SV: Beast

[norwich36]

So I read a few reactions to this before watching (not spoilers, just people's emotional reactions outside of a cut) and was braced for things to be a lot worse than they were.

The Chloe-Davis storyline
Someone (feel free to claim credit in the comments) said in a recent review of the Chloe-Davis storyline that Chloe was taking on many of Lana's typical storylines this season, and I think this episode really underscored that.

My first thought, during the dream sequence at the beginning, "wow, they're really drawing the parallels between Chloe/Davis and Lana/Lex, aren't they?" Then I vacillated for the whole episode, trying to decide if Chloe was really in love with Davis or if she was hiding him purely to protect Clark, just as Lana married Lex to protect Clark. I hated that storyline the first time around, so I was really hoping Chloe would not recapitulate it, but I guess that was a false hope. At any rate, my reading of the final scene when she called Clark was that she was being honest with him--she is more driven by her need to martyr herself for Clark than by her feelings for Davis, as conflicted as they are. I think she clearly has some romantic attachment for Davis--the dream kissing was too passionate for it to be otherwise--but she's at least convinced herself that she's doing it all for Clark.

And I realize that people are probably furious with Chloe for lying to Clark, and lying to Oliver, and refusing help from both of them, and for continuing to put the whole world (and Clark) at risk out of a misguided attempt to protect Clark from emotional harm (!!!!!), and I can't really say I disagree, given the way the plot actually went. Because if she's really doing this to "protect Clark," she is seriously--clinically--self-deluded and stupidly arrogant and basically insane.

However, before that final scene I was under the impression that she actually was in love with Davis, and while that doesn't make her actions any less dangerous and wrongheaded, it made them comprehensible to me. Because hell, back in my Clex-loving heyday, that was actually one of my favorite plots (in canon or fanfic): Clark knows that Lex is a total danger to the whole world, but loves him too much to give up on him, and manages to save him even when he's nearly gone into the darkness. (Ok, it wasn't the actual canon ending--just like I know Chloe and Davis' ending isn't going to be good, either--but before the canon ending there was always hope). And in that particular scenario, everyone was always feeling betrayed by Clark for whatever he was concealing about Lex, just like everyone was feeling betrayed by Chloe in this episode. And it was a justified feeling of betrayal, but it was all in service of true love saving the bad guy, so it was all ok in the end.

I didn't see any real potential for a positive resolution to the Chloe-Davis love story, but at least Chloe doing stupid things out of love made sense. (And if I wanted to write a story where Chloe made dumb choices out of a combination of love for Davis, protectiveness to Clark and desire to protect the world, I would have had her go off with Davis into the Phantom Zone). Whereas the way the storyline is actually going, I am just annoyed at Chloe's incredibly stupid attempt at martyrdom to save Clark from a little emotional pain.

Oliver

However, I have to say I really loved Oliver in this episode. He consistently called people on their shit, and that was fun to watch. True, he was being a little unfair to Clark--and they obviously have significant philosophical differences when it comes to the issue of killing to defend the world--but even though I know the choice Clark is going to make, I'm glad there's someone in the show defending the pragmatic decision to kill Doomsday, because honestly? At least when it comes to mass-murdering potential planet-killers with no weaknesses, I'd kind of like to find a way to kill them too. (Though I continue to admire Clark's perspective, as I discuss below).

And I loved Oliver's scenes with both Chloe and Jimmy. Especially Jimmy--I loved his refusal to support Jimmy's addiction, and I really liked the fact that he offered him a lifeline at the end. I'm interested to see where that plotline will go, too, especially now that Chloe has declared new allegiances and Ollie and Clark might be going in different directions.

And wow, he was really great in that scene where he and Jimmy were tied up, trying to talk down/calm down Jimmy and prevent Davis from going all horny. (Snicker! Sorry, I couldn't help myself).

Clark

I loved his doggedness in this ep--showing what a great investigator he is, refusing to give up on the pursuit of Davis--as well as his continued faith in Chloe, even when it was unjustified. But my absolute favorite scene was the confrontation with Davis in the fortress. He was SO DAMN SUPERMANLY. Even though he knows Davis is a multiple murderer, he's showing compassion for him, and defending Chloe's honor, and risking getting sucked into the Phantom Zone himself to save the world. Oh, CLARK. And then in that final scene on the phone with Chloe, where he's refusing to give up searching for her. Even though the pragmatist in me can see Oliver's reasoning a lot of the time, I still love it that he never gives up on people, even when they've just betrayed him or everyone else in the world thinks they're beyond hope.

Comments

[starry-dawn.livejournal.com]

I went into lengthy detail about what I think is going on in Chloe's head at the moment, but I think the gist of it is what you said. I do think she's in love with Davis, and I think the call in the end was just another of her self-deluded moments ... she just isn't accepting what she knows is the truth. Of course, I'm assuming and hoping the show takes this route with her, rather than the "tried, tested and proved a failure" route of martyrdom, but then again, I might just be expecting too much of the show.

Agreed, 100% on Clark. Oliver, however, not so much. I liked his scene with Chloe, and I LOVED that he refused to help Jimmy feed his addiction, but the whole deal about giving him a job sort of came out of nowhere for me. It didn't make sense.

[duskwillow.livejournal.com]

Whereas the way the storyline is actually going, I am just annoyed at Chloe's incredibly stupid attempt at martyrdom to save Clark from a little emotional pain.

Agreed.
I do still think Chloe has feeling for Davis, but refuses to deal with that so she's telling herself she's doing everything just for Clark. But if it was only Clark's interest she has in mind, she would have let him send Davis to the Phantom Zone. Surely having to live with that is less damaging than knowing there's a serial killer out there, and his best friend is with him, and there's no way to control him if he starts killing again.

I'm completely with you when it comes to Ollie. I enjoyed him a lot in this episode.

And Clark - just yes. &hearts He was amazing.

[norwich36.livejournal.com]

I actually think the best account of what's going on in Chloe's head is radioreverie's here (http://radioreverie.livejournal.com/89456.html#cutid1). I don't agree with every single point she makes, but she has an insightful look at how Chloe's motivations to protect Davis fit into her overall psychology.

I'm not sure why Ollie offering Jimmy a job doesn't make sense--to me it just reads like an alternate way to help him out. Jimmy's made it clear that he won't go into rehab, so Ollie invents a job for him as plan B to keep him spiralling into destruction. And true, they weren't the best of friends before, but Ollie *is* close to Chloe, and he obviously can't do anything to help Chloe at the moment, but he can help out her ex. That was my reading of it, anyway.

[norwich36.livejournal.com]

I do still think Chloe has feeling for Davis, but refuses to deal with that so she's telling herself she's doing everything just for Clark. But if it was only Clark's interest she has in mind, she would have let him send Davis to the Phantom Zone. Surely having to live with that is less damaging than knowing there's a serial killer out there, and his best friend is with him, and there's no way to control him if he starts killing again.

Yeah, there was definitely an element of self-deception going on in her explanation to Clark in the Fortress. Part of it is that she really wants to keep Davis out of the Phantom Zone, and partly she is trying to convince herself she has control of a situation that has totally spiralled out of control, I think. I do not see good things coming from this, that is for sure.

[starry-dawn.livejournal.com]

It makes sense when you think of it that way, I guess. It's just that the two of them interacting sort of came out of nowhere for me. But I guess if you look at it as him doing it because of his connection to Chloe, then it makes sense.

I guess another thing that bothered me was that they didn't really specify what the job was, so I was thinking he recruited him into the JL or something. I didn't pause to think it might just be something simple to get him off his addiction.