S02.E09: 30 Days and 30 Nights

[scarynikki12]

Quote

Jordan's unexpected departure on the mayoral election day leaves Sarah rattled. Natalie and Sarah wonder if they notice a spark between John Henry and Lana.

 

 

[scarynikki12]

I knew Ally had minions in the DOD. Smart of Lucy to just hand off Sam's access card rather than risk getting noticed herself.

Huh, so maybe those people didn't die last week? No way Ally just died traveling through without a pendant so I guess we'll find out what happened to all of them.

And now Supes is traveling through after Ally. His suit got messed up so I guess he's now their Bizarro.

When Supes gets back the world is going to yell at him since he's been gone a while. Though this would be an excellent time to find out where Kara is exactly. Her show really should have sent her to the future or another planet. Good for Irons and Jordan for stepping in to help.

Ah here comes that football anger we've been looking for. Of course Coach Who Doesn't Like Jon weighs in. He does have a personal connection and interest in the cancelled season but he also has never liked Jon so...

It's the anniversary of Earth Whatever Lois' murder. Ouch. Maybe Irons didn't catch on initially because Prime's calendar slightly off? Like a Julian vs Gregorian calendar kind of thing?

Snugglemuffin cheering on Jordan flying a few feet. Fraternals goals.

I guess the weird fire CGI was X-K fire? 

Jordan you can have every power anyone can think of but I'd rather face you than Lois in scary mom mode.

Did Tyler need time off and that's why Supes vanished for over a month?

At least Jon finally told Lois about Candice. 

Dude that is Breaking Bad level of X-K production. I'm going to laugh so hard if Bryan Cranston or Aaron Paul show up.

Hee, Lois has been tied up so often she knows the different types of knots and their qualities.

Ok, Jordan, if you aren't going to pull the hood all the way up then we need to get you a mask. 

Mayor Lana. I hope Emily joins her administration.

I wonder what cover story Clark will write when he gets back. I'm sure Lana will want to read it so he should have something prepared. Maybe Sam will give him some details on what the DOD finds in the X-K lab and he can pretend he was hunting down related leads in Metropolis.

Is Jon finally coming into his powers??? Maybe he gets the x-ray vision? 

I see Bizarro Jon has arrived. We know he's bad news because he wears a motorcycle jacket. Never change television.

[Terrafamilia]

5 minutes ago, scarynikki12 said:

Is Jon finally coming into his powers??? Maybe he gets the x-ray vision? 

After doppel-Jon showed up I assumed the headache was consequence of that the way the presence of bizarro-Sups was screwing with Clark.

[cambridgeguy]

Speeding into the portal seemed uncharacteristically impetuous for Clark.  Maybe get some more information before heading in for what might be a one way trip?  Especially since the other members of the Justice League apparently can't be counted on to help out in his absence.

On the plus side, at least it wasn't Lucy herself who waltzed into the DOD to free Ally.  Having an inside person with the key card means their security isn't a complete joke, although they should probably enact some sort of duo authentication system.

And one month later that was one eventful day, wasn't it?  Let's see:

Election day - Lana wins!

Kyle fights an X-K fire, gets hurt, gets discharged, and gets visited (twice!) by his daughter in his crappy studio apartment.

Jordan saves Kyle, gets outed by John Henry, gets yelled at by his mom, goes with mom and grandpa to investigate the X-K den, saves the day, gets dumped by his girlfriend, and ends the night seeing his Bizarro brother walk up.  On the plus side these were probably the only circumstances that wouldn't end with him being grounded indefinitely.

John Henry flirts with Lana, suits up to stop the fire, heads home to get yelled at by Natalie, gets depressed watching old home videos, then ends up watching the same home videos with Nat.  I think Nat needs to remember that he's had six extra months to process things.

 

 

[bettername2come]

Jordan's getting too many powers. He's ruining my plan for him and Jonathan to get different halves of Clark's powers! Sigh. Well, maybe Jon can have X-ray vision. 

I'm so excited for Bizarro Jonathan. I'm confused/surprised as to why he looks normal after Bizarro Clark looked so messed up.

I'm glad Jonathan finally told the truth. Again, Candace is so not worth this drama, but I am glad she came forward with some useful info. 

I felt bad for Natalie not being able to show Sarah a picture of her mom. 

I miss Clark. At least we got a nice little clip of him in bed with Lois before he flew off. 

[cdnalor]

Weird that Bizarro Superman is the only one who looks like a Bizarro.  Our Clark went thru the portal, got his suit messed up, but still looks human, as does Bizarro Jonathan after coming to our universe.  Are we to think that Kryptonians just look like Bizarros in that reality?  They are aliens, after all.

[Cthulhudrew]

16 minutes ago, bettername2come said:

Jordan's getting too many powers. He's ruining my plan for him and Jonathan to get different halves of Clark's powers! Sigh. Well, maybe Jon can have X-ray vision. 

On the bright side, at least one isn't Blue and one Red. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[Lantern7]

"That's not our Jonathan." The kid comes in with styled hair and clad in leather, and it doesn't take Lois and Jordan at least one episode to figure that out?!? Maybe there's hope for this series after all!

A world without Superman sucks . . . and judging from the teaser for the next episode (in four weeks?!?), Bizarro World ain't paradise for Clark either. Just a lot of angst, secrets, and Lois probably wanting to hurt family members worse than her cult victim sister ever did. And then she caves with Jordan, admitting that the thing where he saved her and Sam's lives was pretty cool.

