TVSquad

(S07E19) Lex is still pursuing the secret of Veritas. In his journeys, he encounters a cloaked stranger who tries to kill him and later on tries to kill Clark. I think this episode borrowed a page or two from The DaVinci Code. For that matter, I think half the season did.

Lex has been hurt or nearly killed a great deal since the start of this series. It's unlikely his latest chest mutilation will ever heal. It wouldn't surprise me if he left the area of Smallville entirely. Oh, wait...

They've lost Lex Luthor and Lana Lang as regulars, and now it looks like Chloe Sullivan might also be swept from Season 8 of Smallville. TV Guide reports that Allison Mack, the actress who plays Chloe, is in negotiations for her contract.

This could go either way. The show is suffering from the loss of Michael Rosenbaum and Kristen Kreuk as regulars, which is likely why Mack's people are now trying to negotiate her contract. As the article mentions, without Chloe it becomes Lois and Clark: The Early Years.

Holy frik! We've only just started to embrace the return of our shows after a shortened strike season. Now, they are almost over. In the next few weeks all of our network favorites will say good-bye for the summer to be replaced with reality shows, reality game shows, reality soap operas, and Regis on primetime (again).

Needless to say, I'm a bit depressed. As I am sure you are as well. But, we will do our duty and press on. Thusly, we here at the sprawling lakefront offices of TV Squad (you choose the lakefront) have compiled list of when your favorite, and not so favorite, shows will be saying good-bye for their summer vacation. As usual, taking the fickleness of the networks, these times and days can change at a moment's notices. We will try to update you of those changes as quickly as our little fingers can type it out.

So, with a leaden heart, here are your season and series finales.

We knew it was coming. At the end of February 2007, Smallville actor, Michael Rosenbaum, announced his intentions of leaving the show at the end of the 2007-2008 season in order to tackle new projects. For the past year, fans (I include myself here) hoped that the actor would change his mind. How can Smallville be, well, Smallville without Lex Luthor? Things looked grim when the actor reminded us last February that he was done with the show, come the Season 7 finale. And today, fans around the world must come to the realization that Rosenbaum wasn't joking: he really is leaving the show "to start the next chapter of my life and career," he says in a joint statement with The CW.

(S07E17) Most sci-fi or fantasy television series have used a "parallel universe" or "what if" storyline in which we see what life would be like if a different set of circumstances existed in the characters' universe. As of tonight's episode, Smallville is no exception to this rule. In fact, it's kind of surprising the creators haven't done it before now since they seem to rely on television clichés.

Somebody saaaaaavvvveeee meeeee....

(S07E17) In a mild diversion from the main story arc of the season, Jimmy Olsen becomes James Bond. At least he's a James Bond that makes breakfast.

Of all the characters in the show, the ones who have undergone the most growth is Chloe. It makes sense since the character was created specifically for this series (although it was somewhat as a Lois Lane stand-in).

(S07E16) Smallville returns from its hiatus with a death that was extremely predictable (particularly given the spoilers available throughout the Internet). I'm trying not to spoil it for anybody who hasn't watched yet so I'm saving the reveal until after the jump. It's surprising that they didn't even wait for the opening credits for that particular reveal.

At this juncture, I think it's safe to say that the character permanently died. No alternate timelines. No Kryptonite-fueled resurrections. No clones. No imaginary stories. Mind you, in the Smallville universe, it wouldn't surprise me if this or any death was only temporary (such as with Buffy before it).

TV Guide reports what could be Smallville's biggest shocker of the season: creators Al Gough and Miles Millar are departing the show at the end of this season! This is no April Fools joke!

As soon as I read this, I went to one of Smallville's most popular website, KryptonSite, and found the open letter both creators sent to announce their departure. "After much heartache and debate we have decided it is time for us to move on," they say in their letter.

(S07E15) This episode could have easily been the season finale of Smallville. It had characters change, characters vanish and a very sad cliffhanger ending. I wonder if it was the last one written before the writer's strike started?

It opened with a quiet day on the Kent farm. Then Brainiac (played by James Marsters) showed up and things got violent. In a rare instance, Clark showed up on time in the beginning to save the day, rather than the end of the program. On another note, that farm gets trashed a LOT.

(S07E14) Tonight's episode taught us a lot about the Luthor family. They seemed to be more the focus of this episode with Clark and company as supporting characters.

How is it that anyone can sneak up on Clark in a barn like that? I know flight hasn't kicked in, but doesn't he have superhearing and supervision? For that matter, doesn't he have superspeed to dodge the tasers? It's a minor quibble (since it could be argued that proximity of the Kryptonite lessened his powers), but it's a quibble nonetheless.

It looks like Kristen Kreuk will only be back for a couple of episodes of Smallville for season eight. She has apparently said something to that effect on her Facebook profile. Between that and the rumors of Michael Rosenbaum not returning, I think season eight will likely be the final season of the show.

This means the only regulars from the first season who will be there in the eighth are Clark and Chloe. On a positive note, the whine factor of the show will definitely decline. It could also mean that the inevitable Lois/Clark romance could start up.

I do wonder where they can go with the show without Lana and Lex. It's not really Smallville anymore, is it? A more appropriate name would be Metropolis. They might be saving that for the spin-off, about a group of six twenty-something superheroes sharing two apartments across the hall from each other.

(S07E13) With regard to Smallville, and at the risk of sounding slightly racist, the token African-American from the first few seasons is back (which is more P.C. to write than "the token black is back"). Since then, he's become a meteor freak and a walking commercial for Stride gum at the same time.

Let's hear it for the token band One Republic. They must have gotten a good minute of air time. I bet money they're a Warner Brothers label (part of the same empire as the CW and Smallville).

Early pickups are always happy news -- especially if your favorite TV shows are among those getting the renewal. So, today's announcement that Smallville, Supernatural, Gossip Girl, One Tree Hill, America's Next Top Model and the sitcom Everybody Hates Chris are all returning to the CW next season is a reason to smile.

Tyra Banks, star hostess of America's Next Top Model, will be back for cycles 11 and 12. One Tree Hill will be back for a sixth season; and Gossip Girl will start season two. Women, that all important 18-34 demographic, are faithful viewers for these three shows.

The CW decided to hop on the bandwagon and send out a list of when its veteran shows are scheduled to return, and how many episodes each show will have left. The list is after the jump.

The "big" return week will begin on April 21, with the return of Gossip Girl, Reaper and Supernatural. The interesting part of this announcement is that the network was beginning to air new episodes of some of their shows; the eps were shot before the strike and it looked like the network wasn't going to hold them back and air them after the walkout was over. Now, it looks like they are. So, those of you who were starting to get used to the idea of new Smallville and Supernatural episodes, for instance, are going to have to watch some more reruns for a while.

By the way, if you're wondering where the network's longest-running show, Girlfriends, is on this list, the network decided to cancel it.

(S07E12) Finally! They've gotten back to the amnesiac Kara in Detroit. Unfortunately, Lex got to her first.

Along with the amnesia from the confrontation in the Fortress with her father, Kara has also lost her powers. As a result, she couldn't punch out a psycho stalker fellow employee in the diner who kidnapped her.

And Lois, being the ever-stalkery reporter herself, found Lex stalking Kara using her own resources. Oh what a tangled web we weave.