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 tariel22 | |
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Michael Rosenbaum appeared at the SFX Con in Toronto this past weekend, and I've spent the past two days reveling in tasabian's stories, pics, and vids of the event. It's been a little slice of MR heaven! But amid all the laughter and the squee, I was reminded anew of how much I will miss Michael when Smallville returns for S8. :( And that got me thinking about Clex. I don't think anyone can deny the HoYay! that exists on Smallville between Clark and Lex. Nothing that inspires that many fanfics, vids, and photo manips can be imaginary. For many, it has been the thing they liked best about the show. For some, it has been the only thing they liked about the show. So, Smallville fans, ponder with me, and answer these Clexy questions for me: 1) When did you first notice the slashy vibe between Clark and Lex? What was the first moment that made you say, "Wait a minute. Did I just see what I think I saw?" Was it in the Pilot, when the boys exchanged smoldering glances in the mansion?   Was it in Metamorphosis, when they eyed each other over the apple boxes?   Or was it in Craving, when Lex came to visit the Torch, and gave Clark a look that should have melted our television screens?  2) What is your favorite Clex moment of all time? Is it the shared look in Metamorphosis that by all rights should have ended in a kiss?  Is it the glorious Clex hug in Phoenix?   Or is it the moment in Bizarro when Bizzy said to Clark, "I have all your memories, all your thoughts, every last twisted one of them," even though Lex was nowhere near that conversation? :)  3) Where do you think Clex came from in the first place? Was it always part of the story that AlMiles envisioned, and the writers and actors were all just playing along? Did Michael and Tom dream it up together, and then play it to the hilt for our enjoyment and their amusement? Was it just the natural reflection of the instant camaraderie that was born between the boys the moment they met? Or was it all Michael, genius that he is, and Tom responded to the acting cues Michael's inspired performance gave him? What's your theory? I'll start things off by giving you my answers, okay? 1) Believe it or not, I was completely oblivious at first. I came to Smallville late. I bought the S1 DVDs during the summer after S4, and then proceeded to watch all four seasons over about three weeks. To say I was instantly obsessed would be an understatement. I watched all of S5 avidly, but in isolation. Finally, that next summer, I turned to the internet to find out more about the show, and quickly found the episode reviews on TWoP. Omar kept talking about how gay the boys were, and my initial reaction was a resounding "Huh?" Write it off to my innate cluelessness, and my extremely sheltered upbringing. Then I saw talitha78's vid "Don't Cha," and the scales fell from my eyes. :) I went back and watched all five seasons with a brand new perspective, and it was amazing! LOL! 2) For pure Clexy hotness, I would have to go with two scenes from Red. First, Clark shows up at the mansion, hopped up on Red!K and free of his normal farmboy inhibitions, and asks to borrow the Ferrari. The looks the boys give each other are pure sex:   Then, the next day, Clark comes back, and tells Lex he's leaving Smallville. Lex proposes that they run off to Metropolis together, and Clark agrees. "Clark Kent and Lex Luthor. I like the sound of that."  But my absolute favorite Clex moment has nothing to do with sex, and everything to do with love and loyalty. It happens in Shattered, when Lex is hiding out at the Kent farm, and Clark's parents clearly think he's delusional. Lex sets out to prove he's not crazy, and he says to Clark as he goes, "You're either with me or against me Clark. Choose right now." In that moment, Clark chooses Lex. And as the boys leave together, my heart swells. I love them both so much in that instant! *sniffles*  Screen caps courtesy of acampbell, SVFan, and I even made one myself! 3) I honestly think Clex is all because of Michael, for which we, of course, owe him an enormous debt of gratitude. I think he had a vision for this character, he went with it, and he took Tom along for the ride. As time went on, I think the boys perfected the Clex interaction, and the writers, seeing how the fans responded, played along, although only in very oblique ways. And it worked because of the natural chemistry between Michael and Tom, which I know will never be duplicated on this show. I'm so thankful to have experienced it, and so sad to think I'll never see it again. So those are my answers, what are yours? I hope you'll join me in remembering the Clexy goodness of Smallville past! I'm really going to miss it. *cries* Thank you, Michael and Tom, for all those wonderful moments you gave us. *smishes them* And thank goodness for the Smallville DVDs, which allow us to relive it, now and forever, whenever we want.  Tags: clex, meta, michael rosenbaum, smallville, tom welling
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From: jeannev |
Date:
August 26th, 2008 02:32 am (UTC)
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Well, I unfortunately won't be providing gorgeous, glorious illustrations to go along with my opinions.
