|
|
Joined: Jul 2026
Posts: 54 Likes: 7
Freelance Reporter
|
|
Freelance Reporter
Joined: Jul 2026
Posts: 54 Likes: 7 |
Hi all—I'm a newbie  . I stumbled upon this show last year after I lost my dear aunt to ovarian cancer. She had this huge DVD collection that my cousins didn't want, so I ended up inheriting it all. I decided to check out this old set first because, for one thing, it was the only foreign TV show my aunt had collected, and for another, it was kept in a beautifully embroidered silk pouch, separate from all the other DVD sets. So it kind of stood out to me. Less than five minutes into the pilot I was completely hooked. The lead actor and actress had "star-crossed lovers" stamped on their foreheads even before they ever met—great casting! I watched that first episode on July 20, 2025. Now a year has passed and I find myself still heavily addicted, which is a brand-new experience for me. I guess I've just found my all-time favorite show.
Anyway, when I first watched the show, I noticed that most episodes in Season 1 lacked episode-to-episode continuity, and the timeline was clearly scrambled. For example, both "MOSB" and "Witness" took place in winter, but they were separated by several episodes that clearly occurred in autumn or spring. The most glaring example is PML—fruit-fly spraying is usually scheduled for early spring, and definitely not in the dead of winter. There were also major inconsistencies in Lois Lane’s emotional development. In one episode she was all over Superman; in the next she was all over Clark; then she’d shift to Lex Luthor, only to go back to flirting with Clark again for no apparent reason. It bothered me so much that I decided to reorder the viewing sequence to make the story feel more logical. By doing that, I also hoped to fix three issues that had bugged me during my first watch:
1.Why was Lois so mean to Clark early on in their relationship?
2.Why did Lois tell Clark "I just don’t feel that way about you" in BATP, when she had at least admitted to the audience that she had feelings for him in IGACOY?
3.Why did Lois accept Luthor’s proposal?
So I reordered the Season 1 episodes based on Lois’s attitude toward Clark. I’m sure other FoLCs have done similar things before—this is just my take on it:
Part 1 – The “chip on the shoulder” stage
Ep01-Pilot (April 30, 1993. Launch date for the transport vehicle Messenger)
Ep02-NeverendingBattle (May 07, 1993)
Ep03-StrangeVisitor
Ep04-I’mLookingThroughYou
Ep05-RequiemForASuperhero
Ep06-SmartKids
Ep07-I’veGotACrushOnYou
This part ends with the episode "IGACOY", in which Clark realizes he's hopelessly in love with Lois Lane (his IQ starts to plummet disastrously from that moment on), and Lois finally admits to herself that she has romantic feelings for Clark.
Part 2 – The “heavy flirting” stage
Ep08-HoneymoonInMetropolis (July, 1993)
Ep09-TheGreenGreenGlowOfHome (September, 1993. Kansas Corn Festival)
Ep10-ManOfSteelBars (November, 1993)
Ep11-Witness (Christmas, 1993)
Ep12-TheIdesOfMetropolis (Jan 18, 1994)
Ep13-IllusionsOfGrandeur
Ep14-TheRival
Ep15-PheromoneMyLovely (February, 1994. Fruit fly spray)
In this part, Lois drops numerous “subtle hints” that Clark should ask her out. But the chumpy superhuman dodges every single one of them and keeps pushing her away. This part ends with the episode PML, in which Luthor realizes he wants to possess Lois Lane, and Lois believes that Clark simply isn’t physically attracted to her.
Part 3 – The “love you as a friend” stage
Ep16-AllShookUp
Ep17-Foundling
Ep18-Vatman (Mar 17, 1994. Perry’s birthday)
Ep19-FlyHard (Mar 26, 1994)
Ep20- BarbariansAtThePlanet (Late April, 1994. “A few weeks” after FlyHard, “barely a year” after Pilot)
Ep21- TheHouseOfLuthor (Late May, 1994. “Weeks” after BATP)
This part contains all the "zero-flirting" episodes. After Clark's galactically stupid claim in PML—"I guess I'm just not attracted to you, Lois." (Why the hell did he say that???)—Lois finally decides to give up on him altogether. To keep herself from getting hurt again, she begins brainwashing herself into believing that she only ever loved Clark as a friend. The self-hypnosis has been so successful that by the time Clark pours his heart out to her in "BATP," she is already absolutely certain she never had any romantic feelings for him.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
And over the next few weeks I intend to do a sort of episode-by-episode commentary in this thread. I know there are already discussion threads for each episode, but since I reordered the viewing sequence, the storyline might feel a bit different compared to the original version. Please do bear with me. The trouble with being addicted to a 33-year-old show is that I have no one to talk to about it in real life—all my friends are currently Targaryen-crazy and cannot stand the cheesy visual effects from the '90s. My sister does like the show, but not nearly as much as I do—if I talk too much she gets bored. I feel so lucky to have found these MBs, especially since every other old fan site has seemingly gone dark.
The comments I make in this thread will focus mostly on the B-plot. In my opinion, the writers created a masterpiece with the B-plot, while the A-plot is almost always incredibly dumb. Maybe that's why this show never reached the popularity it should have—not that many viewers can stand having their intelligence insulted every 15 minutes or so.
