Smallville: Why does everyone hate Lana?

Canogaparkcindy
[1]Jan 7, 2011
member since: 07/02/06
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It seems like every thread on this forum turns in to a Lana bashing thread. I never really got why so many people disliked her character. Over the course of eight years, she became one of the most three dimensional, well developed character on the show. And Tom Welling had a lot of chemistry with Kristin Kreuk. So what's not to like about her, really? I loved the idea of them two being star crossed lovers. Although since Lana became poison to him, Clark could have just slipped on a Blue K ring to be immune to green K while he was with her. Oh well, what's a show without a plot hole, right?
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jack756
[2]Jan 7, 2011
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lana shes ok in my book i think alot of ppl dont like her b.c she wasnt clark true love she was jus in the way of clark getting to his real love which is lois u knw.
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jwgrlrrajn
[3]Jan 7, 2011
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I take it that the original poster (assuming he/she watches Star Trek:TNG) thinks that Wesley Crusher is the most three dimensional, well developed characters in the Star Trek franchise.

That aside, let's think about this for a moment. Why would a primary character like Lana be bashed instead of a brand new character like Chloe? Most people prefer what they know, and don't like new characters coming in and taking up the limelight, right?

There's a problem with this though. Most people I've seen here didn't start bashing Chloe until Lana was out of the picture. Now ask yourself why that is.

It's because there was way too much drama whenever Lana was involved. Almost every single bone-headed decision Clark or Lex ever made could be traced back to a Lana-related reason. Then there was her constantly harping about how she wanted people to be honest with her, yet later on, you could see that she was perfectly fine with being dishonest with others herself. And when the meteor freak were still a central part of the show, she seemed to be the only reason the freaks were attacking anyone.
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whiterose27
[4]Jan 7, 2011
member since: 11/30/05
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I don't hate Lana. I like her character. I just don't like her and Clark together. It got pretty boring. And obviously, Clark and Lois were going to get together so it was a non-issue.
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lawfirm_seo
[5]Jan 7, 2011
member since: 01/07/11
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People love success but hate successful people most of the time.
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friendserking
[6]Jan 7, 2011
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I always thought people were really hard on her character also. I personally loved her character. Her and Welling had great chemistry. Welling and Durance do not. I just think the casting of Erica Durance was a mistake I do not think she is a very good Lois Lane which makes me like Lanas character even more. I do not want to put all the blame on Durance because she has to say some of the dumbest dialogue on the show so she really does not even have a chance. Lana on the other hand is played by what I think is a good actress and she again has alot of chemistry with Welling.

Not to mention the reason this show was so popular initially is because it focused on Clark in high school with his high school friends and no one had really done that before that I know of anyway. So it is so much more interesting to see Clark with Lana, Pete, or the not in the old comics Chloe than with Lois,or fake Jimmy. Besides the ending of Lana I loved her character and was upset to see her go along with Lex of course.
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Canogaparkcindy

[7]Jan 7, 2011

member since: 07/02/06
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friendserking wrote:

I always thought people were really hard on her character also. I personally loved her character. Her and Welling had great chemistry. Welling and Durance do not. I just think the casting of Erica Durance was a mistake I do not think she is a very good Lois Lane which makes me like Lanas character even more. I do not want to put all the blame on Durance because she has to say some of the dumbest dialogue on the show so she really does not even have a chance. Lana on the other hand is played by what I think is a good actress and she again has alot of chemistry with Welling.

Not to mention the reason this show was so popular initially is because it focused on Clark in high school with his high school friends and no one had really done that before that I know of anyway. So it is so much more interesting to see Clark with Lana, Pete, or the not in the old comics Chloe than with Lois,or fake Jimmy. Besides the ending of Lana I loved her character and was upset to see her go along with Lex of course.

I completely agree with everything you wrote. The casting of Erica Durance WAS a mistake. And she says the stupidest and most ridiculous dialogue, that she just comes off as annoying. Welling & Durance don't have chemistry as opposed to Welling and Kreuk who definitely do. Lana's sendoff was pathetic (absorbing kryptonite!?) as was Lex's.

Edited on 01/07/2011 11:56pm

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Enthropii
[8]Jan 8, 2011
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I'm just gonna be straight up here. There is nothing wrong with Lana. The writers just fell in love with her and they misused her. You know how in 2004 every time somebody requested for a Hoobastank song you'd instantly know that it would have to be The Reason? Same thing here.

But they made it worse. They made her a vampire, a witch, a catalyst, a hub for story-driving incidents and they made it ridiculous. Somewhere along this show the writers decided that Clark's teenage love would be a good motivation for him to get off his ass and do something.

