Exclusive! Smallville Writers on the Changes in Lex and Lana, the Justice League, Chloe's Power and More -- Part Two
Here it is: The conclusion to my interview with veteran Smallville writers and co-executive producers Todd Slavkin and Darren Swimmer. (To read Part One, scroll down.)
Me: You've really veered into some heavy psychodrama with Lex and Lana in the second half of season six, especially when Lex gave her hormones to make her believe she was pregnant.
Todd Slavkin: That was so wonderfully depraved for Lex's character. We've always seen his dark side, but that depravity --
Darren Swimmer: He's gone into the shadowy darkness --
TS: -- of a psychopath.
Me: So in your minds the point where Lex totally turned the corner was the baby story and the fact that he was faking his own bride's pregnancy?
DS: Yeah, because he's so insecure he couldn't believe she would marry him otherwise. I always think, last year in Aqua, when Lex had Aquaman on that table and wasn't giving him any water, that was sort of like a new level of direct evil for him. This year it's almost to a level of depravity, because he's doing this with the woman he loves more than anything in the world. Lex truly does love Lana. It's the bizarre expression of love and the insecurities wrapped up in it that make his depravity really enticing. You know he's screwed up because of his father. You know where this came from. The show has done a wonderful job in showing what turned Lex dark in terms of his father. We always kind of feel sorry for him in the back of our minds.
TS: Michael Rosenbaum always carries that sense of a tortured soul that makes his character more likeable.
Me: You touch on that in Nemesis when Clark says that for a brief instant he saw something in Lex he hadn't seen in years: His friend.
DS: The notion of Lex having no friendship to compare his own relationship to Clark to is really powerful. Clark's truly the only friend he's ever had. At the end of the show Clark says to his mother, "Did I cause him to be dark? My rejection of him?" There are some really great, deep issues that they both have to face.
Me: It's interesting that you had Lex become totally dark in the pregnancy story, yet in Nemesis there are moments in which you remind us that he used to be a nice guy.
DS: The greatest villains in the world are the ones that we like. We will continue to illuminate Lex's humanity, like you have to do with any great villain. If he's just a mustache-twirling bad guy it's not interesting.
Me: It seems to me that you have taken Lana to a point where there is no going back. It's almost like she is evolving into a new character. Is that an accurate observation?
TS: Yeah. When you get backed into a corner the claws come out.
DS: Lana has grown a lot. One way to make someone grow is through hardship. She's just been through the toughest few weeks of her life.
Me: But where does she go from here? Is she going to remain this harder, darker, more suspicious person?
DS: There are some great surprises around the corner as this season comes to a close.
TS: Nemesis is kind of fun because there are a lot of people who hate Lana. I'm talking about the online fans. Those who hate her will still hate her. Those who like her are going to love her because she's really standing up.
Me: From what I see online, your fans seem to be pretty much on board with almost all of the superhero action stories on the show. But they get really heated when it comes to the romance. There's a real split. They love Lana and Clark together, or they want Clark with Lois. Some want Clark with Chloe. Some hate Lana. Others love her.
TS: It shows they care. The minute all of that buzz stops there's a problem, because even though they hate [certain characters] being together they're still watching them. It's part of what makes serialized television work.
DS: There will always be a part of our audience that says, 'When is Superman going to bend steel? Why isn't he using his powers?' And there are those who will yearn for the heartache and the heartbreak of Clark and Lana, the romance that can never come to fruition.
TS: Since we've been on the show it's always been like this.
Me: Chloe has developed into one of the most interesting characters because she's central to the show but she isn't part of the classic Superman story.
DS: It's great with Chloe, because we have free reign with her and can take her in any direction we want.
TS: Free reign meaning free from DC Comics mythology.
Me: You have established that she's one of the meteor freaks.
DS: This was an idea we had been kicking around for a while, but we never quite knew how to do it. This season we came up with a really cool way to do it. You'll see that. It will be paid off at the end of the year.
Me: So we're going to learn more about Chloe before the season ends?
TS: Yeah. It's not going to be "she's a meteor freak" and then you never hear about it again.
Me: What about the other heroes you've brought back this year? The Justice League?
DS: That was such a fun episode. It was great to see those kids together. Aquaman, Cyborg, the Flash. There was that fun of young guys getting together all of like minds that we had never seen on the show. I'm sure that will be something to explore more in the future.
Me: You said when Clark becomes Superman it's no longer your show.
TS: When he wears the Clark Kent glasses and has two personalities and all that. That's what we mean, because he already is sort of Superman.
