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When the teen drama Smallville hit televisions in 2001, it seemed like a great premise. Being able to see Clark Kent grow up during his high school years means that eventually we will see him become Superman, right? No such luck, unless you count the final episode ten years later. But there was another profoundly irritating aspect of the show, and that was the character Lana Lang, played by Kristin Kreuk. Let’s dive deeper into the bane of this series, the thing that for eight seasons has been a thorn in everyone’s shoe. Yes, we are talking about Lana Lang, Smallville’s worst aspect.
If you are not familiar with the series, you might be wondering who the character Lana Lang is. Everyone, even those not familiar with Superman, have heard of Clark Kent’s love interest Lois Lane. You may have been surprised to discover this Lane was not the romantic focus of Clark after you began watching Smallville. This is because Lois Lane is associated with Superman, and Lana Lang is associated with Superboy. She is literally the girl next door to where The Clark family lives. But even if you were an avid comic reader, you might be confused why Lana Lang in this series is apparently Chinese. Even the names “Lana” and “Lang” don’t have Eastern origins at all, causing perplexity from the start. She is a cliche, pretty cheerleader that is easy for a teenage boy to yearn over.
But what made Lana Lang, Smallville’s girl next door, so irritating? It was partially due to the on-again and off-again relationship between her and Clark. As early as the first season, the character Chloe Sullivan was creating competition for Clark’s affection. By season two, problems with Clark hiding his superpowers begin to arise, another rift between the two characters, which extended for several seasons. Lana’s nosiness had no bounds as she began to get more annoying with her inquiries. To make it worse, fans were still waiting for Clark to develop his full powers and start flying, but instead they got this dramatic mess instead.
Season five teased that Lana Lang, Smallville’s long-time love interest, would finally marry Clark Kent. He proposes, and she says yes. This decision flip-flops, as well as their relationship altogether, which ends in a total separation by the end of the season. Then comes season six, a train-wreck and slap in the face for fans of this show. Lana Lang develops a relationship with Lex Luthor, who everyone knows is Clark Kent’s enemy. She then (allegedly) gets pregnant, and marries Luthor.
As you can see, binge-watching the series makes it clear that Lana Lang is Smallville’s most irritating character. Luckily, by season eight, Kristin Kreuk left the show. She wanted to try other things, and was quickly cast as Chun-Li in a Street Fight movie, which crashed and burned worse than her role in Smallville. At least this time, a Chinese actor was cast for a Chinese role. If you are a fan of Smallville, you can get the entire series easily.