Terrific essay. I had no intention of watching SV, not being a big superhero person, but honestly...the slash screamed out at me from the 1st season previews. Thanks to great chemistry between TW and MR and fabulous acting by MR, the relationship, whether friendly or antagonistic just leaps off the screen and has changed not only my views of canon Lex and Superman, but made me reexamine the relationship between all superheros and their archenemies.