For me, Lionel is trying (and hard, I think) to be a better person. I think his possession by Jor-El might be an almost religious experience for him. (see, the wonder with which he looks at Clark and also, his reaction to being stabbed in S4, this is a *third* chance). He's confronted with the knowledge of a race *above* humanity and one he can't possibly hope to compete with and so he is doing his best to ally himself with them instead. He's a saavy guy, he knows when fighting is a lost.
Further to this, seeing Clark as *so* powerful, and knowing the upbringing he (Clark) has had, I wouldn't be suprised if Lionel is trying to emulate JK with his platitudes, and more, I think he is now, genuinely concerned for Lex (Lionel has both the knowledge of how dangerous the Kryptonians are and Lex's need to be powerful) and since his emotional barometer doesn't cover 'concern for Lex' very well, he's falling back on established techinques that he has seen work for other people.
Lionel's motivations have changed too, his current aspiration, imo, is to be the kind of man Martha can love, (We know he's always been attracted to her and now she has both power herself and a powerful family.) Lionel knows that he can never be that person unless he's saved his own son, family is *so* important to the Kent's, which he can only now do through Clark (as he himself now realises that any power he had over Lex is long gone - we've seen Lex smack him down throughout the season,) because Clark is, to Lionel, almost *pure good*.
Either that, or he's totally playing us.
(also, im sorry about the total incoherancy of that, apparently I left my essay-like skills in highschool)
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For me, Lionel is trying (and hard, I think) to be a better person. I think his possession by Jor-El might be an almost religious experience for him. (see, the wonder with which he looks at Clark and also, his reaction to being stabbed in S4, this is a *third* chance). He's confronted with the knowledge of a race *above* humanity and one he can't possibly hope to compete with and so he is doing his best to ally himself with them instead. He's a saavy guy, he knows when fighting is a lost.
Further to this, seeing Clark as *so* powerful, and knowing the upbringing he (Clark) has had, I wouldn't be suprised if Lionel is trying to emulate JK with his platitudes, and more, I think he is now, genuinely concerned for Lex (Lionel has both the knowledge of how dangerous the Kryptonians are and Lex's need to be powerful) and since his emotional barometer doesn't cover 'concern for Lex' very well, he's falling back on established techinques that he has seen work for other people.
Lionel's motivations have changed too, his current aspiration, imo, is to be the kind of man Martha can love, (We know he's always been attracted to her and now she has both power herself and a powerful family.) Lionel knows that he can never be that person unless he's saved his own son, family is *so* important to the Kent's, which he can only now do through Clark (as he himself now realises that any power he had over Lex is long gone - we've seen Lex smack him down throughout the season,) because Clark is, to Lionel, almost *pure good*.
Either that, or he's totally playing us.
(also, im sorry about the total incoherancy of that, apparently I left my essay-like skills in highschool)