Stealing the spotlight
By Casey Gillis on Apr. 17, 2008
Isn’t it funny how sometimes supporting television characters and their storylines steal the spotlight away from series leads?
Right now, I’m thinking about Chloe and her romance with photographer Jimmy Olsen on The CW’s “Smallville,” which returns with new episodes tonight.
Sure, Tom Welling is the star as a young Clark Kent, and his relationship with ladylove Lana is supposed to be central to the series.
But Chloe and Jimmy are the couple who really hook me.
They’ve got great chemistry, much more than Clark and Lana. Watching paint dry would be more exciting than those two together. Clark and Lana have proved the old theory that once the couple gets together, it’s boring (see: Ross and Rachel on “Friends,” Dave and Maddie on “Moonlighting”).
For the most part, the best couples are the ones who can’t be together. Last season, before Lana knew Clark’s secret, I rooted for the pair to get together. But now that they are, I’m so over it.
It’s different with Jimmy and Chloe. They manage to stay cute and entertaining, together or not. They broke up earlier this season, after Chloe found out she was a meteor freak and couldn’t bear to tell her photographer beau. Jimmy went on to have a brief dalliance with Clark’s cousin, Kara, but it didn’t last, and it was only a matter of time before he and Chloe’s longing glances and jealousies would bring them back together. That happened a few episodes ago, when he awkwardly asked her out again.
What’s even more amazing is that Jimmy and Chloe have even had the chance to capture my affection. They barely get any screen time, usually just a throwaway scene here and there. I want more, people! How about an entire episode centered on the lovebirds? That would be must-see TV for this girl.
Rumor has it that one of “Smallville’s” finest is going to die during the series’ new batch of episodes, very likely tonight.
Writers, repeat after me: It will not be Chloe.
It just can’t be. She’s finally gotten over her unrequited crush on Clark and has found happiness with Jimmy. Oh, crap. Happiness is usually a death knell, isn’t it? She’s probably a goner.
Kill Lana off instead! She’s pointless, and we all know Clark ends up with Lois anyway, right?
I’ve got a lot more to say about TV’s best second bananas, so tune in to next week’s column for a list of my favorite scene-stealing supporting actors.
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