DS: We mean when he literally puts on that cape and the tights and flies in the air hovering over Metropolis looking for crime, that's not Smallville anymore.
Me: That would be a great image for the last episode of the series -- whenever that may be.
DS: Hopefully a long, long time from now.
Me: That's an interesting challenge for you guys. There's this wall out there in front of you that you can't hit, but you have to keep accelerating your story toward it. And Clark isn't getting any younger. How do you deal with that?
DS: This is part of the story that isn't in the comics. We can use what his struggles are in this period of his life to our advantage.
TS: It's a right of passage show. In anyone's rite of passage there are so many events that happen that influence what that person will become. We all get in the conference room and there is a lot of debate and discussion on how to keep the show fresh and interesting. We have a lot more stories to tell.
The reason lots of viewers hate Lana is because she's written so horribly - as this passive, helpless character, who acts as a parking brake on the plot. Kristin Kreuk is a good actress and deserves better but many of the writers seem incapable of treating Lana as anything other than an object to be passed around from guy to guy. There's a creepy fetishization of her character that doesn't apply to the other girls. Rumour has it KK has had enough; she has my utmost respect if this is true. Free Kristin!
Posted by: Jenny at April 26, 2007 12:21 AM
I cannot describe how disappointed I am reading this. Slavkin/Swimmer actually believe that the non-baby storyline doesn't make Lex Luthor one of the most pathetic losers in the history of television? Fake babies are usually done by pathetic, lame women in soaps and I guess they think that it is just funny to see one of the most well liked villains on a TV show be mocked like this. I don't think reducing Lex Luthor to FOTW status for Clana fans is a good story arc. Frankly, I think this storyline shows how much they don't care for Lex Luthor at all.
Posted by: Misty at April 26, 2007 01:00 AM
Good interview, but I have to disagree with the whole fake baby storyline. I think it only served to make Lex look like a pathetic, desperate man. If he wanted Lana to stay with him, he could have used smarter methods, like, I don't know, actually getting her pregnant, or making her believe he's doing good things to the Level 33.1 people. I don't know. I just hate what the plot did to Lex.
Posted by: Jamie at April 26, 2007 01:09 AM
Thanks guys, it is so great to talk to the writers of the show that we have been following for some years. I was overpowered by the fact that you would allow Lana to sacrifice her happiness to protect Clark whom she has always loved. May the series Smallville live long and prosper. It has so much heart and tension and we ache to see what the next chapter will be, whether it is about the darker side of Lex or the pain that Clark and Lana are feeling. Thanks for sharing this.
Maria from South Australia
Posted by: maria at April 26, 2007 05:23 AM
They make a comment about Lana and Clark never coming to fruition. Are they giving us a hint? And they completely dodge the question about Lana's storyline for the end of the year. I haven't liked one episode. They hate Lana. So hopefully they wont be on the payroll next season.
Posted by: james at April 26, 2007 12:53 PM
If Lana dies then I am done with the show!
Posted by: G Cortez at April 26, 2007 05:51 PM
TS: "Nemesis is kind of fun because there are a lot of people who hate Lana. I'm talking about the online fans. Those who hate her will still hate her. Those who like her are going to love her because she's really standing up."
I don't think this is true, based on everyone's reactions after Nemesis. I love Lana, and I'm sad to see her sweetness being squeezed from her by the evil Luthors. However, those who don't like her seem to enjoy the fact that she's evolving into a more "interesting" character; either way, please don't kill her off just yet. And PLEASE don't kill Chloe! Smallville wouldn't be right without her.
I know that this is late but, I think that if they do get to the end of Smallville when clark goes to Metropolis, they should keep it going just with a new show, maybe called Metroplis. I love Smallville no matter what.
Posted by: Natalie at April 27, 2007 08:11 PM
This is from me to "V", a fellow loyal, SMALLVILLE fan. I want to congratulate your positive attitude. It made me feel so good about one of my favorite TV series. You gave the praises and support that I believe SMALLVILLE so justly deserves. You said everything I would like to have said. I was beginning to feel like those people who are often too bubbly, cheerful, giddy, perky, etc. who would usually get on the nerves of all of the broody-pants fault-finders who claim to be Smallville fans.
OH MY GOD give 'em a break you guys, it's just a show and what they're doing is smart, because Lana is not a teenager anymore. She's an adult now and she has had a lot of bad things happen to her which affect who she becomes. I'm sure they know what the're doing so just sit back and wait and see what they come up with. Lana isn't being passed around guy to guy. When her love leaves her she goes to someone who can comfort her and make her feel better.
