S02.E11: Truth And Consequences

[scarynikki12]

 

[scarynikki12]

There's a storm heading to Nashville so let's see how long my signal lasts.

MuffinSnuggle (thanks @Chicago Redshirt) better not hurt my SnuggleMuffin!

Ok the signal's spotty so I saw Supes get there to prevent the merging but I didn't catch what MS said before flying away.

As much as I love Clark being dorky Dad Clark Having Serious Family Talks if my favorite Clark.

Clark when this is over Jon's actions should still matter but I get why you're putting them aside.

I knew Lana would want details on Clark's "assignment" so Lois better come up with something soon.

Ok Clark and Lois are talking about something...ok I caught that his month away was longer than his time in BizarroWorld. Thank you, Lois for offering to talk to Lana. 

Signal's really messing up now that Clark and Lois are revisiting Jon's screwups. Come on signal work with me here! Wait until 9 before you mess up.

Oh good, now it went out entirely in the middle of Irons and Nat. I caught her concern about the MS having the pendant and then nothing.

Signal's back and we're on Lana and Sarah. Lana and Kyle are giving Sarah a car. That's cool and she's 100% going to break the car rules as soon as she can so be realistic Lana.

Twin Talk! Signal's strong enough now so I can see Jon teasing Jordan about his letter. 

Ok MS seeking out, and attacking, Lana has me certain she's either going to successfully merge with BizLana or Clark will save her and she'll learn he's Superman.

I really hate that on storm days the commercials on the CW are always clear while the shows aren't. 

The bits that I can see of the talk between Lois and Sarah are good.

Jordan's moving closer and closer to telling Sarah. I wonder who will find out first: Lana or Sarah?

Irons and Nat are digging up X-K but I don't know why. Stupid signal.

Lana thinks MS is Jon high on X-K while he talks about BizarroWorld which is a nice touch.

I don't think they need to walk around telling everyone about Clark and Jordan, as that's Barry's MO, but they could safely tell Lana and then go case by case.

MS is pretty smart as his Kryptonite maneuver showed. Now Supes is weakened and hurting.

And the signal's out again. Seriously, CW, allow the whole country the option to live stream.

Ok it's back and I see Jordan about to face off against MS.

Lana looks like she's going to try and remove the Kryptonite from Supes.

It's nice that BizLana pulled her punches and left Irons with barely a scratch.

Damn MS is kicking Jordan's ass. 

Yeah, I suspect Supes should have taken Lana with him since BizLana is around. Oh, good, he went back and got her.

Hee, Jordan flew and then...fell.

"This is for my brother" awww twin love. And nice touch that Supes just let Jordan punch MS. He may have the same face but he's no SnuggleMuffin.

And signal starts crapping out again during the nice talk between Lana and Supes.

Ok, Jordan, we get you want to tell Sarah about your powers but don't be an ass.

Fucking signal trying to ruin Clark telling Lana he's Superman. BTW, Clark, there do look to be houses close enough that an occupant can see you floating in the air. The split second of Lana's reaction that I was able to see did seem like she's going to react positively so that's good.

I'm selfish and glad the show will be back at the end of May because I have to work late next week.

[cambridgeguy]

So what's in the Smallville water?  Lana, John, and Natalie took massive hits from superpowered people (John got smacked around even more than the other two) and they're completely fine?  All three of them should probably be checked out by a doctor.

At least they mentioned Sam near the end but did no one think to call him and the DoD?  He didn't bother to set up some sort of monitoring system and armed guards at the portal? 

I'm not sure Lana will take the big reveal all that well - it's too easy for Clark if she's just instantly OK with it.  Rational or not, it's natural to be pissed if your best friend hides something like that. 

Speaking of the reveal, maybe Clark should call up Kara and get her perspective on the matter. 

Edited May 4, 2022 by cambridgeguy

[legaleagle53]

16 minutes ago, cambridgeguy said:

I'm not sure Lana will take the big reveal all that well - it's too easy for Clark if she's just instantly OK with it.  Rational or not, it's natural to be pissed if your best friend hides something like that. 

Especially given the fact that she and Clark grew up together and have known each other since they were kids (and don't forget that they dated for quite a while when they were in high school). This should have the impact of a nuclear bomb.

[scarynikki12]

20 minutes ago, cambridgeguy said:

I'm not sure Lana will take the big reveal all that well - it's too easy for Clark if she's just instantly OK with it.  Rational or not, it's natural to be pissed if your best friend hides something like that. 

Maybe she'll be awed and thrilled at first but switches to anger when he asks her not to tell anyone? That could also let her focus on him not telling her when they were younger and waiting so long after they reconnected as adults.

 

23 minutes ago, cambridgeguy said:

So what's in the Smallville water?  Lana, John, and Natalie took massive hits from superpowered people (John got smacked around even more than the other two) and they're completely fine?  All three of them should probably be checked out by a doctor.

It'd be nice if this was an X-K side effect for people living in Smallville. Like if you actively take it it causes temporary powers and behavioral problems but just being exposed to trace amounts like the Smallvillians are means you can survive an attack from a powered person?

[scruff]

Sadly   Sarah   was   featured   once  again,   so    this    episode was  Pretty   terrible.   

[Primal Slayer]

It was definitely a step up from Bizarro world but did we really just return for...2 episodes? Only to go on ANOTHER hiatus? Did I see that right?

I really wish that the 2 Jonathans would've merged though or that we will. I love my heroes to win but I also need them to have some losses...especially when its a 50/50 win lol.

But the whole mergers thing is more well thought out than what the Arrowverse did with their dopplegangers. Wouldve been a better way to deal with Caitlin/Frost or even the Laurels.

The ending was great, not sure if Clark should've done it in an area where there are houses RIGHT there but a great scene.

[bettername2come]

Ok, I really enjoyed this one. Lois screaming for her kids never fails to get me. I think Lois screaming "Jonathan, STOP!" got Bizarro Jon for a moment before he refocused. 

The family dynamics played nicely, even if the Kents fighting drives me crazy, they all had decent points at times. Like, yes, Dad lying about who and what he is was very screwed up and makes him and Mom sound like complete hypocrites when they try to take the moral high ground. Yes, Jonathan, taking kryptonite-based drugs was very, very stupid and irresponsible, and you should not be lying for this girl who is so not worth it. Jordan, you should not tell your ex-girlfriend in a desperate attempt to not lose her, especially without a family meeting on the subject first. Especially especially when Dad said wait a year and you agreed.  And Clark, why are you acting like preserving your secret is why you didn't confront Jon-El in the middle of Main Street when clearly the reason you shouldn't have confronted him is because Lana would've been in mortal peril if Jon-El did something there?