A lot of people assume that Lana-bashers don't like Lana because of Lois. While that might be the case, I'm not one of them. Why? Simple: alternate reality. Despite Gough's and Millar's early day quotes, I never believed that Smallville was an expansion of Clark's early years that would lead to the Superman movies. So if Lana Lang was to be the Lois Lane of this universe, and Lois was to be relegated to being Chloe's cousin, I could accept it. This is a universe where Lex Luthor was a nice guy, Pete Ross is black, Bart Allen, Barry Allen and Jay Garrick are possibly the same person. So why not Lana Kent?

The problem isn't that Lana was in the way of Clark and Lois; Lana was in the way of Clark and Superman. Lana, while a bad character due to becoming the writers' source of plot and justification, was primarily a problem because she made Clark a weak character. Superman has never needed a reason to do something good other than it being the good thing to do. In Smallville, a large amount of his good deeds were driven down to having to save Lana.

And just like everything concerning Lana post-S4 is proof of lousy writing, her send-off is an equally weak one. Kryptonite? Really? In getting rid of a character who should have left years ago, the writers made a massive mistake. Don't even get me started on the "Why didn't Lana fight Zod and team?" issue.

Lana isn't terrible. The first three seasons portrayed her as one of the most appealing female characters who could function as both, the damsel and the feministic presence on television. But Lana represents some of the worst writing that Smallville has ever put out and that is why I don't want to see her. She brings the worst out of almost every character, and most certainly, the producers.

And dayum she's hot!
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UltraStrata
[9]Jan 8, 2011
member since: 01/09/10
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Lana and Clark could have never been together. Lana, despite all of her arguments to the contrary, is weak. She doesn't have the stones to be Clark's girl. She's proven over and over that she can be tempted with power. It's her hamartia. The thought that no power, no matter how dangerous, is beyond her control or shouldn't belong to her when she has what she feels is a justifiable enough cause. It made me mad to watch Clark chasing her skirt all of the time when she would have sold him out at the drop of a hat had she seen him as a threat. She left him for almost a year and, even when she escaped from Tess, wouldn't come to find him, knowing how distraught he was without her. She's been mind-controlled countless times and used it as an excuse for many a Clark-beating. She is a complainer, not a problem solver. She was over the span of the first seven seasons and I suppose her month or so of training in the eighth one was meant to cure her of that. Still, I don't think that it would have worked. Lana was never as mentally strong as Lois. Her feelings could tempt her to evil and she proved that fact out multiple times on the show. Lois, on the other hand, knows what's right and is willing to sacrifice anything, including her own life, to see her convictions fulfilled. She's also, IMO, a LOT hotter than Lana.
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Canogaparkcindy

[10]Jan 8, 2011

member since: 07/02/06
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UltraStrata wrote:

Lana and Clark could have never been together. Lana, despite all of her arguments to the contrary, is weak. She doesn't have the stones to be Clark's girl. She's proven over and over that she can be tempted with power. It's her hamartia. The thought that no power, no matter how dangerous, is beyond her control or shouldn't belong to her when she has what she feels is a justifiable enough cause. It made me mad to watch Clark chasing her skirt all of the time when she would have sold him out at the drop of a hat had she seen him as a threat. She left him for almost a year and, even when she escaped from Tess, wouldn't come to find him, knowing how distraught he was without her. She's been mind-controlled countless times and used it as an excuse for many a Clark-beating. She is a complainer, not a problem solver. She was over the span of the first seven seasons and I suppose her month or so of training in the eighth one was meant to cure her of that. Still, I don't think that it would have worked. Lana was never as mentally strong as Lois. Her feelings could tempt her to evil and she proved that fact out multiple times on the show. Lois, on the other hand, knows what's right and is willing to sacrifice anything, including her own life, to see her convictions fulfilled. She's also, IMO, a LOT hotter than Lana.

Although you make a good point, I really think Kreuk is hotter than Durance IMO. Maybe a new thread is calling lol.

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Canogaparkcindy

[11]Jan 8, 2011

member since: 07/02/06
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Enthropii wrote:

I'm just gonna be straight up here. There is nothing wrong with Lana. The writers just fell in love with her and they misused her. You know how in 2004 every time somebody requested for a Hoobastank song you'd instantly know that it would have to be The Reason? Same thing here.

But they made it worse. They made her a vampire, a witch, a catalyst, a hub for story-driving incidents and they made it ridiculous. Somewhere along this show the writers decided that Clark's teenage love would be a good motivation for him to get off his ass and do something.

A lot of people assume that Lana-bashers don't like Lana because of Lois. While that might be the case, I'm not one of them. Why? Simple: alternate reality. Despite Gough's and Millar's early day quotes, I never believed that Smallville was an expansion of Clark's early years that would lead to the Superman movies. So if Lana Lang was to be the Lois Lane of this universe, and Lois was to be relegated to being Chloe's cousin, I could accept it. This is a universe where Lex Luthor was a nice guy, Pete Ross is black, Bart Allen, Barry Allen and Jay Garrick are possibly the same person. So why not Lana Kent?

