[Ray Charles' "that spirit of Christmas" playing]
J“ Christmas is the time of year j“
j“ for being with the one's we love j“
j“ sharing so much joy and cheer j“
j“ what a wonderful feeling... j“
ho-ho-ho, Lex.
Any reason we couldn't have met at the mansion?
I don't make house calls.
You wanna utilize my skills, you come to me.
That is, if you really wanna bring down Jonathan Kent.
Then I'm assuming you have some kind of grenade to launch at him.
Not yet.
I'll either find it or create it.
It's the pitfall of being in the public eye.
See, what's printed about a man is gospel.
Doesn't matter if it's fact or not.
Give me 24 hours.
Your old man wouldn't hesitate.
Before I go down the path you're proposing,
I wanna consider all of my options.
What's the matter, Lex?
Holiday spirit got you all sentimental?
My father gets wind that we met,
you're not gonna make it to new year's, griff.
J“ it's truly amazing j“
[man and woman chatter and laugh]
J“ that spirit of Christmas... j“
[man] Well, well.
Looks like Santa claus came to town after all.
- I'm not looking for trouble. - Come on, man, I ain't playing!
- Give me your keys! - All right, take it easy.
[Gunshofl
j“ that spirit of Christmas j“
j“ain't it so? J“
j“ it's truly amazing, yeah j“
j“ that spirit of Christmas j“
Lana.
- [Yells] Whoa. - Breakfast!
- Who are you? - Honey, you promised him.
- Come on. - I don't remember. What hap...?
- Come on, dad! - Pancakes.
You promised Alex pancakes.
And then you're gonna go shopping for a tree.
- No, don't. Don't complain to me. - Dad. Let's go.
[Lana] You're the one who always wants to wait until Christmas Eve to get it.
- Lana, you're... - Alex, come on, let's get you dressed.
- [Alex] Okay. - What the...?
[Alex] Me and dad are gonna get the best tree ever.
[Lana] "Dad and I."
[Enchanting pensive music playing]
What happened?
Where am I?
Hello, Lex.
Mom?
But you're...
- Am I dead? - No, Lex.
You're still very much alive.
Then how is...?
I'm dreaming.
It's no dream, Lex. This is your life.
But I don't understand. This...
This can't be... this isn't real.
It is real, Lex.
As real as you want it to be.
All of this can be yours, if you make the right choices.
All of this?
What do you mean?
What are you talking about?
[Thunder rumbles]
[Theme music playing]
J“ somebody save me j“
j“ let your warm hands break right through it j“
j“ somebody save me j“
j“ I don't care how you do it j“
-j“ just stay, stay j“ -j“ stay with me j“
j“ come on, I've been waiting for you j“
j“ to stay with me j“
j“ I made this whole world shine for you j“
j“ stay, stay j“
j“ come on j“
[Jonathan] Ow!
Serves you right. These are for the party.
We have enough politicians with their hands in the cookie jar.
I know you're not sold on the idea of me running for State Senate.
"Not sold" would be an understatement.
But it is Christmas Eve. See?
Can we please not talk about that?
Please? Come on. Please?
- Please? - Okay. Hey... wait... hey, hey, hey.
- Just one. Just one. One. - You cheater.
There. She's perfect.
Yes, she is.
[Tender music playing]
It's usuallyjust me and Nell at Christmas.
Lots of tinsel and an artificial tree.
Thank you, Clark. For saving me from another plastic, store-bought holiday.
You're welcome.
[Cell phone plays "jingle bells"]
[Lana] Tell her merry Christmas for me.
Hi, Chloe.
[Chloe] Clark, I've got a problem. Meet me at the planet.
I need your help.
[EMT] Multiple gunshot wound.
Shoulder, mid-abdomen, no apparent exit wound.
Mr. Luthor, can you hear me?
Mr. Luthor, squeeze my hand if you can hear me.
[Lana] Alexander, hey. Hey, wait for your father.
[Alex] Come on.
[Quirky pensive music playing]
Try and be back by 6 so we can make it to the kents' party.
The kents?