Your mom's a writer, Jordan, no wonder she wants you to write a letter. But what the fuck trying to give it to Sarah when her mother is in mortal peril and you're keeping that part secret from her too?! Your timing is terrible. What are you thinking?

Lana, maybe go for the biggest piece of kryptonite first. I didn't make the connection to Jon-El's plan with the kryptonite while he was prepping the gas. 

Nice to see the Irons family again. That's really all I got there. 

I loved the Jordan/Jon-El fight. Jordan flying was really cool, him falling was hilarious, I'm glad Clark saved him, but I was prepared for a Jordan-shaped Looney Tunes-esque hole in the ground. His final "this is for my brother" punch was so cheesy. Wasn't that what the whole thing was for?

I did love how Clark was reasonable and wanted to talk it over with the family before telling Lana, but I absolutely loved that they wouldn't let him finish before agreeing he should tell. It's nice to see them all on the same page. 

In Offscreenville, I'm glad Kyle and Lana are communicating and co-parenting well enough to decide Sarah deserves the car. I was also amused that Jon-El didn't seem insincere when he called the car "not bad."

2 minutes ago, Primal Slayer said:

Wouldve been a better way to deal with Caitlin/Frost or even the Laurels.

Words cannot express how much I wish they had just had Caitlin stuck in the middle like they were at the end of season 3. 

[Cthulhudrew]

Not gonna lie, I was expecting the writers to pull the rug out from under the big reveal by having Lana tear open her shirt to reveal the inverted "S" insignia of Bizarro-Lana.

John Henry is going to have more concussions than Giles from Buffy, at this rate.

While it was good to see Emo kid beat up Punk Jon, I felt that they undersold the moment by just having him up and turn things around out of the blue. Needed some cutaways to concerned Jordan seeing his mom's anguished face and his brother's concern to push him over the edge.

For all my criticisms, I still really enjoy the heck out of this show.

[Primal Slayer]

13 minutes ago, Cthulhudrew said:

While it was good to see Emo kid beat up Punk Jon, I felt that they undersold the moment by just having him up and turn things around out of the blue. Needed some cutaways to concerned Jordan seeing his mom's anguished face and his brother's concern to push him over the edge.

Yeah...B!Jon taking care of Jordan with ease the first time around but not the 2nd was weird & cliche. Especially with Jordan just literally out of nowhere getting stronger and going all "now whose weak". With how long it took, it REALLY took the suspense out of the scene.

[bettername2come]

13 minutes ago, Primal Slayer said:

Especially with Jordan just literally out of nowhere getting stronger and going all "now whose weak".

In fairness, Jon-El should be growing weaker from the lack of red sun, whereas the first fight between Jon-El and Jordan was at night when Jordan would have less ability to recharge.

[Primal Slayer]

2 minutes ago, bettername2come said:

In fairness, Jon-El should be growing weaker from the lack of red sun, whereas the first fight between Jon-El and Jordan was at night when Jordan would have less ability to recharge.

Fair point, I just wish they wouldve shown it more. B!Jon was taking his sweet time once he got to Earth Prime and defeated the first time.

[Lantern7]

I like Superman. I like Lois. It's the kids I find exhausting.

Lois: (reading Jonathan's letter) You were going to tell Sarah your secret?

Jonathan: She deserves to know! I don't want to lie to her anymore!

Jordan: Maybe Mom doesn't like it for the grammar?

Lois: No! Sarah's secret and our secret are not the same thing!

Jon-El: Yeah, you tell 'im!

Kents: WHAT TH-?!?

Jon-El: I have a sensitive nose. I got a huge whiff of simp, and it lead me here. (pause) Is that the right word? I know things are different in this bizarre world-

Jonathan: Hey, fuck you! You're the bizarre one!!!

Jon-El: Whatever. Come here and do the Fusion Dance with me. You don't have any powers and your family sucks ass. Joining with me is the only way your life can get better.

Lois: You leave my boys alone!!

Jon-El: You're not my mom!!!

Natalie: *sigh* Tell me about it . . .

Damn, Superman took Kryptonite shards like a boss. Has it been established that his suit might've be able to prevent penetration? And now Clark reveals his secret to Lana. Stupid move . . . but in his defense, he doesn't do that every fifth episode, unlike some superheroes . . .

Seriously, how is John Henry still alive? BizarroLana bashed him against the rocks really hard. And she got powered up when JH tried to use red sunlight to weaken her. That was funny for me.

2 hours ago, scarynikki12 said:

Hee, Jordan flew and then...fell.

"Wow, I'm in the air! Wait, what's keeping me SSSSSSSSHHHHHHHIIIIIITTTTTT!!!!!" Maybe he could Zoom with Billy Batson. Or get a magic feather.

2 hours ago, cambridgeguy said:

Speaking of the reveal, maybe Clark should call up Kara and get her perspective on the matter. 

Cut to the cast singing "We Don't Talk About Kara" . . .

1 hour ago, Cthulhudrew said:

For all my criticisms, I still really enjoy the heck out of this show.

With Legends of Tomorrow getting canceled, Flash dragging ass and Stargirl still in the future, S&L might be the "must watch" show for the Arrowverse.

[dwmarch]

I still want an explanation for the glasses being such a great disguise. Lana saying "OMG, you're Superman!" had me saying "NO SHIT!" Like how has she never noticed? I really need the show to throw me a bone here.

[Noneofyourbusiness]

3 hours ago, cambridgeguy said:

So what's in the Smallville water?  Lana, John, and Natalie took massive hits from superpowered people (John got smacked around even more than the other two) and they're completely fine?  All three of them should probably be checked out by a doctor.

At least they mentioned Sam near the end but did no one think to call him and the DoD?  He didn't bother to set up some sort of monitoring system and armed guards at the portal? 

The red sun and the proximity of X-Kryptonite in the mines?

Good point. The military loves securing and sealing off things. It's totally unrealistic they would just leave it like that.

2 hours ago, Primal Slayer said:

did we really just return for...2 episodes? Only to go on ANOTHER hiatus? Did I see that right?

You did.

58 minutes ago, Lantern7 said:

I like Superman. I like Lois. It's the kids I find exhausting.

Lois: (reading Jonathan's letter) You were going to tell Sarah your secret?

Jonathan: She deserves to know! I don't want to lie to her anymore!

Jordan: Maybe Mom doesn't like it for the grammar?

Jordan: Why is Jonathan writing to my ex-girlfriend?

[Chicago Redshirt]

3 hours ago, scarynikki12 said:

As much as I love Clark being dorky Dad Clark Having Serious Family Talks if my favorite Clark.

...

Ok MS seeking out, and attacking, Lana has me certain she's either going to successfully merge with BizLana or Clark will save her and she'll learn he's Superman.

....

Irons and Nat are digging up X-K but I don't know why. Stupid signal.

....

