Lois & Clark Forums Forums General Discussion Lois & Clark Pheromone, My Lovely Episode Discussion Thread

I enjoyed seeing Lois, Perry, and Jimmy uncontrollably in love in this episode. It made for some very funny scenes for all three, especially Lois. It was nice to see Lois acting completely in love with Clark seeing as how she was still at the stage where she was refusing to admit to herself that she was in love with him.

Clark being able to resist Lois despite the fact that we all know he really loved her was a nice touch. It proved he was a gentleman, and that’s exactly what Superman needs to be. He did get that one kiss as Superman in at the end, though. I've always loved that scene.

I also enjoyed Cat’s antics during the episode. I loved the reveal at the end that she hadn’t actually been sprayed.

This episode is one of those that I love every single solitary second of it. From how Clark is skeptical of Lois' change of heart about playing hooky to his attempts to pull back from her at work (very professional) to how she ultimately makes her way to his apartment in the harem outfit. I find it kind of curious that Luthor doesn't react more to Lois's assertion that only Clark is the one for her. I also found it curious that she even agreed that dinner was still on with Luthor in the first place considering her mindset at the time.

Oh, I love this episode in lots of little ways and a couple of really big ones! Here's why:

* The sudden interest in a spot on his tie after "What are you saying, Clark? That I'm not a fun person? That I don't know how to have fun?"
* Lois at her desk, preparing to seduce Clark.
* The way she saunters over
* Clark's admiration of her leg on his desk and the fact that he sneaks a couple more peeks as they're talking
* His immediate assumption that she's either ill or working him for a favor
* Perry chilling in his office to Elvis
* Cat's response to "I've always been good with my hands."
* It cracks me up every time when Clark checks the copy room, sees Cat and goes "Oh my..."
* "Minute's up, Clark. Come to mama."
* I adore Rahalia.
* Clark's dogged determination not to take advantage of Lois (but every man has his breaking point)
* Clark rolls his eyes when Lois insists on hugging him before he heads downstairs
* Perry serenading Rahalia (and her husband)
* "You don't know how many times I've thought about this, dreamt about this... well, something like this..."
* Clark pacing and "I can't take it anymore. If you really want me, I'm yours."
* "It's just lucky that stuff wore off in time to stop you from... further humiliating yourself."
* The way she holds the pillow to her chest while they're talking
* "Liar! You are *so* attracted to me!"
* The fact that, even when they're working, Clark opens the car door for her.
* Cat breaking the copier
* Miranda's cat breaking free of its cage
* "Lois Lane, I love you."
* Lois throwing caution to the wind and taking advantage of the situation.
* Lex's "I may throw up."
* Lex literally burning money in his despair
* And that closing banter, which I'm using as my sig line.

First I want to say I completely agree with your whole list, Sue.
I want to add that, I love it when Superman breaks the fourth wall by looking at the camera and rasises his eyebrow, just before the "Lois Lane, I love you."

Gets a squeeze out of me every time.

Well, I think Luthor is aware that Lois is drugged, and instead of thing about her going on about Clark, he's thinging about when she's drugged again an this attention will be on him.

Personally I think Lois is trying to make Clark jealous by agreeing to the dinner date with Lex.

There are *so many* great fanfics based on this episode! It's obvious why this is so - look at the list that Sue made!

One of my personal favorites involving the pheromone is ML Thompson's "Super Stud" . It's even better in the nfic version found on annesplace.net. (Note: The events in this fic take place later in S1, around the time of "Fly Hard", but it's definitely pheromone-related!) This fic definitely stands up to repeated readings.

And of course Nan Smith has a trifecta:

Pheromone

Pheromone, More Likely

The Newlywed Game

Miranda was in Lex's office and sprayed herself with the Revenge...for some reason it occurred to me that she must have used the 100% version because she wanted a permanent handle on Lex. Then it backfired and cemented his already strong attraction to Lois.

What I like about PML is THIS was where Lex Luthor became a villain capable of doing anything. Up to that point in the series he's a powerful, worthy adversary. After PML he has no inhibitions with regard to Lois Lane.