And this year, try and remember that we're on a budget.
What? We have a budget?
It's been seven years since your father cut up your platinum card.
Time to embrace the middle-class lifestyle.
Daddy, daddy. Let's go, let's go.
Seven years?
I just... seven years? I...
Metropolis.
[Lana] Okay, here, you know what? Let me do that, Lex. Come here.
Come on.
You're gonna figure out how to do this
and hopefully it's before your new little girl arrives.
- Alex, in you go. - [Alex] Yeah!
I'm sorry about the whole budget thing.
I know that you only overspend because you want the best for us.
And that's part of why I love you so much.
Have fun.
[Alex burps]
[Giggles]
[Woman] Excuse me, how much is this one?
"Wow" is right.
Lana said... your mom said...
Hey.
You have no idea how happy I am to see you two.
Are you a father again?
No. Not yet.
- I was just... - [Alex] Uncle Clark.
- Uncle Clark, make me fly. - Hey.
Hey, I missed you, little guy. Come on.
[Alex] Whee!
I'm sorry I haven't been around lately. Things have been crazy at the planet.
Yeah, don't let his "things have been crazy" line fool you.
- He's been promoted. - [Clark] Yeah.
- I'm a full-fledged reporter. - [Chloe] I've got some big news too.
- [Lex] Okay. - My book's being published in January.
Wow, that's... that's great.
They loved the LuthorCorp-exposé idea with an anonymous tell-all source.
Thank you. So much.
I couldn't have done it without you, Lex.
All right, miss did-i-mention-my-book's-published,
let's get your tree and go. Bye, Alex.
All right. Bye, Alex. Bye, Lex.
See you, Lex. See you tonight.
- [Lex] Yeah. See you. - [Alex] Dad!
This one's awesome.
[EKG beeping]
What happened?
- What's wrong with my son? - [Nurse] Just a minute.
Where's the doctor?
- Mr. Luthor? I'm Dr. Scanlan. - What's happening, doctor?
Your son's been shot.
Fortunately, his life is no longer in danger.
I'm afraid Lex is going to be permanently paralyzed from the chest down.
Internal bleeding created a blood clot
that's slowly compressing his spinal cord.
- If we could relieve the pressure, we... - If?
No. We are going to do it, doctor. Now.
Mr. Luthor, Lex hasn't stabilized yet. An operation at this stage could kill him.
My son is going to walk, doctor.
[Chloe] So then they put me in charge, and I've gotten a great response.
I have doubled the number of toys for tots the planet collected last year.
So, what's the problem?
Well, the presents need to be delivered tonight, and the teamsters are on strike.
- On Christmas Eve. - So instead of fedex, you called me?
I do realize it's a lot to ask, but, I mean, you do run faster than a speeding bullet.
You don't wanna disappoint those underprivileged children, do you?
Chloe, you didn't have to go there.
You know it's true. I mean, you'd be helping out a really great cause.
Not to mention saving my career.
- It's just, I promised Lana I would... - I'm sure she'll understand.
Or at least she'll understand whatever you make up to tell her. Please?
- All right. - Yay!
- I'll deliver some on my way to the party. - My hero.
I knew you'd come through.
Okay.
Chloe, this isn't toys for tots, it's toys 'r us.
How many are there?
Couple thousand, give or take.
I mapouested these addresses, and the sooner you can get started, the better.
Here comes Santa claus.
[Chloe laughs]
- [Lively holiday music playing] - [Clark whooshing]
You're not Santa claus.
Yes, I am. I'm, uh...
I'm the new, improved model.
Liar. You can't be Santa. He is.
[Pensive music playing]
[Clark] Are you all right?
You're a little close to the edge, aren't you?
Makes it easier to jump.
Yeah, I guess it does, doesn't it.
- Mind if I sit? - It's a free whatever.
You want a drink?
No, thanks. I'm good.
Why don't you have a seat.
You can always jump later.
Yeah, I guess you're right.
After all...
It's not like I've got somewhere to be.
Listen, I don't wanna be nosy, but...
I was just wondering, Santa...
