Smallville's Tess Mercer Is More Than Evil

As if Smallville's Clark (Tom Welling) didn't have enough on his plate with robotic men with kryptonite hearts trying to kill him and zombies taking over Metropolis, but now his greatest foe, Zod (Callum Blue) is teaming up with Lex Luthor's protégé, Tess Mercer (Cassidy Freeman).

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What happens when two evil characters join forces? Nothing good, Freeman tells TVGuide.com. Just think of all the people Tess can destroy once she's got a Kandorian on her side. But is she really after the destruction of Earth, or is she trying to protect it? See what Freeman has to say — and more.

TVGuide.com: Originally Tess released Zod to make Clark become the hero he's meant to be, but it's backfired with all the trouble the Kandorians have been causing. 
Cassidy Freeman: She didn't know what was going to happen when she released the orb. All she knew was that she was listening to it and doing what it told her to do. I didn't really expect what has happened, but I will continue to try and make it right and make sure that my initial thought of "I can save the Earth. How I can save mankind?" — I want that to happen. I want Clark to be part of it. I want him to stand up and be that person that we all look to, but I'm willing to do anything it takes.

TVGuide.com: How does the Tess and Zod relationship develop?
Freeman: The stakes just keep getting higher. We keep power-playing each other and we keep trying to win, and the other keeps winning each hand, but no one is really winning the whole game. He surprises me at an event, I can tell you that. He just shows up every time and catches me off guard.

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TVGuide.com: Is there every a possibility for a romance between them?
Freeman: I don't know. I think that possibility is true for everyone. It's not in the cards as of yet, but you never know.

TVGuide.com: In Lois' flashes of the future, Tess is seemingly kneeling before Zod. Why is she turning evil?
Freeman: You're going to figure that out come midseason. It's all explained very obviously.

TVGuide.com: How evil will Tess get this season?
Freeman: She gets pretty evil. It's really like no holds barred. I'm willing to pretty much do anything to get what I want, which is a cure for the Earth, which is like a saving of Earth. Whatever I think that takes, I will do, but I do some pretty awful stuff.

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TVGuide.com: How much interaction will Tess have with Jor-El (Julian Sands) this season and how?
Freeman: I do get to interact with him. How do I interact with everyone? I just want to steal their information and their power. I want to manipulate them. I'm a power-hound.

TVGuide.com: There have been some throwdowns between Tess and Lois. What's coming up for the two of them?
Freeman: Lois always interests me. I don't think that Tess really respects her too much. I think Tess thinks she's just a pawn that she needs to use. I know she's very connected to Clark, so that's why she's kept around. I know she might be foolish enough to let things out, or I think she'll be foolish enough to tell me secrets and tell me what she knows, but she never does. She's this funny, quirky girl that's such a hard-ass with Tess and frustrates the hell out of her.

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TVGuide.com: What will Tess think once Lois and Clark are finally in a relationship?
Freeman: Who says they're going to be in a relationship? [Laughs] I'm just kidding. I don't think Tess is really into Clark romantically. I think she might see a relationship between Lois and Clark as kind of frivolous and surface and not really to the point. She doesn't care.

TVGuide.com: I hear Tess and Oliver (Justin Hartley) are coming together more this season. How does that play out? 
Freeman: Tess and Oliver have a very interesting relationship in that they knew each other before all this started. They knew each other before he became Green Arrow, they knew each other before she became involved in Luthor Corp., so they have a history that's different than the other characters. Although things didn't end very amicably between them, they still know who each other are. Ollie is not in a great place and they still run the company together. Tess really needs him to stand up. Clark and Chloe [Allison Mack] want him to stand up as the Green Arrow. Tess wants him to stand up as the billionaire, Oliver Queen. We're all just asking him to get over himself.

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TVGuide.com: You've had a lot of scenes with Lois, but not as many with Chloe. Are they going to be crossing paths this year?
Freeman: I think so. I've heard murmurs. We're on episode nine right now and we haven't worked together yet. I have a feeling that comes in the early teens. I think we will.

TVGuide.com: When Smallville is picked up for Season 10, will you be back?
Freeman: They have me if they want me. They contracted me for three years when I signed on in Season 8, so if they want me, they've got me.

TVGuide.com: What's your one big tease for Smallville?
Freeman: I think the tease has already been done. Those flashes that Lois is seeing, I think it's going to be really cool come midseason with all of the time-space continuum that's coming. I think fans will like it.

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TVGuide.com: Will jumping around in time change what could have been in the Smallville mythology?
Freeman: Yes, I think so.

Are you excited for Zod and Tess to team up?