EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW
With Alfred Gough
By Happiness
(02/04/2004) What happens when a Devoted Fan of Smallville sits down with one of the great “Powers that be” Al Gough? One pretty crazy conversation. I was my personal pleasure to be able to talk with Al Gough today about Devoted to Smallville, all the fans online as well as what they have planned for the rest of the season. Some great topics came out such as the new triangle between Lex, Lana and Clark that is soon to become entangled, and finally answers the question if Chloe Sullivan is Lois Lane. So please sit back and enjoy!
DTS: Thanks for taking the time to talk to us.
AG: No problem.
DTS: It is quite exciting for us to finally be able to speak with one of the creators of Smallville.
AG: Well thank you, I am impressed with your website.
DTS: Really? Have you been to our website?
AG: Oh yeah. I like it very much. It is very…it is interesting I think it is probably the most global of the sites. In terms of, I tune into to see what information you have got on the site. (laughs)
DTS: (laughs) Well that is wonderful, actually my first question was going to be if you had gotten the chance to go to websites, and what you think about the fansites that are out there?
AG: I think they are great, I think they have a different angle, which I think is really interesting. And yours especially has a global wider feel to it, you get a lot of stories that are outside of the US. Which I think is terrific, cause it gives us the writers a perspective of the show that we certainly don’t get.
DTS: Well it helps that we have a staff of over 50 people that are from around the world.
AG: You have an amazing amount of information on your site. It is great to see all the hard work that is put into it. And with a global community as well.
DTS: Great, thank you again for your comments about the site. I think maybe we should get started on some of the Smallville related questions that all of these fans are going to want to know.
DTS: With some of the great talent that has been announced already this season, could you tell us if we will get any interesting guest stars other then Christopher Reeves who has been announced to be in “Legacy”?
AG: Well there is none that I can certainly give you at the moment, Christopher Reeve of course being, as always the biggest one, but I think with his return to the show, again really take the Mythology up to the next level. And he has a great scene with John Glover and a really good scene with Tom. Where I think he (Dr. Swann) sort of calls Clark to the carpet a bit about his actions over the last year. So I think it will be really great with him and Lionel Luthor, it will be sort of like the two titans, circling each other.
Pictured (left to right): John Glover as Lionel Luthor, Christopher Reeve as Dr. Swann, Tom Welling as Clark Kent Photo Credit: © The WB/Dana Belcher
DTS: So will it be like a good vs. evil scene?
AG: Well kind of, but I don’t think that it is really good vs. evil in that sort of classic way, where it is like “Damn you Luthor” (laughs) but it is more two very rich, very brilliant, very obsessed people coming at something from two different philosophies. Such as Lionel’s which is always to exploit and Dr. Swanns which is purely for the knowledge of the situation. He is not someone that is out for personal gain, he is out more for knowledge and advancing science, so I think it is more altruistic, and there is not an altruistic bone in Lionel’s body. So it is all very interesting.
DTS: Recently we have seen a number of repeat guest stars returning from past seasons. Will there be any other guest stars returning by the end of this season?
AG: Potentially Perry (Michael McKean).
DTS: Great, is there a storyline to go along with his return?
AG: Well as we are looking towards the season end, toward the last couple of episodes. He is somebody that certainly could return. And if we don’t see him this season it will definitely be returning in season four. I think it is fun certainly for us to bring back some of these characters and great for the fans to see some of their favorite characters that they have seen in previous seasons come back.
DTS: Yes, it was great to see Jesse Metcalfe, Jonathan Taylor Thomas, Shawn Ashmore all in one episode.
AG: Well it was fun! We always get this question of, ‘where do these people go to after they leave Smallville?’. Well now you know.
DTS: Yeah, they come back sometimes. (laughs)
AG: Yes, they come back sometimes! (laughs)
Season 3 Poster
DTS: The character of Adam Knight is very mysterious. Every episode seems to reveal more about his past. What can we expect to see in the coming episodes with Adam? And how will the Smallville Characters be affected by him?
AG: Well actually his storyline finishes in episode 3.16. And starting with this week’s episode in Velocity you will get to see the character take a darker turn, but I think ultimately what he brings to the table on a Mythology level is very interesting certainly for a couple characters it will change their lives.
DTS: Would that be affecting Lex Luthor? Cause there seems to be some type of strange connection with the two of them in “Hereafter”. And with Adam not seeming to remember his past, but Lex knowing more about him then he seems to know.
AG: Yes, again I don’t want to say too much without giving it away, but we really start to peal that onion in the next bunch of episodes. I think it is very interesting. I don’t think that it is going exactly the way that you think it might be going.
DTS: Great, so surprises surprises (laughs)
DTS: Lana has striking chemistry with both Clark and Lex. And in a pre Season 3 article by LA Times there was a tagline “The triangle between Lex, Lana and Clark becomes even more tangled this season.” So far we have not seen this triangle take shape, when can we expect to see some of this?
AG: You’ll start to see it actually take shape over the next few episodes. Certainly through sweeps and towards the end of the season. So it will start to shape up very soon.
DTS: And what kind of shape will this triangle be taking?
AG: Well I think that you will see Lex and Lana relationship start to change a little bit. Not necessary romantically but it will defiantly start to change up.
DTS: Great. I think that we have seen this relationship building more so in the last few episodes. Lex always seems protective of her.
AG: Yes, you are right, he is very protective of her and I think he calls her out more than any other character. Totally challenges her. And I think what is interesting about Lana is I think she always rises to the challenge, and I think he brings out an interesting side in her. She will go and ask him to do things like when Perry came in went straight to Lex and ask him to basically run Perry out of town. I think she is drawn to him. He is Lex Luthor and there is a certain charisma there.
DTS: Yes, but she is not afraid of him.
AG: She’s not, which I think is great. And I think that is what Lex totally appreciates about their relationship. That is where you get to see a side of Lana that I think is more interesting quite frankly.
DTS: Yes, her scenes with Lex are what gives the character of Lana dynamites. .
AG: Yes, I think there is a real POP to them, cause he will call her out and she will do the same to him. So I think that is a relationship that we will start to explore as we get towards the season end.
Allison Mack as Smallville's own Chloe Sullivan
DTS: Well another question here before we have to leave. Fans have recently found out in “Delete” that there is link between Chloe and Lois Lane, that Lois Lane is Chloe’s cousin, however it has left some fans wondering if Chloe is actually the future Lois Lane?
AG: (laughs) Lois Lane is her cousin. (laughs) Well I have been saying this for two years now. It is true, Lois Lane is Chloe’s cousin. Chloe doesn’t morph into Lois.
DTS: Well I think it is just that a lot of the fans see Lois in Chloe and believe that perhaps she would one day be Lois Lane.
AG: Well exactly but again that is one of her functions on the show and certainly that is why Clark is drawn to her because she has certain similarities of the woman that he will ultimately end up with.
DTS: So I guess then the both of the two girls are a mix of Lois Lane, his ultimate love of his life?
AG: Oh yeah, I think so. Absolutely. There is Lana who we know he doesn’t end up with and then there is Chloe who he doesn’t end up with neither, but how each of these girls touched his life and effected what type of women he would ultimately end up with.
DTS: Great. So is there anything that you would like to say to the Devoted Fans of Smallville?
AG: Just keep watching, I think we have some great surprises in store certainly through February, and DON’T BE SEDUCED BY AMERICAN IDOL! (laughs)
DTS: (laughs) Well thank you so much for taking the time to speak with us at Devoted to Smallville. We enjoyed this opportunity to speak with you.
AG: Well thank you, and keep up the good work.
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