Alright, here we go. Please feel free to chime in at any time  .
|
|
2 members like this:
Verity, peixinho |
|
|
|
|
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 9,399 Likes: 76
Boards Chief Administrator Nobel Peace Prize Winner
|
|
Boards Chief Administrator Nobel Peace Prize Winner
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 9,399 Likes: 76 |
Welcome, Lynx! I'd say you fit right in with this crowd  Still looking into the search thing. Meanwhile, if your favorite search engine supports the site/url filter, you get the same effect as with the Google-based archive search. Also, you can pop onto Discord (see footer for the link) and pester Doranwen about finding specific things. Or, generally, all the FoLCs. We used to have these questions in Fanfic Related all the time. Michael
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Dec 2024
Posts: 201 Likes: 44
Hack from Nowheresville
|
|
Hack from Nowheresville
Joined: Dec 2024
Posts: 201 Likes: 44 |
Hi, Lynx Luthor (I really like your username!). Welcome to the MBs! I discovered Lois & Clark in June/July 2023, and I've been consuming content about the show ever since (unfortunately, my obsessions take a very long time to fade  ). But I only found the courage to start interacting with the fandom this February. I relate to you. Some of the show's writing choices frustrate me too, especially how the main storyline keeps moving forward and then backward and sometimes doesn't make much sense - even though I know that was just how TV shows were structured back then. It's similar to the issue of sexism. I know people saw things differently at the time, and that naturally found its way into the scripts. Even knowing I can't be anachronistic and expect the awareness and consistency of a modern series from a show that started in 1993, that doesn't stop me from wishing things had been different and better, or that there had been more care and responsibility in the way the characters were written (especially Lois, since misunderstood female characters are a perfect recipe for some fans to reproduce sexist attitudes, which is quite unfortunate). I guess that's my way of appreciating Lois & Clark: recognizing its potential, with all its strengths and flaws. In fact, I think there's only one work I allow myself to consider almost perfect, and it would be A Song of Ice and Fire. Although I don't have the patience to read huge books about the Targaryens fighting each other, much less watch a whole TV series about it!  ![[Linked Image]](https://www.cosgan.de/images/smilie/tiere/e015.gif) I have to admit it never occurred to me to rearrange Lois & Clark into a different viewing order! I'm really curious to see what you come up with. I also find it fascinating that a work can be canon, yet still be different for every person because our interpretations depend on how we read it, and how we read it depends on our own perspectives  in which Clark realizes he's hopelessly in love with Lois Lane (his IQ starts to plummet disastrously from that moment on)
After Clark's galactically stupid claim in PML—"I guess I'm just not attracted to you, Lois." (Why the hell did he say that???)
That's another one of those moments where, if Clark had been a little smarter, he might have gotten past Lois's defense mechanisms :P But honestly, I think the poor guy just wanted to feel desired instead of rejected for once in their relationship haha! and cannot stand the cheesy visual effects from the '90s.
I always got a good laugh out of those goofy visual effects! These days, with the whole AI craze, I've come to appreciate them a lot more Nice to meet you
Stories are written by the victors.
(Hmm, come to think of it, that's not the exact quote...)
|
|
1 member likes this:
Lynx_Luthor |
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jul 2026
Posts: 54 Likes: 7
Freelance Reporter
|
|
Freelance Reporter
Joined: Jul 2026
Posts: 54 Likes: 7 |
Hi Michael, thanks a lot for your help! Unfortunately I couldn’t open the Discord link either (is that a firewall thing? Sorry my computer and software knowledge is about on par with a Neanderthal's). But for now I'm happy enough just being able to post on this board. If I run into any more technical problems, I'll just pop over to the "Tech How-To" board. Hi Peixinho, nice meeting you—thanks for the warm welcome! Since misunderstood female characters are a perfect recipe for some fans to reproduce sexist attitudes, which is quite unfortunate
I wholeheartedly agree! My sister hated the Lois Lane character in the first season. She kept going on about how Clark deserved way better (she prefers Tony Taylor). I tried telling her that Lois didn’t really mean what she said; all those snarky comments were just her way of pushing back against the weird attraction she felt for Clark (and let's not forget, Clark did plenty of nasty things to Lois as well). But my sister wouldn’t buy it. I guess that's the main reason she doesn't like this show as much as I do.
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jul 2026
Posts: 54 Likes: 7
Freelance Reporter
|
|
Freelance Reporter
Joined: Jul 2026
Posts: 54 Likes: 7 |
Episode 01-Pilot
There are two key pieces of information included in the Pilot script that never came across clearly in the actual episode:
The first is that Lois’s “chip-on-the-shoulder” attitude toward Clark was really just a defense mechanism—a way to mask her insecurities and deflect the strong attraction she felt toward him (possibly due to their “soulmate” connection). For example:
“Lois's take-charge attitude covers up a multitude of insecurities.
LOIS: Let’s hit it!”
And later:
“The darkened newsroom, exotic food, and the late hour have taken their toll on Lois's defenses. Before she lets them go...
LOIS: Don't fall for me, farmboy. I haven’t got the time for it.”
Detailed descriptions of a character’s inner thoughts and feelings are rarely found in production scripts. Deborah Joy LeVine likely included these notes because she felt it was essential that the director—and more importantly, the lead actress—understood what was going on beneath the surface. I can see how this would have been a tricky balance for the actress: play it too overtly, and she gives away too much; play it too subtly, and the audience might miss it entirely and end up disliking the character. I think Teri managed to get the point across to some viewers (like me), but not to others (like my sister).
The second important detail the script made clear is that Clark could hear Lois’s heartbeat speed up whenever she was close to him:
“Clark can hear, see Lois' heart beating, fast.”
This means Clark knew Lois was physically attracted to him—as Clark, not Superman—as early as the fourth day they met. And while he wasn’t exactly telepathic, he essentially had a lie detector wired to her whenever they were near each other. It also means he was fully aware that her snarky comments were little more than bluffs, which is why he always seemed amused rather than offended. Again, LeVine must have included this in the script to make sure the lead actor was in on it. I think Dean did a pretty solid job with that. It’s fairly clear throughout Season 1 that Clark can usually tell when Lois is lying to him. This also explains his constant teasing and his overly confident (rather foolish, of course) attitude toward her.
Given that Clark is an extremely handsome, charming, and well-built man, he was probably used to women falling for him left and right. But Lois was a unique case—an extreme “heart and mind in different places” situation that he’d never encountered before. Picture this: here comes this girl he really likes, walking toward him. He can hear her heartbeat racing faster the closer she gets. She’s clearly interested. He’s expecting her to say something nice. Then she opens her mouth and starts firing verbal daggers at him.
No wonder he was a goner from day one.
