And this really is what it all comes down to. Names. So if fucking Jimmy walked into the basement in the premiere and the writers decide that his name is now Clark, then he's Iconic!Clark Kent? What if it's revealed in a Shocking Twist that Nois and some other large-breasted baby were switched at birth, and the real Lois is a gymnastics coach in Des Moines? Then they haul her on down to Metropolis because she's The One? Do actions have nothing to do with this? It's the Lois is Lois because she's Lois stuff again and that pretty much renders everything else unnecessary and redundant. Poop on that one, IMO.

So the nametags are what make a shot ICONIC? Not the positioning, or the blocking (which is far from accidental, IMO), or the history of the characters or the location? Just the nametage?

I would disagree, especially for a Clois shot that is a near copy of a Chlois shot we saw two years ago. That stuff is not accidental IMO, but YMMV.Well, that and dark hair. ED with dark hair = ICONIC!
KK = dark hair = first true love.
AM with blond hair = Mrs. Olsen.Jwm coined the phrase Coe in Castville as a kind of reverse Chlois theory, where Lois Lana was actually Iconic Chloe Sullivan. (Long, twisted story behind that one.) It's what I am going with - especially since, based on the photos, PS3 is quite bliterally shoving Lois into Chloe's old role on the show.

That's not what I'm saying. Of course having a nameplate read "Lois Lane" and another one read "Clark Kent" does add a lot to the scene and does matter, but I was really talking more about how the nameplates establish that both reporters are working at the DP and sitting at their desks working, perhaps on a story. That, to me, means more than even having the name "Lois Lane" on a nameplate.



I disagree. Why would the Lois is Lois because she's Lois argument even be needed when she is the reporter working at the DP with Clark Kent, who is also a reporter?



Well, first of all, when did I say that the nametags are the only thing that makes a shot iconic or that the blocking didn't matter at all? It's a package deal, IMO. Both things, when put together, make something iconic. YMMV.

Because you said that the shot of Clark and Nois is iconic since Nois is Lois and the shot of Clark and Chloe, ALSO a reporter working at the DP, is not. But it's the same shot! And I actually think it's MORE precious before Clark gets there because it's subtle, genuine foreshadowing instead of a hamfisted, lightswitched, forced situation that has no place in a series about Clark Kent's life before.he.becomes.superman.

The LiLbsL explanation was being floated a long time before Nois was hired at the Planet. It was used when she was a muffin-peddling, high school dropout, when she flunked/drank her way out of college, when she was Head Campaign Manager in Charge of Spandex, when she got a job at the Inquisitor, etc. It was always the reason that Nois is Lois. Now conveniently that isn't needed anymore because she has a nameplate? I would also add that the LL nameplate has appeared on Chloe's desk as well. I know we'll disagree on whether that was accidental or not, but I don't believe so.

But that's not the real point, is it? I'm beginning to feel that they're starting to deliberately go for snubbing viewers fond of Chloe and removing everything that made her dear to us, even going so far to demean her previous achievements and moments in the sun, as if they want to completely eliminate everything she's done so far, as crazy as that may sound. Personally, I consider these new "developments" almost a punishment - not just as a Chloe fan, but especially as a lover of good storytelling and generic development. I'm just not sure what crime I'm supposed to have committed?

I mean, just look at it from our POV: It took Chloe years to get to the Daily Planet - and the wish to get there existed even longer. It took Lois just one visit to the paper (and a couple of months freelancing at a tabloid she was almost fired from) to get there - when shouting about *spaceships* had the new editor of the most reputable paper in the world(!) notice her most prominent "talents" - which TPTB tried to tell us were her writing prowess and the eagerness to go for a story at all cost, of course, but that to me seemed to be of a purely physical nature. (crudely put, but that's exactly how it seemed to me) I guess he could see all that at just a glance (yes, including the writing prowess) while the poor audience never really had the luxury to truly experience those talents in all the previous seasons so far, let alone witness Lois utter the wish to actually go into journalism OR join the DP - it was all "go for the flashy headlines and glory of seeing your name printed" up to that point for her (what little time she was actually given reporting by that time - it's not like she devoted years to it).

