epic posts of epic (s8 1-10, possible spoilers?)
So it's time for another epic post of epic right?
That's what I thought. I think this is mostly (obviously) the Bride Edition. Some of this will creep up when I get to my episode write up catch-ups - I have to do Prey-Bride which should be a pretty descent group.
Symbols
The Barn Was On Purpose
First of all, let me explain a bit, that it seems to me they are doing a play on Earth-2. Earth-2 was a sub-canon on going world from the mid-60's until the Crisis in 86. Of course a lot of what we saw on Earth-2 was true also for Krypton, but there are certain variations that they are pulling from (not all of course).
- Kara comes as a 20-something when she wakes up (younger than Loeb's 16 but definately Loeb's ideas here) - this is the Kara that becomes PowerGirl - the one that goes and lives in Kandor for a while, sound familiar?
- Clark being limited to long leaps rather than flight - another thing SV has played with
- This set up the Kryptonian bracelet cerimony.
Now why does this make me think it's on purpose?
Well because this is the wrong wedding, but with the right symbolism. It's confirmed when Lana wishes she had been the bride in a Summer Wedding there, her wistful looks at Chloe who got married her 'dream' wedding instead, and when she picks up the flowers at the end. Don't forget that Jonathan made the loft for Clark (and very obviously, in prior seasons that wasn't the barn they kept the animals in per Prodigal). In fact Jonathan even called it Clark's Fortress of Solitude. Add in Jimmy, the Clark stand in and what do you have?
Wrong wedding, in the wrong Fortress, created by the wrong Father, with the wrong Groom.
Goldilocks & Three Bears
massena1 pointed out earlier, I believe in Plastique, Chloe has been linked to Goldilocks before. Here, we have Chloe linked to that name again and the show has been using what is termed the Goldilocks phenom (which I'll get to in a minute). It's EDlo who sets up Chloe, again, as Goldilocks.
We don't know what she named Clark.
In Bloodline, as Faora, ED complained that Davis' personality was too kind, too nice, too soft. He helped the humans. That would clearly make him Mama Bear.
She then tries to set up Jimmy as Baby Bear. This would be a pro-Chimmy thing (and fits where Nois is trying to direct the story) except Jimmy redirects the story making himself Papa Bear. Which leaves Baby Bear open.
Chimmy / Jimmy = Papa Bear = Too Hard, Too Hot, Too Tall
Chloom / Davis = Mama Bear = Too Soft, Too Cold, Too Short
Both spell out failed relationships and the reasons why they'll fail. Chimmy, like Clana, is too hard, too difficult to overcome. Chloom should be easy but in the end Davis will be too cold, he'll come up short of what he needs to be (in fact we know he's devolving into a pure monster).
So that leaves Clark, without fairy tale name, and an vacant Baby Bear slot.
And that fits perfectly the text book definition of "Goldilocks Syndrome" - where you look for or find something that is Just Right.
Mother Goose & Fairy Godmother
In that same scene, EDlo names herself Mother Goose.
Now this is important because who is Mother Goose? She's the keeper of Nursey Rhymes and Fairy Tales. She's like the Brother's Grimm - she TELLS the story, she keeps it, but she's not a part of it.
They had another line in the episode, during her rant to Ollie about how she "read it" wrong; the it at the time is Clark, but it fits with her trying to follow Jimmy's advice from earlier - Jimmy implies that Clark is the Frog Prince, but again Jimmy changed himself out of being Baby Bear. She follows Jimmy's advice about Frog Prince Clark rather than her own - that he is NOT her Prince Charming; then cue the dialog about her reading it wrong that she was needed.
Likewise, asking Chloe about The One - Chloe offers romantic advice and is told "Please, it's not about me." She also adds in ther the death anvil about the love bug = black widow bite for her.
This also fits the whole Mother Goose thing, because Mother Goose is a crone. She's a witch. She's old, and she's alone. If you look at any traditional pictures of Mother Goose - this is my favorite. The orange, the witches' hat, the book. IT's clear whom Mother Goose is.
Similar, she's pointed out as Chloe's Fairy Godmother.
She "transforms the barn" so it's ready for the big day. She makes sure Chloe gets ready/isn't late to the big to-do. She makes sure Clark gets his suit (all of this done in black which we know is evil/death). Chloe credits her with the reason that Chloe is Cinderella. It's presumably her fault that the barn looks like a pumpkin exploded.