Between Jon saying goodbye to Candace and that last scene, was anyone else expecting her to get killed? I mean, Jon got her to come clean about the X-K, her sob story was laid out . . . so she's going to get wasted soon. Or am I being too cynical? Possibly Related: Shouldn't the Kent Farm gotten vandalized multiple times by now? Jon wrecking football season has to rate with Kyle acting as hype man for Superman's ne'er-do-well brother.

Poor Jordan. At least he's not alone in getting dumped in the Arrowverse tonight.

[scruff]

So Let me  guess what  happens  Next.     Sarah   sprints   out  (   faster  than   usain bolt   himself  )     and   Becomes  and  Declares  herself  a   Lesbian,   yet   somehow  Jordan  will  be  made  out  to  be viewed  as  the  Bad   guy   and  Villain... 

How   sad,   absurd  and    ridiculous.  

At    least   the  writers   had   the     decency   to make  her  character   give  jordan  back   his   family   heirloom .  

[blackwing]

I think Lucy didn't release Ally because the show didn't want to have to pay Jenna Dewan for a cameo appearance.

I get why Sarah is butthurt about Jordan not being around, but I honestly don't care about Sarah and her butthurt feelings.  I also don't really care about Jordan's feelings.  Or Natalie and her butthurt feelings.  I'm mostly just here for the superhero show.

It was interesting to me that Sarah has apparently changed her name to the family name Cortez but Kyle still seems to go by Cushing.

I did think that Jonathan was getting his powers at last but when Bizarro Jon showed up, it seems like just the headache that Clark had been getting.

Aren't there other superheroes in the world?  Why are the newscasters commenting on the absence of Superman?  Like why can't Supergirl help with the plane, or Aquaman with a boat.  Superman deserves a break too!

[Chicago Redshirt]

The fact that the xK operation is as big as it is, and yet is small as it is, is puzzling to me. If there were a drug that could randomly grant Superman-level powers that has (as far as we know) no side-effects and no addictive qualities, there is no way even the dumbest drug dealer would waste time recruiting random high schoolers to push it to the local football team. You could sell that for way more to celebs, big time criminals and wanna-be heroes. Or you could just keep it for yourself and rob all the banks you want. Like I could buy the notion that some rando Smallville resident stumbled on xK and gave it a whirl, and just had either a limited vision or limited means as to what to do about it. But given that there was a factory with two dozen people, at least two of whom were actively using the stuff...

Anyway, I think Candice still seemingly cares about Jon. I was thinking that after she gave up her suppliers, there was potentially going to be a moment where the xK cartel gunned her down in retaliation and that jumpstarted Jon's powers. I hope they don't fridge Candice that way. Maybe they can even develop her character.

[tennisgurl]

Oh snap, Bizarro Jon is here. You can tell he's Bizarro Jon because of his leather jack and styled hair, I'm surprised that they don't have him wearing eyeliner too, the only real way to tell if someone is evil. I am really excited to see Bizarro Jon and I hope we get more of Clark in Bizarro world, it looked really cool in that glimpse we saw. Fun episode, a bit of a transitional episode, but I am glad we got some forward momentum. 

Glad that a lot came out into the open this week, secrets in the Arrowverse never seem to go well. We now that Lucy is working with Ally and betrayed her family, that Jon is covering for Candace, that Sam is teaching Jordan about his powers, and we have even shut down the drug dealing operation. For now anyway, it sounds like someone bigger than some local punks is funding his, probably next seasons big bad?

Everyone is waiting around for Clark? Is Kara on vacation? Barry off on a cruise with Iris? Actually please let Barry and Iris be on a cruise, they could use the breather. 

Happy that Lana won, she really needed that win! Its too bad that Sara and Jordan broke up, but they have been on the rocks all season, they probably need the break. It does seem like Candace does care about Jon, but I still think its time for him to call it quits, this relationship has clearly not brought out the best in him.

Poor Nat. I can get John Henry wanting to try and move on with his life, but I am glad they are going to try and remember their Lois. I also liked Nat and Sarah together, Nat really needs friend who isn't a doppelganger of anyone she used to know.

I missed Clark, but am totally down for Bizarro world. 

[norcalgal]

20 hours ago, scarynikki12 said:

Ok, Jordan, if you aren't going to pull the hood all the way up then we need to get you a mask. 

You'd think Jordan would have thought to mask up.  He's got super speed. It wouldn't take long for him to don a mask before donning his Hero Hair (tm The Vampire Diaries).

Is Jon finally coming into his powers??? Maybe he gets the x-ray vision? 

I hope so!  

19 hours ago, cambridgeguy said:

And one month later that was one eventful day, wasn't it?  Let's see:

Speaking of one month...it's ridiculous that someone would buy the story that Clark has been/still is on a one month long story  - and here's the key part - where he can't be present at all at home. Can anyone who has knowledge of how news assignments work IRL chime in? 

John Henry flirts with Lana, suits up to stop the fire, heads home to get yelled at by Natalie, gets depressed watching old home videos, then ends up watching the same home videos with Nat.  I think Nat needs to remember that he's had six extra months to process things.

I thought Nat was a brat to her father. Because John doesn't mourn Lois in the *exact same way* as Nat means he's forgotten all about Lois, forgot she even exists?!  Let's put the shoe on the other foot:

If Natalie was the one who tried to move on and forget because it hurt too much, while her dad was still in deep mourning and acting on those feelings, would that make it OK for John to go bitch mode on Natalie for "forgetting Lois, as though she never existed"!?  The only allowance I will make for Nat is that she's still young and immature. She doesn't realize that everyone is allowed - yes, allowed to mourn IN THEIR OWN WAY! There's no one "right" way to mourn.