Here's what I think happened: the writers finally noticed that Chloe was at an acceptable level, while Lois was still waaaaaaaay down in the dumps somewhere and greatly off course, and the ending of the series was nearing, so they went: "You know what we'll do? We'll just snap our fingers and put Lois and Chloe on the same level. Then we'll just get rid of Chloe in some random way and have *Lois* continue with Chloe's career - that'll take care of that pesky little problem of how to get Lois into her iconic self. And next season, should there be one, we'll just do the same with Clark - snap our fingers and he'll be there. He won't even have to replace a character that's already been established there - he can start *all new*! Aren't we brilliant???"

IMO, Lois basically stole Chloe's career - or rather, after Chloe busted her ass to get where she was, Lois had it handed to her with one snap of a finger, having gone through none of Chloe's previous efforts, having almost no work experience or journalistic integrity (which, IMO, should be a Big Deal for ILL), let alone a degree. It was nothing but a cold switch, and now they're slowly but surely erasing the character formerly known as Chloe.

I'm supposed to cheer for that? No thanks. I can't even cheer for Clark at the DP for that very same reason, and that says a lot, since I'm usually a Clark fan.

I guess it IS a crime to want good writing, decently written characters, coherent storylines, a certain degree of continuity and for things to just make *sense* - and the new season is our just punishment: "You thought it was bad before? We'll show you BAD!". It makes me bitter I wasted years of my life to see it all end like this. It's like the worst possible scenario I could have come up with.

I did not say that. I said that the shot is iconic because Lois is a reporter working at the DP along with Clark, who is also a reporter working at the DP. Then I added that the nameplates perfectly illustrated this concept.



That may be, but the canon currently makes the Lois is Lois because she's Lois argument seem fairly ridiculous to use at this juncture, IMO.



To the all season's thread...

Word to your whole post, brunette girl. But as I said before, I do wonder, a little bit. By reusing the iconic shot of Chlark working together and remaking it into a Clois shot, are they really pidding on Chlarkers? Or is it just a reminder that everything EDLois is doing is merely an echo of what Chloe's already accomplished? That shot can be interpreted as a slap in the face of Chlarkers-- but it could be intended as a smear on EDLois, a reminder that she's just (IMHO) an imitation Chloe. It's hard to say for sure.

At any rate, I'll continue to read the spoilers and threads for a while and see what happens, but I won't be watching. I really do find it impossible to take this show seriously any longer (except for the version in my head:-).

isn't that what I said?

Okay. Agree to disagree. Tennison was just telling us to watch with the overkill of this conversation.

I completely agree with everything you said brunette girl. They are tearing down everything about Chloe that made her special and I have no reason to believe they have any intentions of building it back up.

Which canon are you referring to? Show canon that had her sleeping her way into a job she wanted because of fame and fortune?

Not that I read. You said, "Because you said that the shot of Clark and Nois is iconic since Nois is Lois." I think that the shot is iconic because Lois is a reporter working at the DP, not because her name is Lois Lane and that's it.

Also, I stated that Clark was working at the DP as well, something that was completely different than the shot with Chloe.

I agree with you. Let's agree to disagree here.



To the all seasons thread...

Just like Chloe was a reporter working at the DP in the original shot?

Word to your entire post, brunette girl.

It's different because Clark wasn't a reporter, he was merely investigating. Also, he didn't have a name plate.

Nor do we. That's why we don't want to see Erica Durance's character sitting there. She's more of a muckraker than a janitor though I have to say.


Pretty much.

She also has it looking more redish as if Red highlight. And the style in that pic is very Luthor-ish. Didn't Mrs Luthor in Lab and Lana have that hair style?

Anywho 8-8 title is up, Bloodline

It's really, really ridiculous.

I would think they would recognize that Clark and Nois sitting across from each other is a blantant ripoff of "Phantom", but then, the fact that they continue to reuse that Bus Transit story on the computer screens (this will be the third episode it's in) makes me think they think we're all really stupid and don't notice anything (I don't know about anyone else, but I don't particularly care for TV shows that talk down to me, which is why I absolutely adore shows like 30 Rock and Arrested Development), which is disappointing because I've always had a lot of respect for the SV production team (the production value alone is one of the things I've always loved).

