15 years of Smallville

[Agent Z]

I'm making assumptions here, but it sounds like she was some sort of "Creator's Pet". Am i wrong?

That's about the the size of it, yes. And I'm someone who usually tries to avoid using that term to describe characters.

[superduperman]

I'm making assumptions here, but it sounds like she was some sort of "Creator's Pet". Am i wrong?

The general consensus is that the writers were sort of forced to keep her in the show despite the fact that she'd long since served her purpose. So they kept having to come up with things for her to do. Like I said, one of my biggest gripes was that the show stayed on the air too long. Hence the reason they started incorporating the rest of the DCU into it. If he can't become Superman, why not have Green Arrow running around? Or Martian Manhunter? Or the Justice Society? The writers were clearly being hampered by upper management who wouldn't let them move on.

[misslane]

The general consensus is that the writers were sort of forced to keep her in the show despite the fact that she'd long since served her purpose. So they kept having to come up with things for her to do. Like I said, one of my biggest gripes was that the show stayed on the air too long. Hence the reason they started incorporating the rest of the DCU into it. If he can't become Superman, why not have Green Arrow running around? Or Martian Manhunter? Or the Justice Society? The writers were clearly being hampered by upper management who wouldn't let them move on.

Then again, why can't other heroes exist before Clark is officially Superman? It's not a rule, and Smallville was free to do their own spin. I liked seeing Clark learn from but also inspire and guide those heroes. It enhanced the show and Clark's journey, as far as I'm concerned, and if that's the case I wouldn't have wanted it to be avoided out of some blind loyalty to a non-existent rule.

[superduperman]

Then again, why can't other heroes exist before Clark is officially Superman? It's not a rule, and Smallville was free to do their own spin. I liked seeing Clark learn from but also inspire and guide those heroes. It enhanced the show and Clark's journey, as far as I'm concerned, and if that's the case I wouldn't have wanted it to be avoided out of some blind loyalty to a non-existent rule.

Considering the creative liberties they took with the mythos (both good and bad) that's the least of my complaints. My point is, the writers couldn't come up with a reason to keep her around. Especially once Lois showed up. She had served her purpose but they wouldn't let her go. I like the fact that we got to see the larger DCU on the show. It's one of the things I liked about it. But it also happened because the writers were hampered by not being allowed to move him forward as a character.

[misslane]

Considering the creative liberties they took with the mythos (both good and bad) that's the least of my complaints. My point is, the writers couldn't come up with a reason to keep her around. Especially once Lois showed up. She had served her purpose but they wouldn't let her go. I like the fact that we got to see the larger DCU on the show. It's one of the things I liked about it. But it also happened because the writers were hampered by not being allowed to move him forward as a character.

First, I don't get why you underscore that you were making a point about reasons to keep "her" (whom I assume is Lana) after Lois showed up because they wouldn't let "her" go. My comment had nothing to do with any "her" (Lana) and only discussed the use of heroes in Clark's story prior to him becoming Superman. I'm only questioning your claim that the heroes were on the show without Clark being Superman because the writers were not being allowed to move Clark forward. It was the writers and creators of the show, as well as the actors, who were the most adamant about Clark not transforming into Superman until the show's finale. It wasn't the network, DC Comics, or Warner Brothers forcing them. Their visions for the show were aligned not opposed.

[Chris24601]

I haven't thought about Smallville in quite a while, but in doing so now the most amusing thing for me is looking at the current comics is how the whole concept behind the "Chlois" theory is sorta actually playing out there now... i.e. the concept of "Lois Lane" as a secret identity (in this case for Lois Smith, who is kinda sorta a sister or cousin to NuLois and has shorter/lighter colored hair) particularly later iterations of the theory where the name Lois Lane would have been taken up in memory of the original Lois Lane who had died. Some versions even went so far as to speculate that they could play out the 'love triangle for two' where "Lois" and Clark are secretly married but pretend not to be at the office for the sake of preserving secret identities.

Regardless of your feelings for the original theory, the present comics go to show that every concept will eventually have its day if you wait long enough.

[misslane]

I haven't thought about Smallville in quite a while, but in doing so now the most amusing thing for me is looking at the current comics is how the whole concept behind the "Chlois" theory is sorta actually playing out there now... i.e. the concept of "Lois Lane" as a secret identity (in this case for Lois Smith, who is kinda sorta a sister or cousin to NuLois and has shorter/lighter colored hair) particularly later iterations of the theory where the name Lois Lane would have been taken up in memory of the original Lois Lane who had died. Some versions even went so far as to speculate that they could play out the 'love triangle for two' where "Lois" and Clark are secretly married but pretend not to be at the office for the sake of preserving secret identities.