I think there's a definite vibe in the Pilot, but I think the first time I really went "Whoa!" was Metamorphisis, and the scene where Lex gives Clark the necklace in the lead box. Talk about standing in each others personal spaces!! Holy Cow. And there are all these smouldering glances, and shy glances from under long black lashes.
IDK, but I found it pretty blatant.
There are so many slashy moments for me in S1. Another one that comes to mind is in Shimmer, when crazy Jeff tries to kill Lex, and Clark intervenes, and he starts ranting about how Lex is always talking about how special Clark is. OK, wow, really? The fact that Jeff was naked and covered in meteor rock lubricant just adds to the kink.
As for my favorite Clex moment? Hmmm, I have a lot, actually. I love the scene from Lineage, in the loft, when they are discussing the possibility of being brothers. I love the scene in the museum in Rogue. I love their first spat in Nemesis, when Lex pulls the shrapnel out of Clark's arm, and bandages him up, and the two of them are having an argument thats very honest. I love Clark running all the way from SV to save Lex from Van's bullet in Extinction.
Lots of good moments.
As for where Clex came from, I do believe it was written to be a rather twisted, ambigious relationship. There's just too much dialogue to back that up. But I think Clex really took off because of the chemistry between Mike and Tom. I do think its likely that Mike was probably more of an experimenter in pushing scenes, but from the looks of it, Tom was right beside him. They were just so good together, and I will continue to hope that Mike changes his mind and makes at least one more SV appearance before the curtain falls for the last time.
Edited at 2008-08-26 02:33 am (UTC)
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From: tariel22 |
Date:
August 26th, 2008 09:36 pm (UTC)
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I'm glad you liked the pics! :) When I looked at all the Clex moments you mention the second time around, I couldn't believe I didn't see it before. It's funny how everything looks different when your perception shifts just a little bit. I, too, remember those shy glances, and I love how you describe them! Shimmer is an exceptionally slashy episode all around, in addition to giving us wet, shirtless Clark. It's one of my favorite episodes. And the museum scene in Rogue has always been special to me. I just love the ease between the boys in that scene, the way they talk, and kid each other, and especially when Clark leans over and murmurs that inside joke in Lex's ear. I've watched that episode more than most. I could go on and on about favorite moments, as I'm sure you could, too. It's fascinating to me to consider that AlMiles expressly planned the ambiguity we see on-screen, because I don't think they've ever said that directly in an interview. Did they keep it a secret to keep the network in the dark? Exactly how did they communicate it to the actors, and was everyone in on it? Was it discussed and promoted in the writers' room? Did the directors emphasize it? Because if so, why not talk about it? Are we still that hung up? I guess maybe we are, at least if we're network television. tasabian has a theory I like. Check out her comment below.
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From: tasabian |
Date:
August 26th, 2008 03:09 am (UTC)
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Great post - and what amazing pics you've selected to go with it! Yum!
Was it always part of the story that AlMiles envisioned, and the writers and actors were all just playing along? Did Michael and Tom dream it up together, and then play it to the hilt for our enjoyment and their amusement? Was it just the natural reflection of the instant camaraderie that was born between the boys the moment they met? Or was it all Michael, genius that he is, and Tom responded to the acting cues Michael's inspired performance gave him? What's your theory?
*clears throat* My theory!
1) AL & Miles did not see the inherent homoeroticism of their own material.
2) Michael reads the Pilot script, notes the hokey-ness of some of the lines ("do you believe a man can fly, Clark?") and decides the way to make it work is to add a seductive spin.
