@@ajl2232 Him and his friend Morgan Edge burned down Lionel's parents house with them in it. Lionel used the insurance money to found LuthorCorp. It was based on the backstory for comics Lex at the time which was that his parents were abusive drunks and Lex cut the brakes on their car with them dying in the crash and Lex getting the insurance. Before the Lionel Luthor version of Lex's dad was created in Smallville Lex's dad had just been a generic "abusive alcoholic dad" character.
@@Xehanort10 That's interesting. I never knew that. It makes me appreciate the writers on Smallville so much more for their development of Lionel's character, and also Lex's of course, because the two characters work off of each other so well.
This show was flawlessly casted, and Rosenbaum and Glover were my two favorite actors. They did such great jobs of portraying Lex and Lionel. I even found their dialogue fascinating. I seriously could have listened to a 40-minute episode of just them in a conversation. I knew that somehow Lex would ultimately became bad, but if you would have told me that at the end the roles of Lex and Lionel would be actually reversed, I would have thought, "Oh man, that's gonna stink. How would they ever pull that off?" But they do - and surprisingly well. Seasons 1-3 Lex was my favorite character, and I despised Lionel. But once Season 5 started, I actually found myself liking Lionel and hating Lex. The switch over doesn't feel rushed or forced - it feels genuine.
I love the symbolism of the reflection of Lionel falling to his death, in Lex's black pupils. Because after Lionel's gone, Lex is completely and irrevocably on the dark side.
Luis R Vera Suárez The son becomes the father and the father the son. The wonderful irony of this scene is that Lionel raised the perfect sociopath and by the time he got what he wanted he no longer desired it, but it was too late for that shit. There can be only one Luthor and this was the moment Lex embraced his place as the true villain of the story (right before he left the series).
But sometimes when you have someone who you are both trying to live up to but also trying with everything in your soul to be a better person than they are and yet also trying to please them it does eventually began to bring out a void in your heart and with each disappointment and every lie they tell you that void grows and you can choose to either fill it with light or darkness and Lex chose the latter.
Darius Sabat__ That's a good idea, but, all due respect to Jesse Eisenberg, I think they should've cast Billy Zane as Luthor. He's the right age, he's bald, and he's just the right amount of intimidating.
It's really sad, because Lionel turned into a father type figure near this point, and another person who knew Clark's secret ended up dying.. love this series.
Some people say here that Lionel should have been kept as an evil character or they should never have become "good". But really its a great character development for both Lionel and Clark. Clark is the chosen one. The Traveler. The one that will raise humanity from darkness and into the light. What better proof of that is there that through his involvement with Lionel he made him into a better man. In the truest form of poetic "tragedy" Lex ends up filling the void of darkness and evil to a much higher degree than Lionel had ever done in his own past.
Thats because lionel never was evil. He was merely a bastard. He did bad things cause he saw no other way to get what he needs. He was ruthless and manipulative in order to fullfill his purpose. Indeed, once his purpose changed, his means remained the same. Lex on the other side is more pure evil. His evilness is disturbing, lionel is a bastard and actually funny to watch. My opinion tho.
Lionel was never evil? He killed people and abused his son pretending it was for the better good. He even poisoned Lex twice and strangled Lex twice and got away with it.
"No one will even remember your name." The way MR said that line was so chilling. It was cold, and his voice was filled with contempt. The acting in this scene was superb in both of their acting.
This line predicts a scene later in Season 10, when Earth-2 Lionel comes to this Earth and someone says that he looks familiar. It had only been a little over 2 years, yet Lionel's name wasn't remembered, and he was only a distant memory.
I don't know if I'm pissed or sad that Lionel died thinking that Clark believed he was evil without any closure. Then again that smile probably meant he was happy dying for Clark. I never would've thought Lionel would become an ally.
+tr011ful i Think he smiled because lex had finally become what he trained him to be. Lionel changed but was still the same man Deep down. When lex killed him he finaly overcame lionel and took the throne.
+tysswe1 Really? Then why all that spiel about redemption? I doubt Lionel really cared about the dark side at this point the way he did in the early seasons. His darker moments in the later seasons were more just him using tried and true methods to accomplish good things.
+Haley Roven Lionel had become heroic by this point. That's why his death is treated as tragic, he died doing the right thing and was unjustly killed by the villain. These are some pretty basic writing themes guys, it's not that hard to understand.
This is a really good message to all parents. For the love of God and those little souls you brought into this world, treat them right. Because if not, the best case scenario is that someone else will have to fix the mess you left behind, but many years down the line and after a lot of grief. Worst case scenario: you'll create a dangerous sociopath in the long run.
Exactly. parents play a huge role in how their children will turn out. Ultraman is an example of this. Instead of becoming a hero, clark becomes a killer and terrorises people in a alternate reality where Lionel Luthor finds him instead of the kents. Instead of becoming superman, a hero. He becomes ultraman, a villain. All because of how he was raised
I like how Lionel is smiling as he's falling to his death. Up until this point, Lionel was the one thwarting Lex's nefarious plans. He smiled before dying because he knows that Clark will now be the one that will have to stop Lex. And Lionel may have been easy to kill but killing Superman won't be so easy for Lex, as he'll one day find out.
Well said, and I also think that Lionel's smile may be out of pride that Lex finally embraced what it means to be a "Luthor" by killing him. Despite his redemption, Lionel was still at his core the same man who murdered his own parents. I think he was aware that his son killing him made things come full circle, and almost like the Soothsayer of this Shakespearean tragedy, he knew of his blood son's destiny to clash with his "chosen" son and was, in a twisted way, proud of both "sons".
As someone else said, Lionel did have this coming. Sure, he switched to the good side and grew as a person, but in the end, he still manipulated and betrayed his son constantly by comparing Lex to Clark... and that's just the tip of the iceberg.
I mean lex is murdered him, there really is no excuse for murder, I mean I guess lionel has killed some people but idk i don't think that's a point fingers situations
4:30 - oh, man. That snap in Lionel's face when he heard those words. Not only did he realized that he was about to die, not only did he realized that he was about to be killed by his own son, but most importantly he realized that Lex is now completely and utterly evil. And not only that but the fact that Lionel himself is responsible for who Lex will eventually become just crushed him. And I think that smile on his face when he was falling to his death... I think he was happy for that outcome (cause he wouldn't be able to kill his own child to save Clark (at least I think he wouldn't) and at the same time accepting his fate with smile.
