My rambling thoughts on "Ambush"...
Nov. 7th, 2010 12:24 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
sanalaylaOn the surface, this was an episode that was SV’s version of “Meet the Parents”. But… deep down… I think it was an episode about relationships. Lois’s relationship with her family. Her relationship with Clark. Clark’s relationship with her family… his relationship with Lois. Even the – dare I say it? – Oliver/Tess relationship. And the world’s relationship with vigilantes. So… I’ve decided the best way to gather my thoughts is to think in terms of relationships.
Of course, the most important relationship is the one between Clark Kent and Lois Lane. This was a defining moment in their life and definitely a turning point in their romance. (Lately, don’t ALL the episodes have some defining moment? Sheesh… can they get any more epic?)
Anyway, so the episode begins with them coming down the stairs from what could only have been an epic round of sex. And what follows is one of the most sexy and smoldering exchanges we’ve ever gotten on this show. Hell, we’ve gotten on ANY show. There’s giggling. There’s strawberry eating. There’s no juice left in the house because Lois has kept Clark too busy to super-speed to the grocery store. There’s blatant checking out (Lois glances over and checks out Clark’s goods when he gets the juice. Gotta love a woman who appreciates a good view.).
OK, now that I’ve gotten THAT out of my system. I actually want to talk about this scene a little bit beyond just the usual drooling and squealing that is expected because I’m a Cloiser. I’m going to try to explain why this scene meant so much to me beyond the whole thing that this is a Clois morning after scene that is now canon.
First of all, I was immediately struck by how naturally and effortlessly sexy it was… and how comfortable they were with each other. But, also, I loved that we got this sense that these two had just spent a week together pretty much having tons and tons of sex - and still weren’t tired and couldn’t get enough. Since we saw how they were last year, it makes perfect sense to me.
(Random aside: They reminded me of the joke my friend told me about marbles when I first got married. The basic idea is that you put a marble in a jar for every time you have sex in your first year of marriage. Then, you could take out one marble for every single time you have sex, beginning year 2 onwards, and you still wouldn’t empty the jar. Meaning: You will never get as much as you do the first year.)
These two couldn’t keep their hands off of each other – Clark couldn’t even wait to get to the porch… he was like, “I’ll just take you against the wall. And we’ll deal with the porch later.” So that was not only natural, it helped to show how bonded – both emotionally and physically – these two are and how they’re just enjoying each other. For those who need a visual reminder, here's a GIF from onebreath:
What I love about that is that it showed Lois not only in charge of her sexuality (something I think we’ve seen with her before), but it showed us a Clark Kent who was in charge of his sexuality, as well.
And… more than anything… it showed us that Lois wanted him as much as he wanted her. Remember how, in “Requiem”, poor Clark was trying to go for Round 2 and Lana was super-speeding to get her clothes on as fast as she could and then they dashed off the save the world?
Now… Clark and Lois. They amble downstairs after what you know was probably a great morning in bed. Then they take their sweet time gazing at each other while Clark analyzes Lois’s strawberry eating technique and Lois takes in how good he looks while drinking a glass of OJ. Then… they both get turned on and decide to go for Round 129 outside on a porch! If the General hadn’t interrupted them, you got the sense that they’d spend all of Thanksgiving weekend in bed, with Clark blurring away to save the world occasionally.
So, my point is basically that it’s about time someone realized how damn fine Clark Kent is and that when he looks at you like he wants to eat you then your response should be to go, “Yeah… remember that porch swing? I’ll make sure you never look at it without getting a hard-on ever again.” Lois Lane… gotta love her. She has her priorities screwed on straight.
Also, I’d just like to note how awesome Tom Welling is and how I love that he had Clark cover Clark, Jr. I love it when Welling makes the series acknowledge that Clark is a normal guy. Just like the way he gets that look on his face whenever Lois’s costumes are mentioned. It’s these little things that matter and can really convey the depth to which Clark’s attracted to Lois without having him utter the words, “I want to do Lois.”
Now… moving on… a little. Wasn’t so crazy about Durance’s delivery on the “Daddy?” and “Lucy?”. I felt like she didn’t play it shocked enough. That could be the fault of the director. I just think that if I was making out with my husband and my dad just randomly showed up at my door (when I expected him to be in a different state) then I would have – at least – yelped. Probably even screamed a little. And you would have seen me jump a few feet in the air. There seemed to be a bit of a sigh of resignation in the way Durance played that scene and I didn’t understand why.
Right… so… now that I’m done MINUTELY analyzing the ‘morning after’ scene, I’m going to be a little more vague and random about the rest of my thoughts regarding the Clois in this episode.
• I absolutely adored that they had a fight. I loved it. First of all, Clark was absolutely right. Lois WAS acting like she was afraid of her father and I am so happy that he was honest with her about his feelings. He has high expectations of her and when she disappointed him, he was very annoyed about it. And I love that he just laid it all out of her. That he saw her as someone who stood up for what she believed in and that if she let her father walk all over her, then she was going against her own moral code. And then when she starts to talk about the father thing, he just lights into her and doesn’t let it slide. GOOD FOR YOU, CLARK!!
• Speaking of the father portion of the fight… personally, I think that Lois was trying to convey something that was a little different than just… “Hey, you don’t have a dad.” I think she was trying to say that he didn’t have father issues because this is not the sort of thing he ever had to worry about with Jonathan Kent. But then she cut herself off because pointing out that he didn’t have a dad was just mean. I also think that this was all a set-up for “Abandoned” when Lois is going to realize that Clark actually has massive daddy issues. Probably some that are bigger than her own. Lois, for her part, was trying to get him to understand that all she wanted was to get through the weekend without the General knifing him with Kryptonite and Clark using his laser vision to set fire to the General. And, really, who could blame her? It’s hard being caught in the middle when your dad hates the guy you love. (I’ve been there… it’s not fun.)
• Wow, they really “L” each other! Other than the use of the word all over the place with Clark and the General. Or the use of the word with Lois and the General. Other than that, we get the just the SHOWING of their love by Clark telling Lois that he wants her to be happy. We’ve got the way they look at each other at the very end. The way they look at each other, full of joy and love, in the beginning. There is no question that these two are in love with each other… and they have no qualms telling anyone that.
• And that is probably why I had no problems with them having a fight or that Lois chose to walk off with the General, rather than stick around with Clark. Because I was never scared that these two would break up, because they’re so clearly madly, passionately, and utterly in love with each other. And it’s not like the S9 kind of love where they were both afraid of taking the leap. NOPE. Now… they’ve not only leapt, they’ve slept and rolled around and settled in quite comfortably. There’s no more secrets between them, so they both get and trust each other at a level that transcends the little things that will annoy them or cause friction in their relationship. Their relationship can stand a little heat, every now and then, because it’s that strong.
