The Long Version
RangerWickett said:
Hey, you said 'Spoilers.' I missed the episode, and I want to know what happened, so spoil me already, dammit.
Oops, sorry.
Okay, the episode starts off with Lex finding Morgan Edge still alive and with recent plastic surgery to change his face. Lex confronts him with the story of Edge and Lionel and the murder of Lionel's parents. Lex wants to take his father down and wants Edge's help. He convinces Edge to go on tape and reveal the whole story. Edge agrees. Cut to the mansion: Lex is watching the tape when his head of security comes in to check on him. Lex puts the camera and the evidence in his secret safe. We now see someone cutting the glass to Lex's office. He breaks in and targets Lex with his gun. Lex sees the red dot (which is really the only part of the ep that I hated, simply because it makes no sense and is completely cliche) and avoids the first shot. He screams for his head of security who busts in, armed and is subsequently killed on the spot (as all good security heads inevitably do).
Lex manages to escape from the office, a chase scene ensues and Lex escapes the mansion by jumping through a window and running from the mansion.
Cut to the title sequence.
We next see Lex hiding out in Clark's loft. Lex tells Clark everything that happens and Clark decides to help. He goes back to the mansion, uses x-ray vision and finds a piece of shattered glass hidden near the hallway to the office. He also asks to speak to the head of security and the guard on duty tells him that he had the last few days off.
Cut to the Kent farm where Lionel is there warning that Lex is in need of help. Ma and Pa Kent urge Clark to help bring Lex in but Clark suspects something is up and believes Lex. He next finds Lex in the barn singing a lullaby to his dead brother while holding a wrapped up blanket that he thinks is the dead baby brother. Creepy. This is the scene where I thought Lex was completely shot. Hook, line, sinker.
Clark and Lex go to the abondoned building where Edge had his surgery done just a day before. The place is now bustling with sweat-shop workers. There is no hint of the events that Lex witnessed. Lex flips, grabs a man who speaks no english and get violent on him. Clark gets Lex out of there.
After speaking with Chloe about her involvement with the recent Luthor goings-on he takes Lex to a stable that he and Lana know. He has Lana bring food for Lex and leave her with him. A bit later, Lex becomes more paranoid and thinks Lana is drugging his tea that she brought for him and becomes violent. He pushes her into a horse stall where she is trampled, nearly to death, by a spooked horse.
We next see Lex yanking some guy out of his truck and driving off.
Cut to the hosipital where we see Lana hooked up to a bunch of machines and not looking at all well (ah, the magic of TV where folks in the hospital look just a little more pale than they do in "real life" - another small gripe of mine).
Big conversations then happen between Lionel and Clark and Clark and Chloe. Lionel blames Chloe and Clark for not helping bring Lex in for help. He blames them for what happened to Lana. Clark feels bad about all of this until Chloe mentions that drugs could easily do this to Lex. Clark realizes that everything Lex ingests at the mansion is brought to him.
He pays a visit to the mansion and confronts the head of security who we saw die in the opening sequence. He muscles the guy into admitting that Lex was being drugged through his scotch. Security guy doesn't know who is behind it. All he has is a cellphone number. Clark tells the guard to demand that these people bring a bunch of money to the stables at noon.
Cut to Luthor HQ. Lex has a shotgun and is waiting for Lionel in his office. He confronts his father about the murder of his grandparents. Lionel tries to convince Lex that it was all Edge's doing and that he would never hurt his parents. Lionel tries to calm Lex down by talking about Lex's baby brother, Julian who Lex evidently killed by accident when he was younger. There are some touching moments where Lionel tells Lex he cannot bear to loose another child. Lex knocks him out cold.
Cut to Clark waiting at the stables for the people on the other end of the cellphone. A sniper shows up, Clark uses super speed to elude him and chokes info out of him.
Cut to Morgan Edge's home. Lex is there and gets to Edge. Edge reveals the plan that Lionel made a deal with him to help drive Lex crazier. He lets Lex know, at gunpoint, about the cover-up at the mansion, the sweat shop and the drugs. He also lets Lex know that Lionel has been like this for years, always scheming. He tries to convince Lex to team up with him to bring down Lionel.
Lex is about to kill Edge when Clark intervines. Lex sees that Clark and Edge have a past when Edge refers to Clark as Kal. Lex thinks Clark is now in on it. Edge has a Kryptonite string of beads that he carries around with him at all time now which he uses to beat the snot out of Clark. Edge is about to finish the job and Lex shoots him. Lex, now crazier than before (if that was even possible) tells Clark that now he must kill him. Clark is still under the effects of the broken Kryponite beads. Lex sees that Edge is not dead and has escaped. He puts off killing Clark to chase after him.
The coolest two scenes of the season are up next. I would say they are the coolest of the series but for the episode last season with Chris Reeves.
Edge has jumped in his car and is fleeing his home. Lex is in the driveway with a gun as Edge is bearing down on him in the car. Lex just stands there pumping bullets through the windsheild as the car gets closer and closer. Edge slumps forward, Lex is just standing there about to turned into road pizza when Clark speeds in, pushes Lex out of the way and in a spectacular, Matrix-esque moment, shoulders the car as it crushes around him. Lex is looking on the entire time as Clark pulls the blasted car out from around himself and tosses it away. The look on Lex's face was priceless: Joy and revelation.
Lex is raving about it when his psychiatrist arrives on the scene in a van with two men. He tries to tell them about the events his just witnessed when the doctor tells him there is no one there (Clark has sped away, we assume). The doc looks very concerned and tells him they can help him. The two men drag Lex away as he is screaming for Clark.
Cut to Lana and Clark at the hospital. Lana then tells Clark that she finally believes him when he always is telling her that he is dangerous to be around and says that she will now keep her distance. We see Clark all somber.
Last, we see the outside of the Belle Reve Sanitarium (Keep Out!). Lionel is waiting inside for Lex's head-shrinker. At that point we find out that she has been helping drug Lex the entire time at the behest of Lionel. They will be able to more easily control his meds here, she says. Also, the treatment will completely erase Lex's short term memory. Lionel seems to have incredible disdain for this place.
The doc asks after seeing Lionels reaction if this is exactly what he wanted. Lionel says, "Never believe for a second, doctor, that
this is what I wanted. I love my son more than life itself. But he leaves me no choice." Cue Johnny Cash's version of Nine Inch Nails' "Hurt." Well done!
Lionel walks over to Lex's padded cell. Lex can't see him and still looks crazed. Lionel appears genuinely hurt at the turn of events. We intercut between Clark watching over a sleeping Lana at the hospital and Lionel outside his son's cell. He puts his hand on the glass for just a moment. Emotional stuff. Great images.
Rating: 3.5 out of 4 stars. With the exception of a few small glitches, this episode can easily be seen as one of the huge turning points for what is to come. Even though I knew the ending it still had impact. That is saying something. Do whatever you can to see this ep for yourself.
4 = Classic. Blew me away from start to finish.
3 = Very good. Entertaining and a worthwhile experience.
2 = Average. Watchable but flawed.
1 = Terrible. Unwatchable dreck.
0 = I wish I had that time back. So bad that I may never watch the show again.
:: edited for grammar & spelling ::
