Memories that Matter - or - My Thoughts on "Abyss" and Speculation SPOILERS

[kdsch123]

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.

Comments

[secretvandalist]

What Clark did was not "horrible ass behavior" as some claim. However, I'm not at all happy with it because he has no right whatsoever to make the decision without her consent, especially when she was VERY against losing that part of her. So in many ways, Clark did mind-rape her for what he thought was best for her. Yes, it was a hard decision and I understand completely that it was a difficult/selfless choice but it doesn't make it the RIGHT one. Not at all. Yeah, it was his secret to tell her, but she MORE than lived up to accepting it, keeping it, and protecting it. She was a better person for it. He knows that and she knows that. I am not upset with Clark for the decision but it wasn't his place at all and I am disappointed that he couldn't see that.

[kdsch123]

So in many ways, Clark did mind-rape her for what he thought was best for her.First, I take extreme offense to the term "mind rape" in response to what went on during this episode, ESPECIALLY where it concerns Clark restoring to Chloe what Brainiac was taking away from her. Rape is not a word I think should be bandied about lightly or in response to a plot device on a television show concerning fictional characters

[pen37]

I'm afraid I have to disagree with you on this one. Two wrongs don't make a right. I would hope, if I took your keys without asking, that you would be the bigger person and ask for them back.

Yes, it was bad that Clark didn't get to tell Chloe his secret himself. But she clearly stated at the beginning of the episode that she wanted to remember. And he still made the choice for her.

By doing so, he's taken away a large chunk of her memories. Now how is she going to understand why she did some of the things she did. Is she going to understand why she was fired from the daily planet? Is she going to know why she wasn't in Smallville during the meteor shower? Is she going to understand how she got to that hospital up in Alaska?

It might have been different if Clark had done this back in season four, when Chloe first found out. But that's not what happened. Clark didn't just take back his secret. He took large chunks of her life as well.

[kdsch123]

First, the mind wipe is a plot device, a sucky one, but a plot device all the same. You and I as writers know this. I don't believe for one minute that this will be a permanent thing. I stand by what I said about Clark. He did the right thing - yes, Chloe wanted to remember, but honestly, she didn't have a right to know in the first place. Knowing affected her in good ways, but in bad ones, too. Knowing and being involved got Chloe in Brainiac's radar in the first place, got her infected. Knowing and protecting Clark put her relationship with Jimmy at risk. Now, I know that there is a sizable chunk of fandom that couldn't care less about that ship, but it's the ship the writers have chosen for their character

[pen37]

But Chloe didn't take Clark's keys. Metaphorically speaking, Alicia gave the keys to Chloe.

If I had to drive a child to the hospital, and someone handed me your keys, I would be angry if I later found you going through my purse to get them back. Especially if, in the process, you took about half my other stuff and dumped it in the trash. That's crossing a line. It's a matter of respect.

Chimmy for me, isn't an issue. For that matter, the issue to me isn't any ship. The issue for me is informed consent. We live in a country where a person has the right to choose what to do with their bodies, be it to end a pregnancy or to fight against being institutionalized if they can prove that they are mentally of sound mind

[kdsch123]

Keeping in the metaphor, then...all the more reason Chloe should have never *had* the secret. Alicia was entrusted with it, not Chloe. If I gave someone else the keys to my car, and then found out that you had them, against my wishes, I'd not hesitate to want them back, regardless of who you took to the hospital in my car while you had my keys. We still come back to the same thing - we don't know what memories Jor-El took - but if he only took the memory of Clark's secret - then Chloe has her memories of their teenage years together. Clark as a person should be enough of an inspiration to her to be a better person - he forgave her a great wrong she did him. That's a big thing, and something you should never take lightly

[pen37]

I don't think that we're going to see eye to eye on this subject. You're set on your opinion, and I'm set on mine. So perhaps the arguing is pointless. Because at this point, we're just going to be re-stating the same opinions over and over again.

we're just going to have to agree to disagree.

[kdsch123]

Agreeing to disagree sounds like a plan to me, Traci. :) There are so many different opinions in fandom, it's good that we can at least discuss them and still stay friends.

[pen37]

That's my goal. We are all adults here, after all. :)