• That is not to say that I wasn’t heart-broken when I saw Clark’s face as he watched Lois walk away from him in tears. In that moment, he actually DID think that Lois chose her father over him and you could tell he was devastated. Because he’d just put his love for her on the line in front of the General and he couldn’t believe that she didn’t do the same. Of course, he didn’t know that Lois was going to go try to get the General to calm down away from Clark. Some people have said that they think Lois should have given Clark a heads up. I think it’s makes perfect sense that she didn’t tell him. If she had, then the General would have stiffened up and just told her to stay with Clark if she only intended to go with him to change his mind. There was no way to tell Clark without pissing off the General. And her intention was to try to get both of the men she loved in the same room together again.
• I love the speech Lois gives to the General. Oh… it was fantastic. I think this is one of those examples of why Lois Lane is so perfect for Clark Kent. She has an inner strength and a will of steel that is needed to be Superman’s soulmate. It was clear, in this episode, that she held her father’s opinion at a very high regard in her life. She hated that he didn’t like Clark. But when push came to shove, she told him that she was going to be with Clark and there was nothing he could do about it. It kind of reminded me of that time Lionel threatened Lana and “made her” marry Lex. When I see scenes like this with Lois, I can’t help but think what would have happened if it had been Lois dating Clark back in S5-S7. Could just imagine if Lex had tried to play with Lois’s mind and come between her & Clark? I think Lois would have probably kneed him in the groin. And if Lionel had tried to force her to marry someone? I think she would have laughed and ask if he was on crack. I just cannot imagine that she would have hurt Clark the way Lana did. This episode is an example of how she’s incapable of hurting Clark or leaving him. For ANYONE.
• A lot of people felt they needed a final scene between Clark/Lois where she apologized to him. And they should have cleared the air. I’m going to pose what may be an unpopular opinion. I actually liked that they didn’t. Because I felt the very fact that they fought – in a very real and open kind of a way – and then STILL you had Lois declare her love for him and you still had Clark’s face light up when the General mentioned how much Lois loves him was all the “closure” that I needed. That Lois understood what Clark was saying and her way of dealing with it was to stand up to her father. And that Clark learned that she’d stood up her father was a message to him that she had heard him out and she’d done what she needed to do. Again, I saw the episode SHOWING us the depth of their love and not TELLING us. And, I think, that it’s a very genuine and realistic depiction of a healthy relationship. Not every fight gets wrapped up with a shiny, red bow and a Hallmark apology speech. Sometimes, you get into a fight with your significant other and show them that you take it back by doing the dishes. Or washing the car. Or taking out the garbage. And then you sit down for dinner and with a mere glance at each other, you’ve said a million words of apology and – just like that – you’re on the same page again. It’s you and him and it’s OK. Your relationship is OK and the world is OK.
• I like that “Harvest” told us that Clark didn’t plan on keeping secrets from Lois anymore and this episode SHOWED us that this is the case. When things went south between him and the General, Clark didn’t hide it. He also didn’t hide his ire at Lois and the General for the vigilante stuff. And when he found out that Lucy had planted photos of him and Kara in the loft, he immediately told Lois about it, along with the investigations that the General had made. Lois, for her part, immediately believed Clark when he told her these things. It was all done in a very matter of fact way and you got the sense that these two would always be like with each other. That they wouldn’t randomly keep stuff from each other for the other’s good or something. How many times did we see this contrivance with Clana? I could imagine that if it was Clana, Clark would have suffered in silence, because he wouldn’t be able to hurt the tiny little princess. Or something contrived and stupid like that. So it was great to see Clark & Lois acting like adults and actually talking to each other about what was going on.
• I like the scene where Clark/Lois scramble to cover his Blur duties, but they absolutely suck at it. It just makes you think that – as time goes on – they’ll become so much better. But, now, they’re brand new at it, and so they have NO idea how to read the other person. So, Clark’s got cranberries in his hand… Lois is talking about hoods of cars… which turns into something about a chimney. LOL… You can just imagine the conversation they had later on that tnight. “Sweetheart, if you’re going to cover for me, you need to do a better job.” “Honey… I would if you didn’t say stupid things. The CHIMNEY? Honestly.” “Okay, Lois. Next time, text me the excuse. Seriously.” 
• I love that the General was smart enough to piece together that Clark was the Blur. So many times, they have Clark use the stupidest reasons in the world and all people will do is give him a vaguely puzzled look. When Clark finished the whole “to-do list”, I was very annoyed because I was convinced that they’d have the General not even blink an eye that Clark completed it so quickly. But they had him mention it!! And – at the end – he pieced together the events of the day and realized that it was more than likely that Clark was the Blur. YAY General!! You deserve those four stars.
• I loved how Clark kept using the military jargon and the sarcastic way in which he used it. The way he said “sir” and “whatever the GENERAL wants” was amazing. Welling put these subtle inflections in the way he said those words that you could get that Clark was kind of mocking him and he was very pissed at the General. I also loved how he was muttering about “Sir. YESSIR!” while he was chopping the wood. Like he was kind of imagining that the General WAS the block of wood. And, of course, I adored how he was tolerating the General’s “interrogation” until the point where the General kind of threatened Martha Kent and then he shot straight up to his feet and showed him how TALL he frakkin’ was and then said, “SAM.” As though… “Listen, bud. I could care less that you’re a four-star general… At the end of the day, I have laser vision, dude. Stop annoying me. And did you just threaten my MOTHER?” I got shivers and tingles at how incredibly IN CHARGE Clark was at that moment and I also thought it was fantastic to see him flat out tell the General that he loved Lois and the General just needed to calm the FRAK down.
• All of that leads me to the final scene where I feel the General flat out tells Clark that he knows that Clark is the Blur. And that he’s giving his blessing. I really enjoyed the part where the General talks about the little things (the “dancing with my wife” comment, in particular, brought tears to my eyes. Especially when I think of next week and how we’ll see Ella Lane). I think Michael Ironside is an amazing actor and he knocked this episode out of the water. Every single line was gold – you could see him being nostalgic in just the perfect balance – reminiscing about all that was good, while acknowledging the things he regretted. He didn’t get overly sappy (which would have been OOC) but he was honest with Clark about his feelings and didn’t hide the depth of his emotion, either. More than anything, he talked as one hero to another – giving fatherly advice to Clark about how to balance one’s hero side with the human side. Since Clark has lost Jonathan and Jor-el seems to be a pyscho, I can imagine Sam Lane’s words must have resonated with him on a very deep level. I can imagine those words coming back to him later on in life and that he will have to remind himself – from time to time – to take a minute out of his busy schedule to dance with Lois. To tuck in their kids (if they have them). Isn’t that something he’s already had to learn? Like, literally, in "Homecoming, he had to learn a lesson about his love for Lois and that culminated in him taking the time to just dance with her. So… I really like that moment. Father-in-law to son-in-law.
• And… of course… the final line. The music in that scene? OH LORD. It killed me. I was one of the ones who totally expected a Clois engagement this year. (Hell, I expect a wedding.) But even I couldn’t believe my ears when Clark stops the General and says that he needs to ask him something. How delightful. How sweet. How so very Clark Kent. And I’m so glad we got to see in onscreen… in a manner of speaking. I would have totally imagined that this would have happened over the phone with no confirmation that Clark actually asked the General’s permission. So… to get this? GAH. It’s like they’re reading our fanfic!! And, okay, was I the only one who was blown away by the happiness and joy in our Clark’s eyes when he looks at the General? And the hope?
