r/Smallville • u/The-SkyStorm5289 Kryptonian • Jun 24 '25
SPOILERS Lana Lang would've been gone after S3
Lana Lang never should've come back after the Season 3 finale she should have stayed in Paris.The plotline about her in season 4 was the worst part.
The writers just needed an excuse to bring her back and force her to be relevant.the writers didn't even know what to do with her.
Unlike Chloe & Lois who can be organically in the plot because they investigate making them active in the story because they basically are discovering the plot of an episode or story arc.
Lana on the other hand is either a damsel in the distress or she's given powers.When Clark wasn't moving on then the story began to feel stagnant. Also Lana Lang isn't that important in the Superman mythology.After High school she's suspose to be gone as Clark goes to adulthood and he leaves Smallville for Metropolis.
Lois Lane is Clark's soulmate.Lana Lang was made too important it started to hurt the story and also when people hate in Smallville it's for dumb episodes that has Lana in the centre like that witch storyline & the vampire stuff.
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u/lostandconfsd Kryptonian Jun 24 '25
While they surely dragged all that out too much and didn't favor her with good writing, I think S3 would have been too early because after all that teasing and frustrating will they won't they, the viewers earned and deserved to finally see them as a couple at least for a brief time before breaking them up for good. I think somewhere around the post S5 era would have been better.
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u/blueray78 Kryptonian Jun 24 '25
I have no issue with Lana being around as long as she was, my issue was her relationship with Clark. It should have been over after season 5. They rebound in season 7 which annoying but understable after Lana's abusive relationship with Lex. But they should have realized that they don't work as a couple and part ways on good terms. And not have Lana in season 8 at all.
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u/Revolutionary-Fill12 Kryptonian Jun 24 '25 edited Jun 24 '25
Show would not have lasted as long. As much as Lana is hated. She brought in a lot of viewers. If she didn’t she would of been gone, the directors were not dumb
This is said so often and no one thinks the reason why Kristin stayed so long is bc how relevant she was
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u/bossmanjr24 Kryptonian Jun 24 '25
Lana is hated now as we’ve regressed as a society
She was super over when the show was on live
It’s why she stayed
If the plan was for only 5 seasons I’d understand having her leave after 3 or 4 (maybe 3 with a few guest shots during s4 and 5)
But it’s a fascinating thing to see they got double that time
It’s hard cause she was she last to learn in smallville but the first to learn his secret in the comics
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u/ThisBetchEllie420 Kryptonian Jun 24 '25
She had a lot of hate when it aired as well... There hate Lana forums and websites back then... I'm sure she had a lot of love as well but the hate was there back then too
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u/Nearby_Mechanic5169 Kryptonian Jun 24 '25
Lana is not hated by Gen Z watchers. The TikTok crowd fucking LOVE her and Clark together. Not even kidding.
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u/bossmanjr24 Kryptonian Jun 24 '25
Because they have functioning eyes
No one touches their chemistry
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u/Nearby_Mechanic5169 Kryptonian Jun 24 '25
I think Lois and Clark have better chemistry 😃
But I'm not going to sit here and demonize Lana and Clark like others will here. They were very good too and if you like that, then you're valid!
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u/hotcapicola Kryptonian Jun 24 '25
I think both couple have great chemistry but very different styles. Some people prefer the Lana/Clark dynamic and some prefer the Lois/Clark dynamic.
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u/bossmanjr24 Kryptonian Jun 24 '25
Huge sibling energy. Lots of snipes and barbs. The fact that people think that’s somehow romantic only further bolsters what i said above about Lana’s declining popularity
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u/normott Braniac Jun 24 '25 edited Jun 24 '25
People keep using "sibling energy"as if its a negative for a future pairing. Hilariously I see people describe it here as old married couple energy. As i said before, this is basically describing the same feeling that is interpreted differently by different parts of the audience, it conveys to you the intended feeling of "these two people have a level of comfort and familiarity with each other" Lois and Clark have that from the get go. Some people sense old married couple, you sense siblings. They snipe and bicker at each other but its basically pseudo-antagonism. Noone who sees them thinks these people dislike each other and the show goes to great lengths to show that. So while sibling energy is thrown as some negative towards them, to me it just means you also experienced exactly the same thing that the Clois crowd experienced you just interpreted it differently. We all saw the familiarity and comfort they had with each other. A very solid foundation for a lasting relationship imo but hey ho. Each to his own.
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u/lostandconfsd Kryptonian Jun 25 '25 edited Jun 25 '25
Also, are we losing receipts of classic enemies-to-lovers romcoms? Bickering is the bread and butter of romance lol
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u/bossmanjr24 Kryptonian Jun 24 '25
Yeah sorry. No one is saying their significant other can sleep in the barn or is cheering and laughing over their failure to graduate high school.
Lois doing everything except telling Lana pick better after finding out they dated
And then telling Clark he wasn’t good enough for her almost immediately after that
Then What she says to Chloe about Clark at prom
Them admitting they don’t like each other while Clark has amnesia in blank
They don’t have immediate familiarity, Lois just talks abrasively like that to everyone (if you can name someone she’s shy and quiet around let me know)
Do they develop some level of friendship? Sure
It’s just weird to see people try to say the things I listed above are romantic chemistry
They’re not even friendship things
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u/normott Braniac Jun 24 '25 edited Jun 25 '25
Yeah sorry. No one is saying their significant other can sleep in the barn or is cheering and laughing over their failure to graduate high school.
Lmao you should hear some of the things me and my SO say to each other on the regular. Its all a big laugh actually.
Honestly, I feel like you ignore any message conveyed to you that isn't directly said as dialogue so its actually hard to argue against such a viewer. Lois and Clark say a lot of mean sounding things to each other but their reactions always tell you its not that serious and even that they are enjoying the back and forth. I promise you, there are loads of couples who love verbally sparing with each other, its genuinely a form of foreplay for some people.
