A Definitive Answer: Lex’s Final Partner in The Tribe
For fans of the cult classic post-apocalyptic series, the question of who Lex ends up with in The Tribe is a central part of his long and complex character arc. To provide a clear and direct answer from the outset: by the end of the show’s fifth and final season, Lex ends up in a stable and committed relationship with Siva. However, this simple answer barely scratches the surface of his tumultuous journey through love, loss, and betrayal. Their partnership is the culmination of years of character development, marking a significant shift from his earlier, more destructive relationships. Understanding how he gets to this point is key to appreciating one of The Tribe’s most compelling storylines.
Lex, portrayed by Caleb Ross, is arguably one of the most dynamic characters in the Mall Rats’ universe. He begins as an antagonist—arrogant, selfish, and driven by a thirst for power and pleasure. Yet, beneath this abrasive exterior lies a flicker of loyalty and a deep-seated vulnerability. His romantic entanglements are not mere side plots; they are the very crucible in which his character is forged and tested. To truly understand why he ends up with Siva, we must first explore the ghosts of his past relationships.
The Tragic First Love: Lex and Zandra
Lex’s first significant relationship in the new world was with Zandra, a romance steeped in tragedy from its very inception. It set a precedent for the pain and difficulty that would define Lex’s love life for years to come.
The Initial Power Dynamic
When the Mall Rats first form, Lex’s interest in Zandra is possessive and territorial. He sees her as a prize, another asset in his quest for dominance within the fledgling group. Zandra, in turn, is initially terrified of him, submitting to his advances more out of fear than affection. This was not a healthy beginning, and it reflected Lex at his most primal and unrefined. He offered her protection in a dangerous world, and she offered him companionship and a status symbol. Yet, what started as a relationship based on a grim power imbalance slowly, and perhaps surprisingly, began to evolve.
Moments of Genuine Connection
Despite the toxic foundation, moments of genuine affection and care started to shine through. The most significant turning point was Zandra’s pregnancy. The prospect of becoming a father seemed to awaken a different side of Lex. We saw him display flashes of profound concern, a desire to protect not just his “property,” but the mother of his unborn child. He would fetch her specific food cravings, defend her fiercely, and even show moments of tenderness that seemed entirely out of character. These instances suggested that, somewhere beneath the bravado, Lex was capable of real love, even if he didn’t know how to express it in a healthy way.
For many viewers, this was the first hint that Lex’s character had depth beyond that of a simple bully. The relationship with Zandra forced him to confront responsibilities and emotions he would have otherwise dismissed.
The Inevitable Tragedy
The defining moment of their relationship was, tragically, its end. Zandra’s accidental death at the hands of the Locos, just after giving birth to their son, Bray Jr., was a devastating blow. Lex’s raw, guttural grief was a powerful and pivotal moment for his character. This loss did two things to him:
- It hardened him further: The universe had shown him that the moment he allowed himself to be vulnerable and to care for someone deeply, that person was violently taken away. This reinforced his cynical worldview.
- It left a permanent scar: Zandra’s death created a void of loss and guilt that Lex would carry with him. It profoundly influenced his subsequent relationships, making him warier of emotional commitment and more prone to self-sabotage.
So, while he did not end up with Zandra, she was his first, formative love. Her memory haunted him and shaped the man he would become, setting the stage for his next great, and profoundly different, romance.
The Spiritual Opposites: Lex and Tai-San
If Zandra represented a tragic, earthy love, Lex’s relationship with Tai-San was its polar opposite. This pairing was a fascinating, and often frustrating, exploration of the idea that opposites attract. It was a battle of ideologies, a constant tug-of-war between the material and the spiritual, and ultimately, a lesson in incompatibility.
An Unlikely and Contentious Pairing
Tai-San was the spiritual heart of the Mall Rats. She was serene, thoughtful, and believed in harmony, balance, and a higher power. Lex, on the other hand, was a pragmatic, cynical atheist who believed only in what he could see, touch, and control. Their attraction was baffling to many of their friends, and even to themselves. For Lex, Tai-San represented a challenge. She was perhaps the one person in the mall who was entirely unimpressed by his posturing and power plays. He was drawn to her quiet strength and influence over the others.
For Tai-San, Lex was a project. She saw the glimmers of good within him, the potential buried under layers of arrogance and pain. She believed she could “tame” him, guiding him toward a more enlightened path. This fundamental dynamic—him wanting to possess her influence, and her wanting to “fix” his soul—doomed them from the start.
Why Did Lex and Tai-San Break Up?
The eventual collapse of their relationship was not a single event but a slow erosion of their bond, caused by irreconcilable differences. The key factors that led to their breakup are a crucial part of understanding who Lex ends up with in The Tribe, because it highlights exactly what he *didn’t* need in a partner.
- Fundamental Incompatibility: At their core, they simply wanted different things from life and from each other. Tai-San needed a partner who shared her spiritual values and sought peace. Lex thrived on conflict, strategy, and worldly power. He grew tired of her “preaching,” and she grew exhausted by his refusal to change.