2 hours ago, Chicago Redshirt said:

The fact that the xK operation is as big as it is, and yet is small as it is, is puzzling to me. If there were a drug that could randomly grant Superman-level powers that has (as far as we know) no side-effects and no addictive qualities, there is no way even the dumbest drug dealer would waste time recruiting random high schoolers to push it to the local football team. You could sell that for way more to celebs, big time criminals and wanna-be heroes. Or you could just keep it for yourself and rob all the banks you want. 

Alllll this!

[Lantern7]

I figured out what this episode was missing: a montage of disasters that Superman could have prevented . . . set to the hit song "We Don't Talk About Kara."

Edited March 31, 2022 by Lantern7

[Affogato]

18 hours ago, Chicago Redshirt said:

The fact that the xK operation is as big as it is, and yet is small as it is, is puzzling to me. If there were a drug that could randomly grant Superman-level powers that has (as far as we know) no side-effects and no addictive qualities, there is no way even the dumbest drug dealer would waste time recruiting random high schoolers to push it to the local football team. You could sell that for way more to celebs, big time criminals and wanna-be heroes. Or you could just keep it for yourself and rob all the banks you want. Like I could buy the notion that some rando Smallville resident stumbled on xK and gave it a whirl, and just had either a limited vision or limited means as to what to do about it. But given that there was a factory with two dozen people, at least two of whom were actively using the stuff...

Anyway, I think Candice still seemingly cares about Jon. I was thinking that after she gave up her suppliers, there was potentially going to be a moment where the xK cartel gunned her down in retaliation and that jumpstarted Jon's powers. I hope they don't fridge Candice that way. Maybe they can even develop her character.

I think the thing that will straighten up the confusion about xK is Anderson. Someone noticed the effect and discovered the drug and it was authorized in secret for research purposes; in secret and possibly not going through legitimate channels, Many of the researchers may have felt they were operating legitimately. Maybe Ally was a financial backer.

The drug sales on the street could be someone's side hustle.

I never got the whole 'snugglebunny' thing and Jon is currently kind of boring me, although I liked that he got Candice to come clean about what was going on. Faux Jonathan is an interesting development.  In some ways Jonathan could be the kind of person that Ally could target for her cult--like Lucy, 'ignored' and overshadowed by a sibling--and maybe she got him in bizarroland and he is here to create Chaos before she shows up.

Edited March 31, 2022 by Affogato

[blackwing]

17 hours ago, norcalgal said:

Speaking of one month...it's ridiculous that someone would buy the story that Clark has been/still is on a one month long story  - and here's the key part - where he can't be present at all at home. Can anyone who has knowledge of how news assignments work IRL chime in? 

I've been on long term assignment for work before, and the treatment varies depending on the company.  For one company, we were allowed to go home for the weekend every two weeks.  Another one, we flew home every week for the weekend.  I guess Lois could say he's undercover or something.  But yeah, there will be some questions for sure about "where's that big story that Clark worked on".  As far as all of these people know, Clark doesn't work.  Apparently the cover story is that he is freelance now and just works when he wants to.

Lois could have said he came home briefly on the weekend but was too busy fixing things around the house to stop into town.  Or just say he's on a long fishing/camping trip with his friends from Metropolis.

32 minutes ago, Affogato said:

Okay, I really tried to watch Arrow, Flash and Supergirl and never really got invested in any of it and I'm happy if none of them show up. I am fine with the standard comic book plots where the other heroes are all off doing their own thing, except when they are having a group comic book. So, yeah, I get that you wanted Supergirl to visit for a two episode mini arc in the first season (and clarify how things are set up post crisis) and then return at the end to somehow have a part in the end of the Tal Rho thing, and this season she could indeed fill in for Superman and ..... You are just watching the wrong show. There are a lot of characters in this show and I'm happy to concentrate on them and also dying to find out what Bizarro world is like.

Actually, no, I don't want Supergirl to visit, and no, I am not watching the wrong show.  I've never seen an episode of Supergirl ever.  The show never appealed to me.  I do think there are plenty of others on this forum that have been commenting about Supergirl's absence and want her to show up.  But I'm not one of them.  What I wanted was just some acknowledgement from these newscasters that other heroes besides Superman are helping with these disasters.  "Train wreck just outside Metropolis, and Superman didn't show, good thing Supergirl was there.  Where is Superman anyways, we haven't seen him for a while."  They don't even need any footage of Supergirl on the news.  Just a throwaway line that other heroes in the world exist would have been nice.  I just don't care for the narrative that the newscasters are crafting that "Superman is abandoning us, he is failing us, how selfish of him to not be here!"

[Affogato]

2 minutes ago, blackwing said:

I've been on long term assignment for work before, and the treatment varies depending on the company.  For one company, we were allowed to go home for the weekend every two weeks.  Another one, we flew home every week for the weekend.  I guess Lois could say he's undercover or something.  But yeah, there will be some questions for sure about "where's that big story that Clark worked on".  As far as all of these people know, Clark doesn't work.  Apparently the cover story is that he is freelance now and just works when he wants to.

Lois could have said he came home briefly on the weekend but was too busy fixing things around the house to stop into town.  Or just say he's on a long fishing/camping trip with his friends from Metropolis.