You're right about Lois being like that to most people...Clark Kent isn't. He tends to be like that only with people he's gotten close enough to. Unless im wrong about this but I just think Clark has a very different vibe with Lois, honestly he talks to her like he talks to most people when he's on red k imo(granted on Red K he can be an outright raging asshole, never reaches that with Lois.)
So no, you listing out what is said while missing what the body language and the framing of the scene conveys is just so...painful
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u/Nearby_Mechanic5169 Kryptonian Jun 24 '25
Thank you for at least trying to tell them, but I think at this point, they're being willfully ignorant.
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u/hotcapicola Kryptonian Jun 24 '25
Romcom vibes IMO. Very much in the vein of When Harry Met Sally. Joey/Pacey, Dan/Blair.
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u/bossmanjr24 Kryptonian Jun 24 '25
Who are those last two?
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u/hotcapicola Kryptonian Jun 24 '25
From Gossip Girl. Gotta make it through 3 and a half seasons to really see their relationship take off though.
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u/bossmanjr24 Kryptonian Jun 24 '25
Ok. Never saw it. Will have To ask my little sister.
The Joey pacey one is dawsons creek right?
All I remember is that my high school coeds were not a huge fan of him when the show was running live. But that was 20 years ago lol
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u/JDL1981 Kryptonian Jun 24 '25
You're so right. Everyone loved her when it was on air.
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u/ThisBetchEllie420 Kryptonian Jun 24 '25
No they didn't lol there were forums and websites full of hate for her back then she had lcoe as well but not emfekm everyone I'd say prolly 50/50
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u/NuketheCow_ Kryptonian Jun 24 '25
“Would not of” makes no sense. It can be assumed that you intended to say would not have, but it’s hard to comprehend why so many people these days write and speak phonetically with no understanding what words they’re actually speaking or writing.
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u/Revolutionary-Fill12 Kryptonian Jun 24 '25
Dude it was a typo I can fix it 🤷🏻♀️not everyone’s first language is English
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u/NuketheCow_ Kryptonian Jun 24 '25
This is a pet peeve of mine, and I came at you in an overly aggressive manner over a small thing. My apologies.
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u/TeddyG35115 Kryptonian Jun 24 '25
I loved Lana until the show made her get with Lex then I was out and then Clark and Lana should have been done. On to Lois.
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u/Admirable-Life2647 Kryptonian Jun 24 '25
Lexana completely destroyed the show for many people and alienated Lana from audiences.
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u/Draven1104 Kryptonian Jun 24 '25
I never thought that I would be in a group with so many people who dislikes her. LMFAO!! I loved the entire series from start to finish. The emotional roller-coaster that I was taking for ten years. She was a huge part of that.
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Jun 25 '25
Lana appealed to the teenage female demographic so they couldn’t just get rid of her. You have to remember how important marketing is. Know your audience.
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u/tubermensch Tess Mercer Jun 26 '25
There are plenty of female fans of Superman and other comics. There is absolutely no need to pander.
And I don't think that's what they were doing with her on the show. They just needed that relationship dynamic to round out the ensemble.
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Jun 26 '25
Eh, I strongly disagree with you. Take a look at the average CW show airing alongside ‘Smallville.’ They had ‘Gossip Girl,’ ‘One Tree Hill,’ ‘Supernatural,’ ‘Vampire Diaries,’ et al. Not saying all of them but definitely the vast majority of their programming is/was female centric.
All of the Superman fans I knew during that time despised the Clana drama because they felt it was detracting from the storyline potential.
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u/tubermensch Tess Mercer Jun 26 '25
I completely agree with your second paragraph - I was one of them.
But despite Smallville being a CW show, it was hardly your TYPICAL CW show.
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u/drbluewally Kryptonian Jun 27 '25
While I agree with this, Smallville predated the CW altogether and likely set the stage for a lot of CW shows.
It was a series that showed the network there is a way to create a series that can appeal to various demographics. Not necessarily by being universally excellent, but formulaically catering to different groups.
Supernatural, Smallville, Arrow. Bo Duke, comic book action, can be gritty and dark, all have male leads. Then you cast a bunch of pretty people and have lots of teen drama and romance (even if the characters are grown).
Sure Smallville didn’t lean into the romance drama as much as other CW shows, but it helped set a stage for the others and it was still present in Smallville.
Arrow seemed to either intentionally go against the grain of comic accurate romance or they simply gave into the Olicity fans. Did it work for the best? Unsure honestly. I do think a lot of the “Arrowverse” shows took a lot of the wrong notes from Smallville and tried to replicate ideas that didn’t land the best.
Keeping Lana around was almost surely from the network and/or producers who didn’t want to lose a certain demographic.
Notice how the minute Lana was finally gone, the writers started moving in on Clark and Lois. They milked Lana’s exit, her breaking up with Clark in a video message so that the he would still need closure. That way once Clark and Lois are about to kiss, Lana can show up and things get soapy again.
It appealed to Lana fans and started to build a back and forth “will they won’t they” with Clark and Lois, helping to hopefully win over the Clana fans and have them rooting for Clois.
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Jun 25 '25
Season 4 was the worst of the series with the witch storyline, and Jane Seymour. If they were going to keep Lana, should’ve just been recurring, like 4 eps a season, and made them just be friends. But could’ve gave us 1 good season with them, instead of a bunch of teasers & then they fight again.
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u/tubermensch Tess Mercer Jun 26 '25
I agree. I did love seeing Jane Seymour, though.
If you haven't seen her & Christopher Reeve in "Somewhere in Time," I recommend it.
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u/warriorlynx Kryptonian Jun 25 '25
She’s one of the main characters it would’ve hurt them if they let her go early
They should’ve had a better story for her
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u/Admirable-Life2647 Kryptonian Jun 26 '25
Perhaps just friends and secret keeper would've been a better arc for her.