Some say since Lionel Luthor raised Lex the way that he did that he may have deserved it to some degree. I say that while Lionel's parenting skills were more of a method of control than of love. I do think that his redemption helped make the whole "Clark Kent chosen one bringer of light" more effective for the show and his death added to the darkness of Lex as evil mastermind. I just at first was not sure about them bringing evil Earth2 Lionel into the mix but by the end of the series I think that everything about Smallville was brilliant,beautiful and Super.
4:24 and with one simple line and act of cruelty, Lex Luthor finally completed his descent into total darkness and embraced his destiny as the ultimate evil.
This scene really resonated with me: Lex finding out that Lionel was why he went permanently bald and why their already-strained relationship was never able to recover since then. Lex had been hurt for years that his father was always putting something or someone else before him. It's clear in this scene why while trying to avoid his father's dark, immoral path, he also wanted his love and approval, and Lionel's failure to give it to him was a big part of why he eventually strayed into his dad's old ways. Lex trying to get his father to be straight with him over who the Traveler was, I believe, was him digging into what good he still had in him to give Lionel one last chance to show him the fatherly love he'd been deprived of for so long, to put him first for a change, to give him some reason to redeem himself and be good again. And you can see some of the conflict in Lionel's face. He realizes that he is to blame for Lex following down his path of evil from both what happened in the '89 meteor shower and how he raised his son both before and after. He knew he'd messed up on being a father, and I believe part of him wanted to tell Lex the truth that Clark was the Traveler. And who knows, maybe if he had, maybe everything would've come into context for Lex, and he would've come to understand why Clark kept his secret from him for so long, and worked to redeem himself and patch up their friendship. But alas, Lionel also felt the darkness in his son and knew how jealous Lex was that Clark seemed to be the ace son while he was the disappointment, and likely feared the worst that Lex would take it bad and come after Clark. So he chose to continue keeping Clark's secret. But when he did, in Lex's view, this was just him putting someone else over his own son again. And consequently, it caused Lex to give up on his father and on redeeming himself, and set on getting answers his way by any means necessary, as well as making his father pay by continuing the Luthors' cycle of killing their parents.
This is the culmination of Lex path since the beginning of Season 3, when Lex really began his dark side path, in the two first two seasons he was morally ambiguous, somewhat controlling and manipulative, but after being strained in the Island, that jumped in high gear, Lionel death was planned four years in advance.
@@TheKeyser94 Nah not quite yet. Season 1 and 2 are as you describe, season 3 Lex is a shade darker but still very much in the light. Season 4 is when the light truly started to diminish.
I loved this scene for so many reasons but mostly because I hated how the show made Lionel an anti-hero in a way in order to make Lex look worse than he was which was completely untrue. It would've been just as great if not better if Lionel was still evil but Lex finally surpassed him and did away with him like Lionel did with his own parents
I actually loved the redemption arc and Lionel's dying as a hero and showed the tragedy of Lex Luthor as a villain and how he could've been different. Lionel was able to change, but it was still too late for him. It may not be too late for Lex, but knowing the comics, it is already too late. Both Lionel and Lex were capable of being good people but never found a cause worth fighting for that was more powerful than their fatal flaws: obsession and greed. Obviously it's a moot point since all stories are subjective and everyone see things differently. It was a fantastic show with an incredible run that gave me memories I wouldn't trade for anything.
Well he was still evil, he only cared about himself despite his bullshit, he still even tried to deceive Lex in this scene by saying "What if I told you now, that you are the Traveler". Lionel at his core never changed.
NC QUadraxis I think you have a VASTLY different definition of evil than the rest of us, the way you just described Lionel at best means he was a deceiver, that does not necessarily mean or even hints that he is still evil since sometimes you have to lie for the greater good, hell Clark and the others lie on a regular basis to protect his secret, fact is that Lionel by this point was NOT evil, he truly cared about Clark and protecting the world from the evil that was about to come, IF he was actually evil he would not have given two shits about teh world or Clark and would have just handed the key to Lex at the very beginning and thus stayed alive, or at worse he could have kept and used the key himself to achieve evil goals, he did neither and thus he is obviously not evil.
I think it's the opposite. Lionel changed *only* at his core, while still maintening his luthor traits and manners. He used to deceive, lie, threat and what not for himself, his personal gains. Now he deceive, lie and threat for the greater good. So lionel tried to deceive lex to throw away suspicious about clark and protect him, but what you see is him being evil for that? How the hell does people think.
@O right he deserved years of abuse, manipulation, torture, betrayal, pain and those closest to him all taking turns villainizing and screwing him over. Yep he sure was an "asshole".
I was actually very surprised that this was at the beginning of an episode and not the end. Something this epic, in my opinion, could have concluded a season.
What really sucks is that Lionel died right when he was starting to become a good guy. I did think it was cool how the positions between him and Lex changed in the seasons. At first Lionel was the villain and Lex was the hero and then Lionel began to become good and Lex began to become evil. It was really sad to see Lionel go, but his character had to in order for Lex to assume the role as Clark's adversary.
If you go back and watch from Season 1 to this point, it all led up to this. Lionel was partially redeemed being Jor-Els vessel, but the damage was done at that point. It was just more lying and deflection to Lex, and Lex was beyond saving. It's powerful, and incredible. Glover and Rosenbaum brought it to the screen perfectly. And in that moment I love how Lionel seems to smile on his way down. He knew what it was for.
While I will admit that deep down in a messed up way Lionel did love Lex and that by the end Lionel was sort of trying to change, though he certainly wasn’t one of the good guys, I get annoyed by people saying how Lionel didn’t deserve this and Lex was just pure evil. The fact of the matter is Lionel is one of the biggest reasons for turning Lex into what he became and he emotionally and physically abused him throughout his whole life, pretending it was to make Lex strong when in truth it was too keep him under his control. Also Lionel’s redemption was the result of Clark and kryptonian influence, not because he began to feel guilt and regret on his own, and if the same thing had happened to Lex he would have likely remained good. Just watch the episodes where Lionel drives Lex insane and then uses electroshock therapy on Lex to try and erase his memory, and then tell me Lionel didn’t deserve to be killed. Hell, watch those episodes and tell me Clark, Pete and the Kents are good people and not selfish bastards.
