In a recent interview with IGN, Cassidy Freeman (aka Tess Mercer) spoke about the final episodes of Smallville and what to expect as the end approaches. Here's an excerpt:

IGN: What was it like on the set at the very end?
Freeman: Well, you know Tom [Welling] and Justin [Hartley] made a lot of fun of me and Erica [Durance]. We'd be like, "This is our last scene in the Watchtower! This is our last scene… wearing this shirt!" We were just really aware how "last" everything was and they made fun of us for it. But I think we all prepared very well and I think knowing at the beginning of the season that it was the end was a really beautiful way to be able to gauge where your emotions were and how to say goodbye to everyone and do it well.

IGN: How is it working with Tom when he's playing such a different take on his character?
Freeman: It's fun. I think Tom sometimes has difficulty with it, because he's been playing the same character for so long. I think it's exciting for him but also a little nerve-wracking, but we all really cheer him on. We're like, "You're such a badass! Clark Luthor is such a badass!" And I think he takes that… Plus, he dresses more badass and his hair is more badass.

IGN: This season, we got some huge reveals on Tess and her true origins. Was it exciting for you to learn that she was in fact a Luthor?
Freeman: It was very exciting for me to learn that. When my hair was red, I had the idea that she might actually be a Luthor, hoping that would work itself out. And I think that with the ability of John Glover to come back and also Michael [Rosenbaum] to come back, that was such a very rewarding twist to my character. And I remember when [Smallville showrunners] Kelly [Souders] and Brian [Peterson] told me about it, right before we started shooting Season 10, I was like, "Awesome!" It solidified a lot for her, you know? Tess was kind of a floaty character. I think she played the parts that needed to be played and I think her being a Luthor really solidified her presence in the show and her story.

Smallville begins it's final countdown with the episode "Kent" tonight, April 15th, which will see the return of John Schneider reprising his role as Clark's father Jonathan.

Read the complete interview at IGN.com.