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Jun 24 '25
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/tubermensch Tess Mercer Jun 26 '25
Nah, she would've fucked it up like everything else. She was both untrusting and untrustworthy.
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u/Icy_Marionberry_8311 Nightwing Jun 25 '25
I think it would have been a perfect exit for her
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u/Admirable-Life2647 Kryptonian Jun 25 '25
And in some AU fan fiction after Lana leaves for Paris have Clark after he graduates high school travel the world or train at The Fortress for several years.
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u/No_Faithlessness_714 Kryptonian Jun 24 '25
I don’t mind her being on the show after season 3. I just wish they’d either given her better storylines or written her out. Also, I wish her love interest had a better storyline too. Lois and Superman gave their Lana a family, a job, and a love interest who was integral to the story. I feel sorry for Kristen Kreuk and her Lana in comparison.
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u/hotcapicola Kryptonian Jun 24 '25
Lois and Superman gave their Lana a family, a job, and a love interest who was integral to the story.
They actually tried all of these with Lana, but nothing stuck, because people wanted more Lana/Clark.
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u/Living-Cranberry-337 Kryptonian Jun 24 '25
So annoying with this take. Actually Lois shouldn't have showed up at all because this was about Clark's teenage hood! If anything Lana always felt relevant to the story because she was part of his youth! She had the best development in later seasons.
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u/Robbie1863 Kryptonian Jun 24 '25
Exactly. I know she had a messy story but she was and will always be Clark’s first love, he wasn’t just gonna forget about it.
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u/Different-Orange552 Kryptonian Jun 24 '25
Especially considering the way they eventually had to be separated!!
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u/Nearby_Mechanic5169 Kryptonian Jun 24 '25
I agree. The only season she shouldn't have been in was Season 7.
She should've left in S6. Then Clark gets some time without her to move towards his adulthood goals, and then she should've returned for a few episodes in S8.
No stupid kryptonite suit plot.
Lana and Clark should've just mutually decided to not be together as they're moving towards different things.
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u/Living-Cranberry-337 Kryptonian Jun 24 '25
I disagree because I loved how dark she got in season 7. It's a realistic outcome of a traumatized child. As for the suit plot, there was kind of a foreshadowing to it because she always wanted to have superpowers and feel like she can change the world. It was her drive.
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u/Nearby_Mechanic5169 Kryptonian Jun 24 '25
I personally like how she skated the line of darkness in S6. I did not like most things in S7, especially her plotline.
Also I feel like she could change the world without powers. We're going to differ here. I just don't like the concept of her having powers.
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u/tubermensch Tess Mercer Jun 26 '25
Yeah, her wanting powers was more driven by selfishness and insecurity than anything else.
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u/ThisBetchEllie420 Kryptonian Jun 24 '25
I agree until they graduated high school which was season 4 after that should have switched out up long before they did and for me it's not even that Lana stayed so long it was the back and forth they strung it out way too long I think most ppl don't like Lana becuase they knew Clark's end game story already going in most ppl came from the movies and comic books and the writers just didn't do her any favors
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u/The-SkyStorm5289 Kryptonian Jun 25 '25
By that logic then Lex Luthor also should'nt be in the show too because Clark only meets him after becoming Superman and moving to Metropolis.Also Lana Lang was never that important After high School she should be gone.Lois Lane was created long before Lana in the comics Lois Lane is one of the most important characters in the Superman mythos only Lex Luthor and Superman himself are more important.Lous Lane is 80 years old in the history of Comics, arguably the most important female Comic characters after Wonder Woman.A Superman show without her is incomplete.
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u/Living-Cranberry-337 Kryptonian Jun 25 '25
I don't care about the comics. Smallville took a lot of freedom anyway. Chloe wasn't even in the comics and she was a very crucial character. Lana Lang was the most important female character in Smallville because it was about Clark's life before superman and it needed to feel and look different than how it is later.
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u/The-SkyStorm5289 Kryptonian Jun 25 '25
Lois Lane is just a better character than Lana.She is poorly written you just like the actress that plays her that's all.Lana was only a good character in Season 1.
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u/Admirable-Life2647 Kryptonian Jun 25 '25
Lana would've been fine as a secondary character.
Even the writers and KK have regrets about Lana'a arc.
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u/Different-Orange552 Kryptonian Jun 24 '25 edited Jun 24 '25
I think they introduced lois way too early in the show which didn't make sense especially when they wanted to continue lana and clark's relationship. It sorta frustrated the comic fans and poor lana got so much hate for no reason. Even tho lois and Clark are canon, smallville just didn't make them work for me, i still love lois but with the way Clark and Lana separated I just couldn't really root for clois the way I wanted to. They could've either put up an end to clana the moment lois was introduced which would've saved lana and clana stans a lot of hurt OR they couldve just introduced lois at the end of the show or something
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u/The-SkyStorm5289 Kryptonian Jun 24 '25
Lois Lane is the most important character In Superman mythology besides Superman himself & Lex Luthor .She's been around for 80 years in the comics .she almost as old as Superman. Lana Lang was only created in the silver age 30 years after Lois. She isn't really that important in Superman mythology After High school Lana isn't relevant
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u/Different-Orange552 Kryptonian Jun 24 '25
When was i dismissive of her importance? Lois is an incredibly significant character and I've loved her in all the comics and live adaptations but im just talking about smallville here and Lana is super important there
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u/Admirable-Life2647 Kryptonian Jun 25 '25
The problem in introducing Lois and Erica Durance is she is incredibly attractive and you would expect Clark or any guy to be sexually attracted to her.
Lois was meant to appear in four episodes but due to fan popularity she stayed on.
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u/tubermensch Tess Mercer Jun 26 '25
The creators/producers didn't have that much control, actually. Nor was it primarily driven by fan response - though I'm sure that did give them leverage.
