Do I get fries with that?

YOMANK.

Well, I guess it is. I mean this is the show that had Lois Lane hired off the street by the clone she then played kissy face with. At the beginning of this season, I was sort of gearing up. With all their talk of her becoming the Lois we all know and love, I was preparing myself to like her. But the way they handled her entire DP arc... I found her more likeable in season 6. I think this season did some irreparable damage to her character. I lost alot of respect for her and Chlois started being a saving grace for me.

Al's comment, combined with the bad way they're shoving Chloe away, may have rang a little death knell, both for Chlois and my watching the show. I'm not saying that Chlois was the only possible end point for me. But it hung in the back of my mind like this happy little grain of hope. After they screwed up just everything, I kept thinking "Eh, you never know. Keep watching. They might go Chlois." Confirmation that they won't and that they're moving Chloe away from the DP in a way that in no ways jibes with the character up till this point just kills something inside me.

I mean, she's kind of my favorite and I hate seeing her ruined so thoroughly. So next season, she'll.... What? Die every episode with her healing sweat, then go have sex and whole wheat pancakes with Jimmy, then drive her Yaris to Clark's to remind him to put his pants on.

I don't know. I'm just bitter. And nothing hyped so far about season 8 is helping.

This is something I've been thinking about lately. My biggest concern is that while a lot of us Chloe fans are waiting/hoping for Chloe to get her reward/her happy ending what if in the writers' mind Chlimmy is satisfactory and good? What if what we see is exactly the opposite what the writers are intending (which, with this show, is not so out of the realm of possibility)? At this point, not only am I incredibly doubtful about Chlois but I'm even unsure that Chloe will get back into journalism at all. After 7 years of Clana, we know the unhealthy view they have of relationships and, with the exception of end of Season 7 Lex, their seeming inability to grasp character motivation. I'm honestly starting to wonder if (minus being arrested of course) this is their idea of happiness for Chloe.

It's a crazy world. Haven't they realized that nobody (I may be exaggerating, but I'm pretty sure) likes Chlimmy? I swear that ship has to sink and early next season because... I mean, ruling out Chlark, can't the girl be with someone she has even a shred of chemistry with? With Sleeper, they were all "See? Chlimmy is sizzling! Just look at that tango!" But the reaction was pretty much that Chlimmy was even more awkward and forced than usual. They just don't gel and they never did. And, outside of Chlimmy, I don't mind AA. But he seems to do this weird puppy thing in Chloe scenes which makes me wonder why she bothers with this schlub. She had more sparks with the AU fiancee in that short scene than in two years of Chlimmy. I hope they take this summer to actually see what the fans like instead of shoving it in our faces whether we like it or not.

I wouldn't put it past them to keep making us eat it, though. Then the show will end and Chloe will be introduced into the comics as Jimmy's girlfriend who is way into marketing her bottled healing lotion of mysterious ingredients.

These are the same crack monkeys who thought seven (and soon to be eight) years of Clana was a epic love story. Who thought the FBDOI was a great way for Lois to become a reporter, and that GroisGate was more important than Lois working on stories.

It is hard to go wrong predicting these writers will do something incredibly stupid, then say how we all just failed to understand the plot (example - Not!Baby).

Dread posted a few days agoNow, do I think it is bullshit character assassination for Chloe to give up on her dreams of being a world class reporter at Daily Planet? Especially at the same time as Jimmy Bond and Boobstein are succeeding there? Sure. But I can definitely see it happening, along with a Not!Baby-style explanation that "Oh, we explained that already!" in the companion book. It is SueB's Smallville Contrivance Theory at it's finest - whatever needs to happen to further the story will happen, regardless of how badly is contradicts / ignores / retcons / fucks up everything you have seen before.

If season six taught me anything, it is that the writers can and will use incredibly fucked up logic to justify their crack-fueled stories. If these fuckwits can claim Martha is willing to put Lana's happiness over Clark's and go to the engagement party or Lex can think Not!Baby is necessary to keep Lana, then they can say Chloe decided to give up journalism and start producing a herd of Chimmylings in Offscreenville. YMMV.

What are the odds that Chloe actually will marry Jimmy? I'm not a Chlarker, but even I think that would be a terrible "happy ending" for her. If she's giving up journalism, at least give her a cool alternative like joining the JL.

But I can imagine the writers liking the idea of a wedding episode...


It was a mistake to involve Jimmy in a romantic plot....he should be the cute, wisecracking guy who gently mocks all the drama around Clark, an audience surrogate.

Replying in Smallville for All Seasons even though I'm probably not the first person to make that joke.