It's worth noting in the Brother's Grimm version of Cinderella, Cinderella's name is Anne (we have Chloe Anne, and ILL is Lois JoAnne) and Anne is rewarded for being respectful, remembering and honoring her dead mother. The story wasn't so much about true love as it was about being a good person; it's also the version of the story where the step-sisters cut off pieces of their own feet so that their foot would fitt in the shoe and they could play the prince off into marrying them.
Once Nois changes into her orange garb (transforming herself), she tries to follow Jimmy's plan. Jimmy, who read the story wrong and jinxed the wedding to boot. She tries to put herself into the story - we see the SWF of Tempest. The shoe doesn't fit, and Clark doesn't chase after her. (Likewise, last year and I suspect comign up we'll see Lana attempt to fill in Chloe's void).
Color-By-Number
One of the biggest things to me are the visuals.
Lana Lang - she wore all black this episode. She was Chloe's direct contrast in terms of dress, dress type, hair lenght, bracelet kind. She's "moved on" and doesn't seem to be that upset over it. Chloe had her wedding in a way - the bride at the farm. She's hiding her true intentions from Clark, so black fits - she's working with Lex, she doesn't really want to be there, and it's more than obvious what is going on. She gets hit.
Chloe Sullivan - the white dress, the charm bracelet, the purple nightie. She looked good, but was appropriately pure-looking now that the secret's been wiped. She's deceptively Brainiac here, and that's cool. Also interesting when Clark gives her away, she's got the viel with the tiara on it - with Jimmy and EDlo both before and after the service, she doesn't wear it.
Clark Kent - I thought it was interesting that he was blue-Tee Clark and Super Clark when he was vowing to stop Ollie's wedding stopping schenannnigans. His tie for the wedding though is interesting - it's grey. It's a mid-point between Chloe and Lana. Clark does get thrown.
Jimmy Olsen - wore brown/maroon, and then a grey bow-tie which he forgot. The grey tie again links him as a Clark stand-in, even though the brown is a color that he's in the way. And thus he gets smacked.
EDlo - The pink shirt, under the black vest-pants similar to Faora and to Arctic. That was organizer!Edlo. Then comes the bridesmaid dress. It's shorter, orange, and brown w/goldish bracelet. This is huge. She doesn't match Clark (it's not grey). She's not in Clark's colors (blue or red) when it would have been easy to have put her there. Instead they hurriedly put her in color count down.
Ollie Queen - He starts off all in grey, puts on his GA suit, and then wears a PURPLE tie to the wedding. Tell me, when has Ollie Queen ever worn Luthor-Corp color schemes?
The Big Triangle - Nois tries to SWF Tempest. Chloe gasps and Clark comes out of it. All heads turn to Lana. Chloe leaves Jimmy's side to hug Lana, while Nois slips behind Clark who is stairing now at... the orginal Chlarkana triangle. And so is Nois. Jimmy isn't a factor even, we never cut to him again.
Victor Stone
The orginal sides had Victor the one to comment on the Ollie/Clark spat (which makes the wifi bit make more sense) and it was Victor who after hitting on a waitress, whom he easilly let go, gave EDlo advice. Now they obviously changed part of that to be "really good friends" Lollie, but I tend to think since they are fundamentally lazy, most of the rant by her stayed the same.
The symbolism of Victor saying this makes sense - he's finally moved on from Katherine, and is looking for someone. He's willing to pick up a waitress. He's just as willing to let her go. Victor has been part of a Clana substitute so that makes sense. Instead we have Bitter-Ollie now in purple trying to pimp Cnois, and the 180 from Siren.
She broke up with Ollie (whom implies they aren't really over each other) because he needed the world more than her and vice versa. She was willing then to settle for 'normal' Clark who was just her friend. Now she's confiding in Ollie, wanting clark to need her, and then complains about the horrible things that happened. Since Siren kind of kicked off their 'thing' which is another giant rebound for her (and now for Clark) I suspect Bride, where Nois really WANTS to be a bride, should kick off Ollie coming a head.
Of course, we know that once she falls in love, it means her death.
Tempest is Iconic
It really is.
We had the episode specifically bring up the flower (which Clark saved) and it brought up how they gave each other flowers, how he asked her to be his date, how he requested her favorite song, how saving Lana seperated them, and their almost kiss of course. We also know they had an actual conversation about how they looked. And perhaps the most interesting was both times Clark promised Chloe that her night would be perfect.
