Lots of Comings and Goings This Week

This week and next week are two of the most turbulent weeks yet this season. Three shows end their seasons this week with big finales, while another comes back for a whole new season; and four favorites return from the strike-forced hiatus with all new episodes. Check it out:

• My favorite new show of the midseason, New Amsterdam, ends its freshman run on Monday. In an episode called "Love Hurts," John (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau) relives his days as a con man in the 1920s when he and Eva (Zuleikha Robinson) investigate the death of a woman who appears to have drowned. Meanwhile, John's struggle to figure out whether Sara (Alexie Gilmore) is really the one he's been searching for comes to a head. Watching this excellent, thoughtful show has been genuine consolation for the loss of Journeyman, and the smart, sexy, understated Coster-Waldau is easily the best find of the season.
• Eli Stone is also having its finale on Thursday. In "Soul Free," Eli (Jonny Lee Miller) goes ahead with the surgery to remove his brain aneurysm, but when the procedure causes complications, Nathan (Matt Letscher) is left with a difficult decision about his brother's future. Meanwhile, Dr. Chen (James Saito) figures out his connection to Eli. This ABC show has been high on whimsy, though by the standard set by Pushing Daisies it's been positively sedate; and star Jonny Lee Miller is as comfortable to spend time with as an old favorite sweater.
• The second season of Torchwood ends on Saturday with the return of James Marsters as John Hart, and some major plot developments. I've already seen this episode and it's a killer – look for my review later in the week. At this point all I'll say is, all fans need to watch this episode. It pairs nicely with last week's "Fragments," which flashed back to how each member of the team became involved in Torchwood; now, along with more revelations about Jack's past, Torchwood faces an uncertain and unexpected future.
• Speaking of which, Doctor Who is back on Sci Fi this Friday with a whole new season, starting with the 2007 Christmas special, "Voyage of the Damned," in which guest star Kylie Minogue (who's actually quite charming in this) helps the Doctor try to save an interstellar cruise ship from crashing into Earth (again, watch for my review). Note the time shift: because the special is 90 minutes, Doctor Who will air at 8:30 p.m. Eastern this week, but next week it'll drop into its regular 9 p.m. slot with "Partners in Crime." This is the proper season 4 premiere with the return of Donna Noble (Catherine Tate) as the new companion.
• Smallville is back with new episodes this week, starting with "Descent," in which the secret of the Veritas society leads Lex into a collision course with Clark; the endgame of Lex's full conversion to evil seems under way. On top of this, there's a new round of Someone's Going to Die (also a factor of this Friday's Battlestar Galactica, if the rumors are true). None too soon, since Michael Rosenbaum is only going to be a semi-regular next season.
• Next week we finally get new episodes of Supernatural, starting with a very timely riff on cable supernatural reality shows (how many of these does Sci Fi have now?). Reaper and Moonlight also return with new episodes next week. More on that to come, but I'm starting my Dance of Joy about Supernatural now if you don't mind.