Hello,

Long time lurker here, but I decided it was time to jump in to the conversation. I think Chloe's decision to give up her long held dream of being a journalist and working at the DP only works if it is connected to Clark giving up his long held dream of being with Lana and having a "normal" life with her on the farm. Chloe can once again be the example for Clark--this time in how to give up a dream and move on. Haven't we all had to do that at some point? As for Jimmy I like him soooo much better when he is "investigating" with Lois. (Egyptians!) Chimmy is really to difficult to watch.

Or help him keep them off.

I'm up for that.

I think there's a big difference between having a calling to be an investigative reporter/spend years honing that craft then do an about face and decide it's not what you want after all; and wanting to shack up/make it work with a twit. The first is only dependent on the interest/ambition/abilities of the person (which Chloe has in spades). The second is dependent on the personalities/expectations/desires of each individual in the couple. Clark should realize that wanting a "normal" life with Lana is impossible because she's not who he imagines her to be. He also should realize that helping people is something he likes to do. Jmho.

Both Clark and Chloe have had a dream that they thought they were destined to fulfill. Clark said numerous times in the early seasons that he thought he and Lana were meant to be together just as Chloe has said since the beginning that the DP was the only end goal for which she would settle. Both of them have had chances to make those dreams come true. Clark was with Lana and Chloe was at the DP, and both of them found out that their dreams didn't match reality. What should they do then? Clark wasn't ready to give up his dream relationship with Lana, but Chloe seemingly has let the DP go. It just wasn't what she thought it was going to be. I would love to see a scene early in season 8 when Clark and Chloe talk about this very thing. What are the odds???

The comparison isn't valid to me. Lana, though the point maybe debatable isn't something inanimate like Chloe's DP dream is. She isn't a career aspiration either. She's a living breathing someone that will argue, contradict and drive Clark nuts.

If anything, it's Chimmy versus Clana that's a more valid comparison. Both Chloe and Clark have an image in their heads of Jimmy and Lana and neither one wants to see how wrong Jimmy and Lana are for them respectively. It's those dreams that don't match reality because unlike Chloe's DP dream, Jimmy and Lana can show Chlark just how they're *not* the ideal those two make them out to be.



Yeah, getting fired unfairly by the villian, while his lackey fast-tracked her cousin's career because of a space ship, her "bengal-tiger" like prose, red-lined articles and desire to go to Judas Priest concerts.



I think it's more likely that there's a end of Chimmy versus Clana talk than anything else.

The odds of two characters on this show having an actual conversation about their hopes and dreams, their lives and what this all means?

Very, very low.

Like nzs said, the two dreams are different. Clark's is solely a fantasy. albeit one many people can relate to. He'll never have the normal life because of who he is. Lana isn't the person he has turned into this kewpie idol, because of who she is. Their relationship cannot work because of who they are; not every person is destined to be together.

Chloe's is real. It's based on talent and abilities, not some vague, warped concept of what love is. It can be quantified, it can be shown. She wrote for and worked for the Daily Planet. The Daily Planet wasn't the problem; journalism wasn't the problem; the new bosses were the problem. She didn't make the decision to leave; she was fired unjustly. (And that's much different than Lana leaving because she loves Clark too much.) If she decides to simply give up because of this hardship, then that shows a weakness of character and spirit that never existed prior to last season.

It's quite tidy to say "dreams change". However we don't just want Clark to dump Lana. We want him to embrace heroism right? So how would the example of someone giving up a meaningful life's work that they are good at and that serves the public be inspirational?

Chloe is probably my favorite character on the show in part because of how she has grown over the course of the last 7 years. As a school girl she had this very idealized image of what her live was going to be. She was going to do the noble work of telling the world the truth via the most prestigious newspaper in the world. In her eyes what could be better? The irony is she has learned so much truth over the years that she can't tell. Keeping Clark's secret, what really happened on Black Thursday, and Lex's experiments on people with abilities like her mother are all stories that she hasn't been able to tell. Instead she has written stories on the dwindling pigeon population, tree planting in Circle Park, and parking meters--not exactly what she thought she would be doing. Then to add insult to injury the place she idolizes turns out to be just like any other business with office politics, incompetent people, and other problems. I can see why she became disillusioned. However, I don't think the show really made it clear enough that she was ready to leave when she was fired anyway.

All they made clear is she wanted to bash Grant with a stapler and still hates Lex. Through all the DP problems she was still putting in the late hours and hard work. All they showed were the problems she had because of Lex...first through Grant, and then Lex's nutty management style. Yeah it was a blackhole, but why in the world should the audience think she blames the institution rather than that man? What he did to the DP is just one more thing that Chloe would want justice and restitution for.

As for the AlMiles quote. It occured to me that he would have every reason to lie through his teeth if Chlois is indeed the plan.

