I've heard that they've "planned" through season 5, but I think the past couple of seasons have given us reason to hold suspect the term "planning" when it applies to this show. I really hate to complain a lot about it because I do enjoy it and it's one of the three shows that I've made an effort to keep a copy of every episode (the other two being Battlestar Galactica and Committed - one of the funniest shows I've seen in years), but I am disappointed in several of the directions they have taken.
I was a Lana fan at the beginning and still don't dislike the character, but rather fail to see a point in her direction this season.
As I mentioned above I think it would have been much better if season 3 had been Lana and Clark together and featured stories such as the ones this season dealing with Clark balancing the normal and abnormal aspects of his life (I still have a problem with his playing football, but it's over on the show so I'm letting it drop in my own mind)and then season 4 being the destruction of the romantic aspect of the relationship as Clark's realization regarding his place in the world solidified.
I also would have liked more stories focusing on Clark's origins, but I'm not sure I like Smallville's take on Jor-El and Krypton, but then I think anyone who has read "Just One Bad Day Away" knows I didn't like John Byrne's version either.
But, back to the subject of "Lucy" I have to say I enjoyed it because it let us see more inside Lois. Now, if they can just keep up with continuity I would like to see the pleasure she received from writing a story be coupled with her desire to prove herself out from under her father's shadow and work toward becoming a world-class reporter.
Oh, and in current comics Lucy is married to a reporter named Ron Thorp (sp?) and they have a kid. I actually liked it better when her and Jimmy were an item though.