Regardless of your feelings for the original theory, the present comics go to show that every concept will eventually have its day if you wait long enough.

I sort of see the connection, but I don't like it. The Chlois theory was about someone who is not Lois replacing Lois. An alternate Earth Lois is still a version of Lois. The Chlois theory was awful because it was about a cousin who did not have Lois Lane's backstory or personality taking over that cousin's life when she died. It was a lot more "Single White Female" than just living the life of your alt-Earth doppleganger.

[Flash Gordon]

Chloe was meant to fill the void of "Lois Lane" since Lois wasn't part of Clark's supporting cast in Smallville. She was the spunky, gutsy, "reporter" who suspects there is more to Clark Kent than his love of flannel.

Making her spend time interning at the Daily Planet during the summers, furthered this. That could have been fanboy lipservice but she could have been interning at any other news organization. The fact that it was the Daily Planet and that there was an attraction between her and Clark and that she even casually uses the name "Lois Lane" as a cover for herself- really made you question who the hell "Chloe Sullivan" was.

When her and her family are killed by Lionel Luthor, and Lex saves her, that furthered it for me.

It's an overly convoluted way to just bring in a character named Lois Lane, which could easily be done (and gets done by season 3), but it is kinda interesting. Spins the whole Superman/Clark/Lois Lane weird love triangle of identities into Chloe/Lois/Clark.

[superduperman]

Chloe was meant to fill the void of "Lois Lane" since Lois wasn't part of Clark's supporting cast in Smallville. She was the spunky, gutsy, "reporter" who suspects there is more to Clark Kent than his love of flannel.

Making her spend time interning at the Daily Planet during the summers, furthered this. That could have been fanboy lipservice but she could have been interning at any other news organization. The fact that it was the Daily Planet and that there was an attraction between her and Clark and that she even casually uses the name "Lois Lane" as a cover for herself- really made you question who the hell "Chloe Sullivan" was.

When her and her family are killed by Lionel Luthor, and Lex saves her, that furthered it for me.

It's an overly convoluted way to just bring in a character named Lois Lane, which could easily be done (and gets done by season 3), but it is kinda interesting. Spins the whole Superman/Clark/Lois Lane weird love triangle of identities into Chloe/Lois/Clark.

I kind of wonder if they weren't planning on having her BE Lois early on. In other words, the "real" Lois never shows up and doesn't care and we never see her and Chloe becomes the "official" Lois.

[misslane]

Chloe was meant to fill the void of "Lois Lane" since Lois wasn't part of Clark's supporting cast in Smallville. She was the spunky, gutsy, "reporter" who suspects there is more to Clark Kent than his love of flannel.

This also describes Pre-Crisis Lana Lang, yet no one argued that Chloe was iconic Lana. Chloe's personality was not Lois-like at all. An interest in journalism is not all it takes to be Lois. Chloe's interests were in tabloid topics that even visiting Perry White thought were made up because Chloe's work lacked proper research and evidence (an accusation that had even once gotten Chloe's tenure as The Torch's editor revoked by the Smallville High principal). Chloe was co-dependent and had no problem selling Clark out to Lionel Luthor when he chose Lana over her in Season 2. Chloe had no more in common with iconic Lois Lane than she did with iconic Lana Lang or even Veronica Mars or Fox Mulder.

[Francisco]

I do agree that there is nothing Lois Lane like about Chloe Sullivan... Chloe is basically the nerdy girl/guy every sci-fi fantasy show has. She was Clark's Felicity/Winn/Willow

[Flash Gordon]

This also describes Pre-Crisis Lana Lang, yet no one argued that Chloe was iconic Lana. Chloe's personality was not Lois-like at all. An interest in journalism is not all it takes to be Lois. Chloe's interests were in tabloid topics that even visiting Perry White thought were made up because Chloe's work lacked proper research and evidence (an accusation that had even once gotten Chloe's tenure as The Torch's editor revoked by the Smallville High principal). Chloe was co-dependent and had no problem selling Clark out to Lionel Luthor when he chose Lana over her in Season 2. Chloe had no more in common with iconic Lois Lane than she did with iconic Lana Lang or even Veronica Mars or Fox Mulder.

To be fair, Chloe was interested in UFO tabloid topics whilst living in the meteor capital of the world and being best pals with an alien refugee sungod.

[Chris24601]

I kind of wonder if they weren't planning on having her BE Lois early on. In other words, the "real" Lois never shows up and doesn't care and we never see her and Chloe becomes the "official" Lois.

That's my general take on things. Enough people independently saw the same thing that I believe it was at least being kicked around during the earlier seasons of the series. My hunch is that it proved too radical for the risk-averse WB execs at the time and with the Superboy lawsuit coming into full swing around S3-4, they decided to put a "real Lois Lane" into the mix ASAP along with dropping Pete Ross so they could more easily claim the show was based on Superman and not Superboy.

