meganbmoore: (Default)
meganbmoore ([personal profile] meganbmoore) wrote2007-03-21 07:52 pm

Smallville Season 4

Ok?  Lois Lane?  Almost compensates for Lana.  Seriously, she makes the show 100 times better.  She and Clark have more chemistry in any one scene than every combined Clark/Lana scene from the first four seasons.  Clark is so far out of his league with her that I'd say it isn't even funny, except it is, and makes the whole thing worthwhile.  Except...on the other hand...there's Chloe.  Know what?  There has been exactly ONE moment in this entire series that has given me an angsty tug in the young love department, and that was the final, 2 second shot  of Chloe's face at the end of episode 3 here.  Lois has just gotten Clark good in the dunking booth and is teasing him and ruffling his hair and he has this half sheepish/half annoyed grin because he'd been taunting her that he didn't think she could do it, and the last shot of the episode shifts to Chloe looking heartbroken because she can see the writing on the wall.  On the other hand, the scene where Lana comments to Clark that she thinks he and Lois might be good together that was supposed to tug at our heartstrings and make us go "oh, poor doomed young love" had me going "YES CLARK!!! LISTEN!!! GET OVER HER!!! YOUR DESTINY HAS ARRIVED!!!"

Also, midseason, I finally realized what on the Lana/Chloe front has been bugging me a bit(not the part where I wondered why on earth Clark and Lex were so hung up on a whiny woe-is-me drama queen) Chloe started out as a Lois standin, and Lana as the Superman-canon Lana, if altered for maximum "sympathy-angst."  However, Lana has consistently moved farther and farther from her origins to the point where she now bears almost no resemblance to her origins.  In the meantime, Chloe has grown into a character independent of Lois, and is actually filling Lana's role.  Lana is the whiny girl who TPTB have been desperately trying to convince us has a point since season 1(you know, I was going to go on about the absurdity of her storyline this season, but it's not worth it.  Except that it was one of the most deperate and failed attempts at convincing us a character was important that I've ever seen)  Chloe, OTOH, is the(much more endearing and mature) girl who stands by Clark, lost him before she ever really had a chance with him, and is the keeper of his secrets.   She is, currently, a far better Superman-canon Lana(without coming across as a Lana ripoff) than Smallville Lana has ever been.  Lana was superfluous already, but now that Lois has arrived, she's extra-superfluous.

Also, a final note...Lana, why did you have to bring Jensen Ackles back from Paris with you?  Didn't you realize it would make it harder to tune you out?  *annoyed*

On the otherhand...Lana plot stupidity aside, that was an awesome ending.

I must find s5 at a good price now.

In other news, I am  ttttthhhhhhhiiiiiisssss close to buying Robin of Sherwood DVDs, even though they aren't as cheap as I want them.  I want my angsty, intense, brooding, historically and mythologically driven outlaws.  Especially my angry, vengeful Will Scarlet who reminds us why he's called Will Scarlet.  wwwwaaaaannnnnttttt

*starts dinner while she ponders what to watch next*

[identity profile] calixa.livejournal.com 2007-03-22 02:19 am (UTC)(link)
I really agree about Lois, she makes Clark infinitely less boring. Also I've always been a diehard Clark/Lois fan, so I loved it when they brought her on =)

[identity profile] meganbmoore.livejournal.com 2007-03-22 02:36 am (UTC)(link)
Lets face it, Clark has always been pretty, but he was never hot until Lois came along. There's a reason that they're the ultimate comic book OTP.

[identity profile] jennawaterford.livejournal.com 2007-03-22 02:29 am (UTC)(link)
Your synopses have tracked along very closely with what I thought while watching the series. From the previews of current episodes, they apparently STILL think we should all love and adore Lana, dammit! Uh, thank you. No.

*sigh* I dropped the whole thing after episode 100 (season 5) -- it just pushed me that one step too far.

[identity profile] meganbmoore.livejournal.com 2007-03-22 02:34 am (UTC)(link)
Well, part of it is a WB mandate for no actual Lois/Clark(though I hear that's lessened)...the thing is, they could have avoided Lois/Clark without keeping Lana around...I mean, seriously, is there a single fan out there who han't wanted Chloe to get to be with Clark for at least a little while?

The thing is, though, is that Kristen Kreuk actually CAN act and every once in a while, there will be a scene where she actually gets to show it, she just has the worst material any poor soul has ever been stuck with on a consistent basis. Lana is the first time I've flat out pittied a performer for the material they were given.

