Lois & Clark Forums Forums General Discussion Lois & Clark Contact Episode Discussion Thread

The main thing that I always associate this episode with is how disappointed I was when I first saw Lois’ new haircut. I absolutely despised it the first time I saw it. Looking back at her haircut now, I don’t dislike it quite as much. I even liked the shorter hair depending on how her hair was styled from week to week. Still, though, I’ll always be a bigger fan of the bob than of the shorter hair.

Despite my initial dislike of Lois’ new haircut, I always enjoyed this episode. For one thing, I liked the UFO abduction plotline. Storylines about aliens, UFOs, and the paranormal have always fascinated me.

I also liked Star a lot. It was nice to finally see Lois with a female friend. She would have made for a pretty good recurring cast member. It’s too bad that they chose to get rid of her after only a few episodes. I guess they just wanted to keep the action focused on the Daily Planet, and a psychic didn’t really fit into that.

I always thought Lois was behaving a little out of character in this episode. It seemed like she should have been more dismissive about UFOs, even if she felt she experienced that. She wouldn't want others to know.

I also thought this episode was a turning point with her wardrobe. Up to this point she appeared more business like.

Joan

I remember the previews at the end of "Ordinary People" showing Lois running at the beginning of "Contact" with the haircut and I was so dreading how it would actually look. I was right, although it wasn't nearly as bad as that terrible wig later on. And that scene with her falling out of the plane was so awkwardly, cringe-inducingly horrible. Even in 1995 it looked phony.

It was nice to have a Black recurring character, if only for a while.

I always look at this episode a little more enjoyably than many of the other people I know. I've always had a theory (hypothesis?) about it. The tinkering in Lois's mind made it possible for her to (unintentionally) project her thoughts (mostly at Clark, everyone else it's cut off but because of her close relationship with Clark she's projecting to him.).

We learn later in the series that Kryptonians (including Clark) are telepathic. Because he never grew up on Krypton, he never learned to filter unintentional thoughts and Lois's turmoil about their relationship was playing havoc with Clark's emotions (making things feel "too close."). That, combined with the danger Lois was in caused him to decide on breaking off their relationship just as Lois was ready to accept.

I'm not sure if I explained my idea very well, but there you go.

Wow, Christina, that's an excellent reason! It makes total sense. Why else would Clark break things up with the love of his life, the woman he'd been pursuing for over two years?

The only other reason I could think of is that it was a cynical ploy by a jaded writing staff to cause some angst and drama. But we know that would never happen.

Oh, and by the way, Star plays a big part (and a hilarious one) in ML Thompson's Nowhere To Run . That fic is set in the time of the Non-Wedding Arc, but I couldn't help but reference it here because ML captures Star so perfectly.

I found it odd that Clark was so skeptical that Lois had been abducted by aliens. Really? Clark being skeptical about aliens? I also found it amusingly ironic that when Lois was so upset about her dream/flashback about being abducted, who does she go to for comfort? An alien.

I would have liked to see a scene with Lois describing the aliens and telling Clark how gross aliens are, or how much they creep her out. I kept waiting for them to have a conversation like that. Then Clark could get offended, and Lois could say that, of course, he's not gross or creepy, despite being an alien, and Clark could air some of his long-held fears about not being accepted because he's not human. Maybe their break-up could have been about some misunderstanding over whether Lois can handle being married to an alien. I don't remember them ever really addressing the issue when they were discussing marriage. (If they did, maybe one of you could point me to the right episode... ) Hmm... maybe I need to add this to my plot-bunny list.

At the end of the episode when Lois was in bed with a concussion and Perry and Jimmy are leaving, Superman walks in and says he wants a minute alone with Lois. Why wasn't Clark there? Wouldn't Perry, Jimmy, and Star expect Clark to be around taking care of her? It would make a lot more sense for Clark to come in and have a private conversation with Lois in her bedroom than for Superman to do so. I think the writers wanted him in his Superman suit for their conversation, but he should have waited until everyone else was gone if he was going to show up in the suit.

This is a gripe I have about the whole third season. Superman spends too much time in public having private conversations with Lois. At the beginning of this episode, the luggage thieves even comment on Lois being Superman's girlfriend because he pulls her aside to talk to her. Superman needs to be much more circumspect in his behavior with Clark Kent's girlfriend.

Wow, that's a really good point, MrsMxy! Perhaps it was too sensitive a thing to address on the show, racism and all that (or "humanism", if you want to be specific.) Clark did mention something like that in one episode (The Pilot?) where he talks about wanting kids and Jonathan tells him, "We don't know if that's possible." Of course children are a whole 'nother thing to worry about if you're an alien married to an Earthling.

YEAH! Clark seems to be going out of his way to blow the secret. It got downright ludicrous.