I really think, gidley there is a parallel there but it isn't the match up you are implying.

Chloe's dream of being the Star DP reporter was in jeopardy since knowing Clark's secret. S5 shows that Chloe can write articles where Clark was involved in a story without mentioning him, however the stories got bigger and bigger, and because of Clark's secret she can't report on it.

So really what is the issue is, In order for Chloe to fullfill her dream, Clark must embrace his destiny.

Clark's dream of being normal with Lana clashes with Chloe's dream of being the Ace reporter because she's Clark's secret keeper, so it's not a match it's a clash.

For Clark to live his dream of being normal with Lana, Chloe must lose hers, (thus the lack of journaliism on Chloe's end, and just filler stories. ) because she'll have to cover Clark's actions.

In a sense Chloe is sitting on a gold mine in terms of stories. The meteor freak story can only be published if Clark reveals himself as an alien to the world. So Chloe has the stories to make her career, to make her fullfill her dream, I mean proving the existence of Extraterrestrials and with proof and such, is a story that would make her the Ace reporter of the DP...

So basically right now, for Chloe's dream to be fulfilled, Clark has to embrace his destiny, and that's the storyline I see.


considering it was made before AM signed on and the general feeling was she wasn't, I agree.

A problem for me is I don't know how Chloe sees Jimmy. We don't have the mooney eyes, bathed-in-bright-light, telescope spying. I think that a lot of us notice a lack of chemistry (like Clana) but without the endless pining, it's difficult, at least for me, to know if Chloe "loves" Jimmy or is if it is just a casual thing. I've always leaned towards the latter.

There were many different tactics that they could have tried to use in handling Chloe's dismissal from the DP instead of just ignoring it. An obvious one, IMO, is just a sense of relief, even to the point of lying to herself that it's a good thing. Imagine the stress of handling her power, Clark's secret, her DP work, Clark's research, her school work (assuming they remember she's still in school), the denigration of the DP, Jimmy, Lois, all the while under the ever watchful eye of Lex Luthor; just "working" at Isis must seem like a vacation for her. Even a dislikeable scene like the sex scene in Quest wouldn't have been so bad (YMMV) if it was presented that way (i.e. work all day, come home and relax). But eventually she should realize that as calming as it might be that's not the life she's cut out for and journalism is her real dream and true job: not Clark's lackey and Jimmy's girlfriend.

If Oliver buys the DP, which is the best conceivable way I can imagine him sticking around for numerous episodes next season, a lot of those issues can be avoided. The return of DP to its former glory, helping Chloe cover up for Clark and herself and giving her access to limitless resources. Hopefully eliminating a lot of those extraneous problems can help Chloe find her core again.

Let me first say that again, with Chloe & the DP, there is too much subtext and not enough text. But building on what gildey said, if you look at what she reported on in S5 & S6 versus S7, I think her stories were sliding to backpage all the way.
S5: Vampire story (killed by editor but interesting enough to get her hired)
Tip off to Interpol and followup story regarding dead stripper
Angel of Vengeance layout (not sure it made the paper) -- could have been pulled by Chloe due to Clark's involvement
Fade (covering the trial of a mob witness who gets killed)
S6: Justice (tracking Belle Reeve transfers to 33.1)
Progeny (the parking meter or tree story plus preparing to write the Lex expose ... but lack definitive proof )
S7: Kara (started the radio droppout in Granville story, Grant's claim she covers the city hall beat) -- radio droppout story probably dropped due to Clark involvement
Fierce (dead frozen meteor freak, evil pageant girls story)
Action (maybe an interview with Rachel Davenport)

S5 seemed like more significant non-Clark driven (but Clark influenced) stories. S6 was 33.1/Lex. S7, one real story on MF and a possible interview. At the 3 year point, Chloe should be going on assignment. But does she stay because her boss won't send her or because she thinks Clark might need her? I agree actually with Grant -- she lost her mojo for journalism. She had the talent but didn't bounce back. She didn't go after a mob story or a headline worthy article. She had weeks from Kara to Persona to turn Grant's head around and simply didn't do it.

I know it's subtext, but they have chosen NOT to show Chloe making waves with her journalism whereas in S1-4, that often drove plot. Based on her articles of S6 & 7, I can buy that Chloe wants to be (in her own words) a "superhero hag" rather than chasing down non-Clark related murder suspects. It wouldn't take much for them to have shown Chloe working more front-page stories but they chose not to. I think she wants to help Clark save the world now and journalism is paling in comparison for her.

Which leads me to... I think they believe they've made their case. I think they did a feeble job and relied too much on subtext. I really want a career Chlark talk but have dim hopes for it. If I compare their faux!baby explanation vs Chloe has move on from journalism, I think we had less explanation of the former vs the later. Our best hope for a career talk is after Chloe is no longer incarcerated. She's got decisions to make... perhaps we get 1 min of dialog.

