Comic Con SV Panel

[serafina20]

The panel was held this year in Ballroom 20 and was *huge*. I mean, *huge*. And, it was packed, which was nice.

The started out with a commercial for "The Batman" and then one for Smallville. It had some clips from S3, but it was a commercial and not anything special, so I was a little disappointed in that. Especially since they'd promised a blooper real.

The guests were Loeb, Al Gough, Miles Millar, and John Glover. Before the panel started there was a lot of shuffling of name tags, and then they all switched tags anyway once they sat down. JG did a big sweeping reveal of his head to show that he was still, indeed, maneless, and his shirt was unbuttoned so you could see his chest. My uncle does the same thing, and on him it's icky, but it fit with John Glover. Of course, if it had been my uncle, you would have been able to smell his cologne in the back of the ballroom, and I couldn't smell John at all and I was in the third row.

Anyway, there was a lot of questions about Lana, both pro and con. Someone from DTS asked why they weren't pursuing the Clark/Lana relationship, and Millar's answer was "Lois and Clark." They have this theory that once you get two characters together, it ruins the sexual tension and kills the show, as it did Lois and Clark in the fourth season. I, however, thing they're wrong about that. Wasn't "Lois and Clark" mainly a romantic comedy in the beginning? Because "Smallville" isn't. There are so many different and complex relationships to explore, and the Clark/Lana one isn't the focus of the whole show (or, at least, it shoudln't be). I think there were ways to organically bring Clark and Lana together, explore their relationship and pull them apart without the endless Clana dance that got so damn boring. But, it's not my show, so what can I say.

I do have to say, however, I got a thrill when Millar said that Clark and Lana were boring together. Now, he was contrasting it to the "interestin" sexual tension they have when they aren't together, so, whatever, but I like hearing them say things like that.

John was delightful in pimping Lionel. According to JG, Lionel isn't an evil man, but JG said it with a wonderful tone and twinkle that sort of plays off the audience perception. He wants more romance for Lionel, he wants to kiss. I want him with Morgan, but if he were to have something with Chloe, Martha, or other people, I'd be fine. At one point, while talking about "playing" with various actors on the show (I love that he uses that term) he said he thought Lionel should have some sort of thing with a new character, since Chloe was too young for him. Then he asked what the legal age was in Kansas. AlMiles said taht it was different in every state, and I really wanted to call out that the age of consent was 16, but I refrained.

The one thing I really wish about the panel was that there were more character driven questions. There was one about Lex and the whole Naman/Segeth arc, and would Lex view himself as the hero. AlMiles pointed out that any good villian views himself the hero of the piece (which I think is what makes Lionel so strong; although, to be honest,I don't think Lionel cares about being a hero as much as the protagonist who always wins). I think this is the strength of Lex though; I believe that he will always, always, strive to do good, even if he has to go about it through illegal or immoral means. We saw some of it beginning in S2, then in late S3 when his focuse shifted off doing good for the Kents (S2) to recovering his past. But I really think what makes Lex a fantastic tragic hero/anti-hero/villian is that he has a vision of the world he wants, and the world is one in which everyone benefits, but he can't get it through moral means. And, in the end, he'll destory what he loves through hubris and lack of foresight.

There was a question about how Clark plays into all this. They said that Clark would play a role in Lex's downfall, which shoudln't surprise anyone. It is, after all, the original premise of the show, is it not? Not only are Clark and Lex best friends before they become the men they will become, but they are instrumental in helping each other become the men they will become. Clark helps create Lex and, in turn, Lex helps create Superman. That's the beauty of the show and why I signed on in the first place. I was almost surprised the question had to be asked and explained, but I sat through three panels of brainless questions, so maybe I shouldn't be.

I was glad to see Allison Mack there and, at the same time, loved the contraditions in how people talked about Chloe. AM always referred to her in the past tense and she said that she "didn't want to speak ill of the dead." AlMiles did not, but they didn't really tell us anything about what's going with her. Someone is lying or hiding the truth. And, to be honest, this is the only spoiler I really want to know about.

I am grateful that, even though they brought a casting spoiler to the con, AlMiles didn't give us much information about the character other than they were going to be on. They gave less information with the CS sitting right there than Entertainment Weekly did with info fed to them by the WB.

The best part, I think, about the panel was the fact that John Glover was taking pictures of the audience. He should have a website or something to post the pictures with the caption, "All my fans."

I chickend out on asking a question, even though I had two. The first was a question about Morgan Edge, if they might bring him back, or, at the very least, explore Lionel's criminal past or current underworld connections. The second was about if they were going to deal with the horrific implications of Clark living forever and outliving everyone, or just let it slide because it doesn't fit in with the teenage problems.