Ever since I watched S4, I've always been really squirmy about ED's character coming in and taking everything Chloe's ever dreamed of having and now, it looks like they could be going that insanely gross route. Sorry, but no way I can ever cheer for ED's character. I don't care what she does in the future or how "iconic" it is, in a contest of Tess vs. Nois, I'll pull for Miss Mercer every time.



It helps to know your target demographics and what works and what doesn't and sometimes, I wonder if the show or the network even cares.



If Clark goes out, gets a story, and brings back evidence, I'll be okay with it. But, if he gets his DP job because Tess just hands him one for no real good reason, I'll be peeved. It'd be nice to see someone actually work for something at The DP again.



Say what you will about "Thirst", but the scenes with Pauline Kahn laid out The DP's high standards and how great The DP was. It helped us see that not just anybody could work there and that real reporters work for years. It showed us what a triumph it was for Chloe to get that job because she had to earn it. She had to work for her dream at the establishment that warranted a dream in the first place.

I agree with those who feel that working as a reporter at The Daily Planet seems less special now because anybody can just waltz up in there and get a job.

Ruin the human characters all you want, SV, but please, leave The Daily Planet out of it.



Pretty much, yes.



How much effort does it take to type a new headline? Just...lazy.



Ha!

I checked if someone posted this already and I didn't see anything, so I decided to un-lurk. On the CW's page for Smallville, the network finally decided to show the trailer. I find it very awesome. I love the little shots of the Justice League. And they still haven't shown this on tv yet because ... ?

I'm so glad they lost the cheesy font that was used last year. The new one is much more modern. And the red streak flying away at the end, leading us into the logo, is also pretty rad.

Does anyone else think Lois rescues Chloe? It looks like they're in the same building. I would love for them to bust out together, following Chloe's "Let's do this."

That would be cool IMHO.

brunette girl - Your post reminded me of one I did after "Spirit" aired. I'm embarrassed to admit I *cried* over poor Chloe's treatment in it. I wish I could offer you a Coke or something. Cheer up. Maybe Dooms will kill them all.



I'll admit I laughed out loud. The snark makes it better.

There's a notable lack of effects in the trailer, except for the Canary Cry they've reused from Siren. No money for effects?

I actually thought the trailer was very average. But hey, at least they have one.

Based on the pics, Clark is writing obits, so he's not a reporter yet. Also since he is doing obits, what if he's just interning at the DP, and not a full fledged job there, would that be considered alright?

IMO, there are three reasons working at the DP makes no sense for Clark. First, because he has no qualifications and it's ridiculous for him to get hired there (barring an ulterior motive, ie: Tess wanting to keep Clark close). Second, the DP is controlled by the company his nemesis owns, the man he outright refused to work for, the man the heroes of this show consistently say is evil incarnate. Without a darn good reason to believe otherwise, it follows that the woman he groomed for his position would have similar goals. Why in the world should Clark want to work for LuthorCorp when he's so against LuthorCorp and Lex? It also seems unsafe, considering Lex's obsession with aliens and him, to put himself in a position close to Tess, especially if he's going to be using it for the sake of being a hero. Third, it really seems lightswitchy for Clark to suddenly want to be a hero on a larger scale, and take a job as a reporter to do so. Sudden epiphanies sometimes make sense for people in real life and I'll give that one a chance, but it not only depends on what the reasoning is, but how it's treated for me to consider it at all believable.

But, as to your original question, griffin, if Clark is really an intern doing grunt work, then yeah, sure, it makes it better for my first issue with it. Not completely better, because really, a gigantic newspaper would be able to hire whomever they wanted, and would probably pick someone showing initiative and drive in the field, which Clark emphatically does not. But better than suddenly Full!Fledged!Reporter!Clark.

We can only hope, right?