- Lex’s Inability to Change: While Tai-San’s influence did soften some of Lex’s roughest edges, he could never become the man she wanted him to be. His core nature—his cunning, his selfishness, his pragmatism—was unchangeable. The pressure to conform to her ideals ultimately pushed him away.
- The Ultimate Betrayal: The final nail in the coffin was Lex’s affair with Siva. This wasn’t just a moment of weakness; it was a symptom of his deep-seated dissatisfaction. He sought out someone who didn’t judge him or try to mold him, and he found that in Siva. When Tai-San discovered the affair, it was a betrayal she could not forgive, as it confirmed that Lex was not, and never would be, the partner she had hoped for.
The relationship with Tai-San was a critical learning experience for Lex. It taught him that he couldn’t fundamentally change who he was to please someone else, and that trying to do so would only lead to resentment and betrayal.
The Final Chapter: Lex and Siva, a Partnership Forged in Chaos
This brings us to the final and most enduring of Lex’s relationships. His journey with Siva was messy, beginning with an affair born of frustration, but it evolved into the most stable and arguably most “successful” partnership of his life. To understand who Lex ends up with in The Tribe, one must understand why Siva was the right partner for him when Zandra and Tai-San were not.
A Web of Deceit and Desire
The relationship between Lex and Siva began while Lex was still officially with Tai-San. Siva, pragmatic and headstrong herself, didn’t share Tai-San’s spiritual inclinations. She saw Lex for who he was and was attracted to his strength and cunning, not some idealized version of him. For Lex, Siva was a breath of fresh air. She was an equal who could stand up to him, who understood his desire for power, and who didn’t look at him with disappointment when he failed to live up to a moral ideal. Their initial affair was a betrayal, yes, but it was also a move toward authenticity for Lex.
The Evolution into a True Partnership
After the secret came out and his relationship with Tai-San ended, Lex and Siva’s bond solidified. It was no longer a clandestine affair but an official, if complicated, partnership. What made this relationship different and ultimately lasting was its foundation. It wasn’t built on a need to fix or change the other person. Instead, it was built on mutual acceptance and a shared, pragmatic worldview.
Throughout the later seasons, especially during the immense pressure of the Technos’ invasion and the rise of the Zoot-worshipping cultists, Lex and Siva became a formidable team.
- They strategized together, with Siva’s intelligence often complementing Lex’s brute-force approach.
- They defended each other fiercely, becoming a true power couple within the city.
- Siva was never a passive partner; she challenged Lex, argued with him, and held her own, earning his respect in a way no one else truly had.
Siva: The Partner Who Accepted Lex, Flaws and All
This is the core insight into Lex’s romantic journey. Zandra was a tragic victim of their world, and her death taught Lex about loss. Tai-San was an idealist who tried to change Lex into someone he wasn’t, which taught him about his own limitations. Siva, however, accepted him.
She knew he was arrogant, selfish, and often a pain in the neck. She didn’t try to cure him of these traits; she worked with them. She understood that his less-than-noble qualities were also the very things that made him a survivor and a protector. This acceptance was what Lex had been searching for all along—not forgiveness for his flaws, but an acknowledgment that they were part of who he was. In Siva, he found a partner who was his equal, who could love him not despite his flaws, but perhaps, in some ways, because of them.
A Comparative Look at Lex’s Major Relationships
To better visualize Lex’s journey, a table summarizing his three most significant relationships can highlight their differences and his evolution.
| Partner | Nature of Relationship | Key Challenge | Outcome at Series End | Impact on Lex’s Character |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zandra | Tragic First Love / Possessive | Lex’s immaturity and the harshness of the post-virus world. | Zandra dies, leaving Lex with a son and deep-seated trauma. | Taught him about love and profound loss, hardening his cynical worldview. |
| Tai-San | Opposites Attract / Ideological Conflict | Fundamental incompatibility of their values and personalities. | Breakup after Lex’s affair and his inability to change. | Forced him to confront his own nature and realize he couldn’t be someone he wasn’t. |
| Siva | Partnership of Equals / Pragmatic Love | Overcoming the betrayal of their affair’s origin and facing external threats together. | They are a stable, committed couple facing the future together. | Provided him with acceptance, respect, and a partner who complemented his strengths and weaknesses. |
Conclusion: A Partnership Forged in Chaos
So, who does Lex end up with in The Tribe? He ends up with Siva, the one person who saw him clearly from the beginning and chose to stand by his side. Their relationship is not a storybook romance; it is a gritty, realistic partnership born from the ashes of a fallen world. It is a testament to the idea that love isn’t always about finding a perfect person or changing someone to fit an ideal. Sometimes, it’s about finding the person whose jagged edges fit with your own.
By the time the credits roll on the final episode, Lex is still Lex—cocky, a little bit selfish, and always ready for a fight. But he is also a partner and a leader who has found a measure of stability and happiness. The ambiguous series cliffhanger leaves their ultimate fate unknown, but it shows them facing that uncertain future as a united front. For a character who started his journey so utterly alone and self-serving, ending up in a partnership of equals with Siva represents a profound and satisfying conclusion to his arc.