Oh, they said once or twice that this season will be dealing with more teenge problems, such as can Clark have sex? I guess I understand why they were waiting for his senior year to do this, and that they couldnt' just let him lose his virginity off screen, but still, man. They're only just getting to it? Have they met gay teenage boys? Um. I mean teenage boys?


I also went to the "Lost" panel. The show didn't impress me all that much, but I'll watch the Pilot and a couple episodes. Ian is so very pretty. The Dominic fangirls who were tehre were annoying, though.

All and all, I had a very enjoyable day.

Comments

[nebt-het.livejournal.com]

I thought the whole convention was huge but yes 20 was one of the biggest rooms for sure. After the SV panel I had to leave cause the crowds were just TOO many people. Glad you had a fun day too!

[serafina20.livejournal.com]

After the SV panel I had to leave cause the crowds were just TOO many people.

There really were too many people. If I'd been there alone, or if my friend hadn't had to leave, I might have gone to Gaslamp Quarter for a break before the SkyCaptain panel, or going shopping again. i remember that last year the crowds really thinnned out by around five, five-thirty. Next year, if I have a hoetl, I'll just go back if it gets too much for a break. Maybe have a SV party in my room. ;)

[nebt-het.livejournal.com]

except then you have to wait in the huge shuttle lines to get back to your hotel *G* but some can walk better then I can. I wanted to see the Sky Captain panel too. Let me know if you hear of any posts on it!

[serafina20.livejournal.com]

Well, if I book early enough (February) I might be able to get a hotel in walking distance. And, if not, like i said; I'll jsut hang out at a coffee shop or something.

[sullivanlane.livejournal.com]

Darnit. Second year in a row and I still haven't met you.

I suck.

[serafina20.livejournal.com]

I was disapointed too. I think you were on the other side of the room or soemthing, and by the time the panel ended, I *had* to get out of the room. I'd been in their since Lost and was so incredibly overheated I couldn't stay to find everyone. Tigress was sitting right behind me, and I ran into Craig before the panel started which was the only reason I got to see them.

[emrinalexander.livejournal.com]

John has a wonderful and official website so I think those pics of the audience will be showing up *G*.

Did no one ask a question that called them to heel on the fact that CLUNK...er CLANA is/wasn't the be all and end all of the show and why did they waste three years boring us to death with it? Phrased in a nice and positive way, of course!

I like their take on Lex, actually. Post-rift Lex makes me think of Mafia Dons in a way. I can see Lex giving the daughter of good friends an island for her wedding, dancing charmingly with the Bride's little sister at the reception (while arranging for her never to have to worry about paying for college), and then stepping outside for a moment to order a hit on someone *G*.

[serafina20.livejournal.com]

John has a wonderful and official website so I think those pics of the audience will be showing up *G*.

Okay, where is it? Because I did a search for the page yesterday, figuring he had to have had one, and it didn't come up. I was much sad.

Did no one ask a question that called them to heel on the fact that CLUNK...er CLANA is/wasn't the be all and end all of the show and why did they waste three years boring us to death with it?

Well, they did a pretty good job of getting that point across themselves. They know it's not working, they're letting it drop this season (a remark which garnerd applause for the most part, and was immediatly followed by two people demanding to know why they let such a wonderful relationship drop). I dont' agree with their reasons; I don't think getting Clark and Lana together would have ruined the show and caused viewers to stop watching, if they did it right. They could have really gotten into an exploration of why Clark and Lana don't work as a couple in the latter half of S2, why they work well as friends in S3, and then maybe looped around for some nostaligic, "it could have been great," sexual yearnings that bring up Clark's fears of not being able to have sex with anyone (prompting him to finally tell a more receptive Lana at the end of S4 who, then, might offer herself of an experiemnt if Clark was thinking about sleeping with someone else) and then go back to friends with a lot of history in S5. (And damn if I almost don't want to write that fanfic). But, instead, they're insistent on still viewing Lana as teh perfect girl whom everyone loves, who has a lot of sexual tension with CLark, but they can't be together because taht will ruin it So ...*shrugs*. Whatever.

I like their take on Lex, actually.

This is the whole reason I got into the show. I knew that their Lex would never be a villian in the way that Lionel is, or even Morgan Edge. Their motivations both seem to be self advancement and (in Lionel's case) immortality through this powerful name that lives after him. Lex's villany always struck me as one that ran more towards self-protection as well as the need to protect his friends at any cost. If you then take into account that he views himself as the One who must protect the world from Naman/the Alien, then he's going to fight very hard to protect the world and fuck up a lot. We've seen how his plans can go so wrong even when he means well. He's a wonderfully tragic figure and I love him.

[wanderlustlover]

Awww. I wish I'd known you were there. Your anamazing writer and it would have been nice to meet even for a few moments. I worked the convention in the retailer section.