MS is pretty smart as his Kryptonite maneuver showed. Now Supes is weakened and hurting.

For me, Dorky Dad Clark beats out Serious Family Talks Clark, but I love them both. It's a tribute to the writers and Tyler that both work, where in less capable hands, they could come off corny or cliched or boring.

I imagine the only other successful merger there may be is SnuggleMuffin and MuffinSnuggle. It would allow Jon to finally have powers. Also, I suspect the only person powerful enough to fight merged Ally would be a merged Kryptonian. Or two. Maybe Tal-Rho is going to merge with Biza-Rho. 

The Irons family uses X-K as a power source, and so they needed to get some to power the device they were making to prevent SnuggleMuffin and MuffinSnuggle from giving each other debilitating headaches from being in the same dimension.

MS is smart in one sense because it was clever of him to come up with the trap. But a) where did he get the Kryptonite from? b) he's lucky that Clark doesn't just sweep places with X-Ray so he didn't avoid the trap c) MS should have either finished the job or at least truly constrained Lana so she couldn't help him/taken Superman to some isolated place where no one could help him. 

 

3 hours ago, cambridgeguy said:

So what's in the Smallville water?  Lana, John, and Natalie took massive hits from superpowered people (John got smacked around even more than the other two) and they're completely fine?  All three of them should probably be checked out by a doctor.

At least they mentioned Sam near the end but did no one think to call him and the DoD?  He didn't bother to set up some sort of monitoring system and armed guards at the portal? 

I'm not sure Lana will take the big reveal all that well - it's too easy for Clark if she's just instantly OK with it.  Rational or not, it's natural to be pissed if your best friend hides something like that. 

Speaking of the reveal, maybe Clark should call up Kara and get her perspective on the matter. 

It's clear that MuffinSnuggle did not want to inflict any serious damage to Lana because he was hoping that she would merge with his aunt.

I turned into a 13 year old again when thinking of what to call Bizarro-Lana besides just that and it occurred to me what Lana spelled backwards is. 

Anyway, Bizarro-Lana apparently was willing to show some mercy so I guess she pulled her punches.

Yeah, it stretches credibility that there was essentially never a monitoring system set up in the mines and particularly now that it was known for the past 30 days that there was a portal there where Superman disappeared. Also, it takes a little handwaving to think that there is still xK in the mines just lying around there and easily accessed between the DOD and the drug dealers, and in particular that there was a vein right there by the portal.

38 minutes ago, Lantern7 said:

Damn, Superman took Kryptonite shards like a boss. Has it been established that his suit might've be able to prevent penetration? And now Clark reveals his secret to Lana. Stupid move . . . but in his defense, he doesn't do that every fifth episode, unlike some superheroes . . .

....

With Legends of Tomorrow getting canceled, Flash dragging ass and Stargirl still in the future, S&L might be the "must watch" show for the Arrowverse.

I don't think Clark telling Lana is a stupid move at all. Lana is a smart and trustworthy person in general and who will keep the Kent family's best interests at heart. In this particular context, she also should know more about the secret because of the imminent threat of Bizarro-Lana and the rest of this whole situation. Now I suppose it's fair as to whether Kyle, Sarah and Sophie all need to be brought into the Circle of Trust, and some of them probably aren't ready for it.

Stargirl is explicitly not an Arrowverse show. Naomi is not an Arrowverse show. So as of now, Flash and S&L are the only returning Arrowverse shows. Mileage will vary, but as much as I have liked or tolerated other Arrowverse shows at various times, S&L has been the only "must watch" one during its existence, and pretty easily is better than almost all of the other shows' previous seasons. S1-2 of Flash and Arrow and maybe S1 of Supergirl might have decent arguments.

[cambridgeguy]

5 hours ago, dwmarch said:

I still want an explanation for the glasses being such a great disguise. Lana saying "OMG, you're Superman!" had me saying "NO SHIT!" Like how has she never noticed? I really need the show to throw me a bone here.

Yeah, that ship sailed a long time ago, especially since taking the glasses off STILL wasn't enough.  At least Lana has the excuse of not really interacting face to face with Superman (and hey, were you hitting on the guy when you invited him in?  Confidence!).  Contrast that with Lois, who worked with/dated adult Clark and interviewed Superman but also needed to see Clark floating in front of her.  Someone needs to tell Barry that he doesn't need to bother with the cowl that he likes to take off all the time, he just needs to put on a pair of glasses in his civilian life.

7 hours ago, bettername2come said:

Yes, Jonathan, taking kryptonite-based drugs was very, very stupid and irresponsible, and you should not be lying for this girl who is so not worth it

They still seem to be glossing over this part for some reason.  Jon's big argument is that he was trying to protect someone he cares about while Clark is saying they hey, maybe bad circumstances aren't a free pass to do something illegal.  Both have a point, but Clark can really go in on how taking the X-K was for purely selfish reasons - the team was winning anyway and Jon just wanted the personal glory.

[Lady Calypso]

After a very rough 2A, I think 2B has been fairly solid. I feel like it's closer to the levels that S1 was on. 

I did enjoy seeing Jon-El show up and basically swat Jordan away like he was nothing. They had mentioned that Jon-El would grow weaker under the yellow sun, so it made sense for him to lose the second time. So, Jon-El is now captured, but does that mean Jonathan will still have head-splicing visions since he's still on Earth? That would suck for Jonathan if so.

I loved the family moments here. Things are still not totally patched up, but they're on their way. Though I did like Jordan's analysis of their family not being as strong as they thought. That's something they'll have to work on together, as a family.

I didn't mind the Lana stuff, but there was a lot of Lana when there should have been more Kent family stuff. I did love Clark going through with telling Lana. I thought there'd be a fakeout at the end (Bizarro Lana showing up) but I'm glad Clark asked his family and then got to tell her. She doesn't have to find out from someone else and I bet she'll still be angry. Personally, I do think she has a right to be a little angry. She's known Clark for decades. To her, not being let in might feel like he didn't trust her enough. He's called her his best friend, so I'd be pissed if my best friend of several decades held something so big from me. I don't expect her to be angry forever, but I do not blame her if she's angry for a few weeks. 

 

[kitmerlot1213]

3 hours ago, cambridgeguy said:

They still seem to be glossing over this part for some reason.  Jon's big argument is that he was trying to protect someone he cares about while Clark is saying they hey, maybe bad circumstances aren't a free pass to do something illegal.  Both have a point, but Clark can really go in on how taking the X-K was for purely selfish reasons - the team was winning anyway and Jon just wanted the personal glory.

For me, the worst part is that Jon seems to think that lying to protect Candice, a freakin' drug dealer, somehow makes him more noble then Clark because Clark's lying to just protect his secret identity.  Like bad guys the world over wouldn't jump at the chance to hurt Clark's loved ones to get to him.  