I agree. Lex was constantly telling Clark how much he needed him and that there was something dark inside him that Clark's friendship kept at bay. Once Clark stopped trying to save Lex and moved on to being friends with Lionel (a person who Clark witnessed torture Lex and do everything he could to keep him under his thumb) Lex's turn to bad was sealed.
I agree but an argument could be made that his origin was when he killed small Lex (Alexander, the younger, good side of him) by throwing him into the fire.
I feel so sorry for Lex. The only thing he ever wanted is his dad to love him. He never got that love. Instead the writers decicded to make Lionel a good guy(a bit out of character, if you ask me), and turn him into a father figure to Clark, making Lex feel even worst. And yes, Lionel raised a son he wanted to raise. That was Lionel`s doing.
Actually the correct assertion is that Lionel try to be good guy, but he always let his shady and ruthless side take over, even he did good things you always wondering his ulterior motives. Lionel always had fallen under the ambiguous morality category, but Lex began from that and had fallen into full ruthless territory, become even more darker than his father ever was.
One thing people should notice is that the Evil Lionel from early seasons that we see again in season 10 from Earth 2 since he didn’t change in that timeline said to Clark thinking he was Clark Luthor trying to find the mirror box to escape in the watch tower "I have failed you no real Luthor would have let me live this long" it shows that Lex really did live up to the expectations of the Evil Lionel from the first seasons if he had not change, it shows that Lionel raised his sons from both timelines with the intention of them being more evil then him more ruthless and to take over his place as the baddest by killing him, survival of the finest being a real Luthor, just like he killed his own parents. What is scary here is that Clark Luthor being a more evil and ruthless Clark with all his powers feared Lionel enough not to kill him first but to escape in an another world, why didn't he try to kill Lionel in his own world to rule because just like Lex he was abused emotionally and physically with blue and green kryptonites by Lionel This changed Lionel obviously didn’t want this type of son anymore but it was too late
Lionel and Lex are much diferente but in the finale when Lionel always try to protect Lex for is real evil and well the OST in this scene is from the season finale, one of the best scenes in the show, Love Smallville
Sadly Michael Rosenbaum who played him was burnt out & tired of shaving his head constantly for the character. Still the best live action Lex Luthor to date
I still remember every detail of the night this aired. My oldest brother came over for something and my other brother and myself were seated to watch to show. The oldest came in and just stood there during this entire scene, in fact all three of us were standing close to the end, each one inching closer to the screen the further alone this went. By the end my brother called home and told his wife he had to stay a bit later to help my dad with something while the three of us sat around watching this.
Lionel did always care about lex...in fact he told him (though not enough times at all) that he loved him, but he just didn't know how to show it properly. I guess he thought that he could, in a way, make up for that by being another father figure to Clark.
Show me scene like this in Arrow Flash or Supergirl?Show me villians like these.You can't.Just can't.Stop telling me how Smallville was soap drama for kids.That show was much better than Flash and Supergirl.Smallville is a godfather of dc tv series.
3:22 if only Lionel had been humbled years earlier. The man that Lex has become it's because of him. His abuse, his ruthless need to keep his own secrets, his living chess game with his own son in the place of basic trust and love. And there was always a subtle pause before he called him "son," whereas with Clark there was no such pause. It's like he began to be ashamed of him after he had lost all of his hair and some have theories he grew his hair long to mock Lex. And perhaps it was also a silent vengeance for his belief that Lex had killed his infant brother, a lie Lex concocted to protect his mother - the true killer out of postpartum and knowledge of the kind of parent Lionel proved - from Lionel's wrath. What kind of a father would do that? These are his own sins come back to haunt him. Lex even said it himself in the first season how his father equated business with war and emulated Greek history. That outlook on life was what led Lionel to not only murder his own parents to get the life insurance policy to start his own company, but also to murder the queens in order to gain access to "the traveler". And he imported that ruthless strategy onto his only child, practically beating it into him. It's should not come as a surprise to Lionel that these words would fall on deaf ears. After everything he had done to Lex, there was no chance in hell that any words would have gotten through. Prior to this moment, there was nothing but secrets and lies between father and son. The man that Lex Luthor had grown up with had no such compassion in his bones. The man that he grew up with went so far as to have his own son drugged and committed and put through electroshock therapy to erase the knowledge of his own crimes. Although Lionel had seen the light after his experience with the kryptonian artifact, in spite of a minor dip back into the dark side for a while, without that revelation made privy to his son, there was no chance of convincing Lex to turn away. Even during this season all of the smokescreen that one was thrown in his son's face was trying to protect Clark Kent and his destiny instead of gradually trying to redeem his son by letting him in one step at a time. However, even that step was too dangerous because he knew the kind of child that he had raised. Bluntly, it was too late for such gestures. All Lex could see was just another deception. Lionel simply cried wolf once too often in his less enlightened days and now karma had finally reared its ugly head.
“I was raised in your shadow and now you’re gonna die in mine. No one will even remember your name” One of Lex Luthor’s greatest lines. This moment was so shocking and a massive turning point in the show. It’s funny how Lionel spent so much of his time lying to and hurting the people around him especially Lex and when he to expose Lex everyone turned him away, except Lana because of Brainiac, and it surprised him, that’s where lying gets you. So the last person he went to was Lex to confront him himself and his own son decided to murder him which was the last thing I saw coming but really it was only a matter of time. The shot of Lionel falling in Lex’s eye and then fading away was dark and absolutely brilliant. This was the point where Alexander died and Lex Luthor was born, this is the day and origin of Superman’s greatest enemy.
After rewatching Smallville now, you realize that Clark and Lionel are responsible for Lex. They are the bad guys. Clark unintentionally, but Lionel intentionally. Lex was just a desperate person, craving for love, but everywhere he turned, he found lack of it.
I feel like Lex was put on this path of evil by his father. Even after Lionel tried to change it didnt matter.. Lex was already too far gone. Sometimes i wonder if Clark told Lex his secret in their early days maybe things wouldve been different.
