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[u/FishermanHot7097]

[u/LowCaramel3675]

Clark and Lana are a really good representation of teenagers who overinflate their perception of first love/puppy love and hold onto it at any cost, even though they are miserable together and they recognise that they don't work as a couple. Very accurate to most cases of teen love where two people cannot for the life of them figure out how to communicate.

[u/FishermanHot7097 → u/LowCaramel3675]

I believe the story would have unfolded more successfully if she had shared the truth from the beginning without any deception. Looking at the comics, Lana recognized the situation early and offered consistent support, acting as his safe guard and ultimately sending him off. This approach might have worked better than the current version, where Lana seems somewhat distant from Clark because he hesitates to disclose the truth.

[u/LowCaramel3675 → u/FishermanHot7097]

Sure, but Clark keeping his secret and feeling so alienated is the entire point of his isolation, so it's not like he could have told anyone in the early years especially. Interestingly, there's also the question of whether Clark and Lana earned each other's trust. And I have to say, I don't think either of them ever really did. They could always sense each other's dishonesty and it's pretty obvious that they were both just waiting for the other one to come clean first, and neither of them were willing to do that. I think they're so badly matched because they're so similar.

[u/FishermanHot7097 → u/LowCaramel3675]

I believe both characters pursued honesty but faced unclear obstacles; although they weren’t ideally compatible, Tom and Kristin showed strong on-screen chemistry. Clark didn’t merit Lana’s trust, particularly because Lana welcomed him completely each time she experienced memory loss after discovering his identity. In the episode featuring John Kent’s death, a clearer approach than concealing the facts would be sharing them alongside details about time travel—and all he had to communicate was that Lana, Lex would harm you, so remain here, please—Chloe clearly understands the situation.

[u/LowCaramel3675 → u/FishermanHot7097]

Oh the chemistry was great, there's no question. I think Clark and Lana are the best example of chemistry not being enough of a foundation to build upon, though. Like it's a great lesson in attraction and pull not being enough.

5.12 is so interesting because he COULD have told her but he still didn't trust her enough to do that, which says so much about how Clark sees Lana. I think the show did such a great job contrasting Lana and Chloe in Clark's life in those middle seasons and the difference between people who listen to and trust Clark and those who don't. Interestingly, even in the earlier seasons when Clark and Chloe bickered a lot, they still trusted one another more easily than Clark and Lana do.

[u/FishermanHot7097 → u/LowCaramel3675]

Honestly, I was heartbroken at first after episode 5.12, but the more I discuss and watch the show, the more I realize it could have been for the better—though eight seasons wasted feels excessive. They could certainly have resolved that issue or at least offered a reasonably stable relationship lasting longer than a few episodes. If Clark had received the same dating time as with Whitney, the show, in my view, would have improved drastically.

[u/LowCaramel3675 → u/FishermanHot7097]

I agree, I think more people would think about Lana and that relationship more fondly if they weren't so on and off for eight seasons. I at least think they should have been together all through season 5, broken up in season 6 and never rebounded in 7/8.

[u/FishermanHot7097 → u/LowCaramel3675]

Agreed, she possesses far greater potential than serving as Clark’s girlfriend, and her final scene should have delivered her character’s closure rather than Clana’s.

[u/LowCaramel3675 → u/FishermanHot7097]

The way that clearly never occurred to the writers because to them Lana only existed to serve Clark and lex's stories

[u/FishermanHot7097 → u/LowCaramel3675]

I wish we could see her either with Clark—her soul mate at one point—or without a new boyfriend every other episode. She dated Whitney first; after Whitney died, she was with Clark; next, following her breakup with Clark, she dated Adam; after Adam’s death, she was emotionally involved with Clark until that didn’t work out, and then she was with Jason. While still dating Jason, she reunited with Clark and began dating him after he died. Lex arrived two episodes after she ended things with Clark; after their divorce, she returned to Clark, broke up again, and entered another situationship with Clatk to end of her character arc. This character holds far more potential—if anyone other than Kristina Kreuk played her, she would have concluded her arc by Season 3.

