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SV: Splinter as foreshadowing?
I don't believe in destiny, but I do believe in foreshadowing. When I rewatched "Splinter" last week in light of "Reckoning" and "Lockdown," I noticed a few things that may be foreshadowing upcoming developments in the season, especially in the Lex/Lana relationship.
Spoilers through Vengeance
"Lana, Lex, Lies"
"If I told you the truth and something happened to you, I'd never forgive myself," Lex says to Lana in Splinter, when she wants to know the truth about the spaceship. Isn't *that* an interesting quotation to be coming out of Lex's mouth, especially given the events in "Reckoning." But it's not just foreshadowing "Reckoning," it's more immediately foreshadowing "Lockdown."
In "Splinter," Lex initially tells Lana that he didn't tell her about the spaceship because he's protecting her. Knowledge about the spaceship, he says, is dangerous--"people have killed for a lot less." Lana suspects he's bullshitting her because he wants her knowledge of the spaceship, and at the time it seemed a reasonable assumption. However, it turns out Lex was right: knowledge of the spaceship *did* put Lana in danger--both she and Lex almost got killed for that knowledge in "Lockdown."
Furthermore, the fact that Lex will trust Lana, rather than lying to protect her, is also spelled out directly in "Splinter", where he tells her that he had to stop protecting her because he couldn't lie to her anymore, and he knew that she was searching for the answers haunting her since her parents died. (Again, in "Splinter" this is delivered as fakery--Lex actually makes this response to try to avoid answering hard questions from Lana--but in "Lockdown" we see he was actually telling the truth, in that classic piece of Lex misdirection).
Lana's attitude towards being protected is split: on the one hand, as in "Lockdown," she is drawn to the equality of her relationship with Lex; each takes turn being the protector of the other. This is the adult Lana, and one of the many reasons why Lana's relationship with Clark is doomed to fail. On the other hand, part of her still wants (and needs) to be protected, and that is the part of her that was drawn to Clark's revelation of his secret in "Reckoning." But ultimately (even if Clark had changed the past in a different way), she needs more equality in her relationships. (I've figured out that's why I liked her first scene with Lex in Reckoning: even though she wasn't necessary very *good* at it, she stepped up to try to protect Clark's secret. She does want to be able to protect the people she loves, not merely be protected by them).
Clark's fears, Clark's fists
"I don't know what you did to trick Lana into believing she was in love with you." This is Clark's accusation to Lex while he is under the influence of silver K in "Splinter." He fears that Lana will betray him, just as Lex has--though her betrayal would be the double betrayal of consorting with Clark's enemy. And this does seem to be coming true: every episode since Splinter has moved a step closer to Lexana. I suspect that what Splinter is predicting is that Clark is never going to be able to accept this relationship as real, and that this will somehow lead to full-out war between Lex and Clark. ("I don't want to hurt you, Clark." "But I want to hurt you.")
"If I'd have killed Lana...." (Clark in "Splinter") Clark does, as it turns out, kill Lana in "Reckoning"--or at least, he contributes to her death. (Interesting that in Splinter he *also* almost kills his dad, and attacks Lex, saying that he wants to hurt him. ) Splinter predicts that he cannot live without Lana--you'd never forgive yourself, Professor Fine tells him. And in fact, the decision he makes in "Reckoning" does show he can't bear to be the one responsible for her death. Does this mean he'll never forgive himself for his contribution to Jonathan's death?
"Those Kents, they pack quite a punch." (Lionel Luthor, "Splinter") Here he's talking to Lex, whom Clark has bruised pretty badly; but this statement also foreshadows Jonathan's death. It would be interesting to trace the significance of all the punches this season. Clark punching Lex in "Mortal" signalled the start of open hostilities between them. Everyone was rightly critical of him immediately after that episode for continuing to punch Lex when he was down. This is not the action of a hero, but it is definitely the instinctive response of a Kent (at least a Kent male raised by Jonathan!). Will Clark ever learn that his father died striking his enemy in anger? I think he *must* learn that, sometime in the future, because I think it will be one of the things preventing him from striking a similar future blow at Lex, which would not destroy him physically, but would do so morally.
Actually, I wonder if Clark would have been capable of saving Lionel's life in "Vengeance" had he known the truth about Jonathan's death. Will he ever find out? Will he be tempted not to save him in the future, especially once Lionel starts his seduction of Martha in earnest?