--and to top it off, Lois is obviously attracted to Superman and he must therefore die. (Apologies to The Princess Bride.)

This has been something I've ascribed to for some time.

I had another recent thought when it comes to this episode that has led to a plot bunny (the challenge will go over in the proper section forthwith as I don't have enough time to write a PML story as I have a season one rewrite in the works) where Lois actually finds it in herself to "play hooky." She doesn't get sprayed at first so I have to wonder what it might be like to watch the whole office (with her and Clark being the sole exceptions) "looney tunes in love."

I think that Lex thought the spray had the power to create attraction. He seems to assume that Lois being in love with Clark proves it is very, very powerful. This however leaves unexplained why Lex did not prevent Miranda from spraying him. Maybe he assumed she was not that sneaky, I don't know.

On Lois not cancelling dinner, I would agree it was out of character. It would have made a lot more sense for her to cancel and then reschedule the next day. It would have created one more incident where Lois totally ignores Lex knowing too much about nefarious plots, but so what, they had a huge number of thise.

Come to think of it, does Lois ever confront Lex about how he got sprayed? Does he have a good explanation for that? Also, why does Lois not get a bit suspicious that Lex knows enough to tell Clark to tell Superman that Miranda has kidnapped her? It seems that Lois should have confronted Lex more. He probably would have explained that he did not realize the negative effects of Miranda's work, but Lois often does not seem to live up to her reputation as a top investigative reporter.

Something I've long wondered: Is the dance of the seven veils a real thing? And why would Lois know it?

I love the look on Clark's face when Lois walks over and sits on his desk. He sees her leg, and he's kind of shocked, but he likes it, but he's also wondering what her game is. I like all of Clark's reactions in this episode except for the "if you want me, I'm yours" line. When he says that, he's had hours to think about it and cool down. He obviously realizes that she's been drugged somehow, and he should realize that taking advantage of her in her drugged state would basically be rape. That's why the line seems way out of character for him.

In contrast, the "Lois Lane, I love you" at the end is perfectly in character. He is telling the literal truth while allowing Lois to draw the wrong conclusion, which is classic Superman. I love it. And the glance at the camera is reminiscent of George Reeves. I remember going "squee!!" at that point when I saw it first-run.

When Miranda sprayed herself before spraying Lex, I assumed that she had somehow built up an immunity to it (like iocane powder?), but it affects her when Superman breathes it in her face. What's the explanation for that? And why did Superman do that, anyway? It seems pretty vindictive. Maybe it was his way at getting back at her for his rough night of resisting Lois.

As both an avid fan of dance history and a (sometimes and mostly past) liturgical/sacred dance this one is not really the case. It's attributed to Salome (Josephus said it was her) through popular culture, even though there is no evidence to that fact. Some think the dance was the story of Ishtar's descent into the underworld (which had her taking of her royal vestments and jewels before she was allowed into the Underworld to see her husband). Some versions have her (both Ishtar and Salome) naked by the end of it. There is no evidence to that fact but in the Victorian Era they became intertwined with belly dance and hasn't been easily extricated since.

IOW, there is no known physical dance called "the Dance of the Seven Veils" but the pop culture has turned it into a relatively refined stripper dance (at least as "refined" as it can get.) There is a bit of a movement to pull it back from that and reclaim the term in Middle Eastern Dance but as far as I can tell it is still thought of in a sexy fashion.

As to whether Lois would know about it, it's actually a common one mentioned associated with belly dance. Not to mention, there is a dance of the seven veils in Richard Strauss's opera "Salome" which is meant to be a seductive dance (focused on concealing and revealing the dance in question.)

I saw this differently. I saw it as Clark finally reaching the limits of his self-control. This is something he's "thought about, dreamed about, well, something like this" since he met her. We can only guess how long that dance went on, and how difficult it was for him to fight her off (like he's been doing for over a day at this point). So, after pacing the floor all night, while she sleeps on his bed, I can buy into the idea that he's finally reached his breaking point. Even then, the way he does it gives her an out "if you really want me, I'm yours."