I have no doubt that Lana will be angry that Clark lied to her for years but she will eventually understand, especially because we know Bizarro Lana's going to show up to cause some mayhem and Clark will have to step in and then Lana will be Team Supes :)  

Sarah's starting to annoy, first with her anger that Jordan's not paying enough attention to her and then we were treated to her obnoxious eyeroll because "Jon" wasn't excited about her new car.  She seems incapable of understanding that other people have problems too and not everyone exists to cater to her.  I did like Sarah's conversation with Lois though, especially Lois' talking about deliberately choosing bad boys to date.

I like Natalie and John Henry but I need to see Natalie interacting with her psuedo-brothers more, especially if she's the brains behind their brawnier adventures and lastly, will Lex Luthor be making an appearance?  I would kill to see Jon Cryer on this show :)

Edited May 4, 2022 by kitmerlot1213

[kickingnames]

I loved the visual of Clark basically dive-bombing at the last millisecond to save Jonathan.

Still pretty done with everything related to the boys decision-making regarding the girls they like. (Guess I’m definitely not a teenager anymore.)

Jordan being able to fly at bullet-speed instinctively but not being able to do it consciously is Wile E. Coyote level silliness.

At least something good came out of the whole mess: Clark finally told Lana! It was cute how nervous he was to spit it out — the only other person he’s really planned out exactly how he was to tell was Lois.

9 hours ago, dwmarch said:

I still want an explanation for the glasses being such a great disguise. Lana saying "OMG, you're Superman!" had me saying "NO SHIT!" Like how has she never noticed? I really need the show to throw me a bone here.

My headcanon: the glasses are a perception filter (™️Doctor Who) -- the glasses shift what people see when they look at Clark’s face, so it just seems like they’ve never really looked at him clearly, until the filter is removed.

The one question I do have: how does Clark know all the stuff that we saw in last week’s episode? It was shown to us like flashbacks, intercut with the present-day Bizarro World action, and Clark tells Lois this week that he’d been over there for only a day. When did he learn all of this? It’s not like Jon-El took time out to tell him the whole family saga.

[Diapason Untuned]

1 minute ago, kickingnames said:

The one question I do have: how does Clark know all the stuff that we saw in last week’s episode? It was shown to us like flashbacks, intercut with the present-day Bizarro World action, and Clark tells Lois this week that he’d been over there for only a day. When did he learn all of this? It’s not like Jon-El took time out to tell him the whole family saga.

Pretty sure Bizarro Kent family filled him in.

[Chicago Redshirt]

3 hours ago, cambridgeguy said:

Yeah, that ship sailed a long time ago, especially since taking the glasses off STILL wasn't enough.  At least Lana has the excuse of not really interacting face to face with Superman (and hey, were you hitting on the guy when you invited him in?  Confidence!).  Contrast that with Lois, who worked with/dated adult Clark and interviewed Superman but also needed to see Clark floating in front of her. 

In terms of the contest for "the most galactically stupid woman who ever lived" (tm Tempus from the Lois & Clark series), I think Lana should still at least a runner-up. I think S&L established that Clark didn't wear glasses as a teenager. Knowing Clark as a teenager and being in love with him and his best friend, she should have been like "Hey, weird that you look exactly like that Superman guy. And you're tall like him too." She had the interaction with him last season and this one as well. Clark doesn't use a separate Superman voice and so she had an opportunity to recognize him from that. Or to piece it together from Superman stuff suddenly coming to Smallville around the same  time Clark moved back. And then there's the Clark's been mysteriously absent for the same 30 days that Superman's been gone.

And Lana was totally going to shoot her shot. 

[kickingnames]

7 minutes ago, Diapason Untuned said:

Pretty sure Bizarro Kent family filled him in.

I’m curious when that happened -- I guess I can assume Lois and Sam told Clark their life story while they were tying Jon-El up in the house after Anderson knocked him out, but it seems like they squeezed a whole lot of detail into a very short conversation.

[Chicago Redshirt]

53 minutes ago, kitmerlot1213 said:

For me, the worst part is that Jon seems to think that lying to protect Candice, a freakin' drug dealer, somehow makes him more noble then Clark because Clark's lying to just protect his secret identity.  Like bad guys the world over wouldn't jump at the chance to hurt Clark's loved ones to get to him.  

I have no doubt that Lana will be angry that Clark lied to her for years but she will eventually understand, especially because we know Bizarro Lana's going to show up to cause some mayhem and Clark will have to step in and then Lana will be Team Supes :)  

Sarah's starting to annoy, first with her anger that Jordan's not paying enough attention to her and then we were treated to her obnoxious eyeroll because "Jon" wasn't excited about her new car.  She seems incapable of understanding that other people have problems too and not everyone exists to cater to her.  I did like Sarah's conversation with Lois though, especially Lois' talking about deliberately choosing bad boys to date.

I like Natalie and John Henry but I need to see Natalie interacting with her psuedo-brothers more, especially if she's the brains behind their brawnier adventures and lastly, will Lex Luthor be making an appearance?  I would kill to see Jon Cryer on this show :)

There's two components to Clark's lies -- lying to the outside world and lying to Jonathan and Jordan. Lying to  Jonathan and Jordan is the part that Jonathan was questioning. And while it's arguably justified with the notion that the twins were not ready to shoulder the responsibility of knowing that secret and keeping it to themselves, it also is at least arguably particularly unethical. It left them particularly vulnerable to threats both to them and to their parents. It contributed to Jordan having mental health issues, or possibly even caused them. And the benefits of keeping Jonathan and Jordan in the dark (again, at least arguably) don't outweigh the costs.

Jonathan lying to protect Candice didn't hurt anybody but himself. So while I agree that it wasn't a particularly noble lie, I at least understand how Jonathan could think that lying on behalf of someone else in a self-sacrificing matter is better than lying on behalf of one's self and paying no consequences for that lie.

I get that Sarah was mad at being ignored. I'll even buy that she doesn't react to Jordan blowing up her phone, even if it would be easy to just say "Chill out" or "Let's talk tomorrow" or whatever she wants to say. But on both ends, the in-person conversation between them was artificial and forced. Are there "Jorah"/"Sarden" shippers out there who are like "I really hope those crazy kids work it out"? Because that is the worst part of a great show in my view. 

14 minutes ago, kickingnames said:

My headcanon: the glasses are a perception filter (™️Doctor Who) -- the glasses shift what people see when they look at Clark’s face, so it just seems like they’ve never really looked at him clearly, until the filter is removed.

The one question I do have: how does Clark know all the stuff that we saw in last week’s episode? It was shown to us like flashbacks, intercut with the present-day Bizarro World action, and Clark tells Lois this week that he’d been over there for only a day. When did he learn all of this? It’s not like Jon-El took time out to tell him the whole family saga.