Ah yes that is because the veritas arc was not planned fully : the show implemented some elements already from the first scene with the news of the Queens´s plane crash and some decorative elements where changed after the introduction of the arc (Luther mansion stained glass I talk about you) some elements were not so easy to retcon like the fact that Lionel did not know of Clark before or his meeting with Virgil Swann like they never meet before. It is easy to add some details not shown previously to past events but not to change already shown facts.
That's what he gets for killing his parents and abusing his wife and son all those years. But Lex shouldn't have done this, because revenge is never the answer.
That's an old, tired out cliché. Revenge and violence are the only tools that hammer into others that they've done wrong, otherwise they won't stop. Words are fallen on many people.
@@Mateoski97 Maybe, I get that. Partially it's some reactions of "Lex just turned into a monster". Some of the things he does to Clark and Lana are monstrous, but Lionel abused him and probably killed hundreds of innocent people anyway. Then he just turns in the last year of his life? I know the whole Jor-El thing and Clark being a symbol, but those shouldn't change a psychopath. Because deep down never had good intentions doing all of the things he did. Lionel was not misunderstood. My problem is that Lex is now continuing the cycle.
@BlankeyNinja23 Because the entire series is about the Journey of Clark Kent and how he becomes Superman just as it was about the Journey of Lex Luthor and his descent into evil. WIth this act, Lex's arc had reached its pinnacle. He truly is now on a path to the dark side. Clark's story has yet to be completed...that's the point of watching the show.
Lex: I was raised in your shadow. Now you're gonna die in mine.
Best line.
Surprisingly it would ha e applied perfectly for tyrion lannister
And the i am the villain of the story line is always a classic
My favorite line is this: “Do you know how much power I’d have to give up to become president?”
thats a badass line if i ever heard of one
Lame AF
How poetic is this, Lionel killed his parents and then gets killed by his own child
When did Lionel kill his parents?
@@ajl2232, it was revealed in season 3
@@ajl2232 Him and his friend Morgan Edge burned down Lionel's parents house with them in it. Lionel used the insurance money to found LuthorCorp. It was based on the backstory for comics Lex at the time which was that his parents were abusive drunks and Lex cut the brakes on their car with them dying in the crash and Lex getting the insurance. Before the Lionel Luthor version of Lex's dad was created in Smallville Lex's dad had just been a generic "abusive alcoholic dad" character.
Why in some way this reminds me of Zeke on Attack on Titan? Him betraying his parents.
@@Xehanort10 That's interesting. I never knew that. It makes me appreciate the writers on Smallville so much more for their development of Lionel's character, and also Lex's of course, because the two characters work off of each other so well.
This show was flawlessly casted, and Rosenbaum and Glover were my two favorite actors. They did such great jobs of portraying Lex and Lionel. I even found their dialogue fascinating. I seriously could have listened to a 40-minute episode of just them in a conversation. I knew that somehow Lex would ultimately became bad, but if you would have told me that at the end the roles of Lex and Lionel would be actually reversed, I would have thought, "Oh man, that's gonna stink. How would they ever pull that off?" But they do - and surprisingly well. Seasons 1-3 Lex was my favorite character, and I despised Lionel. But once Season 5 started, I actually found myself liking Lionel and hating Lex. The switch over doesn't feel rushed or forced - it feels genuine.
great comment bro
Lionel never really became good tho
@@SupermanKent Yes he did. His methods may have been questionable, but his intentions were always to protect Clark and the world.
i 100% agree with you on the favs per season
Totally agreed 👍
I love the symbolism of the reflection of Lionel falling to his death, in Lex's black pupils. Because after Lionel's gone, Lex is completely and irrevocably on the dark side.
Yep. This is where Lex completely unconditionally and with his own approval surrendered to his dark side
In the S1 and 2 Lex was trying to be better than his dad, then has lionel became good Lex became darker
Well Lionel and Clark are responsible for lexs villainy
NeonTime That's true
Luis R Vera Suárez The son becomes the father and the father the son. The wonderful irony of this scene is that Lionel raised the perfect sociopath and by the time he got what he wanted he no longer desired it, but it was too late for that shit. There can be only one Luthor and this was the moment Lex embraced his place as the true villain of the story (right before he left the series).
DWAkhaten1995 amen, brilliant story
But sometimes when you have someone who you are both trying to live up to but also trying with everything in your soul to be a better person than they are and yet also trying to please them it does eventually began to bring out a void in your heart and with each disappointment and every lie they tell you that void grows and you can choose to either fill it with light or darkness and Lex chose the latter.
Man the dialogue between Lex and Lionel was amazing. I wish BvS had cast this Luthor.
fuck me too
They should've had Gene Hackman as Lionel to Eisenberg's Lex.
Darius Sabat__ That's a good idea, but, all due respect to Jesse Eisenberg, I think they should've cast Billy Zane as Luthor. He's the right age, he's bald, and he's just the right amount of intimidating.
Saul Castillo-Saenz I don't mind Eisenberg as Lex but they should have given him better dialogue
Faust Alexander omg yess
It's really sad, because Lionel turned into a father type figure near this point, and another person who knew Clark's secret ended up dying.. love this series.
Lex: "I was Raised in your shadow...Now you're gonna die in mine!" Best line Ever. Even from Michael Rosenbaum
As much as Lionel had changed he still had this coming.
Exactly. As I watched this scene I felt sad, but I really couldn't say that Lionel didn't deserve it.
I bet even Lionel himself knew he deserved it. He got the son he wanted but by the time he got it he didn't want Lex to be that type of son anymore.
I disagree, I don't think he ever completely lost that vision of who lex needs to be. Lionel seems satified with his ending.
Lionel turned good though didn't he?
@@velocityrapture7047 Yes
Lionel: What if I told you now that you are the traveler?
Lex:.............
........
Lex: WRONG!
Lol. I read that in Kevin Spacey's voice.
hmahmo Same. lol
Definitely wrong answer
What if he was the traveler?
Senor Puric he wasn’t it was Clark
Lex, if you open that box, if you get hold of that secret, there will be no redemption for you, no redemption. EVER
Jordan Far how those words couldn't have been more true
Lex is still one of my favorite Smallville characters. Michael Rosenbaum's portrayal of him was superb, anti-hero or villain.