• Did they watch “Persuasion”? The way Lucy screamed when Lois got engaged and the way Lois called her “Sis” didn’t exactly shout out “dysfunctional relationship” to me. And I definitely didn’t get a vibe from Lucy that she was going to hop on the next plane to kiss the hell out of Lois’s fiancé.
• Anyway… I not only had issues with Lucy just randomly kissing Clark, but I’m just sick of women randomly kissing Clark, in general. (Does every guest actress on the show have a clause in her contract that they get to kiss Welling? I’m beginning to think that it’s Article 3, Clause B, Sub-section 5.6.) But… OK… so they had Lucy kiss Clark. Could you take a couple of seconds to tell us why, please!?!? For whatever reason, Lois seemed to think she had a good handle on why Lucy did it. I wish Lois would have shared with the rest of the class. I have a pretty good imagination and I can fan-wank with the rest of them, but even I am having some problems trying to figure out what the frak was going on there.
• The resolution, therefore, rang a little hollow for me. At the end, I expected Lois to say something along the lines of understanding why Lucy tried to save the General, but that she still couldn’t get why Lucy planted one on Clark. Instead… Lucy declared that Lois was a great sister and they hugged it out. I was really disappointed by that pat ending.
• Oh, what a rich dynamic. I know a lot of people felt like they went overboard with Lois needed her dad’s approval, but I understood it. Over the years, we’ve seen her utter a gazillion Generalisms. It rang true to me that her father’s approval means a great deal to her. They further cemented it by having Lois point out that Lucy becoming the “trouble-maker” sister ended up meaning that Lois got to the “good daughter” and she loved it. These girls lost a mother at a very young age and turned to the existing parent that they had to fill up the void and to give them the love/affection/attention that they needed. Did the General suck at it? Yes. Do the girls know he sucks at it? Yes. But they still can't help themselves. And that rang very true to me.
• The period in the beginning where Clark and the General are at odds and Clark turns to her to put her in the middle? Classic. The way Lois was like, “Um… I have no opinion.” Loved the mirroring, where the General had handed Clark and a list and then Lois hands him one. The irritation on Clark’s face when he was handed ANOTHER list from ANOTHER Lane? Awesome. And it goes back to Lois loving lists (which I think I've covered in fanfic before) and I just loved how she's glaring at Clark like, "I understand you're the Blur. Suck it up, dude. Stop rocking the boat." Given that Lois is basically a career boat rocker, it was hilarious to see her try to NOT rock the boat.
• I completely understood what Lois meant about just wanting to get through the weekend without any fights. From Lois’s POV, she saw the General as a guy who wasn’t going to budge on his stance regarding vigilantes. She had two options. She could spend the whole weekend fighting with him (and not change his mind, anyway) or she could just let it slide, get through the meal in peace, and then they’d go their merry ways. I felt like Lois basically chose to pick her battles. She thought it was more important to get Sam to like Clark Kent and that the Blur part was not very relevant. Of course, she didn’t bank on CLARK actually having problems with that solution. And, so, she was between a rock and a hard place. She could either spend the rest of the weekend fighting with her dad about the Blur (without telling him that Clark was the Blur) or she could just make her boyfriend roll with it. She chose Option B. And it bit her in the ass.
• So… she stood up to the General. And I really liked the angle that – the whole time – Sam had been testing HER. And that Clark ended up being worthy of Lois’s love because Lois stood up for him. It was never about Clark. It was always about Lois. I kind of felt like there was an added layer in there…I think that, through the General, the writers were also showing us that Lois passes these sorts of tests in a manner that no other girl in Clark’s life has. Lois sticks up for Clark in a way that no other girl ever has. (Yes, I’m including Chloe in this. Let’s not forget S8 and S9, people.)
I don’t pay attention to these two that much, but a couple of things leapt out at me.
• I totally get why people ship these two. Freeman and Hartley have a very easy chemistry. And I like the brutal honesty thing they have going with each other.
• I really liked that we got reference back to “Toxic” in that final scene between them. “We started out on an island and ended up in the sky over the city.” (Or something like that.) “We’ve survived tax audits and typhoons, Tess.” It was nice to see them bonding and reminiscing about all that they’ve gone through together. (Really didn’t need the Chloe mentions, though.)
I’ll end with just a few random notes.
The opening scene with Clark/Lois/Sam Lane was very well done. Full of comedy and the way they had Lois jumping around in the background was great. It reminded of the way John Slattery directs “Mad Men” – he keeps in mind the set and the actors in the background when he’s directing the people talking in the scene, and I felt like it was very well done. Seeing Lois’s reactions in the background really added an additional layer of nervousness to that scene. And I do love when they allow Welling to display emotion and to stretch his comedic chops. The way he looks at the list and then says, “You weren’t kidding.” And Sam’s response, “I never do.” Just golden.
The Oliver/Clark dynamic was fantastic in this episode. Oliver has really gotten on my nerves lately with all the Chloe worship (for no apparent reason) and it was great to see him acting like Clark's friend and just doing his job as the GA for a change. I feel like - a lot of the time - we HEAR more about how Oliver is the GA than we actually see him BE the GA. So it was a nice change of pace seeing him use that costume for something other than waxing poetic about Chloe. And the exchange in the barn? Where Clark tells him to go through the window? And Oliver says, "What are we? Sixteen?" ROFL... Just so fantastic on so many levels. I couldn't help but think of Lois's comment to Cat where she asks Cat, "First of all, what are you? Twelve?" THIS is why Lois/Oliver are fantastic as friends, but could never be together long term. They're both too alike.
Lois made Thanksgiving dinner? Really? I am actually a fairly good cook, but I avoid cooking Thanksgiving dinner like the plague. If have to host it, I offer to pay for groceries and help with clean up. But I refuse to help with the preparation of the meal. Having said that, I do like that they had her hair all messed up and she looked like she'd been sweating.
I also thought that this episode mirrored/paralleled things we’ve gotten in “SV” before in an interesting kind of a way.
One of them was the scene when Lucy kisses Clark. It reminded me of the scene in “Hypnotic” where Lana walks in on Clark making out with Simone. Let’s compare – for a second – what was going on in that episode. That one opened with Clark/Lana having an uncomfortable conversation where Lana is wondering why Clark won’t have sex with her and basically telling him that she’s willing to wait. (Lana spent a great deal of time wondering why they didn’t have a sex life in S5. Then she found Lex and her problems were solved.) Later on, she walks in on him kissing Simone in the loft and then runs out crying.
In this episode, we begin with them about to have sex. And, later on, when she walks in on him and Lucy, Lois just kind of sighs and says, “Really?” And then immediately proceeds to drag Lucy away and then she tells Clark that she doesn’t blame him for what happened.
