5.09 Lexmas (Spoilers)

[Ultimate_Superman]

Superman In Training as we were promised

 

[Brainiac 8]

Hey Tony, i'm not really suer what SIT is? You don't mean the s*it, do you?

Nevermind, already answered.

 

[AgentPat]

I thought Lexmas was a good ep because of the writer's penchant for drawing subconscious parallels between Clark and Lex. Ever since Talisman - an ep where they drove the point home with a sledgehammer - they continue to show more and more how good and evil are really bookends. In the case of Clark and Lex, it's compounding life choices leading in diametrically opposed directions.

For example, this season has seen Clark and Lex shot in approximately the same place (left lung area). Their "fathers" (both in the form of Lionel) "save" them, but there is a price to pay. Both are shown that their decisions can and will lead to the death of a person they love. Will that person be Lana in both cases? Stay tuned. LOL

Anyhoo...

The cute:

Jonathan's hair! (LOL!!)
Clark "flying" Lex's son through the X-mas trees
Chloe with long hair
Clark with a Santa hat
Chloe and Clark's speculation that Santa could be real
Every one of Lex's "WTF" reactions in the alternate reality:
- Waking up next to preggo Lana
- His son burping in the back seat
- Martha kissing him on the lips

The sad:

Santa's mirth
Ruthless Lionel
Lana's death scene

The drool worthy:
Clark slightly unshaven and in cashmere

Clark super speeding through Metropolis to deliver gifts, and down the brick wall to catch a falling Santa
Lex's self realization that money and power are the answers to all his problems



Tony, it's not so much the "training" aspect, as it is the paths taken by each character that ultimately lead them to their destinies. How people obtain their goals - or confront their demons - IS a learning process, and Clark and Lex are in the process of doing both. We watch it unfold with each episode. Lexmas was a pretty important episode in that regard, even if the Santa stuff was a bit on the schmaltzy side LOL.

 

[AllThingsComic]

oooohhhh ok thanks. In my opinion, and mind you it's just my opinion(what do I know, I didn't even know what SIT was?), Smallville is part SIT(got it now), part setup for what is to come. I guess you could call it series in training. How else would we know how Clark and Lex went from basically best friends to sworn enemies? To me, every episode can't be action packed or the series would be over in a matter of weeks. We need filler episodes(no matter how droll they are) to build suspense, to make us look forward to the episodes that are action packed. Again, just my opinion, I could be wrong.

 

[Ultimate_Superman]

I understand what your saying Pat but I fail how to see this. Really I would have rephased myself about this season but thats just me. IMO I guess I was just expecting a more in deh season then what we are getting.

 

[avidreader]

I usually have to really sort out Lex episodes because (and I know this is bad) I;m not apt to pay close attention like i normally do. It was very well done and in the end it was more about Lex's reaction to what he saw, not so much the details, that pushed him there. I thought Lillian was a representation of that small part of Lex that was still her son, who still wanted to be good. He effectively killed that part of himself, when the need for control and power took over. It wasn't about Lana at all, and the scene where his father chose to save his legs over his life was telling. At first I thought, well 'why they hell are you so angry, you did the same thing once' but it was about having that decision taken away from him. It was a great ep, and I enjoyed the sidebar of Clark being SuperSanta, and seeing Lana and Clark just simple and happy again

I was gonna have to watch this episode again to work out how I best felt about it, as there was so much happening I just wasnt sure. But I think you've summed my sentiments up well Melly.

 

[mellyM]

I was gonna have to watch this episode again to work out how I best felt about it, as there was so much happening I just wasnt sure. But I think you've summed my sentiments up well Melly.

Great minds think alike I suppose

 

[triplet]

I understand the meaning behind it but I still fail to see how this season can be called SIT

This season isn't just about Clark's superman in training year, it's also about Lex taking a step toward his destiny as Clark's perfect nemesis.

So Lex centric episodes like this are important too...

 

[avidreader]

Great minds think alike I suppose

Right on.

I did just watch it again, and I think I'm gonna have to watch it a few more times yet to absorb it all.



You dont suppose Lex would go so far as to have Jonathan killed to get him out of the election race? Remember that interview of MR's said this was a turning point for the Clark and Lex relationship. I cant think of anything more devastating than to have this happen.

 

[Red]

Exactly, Lex wants to make sure he is never in a situation like that, where he is powerless to do something. Lex always wants the power to do what he wants, thus is part of his conflict with Superman. Here is a man with more power than him, and Lex can't have that. If he can't control that power, he wants to destroy it. Think of the way Lex acted in "Onyx".

^^^ perfectly put.

 

[RakuMon]

Great episode!