For me, it still would not make it better. I would have to hear how he applied for the internship, or at least see him interviewing for the internship. If the DP is suppossed toe be the bestest paper in the whole wide world, then it means that people from all the best schools would be vying for an internship at the DP. Clark is not in school, has no qualifications and has certainly not been shown to be that passionate about journalism, investigative reporting and DPs what-not. I think I would respect him more, if he started working at the mail-room. Even Jimmy started in the archives despite the fact that he has won a prestigious internship at the DP with Chloe while in high-school (I don't know whether Jimmy was in highschool at the time also, but it wa snever stated).

Clark getting a job at the DP is just ridiculous IMO, especially since he's been away from some weeks (since they are saying months have not passed) without his memory. Shouldn't he first get back and make sure that the farm is ok? It would only take two or three episodes for them to make his hiring at the DP seem more legit, so it grates me that they are just rushing it in the first episode.

Well what if the show acknowlegdes that the DP is not longer respected but has become the make laugh of journalism? It could explain that no one with an ounce of profesionalism would like to work there and why people like Nois is still working there. She doesn't really care about anything but a paycheck and her name on print so obviously is not something she even notices, in the case of Jimmy he is too dumb to notice too. So maybe DP has a double identity as well: newspaper printing crap but dealing with important issues that don't get printed.

It would make sense to me if they played it like Lois turned in his application with a writing sample from the Torch, and that's how his name got put up for the job. I think that Tess will do the rest. Of course, the problem with that being that he disappeared right after the position opened up, and I really can't see them not hiring someone for a long period of time.

ITA. It makes no sense for his first action to be jumping headlong into a new job. Is the first thing he does when he gets home is interview for the DP? Or just get the job at the DP, without an interview?

How are they going to fit all of this (Clark's rescue, intro to Tess, Chloe's rescue, J-Lo, MM, and Clark's hiring) in in 42 minutes?

It doesn't take long to flip a lightswitch.

Same way they do every season premiere Bia, rush everything until it's confusing cliffnotes. But I mean these people are writing a character-based show, why should something like Clark joining the DP matter? It's not like there's any drama in him thinking about why he wants to do it, discuss the pros and cons with Chloe or Shelby (since there's no one else he can discuss it with) applying and waiting to see if he's hired. That's just lame.

For goodness' sake, this is the Daily Planet. The Fortress of Solitude to Clark Kent (as the FoS is to Superman). At this point the only person whose hiring at the DP was actually portrayed as important was Chloe's.

Of course. What was I thinking? Silly me.

I don't think there are words to express how much that bothers me.

A trailer for 8x01 is out.. (Thanks Prospero).

Nat0117 said

I can't remember the last time this show genuinely made me laugh but when I saw them clutching THRJ I erupted in laughter. I know they're probably going to play is seriously, like the Superman cape/flag during the Doomsday comic arc but I hate that jacket so god damned much. It also didn't help that it reminded me of The Simpsons episode where they think Bart was killed in the Box Factory and all that remained was his lucky red hat.

I only just noticed that in the trailer, Black Canary is actually wearing pants instead of her fishnets when they're standing around in the snow.

Chalk one up to realism.

Now, I've been thinking about the changes the Doomsday arc is going to have to go through to make it work on Smallville. Obviously it's going to be substantially different.

But the biggest problem I can see is this: In the comic storyline Doomsday killed Superman by basically pummeling him until he died. That's not going to work here.

Assuming Doomsday is strong enough to hurt Clark when he punches him, Clark is just going to heal almost instantaneously from the injuries. Like he did when Zod punched him, or Titan. Or any other super strong adversary that has been strong enough to overcome his invulnerability.

In the comics, at least at the time of the Doomsday arc, Superman didn't have that advantage. He was pretty near invulnerable, but once someone did hurt him, it took him time to heal.

So how exactly is the Smallville version of Doomsday going to kill Clark? Unless he somehow incorporates Kryptonite?

Good point. That would probabaly be the point that the writers pick up the phone and give Joshua Walker a call. I suspect this Dooms will be a very derivative character drawing various characteristics from Walker as well as traditional Doomsday.

