Smallville

[Xenith]

Superwoman is out of the question; in the long run she -or anyone like Clark- would steal Clark's "thunder"

Except that tAhis season they brought in Clark's cousin Kara, aka the future Supergirl... So it kind of seems they aren't afraid of overlapping types?

She can't be the Father/Logic; we can't have TWO Chloes running around, can we? Wouldn't it cause friction among the stars? Or problems within the plot itself?

While I can sort of understand that, it doesn't explain why things worked so well in S4, and most people enjoyed the character of Lois (some despite ED's acting ability). While there is a definite similarity between the two characters:

Both were intelligent, strong women, quick wits, inquisitive natures. observant (except for all things Clark). They were still different characters. (The following is based on obsevations of S1-S4 Chloe & S4 Lois)

Personality wise Smallville's Lois was a military brat and it showed. She's more of a wild child. She was a pessimist, with an abrasive personality, and was often brash (possibly a defense mechanism to hide her vulnerability at times) and sometimes down right rude. (Could you see Chloe walking into some strangers kitchen and helping herself to their coffee. Or barging into a bathroom knowing that someone else was in the shower?) With her military background she's also a lot tougher, and can handle herself a lot better than her cousin.

Chloe is usually more composed, and less impulsive. She doesn't blurt out the first thing that comes into her head...with the exception of pop culture references. She's not nearly as skilled at keeping her emotions concealed as her cousin. She's much more of an optimist, and overall an easier person for most people to get along with. Although she can display a more abrasive side similar to her cousins if someone gets on her bad side.

Heck even their reporting styles are different. Chloe has a much more laid back style that Lois. Chloe was more tech savvy and does most of her research over the computer. She uses her hacking skills to get a lot of information, and uses an network of sources and contacts to get most of the rest. In the field she's more likely to interview people who knew the suspect or victim, than to approach the culprit. When she does go into the field she's more likely to sneak into a place when no one is there. Or to interview people who might know the suspect/victim than to approach the suspect herself.

Lois on the other hand is apt to take a much more hand-on approach. She doesn't do nearly as much research as Chloe before hand. She's more impulsive than Chloe, which can often get her into trouble. (Although I'd like to think she's smarter than confronting a corrupt political figure who she suspects is guilty of murder...alone in a dark alley) She is more likely to take a direct approach to get the same information, such as going undercover alone and getting her evidence from the unsuspecting horses mouth.

They had this kind of dynamic NAILED in S4. In "Facade" both Chloe & Lois were looking into the Abbey's plastic surgery, and how she drove Bret insane to the point that he ran in front of Lois' car. Chloe 's approach was to check out Bret's medical reports, Lois' approach was to pretend she wanted the same procedure Abbey had and to tape record her interview. In "Recruit" Chloe interviewed friends of those involved and used her resources to track down an accomplice (the "pee peddler"). While Lois was the one to eavesdrop from a closet, and to confront the peddler in person.

Both were basically competent at what they did, although Lois' method did often get her in more trouble. (classic Lois Lane). So what was the problem that they had to mess everything up? Why did they have to first spit on the character on Lois (making her incompetent), then spit on Chloe (Basically cutting her out of all things reporting and giving Lois skills such as hacking), and now pretty much spit on their characters simultaneously or alternating on any given week?

It's really messed up, because how can you say it's bad writers, when a writing team with many of the same names managed to get things right a couple seasons ago?

Lois on the other hand, for most young fans is just a picture in a comic book

I kind of have to disagree with this since I think less people have experience with classic comic Lois, who honestly actually wasn't the greatest character for a while, than the Lois Lane of the media as seen portrayed by Terri Hatcher in "Lois & Clark", or Dana Delany's take in the cartoons "Superman TAS" & "Justice League", or even from the movie Lois of "Superman Returns". That's only the newer stuff, young or not stuff like the old Superman series & the original movies is also constantly rerun on cable channels, especially when the last movie came out. So I fail to see how many Smallville fans could not have had exposure to an more iconic Lois to see that the Smallville "Nois" is/has becoming/become an insult to the character and her history?
(In fact Smallville seemingly recognizes the fact that many viewers recognize the history of the characters with their promotion of guest starts like Margot Kidder, Christopher Reeves, and most recently Dean Cain to name just a few.)

I think the writers would very much like to "kill" Chloe, but she's too popular among the Smallville fans

Yeah I've pretty much always had the feeling that Chloe has probably less than a 10% chance of surviving Smallville, unless the CW pulls the plug unexpectedly. Chloe is totally going to be sacrificed (possibly by Lex) to spur either Lois or Clark into becoming the person they are meant to be...
Although I fail to understand why the fact that they want to pretend Chloe was never a Lois like character has anything to do with why the character Lois can't be allowed to develop without the aid of more pathetic contrivances than...the 7th Season of Charmed. Yeah...I think it's that bad. (although not quite at S8 Kern level.)

[xrs]

Dear Xenith,

you see now why i don't get into discussions about shows i have not seen. A brief answer on topics raised:

1)They have messed up the show so bad, that they NEED to get in overlapping characters?

2)How did they manage to get things so bad? Xenith, leave to this world, to the Nature of Man (full of pride, arrogance and sence of ultimate achievement -not maintained by later effort) to give birth to such sloppiness that THIS Smallville debacle might seem trivial if worse days come (didn't Charmed S8 teach you how BAD, writing may turn, given time?).

3)I stand corrected on Lois. You are right.


And last, 4), but not least: You ask why Chloe can't live through this. There is a cannon to maintain in "child-like" series (where the writers' minds turn into gelo by time and sloppiness, hence why they end like that, a discrace, although they started with a great idea): "A great sacrifice must propell everybody to do their duty, bla, bla, bla..." One should think that after 2500 years the European/Western civilization would have gotten over such simpleton ideas? Right? Wrong! This HAS to happen. Why? Beats me! Hence the BAD writing. And the rest is history (like the "Charmed").

But, hey, look at the bright side of all this: When you finish off with C:RR (somewhere around 2020, i hope) you can start "Reseting" the Smallville reality as well. Think about it. I mean it!

Patience, my friend

xrs