"Luke, I am your father" RE: Clark Kent & Lionel Luthor

[Dina Lerret]

This is an old post of mine from last Sunday but I'll be tapping into
it as part of a follow-up for later posting on incest fics and the
fact I've read a number of HP incest fics.


>From April 23, 2006:


With the term, 'meta', being incorrectly used and abused (e.g.
labeling a rant as 'meta' doesn't make it meta - something I said
months ago and the HP fandom reminded me), calling someone, son,
doesn't make you their father.

I'm still intrigued by last week's S5 episode, Mercy (AKA Saw III - I
liked the horror movie, Saw, and this episode does rip on it), and the
irony, yesterday (4/22/2006), WB aired a rerun of S3's Legacy.  So,
I'll spew some thoughts on, IMO, Smallville's strongest season, S3,
and one of S5's better episodes.  I'll talk about S5's Mercy, so there
will be spoilers on it.

Legacy scene snippet transcribed by Kerrplop & Willow:
[[
Lionel: Clark. (Clark stops.) How's your father? How's his, uh,
recovery progressing?

Clark: (Reluctant, monotone.) He's better.

Lionel: I can only imagine how difficult it must be to see him so... so weak.

Clark: Weak, strong, healthy. He's still my dad. And I love him.

Lionel: Of course you do. A son's love for a father... there's nothing
to compare it to.

Lionel puts a hand on Clark's shoulder in an eerie display of
friendliness. Clark looks down at the hand uneasily. Lionel seems on
the verge of genuine emotion.

Lionel: After all, you only get one.
]]

In past episodes, it seemed Lionel Luthor tried to ingratiate himself
to Clark Kent as a 'father figure', a confidant, which would be
Lionel's way of manipulation.

I find it interesting Lionel said, "A son's love for a father...
there's nothing to compare it to."  Most likely, this was ripped from
a Hallmark card.  Considering Lionel's relationship with his parents
being murky and their deaths connected to Lionel and even Lionel's
strained relationship with his children, especially Lex (Lucas is off
in storage, somewhere), this is an especially odd comment.

However, there's this scene from Truth, the episode following Legacy,
transcribed by Kerplopp:
[[
Chloe: Meaning that my family's future is just one chess move in the
endless game of one-upmanship played by you and your dad.

Lex: It's not a game, Chloe. You're the only one who can get me the truth.

Chloe circles Lex until she is standing behind him.

Chloe: Why do you keep doing this to yourself? Why can't you just walk
away from your father?

Lex: Because he won't give me the only thing I've ever wanted from him.

Chloe: And that would be?

Lex: (Turning to face her.) I want him to love me.
]]

Interestingly, the next episode is Memoria where viewers glimpse
Lionel's paternal side before Lex assumed responsibility of Julian's
death to cover what his mother, Lillian, did.  The truth about
Julian's death is eventually revealed and Lionel says, "If I had only
known," to Lex.  It's possible Lionel may have treated his son with
more compassion in the past, if he had known the truth, *but* old
habits are hard to break and the 'game' between Lionel and Lex
continues as evident by S5's Mercy.

The Mercy elevator cage scene was especially fascinating as Lionel
faces his 'failings' (e.g. business and family) in front of Martha
Kent.  In previous S5 episodes, TPTB have tried again to incorporate
Lionel as a father figure for Clark (i.e. Lionel as Jor-El's 'vessel'
and Lionel's interest in Martha, which goes *at least* back to S2). 
It's possible, once Lionel's curiosity about Clark was satiated and
his immediate health concerns alleviated, I think Lionel was (probably
still is) seeking a 'second chance' at a family since he messed up the
first time--not forgetting, the added bonus of Clark's potential and
Martha as a political connection.

Lionel talking about his 'parenting' of Lex to Martha also built upon
this idea as Martha even references 'second chances'.  Lionel has seen
the admiration and love Clark has for Jonathan Kent, a love a son has
for his father, which touches upon Lionel saying, "A son's love for a
father... there's nothing to compare it to," in Legacy.  However,
Lionel also said in Legacy, "After all, you only get one," in
reference to fathers and there's a moment in Mercy where Lionel admits
he can't replace Jonathan in Martha and Clark's lives.

Nonetheless, I think it's a case of a Luthor not getting everything he
wanted and, while not giving up what he currently has, looking at
possible alternatives for expansion.  It's ironic that, while Lionel
supposedly wanted Lex to regain his 'humanity', Lionel is harming Lex
by not giving his own *son* love and acceptance, which Lex has
wanted/needed in his life.  Lionel is *flaunting* admiration of the
Kents (e.g. saying Clark is a son to be proud of), thus, hurting Lex.

A good story is frequently built on learning about characters and
their motivations/drives, eventually leading to the story's climax.
Part of what made/makes Smallville interesting is seeing how each
character's past affects who they become.  For such a 'secondary
character', it's remarkable the impact Lionel Luthor has on those
around him.  What I also give S5's Mercy credit for is delving back
into what made S3 good and attempting... *some* consistency between
episodes and seasons.

Jor-El previously 'gifted' Jonathan Kent, the 'father figure' for
Clark, with extra abilities; however, with those borrowed 'abilities'
came Jonathan's shortened lifespan.  I'm not certain if Lionel may or
may not have a shortened lifespan but Lionel has been placed in this
'father' role for Clark whether by coincidence as the person who had
the stone when it was activated (twice? same stone from Transference)
or by 'fate' and the fact the Luthors were in the same field where
Clark landed.

What's also interesting is seeing fans explore the impact Lionel may
have from an 'alternate universe' scenario such as Lionel raising
Clark as a Luthor and how it affects Lex (there's also fics with Lex
being raised by the Kents {g}).  I'll touch on this is my next jibber
involving, "[Pseudo-]incest is best", where Clark Luthor and Lex
Luthor have some 'afternoon delight' for the CLex group.

Dina

Addendum: As to the Star Wars reference, Chloe did mention 'Darth
Luthor' on the series.