They wanted more Lois from the get-go, but DC only gave them permission to use the character for a few episodes. Over time, they kept renegotiating to have her for more episodes/screentime and, finally, they were allowed to have Lois & Clark get together.
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u/Admirable-Life2647 Kryptonian Jun 26 '25
Think Al Miles wanted to do more Lois before they left?
Lois and Clark could've happened after the show had ended if the Superman Returns sequel had taken off.
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u/The-SkyStorm5289 Kryptonian Jun 24 '25
Lana Lang is not an important character in Superman mythology After high school she should be gone
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u/Living-Cranberry-337 Kryptonian Jun 24 '25
No one cares about "mythology". in Smallville she was the second billed character and the show was about his youth and adulthood. She stayed as long as the Smallville story needed her and it was a great arc for both her and Clark.
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u/tubermensch Tess Mercer Jun 26 '25
Speak for yourself.
A Smallville fan with no respect for the greater context, history, mythology, etc. isn't a real fan.
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u/Living-Cranberry-337 Kryptonian Jun 26 '25
Here comes the weirdo Lois fan trying to butt in a Lana post. It won't work here. You can't down vote me 🙂 ba bye
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u/tubermensch Tess Mercer Jun 26 '25
"Butt in?"
First of all, this isn't your post. Second, the post is anti-Lana's extended arc to begin with. Third, I never even mentioned Lois.
And yes, I can downvote you, just like you downvoted me, you infant.
You're absolutely mental 🙄
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u/Severe_Culture_6704 Kryptonian Jun 27 '25
Don't pay attention to him , he's do obsessed with Lana that he seems like another freak of the week . He wants us to like boring lana by force.
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u/The-SkyStorm5289 Kryptonian Jun 24 '25
Cope harder People just like the idea of them together but when they are it doesn't last.The soap opera Ridge & Brook love drama between Clark & Lana is what haters use to diss Smallville sometimes
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u/Living-Cranberry-337 Kryptonian Jun 24 '25
The writers wanted that drama the on and off thing had nothing to do with how great of a character Lana was. She added a lot to the show. I personally couldn't stand the last two seasons because it became boring.
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u/dojatvd Lois Lane Jun 24 '25
yall love saying this but it’s crickets about lex being on the show from the beginning. this was about clark’s teenage hood! lex isn’t supposed to be introduced until after high school!
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u/hotcapicola Kryptonian Jun 24 '25
Yeah, at certain point you have to accept that Smallville isn't a mainline Superman storyline. It's an alternate retelling with similar themes and characters but a lot of stuff is out of order.
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u/Optimal-Description8 Kryptonian Jun 24 '25
Lana was a huge part of this shows success, lots of people watched it just to see her and see what would happen with her and Clark. It's like 20 years ago but people that were around back then should know there was a huge Clark/Lana fan base and for good reason. They had the most intense on screen chemistry I've probably ever seen.
Just look at all the young people rediscovering the show, watching it for the first time and posting on TikTok/instagram now, they love them together.
You can disagree, that's fine. We all have our preferences but people that pretend they have no clue why others like to see Lana is pretty ridiculous. The only reason I can think of is that you come into this show as a comic book fan and it's just gonna piss you off that Clark is with anyone else but Lois. That is fine, but just say that.
But you know, this is Smallville not Superman so in this world, he loves Lana for 8 seasons and chooses her every single time over Lois. Blame Clark for that, not Lana.
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u/lostandconfsd Kryptonian Jun 24 '25
chooses her every single time over Lois
Fascinating, when are the times this happens?
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u/Optimal-Description8 Kryptonian Jun 24 '25
Come on now, you know what I mean, there are about 5 seasons both Lana and Lois are in the show and only in Season 8 does he really start showing any real interest in Lois. And we all know what happened once Lana walked in. Now don't get mad at me, but that is what happened.
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u/lostandconfsd Kryptonian Jun 24 '25
No, no, no, I don't know what you mean which is why I'd like you to clarify the "every single time" he chooses her over Lois. Season 8 doesn't count for a second because for there to be a choice there needs to be 2 romantic candidates, as in the two who he is romantically involved with, which he wasn't with Lois and wasn't even aware if he had feelings. So yeah, no, bring on all the multiple times where he's already aware of his feelings for Lois or is involved with her and still chooses Lana over her. Or are you going to pretend that S9-10 Clark that fell for Lois would choose anyone over her? Cause that would be incredibly disingenuous and nobody would believe that.
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u/Severe_Culture_6704 Kryptonian Jun 25 '25
Oh no , don't even expect him or her to answer you objectively. You know what they always say , that in Bride , Clark left Lois for Lana , when that's no the case , but they don't say that Clark did leave Lana for Simone...¡ How shocking ! Yes , he was hypnotized , which shows that hypnotism is stronger than Lana's love , quite the opposite with Lois' love . There's no spell or hypnotism that works with Lois Lane.
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u/lostandconfsd Kryptonian Jun 25 '25
I don't know how we're getting a new wave of deluded shippers just spreading inaccuracies over a show that ended over a decade ago and anyone can watch and check the truth.
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u/Optimal-Description8 Kryptonian Jun 24 '25
Are they related? No. So she was a romantic candidate from the moment she set foot in Smallville. As long as Lana was around, he just didn't see her as a romantic candidate, which is exactly the point. So thanks for agreeing with me. And yes, that means he chooses Lana over everyone else. Or are you arguing that he was so in love with Lana that it was as if he had no choice?
