Memories that Matter - or - My Thoughts on "Abyss" and Speculation SPOILERS

[kdsch123]

After a hiatus, since the misery of the seventh season of SV, I decided to start watching season 8. I've been kind of poky about it, since I really and truly was dubious about any kind of improvement that might have been made.

Comments

[miss_tress]

Chloe did not get that information from Clark willingly..he didn't share it with her out of their friendship. The right to tell her himself was stolen from him, and I think Clark did the right thing in taking that knowledge back.

Exactly. All I've seen are a million and one posts calling Clark a horrible asshole for doing what he did. But I really think you need to take into account the fact that Clark didn't choose to tell Chloe to begin with, it changes everything. I would rather Clark get to tell Chloe his secret and I think that's something that's going to happen. I mean, there are people that know that Chloe knows and you know they're going to talk to Clark when they realize that Chloe doesn't know anymore.

And how do we really know that the Fortress did take Chloe's memories? All we have is a conversation with Jimmy in the room with all sorts of odd, double meaning phrases in it. Plus, since Chloe was planning to ride a scooter all the way to Metropolis there has to be something else wacky with her mind IMO.

[kdsch123]

I agree...something is up there. And, if I'm right in my speculation, she will become all normal again in time to help Clark at the end of the season.

[omega31]

I don’t have Chloe-bias but wiping a character’s memory is a lame plot device which reeks of lazy writing. I didn’t like the concept in Donner Superman and I sure don’t like it on Smallville, which despite some wobbly legs feels somewhat improved this season. I’ll give them a chance to see what they do with it though.

[kdsch123]

*Nods...I think it's improved too...I'm going to catch up with the episodes little by little and see what the rest of the season brings.

Mind wipe is definitely lame...about as lame as the other stupid plot devices they've pulled before, and will again. They like this one though, don't they? I guess some things can't change after all.

[secretvandalist]

What Clark did was not "horrible ass behavior" as some claim. However, I'm not at all happy with it because he has no right whatsoever to make the decision without her consent, especially when she was VERY against losing that part of her. So in many ways, Clark did mind-rape her for what he thought was best for her. Yes, it was a hard decision and I understand completely that it was a difficult/selfless choice but it doesn't make it the RIGHT one. Not at all. Yeah, it was his secret to tell her, but she MORE than lived up to accepting it, keeping it, and protecting it. She was a better person for it. He knows that and she knows that. I am not upset with Clark for the decision but it wasn't his place at all and I am disappointed that he couldn't see that.

[kdsch123]

So in many ways, Clark did mind-rape her for what he thought was best for her.First, I take extreme offense to the term "mind rape" in response to what went on during this episode, ESPECIALLY where it concerns Clark restoring to Chloe what Brainiac was taking away from her. Rape is not a word I think should be bandied about lightly or in response to a plot device on a television show concerning fictional characters

[pen37]

I'm afraid I have to disagree with you on this one. Two wrongs don't make a right. I would hope, if I took your keys without asking, that you would be the bigger person and ask for them back.

Yes, it was bad that Clark didn't get to tell Chloe his secret himself. But she clearly stated at the beginning of the episode that she wanted to remember. And he still made the choice for her.

By doing so, he's taken away a large chunk of her memories. Now how is she going to understand why she did some of the things she did. Is she going to understand why she was fired from the daily planet? Is she going to know why she wasn't in Smallville during the meteor shower? Is she going to understand how she got to that hospital up in Alaska?

It might have been different if Clark had done this back in season four, when Chloe first found out. But that's not what happened. Clark didn't just take back his secret. He took large chunks of her life as well.

[kdsch123]

First, the mind wipe is a plot device, a sucky one, but a plot device all the same. You and I as writers know this. I don't believe for one minute that this will be a permanent thing. I stand by what I said about Clark. He did the right thing - yes, Chloe wanted to remember, but honestly, she didn't have a right to know in the first place. Knowing affected her in good ways, but in bad ones, too. Knowing and being involved got Chloe in Brainiac's radar in the first place, got her infected. Knowing and protecting Clark put her relationship with Jimmy at risk. Now, I know that there is a sizable chunk of fandom that couldn't care less about that ship, but it's the ship the writers have chosen for their character

disagree

[ghypscee]

I also disagree with you so whole-heartedly that i doubt i have the words for it. your analogy of taking keys is inadequate. car keys and memories are hardly comparible in this situation even when used metaphorically. chloe found out clark's secret (your analogy should be that she was looking for the keys and you knew she was looking for the keys but didn't have the heart to stop her, then she wasn't looking so hard and someone pointed her in the right direction and she found the keys) then he continually dragged her into his world (so instead of asking for the keys back, you allowed her to keep them and asked her repeatedly to drive you around while also asking her to maintain and pay for any upkeep on the car). by taking those memories from her, she is in even more danger considering the situation she is in (the brakes are no longer working in your car and you don't tell). if he wanted what was best for HER then he should have left altogether. there are many other places he could have gone that would have left chloe heart-

Re: disagree

[kdsch123]

I'm not going to reopen my argument here. Everything I had to say I said between Traci and I. I will say this, though, since you felt my key analogy was inadequate. If someone I loved was raped, and it was within my scope to remove the memory and pain of that experience from their minds - along with knowledge about myself that led to their being exposed to their rapist, I might just go ahead and do that. As for how I would feel about this happening to me? I don't know, and I really can't say. I can say,though, if I were Clark, I'd have done the same thing.

There was nothing selfish about what Clark did, especially with what he said MOMENTS before Chloe was healed by the Fortress. He took on any circumstances that would arise from healing her, too - Jor-El warned Clark that serious complications and problems would arise in freeing Chloe from Brainiac's hold. Nothing about what Clark did at the end of Abyss was in his best interest. He did himself out of his closest confidante, to save her from any further danger

[bop_radar]

YAY! It is a relief to me that a small number of people at least agree that Clark's act was selfless.

And thanks for reminding us that Chloe found out his secret by accident!

[kdsch123]

As much as I had wanted Clark to have a girlfriend back in Season 4, and as much as I thought Alicia might have been good for him - minus the crazy, stalkery behavior and everything - when she told Chloe about Clarks' secret, I was so sad. Clark trusted her with that information, and she betrayed that trust. Yes, she told Chloe, his closest friend. But it was a big risk - Clark had been close friends with Lex, and we all know what would have happened if Lex had been given the secret.

I can't help but see Clark's action as anything other than selfless, and I'm glad others do to. Its his show and his character gets pooped on so much. I'm happy that he's gotten to finally grow. :) It's sad that so many others refuse to see how giving he was.

[bop_radar]

It's sad that so many others refuse to see how giving he was.
I felt like he was giving Chloe back her life and her freedom!!! Sigh. I do understand that taking away someone's memories involuntarily is a controversial act, but I think when you look at the big picture, in this instance it will actually free Chloe

[kdsch123]

I was moved too...that scene before the Fortress heals Chloe was really something. I'm glad they spent some time developing Clark's character this season. It really shows