Lois & Clark Forums Forums Fan Fiction Fanfic Related The Right Time to Tell

I'm with Vicki, he shouldn't have felt compelled to tell her the truth during TOGOM. I've used the "you can never take back that secret" angle in a few stories now. To me, that is the whole point. Once Lois knows, she can't unknow the secret. Do you really, really want an ambitious reporter knowing your secret? I agree with Jackie on this one. At some point before he froze her in ATAI, he should have told her. To me, the perfect time was after she confronted him about robbing the jewelry store. They're both wearing the same clothes the next day, so she obviously didn't go home. If she stayed there all night, why the heck didn't he tell her? I can't believe Lois never questioned why, out of all the people in Metropolis, Jace Mazik picks Clark to rob his store. Surely there had to be better thieves.

But, geez, I admit, I'm a huge sucker for that moment when he touches her cheek as Superman and she recognizes him. Lois gets huge kudos in my book for her quiet dignity and determination to carry on with the scheme even though she's terrified on the inside. Or maybe it's Teri who gets the kudos, because in the space of a few seconds we get shock, then acceptance, and then absolute total trust and love. That scene still blows me away.

Failing that, he should have told her after he took her to the hospital. She obviously (to the audience, anyway) remembered those last moments before being frozen. Her first words to him are "I heard you calling me...". If only she had added a "Clark" in there somewhere. :p

ETA: I don't think anyone had the faintest idea of "plotting" after Deborah Joy Levine left. It was all pretty sloppy after that.

I think Clark did decide to tell Lois about himself after Whine Whine Whine. I think he just had to get his courage together (a la the beginning of And the Answer Is ...")

Let's face it, the whole idea scared him to death and he was looking for ways to delay, but he was going to tell her, if not for the minor interruption by Jason Mazik.

Well, at the beginning of ATAI Clark is about to tell Lois, so evidently he has decided she can know then, he just rethinks later on for who knows what reason.

I think he should have told her when he found the card at the end of "Tempus Fugitive". In fact, since he does not remember but it is in her handwritting he should at least ask her "Lois, why did you write this."

Actually, why not tell her in Madame X after she saves Superman from the Kryptonite bullet?

Actually though a lot of men know the answer is going to be yes when they propose. It is possible to know without asking.

The bigger problem with this whole argument is that Clark clearly did not embrace it at the start of ATAI. If Mazik had not called Clark would have said he was Superman. So he evidently did not think he needed to be sure that Lois would marry him before telling her. Well, either that or he was sure Lois would say yes to marrying him. The more I tink about it the less ATAI makes sense. If he is going to tell Lois before she goes through being frozen and covering for him with the police, why does he not tell her after that. It does not add up. Well, it does if you realize that some of the people over the shows creation had not accepted that Lois would have to know, and they dug in their heels against her finding out, but it does not make any sense plot wise.

I would phrase the issue of TOGOM differently. If Clark had seen Lois' pain as Superman, I am 100% sure he would have told her. Whether he should tell her at that point, I am less certain, but to willingly let her go through so much pain, I do not think he would have.

He even falls alseep as she is telling him how she feels. Personally I think if he had not he would have told her. Not that he should have told her neccesarily, but I think he would have felt compelled to tell her.

Actually, I think if he had been awake he would have ended up telling her because he would have said something to imply he had not realized her pain, not considered in his thought how much he was in pain, and she would have figured it out/forced it out of him even if he had not told her.

Since Martha tells Lois that she is the first women who she can ever talk to about her son, I would assume that Lois is the first he has ever told. Martha's discussion about Clark feeling alone also suggests to me he has never told anyone, period.

I will second this. He has entrusted her with the secret of his blindness, he should entrust her that he is Clark. It would also avoid major levels of Lois anger at Clark. Also, since he was not paying attention to Mayson, he has no good way to explain where Clark is, and it would allow his parents to help more openly. I really, really think he should have told then.

There is one place that Clark should have absolutely told Lois. It is as they are in the time machine going back to 1966 when Lois asks why. He should realize there is no way he is going to get out of explaining what is up, and if the crazed psycho-path Tempus knows the truth, he should get Lois fully on his side so he can fight effectively. They have a time machine, so it is not like there is really any hurry.