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Dec 2024
Posts: 201 Likes: 44
Hack from Nowheresville
|
|
Hack from Nowheresville
Joined: Dec 2024
Posts: 201 Likes: 44 |
(she prefers Tony Taylor)
Heeelp. I was expecting you to say she preferred Mayson Drake, but "Toni Taylor" caught me off guard I always roll my eyes at the whole "Lois wasn't good enough for Clark" argument. I've seen that take so many times  First of all, I think it fundamentally misunderstands Clark's character. A lot of people treat him as if he's some flawless, perfect man, when that's never what he wanted to be, especially the L&C version of Clark. He wanted to be human, an ordinary man. Secondly, it shows a lack of confidence in Clark's judgment. He knew exactly what he was getting into, and I'm pretty sure he was smart enough to realize if pursuing a woman wasn't worth it. And, of course, people are always so eager to pat men on their heads and say "oooh, poor guy", even when they're fictional. Nothing new about that. (and let's not forget, Clark did plenty of nasty things to Lois as well)
I agree with you. Clark made mistakes too - which is normal, and honestly a good thing! One of the things I loved most about Superman 2025 was seeing Clark act immaturely and lose his temper like a normal person  But in L&C, I feel like the show writers wanted him to be the "perfect prince," so whenever he messed up, the script tended to downplay it. Meanwhile, Lois's mistakes were always highlighted, and the focus was on how she needed to learn and improve. (which is why he always seemed amused rather than offended.)
That always seemed obvious to me too. Sure, there were moments when Clark genuinely got hurt, but overall I always got the impression that he knew Lois was struggling against her attraction to him. That's why I was so surprised to see so many people misunderstand Lois or call her cruel just because she acted cold towards him  (and I'm saying this as someone who's actually pretty sensitive myself lol). On top of that, she was a woman working in a male-dominated field at a very sexist time. Then a man suddenly invades her space and is assigned as her partner. For me, it's the most understandable thing in the world that she would see him as a rival and become defensive.  I think Teri Hatcher and Dean Cain are one of the best things about the show, and they did an amazing job conveying their characters' feelings in subtle ways. But like I said before, everyone interprets what they watch through the lens of their own experiences, biases and worldview. Just as there's no such thing as a neutral story, there's no such thing as a neutral audience.
Stories are written by the victors.
(Hmm, come to think of it, that's not the exact quote...)
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jul 2026
Posts: 54 Likes: 7
Freelance Reporter
|
|
Freelance Reporter
Joined: Jul 2026
Posts: 54 Likes: 7 |
Heeelp. I was expecting you to say she preferred Mayson Drake, but "Toni Taylor" caught me off guard
That's because my sister only watched Season 1 with me and never even knew Mayson Drake existed. She got all pouty when Lois accepted Luthor's proposal and dropped the show altogether.  And, of course, people are always so eager to pat men on their heads and say "oooh, poor guy", even when they're fictional.
Exactly. I always felt like I was one of the few who thought Clark totally deserved what he got in BATP. Glad to have found an ally! I feel like the show writers wanted him to be the "perfect prince
Totally agree! Have you noticed how the script writers always had Lois losing control and embarrassing herself in various ways, while simultaneously going out of their way to protect Clark's pristine image? That's one of the reasons 'Season's Greetings' is my favorite episode—for once, the writer actually let Clark lose it right alongside Lois and make a fool of himself too. I'm glad at least Dean was aware of that sexist, double-standard treatment.
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jul 2026
Posts: 54 Likes: 7
Freelance Reporter
|
|
Freelance Reporter
Joined: Jul 2026
Posts: 54 Likes: 7 |
Episode 01-Pilot (CONT'D)
The next thing I tried to understand was why Lois had built herself an emotional fence as high as a skyscraper. To answer that question, we have to bring in the character of Claude—mentioned only once by name, yet whose presence loomed over the entire series. Though never explicitly stated, I’m fairly certain Levine intended Claude to be the only man Lois ever slept with before Clark Kent entered her life. From “IASWAA” we know Lois dated in high school, but nothing serious came of it. From “The Rival”, we learn that as a college student, she didn’t approve of sexual intercourse—“ways I won’t go into,” as she put it. And it was also hinted throughout the series that Lois had never had a stable-ish boyfriend before meeting Clark.
She started working at the Daily Planet right after college graduation (a “fresh talent”) and met Claude (a senior journalist, a “scarred veteran”) at age 21. She fell for him and likely gave him her virginity, only to find herself deeply betrayed and emotionally devastated by the man. Judging by the fact that Lois had no idea how to share a bathroom with a man in “HIM”, her encounter with Claude was most likely a one-night stand. And based on the anxiety she expressed in “Virtually Destroyed” about not being able to please Clark sexually, her one-night experience with Claude probably wasn’t good at all. So it’s entirely possible that this Claude character—an extremely selfish man concerned only with his own pleasure—inflicted both emotional wounds and physical pain on Lois. That traumatic experience left her with a complete romantic void for five long years. (Throughout the series, she never mentions any suitors or dating experiences from ages 21 to 25.) During that time, she simply insulated herself from all men, swore never to sleep with anyone she worked with again, and wrapped herself entirely in work.
For the B-plot to move forward smoothly and believably, the writers needed Lois Lane to be beautiful, attractive, energetic, and passionate. But at the same time, she also had to be sexually repressed, emotionally guarded, and completely inexperienced in relationships. These two profiles don’t usually go together. Yet it makes perfect sense if Lois had been so deeply wounded by her first love that she simply shut down her feminine side and retreated into an emotional cocoon.
Another detail I suspect Levine intentionally included was the resemblance between Clark and Claude in several respects: both are foreign in a way, both start out as Lois’s new colleagues competing with her for a story—and even their names sound alike. So we can only imagine Lois’s horror when, just beginning to recover from Claude’s near-fatal blow after so many years, she finds herself face-to-face with Clark—another man she feels intensely drawn to, yet who bears unsettling similarities to the one who deeply wounded her. Of course she wanted to fend Clark off and push him away with all her might.
