Lionel Luthor Mystery

[SWJaggy]

What is up with Lionel? I still haven't been able to tell if weather he is Jor-el or if he's Lionel only he knows the truth about Clark because he's been posessed by Jor-el or what?

The reason I ask is because he seems to be wanting the Kents to win the election more than his own son and is willing to help them out with all the money problems. Not to mention what he said to Martha Kent about her not wanting Johnathan to win because of her "personal reasons."

I really do like the way the writers have been going with his character as it's confusing as to who exactly Luthor is.

[muffinpeddler]

I think that since Lex is still head of Luthorcorp., the thought of what he'd do with the power of office scares the crap out of Lionel. Or perhaps Johnathan is viewed by the MB as "easier to manipulate."

[Ebert & Roeper]

Actually, I think we are meant to pretend that he never went to jail, never turned good, maybe never even acted as Jor-El's vessel, seeing as they made it look like it was the crystal telling that to Clark in the Previously on Smallville.

Everything fits if you just pretend he is the same old Lionel from Season 3, before he was arrested - and with all the same power. My guess they'll leave everything related to him pretty ambiguous until - this isn't a spoiler, just my prediction - he dies.

[kryptonium]

I predict none of these questions will be resolved

it will all be swept under the rug

[MozartRequiem]

"
I predict none of these questions will be resolved

it will all be swept under the rug"

Nah, they may have done that a few times in season four, but I think they're looking good so far in the continuity department this season.

[ryb]

After watching Fanatic, I'm becoming more convinced that we've got old Lionel back with Jor-El's knowledge of who's who.

This may explain why he knew of Milton Fine and why he might be trying to win over the Kents (i.e., his intentions with the Kents may be more sinister than at first glance). I can't help but remember Clark's ominous words to Chloe regarding Lionel's help in revealing Fine's identity in the episode Solitude: "We may have a bigger problem."

Anyway, I suspect this mystery will unravel throughout the season. I just love the ambiguity regarding his character this season. It's been a real treat watching John Glover's subtlety in action.

[muffinpeddler]

Originally posted by kryptonium
I predict none of these questions will be resolved

it will all be swept under the rug

Just like Level 33.1! Damn tptb!

[vouge09]

I acually think that Lionel Luthor still isnt back and its been Loin-El beacuse the way he is helping the kents and his suspious acts like last night and is suddenly against lex i can only think it is Loin-El

[SuperDub2]

i actually think that Lionel is genuinely concerned the way lex is heading and wants to stop him before his blood lust gets too much! but of course he still uses all his old scheming back alley ways to try to "help" him!

and while i am quite forgiving bout the TPTB amnesia thing i think id like to know how Lionel is so flush with the cash all of a sudden!

[LuthorRequiem2]

"i actually think that Lionel is genuinely concerned the way lex is heading and wants to stop him before his blood lust gets too much! but of course he still uses all his old scheming back alley ways to try to "help" him!

and while i am quite forgiving bout the TPTB amnesia thing i think id like to know how Lionel is so flush with the cash all of a sudden!"

I can see why you think that. Lionel actually DOES seem concerned for Lex at times, but I'm not so sure they'd switch him back to being good again, unless of course, he was kinda good even after Onyx, like some people say, but just using his old ruthless methods for better purposes. Maybe this is where Lionel and Clark will have to fight in the end, like in "Batman Begins" (Batman fights for justice, so does Rahs Al Gul, but Rahs, like Lionel, crosses the line, and Batman remains pure by NOT killing people to get justice).

And about the cash-it doesn't bother me, personally, too much, because I think, "It's Lionel. He got it back somehow, or had it stored up in some secret trust fund, or something. Or maybe he used his ruthless ways to get himself back to the top again." Either that, OR, I have a theory that possibly no one thought of....


