We already know AM, CF, AA, and I believe BP mentioned JH's return for a S9, Why wait in announcing ED's signage?

Because the rest of them are already signed, simply because of when they signed their last contract. ED currently has the oldest contract of any of them, and it is expiring this year. If they want her back, they have to renegotiate. And they presumably want to figure out what they're paying TW first, so they know how much money they have to work with.

Exactly. It's the same situation they had last year with MR and AM. They didn't even approach AM until they knew what was happening with MR.

And just because they might have the money now doesn't mean Tom will sign. If he's done, he's done. It's Tom choice.

I still don't understand where everyone is getting this from. Contracts are typically drawn up to last 5 years. Erica signed on in S5. So, S5, S6, S7, S8. That's only four years. Plus, there's not even been a mention *anywhere* that her contract is up. Craig even seems pretty sure that ED is already signed on for a S9.

ED came on in s4 - so 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 that's 5 years. Her contract is up.

She did not have a contract in S4.

I thought it came out last year that she was only signed through S8? I recall there being much made about her and Tom being the only ones signed, and we had all the drama with TPTB trying to sign MR And then AM. And so far, if I recall correctly and I may not be at this time of night, I don't think TPTB have mentioned her either way for S9 so far, when they have mentioned the status of about everyone else. Not that I think they won't bring her back, but I'm just getting the impression she's not a done deal, else I think we would know for certain by now.

PolarB - it did. Also I believe Erica herself said she wasn't signed for an s9.

But it's one of those things that we probably won't hear more about until we know if there is or isn't an s9 anyway.

I wish they would sign Alaina Huffman/Dinah for S9. I don't get why they didn't use her more for S8. If Dawn wants a positive female presence on the show, Dinah would qualify, imo. She's SMART. She's tough. She's got superpowers. She looks good in a superheroine costume. She can *ACT*. She and Oliver could add something light, flirty and sexy to the show as a new potential B level couple still in the UST stage. They could even have a little triangle action with Tess.

In fact, Dinah and Oliver would be everything Dawn loves. Young, white, rich pretty people, who like to hook up with other young, white pretty people. Since Ollie is rich, he could take Dinah as his "friend" to fancy places regularly requiring them to dress up, heck the show wouldn't even have to spend the money on showing where they went. Dinah could play hard to get due to Ollie's playboy ways and while they linger in UST, they could regularly show up in tux and ball gown saying they left the opera, the benefit, the governor's ball etc. due to the latest crime fighting crisis until they got it together.

She wouldn't require a new set. She could get a job somewhere that gives her access to what the Mayor is doing about crime problems in the city (like Intergang) to give to the rest of the scooby gang to investigate just like MM could feed them info about what's going on with the police. Dinah could be so good.

Or give her, her old job at the DP, you know use one of those many desks in the bullpen that are used for Extra's.

Alaina would be cheaper to have. She's a DCU character with an iconic name too. She also would make a great new triangle with Oliver. All those points are so true but her price tag would seal the deal and make it sweet. Plus, BC-GA flirtage and her kicking his ass away from the Dark Side might help redeem Ollie somewhat from his complete character destruction (note the somewhat).

I would love sources for both.

Hopefully she's gone, if there is a Season 9. Nois hasn't been needed/involved in regard to the primary storyline arcs this year of Brainiac/Doomsday/Lex. Smallville is better without the forced/contrived writing associated with Botox Betty & her pining eyes of pine- unethical journalism.

Interview with ED here.

I agree. Just replace ED with an equally buxom t&a actress, call her "Cat Grant" and voila, mythos. Cat had a crush on Clark (on LnC), made all sorts of sexual innuendos toward him, and had questionable journalistic ethics - just like Nois.

Unfortunately with half of the current showrunners leaving for Melrose Place. That means a decent amount of money has been freed up, which means they will be able to afford TW's pay increase and if they wanted her they could get ED back for at least another 13 episodes if not more.

I think the freed up money could be used for better special FX (esp. if Clark starts flying) or the music. ED's character is so inconsequential to the storyline nothing would change if she's not re-signed. JMHO.

I agree. The thing is that if it's a choice between the fx and music vs ED I honestly believe that ED will win out in the producers eyes. They have been able to get by with minimal fx for the last few years. The music, in all honesty was never the shows strong suite anyway. What ED brings is a rocking body and a fanbase. Which I believe the producers will deduce as being more important.

I don't think they would complain much if she got into her mythos name of Cat Grant...

The show's about a "Superman", TBH, I'd rather they spend any money on FX and have him do things. It's frustrating seeing 2 such scenes (max) per episode. It's getting too minimalist.