RomanceGirl6666 he bought Real life Realism to Lex Luthor
Some people say here that Lionel should have been kept as an evil character or they should never have become "good". But really its a great character development for both Lionel and Clark. Clark is the chosen one. The Traveler. The one that will raise humanity from darkness and into the light. What better proof of that is there that through his involvement with Lionel he made him into a better man. In the truest form of poetic "tragedy" Lex ends up filling the void of darkness and evil to a much higher degree than Lionel had ever done in his own past.
Thats because lionel never was evil. He was merely a bastard. He did bad things cause he saw no other way to get what he needs. He was ruthless and manipulative in order to fullfill his purpose. Indeed, once his purpose changed, his means remained the same. Lex on the other side is more pure evil. His evilness is disturbing, lionel is a bastard and actually funny to watch. My opinion tho.
He was evil he killed people that is what evil means. Lex is evil too just more insane than Lionel.
Vins - sure. A man who kills both of his parents so he gets money to start his own company is surely not evil.
Lionel was never evil? He killed people and abused his son pretending it was for the better good. He even poisoned Lex twice and strangled Lex twice and got away with it.
👍
"No one will even remember your name."
The way MR said that line was so chilling. It was cold, and his voice was filled with contempt. The acting in this scene was superb in both of their acting.
The fact lionel isn't in any superman comics makes the line work even better
Also gives a canon reason for him not existing in the comics.
This line predicts a scene later in Season 10, when Earth-2 Lionel comes to this Earth and someone says that he looks familiar. It had only been a little over 2 years, yet Lionel's name wasn't remembered, and he was only a distant memory.
I don't know if I'm pissed or sad that Lionel died thinking that Clark believed he was evil without any closure. Then again that smile probably meant he was happy dying for Clark. I never would've thought Lionel would become an ally.
+tr011ful i Think he smiled because lex had finally become what he trained him to be. Lionel changed but was still the same man Deep down. When lex killed him he finaly overcame lionel and took the throne.
+tysswe1 Really? Then why all that spiel about redemption? I doubt Lionel really cared about the dark side at this point the way he did in the early seasons. His darker moments in the later seasons were more just him using tried and true methods to accomplish good things.
+Haley Roven Lionel had become heroic by this point. That's why his death is treated as tragic, he died doing the right thing and was unjustly killed by the villain. These are some pretty basic writing themes guys, it's not that hard to understand.
There is certainly redepetion at this point and some part of him always wanted Lex to prove that he is truely a Luthor
Well, Lionel's body eventually becomes the vessel for Jarrel. So Lionel's death actually allows Clark to communicate with his father.
“Think Lex think” this show really was ahead of its time.
It was bound to happen. I've seen it in Lex's eyes since season1. It was only a matter of time.
That, or the outcome of lex was written decades ago.
4:31 the moment Lionel realises what he created...
Unknown his own doing
As he falls he has a slight smile. In a way he's proud that Lex finally took bus rightful place
@@dinkledonker801 not exactly, he led out a slight smile because lex was going to prove Lionel right, Lex was going to have no redemption
@@dinkledonker801 I think he was smiling cause he knew he was going to died to protect clark not cause of lex
This is a really good message to all parents. For the love of God and those little souls you brought into this world, treat them right. Because if not, the best case scenario is that someone else will have to fix the mess you left behind, but many years down the line and after a lot of grief. Worst case scenario: you'll create a dangerous sociopath in the long run.
I’m sure you learned from Shakespeare’s king Lear
Look at the Kingpin's backstory in Spider-man the Animated Series, you saw what he did to his dad when he got older.
Exactly. parents play a huge role in how their children will turn out.
Ultraman is an example of this. Instead of becoming a hero, clark becomes a killer and terrorises people in a alternate reality where Lionel Luthor finds him instead of the kents. Instead of becoming superman, a hero. He becomes ultraman, a villain. All because of how he was raised
Yep so true
I think in his final momemts, a little bit of that old villain came back and said "you finally showed some real balls"
I like how Lionel is smiling as he's falling to his death. Up until this point, Lionel was the one thwarting Lex's nefarious plans. He smiled before dying because he knows that Clark will now be the one that will have to stop Lex. And Lionel may have been easy to kill but killing Superman won't be so easy for Lex, as he'll one day find out.
Well said, and I also think that Lionel's smile may be out of pride that Lex finally embraced what it means to be a "Luthor" by killing him. Despite his redemption, Lionel was still at his core the same man who murdered his own parents. I think he was aware that his son killing him made things come full circle, and almost like the Soothsayer of this Shakespearean tragedy, he knew of his blood son's destiny to clash with his "chosen" son and was, in a twisted way, proud of both "sons".
Wrong
Wrong. Lex created Doomsday in other DC movies/shows to kill Superman lol
@@I-speak-U-shut-itSuperman doesn’t stay dead long. That’s the point.
As someone else said, Lionel did have this coming. Sure, he switched to the good side and grew as a person, but in the end, he still manipulated and betrayed his son constantly by comparing Lex to Clark... and that's just the tip of the iceberg.
Deanmonand GodCastiel Kingdom 339 he loved Clark the way a father should loved his son something he never gave Lex a father’s love
I mean lex is murdered him, there really is no excuse for murder, I mean I guess lionel has killed some people but idk i don't think that's a point fingers situations
True lionel fucked up with lex but I think thats why he later was trying to do good with Clark and change
@Velocity Rapture
Should’ve started with Lex
4:30 - oh, man. That snap in Lionel's face when he heard those words. Not only did he realized that he was about to die, not only did he realized that he was about to be killed by his own son, but most importantly he realized that Lex is now completely and utterly evil. And not only that but the fact that Lionel himself is responsible for who Lex will eventually become just crushed him.
And I think that smile on his face when he was falling to his death... I think he was happy for that outcome (cause he wouldn't be able to kill his own child to save Clark (at least I think he wouldn't) and at the same time accepting his fate with smile.
Did it not already realize that with the scene about Lex recycling his dead brother Julian : it is you that I’ve lost . ?
@@sebastianzietara4018yeaa
Some say since Lionel Luthor raised Lex the way that he did that he may have deserved it to some degree. I say that while Lionel's parenting skills were more of a method of control than of love. I do think that his redemption helped make the whole "Clark Kent chosen one bringer of light" more effective for the show and his death added to the darkness of Lex as evil mastermind. I just at first was not sure about them bringing evil Earth2 Lionel into the mix but by the end of the series I think that everything about Smallville was brilliant,beautiful and Super.
