Why is Lois considered pure but Clark isn't?

[herolee10]

I think they're defining "pure" as a state of being that is with very little guilt or doubt to be exploited. As has been mentioned many times, Clark has sacrificed and suffered more than anyone, so it makes sense that he would have more guilt and doubt to struggle with and overcome.

well I would have preferred if they had mentioned that more better in their dialog since the first viewing can give off the wrong impression for viewers, hence the creation of this thread.

now if only the show would acknowledge Clark better in regards to what he's done for the world, and have him treated with that regard..well that'd make my day.

[morrigan01]

This is the anti-life equation below and is the key to what Darkseid most desires: the suppression of free will.

loneliness + alienation + fear + despair + self-worth ÷ mockery ÷ condemnation ÷ misunderstanding x guilt x shame x failure x judgment n=y where y=hope and n=folly, love=lies, life=death, self=dark side

Darkseid wants to tear people down, make them feel bad, make them doubt themselves, make them lose hope so that they give way to despair. Once he has broken your free will, he can command you. (Self=Darkseid, just like we saw on the show.)

Now, looking at Clark through the anti-life equation, I think it is obvious why he was so vulnerable. He simply feels lost and insecure; he's not malevolent or evil. He had what Jor-El called "pride" and Darkseid called "bravado", but he had not yet mastered these "dark" aspects of his soul: the doubt, the loneliness, etc. (I'd say he judges and condemns himself very harshly for past follies, too, and Darkseid certainly played on that in this episode.) I don't know, but I think viewing Clark's journey through the lens of the anti-life equation puts things in better perspective.

You know this is a great take and all, but the one problem I have with it is?

You can only view Clark's life this way if you know what the anti-life equation is. And, so far, there have only been name drops to it on the show but no explanation of what it is.

I mean, yeah I know what the anti-life equation is because I'm a DC Comics geek, but the average viewer isn't going to make this connection.

See, this was my one fear about having Darkseid this season - that the story would be too complex and the PTB would get so distracted by other villains and such they wouldn't explain things like this so the story will make sense. I'm not saying they will never explain the anti-life equation and how it can be related to Clark like this. But if they had done so in this episode, it would have gone a long way to, I think, make me liking that part of the story more instead of find it, well, lacking for lack of a better word.

[Smallville_newbiegirl]

Isn't clark usually rule by his guilt? He feel guilty for killing lana parents,the destruction of smallville,the meteor freaks,killing his unborn sibling,jimmy henry, finally pa kent.

I bet the last time he truely had faith was before his dad died. Even since then he been losing himself more and more.

I want to hug him.

[Lunarsun]

That is a ridiculous analogy.

You obviously feel very strongly about this, so there will be no changing your mind on the subject. I give up.

Why is it ridiculous? because Clark thinks he's going to be human from that day on it makes his YEARS of lying okay? It makes his stalking okay? Because apparently Clark is OK with lying or else he wouldn't be trying to get into Lois' pants while LYING to her, clearly losing his powers didn't make a difference. Would you like it if I set up a camera and filmed you inside your house, or just did it the old fashion way and watched you live like Clark? I mean really? I guess being hot gives you a free creeper pass, rofl.

[Ella]

This episode was about faith. Those who have it and those who don't. Lois was said to be pure of heart because she has faith in something--heroes, particularly the Blur. Godfrey couldn't break her because she maintains her faith that the Blur will always be there for her.

Kara has faith in something too--herself--and that's all she can really have faith in because she has nothing and no one else really in her entire life.

After what happened in Doomsday, Clark lost faith in his own humanity. He lost faith in himself. For parts of last season and the beginning of this season, Clark did show faith in something: his fate. But as Carter Hall pointed out in Shield, Nietzsche believed "people who chased after some far off future dream were really running away from their true destiny." Throughout Supergirl, Clark is shown to doubt his ability to win over the people, or be there for them in the way that they need him to be. He's afraid of failure, and of falling off a high pedestal.

So the question is: what does Clark Kent have faith in at present? Who or what does he believe in no matter what?

Libby, you are so much smarter than...like the average person. Don't even mean that as a joke although I'm saying it in a joke-y way, but honestly, wow, you're so insightful and 9/10 times your posts explain things so perfectly. I mean this above, it just makes sense. I loved Supergirl as it is but now I feel I understand more of where Anne and the other writers are coming from in terms of fears, doubts, and the whole faith issue.