The problem isn't that Lana was in the way of Clark and Lois; Lana was in the way of Clark and Superman. Lana, while a bad character due to becoming the writers' source of plot and justification, was primarily a problem because she made Clark a weak character. Superman has never needed a reason to do something good other than it being the good thing to do. In Smallville, a large amount of his good deeds were driven down to having to save Lana.

And just like everything concerning Lana post-S4 is proof of lousy writing, her send-off is an equally weak one. Kryptonite? Really? In getting rid of a character who should have left years ago, the writers made a massive mistake. Don't even get me started on the "Why didn't Lana fight Zod and team?" issue.

Lana isn't terrible. The first three seasons portrayed her as one of the most appealing female characters who could function as both, the damsel and the feministic presence on television. But Lana represents some of the worst writing that Smallville has ever put out and that is why I don't want to see her. She brings the worst out of almost every character, and most certainly, the producers.

And dayum she's hot!

Awesome points here. I agree with pretty much all of them, I hadn't realized how crazy it got with Lana being a witch, a vampire and a catalyst.

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Enthropii
[12]Jan 9, 2011
member since: 08/10/06
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Canogaparkcindy wrote:

Awesome points here. I agree with pretty much all of them, I hadn't realized how crazy it got with Lana being a witch, a vampire and a catalyst.

Hope it satisfies your queries.
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Canogaparkcindy

[13]Jan 9, 2011

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Enthropii wrote:

Canogaparkcindy wrote:

Awesome points here. I agree with pretty much all of them, I hadn't realized how crazy it got with Lana being a witch, a vampire and a catalyst.

Hope it satisfies your queries.

It does... thank you

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kanniballl
[14]Jan 10, 2011
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Enthropli hit pretty much every nail on the head.

For the most part, I didn't have any problems with Lana; just how she was an excuse for every stupid thing Clark was doing. That and how the writers just used her in the most stupid ways imaginable.

The only times I didn't like Lana is was just before she started going out with Lex, and just after.

Just before Lex, it became "tell me your secret" over and over and over.

Just after Lex she would make a snotty remark to Clark every 3 minutes. Digging it in that at least Lex trusts her, that the two of them are honest with each other, etc.

And I agree with the whole send-off thing. Really? You made her as strong as Superman (with added "bonus" of Kryptonite) and didn't think that would create a million plot-holes later on?

Though in their defense, maybe they thought that was going to be the last season.
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alirk
[15]Jan 12, 2011
member since: 10/15/05
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I think most people don't actually "hate" Lana. They just hate the way things went down with her. Like many other posters have said, shecaused Clark to do some really stupid stuff. I actually like her character for what she was (in my mind): A placeholder until Lois. Also, I disagree with those who say Welling & Durance don't have any chemistry. Totally wrong!
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jwgrlrrajn
[16]Jan 12, 2011
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alirk wrote:

I disagree with those who say Welling & Durance don't have any chemistry. Totally wrong!

Agreed. Especially now that Lois knows Clark's secret.
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Enthropii
[17]Jan 15, 2011
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jwgrlrrajn wrote:

alirk wrote:

I disagree with those who say Welling & Durance don't have any chemistry. Totally wrong!

Agreed. Especially now that Lois knows Clark's secret.

Lois and Clark now are certainly more fun than Clark and any other girlfriend have aver been.
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CharmedOneP391
[18]Jan 15, 2011
member since: 06/10/05
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I don't disagree that Kruek and Welling had good chemistry...but that Durance and Welling don't? Thats insane. Durance being a casting mistake? Are you serious? She's one of the better actors on the show..and brings a great deal of "spunk" to the role of Lois Lane and the show itself for that matter.

I never hated Lana..but looking back...I really think they should've gotten rid of her at the end of season 3...and when Lois came in made her the new regular.

Besides what others have posted (witch, catalyst, vampire, Smallville's version of Power-Girl?) she simply out stayed her welcome on the show. She was with Clark on and off for 8 seasons...while Lois Lane...who Clark is now engaged to...they've only been seeing eachother for a season or two...if that.
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PhilDiffy
[19]Jan 15, 2011
member since: 10/16/05
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Idc, but Erica Durance is a fantastic Lois Lane. Additionally, Lana most definitely outstayed her welcome. I would have welcomed her more if the writers had written her a little more in pattern with the Lana from Superman:TAS, from the premiere episodes and "My Girl". Not the whiny harping girl who brought out the worst in Clark and everyone around her. The plot just relied on her too much.
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Enthropii

[20]Jan 15, 2011

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PhilDiffy wrote:

Idc, but Erica Durance is a fantastic Lois Lane. Additionally, Lana most definitely outstayed her welcome. I would have welcomed her more if the writers had written her a little more in pattern with the Lana from Superman:TAS, from the premiere episodes and "My Girl". Not the whiny harping girl who brought out the worst in Clark and everyone around her. The plot just relied on her too much.

'Like'

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