Smallville(s5): What was that name?

[meganbmoore]

Ok, this ALWAYS bugs me no matter where it comes up:  In Smallville, Clark need to find a doctor named "Han."  Now...Clark didn't say how to spell the name, but Chloe immediately typed it in and spelled it.  Now, when I hear "Han," I think "Han, Haun or Hawn?" (I'm just going 'Han" because...well...Han Solo, really...)   It ALWAYS bothers me when that happens in fiction...when there are multiple spelliungs for a name but they act like there's only one.

Maybe it's because there are so many spellings to my name.  "Megan"  is apparently one of the least common spellings of the name, and no one who writes it down ever gets it right(WHY?  It's the one with the fewest letters...)  Similarly, while "More" seems to be a fairly obsolete spelling now, it is still out there, and Thomas More keeps it in cirulation.

Does it ever annoy anyone else?  One day, I want a scene like this:

"Ok, I need a location for Dr. Conner, stat."

"Is that C-o-n-o-r, C-o-n-n-e-r, or C-o-n-n-o-r?"

*blank stare*  "I didn't ask..."

I know they never cover that because it would jar the action, but...

Extremely briefly in Smallville:

1)  Why is it that Lex/Lana makes me want to hurl things at the TV(why Lex, why?  Don't you have higher standards than that? You could do so much better...) while I'm ok with Lionel/Martha.  They work on near identical principles and are wrong for the exact same reason.  I think it's because Lionel/Martha is portrayed as something wrong and something that Martha should be saved from, while we seem meant to support and hope for Lex/Lana.  Also, unless they completely butcher Martha's character, there's not a prayer of that being two sided for a long time, while, even without spoilers, Lex/Lana is obviously going to happen.  Then there's the fact that Martha is an infinitely better and more likable character than Lana...

Seriously, though, ever since early season 2, it's been pathetic how hard they've been trying to convince us that Lana is pertinent to the show, and at this point, they're pretty much literally raping Superman canon in every way possible to try to convince she's there for any reason than to keep things from happening.  (And...really...how could the show that gave us Chloe and these versions of Martha and Lois also have given us Lana?)

2)  Smallville's Cyborg is cute.  Not hot, just cute.  That is all.

Comments

[southerndave.livejournal.com]

"And the "B"... is that spelt B-E-E or B-E-A?"

[meganbmoore.livejournal.com]

Yes...there are so many...

[lostopenwindows.livejournal.com]

Aside from the reasons you already mentioned, two things that made me hate Lex/Lana was how it took over the show and more or less becomes a basis for the conflict between Lex and Clark. While Lionel/Martha is more about hints and a few scenes, Lex and Lana's relationship takes a lot more screentime. The relationship also lessens both Lex and Clark's characters, it's like the writers are making Clark and Lex enemies because they are fighting over a girl.

[meganbmoore.livejournal.com]

The thing is, Lana already took over the how back around early or mid season 2...her narrative has often taken prerogative over that of Clark and Lex(as a unit or individually) since then. They've long since passed the "bittersweet first love" thing with her and Clark...at this point...the only way Lois won't be Clark's fallback is if Lana seriously goes evil and betrays him, and that's not how it's supposed to be. Even if you've never read a Superman comic, you know Lois is supposed to be the love of his life. Similarly, Lex Luthor isn't supposed to care one whit about Lana, but he is supposed to, at least for a time, be fixated on Lois.

The funny thing about Lionel/Martha is that I don't remotely ship them, but I get bouncy over their scenes...I think it's because I like the "hopelessly corrupt man drawn to a good woman he can never have" thing...

[lostopenwindows.livejournal.com]

I didn't really have a problem with Lana's character in the first few seasons, but I really wished that they had written her character out at the end of season 3 before it really went downhill. I'm watching season 7 now, three years later and I'm still wondering what the whole purpose of the witch storyline in season 4 was. The writers of Smallville seem to have some sort of Lana obsession though, I never did understand what was so great about her even when I didn't dislike her character in the beginning of the series.

[meganbmoore.livejournal.com]

I actually really liked Lana(well, liked at least) in the first season, and got into the "bittersweet first love" thing a bit(but not much...though not a Superman fan, I am devoted to the original comic book OTP) but she started annoying me in season 2 by literally dropkicking everyone out of her life and then whining about being abandoned, and then I was just fed up by mid season 3. What gets to me about season 4 is that they write her out excellently in season 3...I mean, the way they did it, it wrapped up that part of Clark's storyline perfectly, and then...they brought her back. WHY? There's no reason, and it's obvious they have no idea what to do with her now.

I suspect the Lana obsession has more to do with Kristen Kreuk than with Lana, though.

[lostopenwindows.livejournal.com]

I think Kristen Kreuk is a good actress but she deserves better than to play Lana. If Lana had been written out at the end of season 3 it would have ended perfectly and even if she would have returned for the occasional episode I wouldn't have minded. If they wanted Clark and Lana to get together and have a relationship before parting ways, they should have done that during the high school years. All the angsting and not being to be together because of Clark's secret felt really old by season 5.

[meganbmoore.livejournal.com]

Yes, I usually remember to mention that I do like Kristen Kreuk when I rant about Lana...lets face it, not even the world's greatest thespian could make lana a good character.

and I 100% agree with everything you said.

