Heroic or Foolish?

[msabagada]

I'm glad we got rid of this Fool, but now I'm curious where is she....

[lurkingchicken]

there are a couple things that factored into her decision.

1. The idea to use the helmet originally came to her when she thought Clark was gone. She probably felt she had no other options.
2. Hearing from Clark that a greater evil is coming. Maybe she felt that she needed to keep him out of it so that he could deal with that evil. Plus he was so caught up with what had just happened to him, maybe she planned to tell him but just later.
3. Whatever it was she saw in the helmet. I'm guessing she saw something more that motivated her decision. I think whoever had Ollie was too dangerous to risk Clark's life with. Maybe she saw them catching Clark as well if he went in to save Ollie.

So ya, I definitely wouldn't call it foolish. I think it is heroic but just needed more context behind the decision!

Guessing or hoping we'll get a better explanation.

BTW, I love Chloe, but I think that she was foolish. She still hasn't changed her ways, since that awful Chloomsday arc of s8 ("Beast"). She needs to learn to be honest with Clark.

Kind of agree with that a little, but just think more rash and reckless than foolish. See Clo822's post.. given everything that was going on, Clark's near-death and knowledge of a great dark evil and/or Lex; then what she saw, knowing Clark's needed for other things, I can see why she kept it from him.

But alas, plot devices are plot devices. In this episode we see Clark put out a fire and save Lois in the time it takes for the globe of the DP to fall off the roof and still save the globe (though not the taxi) but it would have distracted him too much to blur through and grab Chloe and Oliver as they were walking across the grass to each other and literally side by side? IMO, from the way it played out Chloe must have a reason to want to go because there were so many possible ways to make it so she wouldn't have to make that exchange.

Alas SV and their weak plot devices. ITA with SVfan87 that MM and/or Bart could have rushed back in time to help out, but you know.. no money in the budget for story logic... I mean other guest stars.

Agreed. Personally I think it's what nabu showed her that influenced the decision. There's something a little more to it then just saving Oliver. I don't think that was the point of the trade. Otherwise I believe she wouldn't have been so reckless not telling Clark. She may have seen bits and pieces of the path she's supposed to take and learn of some things on that end.

Of the same hopes and opinions. There is more to this than just saving Oliver. If she can't lose him, an exchange where they can't be together makes no sense. Beyond that, it's not only about them. They put try to put the mission before their relationship. After the bad guy gives Oliver's glasses camera the "coming for you all" warning, and Clark repeating Jor-El's message of coming evil, Chloe is trying to see if and how it all connects. What she saw via Fate's Helmet had to factor into her decision, direct her to make moves not just to save Oliver but help them all in some way. We just don't know yet, gotta keep watching, which is TPTB's evil plan after all

She said "everything is going to be fine.. I saw it". Yeah I know, she could have said that to not worry Clark, but for the way she said it, I believe she really saw that everything will be fine. So for me, there's definitely more to it than what we saw.

She saw so much Claudia, sure it's kind of a jumble but she's trying to do the best she can with what she knows.

As my father always says, "The only difference between bravery and stupidity is timing." I believe there is truth in it. If you succeed you are a hero. If you fail, you were foolish. In this case, Chloe knows how it all ends. Her timing can't be wrong. She is working on faith right now.

True except there's also the "if you know the future, you don't have one" b/c you either try to force or fight what you know" stuff. IDK.. it will shake out in the wash via timing, whether or not it "works" in the end.

[smallvillerocks45]

Perhaps putting the helmet on was a foolish move due to the fact that she is not the chosen one to wear it, but trading herself was done with knowledge of the future. Even if she wasn't supposed to, by putting on the helmet, she now knows her part in the puzzle and she's just making things happen, but maybe also changing things to maker other events not happen... I'm interested to see where this storyline goes.

[Chlarkfan_phantom]

Heroic!... and foolish
She has always acted on her instincts to protect those she loves, even to a fault.
I think that she did this because she wanted to keep Clark as far away from this as she could, so she wouldn't tell him. Once seeing what Nabu had to say, she decided to act on what she thought would protect everyone. Of course this is just a plot device to keep her missing from several episodes.... but what she tried, was what she is. She has a huge heart and has always done things like this. She's willing to jump in front of (metaphorical) bullets, never really thinking of the consequences, cuz she doesn't care. As long as everyone's safe.
But ya... sometimes, that makes her foolish

[MsNJS]

It was foolish and selfish. She is supposedly the most important person, IDK why but thats what they said, so to rush into a half ass plan without asking for help or considering the bigger effects is dumb.

[Jade4813]

Foolish. Not just in that she decided to put on Dr. Fate's helmet (one would have thought she'd have learned last year about taking on power that might be too much for her...or the year before...or the year before that). But even in the trading herself for Ollie scene.

Hey, you know what MIGHT have been a good idea? "Psst! Clark! There are these people who have Ollie, and they want me to trade myself for him! Why don't you stand in the shadows, and when the two of us are in the same place together, you can swoop in and save the day! Or, if Ollie isn't there, you can follow us and save him! Or at the very least, me. Or you can, with your one billion incredible superpowers, just find a way to help find Ollie."