There was a time when the comic canon explanation was that Superman had a super-hypnosis power that he used on a low level to keep people from suspecting that he is Clark Kent as well. Maybe they didn't realize how creepy it is that Superman is constantly hypnotizing people or how it opens up questions like "Why doesn't he hypnotize people to not use Kryptonite or to lead crime-free lives?"

It's possible/probable that Bizarro-AI Lara informed him about what was going on with his counterpart's family generally. I assume he does not know the ins and outs of what Bizarro Kal was up to to the extent we do, but he knows enough to know that Bizarro Kal was a drug-addricted famewhore and his family was not bound by love or anything.

[Diapason Untuned]

3 minutes ago, Chicago Redshirt said:

Jonathan lying to protect Candice didn't hurt anybody but himself. So while I agree that it wasn't a particularly noble lie, I at least understand how Jonathan could think that lying on behalf of someone else in a self-sacrificing matter is better than lying on behalf of one's self and paying no consequences for that lie.

I'll have to strongly disagree with this. Jonathan lying about the incident with Candice did harm his family, particularly their reputation in town and caused not insignificant problems for the, not to mention the football team for example.

Jonathan and Clark's lies both hurt their family, the only difference is who the lie ended up protecting in turn.

[kitmerlot1213]

1 hour ago, Chicago Redshirt said:

In terms of the contest for "the most galactically stupid woman who ever lived" (tm Tempus from the Lois & Clark series), I think Lana should still at least a runner-up. I think S&L established that Clark didn't wear glasses as a teenager. Knowing Clark as a teenager and being in love with him and his best friend, she should have been like "Hey, weird that you look exactly like that Superman guy. And you're tall like him too." She had the interaction with him last season and this one as well. Clark doesn't use a separate Superman voice and so she had an opportunity to recognize him from that. Or to piece it together from Superman stuff suddenly coming to Smallville around the same  time Clark moved back. And then there's the Clark's been mysteriously absent for the same 30 days that Superman's been gone.

And Lana was totally going to shoot her shot. 

 

Lana was very interested in Superman and I loved her little wave good bye before she went back into her house.  Guaranteed that his turning down her subtle come on will add to her anger--she's going to feel foolish that she never realized the Clark/Superman connection.  The fact that no one from Smallville recognized "the Kent boy" as a superhero really doesn't seem that far off from me--sure you could see the physical resemblance but would you really be able to wrap your brain around the idea that this kid you've grown up with is an alien with super powers?  I don't know if I could.

 

14 minutes ago, Chicago Redshirt said:

There's two components to Clark's lies -- lying to the outside world and lying to Jonathan and Jordan. Lying to  Jonathan and Jordan is the part that Jonathan was questioning. And while it's arguably justified with the notion that the twins were not ready to shoulder the responsibility of knowing that secret and keeping it to themselves, it also is at least arguably particularly unethical. It left them particularly vulnerable to threats both to them and to their parents. It contributed to Jordan having mental health issues, or possibly even caused them. And the benefits of keeping Jonathan and Jordan in the dark (again, at least arguably) don't outweigh the costs.

Jonathan lying to protect Candice didn't hurt anybody but himself. So while I agree that it wasn't a particularly noble lie, I at least understand how Jonathan could think that lying on behalf of someone else in a self-sacrificing matter is better than lying on behalf of one's self and paying no consequences for that lie.

I can't really see how Jordan's mental health is affected by Clark and Lois' keeping the truth about Clark's identity from him.  I think it's more hereditary because it seems like Lucy's also struggled with depression.

Jonathan's lying about Candice hurt more then just himself, it hurt the entire community because it allowed a drug dealer to run free.  Who knows how many other people are now using the green k inhalers?

[Affogato]

31 minutes ago, Chicago Redshirt said:

 

It's possible/probable that Bizarro-AI Lara informed him about what was going on with his counterpart's family generally. I assume he does not know the ins and outs of what Bizarro Kal was up to to the extent we do, but he knows enough to know that Bizarro Kal was a drug-addricted famewhore and his family was not bound by love or anything.

But we see love from alt- jordan and even alt-Lois and from his brother. I’d argue from jon-el also, but marred by being too similar. Yeah drugs are rough,  it people love their drug addicted relatives. 

[Chicago Redshirt]

37 minutes ago, Diapason Untuned said:

I'll have to strongly disagree with this. Jonathan lying about the incident with Candice did harm his family, particularly their reputation in town and caused not insignificant problems for the, not to mention the football team for example.

Jonathan and Clark's lies both hurt their family, the only difference is who the lie ended up protecting in turn.

Well, Jonathan's lie did damage to his family in that they lost trust in him. I don't know if the town blames the Kents in general or not. But even if they do, that Rando Smallvillians are gossiping about it I don't think is that big a deal. If Jonathan had told the truth about who was dealing the drugs, the football team's season would still have been forfeit. It was the fact that he was juicing not the lie that he was the dealer that caused it to be canceled (and as far as we've seen Smallville anger toward him).

Another few things I would point out:

One standard to be considered is who Jonathan and Clark are, what they believed would or could happen, and if those beliefs were reasonable.

Jonathan believed that pretending the drugs were his was going to only result in a slap on the wrist because he was a good kid who never had gotten in trouble. This was kind of a dumb belief, but he's a 15-year-old who was making a heat-of-the-moment decision. 

Clark believed in withholding information about who he really was from Jonathan and Jordan (probably) that he was protecting them from the burden of living a life directly in his shadow, and from the possibility that they may slip and let the secret out to people who would exploit it or worse. Clark is a grown-ass man, and Mr. Truth, Justice and the American Way. But his belief that it was worth hiding who he is understandable even though it came with possible questions and consequences. If it hadn't been for a fluke, the boys might still be in the dark about their heritage. 

13 minutes ago, kitmerlot1213 said:

The fact that no one from Smallville recognized "the Kent boy" as a superhero really doesn't seem that far off from me--sure you could see the physical resemblance but would you really be able to wrap your brain around the idea that this kid you've grown up with is an alien with super powers?  I don't know if I could.

 

I can't really see how Jordan's mental health is affected by Clark and Lois' keeping the truth about Clark's identity from him.  I think it's more hereditary because it seems like Lucy's also struggled with depression.

Jonathan's lying about Candice hurt more then just himself, it hurt the entire community because it allowed a drug dealer to run free.  Who knows how many other people are now using the green k inhalers?

I could get the notion that the average Smallville resident would not put Clark=Superman together, but for Lana and others who have interacted with Clark and Superman for more than a quick word or two, it should be pretty obvious.

