Clark is an alien, and he has many good reasons to keep the secret from Lex. It wasn't the only thing breaking their friendship apart. I just wish it was handled better.
The Secret and Clex Clana
How the secret shaped the Clex and Clana relationships.
Lex is accosted by Nixon on Clark's secret and asks Clark indirectly. 1.21 Lex admits being in ties with Nixon, but not the full story 2.01. Lex steals Clark's blood, but gives it back to Helen to try and reform their relationship. Clark and Lex reunite, Lex speaks of the darkness inside of him 3.02. Perry threatens Clark, Lex threatens to kill Perry over his exploits in 3.05. But Lex has a brain, he's going to be suspicious. Throughout the season Lex begins to stalk Clark. Lex apologizes for stalking Clark in 4.04.
But in Mortal this obsessive behavior is brought up again. Everyone; Clark, the Kents, Lana, and Chloe are attacked by meteor freaks and kidnapped. All set up as a plan by Lex, to reveal the secret. Then instead of apologizing Lex denies it 5.02. Lex grabs Lana when realizing she knows the secret 5.12. Instead of to continue and try and reach an emotional connection with Clark- Lex went for a controlling mindset and extorted his friend by using criminals and labs. Especially for the fans who excuse Lex stalking Clark. I understand that Clark is an alien, and that they have reasons to be suspicious. No way is asking someone directly if dangerous things people say about them true toxic. Extortion is, but a lot of people try to redeem Lex from this.
Lana thanks Clark for saving her life, she describes the moment and he denies it ever happened 1.22-2x01. Clark runs away, not saying why 2x23. Lana tries to visit Clark, but there are Morgan Edge's goons there holding Mrs. kent hostage. She has no idea why the goons are there.
Lana fights the goon, and he is impaled. SELF-DEFENSE murder should not be demonized. Even the justice system recognizes self-defense as not guilty. Why do fans make these situations bad, and Lex good? We don't know what her and Mrs. Kent did with the body. The whole situation is strange. Clark's life seems to be dangerous. That could be why he left, acts differently, and explain the entire hostage situation.
Lana has no idea why all of these things happened. She asks Clark directly. She tells him; "You can tell me. You'd still be the same Clark Kent." 3.02 Van says Clark is meta-human and immune. Lana asks the same question 3.03. Alicia says she knows Clark better because she knows his secret 3.14. Lana has a brain, and is going to be suspicious when people keep mentioning Clark or he is somehow involved when things like this happen. It's human nature. Even years later in Hidden Lex implies the secret. Against better judgement Lana denies it. Because Clark's records seem completely normal, and that feels safe. Clark is acting different again, this shouldn't count as secret conversation because death is implied not the secret 5.10.
In Reckoning it's shown that she'll accept Clark and they could happy. A lot of fans were upset that she went to see Lex. But I don't see her throwing herself at him or showing off the engagement to hurt him like some fans said. Lex called because he wanted to see her. The same thing happens in 5x16. They're friends- friends call each other an check up on another. Similar instances happen when Clark needs Lana in Blind and Legacy. Lex knows that he and Lana are both suspicious about the things they have heard about Clark and seen him do. Lana denies the secret. And will not tell Lex about Clark. He grabs her in a violent manner, alluding to his obsessive nature. Especially towards Clark. After the reset she worries that she'll never know the "real Clark" as he stated years ago in 3x02. Lex calls, they talk about it. Lex manages to make Clark sound like a bad boyfriend, and tells Lana he wouldn't lie to someone he loves (comparing himself to Clark) before trying to kiss her. But please remember this is the same man that had everyone taken hostage by criminals earlier this season.
Except Lex is a really expert liar. And for some reason this season Lana has a mindset where Lex can do nothing wrong up until the ending of Freak. Actually this point of Lana's character was meant to be explored back in season 3.19. Memoria in some deleted scenes, Lana tells the FBI Lex would never use the Talon for money laundering. She asks him directly, he says "of course not". Clark has a similar opinion of Lex in early seasons, but knows to keep him at distance on the advice of his parents.
It seems that if Clark would have just lied to Lana instead of deflecting the conversation, she would've believed anything he said. Why didn't Clark just say he was meteor-infected? She thinks that he is and is just pretending to not be. Clark has some sort of misplaced honor, he wants true acceptance, not false pretenses. Except this causes him to hide his true identity, by pretending to be human. Meaning he is doing exactly what he doesn't want to do. It's easier for him to just keep deflecting the constant problem and breaking up with her. Clark doesn't want to tell her he isn't human and be rejected, even if Lana tells him she'll accept his identity when he's ready.
While Clark lying may have fueled Lex's anger. His stalking of Clark should not be excused. It's a very harmful mindset. Later, that same exploitation used in Mortal will be used this time on Lana in season 6. Clark's keeping the secret wasn't the only facet of Lex's obsessive behavior. Of course they would be suspicious because of the events mentioned. But the best thing to do would have just been to end the friendship
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