So, thank you.

[DJ Doena]

MOD EDIT

MOD EDIT

Lana was Clark's highschool girlfriend in parts of season two (for no more than a few weeks). Doesn't give her the right to know all of Clark's deep, dark secrets. The world doesn't work that way.

And he never slept with her while being alien and her not being in the know. He even told her everything and lost his father in the process (and btw: when they slept together, it was confirmed onscreen that they were "safe" -MOD EDIT).

And her being with Lex - you can't blame Clark for all the bad choices people make around him - even Lois told him that in 6x05 Reunion.

[LoD]

You know this is a great take and all, but the one problem I have with it is?

You can only view Clark's life this way if you know what the anti-life equation is. And, so far, there have only been name drops to it on the show but no explanation of what it is.

I mean, yeah I know what the anti-life equation is because I'm a DC Comics geek, but the average viewer isn't going to make this connection.

See, this was my one fear about having Darkseid this season - that the story would be too complex and the PTB would get so distracted by other villains and such they wouldn't explain things like this so the story will make sense. I'm not saying they will never explain the anti-life equation and how it can be related to Clark like this. But if they had done so in this episode, it would have gone a long way to, I think, make me liking that part of the story more instead of find it, well, lacking for lack of a better word.

Fair enough.

I do think they need to explain more, but I think it is also possible for even casual viewers to, at the very least, pick up on Clark's insecurities and self-doubt as being fundamentally part of the problem leaving him open to Darkseid's manipulation. I got that from the story before I even looked up the anti-life equation. It only hit me to reference it when something in the discussion tonight triggered my memory, and I think other people picked up on this also without knowing or remembering the equation itself.

I hope they explain the anti-life equation, and make it all clear. However, I am also afraid they may simply use it as inspiration and never clarify things for the audience. I think the anti-life equation, and who Darkseid really is beyond " a great darkness", is what's missing so far from the season, and why things still feel a little uneven or disjointed (IMO, anyway). I still think they are using the anti-life equation as their measuring stick whether they mention it explicitly or not. We'll see.

[Lunarsun]

MOD EDIT

MOD EDIT

Lana was Clark's highschool girlfriend in parts of season two (for no more than a few weeks). Doesn't give her the right to know all of Clark's deep, dark secrets. The world doesn't work that way.

And he never slept with her while being alien and her not being in the know. He even told her everything and lost his father in the process (and btw: when they slept together, it was confirmed onscreen that they were "safe" -MOD EDIT).

And her being with Lex - you can't blame Clark for all the bad choices people make around him - even Lois told him that in 6x05 Reunion.

I don't give a crap if Lana was his girlfriend for half a second, Clark spent years stalking her, years "in love" with her, obsessed with her and so on, and slept with her while lying straight to her face. Sorry but him thinking he's human all of the sudden and screwing some girl he's done NOTHING but LIE to over and over again for the past 7 years is NOT okay.

MOD EDIT people tend to want to actually know the person they're in love with, the person that tells them they love them you know. Is Lois not entitled to know his secrets while he tries to get into her pants aswell or does Clark get off on sleeping with girls while lying in their face everyday at school, or now work? Maybe it's some kind of fetish of his.

Also what does Lex have to do with anything? Lex and Clark weren't friends, just like Clark didn't have any problems going after OLIVER'S ex girlfriend *LOIS* did he? LOL the only difference is, oliver and clark are actually on speaking terms, unlike clark and lex were at that time.

[PHOENIXZERO]

Yeah, people jump into relationships and always reveal everything about themselves right away, every single little bit of information. Never mind Clark had justification in his fears about telling Lana from the things she had said over the years. Let's also not forget his fears regarding her "blaming" him for the death of her parents.

Looking from afar" in and of itself isn't stalking. It's not like he followed her around town unwarranted and was peaking in her room awhile changing or went in her home while she wasn't there in a creepy manner. Or purposely eavesdropped on casual conversations for no reason.

Either way, Supergirl was a awful episode...

[LoD]

Idk..I mean Clark has those things as well, if not more. The only friends that Lois has left on this show is her misguided Ex, while Clark has the entire JLA/JSA, and others as friends, and Clark has had a more loving upbringing when it came to his family life, and he has accepted himself better than before imho.