I've seen this scene so many times, and it gets more and more epic each time. One of my favorite episodes in the series.
4:24 and with one simple line and act of cruelty, Lex Luthor finally completed his descent into total darkness and embraced his destiny as the ultimate evil.
This scene really resonated with me: Lex finding out that Lionel was why he went permanently bald and why their already-strained relationship was never able to recover since then. Lex had been hurt for years that his father was always putting something or someone else before him. It's clear in this scene why while trying to avoid his father's dark, immoral path, he also wanted his love and approval, and Lionel's failure to give it to him was a big part of why he eventually strayed into his dad's old ways.
Lex trying to get his father to be straight with him over who the Traveler was, I believe, was him digging into what good he still had in him to give Lionel one last chance to show him the fatherly love he'd been deprived of for so long, to put him first for a change, to give him some reason to redeem himself and be good again.
And you can see some of the conflict in Lionel's face. He realizes that he is to blame for Lex following down his path of evil from both what happened in the '89 meteor shower and how he raised his son both before and after. He knew he'd messed up on being a father, and I believe part of him wanted to tell Lex the truth that Clark was the Traveler. And who knows, maybe if he had, maybe everything would've come into context for Lex, and he would've come to understand why Clark kept his secret from him for so long, and worked to redeem himself and patch up their friendship.
But alas, Lionel also felt the darkness in his son and knew how jealous Lex was that Clark seemed to be the ace son while he was the disappointment, and likely feared the worst that Lex would take it bad and come after Clark. So he chose to continue keeping Clark's secret. But when he did, in Lex's view, this was just him putting someone else over his own son again. And consequently, it caused Lex to give up on his father and on redeeming himself, and set on getting answers his way by any means necessary, as well as making his father pay by continuing the Luthors' cycle of killing their parents.
This is the culmination of Lex path since the beginning of Season 3, when Lex really began his dark side path, in the two first two seasons he was morally ambiguous, somewhat controlling and manipulative, but after being strained in the Island, that jumped in high gear, Lionel death was planned four years in advance.
@@TheKeyser94 Nah not quite yet. Season 1 and 2 are as you describe, season 3 Lex is a shade darker but still very much in the light. Season 4 is when the light truly started to diminish.
Great screenplay. Loved how they had the closeup on Lex's eye taking in the entire moment of Lionel's death without blinking til the very end.
I loved this scene for so many reasons but mostly because I hated how the show made Lionel an anti-hero in a way in order to make Lex look worse than he was which was completely untrue. It would've been just as great if not better if Lionel was still evil but Lex finally surpassed him and did away with him like Lionel did with his own parents
Xavier Fincher I agree. They should have kept Lionel evil because he and Lex were as bad as each other. I preferred Lionel when he was evil anyway.
I actually loved the redemption arc and Lionel's dying as a hero and showed the tragedy of Lex Luthor as a villain and how he could've been different. Lionel was able to change, but it was still too late for him. It may not be too late for Lex, but knowing the comics, it is already too late. Both Lionel and Lex were capable of being good people but never found a cause worth fighting for that was more powerful than their fatal flaws: obsession and greed.
Obviously it's a moot point since all stories are subjective and everyone see things differently. It was a fantastic show with an incredible run that gave me memories I wouldn't trade for anything.
Well he was still evil, he only cared about himself despite his bullshit, he still even tried to deceive Lex in this scene by saying "What if I told you now, that you are the Traveler".
Lionel at his core never changed.
NC QUadraxis I think you have a VASTLY different definition of evil than the rest of us, the way you just described Lionel at best means he was a deceiver, that does not necessarily mean or even hints that he is still evil since sometimes you have to lie for the greater good, hell Clark and the others lie on a regular basis to protect his secret, fact is that Lionel by this point was NOT evil, he truly cared about Clark and protecting the world from the evil that was about to come, IF he was actually evil he would not have given two shits about teh world or Clark and would have just handed the key to Lex at the very beginning and thus stayed alive, or at worse he could have kept and used the key himself to achieve evil goals, he did neither and thus he is obviously not evil.
I think it's the opposite. Lionel changed *only* at his core, while still maintening his luthor traits and manners. He used to deceive, lie, threat and what not for himself, his personal gains. Now he deceive, lie and threat for the greater good. So lionel tried to deceive lex to throw away suspicious about clark and protect him, but what you see is him being evil for that? How the hell does people think.
Lionel pretty much killed himself. He turned lex evil.
The truth there
Yup poor Lionel created his demise in his son Lex!!
Coolvids like I said the truth here
Clark, Lionel and Lana all had a hand in Lex going dark. So technically none of those three are the "good guys"
@O right he deserved years of abuse, manipulation, torture, betrayal, pain and those closest to him all taking turns villainizing and screwing him over. Yep he sure was an "asshole".
I was actually very surprised that this was at the beginning of an episode and not the end. Something this epic, in my opinion, could have concluded a season.
The score at 1:57 was also used in that final scene with Lex and Clark in the series finale.
The luthors were the best part of the show
Lionel Luthor: The main reason why Lex became evil.
Lots of people have shitty parents, not that many turn into super villains. Lex made his own choices.
@@fandomking8939 True, however what I meant was that Lionel was the main reason, NOT the only reason. But you're right, Lex still chose to be evil.
@@fandomking8939 many turn psychos and murderers or worse thats a real life super villain
Lex is responsible for Lex. Many people have crappy lives and never become bad.
2:42 *THINK LEX THINK!*
I'll wait for somebody to reply. It's not too hard to get the reference.
Invincible :)
@@fright_right7270 yes :)
What will you have in 500 years…Nolan talking to lex’s skeleton
What really sucks is that Lionel died right when he was starting to become a good guy. I did think it was cool how the positions between him and Lex changed in the seasons. At first Lionel was the villain and Lex was the hero and then Lionel began to become good and Lex began to become evil. It was really sad to see Lionel go, but his character had to in order for Lex to assume the role as Clark's adversary.
If you go back and watch from Season 1 to this point, it all led up to this. Lionel was partially redeemed being Jor-Els vessel, but the damage was done at that point. It was just more lying and deflection to Lex, and Lex was beyond saving. It's powerful, and incredible. Glover and Rosenbaum brought it to the screen perfectly. And in that moment I love how Lionel seems to smile on his way down. He knew what it was for.