These two episodes feature shots that are almost IDENTICAL but also SO different:
Lois is all full of joy and sunshine. Lana is all crying and full of darkness. Which, in a manner of speaking, can actually describe the difference between these two characters, in general.
Now, look… I’m not going to say that the difference in these two episodes proves how superior Lois is. After all, Lois knew Lucy and Lana didn’t know Simone. But I think that it’s interesting… because what I think it fundamentally shows is how well Lois knows Clark vs. how well Lana knew Clark. There is an underlying trust in Clark and Lois’s relationship that didn’t exist in the Lana/Clark relationship.
Clark and Lois are having sex and have a very full and healthy relationship – in the full sense of the word. But Lana and Clark didn’t, so she was easily able to jump to the conclusion that Clark Kent got it on with random blondes, as opposed to realizing that Clark must have been on crack. (That was, ironically, the conclusion that Lois arrived at even in “Hypnotic” which was well before Lois became his girlfriend.)
And, of course, it's to note that both these episodes featured Clark getting into an argument with the woman he loves. In "Hypnotic" the episode ended with them breaking up. In this one, it ends with the foreshadowing that Clark is going to ask Lois to marry him.
The second parallel that was interesting was the Thanksgiving dinner. The last time we got a Thanksgiving dinner in “SV” it was the weird gathering of random characters. We had Lionel sitting next to Chloe (with not a word about how he tried to kill her) and Martha sitting beaming at the idea of sharing a meal with the man who was at least partially responsible for her late husband’s death. And Clark’s carving the turkey after getting his future wife and her boyfriend (who was recently addicted to a rage-inducing drug) back together again. Compare that to THIS Thanksgiving, where Clark is sitting next to his future wife and his future father-in-law and sister-in-law are sharing the meal with him. If they’d just brought AoT back for this episode and had her at the other end of the table? It would have been perfect.
Interestingly enough, THAT scene had a song playing in the background and this one didn’t.
We know now, of course, that Clark has gotten to the point where he actually CAN fall into Lois’s love. And that when they look at each other, he believes that love is all it takes to make everything OK. With Lois’s love behind him, Clark believes he can do anything. And that is why it was so important for Clark that Lois stand up to the General for him. Because he didn’t want to imagine a world where her belief in him faltered and she didn’t think that he was worth fighting for. Because I think he can live with ANYONE having problems with the Blur or staying quiet while people bash him, but he can't handle it if Lois does. Because she's his link to humanity and when he looks at her, he sees the best of humanity. He has high expectations of her and expects her to be awesome all the time, because it's that very awesomeness that makes him love her. (ETA: Someone pointed out below in the comments that Lois did actually LITERALLY knock Clark down in "Isis"... I didn't even make that connection. But how awesome is that?)
Another thing to note is that Clark looks very much alone in the final shot of that scene. He is watching Lois with Oliver. Martha talking to Lionel. And Chloe getting a text from Jimmy. He was thinking about his father and how much he missed him. (The episode ended with a shot of Lana/Lex having the most miserable Thanksgiving on the planet to further reinforce how far removed Clark was from the woman he loved.) This Thanksgiving? Clark is sitting next to woman he loves and he's having dinner with people are soon to be his family. And sitting next to him is his soulmate. He's not alone anymore.
I thought it was nice that they opted to just go with a regular musical score in the background of this scene. (Maybe it was their budget, who knows?) It was a hopeful and sweet score and it worked for me. The way they looked at each other and the family gathered for the meal… it was almost better for not having lyrics imposed on that moment.
Also, there was the parallel and call-back to "Committed". In that episode, we see Lois waking up in Clark's living room (in his jersey) and she's worried that they had sex. Clark's response is to burst out laughing and reassure her that there is no way in hell that happened. That episode dealt with the idea that Clark was a committment-phobe and - at one point - Lois remarks that any woman stupid enough to fall for Clark Kent is in for a world of hurt. They pretend to be engaged and that is something that is very hard for Clark. Lois confesses she loves Clark, but later denies it to him. Clark, for his part, is completely at a loss on how to view Lois. Fast forward a couple of years and now, she's waking up his jersey and they've just had sex. (Lois doesn't need any confirmation.) And Clark is not only committed to Lois, but he takes steps to prepare to propose to her.
The other mirrored scenes, of course, were the "parents caught us" scenes. Poor Clark has a lot of problems with parental units.Of course, the first time - EVER - Clark was in this situation was with LOIS. (CORRECTION: Audrey pointed out that he was actually caught making out with Alicia before he got caught with Lois. They really do love putting Clark in this situation, don't they? Sorry for the error... I always lump all of Alicia's episodes into S4 in my head, because I've blanked out most of S3.)
Back in "Gone", Martha walked in on Clark and Lois in the bathroom, where it appeared that they'd taken a shower together. (As Clark emphasized later, they took "SEPARATE" showers.) However, the damage was done, because both Lois and Clark got hauled up in front of Jonathan and he gave them a lecture. Which was probably something Jonathan would have done anyway, because these two ended up living together and I can imagine that Jonathan Kent would have probably laid down some rules, given that they were both teenagers. When Clark got caught with Lana, I must confess I was a little confused. Since... you know... she had her own apartment. Most teenagers (hell even adults) don't really choose to go around having sex in the house where parents can walk in on them vs. the empty apartment owned by a local billionaire who won't ever walk in on you. Anyway... I guess the point was that they wanted Clark to have that embarrassing moment.
Fast forward 5 years later - he's meeting his future father-in-law shirt-less and with an obvious problem that he has to cover with his hands. Same situation, but vastly different, since - now - Lois and Clark are adults and can, therefore, continue on as though nothing has happened. Also, he was defensive when caught by the Kents, because they were afraid that it wasn't about love and it was more about teenage hormones run amok. (Since Clark pretty much jumped into bed with Lana as soon as he lost his powers.) Now, Lois and Clark are in a committed and loving relationship and really worked on their relationship before they got to this point. So, instead of it being some huge moment in the episode, it was just an embarrassing situation that they all promptly forgot.
Finally, I’ll end with just saying – again – that I absolutely loved this episode. Just in case you couldn’t tell. Cannot wait for “Abandoned”. I have a feeling that I’ll be considering both of those to be two parts of one very amazing episode.
_____
Thanks to: Onebreath for the amazing GIF. And Snap/Rachel from DI & tvpix.net for the screen-caps.
Clark/Lois
Of course, the most important relationship is the one between Clark Kent and Lois Lane. This was a defining moment in their life and definitely a turning point in their romance. (Lately, don’t ALL the episodes have some defining moment? Sheesh… can they get any more epic?) Anyway, so the episode begins with them coming down the stairs from what could only have been an epic round of sex. And what follows is one of the most sexy and smoldering exchanges we’ve ever gotten on this show. Hell, we’ve gotten on ANY show. There’s giggling. There’s strawberry eating. There’s no juice left in the house because Lois has kept Clark too busy to super-speed to the grocery store. There’s blatant checking out (Lois glances over and checks out Clark’s goods when he gets the juice. Gotta love a woman who appreciates a good view.).