Nope. Makes FAR more sense to go off on your own...again...and put yourself in some stupid situation. Without filling Clark in on what's going on so he MIGHT POSSIBLY find some way to stop you from HAVING to make it an either/or situation so that you and Ollie might BOTH be free from torture. Just figuring you know best and acting on it. Because that? Has always worked out so well for you.

Well, in the past (like last year), it got people calling you "hero" instead of "power-hungry" like you deserved, Chloe. So I guess I can see why you'd do it.

[NanaPeach]

Neither really, she has offered herself up to "save" people before and has seen it causes nothing but grief for Clark, or drama for Clark. Either way, Clark gets screwed. She does things like this to get Clark's attention honestly, because that's the only way she can get it these days - putting herself in danger, or putting others in danger.

It's pretty pathetic honestly. She reminds me of one of those anime girls, who fall in love in a day and all of the sudden are ready to jump out of a window for some dude. I guess she forgets that she and Oliver have both been in love before multiple times, and that could change any day now. It's not like they are promoted as "soulmates" or anything that would imply forever, for them.

[Skaterpen357]

Sooo...as for the "have Clark burst in and take Ollie back" plan...what happens after that? Were Clark to locate the people who had him, it'd become readily apparent that this was a government thing, meaning the Blur just made Oliver Queen a fugitive of the US government. Going completely underground would be Oliver's only choice at that point...I'd like to reiterate that whatever it looked like to us, ultimately, Chloe asked for Nabu's help, and that's what lead to the exchange. Not a knee-jerk "gotta perform a stupid action!" thing.

[SupermanRox]

I think it borders more on foolish than heroic. I mean yes she sacrificed herself for Oliver so that can be classified as "heroic" in any dictionary but the point of whether it was foolish would depend on whether it was the best or smartest way to resolve the situation and I don't think it was at all.

As someone already stated above, Clark could have very easily located Oliver. Why did it not occur to Chloe to get his help. Why did she basically have to hide what she was doing?

Then she exchanged herself for Oliver and well she was supposed to be Clark's greatest asset and now that's gone. So any way you look at it this doesn't seem like the best choice.

Chloe basically gave it all up for Oliver, for love, which is romantic, but I don't think she was thinking clearly. I think she was very rash in her reaction a bit of what the OP said "egotistical" in thinking she could solve this all on her own.

well said. I agree

[Kneel before Zod]

I wouldn't exactly call it foolish... It was a dangerous plan, but she knew the risks. If she had went to Clark with this it could have put Clark at risk.

[Lady Di]

I just cannot wrap my head around the fact that she put on the helmet. A sensible person would stay away from such a powerfull object, that's known for driving the ones that wore it insane!

But then, Chloe has not been a very sensible person for a long time (IMO). She is hungry for information (and power, knowledge is power) and she has been overstepping a lot of boundaries in order to get her hands on as much information as she could acquire (and manipulate). So I guess this was just the next step. I think she's probably coveted the helmet as soon as she saw it. Maybe Oliver being kidnapped was just the excuse she needed to put it on?

There is probably some self sacrifice in what she did, she does love Oliver, but I think an underlying motivation was getting her hands on as much information as she could get, so she could (continue to) manipulate events.

[LittleMonster]

Oliver goes missing and immediately Chloe turns to the Dr. Fate helmet without even going to Clark for help. Then she basically offers herself in exchange for Oliver. Was it just me or did none of this seem logical, let alone heroic as what some spoilers had been saying about Chloe's action? If anything, I found it all very foolish and egotistical.

Well some people do pretty foolish things for love, so i thought it understandable.

[Dominicus]

Foolish. Not just in that she decided to put on Dr. Fate's helmet (one would have thought she'd have learned last year about taking on power that might be too much for her...or the year before...or the year before that). But even in the trading herself for Ollie scene.

Hey, you know what MIGHT have been a good idea? "Psst! Clark! There are these people who have Ollie, and they want me to trade myself for him! Why don't you stand in the shadows, and when the two of us are in the same place together, you can swoop in and save the day! Or, if Ollie isn't there, you can follow us and save him! Or at the very least, me. Or you can, with your one billion incredible superpowers, just find a way to help find Ollie."

Nope. Makes FAR more sense to go off on your own...again...and put yourself in some stupid situation. Without filling Clark in on what's going on so he MIGHT POSSIBLY find some way to stop you from HAVING to make it an either/or situation so that you and Ollie might BOTH be free from torture. Just figuring you know best and acting on it. Because that? Has always worked out so well for you.

Well, in the past (like last year), it got people calling you "hero" instead of "power-hungry" like you deserved, Chloe. So I guess I can see why you'd do it.

Agreed. I think Nabu called it himself, Foolish yet brave.

[FanofTom]

I hope we have only to be patient and that all will be explained when she resurfaces.

[BoyScout-ManOfTomorrow]

I think it was heroic and I loved that that even though she didn't tell Clark about her plan that Clark still trusts Chloe to know what she's doing.