I intended for this to fit into the new kryptonian arc from the show.
I always thought that Clark's behavior was a wee bit worrisome from the POV of earth people watching him take on this different role.
It's all well and good to convince yourself that the super-human being in your midst is benevolent (and I know I'd be uneasy), but then to see him suddenly become 'lord kal' and exert authority - it would be hard to keep that sense of well being that he may have earned.
I always felt the show should have had fallout from that. People distrusting him, etc.
It seems clear that the NK jerks abused a lot of women too, and there should have been fallout from that.
