Seems that a situation is developing over at Smallville that I'd started to suspect for a while, since this current season didn't seem to be building toward any gigantic finale: it looks like there's going to indeed be a Season 9.  The story's coming from various sources all over the web, but I first caught it at SyfyPortal, which got its stuff from Michael Ausiello of EW.  According to Ausiello, responding to a question about the possibility, "Yes, there's news, and it's good. Some would even call it, ahem, super. According to a well- placed Smallville insider, Welling is nearing a deal to return for a ninth season. I'm told they're just ironing out some minor deal points, such as should the Brinks Truck pull into the actor's driveway, or just unload on the street."

OK, think about this for a moment: nine seasons of Smallville.  That's longer than any Star Trek series by two years.  That's going neck and neck with X-Files, which itself should have ended two years before it did.  That's approaching the current genre record holder, Stargate: SG-1, and that show had to retool itself bigtime after Season 8.  I'd been thinking that the last two seasons were going to be it, and have been incorrect both times.  This effectively means that when all is said and done, Tom Welling will have played the Man of Steel longer than anyone, except for the iconic Christopher Reeve, who only dipped back into the role once every three or four years.  George Reeves managed it for approximately seven years, depending on whom you ask.  Of course his leaving the part was either voluntary or not, also depending on whom you ask.

So what exactly does this mean for Smallville?  Welling knows what side his bread is buttered on, and at least seems savvy enough to realize that with only two Cheaper By The Dozen movies and a shitty Fog remake recently, the movies aren't exactly beating down his door.  And as long as the ratings are up, or at least holding steady, the CW isn't in any hurry to have him go anywhere and he seems in no hurry to leave.  Plus there's the ridiculous checks he's going to be cashing this upcoming season if (when) he re-signs.  As for the show itself, Smallville started with the mantra of "no tights, no flights," but the guys who made that rule - Alfred Gough and Miles Millar - are gone.  And Clark has effectively made the leap from the farm to the Planet.  Plus the whole Clark/Lana/Lex love triangle albatross is also gone.  The Superman theatrical franchise is still in the Phantom Zone as well.  And with the Justice League now firmly established in the show's mythology and Justin Hartley a regular as Green Arrow, I see no reason that we couldn't actually see Clark finally get into the superlongjohns.