Smallville: On Lois, Chloe, and Reporting

[butterfly]

This started as a comment back to frelling_tralk, but it kept getting longer.

I'm thrilled that Lois has acquired someone who will push her, believe in her abilities as a reporter (the look on her face when Grant says, "She says it's true. I believe her," was so lovely) -- Chloe could have been her mentor but declined the opportunity -- and give her good, practical advice, like bringing a back-up camera.

I don't think that we're supposed to go with Grant's opinion of Chloe one-hundred percent, because we know something that he doesn't. We know where Chloe's passion and concern is going -- toward protecting Clark's secret. She made a choice, after she found out the truth, to help protect Clark and threw herself into that decision completely.

But because Grant doesn't know that, I don't hold it against the character when he gets annoyed that someone who was talented and passionate during high school shows a distinct lack of the same during her adult career.

Grant's character has been shown to be impatient, focused on results, blunt to the point of rudeness, and he responds to passion. In fact, he reminds me (a lot) of Lois. He latched onto her nearly immediately because he could, I think, sense a kindred spirit -- someone who, even when she doesn't plan on writing the story for him, will still bring the pictures that prove she's totally right (and his offer comes with the condition of 'a story that will sell papers', so he isn't writing her a blank check -- he expects Daily Planet quality work for her to be hired).

But, really, I'm not surprised that people who aren't enchanted with Lois are equally put off by Grant, considering that they're very similar (which is why they won't work if the writers try to put them in a relationship -- too much alike. They'd kill each other). And that's not counting in the fact that he isn't thrilled with Chloe's career choices.

Ultimately, he just wants good stories. Chloe isn't delivering, Lois has the passion that shows she may. So, by giving Lois a chance, he gets to have that passion in his bullpen, gathering stories, plus the hope that that giving Chloe something concrete to compete against will make her write with the same kind of passion that she used to write with back in high school.

Grant's focus on this episode is almost entirely on Lois (he only pays attention to Chloe when she thrusts herself (or is thrust) into the conversation -- first at the beginning, when Lois's passion draws him over to them and Chloe points out that only she works there, when Lois brings her up in their conversation in the middle, and then at the end, after Chloe's interrupting him for the third time in his job offer to Lois), but considering we don't know how many episodes Lois and Grant share, that may be plot arc necessity as much as a character point.

Lois gets torn between her concern for her cousin's feelings and her desire to follow through on the passion for journalism that she discovered in Sneeze. She loves doing this. The chance to do it for the most respected paper in the world is a hard opportunity to pass up, yet she nearly does, out of love for her cousin. But Grant lays down the gauntlet -- this isn't about Chloe, this is about you and your dreams. Want to be a reporter? Prove it.

Chloe is also torn -- between protecting Clark and protecting her job. Lois made the choice that following her dream was something that she had to do -- Chloe is still on the crossroads. We don't know what her choice will be (though we know what her choice has been, the last couple of seasons).

All in all, looks to be an interesting season for both of the cousins.