by Jennifer Squires BillerIs there any better storytelling device than unrequited love? I don’t think so.
It’s what keeps us TV romantic types watching with the hope that someday Booth and Brennan will fall in love, on Bones, or that Clark will realize that Chloe is his true Lois Lane, on Smallville.
Sometimes, unrequited love works out. (Jim got Pam, Felicity got Ben, and Pacey got Joey. Woo HOO!) Other times, not so much. (Sorry Buffy and Angel and Joey and Rachel.)
In all my years of TV watching, I don’t think I’ve ever seen such a fan following for unrequited love, as I’ve seen for Chloe and Clark on Smallville. Fan fiction stories and You Tube videos are created for them daily, and message boards are filled with viewers analyzing every single word and gesture of Clark and Chloe's scenes together for subtext.
It could be that the masses identify with Chloe, a normal gal, who will always be in love with her super hero Clark, only for him to be in love with the town’s most popular dark-haired beauty. Or it could be that folks just can’t get enough of an unrequited love story.
Whatever the reason for the fan fascination with this couple, it’s evident that Clark and Chloe are a draw for viewers. The Smallville writers have blown it big time in not pursuing a bigger story there. (My apologies to the Smallville folks if in fact that is planned in upcoming episodes, but I’m not holding my breath.) The opportunity was ripe this year, with Jimmy Olsen entering the scene to give Clark a wake-up call, but the future man of steel has been too bogged down in the adventures of his super girl cousin, visits from his mother and other aliens, and his continued obsession with Lana Lang to notice much going on in Chloe’s life.
If you think I’m exaggerating the appeal of this non-couple, please check out this superb video from the incredibly talented Ashley, who I’m sure has a successful future in video production if she chooses.
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