IIRC Jordan originally said that part of his angst was not feeling he belonged anywhere and attributed his half-alien heritage as being the reason, with the implication being that had he known he could have avoided  or shorten his issues. So it's not me suggesting that the decision to withhold the truth affected Jordan's mental health. It's the show. Of course, the show hasn't really gone back to the notion of Jordan's mental health issues, or Lois's, or anyone's, for a bit.

[cdnalor]

14 hours ago, dwmarch said:

I still want an explanation for the glasses being such a great disguise. Lana saying "OMG, you're Superman!" had me saying "NO SHIT!" Like how has she never noticed? I really need the show to throw me a bone here.

 

[StaceyNotStacie]

I lol’d when Jordan realized he was flying and started to fall. I was wondering if the other Jon was going to fall for Sara when they had their scene with the car. 
 

re Lana: Superman’s voice was very calm and had that tone that Clark has when he speaks. I was surprised that she didn’t figure it out earlier in the episode. When she was talking to Clark and wasn’t getting it, I wanted to scream at the tv for Clark to remove the glasses. 

[Diapason Untuned]

27 minutes ago, Chicago Redshirt said:

Well, Jonathan's lie did damage to his family in that they lost trust in him. I don't know if the town blames the Kents in general or not. But even if they do, that Rando Smallvillians are gossiping about it I don't think is that big a deal.

Again, I'll have to disagree with you on this. A family's reputation is a big deal, especially in a small town. Clark at least certainly thought so, given how he mentioned Jonathan had "misrepresented this family".

 

Quote

If Jonathan had told the truth about who was dealing the drugs, the football team's season would still have been forfeit. It was the fact that he was juicing not the lie that he was the dealer that caused it to be canceled (and as far as we've seen Smallville anger toward him).

If Jon had told the truth from the start, they might not have found out about the juicing.

[cambridgeguy]

2 hours ago, Diapason Untuned said:

Again, I'll have to disagree with you on this. A family's reputation is a big deal, especially in a small town. Clark at least certainly thought so, given how he mentioned Jonathan had "misrepresented this family".

We've already seen how quickly Smallville can turn on a family with the Cushings last season.  On the plus side, they're also really quick to forgive.  That being said, we haven't had a chance to get the current state of things.  Candice was promised immunity, but I'm not sure if that means they've made the true story public knowledge.  As Peter Parker can tell them, being in the clear legally doesn't mean your troubles are over.

[Quark]

Another good episode, I always love seeing a greater focus on Lana. I know Tyler Hoechlin and Bitsie Tulloch generally get a lot of credit, but I think Emmanuelle Chriqui is the best actor on this show.

[tennisgurl]

I would have loved it if as soon as Clark started levitating, Lana was like "...oh ok, that makes sense, you two do look exactly alike..." especially considering she was just basically laying on top of Superman an hour ago. I am glad that Clark asked the family before he told Lana, I guess the rest of the Cushings will follow? As for how Lana will take the news, she will probably move from shock/awe to anger/hurt to acceptance. I can imagine that, after she has time to unpack her feelings, she will understand why Clark kept this a secret, even if she's hurt that he has kept this massive secret for years. 

I really liked this episode, even if I hate seeing the Kents fighting. Knowing that Lois had terrible taste in boys as a teen certainly explains a few things, Jon clearly got his taste in woman from his mom. I really could understand everyone's points. Jon's not wrong that Lois and Clark kept this massive secret from the boys so them lecturing them about honesty feels hypocritical, but Lois and Clark are also not wrong that they did this to protect their family while Jon is screwing his life up to protect his drug pusher girlfriend and doing alien drugs is not the same thing. Jordan has the right to feel bad about his relationship ending, but this is really not the right time, while his family is in crisis and while Sara is scared for her mom. Come on Jordan, read the room. Hopefully once this is all over they can really talk some of this out. In the middle of all the drama, Jonathan reading Jordan's letter and teasing him a bit about it was cute.

I continue to love evil punk rock Jonathan, even if him being around means more trouble for our poor Jonathan and the Kents. His fight with Jordan was pretty good, even with weakened powers he has a lot more experience than Jordan, but Jordan still managed to hold his own, even if he needed an assist from dad to keep him from becoming a cartoon Jordan sized crater.  

Nice to see the Irons again, they have been out of commision for too long.

I like that the teens were all calling Lana "Mrs. Cushing" like most teens call their friends parents.

[norcalgal]

7 hours ago, Chicago Redshirt said:

There's two components to Clark's lies -- lying to the outside world and lying to Jonathan and Jordan. Lying to  Jonathan and Jordan is the part that Jonathan was questioning. And while it's arguably justified with the notion that the twins were not ready to shoulder the responsibility of knowing that secret and keeping it to themselves, it also is at least arguably particularly unethical. It left them particularly vulnerable to threats both to them and to their parents. It contributed to Jordan having mental health issues, or possibly even caused them. And the benefits of keeping Jonathan and Jordan in the dark (again, at least arguably) don't outweigh the costs.

Jonathan lying to protect Candice didn't hurt anybody but himself. So while I agree that it wasn't a particularly noble lie, I at least understand how Jonathan could think that lying on behalf of someone else in a self-sacrificing matter is better than lying on behalf of one's self and paying no consequences for that lie.

 

5 hours ago, Chicago Redshirt said:

Well, Jonathan's lie did damage to his family in that they lost trust in him. I don't know if the town blames the Kents in general or not. But even if they do, that Rando Smallvillians are gossiping about it I don't think is that big a deal. If Jonathan had told the truth about who was dealing the drugs, the football team's season would still have been forfeit. It was the fact that he was juicing not the lie that he was the dealer that caused it to be canceled (and as far as we've seen Smallville anger toward him).

Another few things I would point out:

One standard to be considered is who Jonathan and Clark are, what they believed would or could happen, and if those beliefs were reasonable.

Jonathan believed that pretending the drugs were his was going to only result in a slap on the wrist because he was a good kid who never had gotten in trouble. This was kind of a dumb belief, but he's a 15-year-old who was making a heat-of-the-moment decision. 

Clark believed in withholding information about who he really was from Jonathan and Jordan (probably) that he was protecting them from the burden of living a life directly in his shadow, and from the possibility that they may slip and let the secret out to people who would exploit it or worse. Clark is a grown-ass man, and Mr. Truth, Justice and the American Way. But his belief that it was worth hiding who he is understandable even though it came with possible questions and consequences. If it hadn't been for a fluke, the boys might still be in the dark about their heritage. 

I can't remember the circumstances of Clark telling the twins the truth about him being Superman, but didn't that happen in S1E1? And they were 14 at that time?  For me, it's reasonable to wait until the boys are mature enough to understand why the secret has to stay secret. Is Jonathan arguing that Clark should have told kindergarten Jon & Jordan the truth?!  No way can kids under a certain age handle the responsibility of certain truths/situations. But from my POV, it seemed Clark told them he's Superman when they were old enough to handle that knowledge and the consequences of what would happen to the family if the secret got out. 