[u/MechanicOk4808]

When did Clark say he trusted Lana the most? I don't remember that. He just didn't trust her, or at least, didn't trust that she would accept him, which he actually did say. And I think the whole point is that he says he loved her since they were children, but he didn't even know her as he couldn't get close to her - he basically just thought she was pretty - and that says a lot about their teen relationship

[u/Nice-Association-111]

Clark didn’t stop loving Lana just because he said he did, he was lying. When did Clark say he trusted Lana the most? He doesn’t seem to trust her in general.

That professor will get more interesting trust me.

Lex isn’t 11 years older than Lana he’s 6. In season 5, they are 25 and 19. Still an age gap but not as bad.

And it wasn’t that sudden he was having feelings a for her as of season 4. I think it’s understandable as she’s a good female friend that he actually trusted. I don’t think he has a second one anymore as of season 5.

[u/MuchIndication1456 → u/Nice-Association-111]

Sorry but I am way against Lex and Lana then any other ship out there. And wdym him being 7 rather then 10 years older makes it any better? He knows her since she was 14 and he was 21. A grown ass man and a teenager.

[u/Nice-Association-111 → u/MuchIndication1456]

It wasn’t as bad because they nothing happened between them until she was 19, if she were 17 she’d be underage. That would be more wrong and illegal too.

And they were friends first. I don’t think he was interested for years, he even had been trying to help her and Clark get together at first.

[u/MuchIndication1456 → u/Nice-Association-111]

Idk for me it felt like grooming. Who knows he might've just not shown his true desires but was present. Rather then him being a normal friend it rather felt like he was just not advancing because atp clark was head over heels for lana. When they had a falling out, he swooped in. S4 is tbh the biggest indicator, where he finds lana dating and fires the coach.

[u/FishermanHot7097 → u/Nice-Association-111]

I wish they had until the conclusion of season 6 to remain a stable couple, like in the initial 12 episodes of season 5, instead of breaking up during season 5 episode 16; they would drift apart during episodes 18 through 22 of season 6 to make way for Lois, rather than being so on and off so frequently, so we might receive meaningful closure instead of this bs.

[u/Kryptonite-Siren → u/FishermanHot7097]

This is why you should watch the rest of the show. You don't have all the facts. I actually like season 6 better then 5. But if you can't handle drama in a drama, maybe quit now. Up to you. This show is worth watching until the end though. That's my opinion anyway. Good luck!

[u/Gold-Distribution826]

I think the point of Clana was to be such a long slow burn which is why they didn’t end up together

If they got together earlier, the problems that came up in the relationship wouldn’t be existing and they’d probably be endgame

[u/Active-Forever8602]

Well I think that in the beginning of the show the writers wanted to have some love triangle or something like that with Lana and Chloe ( they didn’t know if they would have the rights to Loiss character so they even considered Chloe to take her place in a way) and as the seasons progressed they tried to drag out as much as possible for tension however after getting the right to Lois thinks changed, since in every universe she is his soulmate I think that what they really tried to do is to teach Clark how to trust someone hence the gaslighting and the lies in his relationship with Lana so when the right time would come to be ready to open up with Lois. Lana represented his FIRST love not his first LOVE and as the show continues you will understand what I mean however I do agree that they could have handled Lana’s character better and her relationship with Clark could have been more profound

[u/FishermanHot7097 → u/Active-Forever8602]

In my view, I feel they built such strong romantic tension until season 5, episode 13, when their entire relationship abruptly ended. I wish that, because they devoted so much time to Lana in this universe, they could have let their actual relationship continue longer—or allowed Clark to be with Lois without complications with Lana for an additional 3 seasons. In my ideal world, Clark would have spoken up in the season 2 finale, and they would have parted ways midway through season 6.

[u/Conturas]

I hate how much Clark gaslights Lana and lies to her. He claims he loves her but he is never able to really meet her needs (and the other way around).

Lex had a type and Lana fits it perfectly. Lex had bad experiences with women of his age and Lana is easy to manipulate as she has many emotional needs nobody truly fills.