I do too, but I also wanted Clark to come to the realization that he and Lana just weren't compatible and wanted different things in life and therefore amicably part ways but we got Requiem instead.

wrt writing off Nois and bringing in Huffman, like Massena suggested:

Well that's possible. The show has shown now that sans Lois, ratings are actually better and more in their demo and they've also gotten to the point where they KNOW they can write off leads like Lana or Lex and still survive in ratings or write off the pimped T and A (I loved LV and Kara but her short shorts made her that) like KARA.

Nois is both an "iconic name" and T and A but she's also expensive.

Replacing her with canadian day player Cat Grant OR with Alain Huffman (which brings in Girl Power for the 18-34 set of woman plus a romantic triangle with Ollie and Tess for that soapy feel) would be cheaper by far. Besides, they already know that BC is "iconic" and that Siren scored well in the back half of the season.

I just think that's a better deal than more Nois whom is drawing an older, more male demo and not doing as well as SuperLana or DCU guest stars anyway.

I hope they keep Erica. I like her and whats shes done with the character quite a bit myself.

Personally, I've loathed the drunken whore vibe she's brought to Nois and the lack of expressions and ability to act have also killed the character for me. YMMV, but if I have to see the pining eyes of pining one more time...well, can I hope Tess plugs Nois and Dooms crushes the corpse so that ED can't reprise the role ever?

I sincerely would be very surprised if they voluntarily let a regular go at this point in the series. I really think TPTB are banking on a season 9 (Why do I have the urge to apologize anytime Season 9 is mentioned) and that they will hold on to everyone they can so they can keep stalling. Meaning I don't think whatever they have planned to end out this year will be very satisfying.

Considering I was thinking that Clark would fight Dooms and die and this superfight may yet be stalled for 22 more episodes if the magical season nine happens, then I suspect you are correct.

In my opinion the Clark vs. Doomsday fight MUST happen by the end of this season.

I will feel monumentally ripped off if it doesn't. That's what we were promised, even before the season began. That's what season 8 has been building to.

Without that fight the whole momentum of the season is just going to evaporate, like air let out of a balloon. And what the hell is their season ender going to be then?!

If they want to keep Sam Witwer so desperately, which is fine with me, he's great, they need to come up with a different way to bring him back next year.

This is the message I took away from Requiem loud and clear. They are not interested in telling a satisfying coherent story.

ITA. I believe the "season ender should also be a series ender" option will either be lifted before then OR well get a sloppy mess. I know many liked the S5 ending and apparently that was theoretically going to be the final season but they extended in May (if I understand my history right). If this was true, they filmed an "either/or" ending that was really, from a story telling perspective if that HAD been "it", it would have been a mess as far as I could tell:

1) Lex was Zod and Lana was unwittingly with him
2) Clark was trapped in the phantom zone
3) Martha and Lois were crashing in the arctic
4) Chloe was about to be .... molested at best

You can't end the series like that IMO.

Even the S3 ending, Clark whisked off to brainless training, Chloe blown up and Lana in Paris was a better ending than that to me. Lex was left in a "meh" ending but at least poised to take over Luthercorp.

How could they double the season ender as a series ender? Here is my speculation without spoilers:
- Chloe is "dead" (really? because we won't believe it if Clark has not sprinkled dirt on the ground...and we even know that standard is now BS after he sprinkled dust over the not-Lex "not-really-dead" location) at the hands of Doomsday after saving Clark.
- Clark tells Lois he has to get some education up north and leaves Lois with the pining eyes of pine which appear to be stealing herself to never fall for Clark again.
- Clark heads north to get his training at last (and maybe he flys... they might give us that).
- Jimmy, Tess & Ollie are "meh" plots
- Dooms is dead because it 'twas beauty which killed the beast' (i.e. Chloe does it)

So, in S9 (if it happens), it would be logical IMO if:
- Chloe is NOT dead, healing powers are back
- Clark is forced to interrupt his training (within "months" if not "weeks" of the finale) to come back for some crisis -- so he's not Superman, he may be slightly better trained but no suit yet
- Lois is cold to Clark and thus Clark starts pursuing Lois because a previous contrived episode combined with some event in the Season finale has made him believe she's the one.
- The "meh" plots of Jimmy (who barely remembers Chloe's name at this point and is only the L&C sidekick), Tess & Ollie continue. Either Tess goes uber-villain again or we get a new villain for the season.

That's my spec on how they poorly wrap a S8 to go either way.

Me too. If there's a season nine I don't think there's anything to worry about. The PS love ED as Lois and ED has made it clear she's on board for more.

It's the spin-off idea that I'm most curious about. A JH & AM centered show seems almost too obvious. I don't know what kind of success the Cartoon Network's the "Brave and the Bold" is enjoying but if they hadn't butchered Oliver's moral compass so badly I could have gotten behind a live action GA centered show featuring a revolving cast of team ups. I wonder if a Smallville spin off would be covered in JH & AM's current contracts.

TeenTitan - Word. They've been teasing it the whole season. That fight to the death NEEDS to happen this season.



Davis is suppose to look like Zod. They may be able to do something with that.