What are you doing up here?
I mean, why are you gonna jump?
Give me one good reason why I shouldn't.
You can't, can you?
You had a good look at the world lately?
It's all take, take, take, bitch, bitch, bitch.
What happened to Christmas?
Peace on earth?
Goodwill to men?
I'll tell you something...
The spirit of Christmas is dead!
And it's gonna take a lot more than Santa claus to revive it.
[Dramatic music playing]
[EKG beeping]
Increase his liquids and, uh, give him 8 milligrams of decadron.
The only thing you'll have to give my son
is whatever is medically necessary to have him moved.
I am having Lex airlifted to the Davis clinic in Metropolis for surgery.
Their neurosurgeon is standing by.
Mr. Luthor, I can't condone this.
Luckily, doctor, you don't have to.
Listen to me.
You are going to walk, son.
[Quirky pensive music playing]
[Alex] Mommy, come see. It's a beauty, isn't it, dad?
- I know what you're thinking. - That you've given in to your son again?
That you're spoiling him?
Exactly.
And I can certainly understand how you reached that conclusion.
The thing is...
This tree is for me.
I don't know if I ever told you this, but...
After my mother died...
My father didn't allow Christmas to be celebrated in our house.
It was a very bleak, very lonely time for me.
Anyway, I saw this tree...
And it was exactly like the ones I dreamed about
all the years I couldn't have one.
Somehow it represented all the christmases I missed.
Can you understand that?
Of course I can, honey.
It's the same thing that you tell me every year.
Let me get something for the floor before needles get everywhere.
Come on, muscles. I have to do this all myself?
Hey, what's this?
Your father's secretary never does forget us.
No, this is a corporate gift. Not something from my father.
I don't understand.
Lex, you know Christmas is just another opportunity for your father to ignore you.
He's reminding you how disappointed he is in you for turning your back
on what he thinks it means to be a Luthor.
But as far as I'm concerned...
Getting shot was the best thing that ever happened to you.
Coming that close to dying made you realize the things that are important.
It made you the man that you are today.
The man I married.
[Nurse] Medevac standing by.
[Pilot on comm] Roger that. Proceed with the patient. Over and out.
[Santa] Now, let me get this straight.
You gave up your first Christmas with the girl you have loved since
you spied on her through your telescope
to deliver these gifts?
Yeah, I mean... well, I wasn't spying on her.
Look, I wasn't the only one. My friend Chloe, she gave up her plans too.
I mean, someone had to do it.
Otherwise, those kids wouldn't have gotten their presents.
And they're the ones who really need them.
So the two of you decided to try and play Santa claus?
Well...
I guess I was wrong.
The spirit of Christmas isn't dead after all.
You sure you're all right?
I am now.
Ho, ho, holy cow!
Merry Christmas.
[Holiday music playing]
We'll begin by collapsing the left lung, followed by a left-sided thoracotomy.
Merry Christmas, everyone. Now kill the Carols.
I'm about to perform a miracle.
The party can begin. The Luthors are here.
- Merry Christmas, Lana. - Merry Christmas, Clark.
- Lex. Merry Christmas. - Hey.
[Lex] Merry Christmas.
[Indistinct chatter]
[Jonathan] Lex.
Just the man I've been waiting for.
- Lana, you look beautiful. - Thank you.
- And just about due. - Only a few more weeks now, senator.
- [Chloe] Hi, Lex. - Hi.
- [Chloe] Merry Christmas. - [Martha] Merry Christmas, Lana.
- [Martha] Lex, honey... - [Chloe] Lana, let's get some punch.
[Jonathan] Hey. Come here.
Look, uh, I probably shouldn't be showing you this, but...
Being a state senator does have its advantages, like, uh,
a little advance notice from the governor.
Lex, I never actually thought I'd say this...
I couldn't be prouder of you if you were my own son.
Jonathan, I don't... I don't know what to say.
Let's tell everybody, shall we? Come on.
Everybody, grab a drink.
Come on, grab a glass. Listen up. Here.
Thank you.
