Did they fear once Lana was no longer the love of Clark's life? - Smallville (2001) Discussion

[–] mgreen9715 8 years ago

They'd be stupid if they did, considering a lot of people complained about the writers dwelling on their relationship for what seemed lie forever.

They said in an interview that if they regret anything it was keeping the Lana/Clark tryst going on and on.

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[–] glynis23-282-577521 8 years ago

As they said it was a three season love story that went on for seven and a half seasons, didn't help it was taking up his future romance with Lois.

Clana ending for good was going to be part of the grand finale to the series.

How would be stupid if she was no longer the love his life sooner?

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[–] mgreen9715 8 years ago

The back and forth got old around the 3rd season and it was time for something new for Clark.

Part of the grand finale? I have no idea where you get your sources, but Lana was never going to be the love of Clark's life for the entire series.

If you honestly think it was going to be Clark?Lana the entire series and thats what the writers wanted, well sorry to tell you, but that's false.

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[–] glynis23-282-577521 8 years ago

Thats the feeling Clana was gonna end for good in the last episode early on if SV ended around sixth or seventh season.

The writers never seemed to have a strong post high school thought out, Clark was the same old self for seven seasons and so as other standards they establish from the beginning.

Lana Lang in all other Superman media was just an emotional arc or a past come back to haunt you type of thing, that doesn't quite work for a TV series in the long run.

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[–] Stab-El 8 years ago

Yes obviously they thought that, otherwise they wouldn't have kept Kristin around for over 7 years.

They were very fortunate that Erica was around with a strong fan base and good chemistry with Tom and they were able to carry the show from season 8 onwards.

However without Clana and Clois, the show wouldnt have lasted as long IMO. A lot of viewers watched for the CW soap stuff, probably as many who would watch because its a superman show. So yes I do believe they feared once Kristin was out the show would falter too.

The unexpected is the new cliche ~

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[–] glynis23-282-577521 8 years ago

So yes I do believe they feared once Kristin was out the show would falter too.

Turned out not to be the case once she left and Clark and Lois got together.

Some felt Clana should've ended for good at season 3 and was going nowhere after the 100th episode, but the writer were so obsessed with Kristin the decided to ignore it, it didn't help that she was taking up Clark's future romance with Lois and her role as his childhood friend was taken up with Chloe.

Think back when SV first started they thought the last episode would be partly about Clana ending for good and a thing with Clex. But when Lana and Lex left along with Gough & Millar it took a different direction.

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[–] 8 years ago

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[–] shadowspt-197-12620 8 years ago

I don't know anybody who was disappointed when she left the show after Season 7 and more people were annoyed they brought her back for a few episodes in Season 8 'cause she got in the way of Clark being with Lois.

then put me in the minority, I missed her being on the show and enjoyed seeing her in season 8 for the episodes she guest starred. Their (Clark & Lana) relationship definitely was back and forth, but when it clicked, their chemistry was by far better than any he had with Lois, which was almost non-existent.

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[–] dianalela7 8 years ago

Agreed Shadow

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[–] RjanaR 7 years ago

It actually puts you in the majority. Lana is a very hated character online. But people online, no matter how much they don't want to hear it, make about 0.01% of total viewership. That 0.01% always like to think of themselves as the majority that speaks for everyone.

You should look to ratings which tell the truth more than people online. Lana and Clark/Lana centric episodes always scored high with the target audience. Hell Lana's 5 episode stint in S8 got Smalleville a ratings press release. After years of getting none. And it was for the episode that was Lana heavy, explaining to us what happened after S7. Not the other 4 episodes during that 5 episode stint.

So really, that just puts you in the majority.

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[–] computermaster 7 years ago

Yeah, I remember having a big argument ages ago about how the online fanbase isn't everything and the decline in ratings after Lex and Lana left was more telling in the decline of the show. Also combine that with budget cuts and loss of interest in the show by the network.

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[–] stephen-63895 7 years ago

i think the best friend approach with lana lang from the comics would have been better i still enjoy her character in the current eversion we got just think it would of been better as a best friend from comics

also revealing his secret a lot sooner than they did to lana could of helped also season 6 was way to long even season 4 to chloe felt to long

also anything past season 5 seems to be the worst of the series in my opinion mainly cause of poor special effects

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[–] glynis23-282-577521 8 years ago

If you wanted Lana gone after season six have her be deeply affected by Clark's secret, realizing there will never be a day where he would no longer push her away.

It didn't help that all the characters' obsession with Lana was taking up Clark's future romance with Lois.

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[–] 8 years ago

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[–] glynis23-282-577521 8 years ago

It didn't help that people's obsession with Lana was taking up Clark's future romance with Lois.

No wonder the writers have regrets about her character arc, saying it was a three season love story that lasted seven and a half seasons, making her come off as cold and sympathetic due to her attitude towards Clark for refusing to tell her his secret.

It would've been better to destroy Clark's faith in her than anything by letting him down, realizing after all the hell he put her through he may not be able to live a normal.

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[–] pjh-76786 8 years ago

I was so done with Clark and Lana. Everyone knew he would end up with Lois so by season 7 it was time to be done.

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[–] glynis23-282-577521 8 years ago

Was there little point in routing for a love story who everyone knew was gonna end badly?

Think maybe they misjudged how it would turn out thinking the show would take a turn for the worst once Clana was over.

