Smallville 5.9: "Lexmas"

Written by Holly Harold
Directed by Rick Rosenthal

In which Lex is shot while setting up a campaign smear against Jonathan and is shown a glimpse of a future that could be, if he makes the right choice, but no future is without tragedy…


I actually forgot that this episode was on this past week, so with the holiday shopping and snowstorms to contend with, it took a little time for me to catch up. In the meantime, I’ve noticed a rather negative response to this episode within the fandom. In fact, one could call it loathing. Perhaps it’s a question of anticipation, but I don’t necessarily agree. I think the main plot of the episode was quite good and entertaining.

Recently, “Dead Zone” aired a Christmas episode, which met a more divided opinion. While that episode had its share of sugary holiday goodness, it was also effectively outside of normal continuity. What could have been an annoying departure became instead a flight of fancy. One didn’t have to worry over character arcs or motivations. That left the audience to enjoy the episode on its own terms, divorced of the usual “mythology”.

This is where the writers of “Smallville” trip themselves up. The central premise is a lot of fun, and while it includes a great deal of Christmas-related themes, it also works as a simple character piece. Knowing that Lex is destined for a future of immorality and power-mongering leaves the entire tale with an ongoing sense of tragedy. Clearly, something must go wrong, and Lex must make the choice in line with his future. Seeing that play out may be annoying for some, but since I love the character and the exploration of his psychology, I found it quite good.

It makes perfect sense for Lex’s plot thread to interconnect with the season arc and the larger concerns of the series mythology. Had the episode been nothing but Lex’s moral dilemma, then it would have probably worked as a departure from the norm. But the writers couldn’t focus exclusively on the “A” plot, and as a result, we have a subplot that tosses the series’ logic to the winds in some vague attempt at Christmas relevance.

It’s never a good thing when writers try to suggest that, “Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus in the (insert series here) universe”. At least, I’ve never seen it work well. It comes across as needlessly cloying and sentimental. More than that, but there’s usually a certain set of rules at work, and having Santa Claus in the mix typically doesn’t fit within those rules. This is a perfect example of that problem.

I was slightly annoyed when the writers were trying to turn Clark into some pseudo-Santa. Sure, it made sense to a certain extent, but it was also rather cheesy. It all went downhill from there. Of course Clark must meet someone with suicidal tendencies and play the angel, and then of course it must turn out to be the worst of clichés: the stranger in need who is, in fact, the real Santa. (Never mind how often Chloe and Clark openly discuss his true nature, within earshot of several strangers!)

So on the one hand, I could have easily bought the “A” plot with Lex as within continuity. Lex has always been interested in Lana, even if that interest has sometimes been jealousy more than pure emotion, and his father would use tragedy to teach Lex a lesson about power. Lex would also choose to defeat Jonathan the easy way, rather than risk an increase in power. It all flows well with the season and character.

But the “B” plot is a horrible mishmash of Christmas clichés that don’t even work on sitcoms anymore. It betrays a lack of confidence. Why not go against the grain and keep the tale dark, avoid the easy sentimentality? I would rather have seen more substantial glimpses of the future than one single hint that Clark had run into some other “mythological hero”.

Writing: 1/2
Acting: 2/2
Direction: 2/2
Style: 1/4

Final Rating: 6/10