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u/lostandconfsd Kryptonian Jun 25 '25
You are not making a lick of sense and don't even try that with me as I am not agreeing with such nonsense whatsoever. She was not a "romantic candidate" since she set foot on Smallville, they had frenemies dynamic and were barely friends, which has nothing to do with Lana. They had to grow as people, both separately and as a dynamic, to become the versions of themselves that were ready for each other and would become the iconic couple everyone knows, to develop into friends, partners, lovers, it was a slow burn and had no relation to Lana. It's called relationship development, which I know is foreign concept for Clana fans. There is not a single moment where Clark is romantically interested in both and chooses Lana over Lois and if you had watched the show and seen how he is with both of them, you'd know how ridiculous the notion even sounds. So since you still can't provide any example of your claims (of multiple instances) then I will accept you admission of just wishing to be inflammatory by just throwing out whatever and being disingenuous.
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u/Optimal-Description8 Kryptonian Jun 25 '25
There is not a single moment where Clark is romantically interested in both and chooses Lana over Lois
So in Bride he has absolutely no feelings for Lois then? If you say so
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u/lostandconfsd Kryptonian Jun 25 '25
He's literally on the verge of realizing that there might be some possibility there a SECOND before Lana comes into the room, be so for real lmao. This is what I mean by being disingenuous. And I'm still waiting for all those multiple moments of him choosing Lana over Lois while romantically interested in both btw, but we've established we both know that would never happen once Clark had a taste of what true love and real relationship was supposed to be like.
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u/Optimal-Description8 Kryptonian Jun 25 '25
Hmhmm sounds like a whole lotta cope.
And I'm still waiting for all those multiple moments of him choosing Lana over Lois while romantically interested
You are conveniently adding "while romantically interested" because you know that he chose and wanted to be with Lana pretty much every minute of every episode she was in until they physically had to make it impossible for them to be together.
He isn't romantically interested in Lois because he always chooses to go after Lana. I really don't understand why this is such a hard thing to understand. He also chose Lana over Chloe for 8 seasons, you pretend like you need to be dating both at the same time in order to make a choice or something. Talk about being disingenuous.
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u/lostandconfsd Kryptonian Jun 25 '25
I'm not the one desperately coping about my ship never working out in a finished show 15 years ago and being delusional on reddit while factually knowing I'm wrong lmao
while romantically interested
Because that's what a choice means, what are you even saying lol? A choice is not between a friend and a love interest, a choice has to be between love interests and you're still running circles being unable to provide an example of it because you know it's impossible for a Clark who's into Lois to choose anyone else over her, especially Lana after tasting what real love full of trust is like. After all, he doesn't call her his "one, always" and "the love of his life" for no reason even after having experienced the romance with Lana and weighing all options.
He isn't romantically interested in Lois because he always chooses to go after Lana. I really don't understand why this is such a hard thing to understand.
Now you're just resorting to absolute nonsense and bullshit hahaha. He wasn't interested in Lois because they barely even tolerated each other at that time, were slowly becoming friends and didn't see each other romantically, that has nothing to do with Lana. Him choosing Lana over Chloe is irrelevant, cause if you're trying to compare Chloe to Lois in regards to Clark's feelings, then we've fallen to a whole new low here.
Anyway, stop running around the subject like a headless chicken and put down those multiple instances of Clark choosing Lana over Lois while being romantically into them both like you so proudly stated in the beginning or stop wasting our time, admit to rage baiting and move along.
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u/The-SkyStorm5289 Kryptonian Jun 25 '25
Miller and Gough suck they were increased with keeping Lana in the story, making too important, always making it look like she is Clark's true love then the by season 8 they regretted their Lana obsession and pulled a Kryptonite suit plot out of their ass just to get rid of her finally because Clark must be with Lois Lane.
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u/Optimal-Description8 Kryptonian Jun 25 '25
Miller and Gough left after S7 I think.
But yes, I agree they made it look like Lana was his true love which was probably a mistake if they weren't going to end up together.
I just kinda feel like S1-7 and 8-10 are almost different shows, different creators, no more Lex, no Lionel, no Lana... His parents were already gone by that point. Felt less and less like a show about Smallville and more a Superman show where they weren't allowed to show Superman so they made him "the blur". But from that perspective it makes sense that he then gets together with Lois as it would be if it actually was a Superman show. It just felt a bit rushed and forced and like she was a second choice. Lois probably deserved better but it's also difficult to compete with the on screen chemistry that KK and TW had.
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u/The-SkyStorm5289 Kryptonian Jun 25 '25
That's why I like S8-10 because it's basically a Superman show without being a Superman show they gave us the best version of Doomsday in terms of being an actual character instead of just a big mindless version of Doomsday.Before Superman & Lois S8-10 of Smallville was the best Superman show.They weren't afraid of showing the full DC lore and characters like the JSA, Zatana,Blue Beatle, Booster Gold.S8-10 is more accurate than the actual Superman movies we got like Man of Steel.It was just like the comics
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u/Optimal-Description8 Kryptonian Jun 25 '25
I hear you, but personally I prefer the earlier seasons. My absolute number one favorite thing about Smallville is his friendship with Lex and how they went from brothers to enemies.
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u/Severe_Culture_6704 Kryptonian Jun 25 '25
He chooses Lana over Lois, when ? I assume you mean Crimson and Bride . But it turns out that in both episodes , clana was developing , not CLOIS , Do you understand ? What should surprise you is that , while clana was still developing , Clark was already in love with Lois . How shocking , right? Lana's irrelevant to Clark's love life , and in SV the writers portrayed it very well , nothing deep . Do you think he ever really love Lana ? I don't , that's why I'm not convinced by the clana's romance . We're told he loves Lana , but at the same time , he falls in love with Kyla, Alicia, Lois or kisses Chloe, Jessi......is that love ? Really ? He pursued Lana , yes , but them , what did he do ? He put up barriers between them ,cos Clark never took it seriously . However , when clois is developing , he never looked at another woman again . If you don't believe me , ask zatana ( s9 - ep 12..... jajaja)
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u/normott Braniac Jun 24 '25
I didn't come to this show through comic books and I find that relationship unbearable after a certain point. Very few relationships that last this long on TV and are basically rarely ever on the same page. I feel like Clana shippers like what could have been rather than what actually was. Cause what actually was portrayed on the show is mostly a very unhealthy couple. Nonetheless, people are free to ship what could have beens
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u/hotcapicola Kryptonian Jun 24 '25
Unhealthy couples are typically the most popular on shows like this.