Continuing the series of posts about episode-related fanfic, when I saw "Contact", the first fic I thought about was Platonic , by one of my favorite authors, Sue S. As Sue puts it, "This occurs after 'Contact' in a universe where 'When Irish Eyes Are Killing' and 'Just Say Noah', never happened. There were so many issues for Lois and Clark to work through after the "break-up" that just got swept under the rug." In this fic (and try to read the nfic version ), Sue explores how Lois and Clark would have gotten over the "Breaking up with Lois for her own good" bit of lunkheadedness that Clark performed.

Unfortunately (or is it fortunately?) this fic is so good that it's ruined me for most other post "Contact" fics. There are a few listed in the Archive Database: Shattered by Jana L. Officer and Unbreaking by TR cover the same theme, but in less detail than Sue provides.

On a lighter note, LabRat does a Plot Untwist in Closer Contact , and Vixen talks about how and why Lois got her hair cut in Hair Today, Gone Tomorrow .

Stopquitdont's Everywhere is a meaty fic where Clark and Lois don't make up for quite some time. As the description goes: When Clark decides to end his relationship with Lois for her own good, she breaks. Deciding that she can't handle working with Clark at the Daily Planet anymore, she sets out to collect stories from all over the world. In doing so, she learns that she can't stop loving Clark. She takes him everywhere'."

For years, I considered this my least favorite episode of the entire series. I just hated it. I've mellowed on it a bit since then, but I still really, really dislike (1) the breakup (if he's going to have issues, you don't just get to say, "we're through" and then fly off without further discussion - so immature!), (2) the styling of The Hair in this episode (she looked 60 years old), (3) just Star in general (a woman of color (well, anyone of color) on the show was sorely needed, but this flakey character I could do without) and (4) the way Lois behaved (I will not forgive the tinfoil hat: I just won't - that's not smart, practical Lois Lane to me).

One of the few things I remember liking about the episode was that when Clark tried to use his superhearing at the villain's office, he couldn't hear anything other than that they were out of 3-hole paper because it was too noisy in there. I thought that was cute, even if it begs the question of how he can ever superhear anything, as it's always noisy somewhere. He had a lot on his mind, though, what with having to decide when to be an immature jerk with Lois ( ), so maybe he was just having an off day.

Actually, I have to say the opening of the episode made no sense, and thus the whole thing never connected.

True, Lois has not said yes to Clark's proposal, but they clearly are dating. So why does she turn down a chance to spend time with him on her way home?

I am not sure what is less believable, Clark framing it as just "protect you", as opposed to "let's drive, and maybe have some fun", moving up his eyebrows in a meaningful gesture. Especially just after "Ordinary People". Or Lois insisting on driving home alone.

Well, I don't think Lois thinks of Clark as an alien in any way. He looks human, he acts human, he thinks human. OK, some of his actions are super-human, but his morals, mores and such are all human.

You know, I think that would make the break-up more believable. Maybe Clark claims he is protecting Lois, but he is also afraid she really does not accept his otherness.

They ran out of time to have Dean change costumes. OK, you want an in-plot answer. Hmm, I don;t think there is a good one.

Yes. Maybe this is partly why she is still miffed at him at the start of "Just Say Noah", he was not even there for her when she was in the hospital.

Actually, he could have showed up as Clark and then changed after the others leave. Anyway since Lois knows, I don't see why it matters.

Also, I think they have too many conversations about SM in semi-public locals. It is amazing no one caught on all season.

Well, that was the one part of the opening that might not have been too odd. Still, I have to agree SM should have tried to distance himself from Lois. In fact, Lois and Clark should have done an open charade of being distant to prevent The Secret TM from being revealed.

Hmm, maybe that is another reason they could have broken up temporarily. Lois realizes she should protect Clark's secret, and so acts distant from Superman in public. Clark things she is rejecting him, and overreacts.

Especially if that came just after her speaking ill of aliens, maybe we have a set of reasons that would actually lead to a breakup.

I hadn't thought of it that way. I guess some people might find it a sensitive subject.

I agree. Clark seems human, and it would be easy to forget that he's not. I still find it ironic, though.

I like this idea for their break-up. A lot of their fights seem to center on mis-communication, and this would follow that theme.

Well, I think the hard part is that racism is sensitive. It is hard to avoid either a-getting too serious or b-being too flippant about antagonism towards difference. I mean, Superman is not going to be the subject of convetional racism, he is not looked down on for being different by most.

I believe they tackled "humanism" or "otherism" for Clark in the episodes with Trask and B39.

Good point. Of course they could have gone all "Guess Who's coming to dinner" on us if they had Sam and Ellen learn at some point that Lois was marrying an alien and object to it.