In "Descent," Chloe said to Clark when she got fired that it "was fine, because I wanted to get out of that black hole anyway," and moved on to another subject. So, I do think it was said on screen.

I agree with SueB that there is "too much subtext, not enough text." We do need to know what she plans on doing next. What does she do for money? Is Oliver paying her to babysit her things in storage, perhaps? Maybe Ollie being around will explain some of that.

The other question to speculate on is which direction Chloe will take if she is not going to be Chloe Sullivan, Reporter. "Clark's sidekick" is good and all but I think we need to see that she has a life beyond Clark (and Jimmy). But then again this is the series that has had Clark a college dropout doing nothing but saving the world and shacking up with Lana for the past year.

Another Chloe-related thing to think about is the proposal. Though it seems the writers like Chimmy better than... well, everyone else (even TV Guide's letter column had a letter complaining about the Chloe & Jimmy stuff), I don't think they or DC Comics will allow them to get married. Having Jimmy be Clark's age is already pushing it a little; having Jimmy Olsen be MARRIED before Clark is Superman is absurd. Pod!Chloe might think about the proposal, but I think being taken away - even if she's only in jail for 10 minutes - will make her realize that this is not the route to take... because as much as Jimmy may seem to love her, he is not the #1 person in her life.



Why would he have any reason to lie? If anything, I think he would have said it WOULD happen so that the Chlois faction of fans would love him on his way out and hate PS3 when they don't "go there." Anything misleading that has ever been attributed to Al in the past has usually been something that people wanted to hear - ie, no Clana in Season 4, their "real chance" in Season 7, etc. If Al had lied and said "it was totally what we were doing," there would be people who would love him and be writing the CW demanding his return. There is no "win" for Al to lie and say "it's not happening," so I trust in what Al says.

Or he said that so the Clois faction of fans would love him on his way out and hate PS3 when they do go there.

There are more then one way to look at it.

Since you ask again, I will recap again the many good reasons he could have to lie, or at least obfuscate: 1. to protect his artistic baby. 2. loyalty to his team. 3. possible non disclosure 4. because it would be unprofessional to give away a twist and the man has maintain a reputation. 5. he just plain loves to spin and tell half truths.


Seems like there are plenty of people who would like to hear that Chloe will be manuevered out of the Planet so Lois could assume her "destiny". So it seems very much like Al telling a distressed fan group what they want to hear.


Yeah that proposal is interesting. Fake plastic ring like in Labrynth when Lana was the symbol of Clark giving up on his mission, blue stone like Blue K ring in Blue that threaten to take Clark's powers. The other times we've seen rings were the wedding ring that Clark made for Lana, but he reconsidered that choice, and the Red K ring when Clark turned his back on integrety and went off to wallow in degeneracy. Both rejected symbols of a false destiny as well. Given that Jimmy is Lana, I think we need not fear she will be long tempted by that offer.


Well after she gets out of jail? Get a job reporting?

and then she said "besides I don't want to talk about my nine to five right now anyway, but" and then blinked repeatedly as if it bothered her.

And also I think it's funny it showed Clark's reaction to it, and she rushed the "Which is fine" because IIRC Clark has this problem thinking about everything is his fault. So maybe in addition to what she meant she was trying to save Clark from the guilt trip. And then she brushed it off like what Chloe always do.

We should also know, Chloe has been working under Lex for months, so of course she called the DP a black hole

Instead of thinking "Chloe doesn't want to be a reporter anymore" and crap like that, I really think one would take out of that is "God, the DP has gotten so bad, Chloe doesn't want to be there anymore" So it was more the status of the DP, then Chloe's career path.

I mean it should mean something that with the exception of Apocalypse, we haven't seen the DP bullpen at all since Chloe's been fired. Lex's desk sure, which makes me wonder if they gave Lex the office so they can use a DP shot.

Another thing, I also realized if they truly wanted to show Lois as the journalist, they would have shown ED in the Bullpen doing work instead of the bar.


Now this I agree with!


Then she wouldn't be Chloe Sullivan frankly. 7 years of Chloe Sullivan, Reporter for her to not be one because of the corrupted DP? because she was fired because of the villain isn't justice frankly.

But then I rather see, Chloe Sullivan, Blogger. And have her start a newspaper blog, The Daily Star to shine light onto how great the Daily Planet was. And Isis can be redo to be that blogging site.

Absolutely! Chloe's a fighter not a quitter. She took on Lionel when she was a teenager and won. She was unjustly fired by the villain from a corrupt organisation. The DP needs to go back to "old guard" standards.