IMO, they very carefully didn't one-up Tempest. In Tempest we know that Clark found her beautiful (said twice), and that she thought Clark looked nice too; in Bride we know nothing other than some eyeing. In Tempest, we know that they got each other flowers (ones that matched one another); here Clark was trying to put in his father's cufflinks (if anything that scene reminded me of Clex's BowTie scene, which he lost). In Tempest, we had Chloe's favorite song; here we had god-awful lounge music - the lack of a real song is big because like the end montage, music can add meaning. In Tempest, they talked about how Clark was still there for her and surprized her - nothing about that in Bride.
But I think the most interesting is the set up that Clark never throws away good memories. That didn't piss me off, as I'm sure it did some others. It's categorizing Tempest as a good memory - now we know they are good memories for both Clark and Chloe. Which is huge. And I think, in the long run, we'll see Bride erased/reset/whatnot because it's not a good memory. Given the memory patterns and Nois ruining Chloe's days - I wonder if that's only Chloe who forgets, but I do thinks someone will forget.
And of course, Clark is looking for something of a repeat of the flower scene by Chloe giving it back to him (she doesn't get to keep it) which should mean, IMO, a return to the Tempest status quo. Which also worth noting, Tempest is the first ep to bring up that Clark is Prince Charming and Chloe is Cinderella.
Superstitions
So, we know Jimmy is somewhat superstitious - he stops EDlo from walking under a ladder (comperable to Clark stopping her from walking out into traffic). He brings up black cats and broken mirrors in his tirade to Chloe. He says the only thing he worries about is seeing the Bride - and when he does, he says it's worse than the hindenberg.
Chloiac tries to talk him out of it, and does, and gives one of the most interesting promises of the episode -- "When no one else is around, we'll always be there for each other."
Who is "always around?" Superman.
Parallels, Stand-Ins, Mirrors
Chimmy = Clana; Lana = Jimmy
Clana to Chimmy is perhaps the most obvious one in our Chloe-Clark genderflip that is going on. Lana goes through all this drama but when Brainiac messes them up (after signs that they should not be together), that's it for her and she leaves. So I do think we'll have a parallel there in Offscreenville coming up. Like Lana is working for Lex, Jimmy worked for Lex last year. Both are our heroes first times, their first major relationships. Both Lana and Jimmy have moved in & lived with their sig other. Both have been engaged to our heroes; and Jimmy has the unique fill-in Alicia role of being Chloe's first wedding too (and like Clalcia, Chloe's hopped up and not really of sound mind and body). Both have back up SO's (Lana for a long time dated one person and ran to Clark, is now running to Lex; likewise Jimmy ran to Kara, and then to Maxima) The sunset on Clana in Shimmer and Hypno - it's how they end. Chimmy's wedding was at sunset.
Chlarkana = Chlarkimmy with a gender swap/fill in (depends who is writing). The "perfect" pairs which are doomed beyond all dooming.
Jimmy -> Clark
We know Jimmy is the Clark stand in; he could be Baby Bear, he's getting married in Clark's barn. We've seen in episodes like Freak and such that he's been a stand in. The biggest clue is Jimmy's vows; they are the only vows read; we don't see Chloe promise anything to Jimmy. Clark is the only one we see have them. And Clark reads them and they clearly fit Chlark, not Chimmy. Not to mention that Abyss set Jimmy and Clark up as her two kinds of men. :)
Lana -> Chloe
These two have always been contrasted as Clark's two kinds of girls. If the wardrobe didn't seal it enough, they both know Clark's secret, they've both worked with Lex, they both work as Isis. Lana has already tried to take Chloe's role in the story, and right now Chloe living at the Talon, working at Isis, without any memory of Clark is pretty much in Lana's old traditional role of the story. Just something to think about.
Chloom = Cnois; Davis = EDlo
I think this episode finally underscored this. Davis obsessively phone calls, she pets suits. He kisses Chloe, she tries to kiss Clark. Both encouraged our heroes into their current lines of work. Both work 'with' one another. Both give (largely unsolicited) romantic advice and get in each others personal space. Both have confessed major emotions without really waiting on each other. Both got all hopped up on the hero NEEDING them. Both don't know the "real" version of the heroes (EDlo doesn't get Clark's heroic/Kryptonain streak; Davis hasn't really met Reporter!Chloe nor non-Brainiac Chloe). In Bride, both make their moves even though it's very clear where the heroes' priorities are -- on Chloe's day going well. And it's brought up in Bride that Davis and EDlo are good people, but both paralleled in reading the relationships completely wrong.