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jul 2026
Posts: 54 Likes: 7
Freelance Reporter
|
|
Freelance Reporter
Joined: Jul 2026
Posts: 54 Likes: 7 |
Episode 01-Pilot (CONT'D)
Then comes the next question that bothered me—why did Lois allow Lex Luthor into her life?
From Cat Grant, we learn that during her five years at the Planet, Lois earned a reputation for being “all work and no personality.” Her own sister, Lucy, reveals that Lois’s personal life consisted of “interviews” rather than actual “dates.” But that wasn’t the Lois Lane we met when she was first introduced. In the pilot, she was dating three men at once—each one trashier than the last. Clearly, she had already emerged from her emotional cocoon and resumed dating shortly before Clark arrived in Metropolis. It’s entirely possible that Lois made a New Year’s resolution at the start of 1993: she would rather marry without love than remain single, if only to escape the crushing weight of loneliness. (That late-night crying scene with a tissue box and a flickering TV says it all.) And I’ve never cared for the line Lois delivered at the end of “Oedipus Wrecks”: “when being alone was what I thought I wanted.” The writer clearly didn’t do his homework. Lois Lane is hardly the type to enjoy solitude; spending every night alone left her utterly miserable.
By that point, Lois had all but given up on finding true love—she even wrote a novel about a woman who died without ever finding it. Instead, she was simply looking for a life partner who was “man enough to handle me”—someone who could accept her as she was and rescue her from her lonely existence. But even that modest standard seemed out of reach.
So we can see that, had Clark Kent not entered her life, Lex Luthor would have seemed like the perfect solution. Luthor was certainly strong enough to “handle” her, and he clearly qualified as someone who “sees her as she really is.” In fact, Luthor would have appeared a hundred times better than anything Lois dared hope for, because by then she was already so desperate that she was even willing to consider “Alan the Dentist”.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
That’s about all I wanted to say regarding the first episode. I realize most of my comments revolve around Lois Lane, mainly because she strikes me as the character who has been most misunderstood and unfairly treated. D. J. Levine did a wonderful job introducing Clark Kent—I can’t recall anyone misreading that portrayal. I especially loved that little piece she wrote about the “razing of the old theatre on Forty-second.” It was brief, yet it speaks volumes about the character—talent, compassion, determination, resourcefulness... pretty much everything you’d hope to see in a superhero, and sadly, so often missing in modern superhero movies.
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Dec 2024
Posts: 201 Likes: 44
Hack from Nowheresville
|
|
Hack from Nowheresville
Joined: Dec 2024
Posts: 201 Likes: 44 |
I'm glad at least Dean was aware of that sexist, double-standard treatment.
![[Linked Image]](https://www.cosgan.de/images/smilie/konfus/g045.gif) did he talk about that in an interview? I always felt like I was one of the few who thought Clark totally deserved what he got in BATP
To be honest, I don't remember all the details of BaTP and HoL, but I think both Lois and Clark made painful mistakes that hurt each other as well as themselves.  To this day I still haven't had the courage to rewatch those episodes or even the beginning of season 2 (although I'll have to soon, since I'm planning to write a "fix-it" fanfic for the BaTP-HoL arc and also to make an edit). Anyway, it hurt me the way Lois rejected Clark and then immediately asked him to contact Superman for her (that was a moment I genuinely thought she was being insensitive). It also hurt me Superman commenting on her robe. And then there's Clark being annoying at Perry's retirement party and making the whole atmosphere awkward. Actually, I just realized something: his "sleeping with the devil" comment and the remark about her robe are both sexual in nature, which is a very common way for men to insult women. It would actually have been really interesting if the show had addressed that instead of just ignoring it. I don't mean that Clark is a terrible person because of it, only that he reproduced a pattern of male domination, which I think all of us end up doing at some point, even unintentionally. and even their names sound alike.
The fact that Clark and Claude not only share the same initial, but also the second letter of their names has always intrigued me (for some reason I'm kind of obsessed with letters, especially initials  ). If the intention was to make Lois subconsciously associate the two men even more, I think that was a clever choice. Judging by the fact that Lois had no idea how to share a bathroom with a man in “HIM”
I love that scene of Lois and Clark brushing their teeth together! It's one of my favorites in the entire series ![[Linked Image]](https://www.cosgan.de/images/smilie/liebe/p020.gif) In the pilot, she was dating three men at once.
Three men? Wow, I had completely forgotten about that. How interesting. Still, I think Lois could have accepted ending up alone. She might have been going on dates just to convince herself that she'd at least tried and it simply hadn't worked out. Even so, I like your theory. Luthor would represent a relationship without passion, based entirely on reason, which would make it much less likely to end in the kind of painful, dramatic way her parents' marriage did - or like her very brief relationship with Claude. I also like the scene where Clark writes about the theater. I know some viewers didn't care much for Clark, partly because of Dean Cain's performance. Some people said he was too lackluster. For a while I actually tried to analyze his acting to see the flaws people kept talking about, but honestly, as someone who's nowhere near an acting expert, I thought he was a great Clark Kent. Maybe some people got that impression simply because Teri's Lois is such an energetic character that she naturally steals the spotlight a lot of the time.
Last edited by peixinho; 07/26/26 09:15 PM.
Stories are written by the victors.
(Hmm, come to think of it, that's not the exact quote...)
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Dec 2024
Posts: 201 Likes: 44
Hack from Nowheresville
|
|
Hack from Nowheresville
Joined: Dec 2024
Posts: 201 Likes: 44 |
By the way, I just remembered you said you were having trouble accessing the archive. Unfortunately, I don't know enough about technology to help with that, but I can recommend some fics. Foundations by Caroline K First Comes Marriage by ML Thompson The Time Traveler's Wife by ML Thompson Can you access them when you click on the titles? If so, let me know and I'll recommend some more.
Stories are written by the victors.
(Hmm, come to think of it, that's not the exact quote...)
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jul 2026
Posts: 54 Likes: 7
Freelance Reporter
|
|
Freelance Reporter
Joined: Jul 2026
Posts: 54 Likes: 7 |
Did he talk about that in an interview?