To jump off of what Hulk was saying earlier, Lex's decision doens't have anything to do with "saving Lana" (or Lana at all for that matter) but everything to do with power. Lana's dying in his dream only reinforces what Lex already believes: the people he loves will either die (Julian, Lillian, Alterna-Lana) or betray him (Lionel, Helen, Clark). So the only way to prevent that is to no longer care about people but to only care about money and power. He isn't out to get Lionel's or Clark's or Jonathan's acceptance anymore.

Smallville's interpretation of Lex is so spot-on, it's a shame it'll never be expounded on in a feature or anything.

Also, did anyone notice Lex called his son "Muscles?" I nearly fell out of my chair laughing. That's how being a member of the Hype will forever skew Smallville for me!

 

[avidreader]

Also, did anyone notice Lex called his son "Muscles?" I nearly fell out of my chair laughing. That's how being a member of the Hype will forever skew Smallville for me!

ROTFLMAO!


_____________________________________



There was a very interesting choice of words used during the Clark/Santa talk on the roof. It was a poignant conversation (without being in your face like some of the references often are) about who Clark Kent and Superman are and will become.

 

[AgentPat]

Smallville's interpretation of Lex is so spot-on, it's a shame it'll never be expounded on in a feature or anything.

Never. Say. Never!!!

Also, did anyone notice Lex called his son "Muscles?" I nearly fell out of my chair laughing. That's how being a member of the Hype will forever skew Smallville for me!

[raises hand] I did. I totally laughed my arse off, and I couldn't explain it to my husband either. Something like that just *can't* be explained. It's the epitome of the statement, "You had to be there."

 

[Brainiac 8]

*raises hand too* As did I. Made me laugh for a little while.

My wife didn't understand either.

 

[avidreader]

Hey, maybe Muscles really is Tom Welling.

 

[Asr]

Ahhh damn I didn't watch this week cuz I thought it'd be crap! Does Smallville still do re-runs on the weekend?

 

[Brainiac 8]

Ahhh damn I didn't watch this week cuz I thought it'd be crap! Does Smallville still do re-runs on the weekend?

That stinks because it was one of the best episodes the show has done. See that's why you can't assume it'll be stupid, and should watch it anyway.

 

[BaK]

so let's recap everybody..

speeding on a snowy road to get home on time..
breaking news story causing major hyperventilating..
thinking of doing something illegal for the missed piece of the ep..

thanks, serene, you make this forum action packed..



oh, loved the epi too!

 

[GinaRenee]

For example, this season has seen Clark and Lex shot in approximately the same place (left lung area). Their "fathers" (both in the form of Lionel) "save" them, but there is a price to pay. Both are shown that their decisions can and will lead to the death of a person they love. Will that person be Lana in both cases? Stay tuned. LOL

Good observations there, Pat!

The episode had its share of plot holes, but I liked it. I think Lex's statement, "I want it all," says everything. He saw something that made him happy in the dream -- the love of Lana (or, for argument's sake, the love of a woman who may or may not be Lana) -- and he's decided he wants that, but prefers to use his own methods to get there, methods that will not only get him what he wants but make sure he doesn't lose it. And those methods include trampling over anyone who gets in his way. But in using any means to get to that end, he'll end up losing the end itself, and find himself with nothing that matters. Pretty profound stuff, with deep roots in both the Judeo-Christian tradition and classical mythology.

 

[Jay1/2Dub]

Can anyone tell me if in the dream sequence part was Chloe's ever called by her name? I know weird question, but Chloesite and that Chlois theory really get on my nerves, and they keep saying over there that Chloe was never called Chloe in the dream sequence, thus proving the stupid Chlois theory, but my roommate and I swear Lex called her Chloe.

Anyways... thoughts on the episode, I thought it was very good and MR did a great job.

 

[AllThingsComic]

Lex called her name when they saw eachother at the place that sold the Christmas trees, didn't he?

 

[Brainiac 8]

Lex called her name when they saw eachother at the place that sold the Christmas trees, didn't he?

Yes, he said both Clark and Chloe's name.

I hate that theory.

 

[AllThingsComic]

That has truly got to be the dumbest theory going around. All those years of calling her Chloe and then just start calling her Lois. Ridiculous.

 

[Jay1/2Dub]

I hate that theory, but for some reason I just keep going back there usually for news or triplet's review and I somehow get sucked in to the boards and torture myself reading the pro-chlois posters "proof".

Anyways, did you guys like the Santa being real or not? That's the only part of this episode I didn't like, I don't know maybe I'm a cynic??

 

[AllThingsComic]

At first I was like oh give me a break, then I thought to myself, ok i'm saying give me a break to Santa Claus in a show about an alien with super powers.lol It's a matter of sensitivity, I guess?