 

[Chicago Redshirt]

41 minutes ago, norcalgal said:

I can't remember the circumstances of Clark telling the twins the truth about him being Superman, but didn't that happen in S1E1? And they were 14 at that time?  For me, it's reasonable to wait until the boys are mature enough to understand why the secret has to stay secret. Is Jonathan arguing that Clark should have told kindergarten Jon & Jordan the truth?!  No way can kids under a certain age handle the responsibility of certain truths/situations. But from my POV, it seemed Clark told them he's Superman when they were old enough to handle that knowledge and the consequences of what would happen to the family if the secret got out. 

Yes, when the twins were 14, they were snooping in the barn and a bunch of stuff fell on them and fortunately Jordan's invulnerability kicked in and he was able to protect Jonathan. Clark told them when he pretty much had no other choice. If the situation from the pilot had not happened, who knows when Clark and Lois would have told them?

It is a tricky question as to when would have been old enough to handle the truth/consequences. I'm not a parent or a child psychologist or anything. But I'd guess that for some kids, it might be as young as 6-7, for the average kid it would probably be 9-10. and for most normally developing kids 13 would absolutely be mature enough.

[Noneofyourbusiness]

16 hours ago, kitmerlot1213 said:

I like Natalie and John Henry but I need to see Natalie interacting with her psuedo-brothers more, especially if she's the brains behind their brawnier adventures

Not to mention that Jonathan and John Henry were hanging out last season. Why don't they all three hang out and build things? Dropping that subplot contributes to the impression this season that Jon is aimless in life. All he had was football, which he doesn't have anymore, and even if he did the odds of going pro aren't great. With the scandal now, his chances of a football scholarship to college should be shot, too. Better to get into engineering.

[Noneofyourbusiness]

8 hours ago, tennisgurl said:

Jordan has the right to feel bad about his relationship ending, but this is really not the right time, while his family is in crisis and while Sara is scared for her mom. Come on Jordan, read the room.

Although as it turns out his letter would have explained that his dad was Superman, and maybe shed light on what happened to Sarah's mom.

[blackwing]

I am beyond tired of Jordan and his stupid hair and his pining over Sarah.   If there was a way to permanently ship both of them off to Uranus, I'd be happy.  I know that WB/CW shows featuring teens historically are apparently contractually required to be filled to the brim with teen angst, but I am beyond caring.  I don't care about the breakup, his secret, her secret, her being mad, him being upset at his parents, him wanting to tell her, his stupid letter, whatever.  So done with it all.  Move on.  Jordan, please pass through the portal and find an alternate version of Sarah that is the child of Lana and Uncle Tal and have at it with your first cousin and stay there.  You don't have powers there and you can be your normal non-powered self with even stupider hair.

On 5/3/2022 at 11:01 PM, dwmarch said:

I still want an explanation for the glasses being such a great disguise. Lana saying "OMG, you're Superman!" had me saying "NO SHIT!" Like how has she never noticed? I really need the show to throw me a bone here.

I guess we just have to accept the lunacy of all of this.  She's known him their whole lives and she cannot recognise that he's Superman?  She just got a very good look at Superman... the eyes, the voice, the height, the build, the hair colour, the beard that becomes 9 AM shadow as soon as he shaves... I can't wait for her explanation of how she didn't see it.  

[thuganomics85]

Once again, Jordan Elass is doing a great job as Jon-El.  While I like that he's ruthless, dangerous, and has clearly gone past the point of no return in a lot of ways, you can still see that a lot of his hatred is coming from a place of hurt and upbringing, and he didn't just wake-up evil.  It help highlights the dangers of what could happen if Clark and the Superman family ever did go public like they did.  Not surprised he's been stopped for now, but I'm curious to see what's in store for him (especially since it sounds like he's been sent to the same sight that is housing OG Tal-Rho.)

The Kent family is continuing to struggle, although despite the outlandish scenarios, it feels refreshing realistic in a lot of ways and I pretty much see everyone's sides.  I do think both Jonathan and Jordan have solid points that Clark and Lois have been keeping things from them and that has caused more stress and problems that normally could be avoided, and I think they have the right to be frustrated at times.  That being said, the crux of Clark's secret identity really isn't something that should be taken lightly because there can be true, legit threats if he was ever outed in a way he can't control, and the family really would be in danger.  So, at the risk of choosing sides, Clark and Lois' reasons for keeping secrets and not being fully honest to have more merits than Jonathan and Jordan's acts of rebellion.  Still, I can understand why they feel this way.  Hopefully everyone will be at a better place once this all settles down (ha!)

Nice seeing Irons and Natalie again and show themselves to be an impressive team.  Does seem like Irons needs to work on being more open with his daughter though.

Heh, Jonathan and Jordan are so blown away by the concept of writing letters because they thought people quit doing that in the 1800s.  Damn youngsters!

Clark revealing the truth to Lana was great.  Definitely can't wait to see how this changes the dynamics.  Definitely can see why she is in awe right now, but realistically, I have to imagine she will have some gripes over him keeping his from her for as long as he has.  And, yeah, I'm just going to have to believe that there is some kind of super magical thing going on with Clark whenever he puts on the Superman suit that doesn't make people recognize him, because Lana really should have pierced all that together way earlier.  Still, nice reveal!

[Affogato]

There are times in Battlestar Galactica (2004) where Tricia Helfer literally stands next to herself and you can barely recognise that she is the same person. Glasses play into it only in part. But in Superman it simply is one of the many many tropes and it has to come into play. It does occur to me, though, that anyone who takes public transportation anywhere passes close to any number of people who could be transformed with an added confidence of bearing, contacts, a few months of personal training and a good haircut. People make their livings doing this to people before their weddings and/or proms.  Brad Pitt hides behind shaggy hair and baseball caps. So Clark Kent/Superman isn't that much of a stretch in general.

I'm still liking that the socially awkward kid that is most like Clark has the powers and that the kid that looks like Superman, and who would want to be superman, drew the card with no powers. I kind of hope it stays that way.  I also like that Alex Garfin (sp?) transforms when he is using his powers. He really looks like Superboy when he takes off flying.

I find the teenaged boys pretty realistic, including Jon-El.

All I'm sure about with Lana is that someday soon she is going to pour herself a little too much wine and sit down alone in front of her laptop and google 'Superman'.

I wish they weren't spacing these so far apart.

