Smallville (TV Series) Onyx (2005) User Reviews

Lex Luthor... meet...Lex Luthor

[jokerzcard · 9/10 · 10 October 2007]

Michael Rosenbaum shines in one of his best performances of the show. When an experiment with black Kryptonite goes haywire, Lex is split in two. One good and one evil. However, the question is which is the REAL Lex?

Rosenbaum cuts loose as the evil Alexander Luthor! A foreshadowing of what Lex's future could hold, Rosenbaum portrays the darkness inside of Lex to perfection and doesn't hold back. The only thing that could have made this episode better was if legendary Lex Luthor, Gene Hackman guest starred.

Plot: 9 Acting: 10 Special Effects: 8

Episode Rating: 9

"Smallville" goes where another series has boldly gone before!

[garrard · 9/10 · 18 December 2007]

Forty years ago, "Star Trek" broadcast the episode "The Enemy Within," a classic story wherein Capt. Kirk, through a transporter malfunction, is split into two persons; one weak and mild, the other evil and calculating. This installment from the 60's series is surely the inspiration for "Onyx," a fourth season "Smallville" entry that has a similar accident happen to Lex Luthor (Michael Rosenbaum).

Rosenbaum has a field day, especially as "evil Lex," getting to spew what is probably one of the best lines, so far, in the show's entire run. As he is holding the Kent family at gunpoint, he gets to proudly say, "I AM THE VILLAIN OF THE STORY," a foreshadowing of the Luther that Superman fans will come to know.

Fortunately, Clark turns things around and the two Luthors become one, but not without pondering what the future holds for all parties concerned.

This is truly a benchmark of the "Smallville" saga and an outstanding demonstration of Rosenbaum's acting skills.

THIS EPISODE MAKES ME WANT TO SCREAM

[beatslikesmovies · 10/10 · 14 June 2018]

That scene where the evil copy of Lex Luthor fences with his dad. How the real Lex Luthor before hand wanted to do something good for his father and just to have the bad Lex Luthor ruin what could potentially be a good relationship between father and son. And how the evil Lex just cut the face of his father. Lionel was so angry and you saw the part of him that he's been wanting to get rid of since he has changed. The performance of both actors were just too good, and seeing Lionel so frustrated, confused and angry made me want to scream. Evil Lex mocked his father the way he treated him in the early days. That scene was just too good. Everything turns out bad for Lex when it comes to the relationships with others.

WHEN LEX CONFRONTS CLARK AFTER HE FIGURES OUT ABOUT HIS POWERS. Lex literally punches the crap out Clark and he remains on top like the badass he was always meant to be. A mortal overpowering a god-like figure. He shoots Clark's father in the knee and tells him that he was right all along and that he is the villian of the story. Wow. Just wow. I'm writing this as I'm watching the episode. My second time rewatching Smallville and wow this episode is literally one of the best.

And how evil Lex screams at himself that he gives his life meaning. For real whoever wrote this good job you tackled this amazingly. You made one of the greatest villians even more great. Damn i love this episode.

The real Lex Luthor.

[Roger_Sterling · 10/10 · 20 March 2007]

After an explosion involving black kryptonite, Lex is split in two: his normal self, and Alexander, his "evil twin" of sorts. Alexander imprisons his normal self, discovers Clark's secret, and blackmails him into joining him to rule the world.

Onyx is by far the best episode of Smallville's fourth season, in my opinion. This was a weak season, but this is one of the best episodes of the entire show. This is not so much the dark side of Lex, but rather a frightening glimpse of who he will become. If you ever needed proof that Michael Rosenbaum is a good actor, this episode will vanquish all doubts. He is by far the best actor in this episode.

10/10.

The Dark Side of Luthor

[claudio_carvalho · 9/10 · 27 June 2006]

While performing an experiment with heated kryptonite at the Luthorcop's facility, the laboratory blows and the dark side of Lex Luthor is separated from him. The mean Lex controls and imprisons the good one in a room, wearing an iron mask like in Alexandre Dumas's novel, and spread evil among Lana Lang, Clark Kent, Chloe Sullivan and Lionel Luthor.

In this episode, the evilness sleeping within Lex Luthor is disclosed, showing how wicked he can be, destroying people, relationships and awaking the worst of Lionel Luthor. Now it seems that the old Lionel is back: his last sentence, "We are the Luthors", is something scary. My vote is nine.

Title (Brazil): "O Vilão" ("The Villain")

The real lex Luthor

[mrhfcb · 10/10 · 13 October 2019]

The lex Luthor that we love because he a real villain that made superman more fantastic the villain he needs he is the not the full lex Luthor but the episode was just fine and perfect

Dark Doppelganger of Lex Luthor

[Rcwilkinson123 · 9/10 · 16 December 2007]

Another accident at LuthorCorp produces another series of traumatic events, all caused by one half-person, in this excellent episode that explores the contrastive sides of the show's most conflicted character.

Lex is using kryptonite for another one of his experiments when the substance that is being created explodes. With black kryptonite as its source, which divides or combines the split personalities of one individual, Lex Luthor's two sides- good and evil, light and dark- split in two. As a result, the completely evil Lex imprisons normal Lex in his (their?) own basement of the mansion as he wrecks havoc on the town and surprises his friends with his behavior. This includes Clark, who threatens the Kent parents in order to discover Clark's secret. Clark must use all willpower and intelligence to bring the two Lexes back together.

This episode was great because it truly illustrated the two internal rivalries of the character and future villain.

Lex vs. Lex

[david-h1700 · 10/10 · 21 January 2012]

In yet another failed experiment with Kryptonite, more commonly known throughout the show as "meteor rock," Lex Luthor is split into halves. The "evil" Lex locks the "good" Lex in the mansion's wine cellar, fearing that killing him would end his own life. In the most prominent amount of foreshadowing the show has managed to display up to this point, "Evil Lex" causes chaos and unease in Smallville, starting by announcing the shut-down of the Talon. Then he drops a large concrete slab on Clark and Chloe. After Clark has returned home, "Evil Lex" shows up wearing a Kryptonite ring. He says the Clark will join him, or he will kill all of Clark's loved ones. When Clark uses a piece of black K, the two Lexes are forced back to one.

This episode has some of the best dialogue and best acting in the entire series. After watching it again, I am reminded of Gene Hackman and Kevin Spacey's Lex Luthor.

My rating is 10