With this week's Television Critics Association tours, TV fans have been mainlining info like a bunch of junkies.  Smallville fans are no exception.  TheCW's tour has yielded tons of info for the networks upcoming slate, including some choice details concerning Smallville.  Not all of this comes from TCA, but here are some of the major news breaks to come over recent weeks.

• Justin Hartley, who plays Oliver Queen A.K.A Green Arrow on Smallville, will be directing an episode this season.  Hartley told Smallville super-site Kryptonsite that he is all business when it comes to maintaining the show's level of story-telling.  "I don't think they're bringing me on to direct because I know what lens to put on the camera. I think they're bringing me in to tell a story." (Source:  Kryptonsite)
• Laura Vandervoort is currently starring on V as Anna's daughter, Lisa, but Smallville fans will soon see her in the role of Supergirl, A.K.A Kara.  From the sounds of her comments, it looks like this may be strictly a one episode gig, but we'll see. ""People have always wondered why Clark can't fly and that's going to be kind of discovered in this episode. It'll be good. It''ll be the usual banter between [Clark and Kara] as well." (Source: DigitalSpy)
• A lot of Smallville talk at TCA centered around what comes after Smallville comes to a close.  TheCW head Dawn Ostroff indicated the net was looking into the DC universe for a followup, and possibly a Smallville spinoff.  "We are talking about everything. The characters are there. We're looking at the DC library. There are different parts of the puzzle. At the end of the day, I would love to be able to say that 'Smallville' is going off the air and now we have something else is coming on."