Clark: So… what are you in the mood for?
Lois: I’m in the mood... just not for breakfast.
* Lois dances off *
Clark: Lois. * grins * The bedroom is upstairs.
Lois: Yeah. But the porch swing is out there.
Lois: I’m in the mood... just not for breakfast.
* Lois dances off *
Clark: Lois. * grins * The bedroom is upstairs.
Lois: Yeah. But the porch swing is out there.
Oh Lord. * fans self *
OK, now that I’ve gotten THAT out of my system. I actually want to talk about this scene a little bit beyond just the usual drooling and squealing that is expected because I’m a Cloiser. I’m going to try to explain why this scene meant so much to me beyond the whole thing that this is a Clois morning after scene that is now canon.
First of all, I was immediately struck by how naturally and effortlessly sexy it was… and how comfortable they were with each other. But, also, I loved that we got this sense that these two had just spent a week together pretty much having tons and tons of sex - and still weren’t tired and couldn’t get enough. Since we saw how they were last year, it makes perfect sense to me.
(Random aside: They reminded me of the joke my friend told me about marbles when I first got married. The basic idea is that you put a marble in a jar for every time you have sex in your first year of marriage. Then, you could take out one marble for every single time you have sex, beginning year 2 onwards, and you still wouldn’t empty the jar. Meaning: You will never get as much as you do the first year.)
These two couldn’t keep their hands off of each other – Clark couldn’t even wait to get to the porch… he was like, “I’ll just take you against the wall. And we’ll deal with the porch later.” So that was not only natural, it helped to show how bonded – both emotionally and physically – these two are and how they’re just enjoying each other. For those who need a visual reminder, here's a GIF from onebreath:
What I love about that is that it showed Lois not only in charge of her sexuality (something I think we’ve seen with her before), but it showed us a Clark Kent who was in charge of his sexuality, as well.
And… more than anything… it showed us that Lois wanted him as much as he wanted her. Remember how, in “Requiem”, poor Clark was trying to go for Round 2 and Lana was super-speeding to get her clothes on as fast as she could and then they dashed off the save the world?
Now… Clark and Lois. They amble downstairs after what you know was probably a great morning in bed. Then they take their sweet time gazing at each other while Clark analyzes Lois’s strawberry eating technique and Lois takes in how good he looks while drinking a glass of OJ. Then… they both get turned on and decide to go for Round 129 outside on a porch! If the General hadn’t interrupted them, you got the sense that they’d spend all of Thanksgiving weekend in bed, with Clark blurring away to save the world occasionally.
So, my point is basically that it’s about time someone realized how damn fine Clark Kent is and that when he looks at you like he wants to eat you then your response should be to go, “Yeah… remember that porch swing? I’ll make sure you never look at it without getting a hard-on ever again.” Lois Lane… gotta love her. She has her priorities screwed on straight.
Also, I’d just like to note how awesome Tom Welling is and how I love that he had Clark cover Clark, Jr. I love it when Welling makes the series acknowledge that Clark is a normal guy. Just like the way he gets that look on his face whenever Lois’s costumes are mentioned. It’s these little things that matter and can really convey the depth to which Clark’s attracted to Lois without having him utter the words, “I want to do Lois.” Now… moving on… a little. Wasn’t so crazy about Durance’s delivery on the “Daddy?” and “Lucy?”. I felt like she didn’t play it shocked enough. That could be the fault of the director. I just think that if I was making out with my husband and my dad just randomly showed up at my door (when I expected him to be in a different state) then I would have – at least – yelped. Probably even screamed a little. And you would have seen me jump a few feet in the air. There seemed to be a bit of a sigh of resignation in the way Durance played that scene and I didn’t understand why.
Right… so… now that I’m done MINUTELY analyzing the ‘morning after’ scene, I’m going to be a little more vague and random about the rest of my thoughts regarding the Clois in this episode.
• I absolutely adored that they had a fight. I loved it. First of all, Clark was absolutely right. Lois WAS acting like she was afraid of her father and I am so happy that he was honest with her about his feelings. He has high expectations of her and when she disappointed him, he was very annoyed about it. And I love that he just laid it all out of her. That he saw her as someone who stood up for what she believed in and that if she let her father walk all over her, then she was going against her own moral code. And then when she starts to talk about the father thing, he just lights into her and doesn’t let it slide. GOOD FOR YOU, CLARK!!
• Speaking of the father portion of the fight… personally, I think that Lois was trying to convey something that was a little different than just… “Hey, you don’t have a dad.” I think she was trying to say that he didn’t have father issues because this is not the sort of thing he ever had to worry about with Jonathan Kent. But then she cut herself off because pointing out that he didn’t have a dad was just mean. I also think that this was all a set-up for “Abandoned” when Lois is going to realize that Clark actually has massive daddy issues. Probably some that are bigger than her own. Lois, for her part, was trying to get him to understand that all she wanted was to get through the weekend without the General knifing him with Kryptonite and Clark using his laser vision to set fire to the General. And, really, who could blame her? It’s hard being caught in the middle when your dad hates the guy you love. (I’ve been there… it’s not fun.) • Wow, they really “L” each other! Other than the use of the word all over the place with Clark and the General. Or the use of the word with Lois and the General. Other than that, we get the just the SHOWING of their love by Clark telling Lois that he wants her to be happy. We’ve got the way they look at each other at the very end. The way they look at each other, full of joy and love, in the beginning. There is no question that these two are in love with each other… and they have no qualms telling anyone that.
• And that is probably why I had no problems with them having a fight or that Lois chose to walk off with the General, rather than stick around with Clark. Because I was never scared that these two would break up, because they’re so clearly madly, passionately, and utterly in love with each other. And it’s not like the S9 kind of love where they were both afraid of taking the leap. NOPE. Now… they’ve not only leapt, they’ve slept and rolled around and settled in quite comfortably. There’s no more secrets between them, so they both get and trust each other at a level that transcends the little things that will annoy them or cause friction in their relationship. Their relationship can stand a little heat, every now and then, because it’s that strong.
• That is not to say that I wasn’t heart-broken when I saw Clark’s face as he watched Lois walk away from him in tears. In that moment, he actually DID think that Lois chose her father over him and you could tell he was devastated. Because he’d just put his love for her on the line in front of the General and he couldn’t believe that she didn’t do the same. Of course, he didn’t know that Lois was going to go try to get the General to calm down away from Clark. Some people have said that they think Lois should have given Clark a heads up. I think it’s makes perfect sense that she didn’t tell him. If she had, then the General would have stiffened up and just told her to stay with Clark if she only intended to go with him to change his mind. There was no way to tell Clark without pissing off the General. And her intention was to try to get both of the men she loved in the same room together again. • I love the speech Lois gives to the General. Oh… it was fantastic. I think this is one of those examples of why Lois Lane is so perfect for Clark Kent. She has an inner strength and a will of steel that is needed to be Superman’s soulmate. It was clear, in this episode, that she held her father’s opinion at a very high regard in her life. She hated that he didn’t like Clark. But when push came to shove, she told him that she was going to be with Clark and there was nothing he could do about it. It kind of reminded me of that time Lionel threatened Lana and “made her” marry Lex. When I see scenes like this with Lois, I can’t help but think what would have happened if it had been Lois dating Clark back in S5-S7. Could just imagine if Lex had tried to play with Lois’s mind and come between her & Clark? I think Lois would have probably kneed him in the groin. And if Lionel had tried to force her to marry someone? I think she would have laughed and ask if he was on crack. I just cannot imagine that she would have hurt Clark the way Lana did. This episode is an example of how she’s incapable of hurting Clark or leaving him. For ANYONE.