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[–] lovemytwosweetkids 8 years ago

I just finished the last episode last night...first time seeing Smallvile. When Clark was with Lana, I could never imagine him being with anyone else, especially not Lois, who felt more like a sister. Boy, did I change my mind! I am a Clois fan all the way! I went from liking Lois (thought she was just ok) to adoring her character. The chemistry between Clark and Lois was off the charts!

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[–] hnt_dnl 8 years ago

A lot of viewers hated Clana, so I'd think they would tether themselves away from that awful relationship, rather than continue to embrace it the way that they did. I think the show would have been better served if they ended Clana in Season 5 and never re-visited the relationship other than as friends.

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[–] glynis23-282-577521 8 years ago

Problem being Lana as a character would have no where to go if they were to put a end to their melodramatic romance since her role as Clark's boyhood friend was taken up with Chloe.

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[–] brand242003 8 years ago

I think Clana went on so long because of the chemistry between the 2 characters and they had a huge fan base. The writers didn't know when to end it. You knew Lois was gonna end up with Clark in the future but on "Smallville" Lois was like a sister to Clark which totally ruin that. I mean she was suppose to be his soulmate but the show made it seem like Lana was Clark's soulmate. I never thought Lois & Clark had any romantic chemistry.

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[–] glynis23-282-577521 8 years ago

Clois was meant to be an after the show has ended love story, Lois was a bit character who became a series regular. In the mythology Lois falls for Superman not Clark.

Should've had better indications on why he doesn't end up with Lana, his obsession with her was taking up his future romance with Lois.

Early on the last episode would've been partly about Clana ending for good, but when the show went on for more than five-six seasons and when she left after season 7 it took a different direction.

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[–] kingaliencracker 8 years ago

If you ever listen to the DVD commentary, it just seemed as if Al & Miles were enamored with Kristen Kreuk's looks and felt there was this abundance of chemistry between her and Tom Welling. They've also stated that they built the story to the Lex/Clark/Lana triangle almost from the beginning but had to wait until Lana was "of age".

So with that, I would say that it seems more to me that they simply felt Lana brought with her more story lines, and not necessarily that the show would somehow end or not be as good without her.

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[–] glynis23-282-577521 8 years ago

It was only after SV ended they expressed regrets about Lana'a character arc, they dragged it on too long and ruined her in audience's minds, her response to Clark refusing to tell her his secret made her come off as cold and unsympathetic.

From what you say they didn't know when to end Clana, it was quite obvious it was going nowhere if not season 3 but certainly season 5, but they were so obsessed with KK they decided to ignore it.

It didn't help that she was taking up Clark's future romance with Lois due to their obsession with her.

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[–] glynis23-282-577521 8 years ago

So with that, I would say that it seems more to me that they simply felt Lana brought with her more story lines, and not necessarily that the show would somehow end or not be as good without her.

In retrospect why did they think Lana brought with her more storylines?

It was kind of obvious people were fed up with Clana after season 3 but they were so obsessed with Clana and Kristen that they decided to ignore it.

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[–] Wint3rFir3 (6931) 7 years ago

'If you ever listen to the DVD commentary, it just seemed as if Al & Miles were enamored with Kristen Kreuk's looks and felt there was this abundance of chemistry between her and Tom Welling. They've also stated that they built the story to the Lex/Clark/Lana triangle almost from the beginning but had to wait until Lana was "of age".'

Totally agree with this. To the point of absurdity, they loved the actress so much they refused to let her go or write her better story lines for her - even when all the fans had had enough, including Lana/Clana/Lexana fans. Boils my blood just thinking about it, tbh. But the show's survival without her, I feel, proves that she wasn't needed.

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[–] MickyMac (2966) 7 years ago

She wasn't needed for one it was always a doomed to fail love story, but their love for KK caused it to drag on four seven seasons and ruining any indication why he ends up with Lois.

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[–] MickyMac (2966) 6 years ago

Really all the keeping her in the dark about Clark's secret was just an excuse for on-screen tension.

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[–] Wint3rFir3 (6931) 6 years ago

I agree with you on both points.

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[–] MickyMac (2966) 6 years ago

It was a warning sign that they were afraid of killing the suspension of disbelief by having Lana know his secret.

By the time of SV the whole girlfriend not knowing the hero's identity the entire time had become time worn and not of a stretch of credibility.

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[–] Wint3rFir3 (6931) 6 years ago

I feel like the show played this repetitive game of 'Lana is too precious for this world, far too precious to know Clark's secret' vs. 'She's a grown woman, Clark is the one with the trust issues'. But it did so while giving audiences mixed messages of whether she could handle it or not. That's what really shot the credibility - we the viewers getting whiplash trying to decipher the show's opposing messages.

Because the writers refused to let Lana go. Thing is, she could have died at the end of season one and it probably would've made for a better show.

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[–] MickyMac (2966) 6 years ago

With the knowledge they won't end up together doesn't work the same as Ross & Rachel or Lois & Superman.

All the post Smallville shows have live interests and sidekicks know the hero's secret a lot quicker.

As said the love interest not knowing the entire time had become time worn.

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[–] glynis23-282-577521 8 years ago

Clana dragging on lead to shows like Arrow, Flash and Supergirl to have love interests and sidekicks let in on the hero's secret a lot quicker than six seasons.

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[–] youtubemisticaluser 7 years ago

If they did it doesn't make sense because Lana's character had been ruined after that Lex-marriage-pregnancy storyline. I'm sure I wasn't the only one that couldn't stand that romance drama anymore.

Characters do change and Lana couldn't remain damnsel in distress for her entire life but she became just annoying and apparently the writers are aware they should've gone in different direction with her.

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