I actually think they will do it similar to what was done in the movie-Superman Doomsday. Doomie may not kill him dead, per se..but maybe Clark's organs etc will slow down, giving him the appearance of being dead.

Or maybe Doomsday will just kill him, Chloe will cry some tears of suck, take his injuries and pain away, and then she dies.

What I really want to know is how Clark defeats Doomsday. If punching him around won't do it, what will?

I hope it's not something lame like sticking electrical wires into his chest.

It's difficult to know what they are going to do. Part of the reason Doomsday and his destruction worked was because he was such a massive, hulking beast. Like I've pondered, I don't know if they're going to bother to create any sort of unique character design for him or just leave him as Sam Witwer, more or less. Also, budgetary restrictions might make it difficult to create pure destruction.

I also can't see them really having the knock down, drag out, ultra brutal fight Superman and Doomsday ought to have. And anything less than that will be disappointing like the 3 minute Brainiac/Clark fight from season 5. And I doubt they're going to invest in really intense fight choreography.

What if when Davis is in his Doomsday form, he sucks energy from Clark? Davis alone doesn't take Clark's energy (or maybe he does; not at a really intense level but enough for Clark to feel sort of uncomfortable around him and not know why). However, when he's Doomsday he's strong but when he's near Clark he grows stronger as Clark gets weaker.

Just a thought.

Lex coming back with Kryptonite Guns? *fingers still crossed*

I wanted to mention that I saw the first "Smallville" promo I've seen on television tonight, during "One Tree Hill." It wasn't the full version that was posted on the CW site, though; it was maybe fifteen seconds long, with the words THE SEARCH BEGINS, a shot of Justice, and Ollie saying, "Clark wouldn't give up on us, and we can't give up on him." That was it. I was, however, running in and out of the room doing laundry (school starts tomorrow, yay!), so maybe I missed a longer one. Has anyone seen the longer version actually air yet?

Elly,

I saw the short trailer too tonight but the one on the CW site hasn't aired yet as far as I know. Maybe after thursday's repeat episode they'll decide to show it.

Had to go after the rules to know where to post this. I think it's ok to place the discussion here in the spec thread (right, Tennison??).

Kelly Souders did an interview with a Colorado newspaper, The Gazette.

The highlights:

- Lex's presence will still be felt, she says, even if he's not there.

- Double identities theme: Clark will find it tougher to swoop in to save the day and then escape unnoticed. "In Smallville, there were often only cows watching him."

- The double-identity theme also encompasses Chloe: "Chloe has some sort of secret life going on that we will discover as well," Souders says.

- There are other relationships to explore such as the one between Clark and Lois. Souders says ED and TW have an undeniable on-screen chemistry.

- "Oliver is fascinating to play against Clark. There are parts of each other they really don't like about each other."

- About Tess: "You will sense very quickly that she has been mentored closely by Lex," Souders says. "There's a little bit of Lex in her."

- Bloome, himself, is apparently unaware of his double identity. Over the course of the season, "Davis will discover he's not necessarily from this world and he's not the good guy he thought he was."

- And as usual, talk of more seasons: "We are doing our best, everyone's working really hard, in hopes that this isn't the last season."

****

I was picked about Chloe's "secret life" and the "little bit of Lex" in Tess. A lot of theories are out there about Tess being Lillian or Lex herself, so, that was interesting.

More Clois pimpage to me is more of the same, so whatever! to that.

The vibe I got from Davis is that there's no Doomsday spirit possession and he's entirely alien, altough the "not necessarily" didn't sit well with me, so I don't know what to think.

The cows remark got me laughing a bit tough, it reminded me of Blank and that I got a good chuckle out of that one the first time around.

I really have no idea what this means. I just hope that the spoilers are focusing on her love interests in order to distract us from far more important things. (Is she a superhero on the side? Is the blogging thing which some people theorized (but I still doubt) an actuality?) And I hope they set it up early like maybe there is another mystery hero that turns out to be Chloe. I don't expect them to handle the suspense well, but I just hope it's not a one episode thing.

I don't deny they have ... some sort of chemistry. I do deny that they have the chemistry PS3 think they have. And it's not the type of chemistry that makes me glad that they're "destined to be with" one another.

