Fan Creation:Clach
"Clach" is a fan-created word coined to describe the relationship between the two characters Claire Bennet and Zach.
About
As seen in Genesis, Claire hadn't talked to Zach since the 6th grade. Claire is 16 as seen in Run! and Zach is at least 16 since he did drive Claire to meet her bio-mother in Kermit, TX (Distractions). Both appear to be juniors at Union Wells High School in Odessa, TX.
Clach fans could see the chemistry between both Zach and Claire from the very beginning, starting in Genesis when they were walking down the dirt road. Zach mentions he "nearly fudged himself" after witnessing Claire's recorded plummet off of a 70-80 foot construction bridge when she just got up and just "put herself back together again".
Zach and Claire's relationship best fits the drama archetype "opposites attract". Claire is the popular cheerleader who desperately wants to fit in with her classmates at school at a time of many uncertainties, a theme that resonates with many younger viewers. Zach is an independent thinker who is not afraid to go outside of popular teen opinion: slightly scruffy, hangs with the comic book reading "freaks", not that athletic yet computer savvy. There are many many instances of a suspected relationship forming between both Zach and Claire during Season One.
Examples
- Zach is willing to keep Claire's secret. (Genesis)
- Zach tries to get Claire to "embrace her inner-freak". (Homecoming)
- Claire confides in Zach after waking on the autopsy table after Brody attempted to rape her (One Giant Leap), and did not tell anyone else until after she rammed Brody's car (with Brody in it) into a wall. (Collision)
- Claire no longer puts on her "mask" for Zach the entire time, like when she complained to him about Jackie taking credit for her heroic act. (Don't Look Back)
- When Zach gives Activating Evolution by Chandra Suresh to Claire as a showing of support and to make her feel less like an outsider, Claire realizes that Zach has always been kind to her and she's not been so kind in return. (Homecoming)
- Claire invites Zach to be her homecoming date. (Homecoming)
- Claire smiles affectionately when she realizes it's Zach on her cellular device, texting her from outside her window. (Homecoming)
- Claire reaches out for Zach even though he can't remember their newly reformed friendship. (Godsend)
- Claire reveals the truth about the real reason she made the tapes originally only to Zach . (Godsend)
- Claire begs the Haitian to return Zach's memories and states she needs Zach, because Zach is the only one she can trust and she doesn't want to go through this alone. (Godsend)
- Zach finds the newspaper article online that allows Claire to learn the name of her biological mother, Meredith Gordon, which lead Claire to finally reaching her biological mother for the first time. (The Fix)
- Zach calls to check on Claire's progress in finding someone to whom she'd be biological related. (The Fix)
- Zach conspires to lie for Claire to her mother about a field trip in Lubbock, TX to study the manatees at an aquarium, when in reality they skipped school to go find Claire's bio-mother. (Distractions)
- Zach drives Claire all the way to Kermit, TX to see her bio-mom and stays the entire day to take her home that night. (Distractions)
Memorable Quotes
"I'm finally realizing who my friends really are. And that maybe being different isn't the end of the world. That's just who I am."
"Exactly, you gotta embrace your inner freak. Because the only thing that you'll regret is denying who you really are."
- - Claire, Zach (Homecoming)
Notes
- Zach's MySpace page and several comments he has made have led to a great deal of fan speculation as to his sexual orientation, which was confirmed by Tim Kring in an article in Out magazine. Zach may have implied his homosexuality in "Homecoming" while talking to Claire about accepting who you really are. However, NBC's publicity department and Thomas Dekker's management have both claimed that the character Zach is straight.