It's out-of-character for the George Reeves Superman, but not for the version in the show. That's exactly what I love most about the Clark Kent on LnC:TNAoS -- he's not a cartoon character, he's a man. And, in PML, he's a man pushed to the extreme who finally gives in to temptation. Thankfully, as Lois puts it, the stuff had worn off by that point.

I just love this episode...mid-first season is just classic--btw PML, HIM, ASU, Witness--yeah, it just can't get much better . And what gets me every time is Clark's reaction to it all... From his suspicion that she MUST want a favor (and not really him) at his desk, to his 'scout's honor' statement to reassure her (and get away from her), to his all-night back and forth walk in front of his couch at his apt. It's great getting to see Clark have those few moments when Lois wants him as much as he's always wanted her.

I never really had a thought about Clark's "If you want me, I'm yours" line. Never bothered me. Lois, up to that point, had been all over Clark for a few days, had danced for him seductively at his apartment, and had fallen asleep in his room...not that any of this would give Clark the right to take advantage of her though. I believe the statement was a statement he made out of frustration--whether anything would actually have happened, that's another story. Knowing Clark's history from VD, I doubt he would have taken it too far. Not for his first time--and especially, not because of Lois' awareness.

Exactly why I love L&C--there is such an amazingly 'human' element to these characters, Lois and Clark. I would never have thought that a show about a superhero would be/could be as relatable as it is--but it really is. There is a lot of 'reality' in what they feel and go through emotionally throughout the show--and that's what's always really touched me.

Great episode!
Laura

Christina, thanks for the history lesson. Makes sense now.

Sue, I agree with your assessment of George Reeves vs. Dean Cain versions of Clark. I think it would be in character for Clark to reach his breaking point and give in while she's coming on to him, but not hours later when he's had time to think about it. If he didn't know that she was drugged, then I can see Clark reasoning it through and finally deciding not to resist anymore, but he clearly knows that she's been drugged.

Okay, Mrs. M., imagine this scenario. Lois does a striptease while singing this... "Whatever Lola Wants" from Damn Yankees! (Substituting "Clark" for "Joe" though).

This is how I imagine what happened off screen during her dance with the scarves. In the end, she passes out in his arms. He moves her to his bed, reapplies her scarves, and then he starts to pace.

ACTUALLY, we don't know how long Lois has been passed out. It could have been hours. It could have only been a half-hour. Maybe he doesn't even know that she's passed out. Maybe she went into the bathroom or put the scarves back on, because Clark's rejected her (or asked her to get dressed) and then passes out on the bed. Clark is busy pacing, not knowing when Lois will come out of the bathroom, and is too distracted by his own naughty thoughts to realize she had come out and fell asleep on his bed.

Based on the way she woke up, it looks like she's been asleep for a while. But regardless, if she has been asleep for any length of time, even just a half hour, Clark should have enough time to cool down enough to have the sense not to actually go for it. That he did at all shows that he's incredibly weak-willed and selfish. It's also insulting to Clark to think that he's incapable of resisting Lois just because she's coming on to him pretty strongly. Clark should have stronger principles than that. It's not just a matter of whether he should sleep with his friend. It's a matter of whether he should sleep with her when she's drugged and not in her right mind.

I get what you're saying, Mrs. M, but I think we're going to have to agree that we're viewing the same scene very differently.

It would be WILDLY out of character for Clark to force himself on Lois, especially when he knows she's been drugged. But I've never seen what he did in PML as forcing himself on her. My reading then (and now) of that scene is that he was going to kiss her. I never thought it would get any further than that. When I say he's reached his breaking point, I'm talking about how he's valiantly resisted the temptation to kiss her for the past 48 hours. Under no circumstances did I think he'd push for much more than that.

I'm a little horrified that you might have thought I was saying he was after more.

ETA: So where's the scorn for Lois? She clearly believes that Superman is drugged, but you're not horrified that she's taking "advantage" of him. Yes, we know that Clark is fine with it, but SHE doesn't know that. That's a heck of a double standard. Granted, in that moment, it's much more obvious that she only intends to kiss him, but I'd submit that, especially given Clark's respect for women in general and Lois in particular, it should be equally as obvious that he only meant to kiss her (long and thoroughly ).