Cast cuts for S9 - If there are cast changes in S9, Angel Cohn and I agree on who should go:

http://www.televisionwithoutpity.com/telef...-tv-shows-s.php

I respectfully disagree with Angel. They in effect gave the suggestion a try and while Legion was good IMO I'm being generous when I say the remaining three episodes were not any better than the standard fare. If Bulletproof, Power, and Requiem are what Smallville looks like when it's "fixed" I'd much rather it stay broken.

JH's contract is with the CW, so they could do what they want with him. AM's contract is with the production company for the show itself. I suppose the CW might be willing to pick AM's contract up, but I would think it would involve more negotiations.

If they had to try a spin-off, I can see it being JL-based, although I'd wonder if Watchtower would be included. Frankly, considering Dawn's bent for young, teen, and female, I honestly can't see her wanting to do another comic book show, unless for some reason they brought in Alaina and Laura and made it girl-centric but, again, they can do the same thing with this vampire pilot and not have to worry about as many effects or attracting fanboys instead of young (vapid) women, but ymmv.

Also, I don't know how many people would want to watch anything Souders and Peterson (Promise) made. Knowing now that it would deteriorate into hackeneyed plots and dialog, OOC moments, no coherent story, baiting, and anvils, not to mention wacky hijinks that aren't funny and over the top sexuality, I certainly wouldn't watch. Hell, had I known back in 2001 what SV was going to collapse into by about season six and plummet down to by this season, I'd have changed the damn dial, but maybe that's just me.

Honestly? Looking back over what they've contributed to SV over the course of the years, I'd take them over Slavkin and Swimmer. Yes, I was surprised, too.

I agree. Though I have to say, jwm, Angel doesn't advocate swapping ED with KK - thankfully given Power and Requiem. Realistically we'd be talking more about Prey or Abyss - which the show could use more episodes of those caliber, IMO.



Which if all the CW's bragging is to be believed, if we get an s9, I'm guessing Justin is staying right where he is. But at least that is money out of the production team's wallet.



They should do something with it; They don't have to recast, SW gets to play another villain, and they even get to build off of stuff they've already done. Kind of like Tom playing Jor-El. It could be really neat. Now how they get Zod outta that crystal, I don't know, but that is an opportunity they really shouldn't waste.



S5 slowed down after Reckoning quite a bit, which makes sense cause that's when the networks were merging and they knew in S5 that they were being renewed before they hit the end; they played off the storylines they couldn't stop and drew out ones/opened doors in the premiere accordingly.

S3 is more final because that's when the Superboy lawsuit started targeting them; so they shipped off Pete and 'closed' things up. I believe that was also timed with Garth Ancier taking over the WB, and telling them to 'adult' it up in s4.

Things like this make me doubt we will ever invent sucessful time machines. I can't beleive my future self will let me suffer this much watching this crap of a show...

Oh well maybe SV horrible treason to storytelling will encourage some viewers to be better writers and prevent mythos being crapped on like this ever again and a golden age for Superman is just past this dark and insane times. I'm going to pretend that is what happens 10 years after this crap is done if you don't mind.

I don't know. I'd take Commencement over Relic or Promise any day.

And S&S gave us Power. Both groups have had their travesties and their triumphs, but overall, I've still enjoyed more episodes written by S&P than I have S&S.

I've kinda of liked Sounders and Peterson because I was a fan of Lana as a Meteor freak, and they did a lot of the episodes that most support this. Given that the show has decided not to do a damn thing with itself though, I'm not so enthusiastic anymore.

Megabuzz (posted to KSite by Wicked Jenn, posted to DI by cheers). Nothing terribly new here:

Huh, well that's nothing I didn't already know. Ooh, the RBB which was once Jimmy's story.

Taking to all seasons.

Not that I specifically recall Lois supposed to have been having a large story arc this season, but assuming that tidbit was in some article or interview that I missed, does that mean that once again TPTB crowed about Lois's great upcoming storyline only for it not to exist or be fulfilled by Chloe instead?

Or if Lois's big arc did happen (and we just didn't notice), what would it be? The pinning eyes of pinning?

Infamous Promo

So why does Clark tell the world?

Also anyone catch what Davis was saying about Clark?

Oh this looks bad for Chloe. Davis is a psycho. Oh and ANVILS!!!

They might as well have covered it with a flashing sign that says:

'Don't pay any attention to this episode! It's clearly an alternate universe!'

He was sent to earth to kill Clark.


Which leads Clark to cold bloodily kill Linda Lake as the Promo suggest.

I'm already getting a headache. I can tell I'm going to just love this episode. /sarcasm.

The only person I'm interested in is Davis.

I'm only interested in Davis too. However, I'm really upset that we end up with Killing!Clark. It's sad he's less moral now than even in season six.

I wonder who he kills, does he kill Linda or Chloe?