Chloe to fade into the background and become a blonde Pete, so they have made her super-skilled. If she is Clark's girlfriend, then the pressure to keep her involved falls off. He can chat with her about whatever exposition he needs to disscuss in bed, or over breakfast, or where-ever. It is only been one season and they've over-played the little Daily Planet set. Finally, it puts some pressure on to move the Lois story along. With no Clois hints to drop, then maybe they'll try to put the current muffin peddling drop-out/political guru on her path toward being the Lois that Superman fans know and love.

They've covered a lot of the classic 'Superboy' ground to one degree or another. I wasn't a fan of what they did with Krypto, but at least they touched on it. The one piece they haven't touched on is the Legion of Super-Heroes. Like Brainiac, that strikes me as a potential whole season worth of plot. They know Clark's whole future, they have distinct powers and their own threats. The additional virtue is that they are pretty obscure, so most viewers wouldn't immediately know who the chick with the mind-reading powers is.

I think that dense stories are hard to do when Clark is single. I am not a fan of the Lexana, but if that is the new status quo it is better to leave it alone. The focus on the prospect of a new ship, a break-up, or a back-slide takes up too much time and/or energy. The show needs a new status quo that makes sense after the events of the first five seasons.

[warriorrenegade]

Originally posted by dhacker615
I agree with most of what you said. Season 3 was overall my favorite so far, but they took "Exodus" and "Exile" a bit too far. I get that Clark was being tempted by the proverbial Dark Side, but that was a bit much. The accident that killed the baby was never raised after "Exodus", which was the start of a bad trend. Althoigh none of that bugged me as much as turning Supergirl into a throw-away FOTW in "Covenant".

As the show moves into Season 6, they really need to move off the soap opera a bit and focus on making the mythos coherent and having scary, sci-fi driven episodes again. The irony is that I think the best way to do that is to give Clark a stable girlfriend for a while. They blew their chance with Lana is S3, which hurt this season IMO. The break-up drama was too much the same thing again. I really believe it too soon for Lois and it runs the risk of being more 'secrects' driven nonsense. In the current cast, that leaves Chloe.

I've been banging this drum pretty hard lately, but I really think it is a good idea. For one thing, it makes Chloe a bit less of a pure plot device (a real weakness this year). For another, it reduces the temptation for her to be such a Mary Sue. I think the writers really don't want Chloe to fade into the background and become a blonde Pete, so they have made her super-skilled. If she is Clark's girlfriend, then the pressure to keep her involved falls off. He can chat with her about whatever exposition he needs to disscuss in bed, or over breakfast, or where-ever. It is only been one season and they've over-played the little Daily Planet set. Finally, it puts some pressure on to move the Lois story along. With no Clois hints to drop, then maybe they'll try to put the current muffin peddling drop-out/political guru on her path toward being the Lois that Superman fans know and love.

They've covered a lot of the classic 'Superboy' ground to one degree or another. I wasn't a fan of what they did with Krypto, but at least they touched on it. The one piece they haven't touched on is the Legion of Super-Heroes. Like Brainiac, that strikes me as a potential whole season worth of plot. They know Clark's whole future, they have distinct powers and their own threats. The additional virtue is that they are pretty obscure, so most viewers wouldn't immediately know who the chick with the mind-reading powers is.

I think that dense stories are hard to do when Clark is single. I am not a fan of the Lexana, but if that is the new status quo it is better to leave it alone. The focus on the prospect of a new ship, a break-up, or a back-slide takes up too much time and/or energy. The show needs a new status quo that makes sense after the events of the first five seasons.

I agree with the statements on Chloe. They really need to take advantage of her character popularity before they destroy it(plotdevice) . Here lately I've been thinking "What if they have her move into the field of Law enforcement" I feel its a natrual progression for her. Shes always helping Clark with "cases" and maybe shes inspired by Clark to find her true calling. I know shes a reporter, its been her dream ever since a little girl, but what if she becomes that reporter and finds out its not what shes wanted to do. Its become mundane. It doesn't have the same excitement it once had. Then we'd have Clark go on and continue toward his daily planet future. Lois will follow and rest is history.

[SmallvilleMan]

Hey Al/Miles glad you enjoy the lexana, it only cost you abotu 2 millions people in ratings, but hey it was worth it. Right? Playing Clana right would have been a key in keeping the ratings up. Killing Clana the way they did, also killed Lana and Clark.

[tmkfan]

Originally posted by dhacker615

That is why I think they should hook Clark up with a girlfriend for most of S6. It is too late for Lana, but a nice steady relationship would eliminate a lot of the hints, winks and nonesense. [/B]

Thats not gonna help in any way! for starters everyone will get mad, only the people that watch for the Mythos will be happy with this, but all of the shippers will get mad they hooked up Clark with a totally different girl. Plus if Clark cant tell Lana his secret, hes not gonna tell anyone else either. It wouldnt make any sense.

[dhacker615]

Originally posted by tmkfan
Thats not gonna help in any way! for starters everyone will get mad, only the people that watch for the Mythos will be happy with this, but all of the shippers will get mad they hooked up Clark with a totally different girl. Plus if Clark cant tell Lana his secret, hes not gonna tell anyone else either. It wouldnt make any sense.

I agree that the various ship fans would freak out if they introduced a new female lead. However, they need to do two things in Season 6:
1. Tell a major plot heavy story that ties into the Superman mythos and advances Clark toward his destiny.
2. Clean-up the mess they've made of Lana and the Clana relationship.

I have addressed why I think #1 would be well served by a new GF for Clark. However, #2 is a real problem, since I don't think anyone wants to see Clark & Lana in round 3 as a couple. However, it is a major part of the series and it didn't get a chance to end with much respect. In other words, they need to have Clark and Lana playing scenes together without much risk of a back-slide. I don't think the Lexana serves that purpose.

So, you need a female character to be the new GF. To avoid another round of the played out "Secret & Lies", it needs to be someone who knows Clark's true nature. To avoid an outright revolt from the shippers, it should be a character that is popular on her own terms. To avoid an outright revolt from the fans of the cannon, Lois shouldn't be the person prior to their time together at the Daily Planet, which at least five years in the future.

Luckily, the show has a character who fits that description perfectly: Chloe.

Even better, it makes sense from a character stand-point. Chloe has always had a crush on Clark, but he has never shown much interest back. However, after getting his head kicked in by a needy, unstable Lana for five years, it makes sense that he would look for the most stable person he can find.

[SmallvilleMan]

1. Tell a major plot heavy story that ties into the Superman mythos and advances Clark toward his destiny

That's what Clana should be doing, advancing Clark toward his destiny. If they played Clana the way it should have been, then it would have lead him to his destiny, instead of sending him back the way they did it.

Chloe wouldn't be a good option IMO, because he has shown nothing toward her but friendship. She's his friend and nothing more. And as the way Clana has been played out, would only be a rebound to Clark.