Predicting the future?
"Lana Lang will never love you, son." This is from the end of "Splinter," in the scene with Lionel and Lex. Is this foreshadowing? Or maybe just a warning from Lionel, as part of the deep game he's playing this season?![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
latxcvi has been talking about the slow progression of Lexana this season, how they are actually taking time to build an organic relationship between them, and I think that's true, as I have sketched out, a little, above. I agree that Lexana is only going to work for the viewers to the extent that there is mutual desire between them, so I really *hope* that this is just Lionel's usual mindfuck, and *not* foreshadowing.
Spoilers through Vengeance
"Lana, Lex, Lies"
"If I told you the truth and something happened to you, I'd never forgive myself," Lex says to Lana in Splinter, when she wants to know the truth about the spaceship. Isn't *that* an interesting quotation to be coming out of Lex's mouth, especially given the events in "Reckoning." But it's not just foreshadowing "Reckoning," it's more immediately foreshadowing "Lockdown."
In "Splinter," Lex initially tells Lana that he didn't tell her about the spaceship because he's protecting her. Knowledge about the spaceship, he says, is dangerous--"people have killed for a lot less." Lana suspects he's bullshitting her because he wants her knowledge of the spaceship, and at the time it seemed a reasonable assumption. However, it turns out Lex was right: knowledge of the spaceship *did* put Lana in danger--both she and Lex almost got killed for that knowledge in "Lockdown."
Furthermore, the fact that Lex will trust Lana, rather than lying to protect her, is also spelled out directly in "Splinter", where he tells her that he had to stop protecting her because he couldn't lie to her anymore, and he knew that she was searching for the answers haunting her since her parents died. (Again, in "Splinter" this is delivered as fakery--Lex actually makes this response to try to avoid answering hard questions from Lana--but in "Lockdown" we see he was actually telling the truth, in that classic piece of Lex misdirection).
Lana's attitude towards being protected is split: on the one hand, as in "Lockdown," she is drawn to the equality of her relationship with Lex; each takes turn being the protector of the other. This is the adult Lana, and one of the many reasons why Lana's relationship with Clark is doomed to fail. On the other hand, part of her still wants (and needs) to be protected, and that is the part of her that was drawn to Clark's revelation of his secret in "Reckoning." But ultimately (even if Clark had changed the past in a different way), she needs more equality in her relationships. (I've figured out that's why I liked her first scene with Lex in Reckoning: even though she wasn't necessary very *good* at it, she stepped up to try to protect Clark's secret. She does want to be able to protect the people she loves, not merely be protected by them).
Clark's fears, Clark's fists
"I don't know what you did to trick Lana into believing she was in love with you." This is Clark's accusation to Lex while he is under the influence of silver K in "Splinter." He fears that Lana will betray him, just as Lex has--though her betrayal would be the double betrayal of consorting with Clark's enemy. And this does seem to be coming true: every episode since Splinter has moved a step closer to Lexana. I suspect that what Splinter is predicting is that Clark is never going to be able to accept this relationship as real, and that this will somehow lead to full-out war between Lex and Clark. ("I don't want to hurt you, Clark." "But I want to hurt you.")
"If I'd have killed Lana...." (Clark in "Splinter") Clark does, as it turns out, kill Lana in "Reckoning"--or at least, he contributes to her death. (Interesting that in Splinter he *also* almost kills his dad, and attacks Lex, saying that he wants to hurt him. ) Splinter predicts that he cannot live without Lana--you'd never forgive yourself, Professor Fine tells him. And in fact, the decision he makes in "Reckoning" does show he can't bear to be the one responsible for her death. Does this mean he'll never forgive himself for his contribution to Jonathan's death?
"Those Kents, they pack quite a punch." (Lionel Luthor, "Splinter") Here he's talking to Lex, whom Clark has bruised pretty badly; but this statement also foreshadows Jonathan's death. It would be interesting to trace the significance of all the punches this season. Clark punching Lex in "Mortal" signalled the start of open hostilities between them. Everyone was rightly critical of him immediately after that episode for continuing to punch Lex when he was down. This is not the action of a hero, but it is definitely the instinctive response of a Kent (at least a Kent male raised by Jonathan!). Will Clark ever learn that his father died striking his enemy in anger? I think he *must* learn that, sometime in the future, because I think it will be one of the things preventing him from striking a similar future blow at Lex, which would not destroy him physically, but would do so morally.
