For some reason, Smallville fans by and large hate Lois Lane. Maybe it’s because she posed a threat to the Clark-Lana relationship, maybe it’s because her character is typically annoying, but whatever the reason, she is frequently the source of animosity. This season, however, I’ve found myself in an odd predicament: I like Lois Lane.
The character is a strong woman, and last night’s episode proved it. Not only can she resist the urge to jump at the chance to live with Clark, but she survived being in a car flipped over and thrown by an alien queen without a scratch on her.
The real reason for my change of heart could be Erica Durance. While she’s not the greatest actress on television, she has a very stylized delivery of her lines, like an actress from a 1940s screwball comedy. Given the comic book origins of Superman, this seems like the right choice.
When I first started watching Smallville, I was disorientated by her fast-talking, but that was mostly because no one else on the show was doing it. Durance was performing screwball comedy while the rest of the cast was acting in a teen drama. While that’s still true, I’ve grown to embrace it rather than struggle with it.
Lois Lane, as a character, is fascinating. From Margot Kidder to Teri Hatcher, it’s a role that fights stereotypes. Lane isn’t the standard “damsel in distress,” though she frequently finds herself in distressing situations. The character fights for her right to be a strong, powerful woman, someone who won’t take “No” for an answer and won’t let some man pass her over for a promotion.
Sure, she whines all the time about petty issues like Jimmy’s snoring, but in serious matters, she can take care of herself. Lois is a different kind of woman and a different kind of character, so it’s understandable that for anyone who loves Smallville‘s various soapy romances, she’ll come off as rather abrasive.
But if you can look past that, you’ll see Lois Lane is someone who isn’t afraid to get herself into trouble so that she can dig herself out. She’s unexpected, and on a show obsessed with silly love triangles, being a wild card is a good thing.
-John Kubicek, BuddyTV Senior Writer
(Image courtesy of the CW)
Senior Writer, BuddyTV
John watches nearly every show on TV, but he specializes in sci-fi/fantasy like The Vampire Diaries, Supernatural and True Blood. However, he can also be found writing about everything from Survivor and Glee to One Tree Hill and Smallville.