Not that I know of. But since Dean is the only scriptwriter in the entire series who lets Clark lose his dignity and make a clown of himself, I guess Dean must have sensed the problem—even if only subconsciously. To this day I still haven't had the courage to rewatch those episodes or even the beginning of season 2 (although I'll have to soon, since I'm planning to write a fix-it fanfic for the BaTP-HoL arc and also to make an edit).
It was indeed quite painful to watch the BaTP–HoL arc. I got through the ordeal by repeatedly chanting “you reap what you sow” at that miserable Mr. Kent on screen. And this arc is right at the top of my list of ones that need fixing, because the characters of both Lois and Clark were kind of twisted and distorted just to serve the plot. Looking forward to reading your fanfic! I know some viewers didn't care much for Clark, partly because of Dean Cain's performance. Some people said he was too lackluster.
Lackluster? Seriously? In my opinion, DC's amiable, placid Clark Kent is about the only version that actually makes sense. I get why some viewers prefer a more energetic take—after all, we're used to leading men who pop off the screen with big energy, and a quiet, reserved guy can seem boring next to the flashier villains and side characters. But what a lot of people miss is that Clark Kent has to constantly practice self-control just to keep everyone around him safe. That quiet restraint adds a whole layer of tension that a more outwardly fiery version could never pull off. By the way, I just remembered you said you were having trouble accessing the archive. Unfortunately, I don't know enough about technology to help with that, but I can recommend some fics.
Thanks a bunch! I can get into the archive okay, but the "search" function isn't working for me. Like, if I type in "Alt-Clark" and "All Shook Up," I get no results.
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jul 2026
Posts: 54 Likes: 7
Freelance Reporter
|
|
Freelance Reporter
Joined: Jul 2026
Posts: 54 Likes: 7 |
Fanfic request:
Are there any stories out there where Alt-Clark saves Alt-Lois from the Congo gunrunners, and then the two of them go through the entire Season 1 storyline all over again? I'm guessing there must be—alternate universes seem to be a pretty hot trope in fanfics. I remember reading a good one about Alt-Clark, but his Lois died in childbirth, which didn't work for me. I need happy endings.
Here's how I imagine it could play out—and it’d be a lot of fun: H.G. Wells tracks down Alt-Clark in Australia and asks him to save his future wife. (Wells stopped worrying about "tampering with history" after he discovered parallel universes.) After Alt-Clark rescues Alt-Lois from the gunrunners, he doesn't keep her in the dark—he tells her everything upfront: he's an alien with superpowers, they're soulmates, they're supposed to get married and have kids, and their descendants are destined to build Utopia. Alt-Lois, of course, thinks he's a complete whacko—until he flies her all the way from the Congo back to Metropolis. Lois goes to bed that night thoroughly dazed. When she wakes up the next morning, she decides it must've all been a bad dream. Once she's fully recovered, she heads back to work as usual, only to find that same whacko sitting in Perry's office, being interviewed. She tries to talk Perry out of hiring that freaking alien, but Alt-Clark lands the job anyway—and they're stuck working together.
Since Martha and Jonathan passed away early in this universe (I would like to have Sam and Ellen killed off too—in this version, LnC have no one to rely on but each other), Alt-Lois ends up being the one to help Alt-Clark create Superman. She notices that Clark nearly gets himself caught and exposed during one of his little rescue stunts, so she suggests they make a "change of clothes." But instead of leaving Lois to do all the sewing herself (how stereotypical!), the two of them have to figure out how to make the spandex suit together, amid constant bickering ("Stop flexing those quadriceps, Kent! I'm trying to pin this inseam here")... It'd be a nice little opportunity for Lois to appreciate her partner's physique, if nothing else.
At first, Alt-Lois brushes off the whole "soulmates" thing as total nonsense. "I make my own destiny," she says. And Alt-Clark just goes: "Fine by me." So we'd still get plenty of that classic banter and standoff energy：
Lois shows her resolve by accepting Luthor's dinner invitations; Clark retaliates by selling himself to that rich debutante in ILTY.
As soon as Perry pairs them up in RFAS, Lois starts to "take a few more chances" and put herself in harm’s way on a daily basis. Clark complains out loud about what a demanding job it is to keep her alive, but secretly loves playing her bodyguard.
They run into Lana Lang instead of Rachel Harris in GGGH, and Lois gets fiercely territorial. LnC spends several nights together in the old farmhouse that Clark inherited from M&J—alone, without a chaperon—because every hotel room in Smallville had been booked for months thanks to the Corn Festival, so they don’t have much of a choice. And on that first night, it’s Lois who nurses Clark back to health after the brutal Kryptonite attack.
In MOSB, instead of kissing Lois goodbye, Clark gets into a huge fight with her and storms off, leaving Lois to defend Superman all by herself.
After rescuing Lois from Mr. Make Up in “Witness”, Clark carries her into her bedroom and lays her down to rest—then accidentally discovers that she's been sleeping with the teddy bear he won for her at the corn festival back in GGGH.
They share their first real kiss in ASU—in a quiet, deserted alley, not in front of a bunch of news cameras— right before Clark leaves to intercept the asteroid Nightfall. But then Clark's memory doesn't fully recover, and he forgets all about the kiss afterward—left with only a lingering, inexplicable feeling of missing something vital.
Clark knows Lois is the one, but he doesn't want to impose himself on her, so he gives her space. Lois mistakes his distance for indifference. The misunderstandings keep piling up, and they both end up hurting each other.
Lois agrees to marry Luthor in BATP only because Luthor has captured Superman, locked him in a Kryptonite cage, and is holding Superman’s life over her head. Clark doesn’t know that at first, so he believes Lois chose Luthor over him, and he loses his will to survive.