Actually, no, I don't want Supergirl to visit, and no, I am not watching the wrong show.  I've never seen an episode of Supergirl ever.  The show never appealed to me.  I do think there are plenty of others on this forum that have been commenting about Supergirl's absence and want her to show up.  But I'm not one of them.  What I wanted was just some acknowledgement from these newscasters that other heroes besides Superman are helping with these disasters.  "Train wreck just outside Metropolis, and Superman didn't show, good thing Supergirl was there.  Where is Superman anyways, we haven't seen him for a while."  They don't even need any footage of Supergirl on the news.  Just a throwaway line that other heroes in the world exist would have been nice.  I just don't care for the narrative that the newscasters are crafting that "Superman is abandoning us, he is failing us, how selfish of him to not be here!"

Okay, sorry to offend.  I agree there is maybe some awkwardness but the show has enough going on. 
 

[Chicago Redshirt]

WRT Clark's supposed assignment in Metropolis, it's not IMO impossible that a journalist could have a story assignment that would take that long. But it's kind of a dumb lie because a) it seems like it would be all too easy for someone who saw fit to check it out to establish that actually, Clark didn't see anyone he knew in Metropolis, didn't show any traces of being in Metropolis (no credit card spending, no pictures/video of him in Metropolis, etc.) b) the notion that Metropolis would present such an in-depth story when it has at least one major newspaper makes little sense. c) even taking it at face value that Clark was working hard and undercover in Metropolis, there's still Internet access, cell phone service etc. that would enable him to be in touch, making his having ghosted Lana curious.

It would have been better to say that he was on a fellowship/assignment somewhere remote and thus did not have a way to connect (as well as it being more bulletproof against checking). Lois has been (presumably) helping cover for Clark's protracted absences for 15+ years. She should have better lies at the ready. 

[Diapason Untuned]

3 hours ago, Affogato said:

The drug sales on the street could be someone's side hustle.

After seeing the scale of the operation this episode, I don't doubt at all that Candice was just part of that dude's side hustle from skimming off the top.

 

Quote

 

I never got the whole 'snugglebunny' thing and Jon is currently kind of boring me, although I liked that he got Candice to come clean about what was going on. Faux Jonathan is an interesting development.  In some ways Jonathan could be the kind of person that Ally could target for her cult--like Lucy, 'ignored' and overshadowed by a sibling--and maybe she got him in bizarroland and he is here to create Chaos before she shows up.

 

I did get a chuckle out of the scene where Candice showed up. The stink-eye Lois was giving her was legendary!

 

2 hours ago, blackwing said:

Actually, no, I don't want Supergirl to visit, and no, I am not watching the wrong show.  I've never seen an episode of Supergirl ever.  The show never appealed to me.  I do think there are plenty of others on this forum that have been commenting about Supergirl's absence and want her to show up.  But I'm not one of them.  What I wanted was just some acknowledgement from these newscasters that other heroes besides Superman are helping with these disasters.  "Train wreck just outside Metropolis, and Superman didn't show, good thing Supergirl was there.  Where is Superman anyways, we haven't seen him for a while."  They don't even need any footage of Supergirl on the news.  Just a throwaway line that other heroes in the world exist would have been nice.  I just don't care for the narrative that the newscasters are crafting that "Superman is abandoning us, he is failing us, how selfish of him to not be here!"

This so much. I don't need a crossover (though I certainly wouldn't mind one), but they can at least write a plot that doesn't treat the idea of the shared universe like it doesn't exit.

 

29 minutes ago, Chicago Redshirt said:

WRT Clark's supposed assignment in Metropolis, it's not IMO impossible that a journalist could have a story assignment that would take that long. But it's kind of a dumb lie because a) it seems like it would be all too easy for someone who saw fit to check it out to establish that actually, Clark didn't see anyone he knew in Metropolis, didn't show any traces of being in Metropolis (no credit card spending, no pictures/video of him in Metropolis, etc.) b) the notion that Metropolis would present such an in-depth story when it has at least one major newspaper makes little sense. c) even taking it at face value that Clark was working hard and undercover in Metropolis, there's still Internet access, cell phone service etc. that would enable him to be in touch, making his having ghosted Lana curious.

It would have been better to say that he was on a fellowship/assignment somewhere remote and thus did not have a way to connect (as well as it being more bulletproof against checking). Lois has been (presumably) helping cover for Clark's protracted absences for 15+ years. She should have better lies at the ready. 

Would any of the folks in Smallville Lois lied to really go that far to check it out? The remote assignment thing might actually draw more attention as people would wonder why he went away so abruptly, especially when his kid was just accused of drug dealing not long ago.

At least the Metropolis thing, no one would really think about him being there, they would simply assume e was working long hours over there and they didn't see him when he was back.

[thuganomics85]

Heh, almost thought I was watching a Harry Potter film with all the snitches flying around!  Irons snitches on Jordan to Lois about his little superhero side gig.  Jordan doubles down and snitches about Sam training him to Lois as well.  But the best was saved for last!  Jonathan finally gets some sense knocked into him and admits that Candice was the true X-K dealer.  In all seriousness though, I'm glad this show doesn't keep secrets like this as long as other Arrowverse shows do and tend to actually move things along in a more natural way.

Clark getting sucked into Bizarro world seems like a classic way to give Tyler Hoechlin some time off (hey, the man's earned it!  He's even been pulling double-duty for a lot of this season thanks to Bizarro), but I liked seeing how his absence effected the family.  Not surprised that it made Lois be even more protective of their kids, but I liked seeing how both Jordan and Jonathan were rebelling in their own ways as well, because they almost feel like they have to be prepared for a life without him.  Hopefully Clark won't be gone for too long, but I'm curious to see how this will play out.