Posted by: Jake at April 28, 2007 11:32 AM
With Lana I hope that the writers stay true to the Superman movies story, especially given the link using Annette O'Toole, and to the vision of the future they gave us several seasons ago of Lana dying of old age holding on to the necklace from season 1! It is difficult to see how they get from where they are now to there. I hope they don't wimp out.
I've really enjoyed the show. Exploring this time in Clark's life has been great. However, I like most of the new fans are now looking forward to Clark becoming more Super. When is he going to fly? He was floating in season 1 or 2! The show needs to get there soon. Does that mean it has to end? I don't think so and I hope not.
Posted by: Darren at April 28, 2007 06:14 PM
I think you should get the rights to Superman freed up and eventually put Clark in the "suit". Who cares about the new movie? It was awful other than the special effects. Isn't the only reason you're not putting him in a cape because the rights to it are tied up? Otherwise, why does the show have to end at that point?
Posted by: Ryan at April 29, 2007 04:20 PM
Lex's evil persona was being developed last season until, for some strange reason, they decided to undo it with the 'vaccine for humanity' in the penultimate episode for season 5. He comes off as disturbed and obsessed with Lana and the ridiculous fake baby subplot, but not evil. Evil would imply lack of empathy - a desire to acquire for the desire to acquisition - not for the 'love' story that is being displayed. If you're going to write him as evil, do it. Stop turning it around and stop being afraid to make him a villain. Lex is never the same character for more than 3 episodes in any given season and the inconsistency is a glaring display of waste.
Posted by: RJ at April 30, 2007 12:26 PM
Ed, thanks for the interview!! Good work.
Posted by: Jo at May 3, 2007 04:43 PM
Me: So we're going to learn more about Chloe before the season ends?
TS: Yeah. It's not going to be "she's a meteor freak" and then you never hear about it again.
Thank God! Chloe's not gonna die in the season finale! Hopefully Lana will.
But does anyone else think that Lana is taking the 'fake baby' thing too hard? I've been a Lana hater for a while, and I like her character's more interesting side rather than the prissy, you-never-tell-me-your-secret Lana. I can understand her hurt, but come on, a guy (especially one like Michael) going to such great lengths to marry you? There has to be something romantic about that.
Posted by: Kristine at May 16, 2007 03:10 AM
Man, that whole fake baby idea that Lex came up with was brilliant, but stupid.
Posted by: John Bellino at May 16, 2007 08:59 PM
I know in the comics Lois and Clark end up together, and I am not saying this to be mean, but I really don't like Lois in Smallville. Smallville is about Clark's childhood where Lana and Clark are together. I really think that there should be this twist where they end up together at the end of the series. Lois looks too old and she doesn't have chemistry with Clark in this series.
Posted by: Jenny at May 18, 2007 09:29 AM
Ok, I've always been a Lana hater but those rumors that she might die in the season finale -- it's not good. She belongs to the Superman mythology. However it would be good to see her follow her destiny. It's not with Clark, face it!!! It would be great if the writers brought Pete back. It was such a mistake to cut him off the show. As for Lois she is the future Superman's wife but Erica Durance looks too old for Tom Welling. They shouldn't have cast her for the show. Lex's evilness is great but that baby issue -- God! What they were thinking? Chloe is my favorite character in the show. It would be a shame if they killed her, she puts so much into the show. She is really a raw character. Plus I adore Allison Mack. She is my favorite actress. Can't wait to September to see Season 7!
Posted by: ana at May 18, 2007 02:05 PM
I wish they wouldn't follow the old Superman thing. I wish Clark and Cana would end up together.
Posted by: kate at August 8, 2007 09:57 AM
I have been a fan of Smallville for quite a while. It is an excellent show. I have been a comic book fan for 45 years. Superman has always been one of my favoites. On Smallville my favorite girl is Chloe. She is a great character and simply beautiful. I am totally in love with Chloe. Tom Welling is the best! Perfect Clark Kent, and Micheal Rosenbaum is awesome as Lex.
I think the writers should figure a way to introduce the Green Lantern. This would draw many new viewers. In order for the JLA to be really viable it must have the Green Lantern.
Posted by: Jerry Hodge at August 9, 2007 03:42 PM
I've hated the Lana character for quite some time (as soon as she started hooking up with Lex), but she definitely started coming to her senses in the latter part of season 6. And, for good reason. It's good see her come into her own so far in the new season.
And, I love this show! I hope it goes on forever. It should simply morph into a full-fledged Superman TV series when Clark reaches that point in his development. I hope that the CW TV folks will make this happen.