Use this is a stepping stone to continue to be a reporter until she can get back to the redeemed DP.

Maybe I’m too cynical about people, but I’d be willing to bet a lot of folks don’t know what a Pulitzer is to begin with and would miss that lovely double entendre altogether.



Yes. Most undoubtedly yes.



That’s because historians rarely have the opportunity to engage in whipped cream sex. They’re rather upset about it. ;)



Aside from dating a dumbass, I don’t think she’s really that hurting in the character department. She’s more involved in Clark’s life and has had far more heroic actions written for her than any other character aside from Clark.

She was the only one who noticed that Bizarro wasn’t Clark, she’s been proactively helping Oliver; she saved Clark’s life at least twice, risked death by Jor-El for Clark; was willing to face down a possible homicidal Kryptonian solo and weakened Brainiac.

I don’t think she’s ruined. I think she’s as much of a hero as Clark currently is. And if she doesn’t make it back to the Planet and chooses to stay on the course she currently is on, I don’t think it will necessarily be a bad ending for that character.
I do think the writing for her character has been inconsistent and weak, but that’s a complaint I have for every character, especially Lex and Clark.

This would be for a permanent record, in the books, and I doubt he would want to see a lie in print for perpetuity. He does not need to have any loyalty to his "team," although, he did make a point of refusing to tell me how he would have ended everything because he didn't want to step on whatever they had planned.

Chlois is not what they have planned, so by saying that, he's not stepping on anything.



I do really like this idea.



I also agree with this. Pod!Chloe comments and weird uncharacteristic behavior in "Quest" notwithstanding, Chloe has been one of the best served and best written, if not the best, in the series, which could also partly explain her following. I'm sure a lot of that also has to do with what Allison brings to the table, but also, with Chloe not being a Canon DC Character, they are allowed to develop her and nurture her in a way that does not involve limitations.

If we went down a list of "what did ___ do in Season Seven," I wouldn't be surprised if Lex and Chloe were the two names that had the longest lists.

I guess I just don't think that Chloe Sullivan has to be Lois Lane in order to be "fulfilled." She's a great character on her own, and Allison has done a great job in "creating" her. Whether she's a reporter at the Daily Planet or if she's slinging coffee at the Talon (I'm not serious with that analogy btw), I know that Allison will create something honest with whatever she does, and I'm pretty confident that the Chloe I like at least will turn out all right. But, "the Chloe I like" is the spunky blonde best friend to Clark Kent who will do anything for him.

Dread, I'm leaning in your direction re: Chloe's characterization. As much as I adore Journalist!Chloe, I can't ignore the fact that she's been moved in a new direction (whether or not it was done well, which it wasn't, IMO) and I did have a feeling that JH would be back for S8 before S7 ended, so I've had time to get used to and even sort of get interested in the idea of Chloe's S8 arc being tied into the JL stuff. My only hope is that we get some sort of window into her feelings on all of this. I don't buy that her line in "Descent" re: wanting to get out of the DP anyway was really sincere, as I believe she was just putting her own issue to the backburner in order to focus on helping Clark--however, that exchange may be very symbolic of where Chloe is indeed heading, which is into a more heroic mode. And that sort of necessitates that she acknowledges what's best for the greater good, rather than what she personally has wanted to achieve for herself.

And really, Chloe did accomplish her goal of clinching herself a spot in the bullpen based on merit of her talent, fair and square. Once she got there, though, a series of unexpected events played out--from Grant taking over, to her meteor powers surfacing for the first time, to Clark's need for her time and attention as he began to face danger from newer, darker corners. Also, and this is my perception, but Chloe seemed pretty damned happy working with Oliver in "Siren," much as she was really fascinated by the AoV in "Vengeance." The fact that Chloe stayed in touch with Oliver and probably the other JLers says to me that she's really sort of embraced that lifestyle. Maybe that's why she fell in love with Clark in the first place...maybe her love for Clark is really just a manifestation of her love for justice, and perhaps that she was so focused on journalism, with its roots in truth and justice, was simply the preface to a much bigger work to come. Chloe didn't know any heroes year ago...but fate threw her into a friendship with Clark (and the Luthors had a hand in that, interestingly enough), and ultimately, brought her into an association with GA and the others. I guess what I'm saying is that maybe Chloe's destiny is not simply being a journalist--which yes, does fall under the umbrella of justice--but seeking justice. She's reaching the next level now...and I guess S8 will potentially focus on that. And I think I'm okay with that, though it may not be what I personally wanted to see. I just really, really need to hear this from Chloe's mouth in some way.

What's really interesting is, as much as people were speculating that Ollie would get Chloe out of jail and/or end up buying the Planet later, there were no plans for Justin to return (that I know of) until about a week before Kristin broke it.