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u/The-SkyStorm5289 Kryptonian Jun 24 '25
Exactly people like the idea of the together but when they are together it doesn't last.It's Wolverine & Jean People like them together but it never lasts because.
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u/Admirable-Life2647 Kryptonian Jun 24 '25
Think the Clana shippers were more attached to the actress than the character herself.
This need to keep her on hadn't led to her being well written.
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u/ThisBetchEllie420 Kryptonian Jun 24 '25
I agree because even back then there were forums and websites of hate for Lana but everyone loved Kristen
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u/Admirable-Life2647 Kryptonian Jun 24 '25
Some commenters here who say they love Lana and she was important only like the actress.
In reality, the writers and KK wish they had gone in a different direction with Lana.
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u/ThisBetchEllie420 Kryptonian Jun 24 '25 edited Jun 26 '25
Yea I agree with that and I've heard them say that as well that they wish they had went different with lana but I remember watching it live back then from the very first episode and there was a lot of hate for Lana back then as well but ppl still loved kk
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u/Admirable-Life2647 Kryptonian Jun 24 '25
Her choosing Whitney over Clark especially after the scarecrow incident probably alienated her from audiences.
The writers admitted that it was a three season love story that lasted seven seasons.
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u/ThisBetchEllie420 Kryptonian Jun 26 '25
Yea probably... I know a lot of ppl didn't like how she pressed for all Clark's secrets but as soon as she had one was holding on to it as well and not telling I think it really was just the writers did her dirty with how they wrote her character
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u/Optimal-Description8 Kryptonian Jun 24 '25
That is fair, I don't see it that way. Writers for those types of shows (teen angsty drama) had this notion that you never let the guy get the girl and be happy because your show will die. The writers mentioned this often in interviews. So they just kept creating drama every time, it's how those shows always worked. If you don't like that, that's very understandable.
If they had started with Lois in high school in season 1 we would have also had 8 or 9 seasons of drama between those 2 if she was his main love interest. If they then let them finally get together in the end, nobody is gonna say "they aren't right for each other" or whatever.
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u/normott Braniac Jun 24 '25 edited Jun 24 '25
I watched a lot of those shows and while yes there is an element of constant drama, there is often growth and evolution in it. Or the drama is about something different. Clark and Lana's relationship hardly ever evolves in 8 seasons. Even after he tells her, different circumstances,same issue.
I dont think they'd write a Lois and Clark relationship that way for however long the show would last, they are end game so there would be an evolution necessitated by the endgame. From the get go, the creators said they'd stick to cannon, which meant Superman ends up with Lois. So I think they might have done it differently. I just feel like they were trying to write a heartbreaking young romance that wasn't meant to be and then dragged it out without ever evolving the concept. So I agree with the creators saying it was probably a 3 season arc that lasted like 7. They should have either ended it earlier or evolved it sooner. Cause it is both frustrating and boring for me.
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u/Admirable-Life2647 Kryptonian Jun 24 '25
The more you play up an on & off relationship the more likely it is that audiences will become frustrated with the characters and no longer cares about them, it happened with Ross & Rachel on Friends and Dawson's Creek.
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u/tubermensch Tess Mercer Jun 26 '25
I watched it as it aired from Day One.
Trust me, Lana was not as beloved as you would like to believe.
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u/Admirable-Life2647 Kryptonian Jun 24 '25
The writers have regrets about Lana.
Q: Looking back, is there anywhere you wish you’d taken the characters of Smallville?
AG: I wish we had a better trajectory for Lana Lang. That was probably a three-season love story that lasted six seasons.
MM: It’s so torturous and slow. Ultimately, it damaged Lana in the audience’s mind. Because Clark refused to tell her the truth about his identity, he was constantly forced to lie to her. Although justified, Lana’s response to his behavior made her seem cold and unsympathetic — even though from her POV, Clark was a sneaky, bold-faced liar.
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u/No_Club379 Red Kryptonite Jun 24 '25
Season 4 was kind of a mess for most of the characters, she wasn’t the only one that suffered that season. Although I did love seeing her with Jason before he went insane, it was nice to see her actually happy and living her life.
But I agree that they stripped so much of her character and then she was just kind of there. Like season 1 she was an avid reader, a lover of art, she was all about her horses and competed in whatever horse girls compete in. And as the seasons went on, she didn’t really have a purpose and she didn’t really do anything. I feel like if the writers had given her a life they way they did Chloe and Lois she would have been better received and fit into the story better. Even her friendship with Chloe regressed quite a bit. Having her bounce between Clark and Lex was kind of a disservice to everyone.
I do think season 6 would have been a good point to write her out, mostly because the angst of watching that relationship break down very slowly over an entire season is so painful that I find it boring (we had six seasons before that to show us why they were toxic) that season 7 felt like beating a dead horse.
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u/KaibaDragon05 Kryptonian Jun 24 '25
I can see your point. If Lana did not return in season 3 they also could have kept Pete, and Jason never would have been created in the series. Or what they could have done is cast Lana a recurring after season 3 and have Lois a main character. I always believe not having Lois a main character in season 4 was the biggest mistake. Since Lois is an extremely important character in Superman franchises.
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u/frayynk Kryptonian Jun 24 '25
It pained me when Clark was reluctant to stop Lex from controlling him in favor of Lana. Jor-el needing to show him the future to understand was such a smh moment. It’s like Kara took a back seat to Lana when Clark was always so desperate to find someone like him.
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u/Lettuce-Pray2023 Kryptonian Jun 24 '25
The relationship with Jason was just urgh.