• A lot of people felt they needed a final scene between Clark/Lois where she apologized to him. And they should have cleared the air. I’m going to pose what may be an unpopular opinion. I actually liked that they didn’t. Because I felt the very fact that they fought – in a very real and open kind of a way – and then STILL you had Lois declare her love for him and you still had Clark’s face light up when the General mentioned how much Lois loves him was all the “closure” that I needed. That Lois understood what Clark was saying and her way of dealing with it was to stand up to her father. And that Clark learned that she’d stood up her father was a message to him that she had heard him out and she’d done what she needed to do. Again, I saw the episode SHOWING us the depth of their love and not TELLING us. And, I think, that it’s a very genuine and realistic depiction of a healthy relationship. Not every fight gets wrapped up with a shiny, red bow and a Hallmark apology speech. Sometimes, you get into a fight with your significant other and show them that you take it back by doing the dishes. Or washing the car. Or taking out the garbage. And then you sit down for dinner and with a mere glance at each other, you’ve said a million words of apology and – just like that – you’re on the same page again. It’s you and him and it’s OK. Your relationship is OK and the world is OK.
• I like that “Harvest” told us that Clark didn’t plan on keeping secrets from Lois anymore and this episode SHOWED us that this is the case. When things went south between him and the General, Clark didn’t hide it. He also didn’t hide his ire at Lois and the General for the vigilante stuff. And when he found out that Lucy had planted photos of him and Kara in the loft, he immediately told Lois about it, along with the investigations that the General had made. Lois, for her part, immediately believed Clark when he told her these things. It was all done in a very matter of fact way and you got the sense that these two would always be like with each other. That they wouldn’t randomly keep stuff from each other for the other’s good or something. How many times did we see this contrivance with Clana? I could imagine that if it was Clana, Clark would have suffered in silence, because he wouldn’t be able to hurt the tiny little princess. Or something contrived and stupid like that. So it was great to see Clark & Lois acting like adults and actually talking to each other about what was going on.
• I like the scene where Clark/Lois scramble to cover his Blur duties, but they absolutely suck at it. It just makes you think that – as time goes on – they’ll become so much better. But, now, they’re brand new at it, and so they have NO idea how to read the other person. So, Clark’s got cranberries in his hand… Lois is talking about hoods of cars… which turns into something about a chimney. LOL… You can just imagine the conversation they had later on that tnight. “Sweetheart, if you’re going to cover for me, you need to do a better job.” “Honey… I would if you didn’t say stupid things. The CHIMNEY? Honestly.” “Okay, Lois. Next time, text me the excuse. Seriously.”
The General/Clark
• I love that the General was smart enough to piece together that Clark was the Blur. So many times, they have Clark use the stupidest reasons in the world and all people will do is give him a vaguely puzzled look. When Clark finished the whole “to-do list”, I was very annoyed because I was convinced that they’d have the General not even blink an eye that Clark completed it so quickly. But they had him mention it!! And – at the end – he pieced together the events of the day and realized that it was more than likely that Clark was the Blur. YAY General!! You deserve those four stars. • I loved how Clark kept using the military jargon and the sarcastic way in which he used it. The way he said “sir” and “whatever the GENERAL wants” was amazing. Welling put these subtle inflections in the way he said those words that you could get that Clark was kind of mocking him and he was very pissed at the General. I also loved how he was muttering about “Sir. YESSIR!” while he was chopping the wood. Like he was kind of imagining that the General WAS the block of wood. And, of course, I adored how he was tolerating the General’s “interrogation” until the point where the General kind of threatened Martha Kent and then he shot straight up to his feet and showed him how TALL he frakkin’ was and then said, “SAM.” As though… “Listen, bud. I could care less that you’re a four-star general… At the end of the day, I have laser vision, dude. Stop annoying me. And did you just threaten my MOTHER?” I got shivers and tingles at how incredibly IN CHARGE Clark was at that moment and I also thought it was fantastic to see him flat out tell the General that he loved Lois and the General just needed to calm the FRAK down.
• All of that leads me to the final scene where I feel the General flat out tells Clark that he knows that Clark is the Blur. And that he’s giving his blessing. I really enjoyed the part where the General talks about the little things (the “dancing with my wife” comment, in particular, brought tears to my eyes. Especially when I think of next week and how we’ll see Ella Lane). I think Michael Ironside is an amazing actor and he knocked this episode out of the water. Every single line was gold – you could see him being nostalgic in just the perfect balance – reminiscing about all that was good, while acknowledging the things he regretted. He didn’t get overly sappy (which would have been OOC) but he was honest with Clark about his feelings and didn’t hide the depth of his emotion, either. More than anything, he talked as one hero to another – giving fatherly advice to Clark about how to balance one’s hero side with the human side. Since Clark has lost Jonathan and Jor-el seems to be a pyscho, I can imagine Sam Lane’s words must have resonated with him on a very deep level. I can imagine those words coming back to him later on in life and that he will have to remind himself – from time to time – to take a minute out of his busy schedule to dance with Lois. To tuck in their kids (if they have them). Isn’t that something he’s already had to learn? Like, literally, in "Homecoming, he had to learn a lesson about his love for Lois and that culminated in him taking the time to just dance with her. So… I really like that moment. Father-in-law to son-in-law. • And… of course… the final line. The music in that scene? OH LORD. It killed me. I was one of the ones who totally expected a Clois engagement this year. (Hell, I expect a wedding.) But even I couldn’t believe my ears when Clark stops the General and says that he needs to ask him something. How delightful. How sweet. How so very Clark Kent. And I’m so glad we got to see in onscreen… in a manner of speaking. I would have totally imagined that this would have happened over the phone with no confirmation that Clark actually asked the General’s permission. So… to get this? GAH. It’s like they’re reading our fanfic!! And, okay, was I the only one who was blown away by the happiness and joy in our Clark’s eyes when he looks at the General? And the hope?
Lucy/Lois
• One of the only false steps of this episode was the way they handled the Lucy/Lois relationship. We’re to believe that Lucy has had NO growth since S4? Seriously? Lucy came by in 2005. It’s now 2010. I think it would have been okay to give her some character development in off-screensville. We wouldn’t have held it against you, writers.