Justin was planning on doing Austin Golden Hour and seemed confident it would get picked up; I imagine once that was no longer a possibility, they explored the options.

Also, honestly, it sounded like if they couldn't afford Michael, Laura, or possibly even Allison, there'd be no way they'd afford Justin; but the CW talent holding deal probably has something to do with that.

I'm curious, though, if the "Oliver gets Chloe out of it" scenario is what they end up doing after all... it wouldn't surprise me at all.

It still has the feel of making DP "sloppy seconds" though if it's something one can grow out of and find something they find tons better. I'm sorry but it's true. It doesn't help getting the bad flavor out of what DP is right now when you had a clone-editor banging one of the employees.

Not everyone chooses the same path...what's good for you may not be what's good for me. If my coworker plans to resign because of a better opportunity with a different company, or because he chose a new career path, does it make me a loser because I'm staying?

However, like nzs said, I do agree that in S8 there MUST be a new editor at the DP who brings back the old guard. Addressing this issue is vital to the DP's integrity, and that of Nois and of course Clark, who will end up there later. I would also like to see Nois being called out on the carpet for gaining entry into the DP in a total bullshit manner, and have her spend much of the season proving herself. If ED's Lois is THE iconic Lois Lane, something needs to be done to give the character some credibility--an element that she's sorely lacking at the moment.

As far as the conversation that I want to see re: Chloe's feelings on moving on from the DP, it could happen if Oliver does indeed buy the paper and offer her the job back. It could be then that Chloe starts to really examine what she wants, where she feels she needs to be, and what she wants to do in the future. Rather than have her simply answer "No!" right off, I'd love to see her spend some time really considering this, maybe even going back to the DP for a stint and deciding that there's more action alonside GA and in Watchtower mode. I'd also like to see Chloe acknowledge that many stories will be off limits to her if they threaten to reveal Clark's identity...and Oliver's as well. If she can't be honest in her reporting, or if she has to avoid certain stories because of it, she's not fully embracing the job, is she? It's a little different for Clark when he works at the DP later, because Clark Kent, Reporter is just a cover for Superman--it's not his true identity, it doesn't define him. Whereas it DOES define Lois, who is ignorant to Clark's alter ego and therefore doesn't have the same problems that Chloe does.

However, that still doesn't say "journalism sucks and I don't want to do it anymore." It says "the Daily Planet is a crappy place to work right now." At the very least, Chloe has worked really hard to be a reporter and should have a decent resume built up in that field, which she, until we learn otherwise, has been working towards a degree in. If she's just going to scrap all that and start from scratch doing something else, that should be dealt with.

Really, it's not the fact that she's fine with not working at the Daily Planet anymore that I find objectionable. (I can't really understand why anyone would want to work there anymore, excpet maybe Lois, but not even her, really.) It's the fact that she doesn't seem to care about her career at all, not to mention that she doesn't even seem all that inquisitive anymore.

As far as doing the most stuff, well, Clark does a lot of stuff on the show, but that doesn't exactly mean he's well written, or even all that interesting. Chloe can do whatever the writers want her to do as often as they want her to do it, but as long as she does it without a personality, it's not really going to make much difference.

I think the problem with the whole "Chloe has to leave DP because she knows Clark's identity so she can't write freely" is that eventually Lois is going to have the exact same problem so that particular excuse always seemed flimsy and stinky. Unless you're into a Clois romance where she's going to be oblivious for the rest of her life, then it doesn't work because Lois is going to have write around and lie and protect Clark unless Lois just doesn't care & doesn't bother to try to write around his identity and Clark digs her any way.

And I don't have much respect for DP at present so I don't see why 1) I should celebrate anybody getting into it and 2) why I should consider it that much of a milestone. They DO need to show it cleaned up and part of that clean up is an editor who 1) doesn't bang employees and 2) more of a task master.

What I'm wondering about is whether that damn AI is going to be just as fracked up as it's always been or whether it's going to be less abusive next season.

The only thing is... I'm not sure SV's PTB realize that Lois in the future knows Clark's secret. (Don't shoot the messenger...)

That discounts what we've seen of the character for 7 seasons. Chloe's always wanted to be top reporter at the Planet and has always loved Clark. That has been her dream, her calling. I want to see 7+ years of hard work and sacrifice pay off. Chloe and Clark are closer than any couple I've seen on screen - be it Ross/Rachel, Clark/Lana, etc. They complete each other. I can't see that bond breaking for Nois, I just can't.

Another point is if Chloe isn't revealed at ILL, all we have left is DumbShit!Nois who was handed job after unearned job; slept with her boss; and comes across dumber than Jimmy "Egyptians" Olsen. Not a choice imo.