Well, I think it is important to note that while Clark "had" those relationships, he really doesn't anymore. His friends are gone and the JLA/JSA barely talk anyway. He lost his family, torn apart by death (Jonathan) or grief (Martha). But I think it goes back to Lazarus and what Jonathan said.

ginevrakent said it best here and I basically agree so I'll just re-post it:

I think they're defining "pure" as a state of being that is with very little guilt or doubt to be exploited. As has been mentioned many times, Clark has sacrificed and suffered more than anyone, so it makes sense that he would have more guilt and doubt to struggle with and overcome.

Lois. It will be their commitment to each other that will propel Clark forward.

After Dr. Fate tells her that she'll be the one that he needs, and Carter saying pretty much the same thing, I have to believe that that is the path the writers will take with this.

^I'll bet you're right. If this all goes back to the anti-life equation, then I'm guessing Lois is the variable that begins to subtly change the overall equation in Clark's life.

On a side note: Dang, this thread moved fast tonight. But after posting and reading this thread, I think I appreciate the episode more.

[DJ Doena]

I don't give a crap if Lana was his girlfriend for half a second, Clark spent years stalking her, years "in love" with her, obsessed with her and so on, and slept with her while lying straight to her face. Sorry but him thinking he's human all of the sudden and screwing some girl he's done NOTHING but LIE to over and over again for the past 7 years is NOT okay.

MOD EDIT, but people tend to want to actually know the person they're in love with, the person that tells them they love them you know. Is Lois not entitled to know his secrets while he tries to get into her pants aswell or does Clark get off on sleeping with girls while lying in their face everyday at school, or now work? Maybe it's some kind of fetish of his.

Also what does Lex have to do with anything? Lex and Clark weren't friends, just like Clark didn't have any problems going after OLIVER'S ex girlfriend *LOIS* did he? LOL the only difference is, oliver and clark are actually on speaking terms, unlike clark and lex were at that time.

You misunderstood me. You paint it as if Lan's seven years of misery were all Clark's fault. I just pointed out that they were barely together when they were in high school and then for about 9 months in season 5. He was not her boyfriend in season 1, big parts of season 2, in 3, in 4, the end of season 5 and in 6. And she knew all about him in season 7 where he went out of his way to try to be the best boyfriend (or as Oliver said it "You sit around in domestic bliss, curled up on a couch!").

She chose to be with Adam, Jason and Lex. No one else.

And while Clark has his faults, neither Lana nor Chloe nor Pete wouldn't even have survived the Homecoming dance in freshmen year. And Lex would have drowned in a certain river.

[Vergon6]

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[MannaBanana]

Why is it ridiculous? because Clark thinks he's going to be human from that day on it makes his YEARS of lying okay? It makes his stalking okay? Because apparently Clark is OK with lying or else he wouldn't be trying to get into Lois' pants while LYING to her, clearly losing his powers didn't make a difference. Would you like it if I set up a camera and filmed you inside your house, or just did it the old fashion way and watched you live like Clark? I mean really? I guess being hot gives you a free creeper pass, rofl.

Maybe you'd be okay with that, but people tend to want to actually know the person they're in love with, the person that tells them they love them you know. Is Lois not entitled to know his secrets while he tries to get into her pants aswell or does Clark get off on sleeping with girls while lying in their face everyday at school, or now work? Maybe it's some kind of fetish of his.

When did Clark EVER try and sleep with Lois? Your statements are highly inaccurate.

[ClubXerxes]

This is nothing more than Smallville's take on the Devil trying to tempt Jesus in the desert. Clark has to endure this doubt before he can put it to rest. The entire journey on this show has been about how he becomes the unshakeable force for good. I think most people who see Superman think of someone who has always been and always will be confident in his mission. The thing about that though is that we are usually led to believe that he has undergone intensive training prior to becoming Superman - meaning he is NOT up to snuff from the outset - he still needs to be trained. What we are witnessing is the training, and it makes people uncomfortable. The constant put downs from Jor-El are merely games - he is constantly testing and testing Clark, much like Lionel was constantly testing Lex. The difference is in the end product. Jor El's methods will produce Superman, and Lionel's produced the evil genius of Lex.

What I've noticed is that Clark has become more confident, but at this point in his training, maybe overly so. To me, this is the last stage of his training - overcoming himself.

[Jadarite_18]

My opinion: Lois believes in what she's doing. Clark's not exacly there yet.