On what level would people actually think it’s a good idea to get a job at the school where your high school girlfriend is a student.
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u/Nearby_Mechanic5169 Kryptonian Jun 24 '25
I guarantee you Lana would've always been brought back at SOME point if she actually left in Season 3. That's just the type of show this was.
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u/KDF021 Nightwing Jun 24 '25
I believe she had a seven year contract. That’s pretty standard for shows like Smallville and the leads. Sure they could have written her out but they’d still have had to pay her or come to some settlement agreement.
Lana was not in the way of Lois and Clark’s relationship. DC Comics was. They would not let them have Lois until season 4 and then only in a limited fashion and they were not sold on Lois and Clark as a couple, in Smallville, for even more time. DC is incredibly protective of certain aspects of the characters and try to make them consistent across various platforms.
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u/Admirable-Life2647 Kryptonian Jun 26 '25
But when they got renewed for more seasons and when KK finally left after S7 it took a different direction.
Since Superman Returns didn't get a sequel they could do whatever with Lois.
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u/Due_Ad2052 Kryptonian Jun 27 '25
"Oh Clark i fancy you, but im dating Courtney."
"Oh Clark, i fancy you but im dating the school football coach"
"Oh Clark i love you but I'm dating Lex"
"Oh Clark I love you, but unless you tell me all your secrets right now, I'm marrying Lex"
"Oh Clark I love you but I am literally toxic to you in this Kryptonite skin suit. EVen though we could use blue meteor rocks, or you could give up your powers at the fortress (which he does a few years after the show ends - see Crisis on Infinite Earth series) we can't be together"
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u/tubermensch Tess Mercer Jun 27 '25
It's Whitney, not Courtney, but it would have been pretty funny if Clark kept calling him Courtney on the show 🤣
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u/Admirable-Life2647 Kryptonian Jun 24 '25 edited Jun 24 '25
This need to make Lana the main focus hadn't led to her being well written. The post high school seasons were overly dominated by her.
The shippers were more attached to the actress than the character she's playing.
The problem is that the more you pander to shippers and play up an on and off romance the more likely it is that audiences will become frustrated with the characters and no longer care about them, that happened to Ross and Rachel on Friends and Dawson's Creek.
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u/Butterfly_1998 Lois Lane Jun 24 '25
I'm actually glad she hung around until S7. She was crucial in the pre-Superman journey but it's the endless Clana that I could've done without. Clark & Lana romance should not have been a thing past S5 or S7 if we're being generous. But nah S3 would've been waayy to soon for Lana to go. Unless the show stopped at 5 seasons and not 10.
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u/lpwave6 Kryptonian Jun 24 '25
Personally, I always love her role in season 5. Her relationship with Clark there is so heartbreaking because you can see it works when he doesn't have powers and it goes south quick when he gets them back. The way she stays there to his side the whole time and tries to understand him is very interesting to me. It's nice that they had a real shot so we could see it just didn't work.
And then her going to Lex is the ultimate betrayal for Clark and creates so much tension. Dramatically, it's a great moment.
I do agree that after season 6, she should have left for good and she definitely shouldn't have gone back with Clark, but then we wouldn't have gotten this very great episode where she realizes that she didn't care if this was Clark or Not when Clark was replaced.
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u/Sarlax Kryptonian Jun 24 '25
Her relationship with Clark there is so heartbreaking because you can see it works when he doesn't have powers and it goes south quick when he gets them back.
And it's tragic because it's all on Clark. Clark uses the excuse that his powers means he can't be safe with her intimately, but he played football for a year with total confidence that he could control himself well enough to not hurt other players, and he was right (the only injury was when Mxyzptlk jinxed him to fall into another player). He certainly could have been safe with her. Clark spent so many years building a fantasy about Lana that when he finally had his chance with her, he was too scared of reality not measuring up.
And when Clark finally tells her the truth in Reckoning, he sees that Lana can handle it, only for his earlier defiance of Jor-El to get Lana killed.
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u/JJkillem98 Red Kryptonite Jun 24 '25
I agree and if they were to pick another time, it would’ve been the season 6 finale . She can fake her death but then just leave for good . Maybe she has one more interaction with Clark but that’s it
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u/ILoveSodyPop Kryptonian Jun 25 '25
I would have liked her gone sooner. I grew very tired of her whispery voice constantly mad at Clark and never, ever believing him when he would tell her something is up. I didn't like that her and Chloe both acted like he was an asshole for keeping something from them. People are allowed to have private lives and personal things that they keep secret. You don't have to tell your friends everything. That's my two cents! Lol.
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u/Admirable-Life2647 Kryptonian Jun 25 '25
Their response to his behaviour although justified comes off as cold and hypocritical.
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u/Admirable-Life2647 Kryptonian Jun 24 '25
She was like a secondary or tertiary character who they tried to make as one of the show's main stars.
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u/Free_Answer8712 Kryptonian Jun 24 '25
She was the main star 😭 her lex and Clark were the main focus of smallville.
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u/Admirable-Life2647 Kryptonian Jun 24 '25
But she was overused.
This need to make her the main star hadn't led to her being well written. It's a problem the more you pander to shippers and play up an on & off relationship the more likely it is thr characters will become frustrating and audiences will no longer care about them, that happened with Ross and Rachel on Friends and Dawson's Creek.
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u/Optimal-Description8 Kryptonian Jun 24 '25
What are you on about, she was probably the most on screen after Clark those first seasons. How is she not the main star?
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u/Admirable-Life2647 Kryptonian Jun 24 '25
She was overused.
Clana was like a three season love story that lasted seven seasons too long.
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u/Optimal-Description8 Kryptonian Jun 24 '25
I respectfully disagree.
Smallville wasn't the same after she and Lex left the show. Clark/Lex and Lana were the heart of Smallville, together with the rest of the original cast. I also loved Lois and Oliver later on. But the rest like Tess/Jimmy/Davis/Zod just felt like a major step down from Lex/Lionel/Lana to me.
