Memories that Matter - or - My Thoughts on "Abyss" and Speculation SPOILERS
After a hiatus, since the misery of the seventh season of SV, I decided to start watching season 8. I've been kind of poky about it, since I really and truly was dubious about any kind of improvement that might have been made.
Abyss surprised me, and while I managed to watch the first episode of the season last week (I'm not going to start doing retroactive reviews, 'cause that's just silly), I think this one is a good place for me to start with Season 8. That it uses dreamlike images as Chloe's memories disappear, one by one, was actually pretty neat. Overall, I am impressed that the loss of so many people on the show did sort of get mentioned, although I'd have liked to see Chloe a bit more upset that she couldn't remember her father, or Lois, but you know, that's just me, and thinking like a real human being has it's disappointments when applying them to the unreality that is television - especially Smallville.
I'm also impressed that the show has definitely taken a turn for the better writing wise. That's comforting. It's good to see that the cult of Lana worship left the building with Goughlar. In one odd and completely random moment, though, I couldn't understand why they were using the Transformers symbol so much, untl I really got a good look at it. *shakes head* Kryptonian is one weird language.
Seriously, like Jor-El, I'm pretty impressed with Clark. He acted unselfishly (although in doing so, destroyed the Fortress - AGAIN) and thought of what was right for Chloe, instead of what was right for himself. Naturally, because this is SV, Clark has now done an even worse thing for himself, making the Fortress Brainiac infected instead of Chloe. I'll get to why taking Chloe's memories of Clark's abilities was the right thing to do in a minute, because it completely was. That his memories stayed with Chloe after Jimmy's disappeared doesn't surprise me or impress me with any magic OTP rightness. He had a much longer time in her life, and I think that does leave a large impact. (Which is why I cry bullshit that Lois wasn't in the episode, that Gabe got no more than a quick general mention....) I think everyone should be asking themselves a question. Why was Davis what she remembered last? It's not out of any stupid fannish shippy reason. It's not even because Chloe really feels anything for him, just as it was that Clark seemed to stick with her longer than Jimmy did. Her memories are about more than which of the men she's really in love with. More important to the story is the order the men were remembered. Jimmy was lost with Lois, Gabe, Lana...the people that populate Chloe's every day and outward existence. Clark was lost after that - as Brainiac continued to hijack her mind and Davis was remembered last - a failsafe, survival mechanism for the plan Brainiac had in mind in the first place. This episode was simple in that - there was no B plot this week and it actually was a good thing - kept this story, which is big, from being diminished by something not so important. Chloe tells us why Clark was so important to her and the impact he'd had on her life, and I think that's more important than her desperation later. (and her behavior with Davis indicates why she was so intense with Clark, too. She remembered him clearly when everything else was fading away. That's a pretty scary thing, and she clung to what she remembered desperately, even if it meant clinging to the actual people.)
And now a word about ships. Jimmy used the metaphor when he talked to Clark about Chloe's growing amnesia, and I thought it was very appropriate. Chloe and Jimmy is the official ship, here. They're engaged. They're getting married, and the episode even ends with Chloe beamingly, ecstatically in love with Jimmy. That's pretty powerful. Clark's decision to have Chloe's memories restored, leaving out his secret was his right. Chloe did not get that information from Clark willingly..he didn't share it with her out of their friendship. The right to tell her himself was stolen from him, and I think Clark did the right thing in taking that knowledge back. Clark's impact on Chloe's life, while good, and encouraging her to make a difference in the world around her, was accidental. She wasn't supposed to know - and had already done a great deal of damage to their friendship in the past trying to find out. That alone gives Clark the right to decide if she should remember at all, regardless of how she's protected him since. When someone has things about themselves that they aren't ready or willing to share, it has to be their decision when they do finally confide in the people they care about. It's up to them to be comfortable enough to do so. Given their history, and his fears of not being accepted, Clark didn't tell Chloe and Alicia took that right away from Clark in that little demonstration she staged for Chloe in seasons past. He's now made a decision to keep her from further harm, and that's not asshole behavior at all - it's selfless. Clark has taken away the last person he has that knew - and understood him. Chloe not knowing also protects her from any real danger she might be in the future. It gives her a chance to have a normal, happy life with Jimmy, which is clearly what she wants. Clark didn't remove any feelings Chloe had for him, just the knowledge that made her so protective of him. Clearly, without knowing Clark's secret, Chloe is over her childish crush on Clark. And I say good for her.
No good, bad and squeeworthy - I'm waiting to resume that part of my old episode review until the right time.
I have speculative thoughts though, and I'm going to share them here (since I'm now in the car waiting to get Joshua from school and had time to really think them over.) Here's the deal:
Chloe is going to marry Jimmy without a hitch - lovely wedding, everyone is happy...she will remember nothing, but slowly start to figure things out and reremember, because Clark didn't exactly erase any of her files, or tell Oliver and the crew to not talk around Chloe about his secret, right? The Fortress is Brainiac infected, Chloe can heal things with her meteor power....I see a way that will remove Chloe from the show, come the end of Season 8, because she can fix the Fortress and stop Davis from becoming what he's meant to become.