[tigger-01.livejournal.com]

Yup. The only reason I am willing to tolerate that season at ALL is because it gave Jensen Ackles (Jason) a push up to Supernatural. But even then such a gifted actor was delegated to playing Lana's lovestruck, obsessive, violent boyfriend who "competed" with Clark.
The random slutty French(?) witches... the STONES... ????
*headdesk*

[meganbmoore.livejournal.com]

Every male character on the show under the age of 30 is reduced to little more than a competitor for Lana's affections. Some females, too.

[tigger-01.livejournal.com]

I think the only person who hasn't is Jimmy - and he sort of has some weird awed respect for her.
And I'm just irritated at Jimmy now because it means Chlo is alone again. *headdesk*

[tjfox.livejournal.com]

Cyborg is HOT.

[meganbmoore.livejournal.com]

lol.

Well, i don't deny that, too...

I want to keep him and ditch Lana...

[lesbiassparrow.livejournal.com]

I've only seen one episode of the latest season (the opener) and even with two minutes of Lana I was annoyed with her. I dind't mind her in the first season (actually I quite liked her) but by the time I gave up on the show in the third season I had blinding hatred for her. She would send me into conniptions when she appeared on screen. I am not sure I've ever felt quite that way about another fictional character whom I am so clearly supposed to find amazing.

[meganbmoore.livejournal.com]

I believe that is almost exactly my opinion...

I mean, WHY???

[tigger-01.livejournal.com]

Lionel and Martha are both complex and fascinating characters in their own right - that's what makes the relationship interesting. They both have their own motives and I suppose, in a weird way, it makes plausible sense they might be attracted to each other.

Lex and Lana? The viewer just thinks that Lex really could do a hell of a lot better - and if he's going to be an evil mastermind, he deserves just as much of an evol! and INTELLIGENT gf as he is.

[meganbmoore.livejournal.com]

Yuppers. Lionel and Martha are excellent characters in their own right and they don't need help from other characters to be so. You can easily see why Lionel is so drawn to her: she's loyal, kind, intelligent and generous and, most importantly, is something he never completely had: a good wife and mother. You know he doesn't "love" her in the way we think of romantic love, and that she'll never let herself love him, but at the same time, you can understand why she lets him in, and realize that what he feels for her probably is the closest thing he can come to love. It's like Lex/Lois in the Lois & Clark series...he knows it's not really love in the selfless sense, but he also knows it's the closest he can come to it, and so he's doing whatever he can to keep it(I ALMOST shipped in the testing episode, but didn't...and I got over it quickly.)

Lex and Lana may have been hinted at for ome time now, but the way they did it was almost literally out of nowhere at at the speed of light...and not in the good way. It in't interesting, they aren't compatible, and it doesn't work at all the way they wanted it to. And, frankly, it's BORING. Lex really, really could do much better...I miss his doctor wife. I loved her. Plus they looked better together. But really, Lex could just do so much better. I mean, as annoying as it is, you can undertand why Clark dwells on her, but it makes no sense at all for Lex to be all about Lana.

[tigger-01.livejournal.com]

So true about Lionel and Martha - neither of them were straight "good" or "evil" but fascinating shades of grey.
The thing about the Luthors is that (and why I don't really know - they are amazingly intelligent and manipulative) they do things with specific motives behind them - they can't just freely "love", per se.
Does that make sense?

Clark/Lana doesn't make much sense to me either - but then again, never really understood why anyone liked Lana Lang after about Season Three.
What I don't understand about Lex is his OBSESSION with her - she's beautiful, sure, but he can have his fair share of beautiful women anytime he wants. I think it would make a great storyline if he was just manipulating Lana for other purposes (such as finding out about Clark?) but instead he's "hopelessly devoted" [Oh god - a Grease reference. *headdesk*)
It's not like she has done anything for him - she's not a good person, not really that intelligent or helpful... ???

[meganbmoore.livejournal.com]

That makes perfect sense with the Luthors. the first few seasons, the relationship between Lex and Lionel was fascinating...there was this almost obsessive love and devotion that was matched in equal parts with hate and competitiveness. But most of that has been shoved aside to make room for Lex's obsession with Lana.

Clark/Lana is based on a lifelong crush, and I can understand his desire to cling, but it should have been over with ages ago. I think we're supposed to understand Lex's obsession with Lana because she's so "good" but...well...really, she isn't. She's accidentally killed at least twice and apparemtly feels no guilt over it, she keeps secrets just as much as Clark and Lex do and she uses people and...well...frankly, sdhe's an idiot. Most of the trouble she gets into is caused by her own stupidity.

The worst part, though, is when Lois and Chloe gush over her, or when they're made to look weaker than her make me want to barf. It's always throughout the series, but the best example may be the end of s5, when they both get caught in the riot and Chloe is grabbed and about to be raped and just struglles a bit and screams but Lana is elsewhere in the same riot just kicking people aside(and, seriously, I really try not to include any negative comments about Kristen Kreuk in my Lana hate, but she always looks horrible fake when Lana's being "tough" and fighting...)

[tigger-01.livejournal.com]

*nods*
Every other character has made mistakes and had to pay for them - they have their flaws and strengths. But Lana? WE can see her flaws but no-one else can - they just obsessively love and she plays a) the helpless damsel, or some sort of intelligent manipulator.
She wasn't so bad as Lex's manipulative wife, but then she "fell back" in love with Clark and suddenly as an audience we are expected to feel sympathy.

You know my biggest problem with her though? She's such a BIG PART of the show. She can't be "ignored" - and she's overpowering Clark and Lex and Lois's development as the people they need to become - and Chloe's journey on whoever she will be. There really was no purpose for her to be on the show season 4 onwards.
:(