He is the villain of the story!
Lionel had this coming. He was a monster who destroyed his son and this was the inevitable outcome of all those years of abuse.
"What if I told you now, that you were the traveler"..lmao...Lex's reaction was like WTF..hahaha
Its a shame by the time lex became the son he always wanted but at this point he didn’t want that anymore for him
4:10 I love when that theme kicks in.
Same I wish I knew where to find it!
Lex luthor his journey to the dark side is now complete. the title descent a fitting name for this episode don't you think
While I will admit that deep down in a messed up way Lionel did love Lex and that by the end Lionel was sort of trying to change, though he certainly wasn’t one of the good guys, I get annoyed by people saying how Lionel didn’t deserve this and Lex was just pure evil. The fact of the matter is Lionel is one of the biggest reasons for turning Lex into what he became and he emotionally and physically abused him throughout his whole life, pretending it was to make Lex strong when in truth it was too keep him under his control. Also Lionel’s redemption was the result of Clark and kryptonian influence, not because he began to feel guilt and regret on his own, and if the same thing had happened to Lex he would have likely remained good. Just watch the episodes where Lionel drives Lex insane and then uses electroshock therapy on Lex to try and erase his memory, and then tell me Lionel didn’t deserve to be killed. Hell, watch those episodes and tell me Clark, Pete and the Kents are good people and not selfish bastards.
I agree.
Lex was constantly telling Clark how much he needed him and that there was something dark inside him that Clark's friendship kept at bay. Once Clark stopped trying to save Lex and moved on to being friends with Lionel (a person who Clark witnessed torture Lex and do everything he could to keep him under his thumb) Lex's turn to bad was sealed.
Jake Robinson yeah that S3, Ep9 or so when he gets shock therapy. That's when Lex changed to evil and Lionel deserved to die
@@neckutter no one deserves to died by there own children even lionel
and that's how luthor corp becomes lex corp
"Because i was trained never to accept defeat"...best line I've ever heard
You could see Jimmy's camera flashing as Lionel falls to his death
I know I'm replying really late, but that's what I came here looking for😂
I just started this show lmao
Most epic tv villain origin moment ever
I agree but an argument could be made that his origin was when he killed small Lex (Alexander, the younger, good side of him) by throwing him into the fire.
Finally Lex become a LUTHOR.
I feel so sorry for Lex. The only thing he ever wanted is his dad to love him. He never got that love. Instead the writers decicded to make Lionel a good guy(a bit out of character, if you ask me), and turn him into a father figure to Clark, making Lex feel even worst. And yes, Lionel raised a son he wanted to raise. That was Lionel`s doing.
Actually the correct assertion is that Lionel try to be good guy, but he always let his shady and ruthless side take over, even he did good things you always wondering his ulterior motives. Lionel always had fallen under the ambiguous morality category, but Lex began from that and had fallen into full ruthless territory, become even more darker than his father ever was.
Lionel was never a good guy. I mean he had his moments but he still got Dr. Swan’s daughter killed.
No redemption for you Lex...
No redemption...
I was raised in your shadow, now, you are gonna to die in mine.
@@savagedarksider2147I am the league of shadows😊
One thing people should notice is that the Evil Lionel from early seasons that we see again in season 10 from Earth 2 since he didn’t change in that timeline said to Clark thinking he was Clark Luthor trying to find the mirror box to escape in the watch tower "I have failed you no real Luthor would have let me live this long"
it shows that Lex really did live up to the expectations of the Evil Lionel from the first seasons if he had not change, it shows that Lionel raised his sons from both timelines with the intention of them being more evil then him more ruthless and to take over his place as the baddest by killing him, survival of the finest being a real Luthor, just like he killed his own parents. What is scary here is that Clark Luthor being a more evil and ruthless Clark with all his powers feared Lionel enough not to kill him first but to escape in an another world, why didn't he try to kill Lionel in his own world to rule because just like Lex he was abused emotionally and physically with blue and green kryptonites by Lionel
This changed Lionel obviously didn’t want this type of son anymore but it was too late
Sad thing is that this is only a few episodes from the end of the season and Michael chose not to renew his contract.
Lionel was properly think
"he's finally a Luthor"
2:21 that piano...
lex: more lies
4:18 There's already no redemption for him Lionel.
Irony is Lex just avenged his grandparents.
Lionel and Lex are much diferente but in the finale when Lionel always try to protect Lex for is real evil and well the OST in this scene is from the season finale, one of the best scenes in the show, Love Smallville
I just watched this episode. Lex is truly showing who he really is. Lex Luthor is the best villain ever. Monday August 22, 2022
Sadly Michael Rosenbaum who played him was burnt out & tired of shaving his head constantly for the character. Still the best live action Lex Luthor to date
It's insane how the next episode after this heavy hitter was a Jimmy Olsen becoming a james bond parody...
Wow that’s crazy.
Once the Luthors left the show it wasn’t the same anymore I couldn’t even finish the series.
I didn’t either.
My favorite lex moment next to the way tess went out
this show was such a soap opera
Lionel was a monster he even turned his own son into a bigger monster , Lex could have been a good man and an amazing Superman ally.
I still remember every detail of the night this aired. My oldest brother came over for something and my other brother and myself were seated to watch to show. The oldest came in and just stood there during this entire scene, in fact all three of us were standing close to the end, each one inching closer to the screen the further alone this went. By the end my brother called home and told his wife he had to stay a bit later to help my dad with something while the three of us sat around watching this.
clark luthor: " i guess lex did something right in this place"
Lionel is falling in that Christ on the cross pose too...
Lionel falling and reflecting inside Lex's eyes, brilliant idea.
Lionel was the best character. When he and Lex verbally spared, it was some of the best writing the CW has ever produced.
Well most of it was on WB
gnc623 IMO Lana should have left the show at the end of Season 3.
Preach it sister
Charity Rich I'm a man.
Xehanort10 My bad lol preach it brother
No I loved Lana or person plays her .
Lionel did always care about lex...in fact he told him (though not enough times at all) that he loved him, but he just didn't know how to show it properly. I guess he thought that he could, in a way, make up for that by being another father figure to Clark.