After getting frustrated by all the distance; along with some advice from Kyle; Sarah ends up breaking up with Jordan.  I can see the reasonings behind it, but I worry that it's leading to some atypical romantic drama: especially if it leads to her rekindling things with Aubrey.

The scenes with Irons and Natalie were emotional and well-acted.

Glad that Lana won the race and I'm curious to see what is in store for her as the mayor.

Lois might not have been able to figure out Candice was the X-K dealer, but she certainly caught on quickly that Jonathan at the end was Bizarro Jonathan because there was no way in this universe Jon would be caught dead in that get-up!  This should be fun!

[Chicago Redshirt]

20 hours ago, Diapason Untuned said:

Would any of the folks in Smallville Lois lied to really go that far to check it out? The remote assignment thing might actually draw more attention as people would wonder why he went away so abruptly, especially when his kid was just accused of drug dealing not long ago.

At least the Metropolis thing, no one would really think about him being there, they would simply assume e was working long hours over there and they didn't see him when he was back.

Chances are that Lana or anyone else would not try to check the story out, but you could never be too careful.  Especially when you don't know how long the absence is going to last. Saying that Clark's down in Metropolis for a few days covering a story and is somehow too busy to call, text or e-mail is maybe plausible. A week is a stretch. A month is pretty hard to swallow. The classic Lois Lane/Lana Lang types would get suspicious that Clark and Superman were never in the same place. When you have Clark and Superman both disappearing for a month....

Of course, it would be fairly easy to fake e-mails and texts from Clark to serve as a cover, so maybe I'm going too deep.

[scarynikki12]

That’s why I’m hoping we get a reference to a story when Clark returns. They can say his research took much longer than expected and went in unforeseen directions. It can be about anything like whoever is funding the X-K operation, Ally’s moves towards becoming a god, or something else entirely. I hope they have something prepared when he returns because I would expect Lana to want to read the piece if nothing else.

[bybrandy]

My mom travelled a bunch for work and I'm sure there were time she'd been gone a month or more.  And she certainly the times she travelled abroad she was gone for more than a month at a time.  

[Noneofyourbusiness]

On 3/31/2022 at 9:33 AM, Affogato said:

I never got the whole 'snugglebunny' thing and Jon is currently kind of boring me, although I liked that he got Candice to come clean about what was going on. Faux Jonathan is an interesting development.  In some ways Jonathan could be the kind of person that Ally could target for her cult--like Lucy, 'ignored' and overshadowed by a sibling--and maybe she got him in bizarroland and he is here to create Chaos before she shows up.

Maybe when Bizarro Jon goes back to the Bizarro World he can take Candice with him.

On 3/31/2022 at 12:41 PM, Chicago Redshirt said:

WRT Clark's supposed assignment in Metropolis, it's not IMO impossible that a journalist could have a story assignment that would take that long. But it's kind of a dumb lie because a) it seems like it would be all too easy for someone who saw fit to check it out to establish that actually, Clark didn't see anyone he knew in Metropolis, didn't show any traces of being in Metropolis (no credit card spending, no pictures/video of him in Metropolis, etc.) b) the notion that Metropolis would present such an in-depth story when it has at least one major newspaper makes little sense. c) even taking it at face value that Clark was working hard and undercover in Metropolis, there's still Internet access, cell phone service etc. that would enable him to be in touch, making his having ghosted Lana curious.

It would have been better to say that he was on a fellowship/assignment somewhere remote and thus did not have a way to connect (as well as it being more bulletproof against checking). Lois has been (presumably) helping cover for Clark's protracted absences for 15+ years. She should have better lies at the ready. 

Good points, especially about the phone/social media and it being unlikely there's a story in Metropolis that would take a month to cover.

[ahisma]

It’s a good thing Lana was so busy with the election that she didn’t notice that not only was her best friend Clark gone for her big day, but Lois, Jon, and Jordan also evaporated shortly after the big get-out-the-vote drive started. Some best friends they all are. At least Sarah noticed Jordan missing. 

Hey, they got Sophie for the whole day! It really struck me again how good the casting is for the Cushing family. They all do look related. The Sarah actress especially looks like Kyle’s daughter. 

Even before Sarah went for Natalie’s phone, I was thinking Nat would have to draw a picture of her mom for the altar—no way could she put a photo up. Somebody needs to tell Natalie to think of this Lois as the twin sister of her mom. If she called her Auntie Lois, it would help create that differentiation over time, even if it wouldn’t change her grief over losing her real mom.

[blackwing]

21 hours ago, ahisma said:

Hey, they got Sophie for the whole day! It really struck me again how good the casting is for the Cushing family. They all do look related. The Sarah actress especially looks like Kyle’s daughter. 

See, I've been thinking from the show's beginning that they were trying to introduce a vaguely Hispanic family and have never really clarified anything about them.  The actor who plays Kyle looks fairly white to me (I'm assuming the actor is half-Hispanic).  The kids look more Hispanic than he does, especially Sophie.  And they have never actually clarified what ethnicity Lana is supposed to be.  The actress is apparently of Moroccan ethnicity (for some reason I always thought she was Egyptian).  Is she supposed to be Hispanic as well, despite the last name Lang?  She doesn't regularly throw in Spanish words to Sarah like Kyle does.

I was glad they clarified earlier this year that the family name was Cortez and that Kyle's dad changed it to Cushing to try and assimilate.  I get that in the end, it doesn't really matter, people are people.  Maybe it doesn't need to be addressed (like how Lana was half-Asian on "Smallville" and not much, if anything, was ever said about it). 

