ext_7005 ([identity profile] latxcvi.livejournal.com) wrote in [personal profile] norwich36 2008-11-14 08:45 pm (UTC)

So. Now I understand why they had Chloe choose to kill that guy--it was to make Clark's decision look like it was the right one to make. Guess what? It still wasn't.

I don't think the two are related at all, though, because of the rationale Clark gave to the AI for why he wanted Chloe's memories wiped. He did it to protect her (in his eyes). I think it only ties in to what Chloe did with Sebastian if Clark's stated rationale for the mindwipe was that he no longer trusted Chloe. But he didn't do this because he thinks Chloe is untrustworthy with the secret. And I really don't think the show wants us to think that's why he did it either. If we were supposed to think that, then Clark would have had some language in his spiel to Jor-El about how Chloe knowing his secret isn't just dangerous for her but potentially makes her dangerous to others. Certainly, the screenwriters could have spun it like that, because an argument can be made that Chloe wouldn't even be subject to being overtaken by Brainiac -- which would make her a threat to Clark and everyone else -- if she hadn't ever known Clark's secret in the first place. Since they didn't frame Clark's decision as being about anything other than trying to protect Chloe from harm (as opposed to framing it as him trying to keep Chloe from causing harm), I can't see a through-line between this decision and what happened at the end of Identity.

But that's just a minor quibble because I agree with you that Clark's decision was egregious. I'm sure in his mind it makes sense -- and hell, I've even argued that Clark's not being a crazyperson when he says that knowing his secret is dangerous for people and like I said above, Chloe might not have even been attacked by Brainiac if she hadn't known the truth -- but I just don't think that any one person gets to make a unilateral decision about the mind/memories of another person. If they'd at least framed it as a condition of Jor-El's -- "I'll save her life but only if I can remove the knowledge of your secret, Kal-El" -- I could tolerate it. I wouldn't like it, but I couldn't have faulted Clark for wanting Chloe alive even if it meant she didn't remember his secret. The way it played out, though, reflects poorly on Clark and that pisses me off.

Of course, it looked like Davis was doing the same thing until the very end, which turned out to be so.damned.creepy.

Oh, man, when he kissed her even after she'd clearly shot him down, I wanted to punch him.

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