As we've been hearing for months, this is the final season of Smallville.

Isn't that right, producer Brian Peterson?

"I think it's the final season of Smallville," he told reporters during a panel discussion this week. "We don't know [of any] plans, but we never bet against ourselves and the show."

The series has been doing well in the ratings and amassing positive reaction from fans and critics across the board, especially in regard to last week's 200th episode. Still, it's safe to assume the plan to wrap things up in May will remain.

What can viewers look forward to as Smallville nears its conclusion? Said producer Kelly Souders: 

"We'll see that the world around [Clark] puts up some major stumbling blocks for him. As much as he's progressing things around his life, the environment around him is going to shift after this episode to a place where he's still got some major battles to overcome. [But] he's earning his stripes all along."

That's rather vague, but this spoiler is not: Clark will tell Lois he's the Blur on this week's installment. Return to TV Fanatic afterward for a detailed review of it.

Matt Richenthal is the Editor in Chief of TV Fanatic. Follow him on Twitter and on Google+.