But I kind of feel like if the show is going to take the trouble to have a Hispanic family on the show, at least continue to introduce elements of their culture.  They appear to be the only Hispanic family in town, so I'm assuming that not many people in Smallville even know what a quincenera is.  Sarah was good about explaining to Natalie how they honour the dead.  

[moonshine71]

1. Damn, not much in the way of comfort from Lois when her son gets dumped by his first girlfriend, that he thinks he's in love with. She is a hard ass.

2. Sara's family continues to have a really inflated opinion of her and what she deserves. Which I get, you always want your kid go know you're on their side, but considering how the Kent/Lang family are supposed to be pretty friendly with each other, Sara's parents don't seem especially supportive of her relationship w/ Jordan. I hear a lot more of "he doesn't deserve you for x reason" talk than "he's a good kid, be patient and maybe you can work things out".

 

 

[statsgirl]

Maybe Clark is undercover on his story and that's why no one has seen him.

When Jordan told Lois that Sara broke up with him, I was expecting herto say "This is why I didn't want you using your powers, the secret is too hard on relationships." I do think that she should go to Sara and tell her "It's  a family secret that Jordan cannot tell you. It's not his personal choice."

Damn, Lana was cold when Sara told her about how Kyle is doing. He cheated on her but he's doing what he can to fix it and support her now, which can't be said for many a cheating husband, but she's moved on.

Did I miss a mention of Lucy? There should be consequences for drugging her father and freeing Ally.

[Paloma]

7 hours ago, statsgirl said:

Damn, Lana was cold when Sara told her about how Kyle is doing. He cheated on her but he's doing what he can to fix it and support her now, which can't be said for many a cheating husband, but she's moved on.

She was lied to for an extended period, badly hurt, and publicly humiliated. She has a right to not be ready to forgive after a short time, no matter whether he is sorry and trying to make up for it. Just because he is acting nicer than some other cheating husbands doesn't obligate her to get over it. I don't think she has moved on anyway--I think she just needs more time to sit with her feelings and figure out whether they can stay married--but even if she does move on it would be understandable. (Yes, I am speaking from experience, though my experience was decades ago.)

[blackwing]

On 4/10/2022 at 7:41 PM, Paloma said:

She was lied to for an extended period, badly hurt, and publicly humiliated. She has a right to not be ready to forgive after a short time, no matter whether he is sorry and trying to make up for it. Just because he is acting nicer than some other cheating husbands doesn't obligate her to get over it. I don't think she has moved on anyway--I think she just needs more time to sit with her feelings and figure out whether they can stay married--but even if she does move on it would be understandable. (Yes, I am speaking from experience, though my experience was decades ago.)

Agreed.  I've been wondering if she is going to have any financial issues.  I assume she is still working at Morgan Edge's bank.  Even though he was disgraced, the bank is still operational, right?  And now she is Mayor.  I'm not sure if Mayor of Smallville is a full time position or not... in many small towns/villages in my area, I don't think the mayor/village president/whatever position is full-time.  It's a part-time gig and doesn't require a full work week.  But it should pay her a little bit of extra money.

I've been wondering what Lois and Clark are doing for money... Lois is working for a struggling newspaper that can't possibly afford her, and Clark is unemployed.  Are they just living off savings?  Maybe she has a book or two out there that is providing royalties.

[Chicago Redshirt]

29 minutes ago, blackwing said:

Agreed.  I've been wondering if she is going to have any financial issues.  I assume she is still working at Morgan Edge's bank.  Even though he was disgraced, the bank is still operational, right?  And now she is Mayor.  I'm not sure if Mayor of Smallville is a full time position or not... in many small towns/villages in my area, I don't think the mayor/village president/whatever position is full-time.  It's a part-time gig and doesn't require a full work week.  But it should pay her a little bit of extra money.

I've been wondering what Lois and Clark are doing for money... Lois is working for a struggling newspaper that can't possibly afford her, and Clark is unemployed.  Are they just living off savings?  Maybe she has a book or two out there that is providing royalties.

Lana went to work for Morgan Edge directly at a separate company than the bank she was originally at. I'm under the impression that company has shut down and there was some sort of don't-think-about-it-too-much redistribution of its assets to compensate Smallvillians/the city for Edge's schemes. Presumably the bank she was at still exists and she could have gone back there. I have to think that mayor is a paying/full-time position or else Dean wouldn't have wanted it so bad.

Lois and Clark were for nearly 20 years reporters at the Daily Planet. According to Google, the NYT pays its reporters with two years' experience a minimum of over $100k. I think it's safe to say that Lois and Clark were making at least $150k a year apiece as reporters for the last 10 years. They sold their Metropolis brownstone so they could have an ownership stake in the Gazette. One would think that there would have to be some money left over. Clark also got life insurance from Martha's death, and I'm under the impression that the farm is actually a working farm on some level. So they should have some money in the bank. Also, on the one hand there's a lot that they don't have to spend because of Clark's abilities. But then their insurance premiums must be through the roof given how often Lois gets kidnapped, their stuff gets blown up, etc. 

 

[Paloma]

11 minutes ago, Chicago Redshirt said:

Also, on the one hand there's a lot that they don't have to spend because of Clark's abilities. But then their insurance premiums must be through the roof given how often Lois gets kidnapped, their stuff gets blown up, etc. 

I was torn between reacting to your post as useful or funny, so I did the first and then quoted so I could say how much I enjoyed your analysis of their financial pros and cons.

