Show Return Updates: Smallville

New episodes of Smallville return Thursday, Jan. 31 on The CW.

In "Persona," the first new episode since "Gemini" was aired in mid-December, we return to Bizarro's efforts to take over Clark's life; he also learns from an unsuspecting Lana about the return of Brainiac (James Marsters). Meanwhile Lionel finds out Grant (Michael Cassidy) is a clone of Lex's dead brother, Julian.

Marsters's return overshadows the other "name" guest star for the episode, Mark McClure, who was Jimmy Olsen in Superman and its immediate sequels (not to mention – for any reason – Supergirl). Interestingly enough, IMDb prefers Back to the Future as McClure's career highlight (he was Marty's brother Dave – remember?), but he doesn't get very many lines in either franchise. Will McClure have a cute scene with Aaron Ashmore, who plays Smallville's version of Jimmy? I don't think Smallville is the type of show to pass that up.

So with Helen Slater, Mark McClure, and Dean Cain already shoehorned into this season, I'm wondering who's left for the Past Superman Cameo Sweepstakes. Teri Hatcher? Not likely. Jack Larson (Jimmy from George Reeves's Adventures of Superman) showed up in Superman Returns and Lois & Clark, so that's been done. Personally, I'm rooting for Ned Beatty (Otis from Superman and Superman II), a good actor who'd have fun interacting with, and running rings around, this cast.

The revival of Milton Fine not enough for you? Check out the episode after that, "Siren," which sees the debut of yet another DC comics hero, the leather-clad martial arts vixen Black Canary (Alaina Huffman, Maureen from Painkiller Jane), and the return of Justice League boss Oliver Queen, alias Green Arrow (season 6 regular Justin Hartley).

There are supposed to be six episodes left of the fifteen produced for this season, according to TV Guide, so this should be only the beginning, though we don't know yet how the new episodes will be spaced out over the next few months.