A little nervous, a little excited, and maybe a little cautious. Will Santa be good to you, or will he leave you nothing but a lump of coal?

Which is fairly close to how I was feeling right before I watched Odyssey. I've been following some of the spoilers leaking out of the writer's room and was both apprehensive and excited. The return of Justin Hartley and Oliver Queen, the near-miss with Allison Mack, and the sudden departure of Al and Miles. With all that and a few more choice tidbits, I wasn't really sure what I was going to find when the credits rolled.

With Smallville, uncertainty is the only certainty. For example, I knew that the departure of Michael Rosenbaum was going to leave an impact, which it has, but I can't say if that's good or bad yet. It'll take time to bear that out. Like with many shows before it, the absence of such a major character will give the show time to focus on the secondaries, but this being Smallville, the jury's out on whether or not they can capitalize on that.

They certainly seem to be trying. As a casting choice, Cassidy Freeman fascinates me. She has a very unique look and I enjoyed her performance a lot. I just don't know about Tess. I love everything that she's supposed to be, I just wish Smallville wasn't tap-dancing around her background. Given her name seems to be an amalgam of Mercy and Eve Teschmacher (of Superman I and II), she's probably meant to be a nod to both characters and that's it. I'm hoping to be proven wrong, but as I've said, time and time again, with Smallville? I don't hold my breath.

In case I sound terribly pessimistic, I'm really not. I loved the season premiere. The plot line, while not perfect, was engaging. Everyone who appeared, appeared for a reason, and they brought their A-games. Tom, Justin, Allison, and Erica were absolutely fantastic. While Clark, the League, and Chloe were all fantastic, I was surprised by how well Lois came across.

Perhaps it was the absence of Al and Miles' influence, but there was a marked difference with Lois in Odyssey. Like Apocalypse, this Lois stood up and did what needed to be done. Her cousin vanished and Lois moved Heaven and Earth to find her. The concern for Chloe so absent in the season finale was there in Odyssey. With the exception of the maid's costume (really, Smallville?) there wasn't much to ding them on. It's a refreshing change.

Granted, one episode does not mitigate the damage of the seasons that preceded it. They're going to need to do a lot of work before the idea of this Lois being referred to as an intrepid reporter is anything but laughable. Which is not a judgment against the character, let's be clear. This is the writing pure and simple. You cannot have Lois Lane doing exceptionally un-Lois-like things. At least not as a clear, consistent pattern that does not tie into some sort of endgame.

However, without Al and Miles around to muck up the works, I'm hoping we're going to see a move away from that kind of writing. With only a season left and a network teetering on the brink of oblivion, every episode needs to count.

Clock's ticking, Smallville, let's see what you've got.