Did Clark take another step back?

[ginevrakent]

He shouldn't have hesitated

I really didn't read the moment as hesitation. I read it as a combination of confirming with Martha that she was okay and an acknowledgment that Clark was going to do what had to do to save Lionel.

[borednow]

I really didn't read the moment as hesitation. I read it as a combination of confirming with Martha that she was okay and an acknowledgment that Clark was going to do what had to do to save Lionel.

I read it as this too... it kinda came to me like

Clark: "I'm going to go back and save him mom."
Martha: "I know, it's the right thing."

[Greenarrowjustice]

Martha said she would destroy Lionel if he did anything to harm Clark. I believed her.

me too..specially after she had tess tortured last season...

[pjack]

I think he was going to save Lionel all along. As far as throwing him, the last time he saw Lionel, he was whipped with a belt and could have been killed by him so I don't blame Clark for letting Lionel know that he isn't someone to fool with and he better watch out. Lionel is lucky he only got thrown out like the garbage he is.

Exactly. He doesn't like Lionel or any Luthors really. Just cause he doesn't kill, doesn't mean he has to be nice to him.

[borednow]

He eventually came to respect redeemed Lionel and he likes Tess... and he's trying with new Lex... I wouldn't say Clark hates the Luthors...

[wafflles87]

I actually liked that scene. Shows that he's human, and as a human, I think he's entitled to hold a little resentment. I never liked the idea of Superman being a saint. He may have extraordinary powers, but he was raised among humans, and he has human emotions.
Even though he hesitated, in the end he did the right thing. As for the throwing and "This isn't over"? Fair warning to Lionel, though we all know it won't have the desired effect.

[redkryptoniteisthebest]

I don't see it as a step back at all. Clark as Superman doesn't always want to save villains. He does it because its right not because its easy. Same as Lionel.
As to throwing Lionel, Clark didn't hurt him. Maybe not the nicest act, but pretty much fair in my book. Personally I consider murderous scum low on my protective instinct.

Agreed. Clark tossing Lionel was far nicer than what he could have done. Lionel, in both worlds, is a threat to his survival, yet Clark did the heroic deed in saving him. It's only right.

[luckycloisfan]

I really didn't read the moment as hesitation. I read it as a combination of confirming with Martha that she was okay and an acknowledgment that Clark was going to do what had to do to save Lionel.

Well, why not Confirm with Martha that she was okay, After he saved a man from a burning building? And why have to acknowledge with her that he 'had to' go back and save Lionel?

He could have just saved Lionel and then went immediately back to Martha's side.

Why put the hesitation in there at all

I read it as this too... it kinda came to me like

Clark: "I'm going to go back and save him mom."
Martha: "I know, it's the right thing."

Yeah, that too.

[magoo]

After saving Martha, there's that pause between them, when Clark really doesn't want to go back and save Lionel. So he still has a dark heart? I'm hoping that by the end of the episode, they were showing us that he let go of that ("Oh, gosh. You're Dad would be so proud of you.") And that smile that blossums on his face after that ...

But I'm worried that after making these big steps forward, the producers/writers showed us that there's still anger in his heart, still hate.

What was your take on that scene? Especially the "This isn't over..."

I saw it as just pausing to think to himself 'yeah i know i have to save him but would be so much easier if i didn't have to'. And Martha's smile was one of understanding and knowing he would do the right thing.

[HeroesAllDay]

My problem is that there shouldn't have been a look in the first place. Whether the look was acknowledgement or whatever, it was still a hesitation on Clark's part. After 10 years of growing up, there should not have been any hesitation whatsoever. Furthermore, he should have saved Lionel when he saved Martha.

But you have to remember, this is the same Clark that just blatantly collapsed a building without knowing if anyone was in it or by it.

[SnowBird]

My problem is that there shouldn't have been a look in the first place. Whether the look was acknowledgement or whatever, it was still a hesitation on Clark's part. After 10 years of growing up, there should not have been any hesitation whatsoever. Furthermore, he should have saved Lionel when he saved Martha.

But you have to remember, this is the same Clark that just blatantly collapsed a building without knowing if anyone was in it or by it.

Martha had been knocked out and Clark found her in a burning building filled with smoke. If he hadn't paused and looked at her to make sure she was okay, I would have been disappointed. What if we saw that he just set her down and speeded off to save Lionel? That would have been wierd to me to think Clark was more concerned with saving Lionel than making sure his mom was okay....So is Clark going to carry his mom and Lionel one under each arm like sacks of grain? I'm glad Clark took care with Martha to cradle her in his arms and be the first to be saved. She is his first priority. People can interpret their looks all they want but I know Clark wouldn't and didn't let Lionel die, case closed.

As far as the solar towers, how do you know Clark didn't make sure there were no people still left in there? I'm sure he x-rayed and maybe even searched the building before he set it on fire. Even though he was disappointed in himself for distroying the towers, I think he took every precaution to make sure there was no one that would be hurt or killed because of his actions.