Chlarkoom is a bit like Clexana with one girl in the middle. In s7 they made Clexana like Jor/Lara/Zor, I think so on purpose you've got Chloe and Lana contrasted as Chlarkoom is fulfilling the Jor vs. Zod side, where Lara fought and died by Jor's side.
Chlarkois in a weird way reminds me a bit of Chlarkana, where you've got the interloping girl who only likes Clark after she thinks he's a hero (Pilot for Lana, Odyssey for EDlo) and thus wants to fill that role which we saw Lana try to do a lot. I suppose she could be like Raya - the helper who dies who clearly cared for a married man.
Davis -> Clark
Davis is Clark's opposite. Davis wants her to open Isis; Clark wants her at the DP. Davis wants her to adoption dig; Clark never did. Davis is now calling her with problems, after Clark's tried to take problems off her back. Clark tries to assist her wedding so she'll be happy (like Chloe tried to help Clana), Davis tries to split it up. Clark takes her to the FOS to save her; Davis takes her there when he kidnaps her. Clark saves the world; Davis saves...himself, and kills people. Clark had to find out he's the son of Jor-El; Davis finds out he's the son of Zod. Brainiac tried to stop Clark from coming to Earth; Brainiac made sure Doomsday came to Earth. Both need Chloe, or think they do. Davis fits Chloe's type of tall, dark, heroic, and in a uniform - where Clark will eventually be.
EDlo -> Chloe
The SWF is strong. She stole the blue shirts, the jersey, the name-tags, the desks, the job, et all. Where Chloe got her byline and Clark was proud, EDlo got one and he wasn't. When crazy cheerleaders made Chloe confess her feelings, Chlark actually talked about it - instead of a pyschotic jeweler who was written off. Clark chose to work with Chloe, he ran out on EDlo. EDlo can pine, but she's pining without reason or back-story. Both have been posessed by Kryptonian killers. Chloe's gone to the FOS; EDlo went to the Phantom Zone.
Chlark
So where does that leave Chlark? In a good place, I think. We've got all these pretenders to the throne and they just don't compair. Everyone recognizes the heros (Clark, Chloe) as the threats to their relationships, and not each other. Maxima-as-Meta works as Chloe in the first half, and Nois in the second - he sent her packing after that. All the bringing up of memories says to me Chloe will remember again.
The high point for Cnois, for Chloom, the point where Lana could return for possible Clana, Chimmy actually trade vows - all this happens only as Brainiac's plan unfolds. Only as Doomsday hits off obsticles Lana, Clark, and Jimmy; Lana and Jimmy actually stay hurt, they are the actual Chlark obsticles, fitting that Doomsday take them out. EDlo is with Ollie and escapes injury, again; in fact she's isolated from that fight completely - makes me think she won't be there when it goes down again cause she's not a player in this Super-Story.
We have the FOS time to go round again, we have Legion, and we've got things positioned so our heroes (Clark, Chloe, Ollie) make better choices, end up in smarter places. Ollie I think got 'righted' when he befriended his 'ex' - Clark and Chloe should be 'righted' in Legion. It puts them a place to work back from and that's a good thing. That means we can start the mirroring for the back half of reversing the things that went wrong.
Lollie
I alreayd covered this earlier but I think it's worth coming back to that Tess is still in the game. Tess is clearly paralleled to Lana now with the leaving her hero to go work for the villain. Dinah can do computers like Chloe, has truly dark hair like Chloe, and had once worked with Lex until she found out how evils he is. Now, Ollie is paralleled to Clark sometimes, and we know he's trying to be like Clark so that fits why Ollie is piming Cnois like Clark is pimping Chimmy - the whole "I want you to be haaapppppy!" We know that he's got a bracelet for a waitress (Nois), so I figure we'll see Lollie first to set up Clark making his move. That is more spec though. Nois for Ollie was prior in the Lana role when Dinah showed up, and went in the Chloe role when Tess showed up.
Also if EDlo is looking for her Frog Prince? Yes, Clark is called a frog by Jimmy and Nois but we know they get the stories wrong. Frogs are green. Prince = Queen? :) It's a possibility.
Chloiac
She was Chloiac the whole time. Notice that the only Chimmy-obsticles noted are ones from this season. That Chloe didn't face the mirror. That she repeated Clark's own speech. And of course the end grin. Chloiac was only worried that by not answering Davis' calls, he wouldn't show up. That is why they kept the wedding on, why the phone calls aren't mentioned to Clark, et cetera. It was all... part of the plan. Even the purple lingerie fits Brainiac's MO.
I don't know if that's everything, but, I'm stopping now after two days of jotting stuff down.