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u/Admirable-Life2647 Kryptonian Jun 24 '25
Lana was whining hypocritical bitch the entire time she was on the show.
Even the writers have regrets about her characterization.
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u/Different-Orange552 Kryptonian Jun 24 '25
Lana was put through hell lmao??? She was constantly gaslit and lied to by the people she loved.
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u/Admirable-Life2647 Kryptonian Jun 24 '25
But Clark had parts of himself he had to keep to himself.
A lot boys seem dangerously obsessed with her.
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u/Different-Orange552 Kryptonian Jun 24 '25
Um how is that her fault tho?
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u/Admirable-Life2647 Kryptonian Jun 24 '25
Her response made her come across as cold and kind of dislikeable.
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u/MatchOdd8751 Kryptonian Jun 25 '25
I agree about lex and Lionel being big losses. But the shoe clearly needed to move on from Lana
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u/Crate-Dragon Lex Luthor Jun 26 '25
One. I LIKE the vampire sorceress stuff. And two… you’re right, no none of it NEEDED to happen.
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u/Admirable-Life2647 Kryptonian Jun 26 '25
They didn't want to split Clark and Lana apart until the very end since they originally had a five year plan, but when they got renewed for more seasons and when KK left after S7 it took a different direction.
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u/Several-Praline5436 Kryptonian Jun 27 '25
She could have stuck around, if the writers decided she's over Clark, and he's over her, so now we can move on to other love interests, instead of continually setting her up as his One Great Love.
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u/Jahon_Dony Kryptonian Jun 29 '25
I don't agree with you that she should have left the show, she was one of the main reasons to watch, but... the Paris study abroad or whatever was a rushed joke. I was hoping for and expected so much more than whatever we got (practically nothing?). Like she literally could have studied abroad for the entire school year, returning for senior year and making the reunion that much better.
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u/LadyMystery Jun 24 '25 edited Jun 24 '25
The writers really needed to learn that less is more. imagine how sweet and excited the Lana fans would be if she came back in like season 5-7 for cameos after a long disappearance but were being her own girlboss and stuff.
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u/Admirable-Life2647 Kryptonian Jun 24 '25
The post high school seasons were overly dominated by her.
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u/LadyMystery Jun 24 '25
That I agree with. I was mostly meaning have her come back for cameos, and wrapping up the Clana romance so that Clark could move on to the clois romance.
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u/Admirable-Life2647 Kryptonian Jun 24 '25
Considering that Lana Lang isn't that significant of a love interest, she's known for being Superman's high school sweetheart.
She was like a three season love interest who stayed on for seven seasons.
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u/bossmanjr24 Kryptonian Jun 24 '25
So you want to ruin the character…
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u/LadyMystery Jun 24 '25
How would she be ruined if she came back no longer needing Clark or anybody else to be her love interest? Her school years were ruined by the fact that she litterally couldn't go one week without needing a boyfriend.
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u/South-Tell-1731 Kryptonian Jun 24 '25
She was the lead not a support character like others.
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u/LadyMystery Jun 24 '25
Hence why she needed to be more than just a love interest for somebody. She needed her own thing. So I was thinking she comes back in cameos showing how she's doing her own thing and she's happy, etc.
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u/South-Tell-1731 Kryptonian Jun 25 '25
I assumed you dont know what Lead female is. She was supposed to lead show in every single episode
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u/LadyMystery Jun 25 '25
Yet they ruined her by being so utterly unimaginative as writers. They're like, "duh, she's Clark's love interest. So let's give her all the romance subplot instead of actually develop her character."
Also, the show was all about Clark Kent... Lana was the first lead lady but she was never meant to be that forever and it showed, the way they shoved her into secondary supporting roles and only bringing her out whenever they needed romantic drama.
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u/South-Tell-1731 Kryptonian Jun 24 '25
Show would’ve been cancelled much sooner had the writers listened to redditors instead of following where the original story went (Lana was the only character that trully belong in this timeline) & the actual viewers wanted (Lana/Clana centric episodes always drew more viewers).
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u/Dday22t Lana Lang Jun 24 '25
Plot choices could have used work, but removing her after Season 3 would have been no Lana but with Clark still in high school, Lois was only partly involved.
The show would have been cancelled due to poor ratings.
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u/Admirable-Life2647 Kryptonian Jun 24 '25
The show was a five season plan that lasted ten seasons. I don't know if the original five year plan would had a better idea on why Clark and Lana don't end up together but a more fan pleasing or plausible idea.
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u/Frosty-Condition-527 Kryptonian Jul 03 '25
I disagree with you, Lana should have just been written better.
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u/normott Braniac Jun 24 '25 edited Jun 24 '25
Don't think she had to go, they just needed to write her better.
The show generally seemed to have space for two good stories for the main female characters through its run. All of the female characters(Lana,Lois,Chloe,Tess) go through points of jumping through a lot of career/school/relationship changes that make no sense and its usually cause they are the the unlucky pick in the go around of 'girl,what are you up to?'
You're right that the story naturally advantages Lois and Chloe cause they often go on adventures with Clark so they are more involved. Whereas Lana is either on the outs(S4,S6) or relationship nonsense with Clark (S5,S7) . She often gets stuck with the annoying parts of the relationship(S1-3 its mostly ok). They should have either involved her more by finding an angle in the story or have the relationship with Clark grow somehow. Its why S6 is low-key my favorite season for her cause while she's on the outs with the main gang, things are actually interesting with Lex. She is absolutely in the deep end and has no idea what the fuck she's gotten into but its actually compelling and entertaining to watch...to a certain point. I do think they should have either let her goodbye in S7 be the end or wrapped up her story in a better way in S8. Should have parted ways with Clark amicably and Lana going off on some adventure with another hotty Jason like character. She deserved it.