But then, right before the wedding, Mrs. Cox has a pang of conscience. She visits Superman in his cage where he lies slowly dying, tells him everything, and secretly slips him a keepsake from Lois—the red ribbon bow from around the neck of the Clarkie-bear in GGGH. Clark finally realizes that Lois loves him and is willing to sacrifice everything she has for him. He regains his will to fight, uses that red ribbon to snag the key to the cage, and escapes. In the end, everything works out, evil is vanquished, and they live happily ever after. 
|
|
1 member likes this:
Ultra Woman |
|
|
|
|
Joined: Dec 2024
Posts: 201 Likes: 44
Hack from Nowheresville
|
|
Hack from Nowheresville
Joined: Dec 2024
Posts: 201 Likes: 44 |
Looking forward to reading your fanfic!
Shameless self-promotion: if you enjoy fanfics with a slightly quirky sense of humor, I wrote Future Arrangements and the Between One Lane and Another series. But what a lot of people miss is that Clark Kent has to constantly practice self-control just to keep everyone around him safe. That quiet restraint adds a whole layer of tension
I agree. I think TNAoS Clark strikes the perfect balance between having a strong personality, being intelligent (and not being afraid to show it) and being a very careful person. He's the one who made me appreciate the self-control Superman has developed and exercises every single day. I really like your fanfic idea. I think it's worth posting it on the Fanfic Challenge forum. I've never heard of a story with that premise, but there are still plenty of fics in the fandom I haven't read. You could also ask on the Discord server. Are you able to access it? More fanfic recommendations: 24 Hours by Wendy Richards Trading Places by Irene Dutch Midnight Gambit by ML Thompson But Who's Got You? by lovetvfan
Stories are written by the victors.
(Hmm, come to think of it, that's not the exact quote...)
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jul 2026
Posts: 54 Likes: 7
Freelance Reporter
|
|
Freelance Reporter
Joined: Jul 2026
Posts: 54 Likes: 7 |
Shameless self-promotion: if you enjoy fanfics with a slightly quirky sense of humor, I wrote Future Arrangements and the Between One Lane and Another series.
Yeees, “a quirky sense of humor” is exactly my thing. I just read your “Future Arrangements” and couldn’t stop laughing. Have you written other stories? I really like your fanfic idea. I think it's worth posting it on the Fanfic Challenge forum.
Oh, is that what we do here when we want stories with very specific plotlines? I'll do just that—thanks for the tip! You could also ask on the Discord server. Are you able to access it?
Nope. I click on the link and I get a 404 error.
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jul 2026
Posts: 54 Likes: 7
Freelance Reporter
|
|
Freelance Reporter
Joined: Jul 2026
Posts: 54 Likes: 7 |
Ep02 – Neverending Battle
The subtitle of this episode should read: "The Mad Dog Lane Ascends."
In this episode, we get not only a schematic showcase of Superman’s superpowers, but also a full-blast introduction to Lois Lane’s super dark character traits.
Less than a minute into the opening scene, Lois delivers a line that forever crucified her in the minds of many viewers—my sister included: “Not brown brown. Not dull, insipid mud brown... like Clark's.” It was undeniably malicious, and she had no right to take it out on an innocent coworker—regardless of whatever personal issues she was dealing with.
But if we follow Levine’s 'emotional defense' character framing, what Lois was actually thinking in that moment was probably closer to: 'This cute guy standing sooo close to me has pretty eyes, too.' And then, unable to allow herself such a favorable thought about Clark, she tried to shake off that dangerous feeling by slinging nasty remarks his way. As the plot unfolds, Lois continues to rack up one serious offense after another in this episode. Stealing stories from Clark and ideas from Jimmy may well represent Lois’s darkest hour in the entire series—tied for a close second are ripping pages out of public phone books in “Madame Ex” and kicking over trash cans on the street in “WOS”. These misdeeds are, of course, totally indefensible—no excuses, bad behavior, bad Mad Dog.
In my view, both Lois and Clark have hearts of gold—though in very different ways. Lois’s heart is like gold covered in dust; all her flaws are right there on the surface for everyone to see. But if you take the time to look beneath, you’ll find nothing but pure gold. Clark’s heart, on the other hand, appears flawless on the outside—polished and pristine—yet hidden deep within are tiny flecks of darkness that rarely come to light, and even then, only for those closest to him: his parents, and Lois Lane. You never see Clark mistreat Perry or Jimmy, do you? But for a superbeing with godlike powers, even that faintest trace of darkness can sometimes become dangerous and unsettling.
This episode also does a splendid job of introducing Clark Kent the farm boy to the bustling life of Metropolis. I especially love Clark’s exclamation of “Nine hundred and fifty?” to his potential landlord. Nothing brings a majestic deity down from his pedestal quite like fretting over an exorbitant rent. This scene also brings out another important character trait that I feel the series didn’t emphasize enough: Clark’s mental powers—particularly his extraordinary self-control and self-discipline. From “Tempus Fugitive”, we know Clark can dig up a full bag of gold in a matter of minutes, meaning he could easily become the wealthiest man on the planet, making Luthor and Sullivan look like pathetic paupers. But he never considers using his powers for personal financial gain. Instead, he lets himself be bothered by everyday worries—like fifty bucks for flowers or two hundred dollars for concert tickets. He not only has to remain calm at all times, never allowing himself to lose his temper, but he also has to resist temptations that are unimaginable to most humans on a daily basis. Yet he takes it all in stride. I’m not sure whether this superhuman self-discipline stems from his upbringing, his military-like Kryptonian heritage, or both.
Another scene I really love is when Lois, covered in mud, holds out her hand to Clark and concedes defeat. Her noble character truly shines through all the dirt and grime.