• Did they watch “Persuasion”? The way Lucy screamed when Lois got engaged and the way Lois called her “Sis” didn’t exactly shout out “dysfunctional relationship” to me. And I definitely didn’t get a vibe from Lucy that she was going to hop on the next plane to kiss the hell out of Lois’s fiancé. • Anyway… I not only had issues with Lucy just randomly kissing Clark, but I’m just sick of women randomly kissing Clark, in general. (Does every guest actress on the show have a clause in her contract that they get to kiss Welling? I’m beginning to think that it’s Article 3, Clause B, Sub-section 5.6.) But… OK… so they had Lucy kiss Clark. Could you take a couple of seconds to tell us why, please!?!? For whatever reason, Lois seemed to think she had a good handle on why Lucy did it. I wish Lois would have shared with the rest of the class. I have a pretty good imagination and I can fan-wank with the rest of them, but even I am having some problems trying to figure out what the frak was going on there.
• The resolution, therefore, rang a little hollow for me. At the end, I expected Lois to say something along the lines of understanding why Lucy tried to save the General, but that she still couldn’t get why Lucy planted one on Clark. Instead… Lucy declared that Lois was a great sister and they hugged it out. I was really disappointed by that pat ending.
The General/Lois
• Oh, what a rich dynamic. I know a lot of people felt like they went overboard with Lois needed her dad’s approval, but I understood it. Over the years, we’ve seen her utter a gazillion Generalisms. It rang true to me that her father’s approval means a great deal to her. They further cemented it by having Lois point out that Lucy becoming the “trouble-maker” sister ended up meaning that Lois got to the “good daughter” and she loved it. These girls lost a mother at a very young age and turned to the existing parent that they had to fill up the void and to give them the love/affection/attention that they needed. Did the General suck at it? Yes. Do the girls know he sucks at it? Yes. But they still can't help themselves. And that rang very true to me. • The period in the beginning where Clark and the General are at odds and Clark turns to her to put her in the middle? Classic. The way Lois was like, “Um… I have no opinion.” Loved the mirroring, where the General had handed Clark and a list and then Lois hands him one. The irritation on Clark’s face when he was handed ANOTHER list from ANOTHER Lane? Awesome. And it goes back to Lois loving lists (which I think I've covered in fanfic before) and I just loved how she's glaring at Clark like, "I understand you're the Blur. Suck it up, dude. Stop rocking the boat." Given that Lois is basically a career boat rocker, it was hilarious to see her try to NOT rock the boat.
• I completely understood what Lois meant about just wanting to get through the weekend without any fights. From Lois’s POV, she saw the General as a guy who wasn’t going to budge on his stance regarding vigilantes. She had two options. She could spend the whole weekend fighting with him (and not change his mind, anyway) or she could just let it slide, get through the meal in peace, and then they’d go their merry ways. I felt like Lois basically chose to pick her battles. She thought it was more important to get Sam to like Clark Kent and that the Blur part was not very relevant. Of course, she didn’t bank on CLARK actually having problems with that solution. And, so, she was between a rock and a hard place. She could either spend the rest of the weekend fighting with her dad about the Blur (without telling him that Clark was the Blur) or she could just make her boyfriend roll with it. She chose Option B. And it bit her in the ass.
• So… she stood up to the General. And I really liked the angle that – the whole time – Sam had been testing HER. And that Clark ended up being worthy of Lois’s love because Lois stood up for him. It was never about Clark. It was always about Lois. I kind of felt like there was an added layer in there…I think that, through the General, the writers were also showing us that Lois passes these sorts of tests in a manner that no other girl in Clark’s life has. Lois sticks up for Clark in a way that no other girl ever has. (Yes, I’m including Chloe in this. Let’s not forget S8 and S9, people.)
Oliver/Tess
I don’t pay attention to these two that much, but a couple of things leapt out at me.
• I totally get why people ship these two. Freeman and Hartley have a very easy chemistry. And I like the brutal honesty thing they have going with each other. • I really liked that we got reference back to “Toxic” in that final scene between them. “We started out on an island and ended up in the sky over the city.” (Or something like that.) “We’ve survived tax audits and typhoons, Tess.” It was nice to see them bonding and reminiscing about all that they’ve gone through together. (Really didn’t need the Chloe mentions, though.)
I’ll end with just a few random notes.
The opening scene with Clark/Lois/Sam Lane was very well done. Full of comedy and the way they had Lois jumping around in the background was great. It reminded of the way John Slattery directs “Mad Men” – he keeps in mind the set and the actors in the background when he’s directing the people talking in the scene, and I felt like it was very well done. Seeing Lois’s reactions in the background really added an additional layer of nervousness to that scene. And I do love when they allow Welling to display emotion and to stretch his comedic chops. The way he looks at the list and then says, “You weren’t kidding.” And Sam’s response, “I never do.” Just golden. The Oliver/Clark dynamic was fantastic in this episode. Oliver has really gotten on my nerves lately with all the Chloe worship (for no apparent reason) and it was great to see him acting like Clark's friend and just doing his job as the GA for a change. I feel like - a lot of the time - we HEAR more about how Oliver is the GA than we actually see him BE the GA. So it was a nice change of pace seeing him use that costume for something other than waxing poetic about Chloe. And the exchange in the barn? Where Clark tells him to go through the window? And Oliver says, "What are we? Sixteen?" ROFL... Just so fantastic on so many levels. I couldn't help but think of Lois's comment to Cat where she asks Cat, "First of all, what are you? Twelve?" THIS is why Lois/Oliver are fantastic as friends, but could never be together long term. They're both too alike.
Lois made Thanksgiving dinner? Really? I am actually a fairly good cook, but I avoid cooking Thanksgiving dinner like the plague. If have to host it, I offer to pay for groceries and help with clean up. But I refuse to help with the preparation of the meal. Having said that, I do like that they had her hair all messed up and she looked like she'd been sweating.
I also thought that this episode mirrored/paralleled things we’ve gotten in “SV” before in an interesting kind of a way.
One of them was the scene when Lucy kisses Clark. It reminded me of the scene in “Hypnotic” where Lana walks in on Clark making out with Simone. Let’s compare – for a second – what was going on in that episode. That one opened with Clark/Lana having an uncomfortable conversation where Lana is wondering why Clark won’t have sex with her and basically telling him that she’s willing to wait. (Lana spent a great deal of time wondering why they didn’t have a sex life in S5. Then she found Lex and her problems were solved.) Later on, she walks in on him kissing Simone in the loft and then runs out crying.
In this episode, we begin with them about to have sex. And, later on, when she walks in on him and Lucy, Lois just kind of sighs and says, “Really?” And then immediately proceeds to drag Lucy away and then she tells Clark that she doesn’t blame him for what happened.
These two episodes feature shots that are almost IDENTICAL but also SO different:
Lois is all full of joy and sunshine. Lana is all crying and full of darkness. Which, in a manner of speaking, can actually describe the difference between these two characters, in general.
Now, look… I’m not going to say that the difference in these two episodes proves how superior Lois is. After all, Lois knew Lucy and Lana didn’t know Simone. But I think that it’s interesting… because what I think it fundamentally shows is how well Lois knows Clark vs. how well Lana knew Clark. There is an underlying trust in Clark and Lois’s relationship that didn’t exist in the Lana/Clark relationship.