Yes, she has.

That's always been how I read it. More of it actually bothering her but her lying about it than her being OK with being fired and the DP being as it is.

That's my problem too. Others have mentioned the multitude of problems with the DP and I won't reiterate. But she doesn't have her own life anymore. Whether it being a superhero hag or Jimmy's girlfriend, she's secondary in her own life. I hate people like that and I hate characters like that, those who exist solely for someone else and not themselves.

For all my problems with current Chloe, I still "Chlois" because it's better than the alternative.

I saw that as the PTB stalling the character. They got one more season after all. If this persists in S8, then I'll see it as a problem and I'll probably stop watching shortly thereafter.

And that's why I don't see why they should be given any kind of slack/respect or any kind of future writing job.

Exactly. Sooner or later Clark gives "Lois" The Big Interview. If "Lois" is EDLois, then by giving her the interview, he catapults her career into the stratosphere, whereas in the past his secret (and Chloe's determined and loyal protection of the secret) pretty much destroyed Chloe's career. The irony doesn't thrill me.



So they think she's somehow going to see Superman and not instantly recognize him as Clark?



I concur. It felt like stalling to me. If she continues to be a cheerleading section for everyone, I won't be watching much longer. But then again, if she doesn't get back into reporting, where I believes she belongs, I won't be watching anyway.

Regardless of what will happen later, I think the writers have proven that they aren't concerned about the future of these characters once the show ends. So much has happened that really makes it impossible for the show to line up with canon once it finally limps over the finish line, and I don't think in S8 the writers will be at all concerned with what's going to happen once Lois finds out that Clark is Supes. At the moment, and on this canvas, Chloe knows the secret and Nois doesn't. So...it makes sense to me that Chloe, as the more inhibited of the two reporters given the Clark handicap, is being moved to something else. Does is also happen to get her out of Nois' way? Sure. But I think it's okay to accept that maybe Chloe's destiny is not what she or we thought it was.


I agree that the last few eps of S7 had Chloe in stall mode, but I think that was because her cliffhanger was supposed to be the firing (which tells me that the writers DO consider it a big deal for the character, and probably intended for early-S8 to focus on the aftermath) before the strike ended and "Veritas" was changed to accommodate the remainder of the season's episodes. Before that, though, Chlark's talk in "Fracture" seemed to indicate that she was beginning to take her powers more seriously. And the character was actually pretty heroic in most eps in the back half of S7, considering her actions in "Traveler" and "Quest," so I do think there was an effort to put Chloe in a less "chloogle" sidekick-y mode and more into the heroic one in her own right.

If I could have ANYTHING in S8, I'd have Chloe return to her S5 characterization, and have the series end with Chlois. Truly, I enjoyed her most then. But...I am pretty confident that this isn't going to happen. I think S8 will be more focused on the new direction Chloe will take once released from prison, and I do believe it'll tie in with Oliver and maybe put her in the Watchtower role. Also, much as it pains me, I think we'll see a big change in the Chlark relationship, and that it'll be more platonic with less little "more than friends" undertones because at this point, I no longer believe that Chloe will become Lois...therefore, they do need to bury the Chlark intimacy if Clois has a fighting chance. Big, big bummer, but I think it's where we're headed.

That's not just a Chloe issue though. How many years has Clark existed only for Lana?



When did we see Chlark intimacy in S7, aside from Chloe's plea to Jor-El which was all her words? Intimate friendly stuff was there, but I don't remember any romantic tension.

Lets go with the whole "Chloe is going to be shipped off to . . . Moe's tavern" thing. I still think there's something wrong with a series that leaves you with the DP whose competition is Nixon's old newspaper, had a clone insinuated into the newspaper bopping Lois who used to work at said tabloid and doesn't seem to care too much whether or not you have a high school diploma or not AND expects viewers to be happy Clark's destiny is to work for that rag. Whoo hoo? Not. Might as well have Clark blow Perry to get his job.

Speaking as a Chloe AND Lois fan, I think the DP has to be redeemed, and that the show will do it. In season five, we saw that the DP was everything Chloe had dreamed it would be, so the show knows what the DP is supposed to be like. Everything that's happened with the DP in season seven was for the purposes of moving people's story around (which I totally disagree with), but I believe it will revert back to the ideal for season 8. What I mean by season seven moving the story around, was that they wanted to move Lois into the DP (accomplished in the worst way possible), wanted to move Lex into the DP so as to show him as a corporate shark and moving him to be the person who wishes to be in control of everyone all the time (which seemed ridiculous because they never gave us a hint the DP was in trouble or was for sale, and also to accomplish this with a clone?), and then also find a way to move Chloe out of the DP (lowering the papers integrity was a horrendous move if they want us to root for Clark and Lois to work there).