[Chicago Redshirt]

1 hour ago, Paloma said:

I was torn between reacting to your post as useful or funny, so I did the first and then quoted so I could say how much I enjoyed your analysis of their financial pros and cons.

Imagine the Kent/Lane insurance adjuster being like, "What the? The Kent family SUV was totaled after it rammed through an abandoned building in the middle of nowhere? Wasn't it just last month that the Kent truck was blown up by a car bomb? And then there was that time when their barn had all that mysterious damage that looked like machine gun fire...time to raise their rates"

[Affogato]

On 4/19/2022 at 12:05 PM, Chicago Redshirt said:

Lana went to work for Morgan Edge directly at a separate company than the bank she was originally at. I'm under the impression that company has shut down and there was some sort of don't-think-about-it-too-much redistribution of its assets to compensate Smallvillians/the city for Edge's schemes. Presumably the bank she was at still exists and she could have gone back there. I have to think that mayor is a paying/full-time position or else Dean wouldn't have wanted it so bad.

Lois and Clark were for nearly 20 years reporters at the Daily Planet. According to Google, the NYT pays its reporters with two years' experience a minimum of over $100k. I think it's safe to say that Lois and Clark were making at least $150k a year apiece as reporters for the last 10 years. They sold their Metropolis brownstone so they could have an ownership stake in the Gazette. One would think that there would have to be some money left over. Clark also got life insurance from Martha's death, and I'm under the impression that the farm is actually a working farm on some level. So they should have some money in the bank. Also, on the one hand there's a lot that they don't have to spend because of Clark's abilities. But then their insurance premiums must be through the roof given how often Lois gets kidnapped, their stuff gets blown up, etc. 

 

The kids also need college money. 

[Chicago Redshirt]

3 hours ago, Affogato said:

The kids also need college money. 

I would think that Clark and Lois would have already taken care of that upfront.

Theoretically, it's not like the Kents should ever have to worry about money when, apart from the serious and straightforward cash they have made as two of the world's top journalists, Clark could actually capitalize on his super-powers and connections.

He can go turn a bunch of lumps of coals into diamonds, salvage sunken treasure (albeit he might bend Aquaman's nose out of joint if he were to do so), mine precious metals on countless planets, bring alien tech to Earth, pass off Kryptonian or other history/literature/pop culture as his own sci fi, etc. etc. etc. 

Not to mention that he could ask for a loan from any of the billionaires that he counts among his friends and acquaintances.

[Affogato]

On 4/20/2022 at 5:54 PM, Chicago Redshirt said:

I would think that Clark and Lois would have already taken care of that upfront.

Theoretically, it's not like the Kents should ever have to worry about money when, apart from the serious and straightforward cash they have made as two of the world's top journalists, Clark could actually capitalize on his super-powers and connections.

He can go turn a bunch of lumps of coals into diamonds, salvage sunken treasure (albeit he might bend Aquaman's nose out of joint if he were to do so), mine precious metals on countless planets, bring alien tech to Earth, pass off Kryptonian or other history/literature/pop culture as his own sci fi, etc. etc. etc. 

Not to mention that he could ask for a loan from any of the billionaires that he counts among his friends and acquaintances.

I would never have thought of any of this. 

Edited April 23, 2022 by Affogato

[legaleagle53]

5 hours ago, Affogato said:

I would never have thought of any of this. 

But how would Clark and Lois explain all of this sudden new-found wealth from sources that only Superman would have access to?

[ouinason]

Well, if they do it in the right way, they don't.  Clark can say he's got a job as a consultant for some overseas company on the US political/economic situation and funnel cash in slowly for his "excellent salary", plus bonuses and other gifts from his "bosses".  Some shell companies overseas and proper tax payment, nobody is going to ask too many questions.

[Chicago Redshirt]

On 4/23/2022 at 4:20 PM, legaleagle53 said:

But how would Clark and Lois explain all of this sudden new-found wealth from sources that only Superman would have access to?

In terms of getting the wealth, many of the sources are accessible by others besides Superman.

Diamonds made by Clark squeezing coal: Not inherently unique. He could fly anywhere on the planet to sell them in a random civilian guise, or get a trusted third party to do it. As long as Clark didn't try to move too many at once in one place, he'd be fine.  

Sunken sea treasure; Might be a little harder to explain how he came upon all these Spanish doubloons, say, but he could melt gold down with heat vision and reshape it. Again, selling incognito/third-party wouldn't be difficult. 

Precious metals from alien planets: As long as the metals are found on Earth, same as above. If they were things like Nth metal that are purely extraterrestrial, that would be harder to explain. But then the buyers might not care where Rando Guy got the Nth metal, only that it is unique and valuable.

Kryptonian/otherworldly pop culture/history: Clark and Lois can simply go with "I got this/was inspired by my good friend Superman." I suppose that if some Daxamite author wants to file a copyright claim against Clark/Lois for stealing their story, that might be an issue. 

Alien tech would be one thing that would raise an eyebrow as to the only plausible way to get that would be to be an alien or to have contacts with aliens. But we have to handwave the notion that alien tech isn't more ubiquitous already. I mean, given that there are power sources, supercomputers, spaceships, etc. that it seems multiple alien races have and that a lot of aliens have come to Earth as refugees as per Supergirl, it's surprising that some haven't capitalized on their knowledge to get rich selling a better iPad or what have you. 

Loans from rich people like Ray Palmer, Ollie Queen/Felicity Smoak, Kate Kane or Bruce Wayne (although admittedly it's not clear what the relationships are between Clark and any of these, especially post-Crisis, and some of these may no longer be around or be billionaires): it's not like they would need anything more than a handshake deal.

