Smallville (TV Series) Nemesis (2007) User Reviews

Nemesis

[Colcatron · 9/10 · 13 April 2011]

We've seen so many episodes over the years where Lex is kidnapped and held hostage, but in "Nemesis" we receive a nice change in pace, as the kidnapping only sets the stage for a much more interesting story.

"Nemesis" is told mostly in real time, and is action packed almost start to finish. Although the action side of the episode is focused on Clark and Lex trapped in underground tunnels with explosions about to go off, the real core of the episode is Clark and Lex confronting each other one on one after 2 straight seasons of being at odds. Their interactions both increase the tensions in their feud and give way to some surprising actions on Lex's part.

My only complaint with Nemesis is that the scenes between Clark and Lex trapped together were so good, that every time it cut away to Lionel, Lana or Chloe on the outside, it killed a bit of the excitement. That and the action ends far too early. Don't get me wrong, seeing a darker side of Lana and the first hint at Project Ares was great, it just have fit better in another episode, or tagged onto the end. Minor complaint from an excellent season 6 episode.

Helping Each Other

[claudio_carvalho · 7/10 · 25 May 2008]

While inspecting the tunnels of an underground facility of Luthercorp, Lex meets Lionel and is surprised by Jodi Keenan, the wife of a Special Forces soldier Wes Keenan that wants her husband back. She bombs the tunnel, Lionel is badly wounded and Lex is trapped with her. Lex relates that Wes died in Afghanistan and Jodi does not believe on his word; in revenge, she hides bombs along the labyrinth of tunnels to avoid the rescue team to save Lex. Lionel asks Clark to help Lex, and when Clark arrives, he discovers that the place is covered with Kryptonite. Lex helps Clark and together the former friends help each other seeking a way out of the spot. Meanwhile Lana uses the information of a notebook she stole from Lex to get the blueprint of the tunnel.

In this good episode, the situation of Clark and Lex helping each other recalls the period hen they were best friends. Lex proves that is not totally evil when he helps Clark trapped under the stones in the tunnel. Lana shows that she deserves to be part of the Luthor family with her cynical attitude with Lionel and the information of the notebook. His intriguing insistence that is protecting Clark is a great mystery, one more secret of the Luthor mansion. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): "Uma Vingança" ("A Revenge")

Enemy Mine

[hellraiser7 · 9/10 · 9 February 2021]

Warning do not read unless seen episode.

This is a good episode even though it's not quite on my favorites list, though one of my favorites for this season. The episode is pretty much "Smallville" doing "Daylight" well sort of but it's the same entrapment circumstance like in that film where both Clark and Lex are trapped in a tunnel.

Just to get the elephant out of the room, the only weakness of the episode is whenever the episode cuts away from both Clark and Lex and just goes to the characters outside, those scenes really disrupted the momentum of the episode but also really weren't interesting nor did anything for the story. You can always fast forward or skip over those scenes and just tune into the scenes with both Clark and Lex which are the real draw of the episode anyway.

What's happened to both Clark and Lex is pretty much the last thing any of us want, being trapped in the same room with the person you hate. It's like putting certain opposing predatory animals in the same cage together it's not pretty. But due to their circumstances both have no choice, either they work together to survive or die.

I really like how the episode is a slight character study on both. Which at times gives your insight on different perspectives on how both see each other and makes them question if their view on the other is correct and if they only came to their conclusions about each other just to fit their own narrative. It's actually surprising and strangely touching seeing both of them working together to save one another, it really gives you that feeling of both being friends once more, which in a way makes it all the sadder once they have to resurface.

But also shows how despite being on different ends of the spectrum both have a sense of honor, there were opportunities one could have left the other to die but much offing an unarmed opponent is a highly dishonorable act and brings great shame upon one; which is part of why both won't do it because if their going to go down it will be in the battlefield in honorable combat.

Like some conversations which were also good character moments but also gives everyone a lot to think about. The talk Clark has with Martha, where he questions if he's given up on Lex and why he's might have turned to bad. But Martha says no and she's right; personally, I never felt Clark has even given up on Lex, it was really Lex has given up on Clark and worst of all is coming dangerously close to giving up on his own conscious. In the end both Clark and Lex have a lot to think about, on their own perspectives on good and evil, each other, and what the future holds for them.

Out of the deepest darkness emerges certain truths one has keep hidden from the light.

Rating: 3 and a half stars

The Clark-Lex relationship hits a Climactic Point

[Rcwilkinson123 · 10/10 · 12 October 2007]

This episode rivetingly addresses the world famous Clark Kent-Lex Luthor friendship-turned-rivalry in this thrilling episode.

Jodi Keenan, wife of a special forces soldier from Afghanistan, wants revenge on Lex. Despite news reports that he died in a plane crash during the war, or, according to Lex, died in combat, she insists that her husband Wes is still alive, and Lex is holding him. In vengeance, she sets a time bomb in a secret maze of tunnels that only Lex- and Lana- know about, because Lex is working a secret operation there. Yes, it is another branch of the evil 33.1 franchise. However, in his incredible goodness, Clark goes down there to save his former friend. However, the tunnels are laden with kryptonite, making Clark normal at best. As a result, the two adversaries must rely on each other and help each other if they both want to get out of the sub-civilization maze alive.

This episode is thrilling. It is great to see Clark deal with a life-threatening crisis with his powers. As a result of this loss of abilities, it is intriguing to see rivals have no choice but to help each other. In addition, these circumstances indicate that Lex may yet have a bit of goodness left in him. Also interesting is the fact that Lana knows where the tunnels are, though she doesn't tell anyone until she learns that Clark, not just Lex, was down there. A fabulous episode, the second or third best of the season.

Still conflicted about the Lex character.