Its long past the point of arguing over whether it was real or not one way or the other; the series has been over for five years and was what it was. I just found it worth mentioning the Chlois-theory because of the similarities it shares with what's going on currently with the comics. Part of the reasoning behind the theory (beyond just AlMiles wanting to put their stamp on Superman forever with the mother of all twists) was that, like Lex, it put Lois Lane at the center of the story from the very first episode of the series and, the part that I think it relevant to the current DC editorial thinking, making Lois Lane a secret identity put the character on even footing with Clark/Superman and Lex Luthor (beloved philanthropist/secret villain).

The setup of Lois Smith disguised as Lois Lane is a similar mirror to Clark Kent/Superman and the SuperLex/prophesied Darkseid 2.0 Lex, which leads me to believe the idea for it probably originated from the same line of thinking that led to the Chlois-theory (i.e. it is a way of establishing additional parallels between the characters).

But the specific Lois setup of having given up journalism, but then going back to it by taking up the identity of Lois Lane after the death of the original Lois Lane (of this timeline) specifically as part of honoring her memory is so much like the late stage expression of the Chlois-theory that it does make me wonder if someone involved in the current comics was at least familiar with the theory and either consciously or unconsciously ended up mirroring it for Lois' rebirth arc (possibly because the Superman titles, including NuLois' character, were in such a state Pre-Rebirth that they were willing to try something more radical as an 'author's saving throw').

[Dolores - The Worst Poster Ever]

One good thing about Smallville is that the show didn't confine itself casting white actors in the parts of Lana and Pete, even though that's what the characters had been depicted as historically. Considering that Lana was a main character for 4 (?) seasons, the show deserves credit for that.

I wonder if they auditioned actors that weren't white for other characters like Lois, Green Arrow, and other members of the supporting cast.

[phantom1592]

She would give Clark all kinds of grief fro lying and keeping secrets but had no problem doing the same (the spaceship, Lex still being alive, faking her death etc). And the show never called her out on this.



In addition, to the hypocrisy and double standards regarding Lana, there were just bizarre story choices with her. You had several episodes with meteor freaks stalking her, ham handed attempts to keep her relevant to the story like making her the descendant of a witch that sought crystals from Krypton, giving her Clark's power and dragging out the Clark/Lana relationship on for eight seasons.

To be fair that there is exactly the kind silver age hijinks that Lana and Lois would get up to all the time... So I KIND of give the idea a pass... but man the execution of that story sucked...

Honestly, Lana got insanely annoying as the series went on. Her biggest problem is that she was the predestined loser. Lana Lang and Clark Kent were NEVER going to end up together. It's one thing to pine after the pretty girl in high school... but it's extra annoying SEVEN YEARS LATER. At this point he's out of school, he's hanging around the Daily Planet in Metropolis... Lois has been introduced... the pieces are all set.

That's what was frustrating about Smallville. It was an ORIGIN story. Everyone already KNEW how it was going to end. Clark becomes Superman. Lois becomes the Love interest. Based out of Metroplis, Wearing glasses...

In the early years it was fun to watch them set up the dominos... but by year 7 the audience wanted to see them knocked over. It was time. At that point it was just obvious that they were stalling with nowhere to go. They weren't ready to call him superman... but he was a full reporter, wearing red and blue, 'blurring' around the city saving people... It was TOTALLY superman, they just wouldn't go the full mile.

Also the constant denial was annoying. It started fun! I LOVED the 'Halloween party' episode (Lana becomes a vampire...) where Clark goes dressed as Zorro with the mask and cape. Chloe looks at him and asks "Cape? Isn't that a bit much?" His response... "Actually I like the cape. It's this mask I don't like... it keeps shifting." That was the kind of fun foreshadowing that I enjoyed. By seasons 8 and 9... Green Arrow is CONSTNATLY pushing him to be the full hero and Clark was just whiney about how he didn't want to... or he'd NEVER wear stupid outfits like that...

But as an origin we KNEW he would...

There was a lot of great things about the show... but I agree it went too long. I bought the first 7 seasons as they came out... but by then I just couldn't do it anymore. Once Lana married lex and faked her death to become cyberspy... I couldn't throw money at it anymore.

Still rented the discs for the last seasons... but couldn't buy them.


As an added fun note... I rewatched my dvds recently and had to laugh at how inappropriate some of these stories were. Season 1 started with them as freshman in highschool... Age 15... But somehow these freshmans are the Varsity Quarterback, the prettiest girl in school and the editor of the school newspaper??

These were Junior or Senior year plots in a freshman set story.