Well put. Yes, I too never thought Clark would push it past kissing, especially since it's his first time, but you stated it better than I could have put it.

Good point! ). Or is someone going to accuse Superman of taking advantage of Lois's obsession with him by faking it? He didn't ask for a kiss, only admitted that he loved her. She started it and he more than accepted it.

Yes, it seems that that's the crux of our disagreement.

I'm glad we're on the same page here. I was a little horrified myself that you seemed to be condoning his sleeping with her.

My reasoning is that Lois is acting like she's looking for more than just a few kisses, and Clark says that he's hers, which implies that he's finally willing to let her get her way. I see your point, though. Assuming that Clark wasn't intending to do more, he was still wrong to give in, but it's a much more minor infraction than what I've been thinking.

Lois isn't innocent, either. I think the reason it doesn't bother me as much is that they're in public, and it's obvious that it isn't going to go past kissing. Of course, if Superman was actually drugged, he might whisk her away to somewhere private (which has been covered in more than one fic ), which opens up another can of worms and drastically increases Lois's culpability.

It's the 4th wall. It's like when they're filming a sitcom and they have a set of a living room with three walls - the audience is looking in through where the fourth wall would be.

Superman is obviously bating her. I have no problem with that - he's actually telling her the truth, even though he's letting her assume things that aren't true. That is exactly in character.

Clark's line, "Lois if you want me, I'm yours" has been in my head (again ) this afternoon, after reading more of this discussion...which led to pulling up the script and checking things out.

-From the script anyway, it reads like Lois was 'out' for most of the night on Clark's bed. (Clark comments that it's "very late" when Lois arrives--and then in the notes before Lois comes to, it talks of Clark being dressed in "last night's clothes".) Just thought I'd throw that little tidbit out there ...

Regardless of how long Lois was asleep--and how much of a trench Clark dredged into his living room floor that night --I still get the feeling from the scene that what Clark actually said, and what Clark actually meant, really aren't the same thing. I think out of a long night of frustration (the script actually mentions that the night before he was "frustrated beyond belief" when he is talking about her having no idea "how much he's thought about this--dreamt about this..."--her dancing for him/etc) he then blurted out his statement about him being hers, while meaning it a lot less 'physical' than actually implied....

Lois had made some really BIG comments before passing out--saying to Clark, hoping it's "not to late, for us, for happiness." She had also let the little admission out that she "loved" him and "wanted to spend the rest of her life" with him. And lastly, the embarrassing "You're here--this is my home" to Clark, awkwardly enough, as he's trying to get her to leave LOL ...

Anyway, that's a lot of pretty intense stuff for a 'boy from Kansas' to hear--a virgin--who is, I'd say even by this point, pretty well in love with this girl, his best friend...Clark states in the pilot that he wants to meet someone, have a family. From what we see of him by this point in the series, there's really been no one else--he's only been interested in Lois, in this serious type of way. What if he's talking about 'coupledom' here--wanting to be officially 'with' Lois, date Lois, etc? Surely he knew that she was pretty well delirious when she said all of this to him the previous evening, but after a few days of the woman you love coming onto you, and a night of trenching your floor, maybe your 'reality' of the overall situation is skewed enough to take these advances seriously...

To put all of the above in a lot more coherent fashion, I think Clark is talking about being with Lois (as a couple) and not in a physical sense. And yeah, maybe a kiss would have happened next--if she hadn't returned to normal--but knowing Clark, the way he was raised, his personality, his virginity, and most telling, his love for his best friend, Lois--nothing else would have happened beyond that, IMO. And it's not like they hadn't kissed by this point--SV's kiss was instigated by LOIS, MOSB's kiss (airing previously to PML) was instigated by CLARK. Though one was a ruse, and the other saying goodbye, they were both willing participants. They have a bit of history in this department already ...(and we won't even talk about HIM's kiss--airing right after PML )

This kiss I always thought balanced out--two 'wrongs' (people) making a right (a very nice 'right' to see, btw )...Clark faked being affected by the spray (but told the truth that he loved her), and Lois--though having the smallest, tiniest bit of resolve at first (but admittedly, not much .

Laura