Smallville, Obsession (for women)

[serafina20]

Overall, I enjoyed the episode. I thought it moved along nicely, the FOTW was sufficiently creepy in a non-revealing in her own evilness kind of way. The parts with Lana dragged for me a lot; maybe it's because I never watched last episode so I don't get the whole obsessively stalking Adam thing. I thought most of her actions were extremely inappropriate and I definitely will never rent an apartment from either her or Lex (ironic, considering what's coming up in COTW, really).

The Good:

The first scene at Luthor Corp. I would be a thousand bucks that Lionel has *never* spoken to a group of high school students touring his facility before. It's so out of character, but I loved that he was talking to this group. He puts on such a good show, and he tortures Clark and Chloe so wonderfully in that scene, even though they're too cool to be intimidated (ah, high schoolers).

And may I just say how *hot* Chloe looked in that scene?

The elevator was obviously deliberate, but in the sketchy-Smallville logic kind of way. Because Lionel *knew* Clark was going to be alone in the elevator ... why? And the teacher let two members of her class of the opposite gender take the next elevator up alone ... why? And she was the only chaperone? Riiiiight.

I thought Alicia and Clark were very cute together. However, TW's teeth were a little ... white last night. Too much time with the bleach. But they had an adorably awkward and excited chemistry about them, and that almost-kiss on the front porch was perfect. Charming. I almost wish she hadn't been psycho or hadn't gone psycho right away, just so we could see that relationship develop more.

Lana looked beautiful in the scene in which she warned Clark about Adam. Quite lovely.

I have problems with the scene between Clark and Lex when Clark went to him for advice. However, I do like how that conversation was all about their relationship. Cracked me up. In Almiles' mind, I guess, Clark is a little tease who led Lex on before "going straight." Luckily, we all know that wasn't true.

Jonathan catching Clark and Alicia was fantastic. The look on all their faces. However, did JS lose weight? He was looking almost unhealthily skinny.

Ian looked beautiful last night. No facial hair, no shaggy hair. Just beautiful, clean, lovely. Exactly why he's my prophet (if I ever write that damn novel).

I love Chloe and Clark working together. In the first scene against Lionel, and then again later when she was helping him, I could see them as Lois and Clark. And I really don't mind a total AU from comics canon where Chloe/Lois knows about Clark going into their relationship. It just takes years for Clark to convince her that, yes, she wants to date an alien and, no, he won't leave her again. Anyone want to write that fic? Anyone? Buller?

Alicia's parents were wonderful. Reminded me of that Twilight Zone episode I've never seen. That one where the little boy could read everyone's thoughts, so you had to think good things or he'd turn you into a toy? Although, why the parents didn't just go into the lead room every time they wanted to talk is beyond me. (Probably because Alicia would jump to conclusions and hurt them).

The Bad

Lana was annoying, like I said. I don't get her sense of entitlement. She doesn't deserve to know everything about everyone and she has *no* right to go through Adam's stuff, even if she does suspect something. And you know what? Even though we know the journal was sinister, it could have been a boys idea of a journal, you know? "Lana talked to me today." "Clark is weird." "I had a dream about Clark last night. But I'm not gay." "I want to lick Lex's head."

If Adam dies next week, I think his character was a waste. If he lives, Lex rescues him and recruits him for his own, I'll be satisfied with that arc But I *really* wish he and Lana had slept together

ETA The problem I had with the Clark/Lex scene is Lex's insists that *Clark* must have inspired Alicia to stalk him. Now, granted, I don't think either one of them knew how bad it was at that point, but even still. Some people don't need encouragement. Alicia certainly didn't. And, from my angle (and maybe I'm wrong) Clark did nothing to her (not what he said to his parents) but indicate that he was interested in *starting* something with her. She's the one that jumped the gun. Lex's comments felt inappropriate and they blamed the victim a little too much for my tastes. But, again, he was speaking of his own experience with Clark where *he'd* felt led on (in some way).

Comments

[latxcvi.livejournal.com]

ETA The problem I had with the Clark/Lex scene is Lex's insists that *Clark* must have inspired Alicia to stalk him. Now, granted, I don't think either one of them knew how bad it was at that point, but even still. Some people don't need encouragement. Alicia certainly didn't. And, from my angle (and maybe I'm wrong) Clark did nothing to her (not what he said to his parents) but indicate that he was interested in *starting* something with her. She's the one that jumped the gun. Lex's comments felt inappropriate and they blamed the victim a little too much for my tastes. But, again, he was speaking of his own experience with Clark where *he'd* felt led on (in some way).

Rather than typing it all out again, I'll just paste what I said to Corinna when she raised the same objection. I get where both of you are coming from in terms of your reactions, but I think the way Clark presented the situation to Lex has to be taken into account, too, in terms of assessing Lex's 'advice':

Well, but at that point [when Clark went to talk to Lex], I don't think Alicia had gone all stalkery yet. Yes, climbing into Clark's bedroom was an inappropriate ignoring of boundaries, but IIRC, at the point when Clark went to talk to Lex, that was the only thing Alicia had done that was really 'off'. It sounded to me like what Clark relayed to Lex was the sentiment of "I think she's moving a little faster than I want to be moving" rather than "I think she might be a little off," in which case, Lex getting Clark to think about what to do to slow things down *and* to determine whether he himself had done anything to signal that the speed at which she was moving was not, in fact, okay, strikes me as reasonably sound. "Have you done anything to make her think *you* want to be going that fast/have you done anything to let her know you'd like to slow down?" is a reasonable question to ask under those circumstances. Now, if it had seemed like Clark was saying "Yo, I think she might be nuts," then yeah, Lex's advice totally sucked. But it seemed to me like Clark had said something more like the former - 'she's going too fast for me' - rather than the latter - 'yo, I think she might be nuts.'

YMMV, of course. *g*

Re:

[serafina20.livejournal.com]

"Have you done anything to make her think *you* want to be going that fast/have you done anything to let her know you'd like to slow down?"

That's not what Lex asked. His response was basically, "What did you do to make her act like this?" He assumed Clark had encouraged to think they were more than dating, instead of asking how he'd reacted to her jumping into things. Lex said something to the effect of, "People generally don't do something like this unless they are encouraged," which is just wrong. People read whatever encouragement they want in a situation, which is what Alicia did.

The thing is, I've had this happened to me. Twice with guys who decided we were practically engaged after the first date (where we didn't sleep together and barely kissed) and once with a guy I'd dated in junior high who stalked me all through my freshman year of high school. So Lex's response to ask Clark what he'd done to make her do this bugs me. However, to people who have had normal experiences in dating, I can see how the response is different.

[hey-miss-missy.livejournal.com]

me of that Twilight Zone episode I've never seen. That one where the little boy could read everyone's thoughts, so you had to think good things or he'd turn you into a toy?

YES! I thought the same thing, especially when the parents were smiling all nervously.

Even though we know the journal was sinister, it could have been a boys idea of a journal, you know? "Lana talked to me today." "Clark is weird." "I had a dream about Clark last night. But I'm not gay." "I want to lick Lex's head."

Hee!

[tigress35.livejournal.com]

I would be a thousand bucks that Lionel has *never* spoken to a group of high school students touring his facility before.

I totally agree, it seemed like something he wouldn't do, if not because he prolly doesn't give a dman, but because he doesn't have the time. That said, I think the schoolteacher has a crush on Lionel. Maybe we'll see a new illegitimate child.