Spring TV Preview: The Scoop on 26 Returning Shows

Image credit: Michael Courtney

SMALLVILLE Gina Holden and Tom Welling

SMALLVILLE
RETURNED MARCH 13 · 8 PM · THE CW
EPISODES LEFT: 6

WHERE WE LEFT OFF: The show's been on-and-off all year, and the final March episodes will see Tom Welling's proto-Superman harassed by Lex (Michael Rosenbaum), who remains determined to crack the secrets of Clark's Kryptonian cousin Kara (Laura Vandervoort).

UP NEXT: In April, look for the death of a longtime character. ''It kicks off a big story that puts Lex and Clark at incredible odds,'' says exec producer Al Gough. The season finale could mark Lex's departure, as Rosenbaum's contract is up: ''The cliff-hanger could go either way for Lex,'' says Gough. Meanwhile, the May 1 outing, Smallville's 150th and directed by Welling, brings a ''final showdown'' with James Marsters' Brainiac. —Jeff Jensen