3) It turns out Michael and Tom share a sense of humour and Tom is more than willing to carry out his role in the "seduction."
4) The Pilot is filmed months before the rest of S1. The director of "Metamorphosis" sees the Pilot, notes the Clex, and blocks the "box" scene accordingly, placing the boys next to each other in a two-shot, instead of having them at other ends of the table.
5) By "Rogue". Tom adds a new dimension to Clex and puts a comic spin on Clark's jealous insta-hate of Victoria. Jealous!Clark will reappear in a number of episodes, to great effect.
6) By the middle of S1, the writers have caught up with Tom & Michael and are deliberately writing Clex scenes (the flirty pool table sequence in "Drone", the schmoopy goodbye in "Stray", the bow-tie scene in "Tempest".)
7) Ever afterwards, even during the quality dip post-S3, Clexers are still considered part of the 'shipper demographic and have episodes allotted to them: Fracture, Nemesis, Mercy etc. And the ending of "Arctic", with the boys mirroring their positions from the river scene in the Pilot, is the final Clexy-gift. Lex's last line was supposed to be "I loved you like a brother, Clark..." but somehow it became "I love you like a brother..." (I suspect Michael and Tom had something to do with the switch to present tense!) So their relationship began with the Kiss of Life and ends with "I love you..."
(I love everything about that "Shattered" moment...that Lex is wrapped in Clark's big shirt; that Clark loans him a dress shirt, rather than one of his usual flannels because he thinks that's what Lex is used to; that the boys' shoulders are touching; the pure Romeo & Juliet-ness of that moment, with the disapproving parents looking on...)
I'm not a 'shipper...Clex is the single, glorious exception & I will adore Michael & Tom forever for creating it!
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From: tariel22 |
Date:
August 27th, 2008 12:32 am (UTC)
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I love your theory! Not only because it is obviously well thought out, makes perfect sense, and is illustrated with compelling examples from the show, but also because it is what I want to be true. :) I just love the idea of Michael putting his own spin on Lex, and in the process tweaking the entire show into something just a little bit different, and a little more delicious. And bringing Tom in on the joke as well.
I love what you say about that Shattered scene. I almost said something about how Lex is wearing Clark's shirt, but I love how you take it even further, imagining how Clark picked that particular shirt out for him. It makes me love the scene even more. That's what makes you such a good writer, I think, the ability to see nuances we can't even imagine, and then bring them to life for the rest of us. ♥
The way the boys' shoulders are touching is the exact reason I picked that cap in particular for my post. The intimacy of that moment is just so beautiful to me. They're together in every way.
I just hope that at the very least, Michael and Tom have some clue as to how much joy the relationship between Clark and Lex, whether you define it as slash, friendship, or iconic mythology, has brought to the fans over the past seven years. It's been a wonderful ride, and I'm so sad it's over.
Let's hope Michael gets that sitcom he wants, and then has Tom on as a frequent guest star, okay? :)
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We started watching about the same time and, like you, I would never have thought of Clex on my own. But after I became aware, I guess it first jumped out at me while rewatching X-Ray. Particularly, the part when Lex is at the farm to convince the Kents that he didn't rob the bank. After Lex says, "I promise I'm not a criminal mastermind," and Clark responds, "I know. A criminal mastermind would have worn a mask," Clark gives Lex that big flirty grin. That was when I went, "Ah! I see."
And I agree that Clex is because of Michael. I don't see it happening with a different actor as Lex, but give MR anyone as Clark and it would have been there.
I will absolutely be heartsick when the new season starts without MR. I love TW but Michael really brought complexity to the show. I don't know how they are going to have that spark without him.