*is now watching her beloved St. Ives to compensate for it*

[identity profile] dangermousie.livejournal.com 2007-03-22 04:07 am (UTC)(link)
I own RoS DVDs and love them (shipped them from UK even). Robin was one of my earliest fictional crushes. I watched the show and played RH with my cousin in the attic...

[identity profile] meganbmoore.livejournal.com 2007-03-22 04:11 am (UTC)(link)
I just hit "confirm order" about 3 minutes ago...

Ever watch the Kevin Costner Robin Hood? They were trying so hard to match the show but failed(well, except the sheriff and will scarlet...actually, christian slater was playing will the way costner was trying to play robin...i'll never stop wondering how great it could have been if slater had been playing robin...)

[identity profile] southerndave.livejournal.com 2007-03-22 09:10 am (UTC)(link)
I think I know the film you are thinking of. The one where Kevin Costner spends all his time making Sherwood Forest safe for Truth, Justice And The American Way. Nothing bad about the film... but so bland. This must have been the only Robin Hood film where most of the stealing was done by the Sheriff of Nottingham: Alan Rickman just totally stole the show.

And I wasn't at all surprised when they got rid of the lead actor and replaced him with someone else. They do that all the time on "Doctor Who"...

[identity profile] southerndave.livejournal.com 2007-03-22 09:13 am (UTC)(link)
... that last comment referred to "Robin of Sherwood", by the way...

[identity profile] meganbmoore.livejournal.com 2007-03-22 03:54 pm (UTC)(link)
Yes, that one(though I maintain that casting Christian Slater as Robin in that movie would have made worlds or difference)

I've never seen the episodes with the second Robin, but it makes sense to me that they did that, because they were all about the myth, and the myths have Robin as both a nobleman and a peasant, and the show also had the King Arthur idea that Robin Hood was as much a job title as a person.

[identity profile] aoimidori.livejournal.com 2007-03-22 04:10 am (UTC)(link)
I only got to the end of season 1. I could only handle so much of Lana Lang and Kristin Kreuk's non-acting powers, and her zero-chemistry with Tom Welling.

Not even Jensen Ackles convinced me to watch again. Although now you make the show seem interesting again. ^^;

[identity profile] meganbmoore.livejournal.com 2007-03-22 04:19 am (UTC)(link)
I actually somewhat liked Lana in S1(mostly because of Whitney) and rather like Kristen Kreuk. Every once in a while, there will be a scene where we see that she actually CAN act...she just gets such horrible material that you usually can't tell. I think this is the only case where I've ever flat out pitied an actor for the material they're given.

I'm rather fond of the series myself. I like(most of) the characters and it has an interesting take on the Superman mythology.

[identity profile] aoimidori.livejournal.com 2007-03-22 04:25 am (UTC)(link)
I don't know why, but I never got around to really appreciating Lana. Even in season 1, probably because I've always liked Chloe.

Kristin Kreuk, I cannot stand half the time (I'm sorry ^^;), but yes, I guess there are times when she can act. (ANd even I have to admit to her being absolutely pretty.)

[identity profile] meganbmoore.livejournal.com 2007-03-22 04:31 am (UTC)(link)
Oh, I've ALWAYS much preferred Chloe to Lana(I think that's true of most Smallville fans) but in season 1, she had context and, even if she was annoying, the character worked. But since then, she's served no purpose except for unneccessary angst that no one cares about.

Kristen Kreuk has something of an inherent Mary Sueness to her, but I have yet to actually see her in a role that wasn't WRITTEN to have at least some Mary Sueness, sdo it's hard to say whether it's her or bad luck.

And she's the only thing that keeps Clark from being the prettiest thing on the show.

[identity profile] crumpeteer.livejournal.com 2007-03-22 09:18 pm (UTC)(link)
You're spot on about Lois making Clark so much more interesting. He's so BORING with Lana. Lois has enough snappiness and fight to get some reaction out of Clark. There's only so far emo angst can go, especially when everyone KNOWS Lana/Clark is not meant to be.

I rented Robin of Sherwood not really knowing what it was, just that I like Robin Hood. I'm debating whether to watch it or Roar tonight.

[identity profile] meganbmoore.livejournal.com 2007-03-22 09:46 pm (UTC)(link)
Lana breathes a LOT of life into everything. She even made Lana mildly interesting once or twice. And yeah, one of the biggest problems with Clark/Lana is that they were 90% emo.

I vote watching Robin.