I forgot one additional category - gambling/gaming. It's probably too close to an ethical line for Clark, but he could pretty easily make as much money as he wanted in this arena. Even assuming he couldn't/wouldn't use his X-ray vision to actually see the cards in someone's hand or in the deck, Clark would be able to pick up tells like no one else when it comes to things like poker and he could calculate odds far better than a typical person. And while Clark would not be wise to go out for the Metropolis football team in any guise, I'm sure there are games like chess or whatever that he could plausibly play at a pro level as Clark.  

Anyway, once Lois and Clark had the wealth, it would be a fairly easy thing I think to gradually introduce it into their aboveboard finances as long as they were not blatant or stupid with it.

Edited April 25, 2022 by Chicago Redshirt

[Avabelle]

I agree that I don’t expect Lana to have much warmth for Kyle after a six month affair. I think what bugs me about the story is that the Kyle and Lana introduced in the pilot were far from a happy couple. That doesn’t excuse a six month affair but I kind of feel they’ve just plopped it into the storyline without too much detail as a reason to seperate Lana/Kyle because they have bigger plans for Lana this season. I like Kyle but I feel like he’s being relegated to the Whitney Ford role of this show. 
 

its clear they want the single mom angle for Lana but it’s annoying they didn’t just introduce her as a widow or divorced.

Maldonado never thought I’d say this but Jordan sweetie, you can do better than Sarah.

 

Edited May 10, 2022 by Avabelle

[Affogato]

It is hard to think of things Superman could actually sell, not just legally but ethically. Sunken treasure would have archeological and historical significance and if he obtained it as Superman and was selling it as Clark he couldn't properly catalogue it--and I suspect that it would belong to someone, either by virtue of its orgin or place where it sunk. So, maybe Supes could raise a few ships and use the proceeds to bring an island out of poverty, but selling the stuff for his own gain would be problematical. Similarly diamonds don't have much value divested from their point of origin these days. If Lois was a sculptor (the world knows he knows Lois)he could collaborate on sculptures made with precious stones and they would sell well --honestly, Dali did this, but not with Superman--but, she isn't. He could probably pick up a few good quality emeralds and sell them without many issues, although people might wonder where Clark got them. If he could get most commodities it would be hard to justify not giving them to the poverty stricken. Perhaps he could get quantities of oil, but it would do the world very little good.

I think his best shot would be designing something useful and fairly cheap. something that would make a good income being just what the world needs, even if sold at a fair price. He's smart, right? With John Henry and Natalie, maybe a super cheap electric car and battery. John Henry could take the credit and Clark  could be an investor. Maybe something to filter forever chemicals out of the soil.

[norcalgal]

5 minutes ago, Affogato said:

think his best shot would be designing something useful and fairly cheap. something that would make a good income being just what the world needs, even if sold at a fair price. He's smart, right? With John Henry and Natalie, maybe a super cheap electric car and battery. John Henry could take the credit and Clark  could be an investor. Maybe something to filter forever chemicals out of the soil.

I’m on board with this, but another thing Superman could do is sell items he’s used. Just look at our own IRL celebrity culture and how people will buy game worn jerseys or other crap worn/consumed/used by famous people. I’m sure there’s a market out there for Supe merch.

[John Potts]

While I tend to find most of the “drama” stuff annoying, it actually made sense here. Nat grieving over her dead mother, the Kents worried about their father, even Sarah feeling she’s being neglected by Jordan (which was fair, at least from her POV) actually gave a real reason for them to act the way they did. The Mayoral stuff was kinda dull and the result inevitable, only Lana seemed to have gone from plotting in her kitchen to having a whole campaign operation big enough to run a Senatorial campaign (which I know Smallville did). Isn’t Smallville meant to be a small town?

Lois charging in to danger without thinking into danger is in keeping with her character, but why did the head of the DoD go with no back up!?

What did Clark do to shield himself going through the portal?

On 3/30/2022 at 2:00 AM, scarynikki12 said:

When Supes gets back the world is going to yell at him since he's been gone a while.

Though that kinda pissed me off. Apparently, now Superman is meant to deal with every disaster. Have the coastguard/police/army all been disbanded? He's a volunteer, they're actually paid to deal with this stuff. Of course, it's possible people would still whine about him not being there to help out, but it would be rather self centred.

On 3/30/2022 at 2:00 AM, scarynikki12 said:

Ah here comes that football anger we've been looking for. Of course Coach Who Doesn't Like Jon weighs in. He does have a personal connection and interest in the cancelled season but he also has never liked Jon so...

I’m impressed at how loyal Jon* is. He could expose at least some of his fellow X-K users but he didn’t and only gave up his girlfriend when his family learned of the X-K connection. I’m guessing she (and her family) will be OK, because govt protection proving worthless is not the sort of show this is.

On 3/30/2022 at 2:00 AM, scarynikki12 said:

Ok, Jordan, if you aren't going to pull the hood all the way up then we need to get you a mask. 

Nah, just put on a pair of glasses. That makes you completely unrecognisable.

On 3/30/2022 at 2:13 AM, cambridgeguy said:

at least it wasn't Lucy herself who waltzed into the DOD to free Ally.  Having an inside person with the key card means their security isn't a complete joke

Except how many are there? The break out should have been revealed immediately or at least once she tried to leave the base, unless there are a lot of others who failed to prevent her escape. Even if she bluffed enough guards to escape, you'd think somebody would check with the commander well before she could get to the mine.

 

* I guess we should refer to him as "Jon Prime"