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Dec 2024
Posts: 201 Likes: 44
Hack from Nowheresville
|
|
Hack from Nowheresville
Joined: Dec 2024
Posts: 201 Likes: 44 |
This episode definitely contains Lois's worst moment in the entire series, in my opinion, when she steals Clark's story. Even today, every time I watch it, my eyelid starts twitching involuntarily from frustration. It's crazy. I think it was admirable of her admit that she got what she deserved. To me, being able to admit you're wrong is one of the most essential qualities a person can have. I also find it hilarious how she tries to casually walk away while limping in just one high heel. And this was also when she started learning that Clark wasn't someone she should underestimate. I like the way you describe their hearts. It's not just the writers trying to highlight Lois's bad side (as we've already discussed  ) - Lois herself wants to show that layer of dust. Maybe to push away people who only wanted something superficial, like Claude, and avoid more shallow relationships and disappointments. I bet it worked, and she drove away a lot of characters who never looked any deeper, including some viewers and fans. But Clark was the one who really saw beyond the surface (after all, he has X-ray vision lol) and he was able to decipher her. I'm much more the kind of person with a Clark-type heart (I relate to him in many other ways, too). People in my real life usually like me because I'm "kind", "calm", "friendly" and "reliable". But I don't take those compliments too seriously, because those people don't really know me. My flaws are well hidden and only known by my family and my closest friends, who put up with me at my worst. At the end of the day, I'm just as bad as someone who's considered unpleasant. We're the same; the only difference is that each of us is showing a different side of ourselves. That's why I'll never defend the idea that one person is better than another, whether in L&C or in any other context. Nothing brings a majestic deity down from his pedestal quite like fretting over an exorbitant rent.
Her noble character truly shines through all the dirt and grime.
Great line. The metaphor you created is so vivid. what Lois was actually thinking in that moment was probably closer to: "This cute guy standing sooo close to me has pretty eyes, too."
I totally believe that. After all, why else would she suddenly notice Clark's eyes? As they say, the opposite of love is indifference, and Lois was never indifferent to him. Maybe just when they first met. I just read your "Future Arrangements" and couldn't stop laughing. Have you written other stories?
Yay!!! I'm glad to know that! I haven't published anything besides Future Arrangements and Between One Lane and Another, but I hope to post some new stories soon. Do you write too? Oh, is that what we do here when we want stories with very specific plotlines? I'll do just that—thanks for the tip!
You're welcome. Yep, that's where we leave our plot bunnies, hoping some writer will take pity on them and adopt them. I even posted one myself that I don't want to write, I just wanted to read it Nope. I click on the link and I get a 404 error.
That's strange. I have no idea what could be causing that... More fanfics you might enjoy (this is the last batch lol, I should let you catch up on the ones you already have first): The Ruse by Socomama Sleight of Hand by JadedEvie After Contact by 90stvfangirl A Matter of Trust by bakasi
Stories are written by the victors.
(Hmm, come to think of it, that's not the exact quote...)
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jul 2026
Posts: 54 Likes: 7
Freelance Reporter
|
|
Freelance Reporter
Joined: Jul 2026
Posts: 54 Likes: 7 |
Lois herself wants to show that layer of dust. Maybe to push away people who only wanted something superficial, like Claude, and avoid more shallow relationships and disappointments.
Oh, I never thought about it that way. But your theory does explain why Lois seemed so much less "dusty" after she settled into a stable relationship with Clark—there was no longer any need to push people away once she'd found her safe haven. Even my sister, who bailed on the show after season 2, would occasionally poke her head in while I was watching season 3 and condescendingly offer her approval, noting that Lois in season 3 came across as far more "sensible" and "decent." I totally believe that. After all, why else would she suddenly notice Clark's eyes?
Exactly. It just hit me that there are people I've known for years, yet I’ve never noticed what color their eyes are. Miss Lane, on the other hand, certainly gave Mr. Kent's appearance a rather close look, didn't she. I haven't published anything besides Future Arrangements and Between One Lane and Another, but I hope to post some new stories soon. Do you write too?
No, I do not. First of all, I don’t have that magical ability to transport an audience into a world. And secondly, I’m a rather lazy person. It’s all I can do to write a short commentary every day or two. I’ve come to realize that having interesting thoughts is one thing, but organizing them into a coherent paragraph that other people can actually follow is a whole other business. That’s why I’ve always admired you real authors. I mean, how do you guys do it? I'd die from exhaustion just from typing that many words into my computer, let alone coming up with them. So, no thanks. I’d much rather lounge in my air-conditioned room, sip a cup of freshly brewed coffee, and enjoy the brilliant works you geniuses create.
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jul 2026
Posts: 54 Likes: 7
Freelance Reporter
|
|
Freelance Reporter
Joined: Jul 2026
Posts: 54 Likes: 7 |
Episode 03-Strange Visitor
This episode doesn't seem to do much for the B-plot, except, of course, for the first screen kiss near the end.
When I first watched this episode with my sister, she made a comment on that scene: "This is waaaay too hot for a first kiss. Those two look like a pair of star-crossed lovers who were torn apart by evil forces and just found their way back to each other." 
I also don't buy that their first kiss was just a "ruse" to fool the bad guys. I mean, what exactly would Lois's plan have been while she and Clark were trapped in an aircraft twenty thousand feet in the air? Organize a surprise attack on a cabin full of thugs, take down every single one of them, and wrestle control of the cockpit? No. I think what Lois did was more like checking off last‑minute bucket‑list items: kiss this cute guy she weirdly found herself drawn to, and then take at least one of her killers down to hell with her—which is just so Lois Lane. Looked at that way, the line she whispered in Clark's ear—"You take the one on the left"—was more of an excuse to cover up her real intention to kiss him. After all, a hug would have made a much more convenient disguise than a kiss—which would have kept her from speaking—for passing on a secret message. And there were so many thugs packed into such a tiny space that it barely mattered whether Clark took one out or not. Which also means that even staring down imminent death, she still wasn't willing to let her true feelings for Clark show. Again—so stubbornly Lois Lane.
After Lois was thrown out of the airplane just as the bad guys had planned, she was immediately rescued by Superman. It was every girl's wildest dream come true: her hero had flown out from a colorful cloud and saved her, the damsel in distress, from certain death. Yet, held in the arms of her dream hero, Lois's first concern was for her emotional privacy: "You really do read minds?" Then her thoughts immediately turned to Mr. Kent: "Clark. They still have him. He may be hurt." Remember how Mr. Kent once complained that Lois would always "swoon over Superman and ignore me"? Well, at least there wasn't much swooning going on in this scene, now was there?
