Smallville: Onyx

Lex: "Hello, me. Meet the real you."

Of course, everyone has a locking iron mask in their basement, ready for situations like this.

I enjoy any episode that features Lex, but this one was just outrageously good. Michael Rosenbaum blew me away in scene after scene, as we finally got a good hard look at the darkness literally hiding inside of Lex Luthor. Rosenbaum even did a fabulous job in scenes with himself, as well as in that amazing duel of foils and emotions with his father.

Lex Luthor, a hundred percent evil, living out his fantasies. Playing out The Man in the Iron Mask with "good Lex," which was just remarkably cruel since Lex knew what truly frightened himself. Finally making a pass at Lana, as well as an indecent proposal. Slashing Lionel with a foil, and shooting Jonathan. His glee when he realized what Clark really was, and his plans to force Clark to help him rule the world.

"Good Lex" bonded with Lionel over charity work, but "evil Lex" may have brought the real Lionel back to the surface. No more charity work, back to the three piece suits. That's okay, though. I love Lionel no matter where he is on the morality meter.

At least this experience got Lex to come clean with Lana, as reconstituted Lex as much as admitted that he was in love with her. Interesting that she knew it already.

Bits and pieces:

— Black K appears to be formed by superheating green K. And Clark actually called it "K" instead of Kryptonite or meteor rocks, I think for the first time.

— Again, Chloe left several openings for Clark to tell her the truth, as she has in every episode since she discovered his secret.

— Lois was at the military base with her father instead of at the Kents.

— Explosion in the teaser, with much broken glass. Lex, with a K ring, knocked Clark out of the barn, and again later in the wine cellar. Three points.

— It hit me as Lex and Lionel were dueling that, with Lex evil and Lionel good, they had essentially changed places since the start of the series.

Quotes:

Lex: "Lana, you could live like a queen by my side, or get tossed out with the rest of the garbage. Why don't you think about it? I know I will."

Clark: "Chloe, what are you doing?"
Chloe: "Snooping where I don't belong. I'm thinking of making a career out of it."

Clark: "The real Lex would never try to kill me or Chloe."
Lex: "Well, you're probably right. But he's thought about it. All the times you've meddled in his plans, derailed his ambitions. He's thought about killing all of you, he just never had the guts to go through with it."
Of all the revealing things that evil Lex said about his old self, this was probably the creepiest. If it's true. And it has to be true.

Lex: "You were right about me all along, Mr. Kent. I am the villain of the story."

One of my favorite episodes, and another for which Michael Rosenbaum should have won an Emmy. Four out of four stars,

Billie
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Billie Doux had a love-hate relationship with Smallville, which is why some of her reviews are briefer than they should be.

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