“Smallville”
Friday 8pm, CW
After 10 seasons, this sci-fi drama about the teen who would become Superman wraps up with a double-sized series finale. “Smallville” started out with a novel concept, promising a “no tights, no flights” examination of the Superman myth filtered through the prism of mopey teen isolation. Over the years it got more and more convoluted; Clark Kent started using his powers more freely and even donned a sort of costume, and a variety of characters from the comics crossed over, including Doomsday, the Justice Society and the New Gods. In the finale look for the return of several former cast members, including Annette O’Toole and John Schneider as Ma and Pa Kent and Michael Rosenbaum as Clark’s arch frenemy, Lex Luthor.
“Desperate Housewives”
Sunday 9pm, ABC
It’s season finale time on Wisteria Lane. If this season’s plotlines seemed a little cyclical—especially the return of Paul Young and the rehashing of all the murders that kicked the series off—it’s because season seven was initially intended to be the series’ last. Instead, the show will return for at least one, possibly two more, with this season’s addition, Vanessa Williams, sticking around with the founding four housewives, Teri Hatcher, Marcia Cross, Felicity Huffman, and Eva Longoria, who all signed new contracts last month, ending speculation that one or more would be getting the axe at the end of the season. (Hatcher and Huffman in particular were rumored to be out the door.) That doesn’t mean things will end nicely—they never do on this show. Expect child endangerment, the breakup of a major long-time couple and, of course, a murder.
“Real Housewives of New Jersey”
Monday 9pm, Bravo
Trouble-making “prostitution whore” Danielle Staub is gone, which is a concerning departure, considering she generated 90 percent of the drama on the first two seasons of this reality series. But in keeping with the family theme that sets this “Housewives” apart from the rest of the franchise, the two new cast members—Melissa Gorga and Kathy Wilkie—are both related to table-throwing, shit-stirring MVP Teresa Giudice. Gorga is her sister-in-law, and Wilkie is her cousin, and allegedly they all hate each other. Awesome. Rumors have swirled about some horrifying brawl at a christening and the continuing legal and financial problems of Giudice and her husband, and Caroline Manzo will almost certainly continue to be great, so I am totally in for this one.