Actually, I wonder if Clark would have been capable of saving Lionel's life in "Vengeance" had he known the truth about Jonathan's death. Will he ever find out? Will he be tempted not to save him in the future, especially once Lionel starts his seduction of Martha in earnest?
Predicting the future?
"Lana Lang will never love you, son." This is from the end of "Splinter," in the scene with Lionel and Lex. Is this foreshadowing? Or maybe just a warning from Lionel, as part of the deep game he's playing this season?
latxcvi has been talking about the slow progression of Lexana this season, how they are actually taking time to build an organic relationship between them, and I think that's true, as I have sketched out, a little, above. I agree that Lexana is only going to work for the viewers to the extent that there is mutual desire between them, so I really *hope* that this is just Lionel's usual mindfuck, and *not* foreshadowing.
no subject
Ah, but I think it's a little different when he's talking to Andrea, because it's not his father, it's her mother--so it's still a little abstract for him. And while he did finally restrain himself from hurting Snake, it was a close thing for a while--and Snake didn't really hurt his mom that badly.
Recognising just how dangerous the secrets are has also been a matter of self-discovery. I think when Lex says 'people have killed for a lot less' he's speaking personally. I think he knows *he* would kill for the secrets under certain circumstances (arguably he already has). And not only that, but *Lana* has killed for them and though it's unspoken between them, he is protecting her from becoming a killer again as much as protecting her from killers. The desire for knowledge taints people's morality and one of the things he loves about her is her purity, so I think part of him can't bear to 'soil' her with that secret.
Do you think Lex thinks Lana is still pure, though? I get that in some ways she represents season 1 Clark to him, but on the other hand, he's the only one who knows she killed Genevieve Teague--and he's protecting her secret about that. I wonder if that's going to come back to haunt her, later?
It's a good point, though, that Lex wants to prevent Lana from needing to kill to protect secrets, since he knows what that does to you. (I'm trying to remember--has Lex killed anyone directly besides Roger Nixon? Because Lana's body count is two, right now, counting that henchman of Edge she killed at the beginning of S3.)
I can see (speculation! that thing I'm bad at!) the possibility of them using Lexana to show that Lex comes close to achieving love but this time (in contrast to Helen) he messes it up of his own accord... showing that despite his 'better' self, he's further down the path to evil coldness that he imagines.
I agree with LaT that they really need to stop simply portraying Lex as the victim of other's choices, so I would like it if that scenario you sketched happened. It would be nicely symmetrical if the thing that drives Lana *away* from Lex was seeing the consequences of Lex *uncovering* some of CLark's secrets (and maybe doing bad things with them), leading Lana to realize that some secrets really *do* need to be kept.
I don't know if they can really have Lex learn Clark's secrets, but I assume that either Dr. Fine or General Zod is going to return by the end of the season, so maybe Lex's investigations will lead him to one of the two and have devastating consequences.
no subject
Sorry! That was me excitedly replying too fast and not explaining myself properly. I meant that for the audience, that question was posed. I think we're meant to reflect on what Clark would do if he knew Lionel had met with Jonathan just before his death. Certainly Clark wouldn't have taken it that way: his obliviousness to Lionel in that scene was one of its most powerful aspects.
Do you think Lex thinks Lana is still pure, though?
Ah
no subject
Do you think Lex thinks Lana is still pure, though?
I don't think I want to leave that at an enigmatic 'Ah' actually. ;) Again, I think this is a case of split feelings. He's not an idiot so no, he doesn't think she's just the fairy princess anymore. I think he is drawn to her darkness, to the fact that she's got secrets too. But I also think that he sees her still hold herself together *as if* none of that had happened, so her surface image of demure good-girl attracts him. In that way, I think his love for her is quite narcissistic, because she holds out the hope of having secrets but being 'good' despite that. They could be like that together. They could understand one another. They could recognise the stains on each other's souls but be loved despite them. If he can love her with those stains, he can love himself (maybe?)... It's hard to express what I mean exactly but I do think that both Lana's goodness/purity and her darkness attract him. The double level is what really gets him...
Direct Lex killings? Hm... Jason? Possibly? We don't know what happened to him exactly. I suspect at the very least that Lex got rid of his body. But that's me in speculation mode again.