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1) Like you, I didn't really see the HoYay till I started following the show along with the rest of fandom in S4. People were saying left and right just how gay Clark and Lex were, and then I looked at the show from that perspective and suddenly everything made sense! And then in later seasons, when Lana dominated every single storyline and started ruining both Clark and Lex for me, I took to seeing everything from a HoYay perspective in order to make me feel better about the show. Everything made so much sense when you believed that Clark and Lex were in love with one another, and Lana was just a meaningless middle man in the whole torrid affair! ;)
2) I'll have to agree with your choices for favourite Clex scenes. No one can deny the HoYay in that fabulous scene from "Red", and "Shattered" is heart-breaking in its sheer simplicity. "Red" for sexy Clex, "Shattered" for sweet and loyal Clex, definitely. I do love the hug from "Phoenix" too, but I don't really see anything slashy about it, so I just like to think of that as a beautiful friendship moment. :)
3) I have no idea how the whole thing originated (and I'd love to know the story someday), but I do think Michael must have had a big part to play in it. I think it was very sweet of the writers to capitalize on Michael's goofiness and what was obviously great chemistry between their lead males to write some very obviously Clexy episodes. ;) And like you, I think Tom was pulled along for the ride, and he played along like a pro! :D
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Oh my gosh. This post left me in tears. It's been so long since I've thought about the early Clex days; it just hurts so much, you know? But reading this post, and realizing that it's not only over (which I've known for years) but that Clark and Lex won't even have that love/hate thing going on anymore...it just breaks my heart. I will miss them so much, so very much! *sniff*
So...let me think.
1) When did I first notice the Clex? It was during season one, but I think in the later part of it. Hmm. I was drawn to the show because of Tom. I'd seen him on a magazine cover and just knew I had to watch the show. So I did, and it took me some time to appreciate Lex. I don't remember the exact moment. Probably one of the times Clark saved Lex, but it was surely their little secret smiles that tipped me off. That and the longing glances.
2) Favorite Clex moment. It's more an episode, I think. "Heat." Clark's behavior when Lex falls for and marries Desiree is just classic, and so obviously a jealous ex-boyfriend's broken heart. Overnight, Clark lost his man! No explanation! It was a beautifully executed episode. Although his jealousy over Lucas in "Prodigal" is a close second.
3) I think the Clex was a total accident. Michael of course jokes around plenty, and Tom seemed to roll with it after he became comfortable around Michael. The two of them just shared so much chemistry and tried so hard to make the friendship real and true that they unwittingly created a love story. Michael has called us "sick" for our slashy thoughts between them, so I don't think he planned it. Tom seems to think it's funny.
3)
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Well, believe it or not, this took me the whole evening! but here I am--better late than never, I hope. This comment originally included a lot more scenes, but I decided to be sensible and cut it way back. (There'll be fodder for a future post!) 1) It seems odd that I can’t recall when I first became aware of the Clex. I’d been a Superboy comics fan back in the Silver Age, but never ‘shipped comics Clark (or Superboy) and Lex --believe it or not, I was all about Clark and Lana back then! The closest I can approximate is that I discovered the Clark/Lex group probably shortly before Thanksgiving, 2001. I guess I was Googling SV (which means SV was already grabbing hold of me) and the link came up, because I remember seeing: “Clark/Lex” and thinking: “Now, that’s a pairing I can get behind!” Even though I don't really remember keying into the Clex till I began reading fanfic, I must have, at some level. I clicked the link, passed through the portal into the world of SV fandom, joined Clark/Lex, and the rest is history. I began writing fic in Feb. of 2002, began my LJ nearly a year later in October 2002, and, I’m still here! Even though the Clex is now only a bittersweet memory on the show. 2) Favorite Clex scenes? There are so many! The scene I usually select is the Talon scene from Reduxbut just to be different here I nominate: "Zero"!  the first ep to give us Lex in Leather, but we'll bypass that for now... There are countless scenes in the series in which an uneasy Clark endeavors to deflect Lex's insatiable curiosity, but I love the way this ep turns that familiar scenario on its head. Throughout "Zero," Clark is virtually and unusually obsessed with Lex. For once, the shoe is on the other foot and LEX is the one trying to dissuade Clark’s attempts to discover what he, Lex, is keeping secret.    Lex is all uneasy but cavalier as he insists that there's nothing much going on, and Clark is all pouts that Lex won't confide in him:  Edited at 2008-08-29 02:27 am (UTC)
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