Now, uh, ladies and gentlemen, I have it on very good authority
that this year's Kansas humanitarian award
is going to be given to our very own...
Lex Luthor.
Ladies and gentlemen, I give you Lex Luthor.
- The finest man I know. - [Man] Hear, hear.
- Cheers. - Cheers.
[Guests applaud]
[Lex] I can't remember ever being this happy.
This has been the best day of my life.
Thank you.
It doesn't have to end, Lex.
Every day can be this wonderful.
I told you, this is the life you could have.
The life you can have, Lex.
This is what I want.
- What do I have to do? - Just make the right decision, Lex.
Follow your heart, not your ambition.
What decision? What are you talking about?
[Clark] Lex.
Who are you talking to?
No one.
Or possibly myself.
I really don't know anymore.
I guess I'm just feeling contemplative this evening.
Yeah, well, the holidays will do that to you.
You know, my life hasn't turned out at all the way I'd planned.
And yet I've never been happier.
Lex, you have a wonderful life, and every reason to be happy.
You have a beautiful wife, a great son, a baby on the way.
There's something I still can't quite believe.
Me and Lana. Now, how the hell did that happen?
Well, you became the kind of man she could love.
You mean, the kind of man you've always been?
And, Lex, you offered her something I didn't.
What held you back, Clark?
I mean, I know you love... loved her.
I don't know, I guess I just wasn't ready, Lex.
Maybe I never will be.
But I am glad you and Lana ended up together and we've been able to...
Remain such good friends.
- Thank you. - Lex, come quickly. It's Lana.
- [Doctor] Suction. - [Nurse 1] Suction.
- [Doctor] I need more suction. - [Nurse 1] Yes, doctor.
- [Doctor] Give me some more exposure. - [Nurse 2] Right away.
[Nurse 3] 02 is at 75. He's in v-tach.
[Doctor] We're losing him.
- [Nurse 1] I'll grab a cart. - [Doctor] People, get it together.
[Baby crying]
It's okay. You were great.
Merry Christmas. You're the parents of a beautiful baby girl.
[Enchanting music playing]
She's perfect.
What an amazing Christmas gift, Lana. Thank you.
Well, you did a little bit.
Hi. Hi, little girl.
You're so beautiful.
We did that.
- Lana. Lana, are you okay? Nurse? - [Doctor] I've got hemorrhaging.
- Nurse? - We need to start transfusing.
- What's happening? - Get him out of here.
- What's wrong? - I'm sorry, you have to leave.
[Lex] Lana?
[Doctor] Nurse, let's start an iv push.
Type and cross for three units.
Let's get her into the or. Now!
[Receptionist] Yes. I can take a message for him.
[Woman] Excuse me, where is the nursery, please?
[Receptionist] It's down to the left.
- Mr. Luthor. - How is she?
I'm sorry, but your wife's lost a lot of blood.
- We're trying to control it, but... - There's gotta be something you can do.
[Ominous music playing]
Dad, I need your help.
I don't doubt it. Why else would you be here Christmas Eve?
It's Lana, dad.
They've started transfusions, but we've gotta get her to a specialist.
There's a surgeon in Metropolis, at the Davis clinic.
[Scoffs]
Oh, Lex. What a sorry situation you have gotten yourself into.
I don't think you understand.
My wife is dying. I need the helo-jet to save her.
I understand you perfectly.
You turn your back on me seven years ago, but now you need my help.
You've no problem banging on my door, begging for favors in the name of family.
I'm talking about Lana!
I know we've had our differences, but my wi...
She's the mother of your grandchildren.
How could I have grandchildren? I don't have a son.
You bastard.
You can save her.
No, Lex.
I'm not gonna do that.
Don't you understand every decision you made has brought you to this moment?
Beginning that day seven years ago in the hospital,
when you decided to forfeit the state-Senate Race to Jonathan Kent.
I told you this would happen.
I warned you. But you chose to give up your family.
And when you made that decision, you gave up the money and the power
that would have enabled you to save your wife.
You said you didn't wanna be a Luthor.
That you wanted instead to be free to live happily ever after.