Wow Superman and another hero at odds with one another. That sounds so...familiar. And if Clark now is in Metropolis randomly helping people for whatever reason, I wonder what Ollie will bitch about. Maybe sanctifying the man who killed his parents.

Tee-hee.

So is Davis himself an alien or is he possessed or does he get possessed by something or did he arrive during the first meteor shower and the collapse of the Fortress triggered something in him? At this point I have no idea what to expect.

Please God end the pain.

So that's what Lex was doing when he was only in two minutes of an episode. Mentoring Tess! *eye roll*

If this comes up, I will be excited and happy. Because of that fact, I doubt it will come up.

I think it'll just be a reversal: Oliver now wants to hide, and Clark is apparently completely proactive. So now Clark can complain about Oliver hiding from his duty and playing house, and then they'll both come across as hypocritical.

Re: Davis. I have no idea what they're going for. What's more, I don't even think they know. "Not entirely from this earth"? What does that even mean? It seems to be posession, but since we have varying character descriptions, I have no idea.

Actually, unless this version of Doomsday also has a healing factor, I'd imagine that's exactly what Clark will do. Just hit him hard, or often, enough that he eventually falls down dead.

Regaring the Clark and Lois 'chemistry', I honestly don't see it. Are they both attractive? Yes. Do they seem to get along well? Yes. Do I feel any sort of sexual tension when they're in a scene together? No, not really.

Now, put Durance in a scene with Hartley and BAM. Sexual chemistry all over the place.

I know it's ICONIC! for Lois and Clark to end up together, but why can't they see that in this version of the myth it's Lois and Oliver that are destined to be together?

Are they deliberately being completely vague about Tess? We have very little information on her, and what she will really be doing, beyond the Lex protege, running Luthorcorp, 'rules with aggression' schtick.

I need to know if she's still going to have super strength people! Because that could make her my new favourite character.

But I think it might be unsettling to see Clark do that to someone who looks human, even if he isn't human. That's why I'm curious as to how they'll handle it until I get verification one way or the other that Doomsday will or will not be some sort of beast.

IIRC, didn't CF mention something about her needing to find her inner strength? Which is weird since everything about her seems like a no-holds-barred asskicker. I don't know if they're deliberately being vague or if they just don't know what to do with her yet.

Emphasis mine, because I seriously think it's the latter. I bet they make her an amnesiac and then send her to Detroit! It worked so well for the last character they didn't know what to do with.

ITA, especially if he looks like someone we've seen (and Clark has seen) as a "good guy" for the whole season. They could play up the disturbing factor, and have Clark talk about it, which could be really effective.

Who wants to bet we get cut-up voice overs from MR, like the episode of South Park after Issac Hayes left?
"Why don't you... make love... to my... ass... Clark?"
"Miss Sullivan, you can just... shut the door... and suck... on... my large... bald... cue."

You know, this could be the greatest idea Smallville ever had.Cue the wacky Clois antics, where Clark has to hide the fact he is saving the day from Lois. Wow, that was amusing... during seasons 1-4. Thank goodness that it will be ICONIC now, to increase my enjoyment, since clearly I did not fully appreciate all that non-ICONIC humor during the earlier seasons. Since it was not, you know, ICONIC.OK, PS3 has already admitted the sibling Clois vibe. This is just getting creepy. "They are like a hot brother and sister who can hardly wait to start fucking!"

(RepairmanBob shivers, takes a long drink from a rapidly emptying bottle of whiskey.)

I can deal with creepy and twisted. I love Dexter, Farscape, the omnisexual love-fest known as Torchwood, and even the non-stop emotional torment machine known as Battlestar Galactica. But PS3 pimping Clois reminds me way too much of AlMiles pimping Clana - for all the wrong reasons. I keep expecting to hear Chris Hansen will appear in a guest spot this year.Hopefully, a secret life where she is banging Lex. A lot.So Davis is an innocent victim? Lame. I want DMT standing over a blood soak Jimmy, not making a rebooted "darkness around my pants" speech. YMMV.I'm going for "Don;t know what to do with her", especally if they are holding out hope that MR will return the the last few epsiodes. PS3's interviews about Tess go from "Lex's evil apprentice" to "Ollie's long lost gal pal" to "Young woman looking for her inner strength." If Tess is going to be Lex Jr, she needs to be kicking ass from day one, not starting a journey straight out Buffy.