I love Chloe because she is the best treated character on the show. She has more story and more character than anyone else. [snip] My love for her would change if she became Lois Lane. I like that the show created an entirely new and wonderful character to the story of Superman, and I love Clark and Chloe's friendship. I don't think her relationship with Clark or her existence threatens Lois Lane's character at all. If anything, this Clark needs someone to push him to become Superman (which is horrid in and of itself), but I'm glad they are having someone else do it because I wouldn't like that Lois Lane had to push Clark Kent to become a superhero. I hate that anyone has to push him to do it, but at least it can be a friend or family member from his youth.

I think season 8 will be about getting Chloe's future mapped out (whether by hints that lead up to her death, or setting her up as a blogger/watchtower/or superhero in her own right). And I hope that season 8 moves Lois to become a better reporter and Clark to become more independent. What I kind of hope (but know isn't going to happen) is that Olliver comes back and Chloe either starts to date him or perhaps another member of the justice league, maybe cyborg or at least bart.

Here is another AlMiles quote from TV Guide, Feb 2007 (emphasis mine; thanks, Elly):


Now that's a statement that jibes with the Chloe Sullivan we've seen for the last 7 years.

Regarding Reporting vs Knowing the Secret: Like chlark88 said, when Clark decides to embrace his destiny, Chloe will be able to fully embrace hers as well.


Word!

In other words, for EDLois to be Lois Lane, they have to change the core traits of the character Chloe Sullivan. As a fan of Chloe, I hate this suggestion.

Chloe should date Oliver despite having dated Lois, yet Clark can't date Chloe because Lois shouldn't be with someone who dated family.

No Chloe has always loved Clark, Chloe should get with Clark. Point A to B, the development is there and it should be honored.

As for Lois becoming a better reporter, she was better in S6 then in S7. half of her episodes in S6 had so journalistic sense, however only 2 in S7, or one can argue 4, has hints of reporterLois. Of course 1 was an AU which doesn't count anyway... So if anything Lois is the one who should be out of the DP because her hiring marked the decline in the standard of quality at the DP

Responding on the Chlois thread.

Sounds dumb, yet there is a symbolic choice here the series has set up. One girl represents dedication to a mission, selflessness. The other represents denial, and self focus. Oh there's Lois too, representing action without reflection. Casting the question as a choice between girls is a way to sex up the call to duty. Lex represented the seduction of ends justifying the means, by the way.

So yeah, if Clark really accepted his mission and got his head on straight, you'd expect him to choose Chloe.

Of course if next season Chloe gives up reporting and moves on to Moe's Tavern because "math is hard", maybe the story might mean something else.


See, I hear this Clark becomes more independent thing a lot as an argument for advancing Lois and shipping Chloe off to Moe's (Mobius, I just really love that quip). But this show has shown Clark suffering under the idea that he has to choose real human connection or heroism. I think the better message is that it doesn't have to be either or, that a life of service can really be the most fufilling choice.

Anyhow, the only reason I can see to advocate Ollie dating Chloe is as a consolation prize. Let's just give him to Lois. He likes her. Giving him to Chloe really does just make it a matter of handing out keys in a fishbowl.

I agree 100% that the Planet needs to be redeemed. Lois & Clark had an arc where the Planet was bought by Lex and it took James Earl Jones to save the day. I have no doubt that's in the cards for Season 8, with the Planet properly restored to what it should be by the series finale.

I agree totally. Which is why having Chloe just give up on journalism makes no sense at this point in the story, IMHO. Chloe's been with the Planet fulltime since season 5, and she's been associated with it since the first season. She needs to be in on the Planet's redemption arc, not relegated to the sidelines. JMHO.



Not only does he like her, but ED and JH have great chemistry, and their characters have a solid and believable history together. In this particular version of the story, ending with Lollie makes perfect sense to me.

Then Lois would have to still be Lois? After 7 (going on 8) years of watching bad writing, I would at least hope, they get the ending of this chapter of Superman's life lined up the way it is down the road in the comics. Clark Kent, Lois Lane reporters at the DP. It's why I started watching, to see how he got there. YMMV

Part of the reason that Clark is a dolt is because he's spent the last 7 years obsessed with Lana. His stupid, stubborn insistence in dwelling on that relationship is nothing short of baffling. Now, the mopiness I cannot totally blame on Lana, but in general I think Clark would be a happier man if he'd made the choice to grow beyond the bounds of that stifling relationship. That's not to say that Clark MUST grow into Chloe, or anyone else, but he definitely needs to see the forest for the trees and fucking move on already. Hopefully, we'll see that happen next season. I just hope it isn't 7 episodes before there's any sign of a change in him.