It would be nicely symmetrical if the thing that drives Lana *away* from Lex was seeing the consequences of Lex *uncovering* some of CLark's secrets (and maybe doing bad things with them), leading Lana to realize that some secrets really *do* need to be kept.
Yes, I'd like that too and they do symmetry well usually. Also, this would allow Lana to go through the same arc of development/understanding as S2-3 Lex. Which is what they seem to be doing with her. You're right though that I don't think they'll overtly have Lex discover Clark's secrets. Frankly I think Lex pretty much knows them but they're only ever going to hint that he does. So I think any uncovered secrets are more likely to be Zod-related as you suggest.
Oh I want Zod back so bad! If he doesn't come back by the season finale, I'll be pissy.
no subject
I just had to cut and paste that whole thing, because I think it is *brilliant*. In fact, I think *you* should cut and paste it and repost it in your own journal so other people see it, because I've been seeing complaints in a few places (
Direct Lex killings? Hm... Jason? Possibly?
Didn't he get killed when the meteors hit the Kent house? Or was that never actually confirmed?
Oh I want Zod back so bad! If he doesn't come back by the season finale, I'll be pissy.
I'm actually willing to wait for Zod, because I'm more interested in the Lionel arc (unless the Lionel arc actually gets tied together with the Zod arc). I'm a little worried about what they're going to do next season, already--this season has been so spectacular that I'm afraid next season is going to inevitably be a letdown, unless they keep something good up their sleeve (like Zod). Of course, they could make Zod an ongoing villain into next season, I guess. I assume Lex will start assuming his father's mantle next season, but they can't progress *too* fast with that if they're operating under the assumption now that the show will run for seven seasons.
no subject
I'm pretty sure there's been no definitive answer on Jason. Certainly no body found, which seems really supicious. We *presume* he was killed by meteors but isn't that a bit weird if the Kents escaped? I'm actually sure it's just a daft script loose end (like Lex's blood transfusions at the start of Season 4--I never got over them dropping that!) but still, it makes for interesting speculation.
Oh it's hard to say with the whole Zod and/or Lionel thing. I get vertigo-like feelings when I think about two more seasons! But I want Zod back at some stage. That's my request to TPTB. Zod and lots more Lois action please! ;) And some seriously angsty Lexana and seriously evil Lionel would also be fine. And a really brilliant Lex/Lionel showdown please. *starts a list*
just popping in ...
Direct Lex killings? Hm... Jason? Possibly? We don't know what happened to him exactly. I suspect at the very least that Lex got rid of his body. But that's me in speculation mode again.
The only person Lex qua Lex is responsible for killing directly is Roger Nixon (and while that could be construed as Lex killing for the sake of *keeping* secrets -- in this case, his investigation of Clark -- Roger's death was neverthless justifiable, because he was about to kill Jonathan when Lex shot him) .
Jason was killed in the meteor shower that destroyed the Kents' house (the implication is that Lex used the meteor shower as the means of covering up Genevieve's death when he orchestrated the Ledgerprinting a story that *both* Jason and Genevieve died in the meteor strike).
Alexander (also known as Bad!Lex in Onyx) killed Dr. Sinclair, but it's strongly arguable that Lex himself isn't morally responsible for that because, well, he quite literally wasn't himself when it happened. *g*
Re: just popping in ...
Alexander (also known as Bad!Lex in Onyx) killed Dr. Sinclair, but it's strongly arguable that Lex himself isn't morally responsible for that because, well, he quite literally wasn't himself when it happened. *g*
Thanks! I had a feeling I was forgetting someone in Lex's bodycount. And you're right, it doesn't *really* count, but I was comparing his bodycount to Lana's, and Lana killing Genevieve Teague doesn't *really* count either since she was possessed by Isabel at the time.
And thanks for clarifying how Jason died. You really have an encyclopedic knowledge of Smallville canon!
Re: just popping in ...
I would come down on the side of Lex not being responsbile for Alexander killing Dr Sinclair, but it's still interesting to note.
I find the whole Jason death thing mysteriously incomplete. How do we know he died? Is he still buried under the Kent farm?! That thread was not very neatly explained (perhaps a scene was deleted?). I guess it just bugs me because it was so damn convenient that Jason was killed by the meteors and not by some other means, and I had a soft spot for him, so I didn't like him being so easily disposed of! (Goodness! Is this me speaking? I'm usually the non-complainer about loose threads on this program!)