Go on, then, Lex.
You better get back to it.
Lana, please.
Don't give up.
Don't leave me.
You have to be strong, Lex.
For Alexander. For Lily.
Lana.
I love you.
Maybe I tell you that all the time, I don't know, but...
Please listen to me.
I mean it. I love you.
I have always loved you.
I love you too, Lex Luthor.
You're a good man.
And don't ever change.
[Melancholy music playing]
What did you do to her?
Why don't you stop this?
- You were showing me a better life. - I was, Lex. I am.
A life where my wife dies?
- A life full of pain? - No, Lex, a life full of love.
Love?
Everyone I've ever loved has died.
First Julian, and then you.
And now Lana's dead.
And I couldn't do anything to stop it.
- Lex.son. - Lana.
I'm here.
You're in Metropolis, Lex. At the Davis clinic.
You've been shot.
But you're gonna be all right.
[Ominous music playing]
["Dance of the sugar plum fairy" playing]
[Santa] Merry Christmas, Chloe.
Suit gave me away, huh?
What, uh... what... what do you want?
I met a friend of yours, Clark Kent.
He told me what you two were doing,
how you were giving up your respective Christmas eves.
I figured you could use a little help.
Shouldn't you be, you know, standing on a street corner with a bell?
Come on, let me give you two a hand.
Take a little bit of the pressure off.
I am familiar with the job, you know.
I don't know.
Give me a chance.
Worst-case scenario, I make off with a few free squirt guns.
Well, we definitely could use all the help we can get.
At least no one's gonna accuse you of being a scab in a Santa outfit.
All right. I've organized the addresses from east to west, so if you just...
[Ominous music playing]
Lex, you wanted to talk to me.
Whatever it is, son, it can wait till you're stronger.
You're right.
I should probably be resting.
After all, I did just undergo a life-threatening operation.
Dr. Litvack told me the odds of survival I had going into surgery.
Pretty reckless roll of the dice, don't you think?
On the contrary, son, what I did may appear callous,
but opting for my son to have surgery was a deliberate decision.
But it wasn't your decision to make, was it?
You went against the doctor's advice not because you wanted to save me...
But because you couldn't bear having a cripple for a son.
You may hate me for taking the risk, but I had to make a choice.
And you're alive.
And you can walk.
- I had to give you that chance. - And what if I hadn't made it?
How would you have justified your decision then?
How dare you play god with my life.
[Holiday music playing]
Hey, hey. No. Come on. Come on. Outside.
- This dog. - Oh, thank you.
[Chloe] So then I turned back around, and your tubby miscreant was gone,
- along with all the toys. - Yeah, right.
The same guy, the drunk Santa? The guy who I talked off the roof of a building?
Yes. Honestly, Clark, I'm sure that I was tired enough
to have imagined Santa, but there is no way
I could have dreamed away all of those wiffle balls and game boys.
Maybe he really is...
- Yeah, right. - Come on, Clark, there's a chance.
[Martha] Look, everybody, it's snowing.
Wow, we are gonna have a white Christmas.
Oh, my gosh.
- [Chloe] Hey. - [Man] After you.
[Woman] Thank you, dear.
Merry Christmas, Lana.
Merry first Christmas together, Clark.
First of many.
I thought you didn't make house calls.
Given the circumstances, I made an exception.
Oh, not to worry, griff.
We Luthors are made of pretty tough and definitely expensive material.
Sure your morphine drip isn't turned up high?
Well, it's not every day one has a near-death experience.
That's true. Much like ebenezer scrooge, I realize...
That what I want more than anything...
Is to live happily ever after.
And do you know what the secret to living happily ever after is?
Power.
Money and power.
See, once you have those two things, you can secure everything else.
And keep it that way.
So, what am I doing here, Lex?
[Ominous music playing]
I want you to pull the pin on that grenade.
Find it. Fake it.
Do whatever it takes to knock Jonathan Kent out of the race.
I wanna be senator.
I want it all.
Consider it done.
Merry Christmas.
[Ominous music playing]
[Theme music playing]