In general I think that comparing Lana Lang to nearly any disliked character will put that character in proper perspective. Wow but she's one of the worst characters ever in anything...!

Eeee, great to know that watching the ep from the perspective of knowing she signs on long-term, that you enjoyed her! My only real problem with the Xmas special was that it was temporary, that it didn't have much impact on the rest of the series (though it did help him deal with losing Rose). So now that it's an introduction to a soon-to-be-major character, that just makes it better!

Really looking forward to this myself! Is it Xmas yet? ^^