Clark isn't perfect and I'm glad he isn't because it gives him a human side. He is still on his journey to become Superman and has lessons to learn but one thing I know, he is a good person and wants to help mankind and to me, it outweighs everything else. Even after he becomes Superman, things won't automatically be perfect. He will continue to learn, struggle with his imperfections, but one thing for sure, Clark will be mankinds greatest hero in spite of everything. I think I'm going to burst into tears when Clark becomes Superman in his suit. That is going to be one glorious day after watching ten years of SV. In fact, tears are flowing just thinking about it. Clark is my hero.

[skye4376]

why do all you hate clark so much?

1) lionel luthor is an evil villain, if clark throws him down, and says "this isn't over" thats what superman would do.

2) if clark had not saved lionel, then clark wouldn't have killed him, alexander would have killed him, clark just wouldn't have saved him.

3) clark hesitating showed that he was thinking like anyone else would, "if i save this evil villain lionel luthor, he could tell the world my secret, try to take over this world like he did his own, and could kill me since he knows my weakness. on the other hand saving him is the right thing to do. its HARD to do the right thing sometimes (as everyone in the world struggles with this) but i have to do it."

all i ask is that you all leave clark alone, FOR HE DID NOTHING WRONG IN THIS EPISODE.

[Cloning Blues]

Totally in agreement with the person above me. What's up with the "oh my god, Clark hit the bad guy. Superman wouldn't do that!" Hate to break it to all of you, but Superman has spent almost seventy years of publication doing just that: beating up criminals. And not just supervillains. He may not hospitalise people the way that Batman does, but he's certainly knocked out, smacked around, or outright threatened hundreds of non-powered villains over the course of his lengthy career.

And you know what else? He's totally right to do so, in both those cases and this one. Earth-2 Lionel is a borderline psychopath who took over Earth-2 and ran it into the ground. He turned Clark into a monster, had his own son (and possibly his bastard daughter) killed, and tried to murder our Clark by beating him to death. He then escaped into Earth-1, bought out LuthorCorp from its relatively benevolent bosses, sheltered a violent criminal with homicidal tendencies, and threatened Oliver and Clark with further violence. And suddenly he's trapped in a burning building for reasons that are entirely his own blasted fault. I would have left him to die. Regular cops probably would have left him to die. Depending on the writer, Batman would have left him to die. What does Clark do? He saves his life. It's obvious from the ending that Lionel isn't seriously injured, and Clark's throwing him to the ground did not hurt him. Can we all stop assuming that every time Clark hits someone and it doesn't kill him it was an accident? Clark's repeatedly demonstrated very good control over his superstrength; if Earth-2 Lionel isn't hurt it's because Clark didn't want to hurt him.

As for the hesitating thing...for like one second. He makes sure his mom is okay, something which is entirely understandable, given that in the course of what, two days, she's been shot and nearly burned to death. He then zooms back in to save Earth-2 Lionel. That wasn't a "mom tell me what to do" moment. As many people have said it was a "this is what I'm going to do" moment. The only way it could have been better would have been if Clark had rolled his eyes.

As for the "This isn't over": of course it's not. Clark knows that he can't have Lionel imprisoned at this point. There's no evidence against him. So he lets him go, but warns him he'll be watching, after embarassing the old creep badly enough that maybe he'll think twice before trying it again. Could it get more Supermanesque?

Basically, I've got to say that no, this wasn't a step backwards for Clark. If anything, it was a step forwards. He saved a monster's life, not because he would get something from it, not because someone else told him it was right, not because he thought he could redeem them, but because he believed it was the morally right thing to do. It was one of the best moments in the show, and I was very glad they included it.

[MozartRequiem]

"Martha had been knocked out and Clark found her in a burning building filled with smoke. If he hadn't paused and looked at her to make sure she was okay, I would have been disappointed. What if we saw that he just set her down and speeded off to save Lionel? That would have been wierd to me to think Clark was more concerned with saving Lionel than making sure his mom was okay....So is Clark going to carry his mom and Lionel one under each arm like sacks of grain? I'm glad Clark took care with Martha to cradle her in his arms and be the first to be saved. She is his first priority. People can interpret their looks all they want but I know Clark wouldn't and didn't let Lionel die, case closed.

As far as the solar towers, how do you know Clark didn't make sure there were no people still left in there? I'm sure he x-rayed and maybe even searched the building before he set it on fire. Even though he was disappointed in himself for distroying the towers, I think he took every precaution to make sure there was no one that would be hurt or killed because of his actions.

Clark isn't perfect and I'm glad he isn't because it gives him a human side. He is still on his journey to become Superman and has lessons to learn but one thing I know, he is a good person and wants to help mankind and to me, it outweighs everything else. Even after he becomes Superman, things won't automatically be perfect. He will continue to learn, struggle with his imperfections, but one thing for sure, Clark will be mankinds greatest hero in spite of everything. I think I'm going to burst into tears when Clark becomes Superman in his suit. That is going to be one glorious day after watching ten years of SV. In fact, tears are flowing just thinking about it. Clark is my hero."

*applauds* beautifully stated, SnowBird. Exactly how I feel!

[menthys]

^^^^
Provided he DOES become Superman...i am not entirely sure we will see that.