[m-47826 · 6/10 · 23 July 2023]

And writers intentions as well. I hesitate between lazy writing or slow buildup. Season 6 seems to be plagued by predictability, nothing is surprising in the show lately. The twists are seen a mile away, and characters actions differ depending on the episode. Freak and Promise were the peak moments of the season. First being about Lex's secret agendas, and the second about his and Lana's relationship starting to unravel. They were very good episodes, with compelling writing, good acting and gorgeous power ballads on the latter. Then came Combat and Progeny... Where another phantom is defeated (by leather clad Clark...) and Chloe's mother return. Only to « leave » her daughter again. Nemesis is more built around characterizations and where the Lex/Lana and Clark's love triangle is at its most prominent, the last time this season. I didn't like it at first, but when Clark and Lex were trapped under the tunnels, it made for very thrilling moments. I also loved Lana's resilience and how this episode reminded us how marked both hers and Chloe's personalities can be. And as usual, Clark's « end talk » with Martha, gave a good perspective on things. And where characters stand. Lex acting like a cartoon vilain at the last minute though, was cringeworthy.

Lana blind folded, aiming a gun in the dark. Story of her life

[joh03096 · 5/10 · 22 December 2012]

With only minutes to live in a collapsing tunnel system that is rigged with explosives Lex and Clark, trapped alone together in the tunnels, have to cooperate to survive. Will they overcome their differences and work together to escape the tunnels? Or will they stop, pointlessly, and get in an argument about Lana. You guess! You're right. They stop pointlessly and argue about Lana, the most important woman in the world. Clark accuses Lex of hiding the tunnels from the rest of the world, Lex takes this to be Clark's way of saying he kept the tunnels secret from Lana. Clark then tells Lex that Lana visited him before she married Lex and said she didn't want to marry him. That's a bold move, Clark. You need Lex's help right now, and tell him his new wife doesn't love him doesn't really seem like the best plan of attack.

Meanwhile Lana, Queen of Lies, is lying to doctors and threatening Lionel's life and breaking into Lex's things. She breaks into the briefcase left in Lex's car and finds an exit to the tunnel, but doesn't pursue it because she is willing to see him die. Poor Lana, misguided and flailing. Perpetually cut out of the loop, she would watch the world burn just for a handful of answers. Toward the end of the episode, when Lex confronts her about telling Clark she didn't want to marry him, she jumps into a pity speech about how she was afraid Lex wouldn't love her if her pregnancy didn't come to term.

Is Lana on Lionel's side, now? Is she staying in this marriage because of what Lionel told her? We never really got to hear what exactly Lionel told Lana. Does anyone know what Lionel told Lana? Why does Lionel insist that Lana be near Lex. What is Lex going to do that Lana will have any power to stop?

Inconsistencies with Clark and Kryptonite

[colaof · 3/10 · 1 June 2016]

It amazes me how so many times Clark's been incapacitated by one little piece of Kryptonite lying a foot away from him, and yet when he's trapped in a mine, surrounded by the stuff, with debris on his back, he is able to just rise up, and keep moving. Not to mention the fact that he also had a piece of shrapnel in his arm. I know he's Superman, but there have been plenty of times when he was uninjured, and one little piece of Krytonite dropped him. So, was he just being a baby then, or what? Considering how he usually passes out from exposure until someone comes in to rescue him he should have never been able to get back to his feet. Of course I always felt that he should be able to crawl away from one little piece of Kryptonite anyway, but whatever. The one saving grace of this episode for me is that it's very similar to an episode from the Superboy TV series called Mine Games, where Superboy and Lex end up trapped in a mine, and have to work together to escape. Still, it's not enough for me to look the other way on such a blatant inconsistency. You can't have Clark be completely incapacitated by one little piece of Kryptonite in every instance up to this point, and then have him get to his feet, and retreat with several pieces scattered around him, and shrapnel in his arm. It just doesn't make sense. The only way I can make it work is to assume that Clark really was just being a baby all those other times, and could have crawled away from the Kryptonite if he had wanted to. I mean, he didn't even appear to be weakened by it all that much when he got up, and he'd been exposed to the Kryptonite on top of an explosion that left a piece of shrapnel lodged in him. Then, later in the episode there's a piece of Kryptonite, across the room from him, and he winces and hesitates. Seriously? That affects him, but the four pieces surrounding him earlier in the same episode don't? Then, when he gets to it, just as close as he's been countless times before, he soldiers through it? Give me a freaking break, and don't say repeated exposure lessened the effects on him. It was just in the previous episode where Chloe crippled him with one little piece of Kryptonite, and he passed out until his mom came home, and found him. Now he can suddenly crawl away from it? It just makes me feel like the writer's have zero respect for the audience, and doubted anyone would notice. The rest of the episode is decent aside from Clark's never ending hypocrisy. I swear if he weren't such a hypocrite the stuff he throws in everybody's faces wouldn't bother me so much. Clark may save people on a daily basis, but that doesn't excuse his behavior. I was glad when Lex left him for dead, but then of course he had to come back. I figured he would, but still. Part of me hoped he wouldn't. In real life I would never advocate for leaving someone for dead, but Clark is always such a self-righteous prick. I wouldn't have blamed Lex if he had made a run for it. My favorite part of the episode, though, would have to be at the end when Clark's talking to his mom, and wonders if he's partly to blame for who Lex has become. Questions if maybe he gave up on him too soon. I've always kind of felt like Clark not trusting Lex, is what made him turn on him. Then his mom says that Clark never gives up on people. I'm sorry Mrs. Kent, but your son is not as virtuous as you think he is. He gave up on Lex, and almost never gives anyone else the benefit of doubt. I rate the episode a 3, but I don't even want to give it that.