In "Onyx", Lex says he'll donate to Lionel's charity project, as long as Lionel "proves he's still worthy" of being his father. Lionel DOES sword fight with Lex, and proves he still has the old Lionel inside him. So, Lex, in theory, COULD have still donated to his charity, almost to mock Lionel, but Lionel then turned it around and closed down the charity and used that money for his own evil purposes, like he always has in the past.

[Shiver]

Lion-el's back to his evil ways, folks. I mean, c'mon. He *murdered the guy Lex hired to dig up evidence.* Last time I checked, murder is definitely a no-no.

I'm not sure why he's opposing Lex's campaign, but I doubt his sudden support of the Kent family stems from anything good. Is this just a complicated plot to mack on Martha Kent? A way of distracting Lex so that Lionel can steal Luthorcorp from under him? A way of getting close to Kal-el? Who knows. Whatever his motives, though, I doubt they're anything but self-serving.

[Drew]

Lionels intentions have been rather questionable. We all saw him going back to being evil in Onyx, but he seems to be acting like a good person to the Kents.
He also seemed rather passive about the krystal and him scratching it into the floor.

Maybe he has a personal mission to get closer to the Kents to find out more about the secret their hiding.

[LuthorRequiem2]

"Lionels intentions have been rather questionable. We all saw him going back to being evil in Onyx, but he seems to be acting like a good person to the Kents.
He also seemed rather passive about the krystal and him scratching it into the floor.

Maybe he has a personal mission to get closer to the Kents to find out more about the secret their hiding."

I thought that too, until I theorized that Lionel probably remembers all the information that was downloaded into him. That's probably why he was passive, because he doesn't care, because he knows already, and he doesn't want to Lex on to anything.

[Stephen Robinson]

Lionel having money is not in fact a plot hole. I imagine that he had a tremendous personal fortune (he was frequently referred to as a billionaire in the early seasons). While a lot of that was probably tied to LuthorCorp stock, I'm sure he had other resources and cash that would amount to multimillions.

The reason he was seemingly broke in "Transference" was that as a convicted murderer, all his personal accounts were probably frozen. The swiss bank account was one that they weren't able to touch (though Lex had raided it).

Once his conviction was overturned, there would be no legal reason to withhold his assets, so he's rich again. As for why he's no longer running LuthorCorp, my guess is that Lex bought up all his stock and the board of directors would probably view having him as CEO the same as having OJ Simpson -- the evidence against him must have been pretty damning and the Teagues pretty much flouted the law by having his conviction thrown out.

[ballofsteel]

I think the answer is simple.

He wants Martha and driving Jonathon away on his campaign trail may work to his advantage, either by driving Johnny to a heart attack or knowing being govener will effect their marrige.

We all know they will come to blows....

[Sweetie]

Originally posted by ballofsteel
I think the answer is simple.

He wants Martha and driving Jonathon away on his campaign trail may work to his advantage, either by driving Johnny to a heart attack or knowing being govener will effect their marrige.

We all know they will come to blows....



I agree.Lionel is in love with Martha and he wants Lex to loose the race because if Johnathan becomes senator,he will be rarely at home.It will be easier for him to become closer to Martha.

[Shiver]

I agree - that seems to be the likeliest possibility.

[UpandAtom]

Originally posted by Stephen Robinson
Lionel having money is not in fact a plot hole. I imagine that he had a tremendous personal fortune (he was frequently referred to as a billionaire in the early seasons). While a lot of that was probably tied to LuthorCorp stock, I'm sure he had other resources and cash that would amount to multimillions.

The reason he was seemingly broke in "Transference" was that as a convicted murderer, all his personal accounts were probably frozen. The swiss bank account was one that they weren't able to touch (though Lex had raided it).

Once his conviction was overturned, there would be no legal reason to withhold his assets, so he's rich again. As for why he's no longer running LuthorCorp, my guess is that Lex bought up all his stock and the board of directors would probably view having him as CEO the same as having OJ Simpson -- the evidence against him must have been pretty damning and the Teagues pretty much flouted the law by having his conviction thrown out.

I think the writers are trying to ignore the majority of Season 4, much like I'm trying to do.