Y'all, as I view the Vatman episode, Clark didn't kill the clone - the clone was flawed and died a "natural" death. Clark may have hastened his end in the fight, but he didn't actually take his life. That's Luthor's responsibility.
What could Clark have done to save the clone? At that moment, he didn't know where the birthing facility was, nor did he have the knowledge to use the equipment or heal his clone. I don't think we can legitimately put that death on Clark's shoulders.
Well said, Terry! That was my take on the episode also.
And yes, I also agree with Talia. Every incarnation of Superman has done something that appears out of character or stupid. But, if any of you have made split-second decisions in life or death situations, you know it is possible in hindsight to second-guess yourself or to make an error. After all it's only human to not be perfect. Perhaps some of those situations were attempts to humanize Superman, although we could argue whether or not they were the best way to do that.
In some of those scenarios, it was expedient for the writers to have the characters die so they didn't expose Clark's secret or deal with that within the time frame of the episode or movie.
The ultimate responsibility for actions of fictional characters lies not with the characters but with the writers, directors, producers, etc.
