Smallville (TV Series) Lexmas (2005) User Reviews

Get in Lex's Head in this Terrific Episode

[Rcwilkinson123 · 10/10 · 1 December 2007]

The audience gets to understand why Lex continues to follow down an increasingly darker path this season with "Lexmas," a fabulous holiday-themed episode that will make anybody who sees it contemplative, grateful, and intrigued by Lex's motives and psyche.

Lex is in the Granville, Kansas slums planning to ruin Jonathan Kent's candidacy for Senator when he gets shot. He is taken to the hospital, and his father Lionel is told that he will be paralyzed unless Lex undergoes a tremendously risky procedure to revive the nerves from the chest down. In his coma state during the procedure, Lex has dreams of what his life could be if he makes the right choices. His deceased mother Lillian helps him through the journey. Meanwhile, Clark needs to make a Santa Claus-like run to deliver gifts when he runs into the jolly red fellow himself.

This episode is wonderful because of the holiday theme and exploration of Lex's potential. A great episode, and one to display to anyone with curious interest in the series.

The Best and Worst Day of Lex's Life

[claudio_carvalho · 9/10 · 1 June 2007]

In Christmas Eve, Lex is in a dangerous neighborhood in Granville, Kansas, dealing dirty means to cut Jonathan Kent of the race to the senate. He is shot twice when a couple of junkies steal his car, and he dreams on having a possible middle class lifestyle with a pregnant Lana and their son Alexander. In his near death experience, Lex is a simple man beloved by the people of Smallville and best friend of Jonathan and Clark. Meanwhile, in the real world, he is submitted to a life-threatening surgery ordered by Lionel to avoid he becomes crippled. Chloe asks Clark to deliver many Christmas gifts to poor children, and Clark meets a sad and disappointed Santa Claus near suicide. In the end, Lex concludes that his love is cursed, based on the fate of Julian, Lillian and Lana, and power and money are the most important values in life.

"Lexmas" is another magnificent and certainly the most dramatic episode of this wonderful Fifth Season of "Smallville". The innermost desires of Lex are disclosed in his near death experience, and we see again that Lionel is the real villain and the reason of the evilness and malice of Lex. This complex character is my favorite in this series, and in this episode he oscillates between the best and the worst day of his imaginary life. The meeting of Clark with Santa Claus is corny, but also beautiful. My vote is nine.

Title (Brazil): "Uma Vida Melhor" ("A Better Life")

Just Maybe The Best Holiday Episode Of Any TV Show Ever Made

[zkonedog · 10/10 · 15 December 2021]

Any TV show that runs long enough is probably going to do a holiday-themed episode at one time or another. Rarely, however, do those types of episodes seamlessly integrate the holiday themes with the over-arcing plot of the show and its characters in such a perfect way as Smallville's "Lexmas".

For a very basic overview, Lexmas sees Lex Luthor shot and left for dead in an alley after perpetuating a deal to dig up dirt on Jonathan Kent in their race for the Senate seat. While fighting for his life, Lex is given a vision (from late mother Lillian) of a sort of "alternate reality" in which he is happily married--with children--to Lana Lang, albeit no longer connected to father Lionel's fortune. Lillian tells Lex that this life could be his--provided he makes the right choices going forward.

First and foremost, Lexmas is an all-time classic TV episode because of its "It's A Wonderful Life" & "A Christmas Carol" sort of mashup. Seeing Lex live a "normal life" with Lana (right when the show was just starting to push that angle) is a brilliant choice, as are the multiple ways in which Lex gets everything else he has ever wanted thus far into the series: a true friendship with Clark, being out from his father's shadow, and the respect of men like Jonathan Kent. As such, when the inevitable tragedy befalls Lex & Lana towards vision's end, it is truly heartbreaking to see Lex be unable to do anything to stop it.

Even the "real world" b and c-plots of "Lexmas" are solid and engaging. Clark--spending his first Christmas with Lana--is called away to help Chloe deliver her toys-for-tots. Along the way, he of course saves Santa Claus from near-disaster! Sure, some of the dialogue might be a little cringe-worthy and cloying, but those show staples actually hold up better in fun episodes like this than in the regularly-themed ones.