Edited May 5, 2022 by Affogato

[angora]

On 5/4/2022 at 10:59 AM, kitmerlot1213 said:

Lana was very interested in Superman and I loved her little wave good bye before she went back into her house.  Guaranteed that his turning down her subtle come on will add to her anger--she's going to feel foolish that she never realized the Clark/Superman connection.  The fact that no one from Smallville recognized "the Kent boy" as a superhero really doesn't seem that far off from me--sure you could see the physical resemblance but would you really be able to wrap your brain around the idea that this kid you've grown up with is an alien with super powers?  I don't know if I could.

A few seasons back on Supergirl, I suddenly realized that it wasn't just the glasses that were the disguise, it was the whole of Kara Danvers. People look at Kara as this sweet Bambie of a person, so when she's in dangerous situations with people who don't know her true identity, they're falling over themselves to protect "sweet helpless Kara" and reassure her that they're going to get her through this. I think Clark's dorky, ah-shucks persona works in much the same way. Sure, people like the guy, but no one's gonna look at him and think, "Oh, that's definitely the alien superhero with god-level powers!" It's like, when they look at Clark and they look at Superman, they see such different things that the physical resemblance doesn't even register.

[Maverick]

 This show has become exhausting to watch.  So, Much. Angst.   So, a couple of angsty teens without much life experience who have in the past year found out their father is an lien and one of them have powers thinks it a good idea to tell people (or the world, still not clear on how open they think the family should be) about their secret so...sure, let's do it.  Do they have new writers this season?  Because Jonathon is nothing like he was last year.  

 Jordan's snotty comment about not being close...that's not what we've been shown.  And Lois should have looked wounded by that.  

 So Clark's gone for a day but a month passes on non-Bizarro Earth.  But Punk Jon calls Aunt Lana (which, how?) and she's there in a few minutes?   Also, it's good to know that Bond villains must exist in Bizarro world.  Punk Jon concocts a plan to trap the hero, but rather than finishing him off he leaves him alive with ample chance of escape.  

[legaleagle53]

1 hour ago, Maverick said:

But Punk Jon calls Aunt Lana (which, how?)  

Bizzarro-Lana is Punk Jon's aunt by marriage. She's the wife of his Uncle Bizzarro-Tal-Rho.

[Maverick]

 I meant how did he call her.   Is there a wifi connection to Bizzaro world?

[Affogato]

2 hours ago, Maverick said:

 I meant how did he call her.   Is there a wifi connection to Bizzaro world?

Yes I got that. I think we can assume she followed Jon and Ally and now is here. Jon -el didn’t call her. All the supes are vital to the merging effort. They will merge by force. 

my impression is the Jordan wanted to tell his girlfriend, which makes sense because he probably thinks she broke up with him because of the secret. He blames Mom and Dad and lashes out. Jon is struggling with this, but also with his lack of powers, too. Both are at an age where they would naturally question their parents if they told them it was morning and the sun was up. 

Edited May 8, 2022 by Affogato

[Noneofyourbusiness]

6 hours ago, Affogato said:

Yes I got that. I think we can assume she followed Jon and Ally and now is here. Jon -el didn’t call her.

Jon-El put the pendant on Lana and said in sdrawkcab speech for Bizarro Lana to come. The pendant must have facilitated her hearing him somehow because it was on her counterpart.

6 hours ago, Affogato said:

my impression is the Jordan wanted to tell his girlfriend, which makes sense because he probably thinks she broke up with him because of the secret. He blames Mom and Dad and lashes out.

He's not wrong. She broke up with him because he couldn't tell her what he'd been doing instead of spending time with her. He can't tell her because Clark and Lois won't let him, even though he asked them to earlier in the season. If anything, Lois and Clark should be doing more to smooth things over between them because they're responsible for the strain.

[Affogato]

1 hour ago, Noneofyourbusiness said:

Jon-El put the pendant on Lana and said in sdrawkcab speech for Bizarro Lana to come. The pendant must have facilitated her hearing him somehow because it was on her counterpart.

He's not wrong. She broke up with him because he couldn't tell her what he'd been doing instead of spending time with her. He can't tell her because Clark and Lois won't let him, even though he asked them to earlier in the season. If anything, Lois and Clark should be doing more to smooth things over between them because they're responsible for the strain.

Jordan isn’t wrong and that helps push the decision to tell Lana, I think. the secret keeping isn’t entirely wrong, though. It is complex territory. 
 

Lana shows up and attacks the Irons. Lana could be already in our world when jon-el calls. 
 

Edited May 8, 2022 by Affogato

[Chicago Redshirt]

20 hours ago, Maverick said:

 This show has become exhausting to watch.  So, Much. Angst.   So, a couple of angsty teens without much life experience who have in the past year found out their father is an lien and one of them have powers thinks it a good idea to tell people (or the world, still not clear on how open they think the family should be) about their secret so...sure, let's do it.  Do they have new writers this season?  Because Jonathon is nothing like he was last year.  

 Jordan's snotty comment about not being close...that's not what we've been shown.  And Lois should have looked wounded by that.  

 So Clark's gone for a day but a month passes on non-Bizarro Earth.  But Punk Jon calls Aunt Lana (which, how?) and she's there in a few minutes?   Also, it's good to know that Bond villains must exist in Bizarro world.  Punk Jon concocts a plan to trap the hero, but rather than finishing him off he leaves him alive with ample chance of escape.  

As far as we've seen, Jordan (and by extension, Jonathan) only wants to tell Sarah the family secret. Now that Lana knows seems like it's just a matter of time before the rest of the Cushings learn. 

I'm not sure how Jonathan is being written differently.

"Close" is relative. While I'm sure many of us would have done a lot for parents/siblings as loving and understanding as Clark, Lois and the twins, I get that in the middle of things, it could seem like the Kents aren't that close after all. The kids had no idea about Clark's true identity or their own for most of their lives. There must have been hundreds of events that Clark had to blow off to be Supermanning over the years with a BS excuse, and all of that must have left a mark. The twins were never prepared for the notion that on any given day, Lex Luthor or Brainiac or Darkseid could kill their father or come gunning for them or their mother, that they are heirs to this incredible legacy.

The pendant allows people to see and experience what their other halves are doing. So Jon put the pendant on Lana, which meant Bizarro Lana could hear him particularly if she was expecting to be contacted. 

I dinged Jon leaving Clark incapacitated but within easy rescue above. But I at least see a couple potential rationales for not straight-up killing him.

1. Jon isn't a hardened killer. He has (as far as we know) only killed Anderson and Anderson killed his father.

2. Jon is a brainwashed 15-year-old who is convinced that Clark literally cannot stop the merging because Ally told him so.

3. Jon has daddy issues and with Bizarro gone, Clark is the closest thing he's got as a way to resolve them.

[Noneofyourbusiness]

9 hours ago, Affogato said:

Lana shows up and attacks the Irons. Lana could be already in our world when jon-el calls.

We see Lana emerge from the portal after Jon-El calls for her.