Bride - the Legendary Love Affair begins on SMALLVILLE
I loved last night's episode. PS3 did everything to pave the way for real Clois to arrive.This episode was painful to watch because unconsciously Lois/Clark declared to each other that they were in love with each other...and yet, they can't be together...at least not now.
A) Clana is DEAD. Regardless of if there's a "kiss" or Lana tells him that everything was a lie, Clana is dead. Clark had zero warmth towards Lana, his one touch of her in the hospital was a shoulder grasp, not her hand, not a caress on her cheek - it was at arm's length and civil...there was no warmth left there, he didn't even say goodbye to her and just left.
Lana was so resolute on being happy where she is in her life right now that when she back pedals, Clark's going to realize that there's no way that he can ever trust a word that comes out of her mouth as being true. And when he finds out that she's been lying AGAIN that will be it, he'll realize that she's got no integrity and he'll never see her as anything but a piece of his past again.
B) Lollie Closure - Oliver deserves the turkey of the year award for bringing Lana back, BUT he was perceptive and was the bigger man (unlike Lana) and stepped aside to allow for all doubts to be gone for Lois to move on. He also damn well knew who Lois is in love with - he's known since he first met her.
C) Unspoken Heat - seriously Erica and Tom radiated UST last night - that dance, w/ both of them moving in a new direction and both being confused about it w/o any dialog, made for one of the greatest scenes for 2 characters struggling to understand what they were feeling.
D) Light Dawns on Clark - Ollie talked about that moment where you realize that you've moved on and for Clark that happened when Lois walked away from him. The man was TORN. He knew her leaving was the best thing, that Jimmy needed her, and that they maybe needed time apart since he had a job to do. But damn he wanted to follow her.
I also fully believe that moment was it - that was when Clark Kent realized that he has fallen in love with Lois.
So yeah, Lois will permeate his thoughts while she's gone. Lana will be a distraction because this thing from his past will be unwelcome and he'll be haunted by what's missing in his life - his joy, his heart, his soul. He'll throw himself into his work (superhero stuff) which will give him some satisfaction (like in PREY) but he'll still realize that he's not a complete person w/only his duties.
Lana will try to win him back (because she's pathetic) and it won't happen. Clark has moved on. And when Lois returns, she'll still be uncertain and she'll throw herself into her work, and Clark will have to chase her.
People have complained for years that there's no way on SV that people will believe that Clark is over Lana and really in love with Lois, BRIDE succeeded in showing that the shift has been made particularly since the Clana scenes lacked anything...no emotion, no chemistry, nothing. Whereas seeing Lois being taken away from Clark was PAINFUL.
Just think back to Instinct:
Clark - “And Chloe was right there in front of me and I never realized how she felt. What if my soulmate comes along and I’m too blind to see it?”
Lois - “I don’t know, Smallville. I think that when the right girl walks into your life, you’ll know.”
Or in this case OUT of it.
Only anyone who is utterly blind can't see that Clark was struck by cupid's arrow by Lois throughout the whole episode. Even his wisecrack to Ollie about Lois naming him a fairytale critter if he stays too long - it wasn't a jabbing sarcastic comment like it might've been said a season or 2 ago, it was said w/ a smile and filled w/ love the way that Clark Kent LOVES the goofiness of his WIFE from the comics. The out of the blue reference to Lois also shows that she's unconsciously invading his thoughts...it's what people do when they're in love w/ someone - they randomly bring their names up in conversations when there's really no reason for them being brought up.
His asking her for help w/ the cufflinks was also just brilliant, for all that Lois puts emotional boundaries up around her heart, Clark does that w/ hiding his identity. The Man of Steel can't figure out how to manipulate cufflinks - he was vulnerable and trusted Lois to help him out. He invited her to help him w/ a simple task that was intimate and resonated almost as strong as a memory of the love that his parents shared.
He was also so distracted by Lois that he didn't even notice her comment which vocalized the UST in the scene. Think about their first view of each other on the stairs compared to SPIRIT, Clark was awkward and gulping there. Here he boldly looked her up and down - fully drinking in the sight of her and he barely blinked and was struck speechless and breathless. It felt slightly uncomfortable to watch because their looking each other up and down was very intimate - their feelings were radiating out into the room, they were both exposed.
I think if he even realized what he was feeling he would've grabbed and kissed her right there. But the truth is Clark has never BEEN in love before. He's thought that he's been in love, but he's never felt what it really does to a person. It completely distracts you, knocks you over, and becomes all consuming. He's going to be incomplete w/o Lois around and likely mopey and miserable...but it won't be for the reason that people expect. It won't have anything to do w/ Lana - the joy in his life is gone and it won't come back until Lois returns.
The whole episode had Clois dancing a tango that radiated heat and unrequited feelings...foreplay of the promise of real love. When she does return, Clark won't have to struggle w/ understanding what these feelings are that are surging through his soul - he'll understand and by then we should get some great comic relief as he struggles to find the way to tell Lois. The chase will begin and from that point forward...there will never be any looking back but to go up, up, and away.
If people are hating on Clark - they didn't read the scenes correctly. Clark Kent fell in love with Lois Lane in BRIDE and now she's been ripped away from him. Clark will not be a whole person until she returns and he knows it. They both have obligations that need to fulfilled before they can be together again and when they are brought back together - our jackpot payday will arrive.
If you want to share this around - I posted it on the CCC Lois Lane blog.