I watch this episode each December as part of my holiday viewing traditions, and it makes me smile and marvel at it every single year. When Lex gives his final declarative speech about the lessons he learned (or didn't learn) from his holiday vision, I'm always floored by how marvelously crafted the episode's themes truly are. Not only is "Lexmas" a fun pause from more serious Smallville fare, but it expertly advances characters/plots in ways the "normal stuff" never could.

The eternal confusion of Clark, Lex

[resisk · 10/10 · 14 December 2017]

This is one of my pers favorites b/c that look of utter confusion on Lex face the whole time is utterly HILARIOUSNESS. Then there's Clark who while delivering gifts runs into a kid that goes who are you?, from there on I died at the look on Clarks face of uh erm well. I enjoy these lite hearted episodes they bring a smile and give a break fromthe ongoing of Clark, Lana, Lana Lex Clrak, chloe issues.

Excellent version of Dickens's A Christmas Carol

[jennyxj09 · 10/10 · 4 March 2007]

One of the best in Season Five, with Clark in his first Lanaish Christmas trading his very precious time with Lana for helping to deliver the gifts, his talking with the mysterious depressed "Santa"(It is the only part I consider lame because Santa could not possibly die from committing suicide by jumping from an eight story building, could he?!), and Lex's interpretation of his dream, in which he had the happiest and saddest moments of life. This episode just pull people closer to Lex's real desired life and in what ways he is going to get to it, ways that make him become a person he will be. Along with the few other episodes in the previous respective seasons, this screenplay writer did a fascinating job adding bits with much subtlety a Westerner could summon, explaining to his audience who eventually turned a man into a devil, power-hungry and full of hatred.

Ten stars should give this show enough credit.

One of the best Smallville episodes i've seen.

[alicealice-67133 · 10/10 · 20 August 2017]

I was little disappointed with 5th season because first episodes were pretty boring but this episode was amazing! Lex has always been my favorite character in Smallville because he's just so much more interesting than Clark. Idk, i've just always loved the bad guys. Anyways this episode made me love him even more and also i've have always kinda shipped Lana and Lex which also made me love this episode.

SPOILERS - Lexmas and Star wars Episode 2

[robv156 · 15 November 2008]

SPOILERS HERE In Episode 2 of star wars, we see Darth Vader before he becomes Darth Vader. He loves a black-haired beauty and has a son & daughter with her, and she dies in childbirth. He goes to a gray-haired man of considerable influence and learns that if he goes to the Dark Side, he can save his wife from dying. He goes on to become the greatest criminal and murderer in the galaxy, in possession of advanced technology, defeated only by a pure-hearted man who has superhuman powers. In lexmas, we see Superman's arch-enemy before he becomes the world's greatest criminal. He loves a black-haired beauty and has a son & daughter with her, and she dies in childbirth. He goes to a gray-haired man of considerable influence and learns if he pursues money & power first, he can save his wife from dying. He goes on to be the greatest criminal in the world, in possession of advanced technology, defeated only by a pure-hearted man who has superhuman powers. I think the writer watched Episode 2; what do u think?

Lex's unhappy ever after...

[m-47826 · 8/10 · 13 July 2023]

This is the first and probably best, Christmas episode of the Smallville series. After Spike, sorry, Fine was defeated and a couple of questionably good fillers. The season offers its first good episode. Lex is not at his evilest yet, so I can't really see him as a true vilain. Especially when he got shot by two lowlifes who robbed him, there. And I doubt I ever will too, thanks to the nuanced portrayal he was given in this show. But I sure am becoming exhausted by Clark's gullibility and his puppy love with Lana, that is clearly doomed at that point. Rosenbaum and Kreuk always had a special chemistry, and in Lexmas's dreamworld, it is so perfect. You even surprise yourself at being moved by things you know are not real in this « dimension ». Of course, John Glover gives another stunning performance, but it is clearly Lex's actor time to shine in more ways than one. The subplot revolving around Clark's search for Santa, is just as corny and dull as the character himself this season. But his scenes during Lex's coma, saved his presence in the episode, as well as the strong friendship he shares with Chloe now. For making his arc far more relevant, than just being betrayed and whining about it during the coda. I'm starting to like the inclusion of the Daily Planet as well as Jonathan's run for senate. No Lois in this episode though, and I'm not sure why...