Trust Smallville to screw up a premise as simple as "Bad guys screw with good guys."

For the three people that watched Dark Angel.
I always though that Chloe could do something ala "eyes only" since she will have the info about Lexcorp's doings and she can hack so she sending mails/TVtrasmisions or running and underground blog could kick all kind of ass and showcase that the planet is indeed in need of a redemption arc. So hopefully she is working on that so the Mother Theresa of MF is just a cover for our girlreporter doing her job and protecting the public like she has done from day 1.

Don't get me wrong, I definitely think it could work astrogena...but on a different show. It seems to require too much planning for this show and a care of details, especially for a plot that would need to build over several episodes, that this show does not have. This show rarely stretches itself beyond a B-plot (and even then the B-plot is haphazard and poorly done). Something like an "eyes only" project would need to be done kind of in the background at first and be a recurring thread throughout some of the season, which is something I can't picture this show attempting. And not just because these people seem to have only a cursory understanding of journalism and its importance. If Chloe doing side work for the JL only came up in one episode, I can't see them paying much attention to what she's doing other than making Jimmy happy.

Basically, this show has taught me to always follow the path of least resistance. Write as easy as is allowable, eliminate complexities, and just rushedly slug through another day. I think something like "eyes only" is too big for them.

YMMV.

I think I also saw a variant of this show - only it was called Max Headroom :)


I agree - and that's just sad for something that could be ICONIC. I have come to the conclusion that they are hacks of the worst kind - those who don't even acknowledge their own hackery, even when presented with evidence of it or confronted with questions about what the meaning of their show is. I'm reminded of that RNC guy on Campbell Brown last night who gave the same answers (in virtually the same wording) to three different questions last night without answering one of them. At some point you just laugh and shrug and stop caring about what they're saying.

Please don't tease us like that! Tess IS the FauxBaby! Right?! That's why Lex cried when he burned her medical records. He could sense that Lana didn't really love him, and he wanted their baby all to himself right? Right?!

Right!

Tess will hang a big portrait of him in the mansion.


The CW is all about 90210 now. I predict that Chloe will secretly be a high priced call girl, like that Tori Spelling movie.


Just like TW and KK!


Clark starts to get really uncomfortable when Ollie starts trying to pick up little boys on Indian Reservations.


So many dirty ways to interpret this...


But will Brainiac be around to aske them if they are all very stoned when they figure it all out?

So I've been thinking about how many episodes each actor is in (because apparently I have no life). It seems like Tess, especially, was in a lot of episodes in the first half of the season, from what we've heard, which seems strange if she's only a 13 episode regular.

Anyway, I figured it all out, using casting info on Kryptonsite and this is what I came up with:

• 801 - Clark, Chloe, Lois, Jimmy, Oliver, Tess
• 802 - Clark, Chloe, Lois, Tess, Davis
• 803 - Clark, Chloe, Lois, Oliver, Tess, Davis
• 804 - Clark, Chloe, Lois, Jimmy, Tess
• 805 - Clark, Chloe, Lois, Jimmy (? - This is the only one I'm not sure about)
• 806 - Clark, Chloe, Jimmy, Davis
• 807 - Clark, Chloe, Lois, Jimmy, Oliver, Tess
• 808 - Clark, Chloe, Lois, Oliver, Tess, Davis

So that makes the episode counts so far: Lois = 7/8, Jimmy = 5/8, Oliver = 4/8, Tess = 6/8 and Davis = 4/8.

They seem to have used both Lois and Tess a lot in the first eight episodes if they're only going to be in 13. That would only Tess with 7 episodes and Lois with only 6 (!) to be spread out over the remaining 14 episodes.

I think I'm putting this in the right place. From TVGuide's Matt Mitovich Mega Minute:



:headdesk: