a fine mess

Because he asked where she has been I believe, later on. I think he may have wondered, because it's odd Lana behavior. So could see both.

Nikki K

Bringing this over from the last page. So sorry for my late reply... life... why have a life outside fandom?

Firstly, I guess I was watching the show without knowing what was coming so maybe I wasn't picking up on some signals as readily – now I know of course they'll get together and may weigh certain earlier scenes differently if I were to re-watch the show.

I totally agree with your first paragraph entirely. I think my favourite of their early scenes was probably when Lana tries to save the Talon and Lex wasn't biting at first, then Clark suggests that Lex doesn't do this to be mean as Lana gets frustrated but because Lex wants to challenge her. And suddenly she understands and rises to the challenge and you can see how proud Lex is when she presents him with a business model and says she will step up managing the whole thing and that they will be partners. I think it shows this side that he is happy –*here is somebody who doesn't judge him or at least got over it and wants to work with him instead of just asking favours or demanding things from him.

I guess from my more tame view I saw it as – Lex hadn't fully dealt with his feelings for Lana in season 4 yet, hence his kissing her during the personality split. Finally his bad part could dare do what he always wanted. Also, I'm sorry to say I know that Lana and Clark were so mad at him and I guess his caring for Lana if as a friend or more is relevant – but having Jason fired was the right call. I don't care if people think it's the whole #metooo thing etc. but for me an employee of a highschool going out with a student (no matter if she is of age) would still have been unacceptable. It leaves a bad taste.

The writing changed almost overnight and it was incomprehensible. I may have said that before, I don't get why suddenly Lana was in love with Clark again –*he really broke her heart in season 5. Just because a few times he yelled at her how Lex was evil and then he kidnapped her during her engagement party? And I mean then she finds out his secret by tricking him and it's not like he has told her but suddenly she is repulsed by Lex's touch for no good reason and wants to run away with Clark who still hasn't told her anything about his alien identity all the while she still thinks and Clark still thinks (only the audience knows its fake) that she is having Lex's baby. I mean look, that doesn't make either of them look like good people here. I don't know what the writers were thinking... just because the audience knows it's acceptable?

I was hoping against hope in season 7 that we'd get a Lexana revival. Like she was clearly darker than before which suited Lex's character just fine and I doubt he didn't know that she snaeked out of the Kent Farm to watch him at her Isis Foundation at night. They could have made a formidable team but this chance was totally wasted by the writers.


As for Nicodemus – my memory of it is more something like Lex's reaction to Lana's outfit and behaviour goes from shock to amusement to a brief moment of arousal until he catches himslf knowing its wrong then he looks at the situation and worry sets in becausse he thinks there must be something wrong with Lana... at least that was my read on Lex in that moment. But hey I'm known to read too much into things.

eternalfate

Yep, real life always interferes.

I loved that scene and whole episode for Lex/Lana because Lex was just going to make the Talon some parking garage or something because he didn't see the potential in the Talon but he gave her a chance to show him and she did with a well thought out business plan. He helped her get there but didn't hold her hand. He just believed that she could get there, so their relationship start off truly as Business Partners and than true friendship. And yep, she didn't judge him based on what other people said and wanted to work with him.

I felt that Lex always had feelings under the surface but he could never truly admit them to himself until Lana came of age... it's just certain moments when I could clearly see it but you are correct, the first time he truly got to act on his hidden feelings was "Oynx" when the evil Lex came out... but it still was very much hidden until he pretty much couldn't hide it much anymore during season 5.

I disagree with the Jason/Lana thing only because they were together BEFORE he became a coach. I'd agree if Jason was like 30 years old or something but he was like Clark's age. lol And I truly felt Lex was doing that more out of jealousy...

I have nothing to add to your paragraph about Lana falling back in love with Clark because I agree, it was so rushed so I don't know how it happened as well. Lana was completely devoted to Lex and even was going to be trapped with him forever in the Static episode but that all just got suddenly erased to service Clana yet again.


Season 7 showed that Lana couldn't take Lex out her system. lol
Same feelings about Nicodemus.

Nikki K

I do see your point that they were together before he came to the school but then it became icky to me when they were sneaking off on school grounds. And no, Jason wasn't Clark's age – it just looks that way because the actors are. Technically Clark was 17 at that point and Jason had graduated and spent time in Paris and was back at college. In Façade Clark mentions that Jason set some football record when he played at Metropolis University but due to injury ended his football career early. So it's a bit fuzzy from here but either he finished his undergraduate degree and then he would have been 23 plus the Paris gap year or he just took a break and went to finish his undergrad at Kansas A&M but the fact alone that his family wanted him to go to Law school instead of moving to Smallville with Lana and taking that coach job makes me think that he pursued some sort of graduate degree at Kansas A&M because Law school would not have been an option without having finished his undergrad first. So he must have been 25 or something. And thus not Clark's age.

I still maintain that it was Lex trying to protect Lana but yes jealous did probably play a role though again jealousy he could not really admit to himself at this point yet. So he had to tell himself that he was just looking out for her.

Exactly... that was such a good episode and showed how much she cared and worried for him and like you said was basically prepared to spend eternity with him on this other plane of existence. But no... so many things were retconned in service of Clana. Now I feel like I needed my own retcon/fix-it from the retcon after season 7 to survive mentally.

a fine mess

As a teacher, I agree with the firing as well. Perhaps Lex did it out of jealousy, but I thought it could have been because Lex is on Team Clark. Maybe I wanted to see the good in Lex so badly. I'm fine with Jason and Lana as a couple, just like the student/teacher relationship on Pretty Little Liars and Riverdale. Not our business, love who you love. I don't think they should have been messing around at school though. That crosses a line, and shows no control.

eternalfate

I was okay with it. It was a shame that he had to be a coach at the school but I am just happy they met and had their relationship in Paris first. He came back to Smallville to be with her and I found it sweet... unforunately the Coach thing messed things up but I didn't care.

Cause if we put the #MeToo movement in place, evil Lex kissed Lana when she was 17? Season 4... since I believe season 1, they are all suppose to be 14. lol So yeah... I didn't care... and I guess I didn't see things as logical as everyone else did but even then... even know I still love the Jason/Lana relationship and can't find it icky over a storyline that was done... especially since Jason/Lana were together pre Jason coach days... it's different if Lana gets to him while Jason is her coach or something.

So yeah. Won't debate that one. lol
I was okay with it, but it's cool if others weren't.

Season 4 when watching live was strange to me only because it was the first time live where I saw Lex as having romantic feelings more than being protective... in season 3 when it was Adam, I felt he was being protective with no interior motive.


I agree with you on the last statement, probably the writers just gave up on Lex/Lana...

Lex should've just stayed in his lane. lol
And nah I wasn't naive to think it had anything to do with Clark.
Lex romantic feelings were showing in season 4 and only showed more in season 5. lol Lex wasn't really lying to himself much anymore. lol

I will not reply to the Jason/Lana stuff since I just completely disagree but yeah.

Nikki K

I must look up the reference but I think Lana was 18 when that kiss happened. It seems she is a few months older than Clark. That being said, I agree with Tia on this, I don't think Lex had Jason fired to have Clark get with Lana again at that point. That's something he would have done in season 1 but in season 4 I think to me it was that he really cared for her but his feelings were confused – was it really just for her reputation or was it also because he disliked Jason and was already in love with her but couldn't admit it to himself. I think it was all three.

I talked to a friend about how yeah it was bad but not unsalvagable maybe... idk. So I think a long long time ago in a fandom far far away I decided that's when I don't take canon overly serious anymore but take from it what I loved and if I can write my own thing that helps me heal.

I completely agree with that. No messing around at school. It's not right. Also... I don't want to get into this but as an abuse victim I just have different feelings about this. I know this is never how it is portrayed on TV but still.

a fine mess

Perhaps I can ask Michael his view on firing Jason and what his intentions were next weekend.

Nikki K

Oh, if you get to it, go for it –*how disappointed will we be if he doesn't say "the most sinister, Lex wanted Lana all to himself".

I'm still sad about the airport scene where Lex said he hadn't been in Paris for a good long time but now he had reason to go... so I was a bit like... how sweet. Lex and Lana in Paris, eating croissants... and – things.

Nikki K

Also rewatching 5x07 "Splinter" right now – I guess Clark being infected by the silver Kryptonite and imagining Lex/Lana making out and Lana looking at him while at it was a sort of foreshadowding of what was to come? Maybe that is something you can ask at the con unless it has been asked and answered a thousand times... how far in advance the relationship was planned because as we are discussing at the moment we seem to debate different cut-off points.

Sorry for double posting.

TomsEnough

That would be a cool question!

Paradise

I agree, Tia. It's a delicate situation that must be dealt with on a case-by-case basis as opposed to a blanket rule for all. In this case, they were both over 18, they had been dating before and outside of school, they were no more than a few years apart in age, and they weren't publicizing their relationship on school grounds. And in addition to all of that, they weren't even having sex lol! (Lana, what's the matter with you? lol)

I feel the same about Season 7. I had much higher hopes for Lexana than they were able to provide. But at least Season 7, as well as Lana's brief return in Season 8, showed that she was unable to get Lex out of her system.

eternalfate

^ I agree and you are correct, there was no sex! and Jason didn't want sex or ever pressure her to that. She actually was going to lose her viriginity to him and he put a stop to it. And for Jason/Lana... they never would've assumed that he would work at the school. And they were together for months before he joined Smallville High! He only came to Smallville to be with Lana so I really don't see the issue.

Lex was Lana's boss... so should Lana had never got with Lex in season 5???
I just didn't find the Jason/Lana relationship that way...


I agree with you on Season 7, Lana seemed more consumed by Lex than Clark who she kept lying to. lol

Well according to Kristin at a convention a few months ago, she said she was always told that the triangle of the series was Lex/Lana/Clark.
If so, i'd make sense as to why I always said I saw that little glint of attraction from Lex to Lana even if he couldn't act on it...

Even when he first see her grown up you see it!

Nikki K

Were they really not able to provide them or were they unwilling though? That made season 7/those parts of season 8 such an ambivalent thing. There was the Clana veneer (and granted especially in season 8 then Lana aspired to become her own hero, Clark's equal but unlike Lex he seems not happy with the idea), and then there were her true feelings for Lex and her becoming less and less someone who needs saving.

But he wasn't anymore. She had sold her shares of the Talon back to him so that she could go to Paris.

Sex or no sex or when they met (even if it was a set-up by his mother) – I stand by it, it was the sneaking around at school that bothered me greatly. I guess we all have to just disagree on this – for me the school setting is off limits and working in one, albeit a university, though often hard to navigate, I find it less confusing now that there are very strict rules as to who is allowed to be in relationships.

Hah, and there I thought, well, at least for the most part was no love triangle except once Clark got jealous. I am just not a fan but yes, I can see it. That's interesting. When she said "always told" then are we too assume from the start of the show –*that gives it a new perspective obivously (at least to me).

a fine mess

At least the triangle wasn't totally apparent from the very beginning. I'm not sure I would have continued watching.