Show me scene like this in Arrow Flash or Supergirl?Show me villians like these.You can't.Just can't.Stop telling me how Smallville was soap drama for kids.That show was much better than Flash and Supergirl.Smallville is a godfather of dc tv series.
0:41 lex materialised out of the darkness
This is the real lex Luther came out😮
All I could think when Lex finally pushed Lionel was Mufasa shouting "AAAHHHHH!!!" and Simba shouting "NOOOOO!!!!!".
"J'ai grandi dans ton ombre, tu t'éteindras dans la mienne. Personne ne se souviendra de ton nom."
Jonathan Declercq c'est mortel comme phrase et mythique en même temps
What a powerful ending for Lionel Luthor.
I really love the acting and the lines, the newer DC series can't even compare
There will never be a better Lex Luthor.
By the way, all new Gossip Girl in 4 days.
3:22 if only Lionel had been humbled years earlier. The man that Lex has become it's because of him. His abuse, his ruthless need to keep his own secrets, his living chess game with his own son in the place of basic trust and love. And there was always a subtle pause before he called him "son," whereas with Clark there was no such pause. It's like he began to be ashamed of him after he had lost all of his hair and some have theories he grew his hair long to mock Lex. And perhaps it was also a silent vengeance for his belief that Lex had killed his infant brother, a lie Lex concocted to protect his mother - the true killer out of postpartum and knowledge of the kind of parent Lionel proved - from Lionel's wrath. What kind of a father would do that? These are his own sins come back to haunt him. Lex even said it himself in the first season how his father equated business with war and emulated Greek history. That outlook on life was what led Lionel to not only murder his own parents to get the life insurance policy to start his own company, but also to murder the queens in order to gain access to "the traveler". And he imported that ruthless strategy onto his only child, practically beating it into him. It's should not come as a surprise to Lionel that these words would fall on deaf ears. After everything he had done to Lex, there was no chance in hell that any words would have gotten through. Prior to this moment, there was nothing but secrets and lies between father and son. The man that Lex Luthor had grown up with had no such compassion in his bones. The man that he grew up with went so far as to have his own son drugged and committed and put through electroshock therapy to erase the knowledge of his own crimes. Although Lionel had seen the light after his experience with the kryptonian artifact, in spite of a minor dip back into the dark side for a while, without that revelation made privy to his son, there was no chance of convincing Lex to turn away. Even during this season all of the smokescreen that one was thrown in his son's face was trying to protect Clark Kent and his destiny instead of gradually trying to redeem his son by letting him in one step at a time. However, even that step was too dangerous because he knew the kind of child that he had raised. Bluntly, it was too late for such gestures. All Lex could see was just another deception. Lionel simply cried wolf once too often in his less enlightened days and now karma had finally reared its ugly head.
“I was raised in your shadow and now you’re gonna die in mine. No one will even remember your name”
One of Lex Luthor’s greatest lines.
This moment was so shocking and a massive turning point in the show. It’s funny how Lionel spent so much of his time lying to and hurting the people around him especially Lex and when he to expose Lex everyone turned him away, except Lana because of Brainiac, and it surprised him, that’s where lying gets you. So the last person he went to was Lex to confront him himself and his own son decided to murder him which was the last thing I saw coming but really it was only a matter of time. The shot of Lionel falling in Lex’s eye and then fading away was dark and absolutely brilliant.
This was the point where Alexander died and Lex Luthor was born, this is the day and origin of Superman’s greatest enemy.
The best cold open in television show history
I like your profile pic 😀 That's one of my favorite TV shows, nothing like it.
@@SykesMatewho tv show
Lionel and lex are the best character of this show by far
I have a feeling this box of dark power is a father box!
After rewatching Smallville now, you realize that Clark and Lionel are responsible for Lex. They are the bad guys. Clark unintentionally, but Lionel intentionally. Lex was just a desperate person, craving for love, but everywhere he turned, he found lack of it.
Ya know after the way Lionel treated Lex and how everyone lied to lex (especially clark), you can totally see how he went evil
Yup poor Lionel created his demise in his son Lex!!
Those who watched crixus death know that it took notes from this scene
I feel like Lex was put on this path of evil by his father. Even after Lionel tried to change it didnt matter.. Lex was already too far gone.
Sometimes i wonder if Clark told Lex his secret in their early days maybe things wouldve been different.
Well he couldn't
The birth of the greatest villain if the greatest superhero
Lionel's face when he discovers Lex is about to kill him is chilling
Dude who played Lex Luthor in this series was spot on perfect for the role, they should have used him for the Justice League movie.
His name is Michael Rosenbaum
Music ???
To be honest Lionel was my favorite character because of his ruthless attitude.
see now i dont get how in earlier season lionel was after clarks secret to exploit him
It’s what happens when a show like this goes on for to long things don’t add up.
Ah yes that is because the veritas arc was not planned fully : the show implemented some elements already from the first scene with the news of the Queens´s plane crash and some decorative elements where changed after the introduction of the arc (Luther mansion stained glass I talk about you) some elements were not so easy to retcon like the fact that Lionel did not know of Clark before or his meeting with Virgil Swann like they never meet before.
It is easy to add some details not shown previously to past events but not to change already shown facts.
All this time i thought he was a bad father..it was just a diff style he went with
John Glover pushed my cousin at comic con exactly like that
That's what he gets for killing his parents and abusing his wife and son all those years. But Lex shouldn't have done this, because revenge is never the answer.
That's an old, tired out cliché. Revenge and violence are the only tools that hammer into others that they've done wrong, otherwise they won't stop. Words are fallen on many people.
@@Mateoski97 Maybe, I get that. Partially it's some reactions of "Lex just turned into a monster". Some of the things he does to Clark and Lana are monstrous, but Lionel abused him and probably killed hundreds of innocent people anyway. Then he just turns in the last year of his life? I know the whole Jor-El thing and Clark being a symbol, but those shouldn't change a psychopath. Because deep down never had good intentions doing all of the things he did. Lionel was not misunderstood. My problem is that Lex is now continuing the cycle.
@BlankeyNinja23 Because the entire series is about the Journey of Clark Kent and how he becomes Superman just as it was about the Journey of Lex Luthor and his descent into evil. WIth this act, Lex's arc had reached its pinnacle. He truly is now on a path to the dark side. Clark's story has yet to be completed...that's the point of watching the show.