Clark and Lois are having sex and have a very full and healthy relationship – in the full sense of the word. But Lana and Clark didn’t, so she was easily able to jump to the conclusion that Clark Kent got it on with random blondes, as opposed to realizing that Clark must have been on crack. (That was, ironically, the conclusion that Lois arrived at even in “Hypnotic” which was well before Lois became his girlfriend.)
And, of course, it's to note that both these episodes featured Clark getting into an argument with the woman he loves. In "Hypnotic" the episode ended with them breaking up. In this one, it ends with the foreshadowing that Clark is going to ask Lois to marry him.
The second parallel that was interesting was the Thanksgiving dinner. The last time we got a Thanksgiving dinner in “SV” it was the weird gathering of random characters. We had Lionel sitting next to Chloe (with not a word about how he tried to kill her) and Martha sitting beaming at the idea of sharing a meal with the man who was at least partially responsible for her late husband’s death. And Clark’s carving the turkey after getting his future wife and her boyfriend (who was recently addicted to a rage-inducing drug) back together again. Compare that to THIS Thanksgiving, where Clark is sitting next to his future wife and his future father-in-law and sister-in-law are sharing the meal with him. If they’d just brought AoT back for this episode and had her at the other end of the table? It would have been perfect.
Interestingly enough, THAT scene had a song playing in the background and this one didn’t.
I’m sick of chasing after things, I’d rather them chase after me
Keeping up is bound to wear me down
There’s a million ways to skin a cat, I’ve put my choices in a hat
Picked a few and threw the bad ones out
I know now
So if you want me you’d better knock me down
Cause I ain’t easy and this ain’t hallowed ground
She said no one will love you more than me
I looked at her; she looked at me
I think she’s waiting for me to believe
I wish that love was all it took
I’d fall into you if I could
Hoping for a graceful recovery
Keeping up is bound to wear me down
There’s a million ways to skin a cat, I’ve put my choices in a hat
Picked a few and threw the bad ones out
I know now
So if you want me you’d better knock me down
Cause I ain’t easy and this ain’t hallowed ground
She said no one will love you more than me
I looked at her; she looked at me
I think she’s waiting for me to believe
I wish that love was all it took
I’d fall into you if I could
Hoping for a graceful recovery
We know now, of course, that Clark has gotten to the point where he actually CAN fall into Lois’s love. And that when they look at each other, he believes that love is all it takes to make everything OK. With Lois’s love behind him, Clark believes he can do anything. And that is why it was so important for Clark that Lois stand up to the General for him. Because he didn’t want to imagine a world where her belief in him faltered and she didn’t think that he was worth fighting for. Because I think he can live with ANYONE having problems with the Blur or staying quiet while people bash him, but he can't handle it if Lois does. Because she's his link to humanity and when he looks at her, he sees the best of humanity. He has high expectations of her and expects her to be awesome all the time, because it's that very awesomeness that makes him love her. (ETA: Someone pointed out below in the comments that Lois did actually LITERALLY knock Clark down in "Isis"... I didn't even make that connection. But how awesome is that?)
Another thing to note is that Clark looks very much alone in the final shot of that scene. He is watching Lois with Oliver. Martha talking to Lionel. And Chloe getting a text from Jimmy. He was thinking about his father and how much he missed him. (The episode ended with a shot of Lana/Lex having the most miserable Thanksgiving on the planet to further reinforce how far removed Clark was from the woman he loved.) This Thanksgiving? Clark is sitting next to woman he loves and he's having dinner with people are soon to be his family. And sitting next to him is his soulmate. He's not alone anymore.
I thought it was nice that they opted to just go with a regular musical score in the background of this scene. (Maybe it was their budget, who knows?) It was a hopeful and sweet score and it worked for me. The way they looked at each other and the family gathered for the meal… it was almost better for not having lyrics imposed on that moment.
Also, there was the parallel and call-back to "Committed". In that episode, we see Lois waking up in Clark's living room (in his jersey) and she's worried that they had sex. Clark's response is to burst out laughing and reassure her that there is no way in hell that happened. That episode dealt with the idea that Clark was a committment-phobe and - at one point - Lois remarks that any woman stupid enough to fall for Clark Kent is in for a world of hurt. They pretend to be engaged and that is something that is very hard for Clark. Lois confesses she loves Clark, but later denies it to him. Clark, for his part, is completely at a loss on how to view Lois. Fast forward a couple of years and now, she's waking up his jersey and they've just had sex. (Lois doesn't need any confirmation.) And Clark is not only committed to Lois, but he takes steps to prepare to propose to her.
The other mirrored scenes, of course, were the "parents caught us" scenes. Poor Clark has a lot of problems with parental units.
Back in "Gone", Martha walked in on Clark and Lois in the bathroom, where it appeared that they'd taken a shower together. (As Clark emphasized later, they took "SEPARATE" showers.) However, the damage was done, because both Lois and Clark got hauled up in front of Jonathan and he gave them a lecture. Which was probably something Jonathan would have done anyway, because these two ended up living together and I can imagine that Jonathan Kent would have probably laid down some rules, given that they were both teenagers. When Clark got caught with Lana, I must confess I was a little confused. Since... you know... she had her own apartment. Most teenagers (hell even adults) don't really choose to go around having sex in the house where parents can walk in on them vs. the empty apartment owned by a local billionaire who won't ever walk in on you. Anyway... I guess the point was that they wanted Clark to have that embarrassing moment.
Fast forward 5 years later - he's meeting his future father-in-law shirt-less and with an obvious problem that he has to cover with his hands. Same situation, but vastly different, since - now - Lois and Clark are adults and can, therefore, continue on as though nothing has happened. Also, he was defensive when caught by the Kents, because they were afraid that it wasn't about love and it was more about teenage hormones run amok. (Since Clark pretty much jumped into bed with Lana as soon as he lost his powers.) Now, Lois and Clark are in a committed and loving relationship and really worked on their relationship before they got to this point. So, instead of it being some huge moment in the episode, it was just an embarrassing situation that they all promptly forgot.
Finally, I’ll end with just saying – again – that I absolutely loved this episode. Just in case you couldn’t tell. Cannot wait for “Abandoned”. I have a feeling that I’ll be considering both of those to be two parts of one very amazing episode.
_____
Thanks to: Onebreath for the amazing GIF. And Snap/Rachel from DI & tvpix.net for the screen-caps.
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2010-11-07 05:14 pm (UTC)One quick correction: "Gone" was not the first time Clark was caught by his parents with a woman. Jonathan caught Clark with Alicia in "Obsession" in Season 3. I figured you probably just forgot that on.
I was hoping to write my own review at some point in the day next or so and I just have not had time yet because we've had so much going on this weekend. I almost feel like I don't have to anymore because you've said a lot of what I wanted to say. But I'll probably still muse a little bit and see what else I want to say about the episode.
Thanks again!
no subject
Date: 2010-11-07 05:29 pm (UTC)