Then there was the hug scene near the elevator in the Daily Planet bullpen. Clark clearly wasn't satisfied with the welcome he got—even though Lois literally vaulted over her emotional fences, ran a good twenty feet across the room straight into his arms, and started clawing at his pectoral muscles. Honestly, I'm not sure what Mr. Kent was hoping for here. Did he expect the lady to get all teary-eyed in front of all those coworkers and say, "Oh, Clarkie, I thought I'd lost you. I never realized how much you mean to me until now"? Wake up, Mr. Kent—you two only met a few weeks ago.
Even without X-ray vision, anyone could tell that the hug was sincere—and that Lois was genuinely happy and relieved to see Clark alive. And don't forget that, as far as Lois knew, both Clark and Superman had been in mortal danger, with Superman even more so, since she had seen him blown up by a missile with her own eyes. So after Lois confirmed Clark was okay upon thorough palpation, it was only natural that her thoughts immediately turned to this other guy she cared about: "Wait a minute—if Clark's alive, that means Superman's alive too!" And then, once she was convinced Superman was fine, it took all of one nanosecond for her to dump both men and return to her one true love at the time—work: "I've got a story that's getting bigger every second. How wonderful!" All her reactions were absolutely natural and perfectly reasonable—yet Clark got all pouty simply because the lady didn't focus ALL her attention on him. You're really high maintenance, Mr. Kent—you know that?
Another interesting thing to observe in this episode is how uncomfortable Lois and Clark looked working together at this stage. Both of them had their mental defenses dialed up to "extra high": Clark was afraid that Lois might stumble onto his big secret, and Lois was afraid that she might accidentally let her weird attraction to Clark slip. They both seemed immensely relieved when Clark made his exit on the excuse that he wasn't “feeling that great”.
There's one more scene I particularly like: after Clark pulls off his little "safecracker" stunt in Bureau 39’s warehouse, Lois says, "You are so weird. Works for you, though."—which echoes what she told him when they first met: "You're a strange one, Clark Kent." I've always loved it when Lois notices Clark's unusualness, even when no one else does.
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jul 2026
Posts: 54 Likes: 7
Freelance Reporter
|
|
Freelance Reporter
Joined: Jul 2026
Posts: 54 Likes: 7 |
Episode 04-I'm Looking Through You
While conducting archaeological research into the history of this show, I frequently come across the promotional slogan: “A love triangle built for two.” In that setup, Clark pines for Lois, Lois chases after Superman, Clark is left heartbroken because Lois prefers his dazzling alter ego over him, and Lois is equally heartbroken because Superman keeps turning her down. I take it that "ILTY" is the episode where this so-called "triangle" was officially introduced to the audience.
I’m no Superman fan, so I’m not sure whether this slogan was cooked up specifically for the show or if it's part of the broader Superman canon. But I have to admit, I was completely unaware that such a "triangle" existed throughout my viewing of Season 1. In the first season, Lois's attitude toward Superman felt more like fannish infatuation than anything deeper. And we all know what it's like when we girls chase after celebrities—we get completely starstruck and gush about how they're "the love of my life." But all that seemingly unconditional love we heap on our idols doesn't actually stop us from falling for real guys and living our actual lives. In fact, the way Lois treated Superman in Season 1 wasn't all that different from how she acted around country-western star Hank West in Season 3. She also didn't do much chasing, either. Sure, in this episode she went to the celebrity auction where Superman was supposed to appear, and in MOSB she did break into Clark's apartment to catch a glimpse of Superman in the shower—classic groupie moves, by the way—but that was about the extent of it. Most of the time, she only swooned when Superman deliberately dropped in on her, and then she quickly went back to her real life and real worries—like finding a decent boyfriend who can tolerate her ASAP.
And was Clark really all that wounded by Lois's "love" for Superman? It doesn't seem like it most of the time. From this episode, we can see that Clark did feel a bit annoyed—but no more than he did when his Lois swooned over Hank West in Season 3. I think Clark was smart enough to realize that Lois's feelings for Superman at that early stage were nothing serious and nothing to lose sleep over. Whatever kept Lois and Clark apart in season 1 wasn't Superman, wasn't Luthor, and wasn't Clark's secrets—It was something lurking in both their hearts: the fundamental fear of getting involved in a deeply committed relationship.
And who would have thought the invincible Man of Steel could turn into such a total coward when it comes to relationships? It seems that Mr. Kent in Season 1 only dared to express his feelings when he was absolutely sure his heart wouldn't get bruised. That's why we have this infamous scene where Clark encourages Lois's already over-the-top Superman fantasy — right after she wakes up on the coffee table in Clark's living room, which is an incredibly weird place to crash, by the way. I guess Lois didn't have the nerve to sleep in Clark's bedroom while the couch was already taken by Alan the scientist.
“You don't need to bid for my attention, Lois.” “You'll always be special to me, Lois.” — gushes Superman. Well, I can't recall Clark ever saying anything like that to Lois with his glasses on throughout Season 1—until that disastrous declaration in BATP, of course. It was one galactically stupid move. Apparently, that super-intense first kiss in the previous episode had already taken its toll on Clark's intelligence. I've noticed that from the start of Season 1 all the way into early Season 3, almost every time after Lois kisses Clark, he starts showing symptoms that look suspiciously like brain damage—he does something unbelievably dumb and pushes her away, either toward his human rivals or straight into Superman's arms. The pattern repeated itself so often that I wanted to shout at that love-besotted Miss Lane on the screen: “Don't kiss him until you've got him engaged, lady—it fries his brain!”
The only upside to Clark’s idiotic action in this episode is that Lois must have canceled that second lunch date with Luthor—the one she agreed to at the auction party—right after Superman’s confession. And being disrespectfully shot down by Miss Lane twice in a row must have effectively kept the billionaire from asking her out again anytime soon. In my customized viewing order, Lex Luthor doesn't get another date with Miss Lane for another eleven episodes.
Finally, I know I swore not to comment on the A-plot, but I just can't resist here—sorry: a suit that reflects visible light as invisible light would basically turn you into a human-shaped BLACK HOLE—Duh! Could the studio not afford a science advisor?
|
|
|
|
|
