Ask Ausiello: Spoilers on Glee, Vamp Diaries, SVU, Grey’s, Big Bang, Veronica Mars & More

Question: Do you have any spoilers for Law & Order: SVU? There’s loads of rumors going around that Olivia might die in the finale. —Kayley
Ausiello: OK, so… apparently Mariska Hargitay has not yet inked a deal to return next season, despite my earlier assertion to the contrary. (In my defense, this is the only time I’ve ever been wrong about anything ever in the history of everything.) So, that little development, coupled with Kelli Giddish’s promise that the May 22 finale is “insane,” makes me wonder if the rumors might be true. “I cannot believe they ended it this way,” Giddish adds. ”I gasped, myself, when I finished reading it. The fans are going to go nuts. It’s jarring and emotional, because so often our detectives never, ever let the perp get the upper hand, and that happens in this episode.” The episode opens with the detectives enjoying “a day off,” elaborates co-star Danny Pino. “It’s a very unusual way to go into an episode, where we’re all relaxing, doing our own things. And then it does this slow descent into a very dark place. It’s probably one of our darkest. And by the end of it… I mean, I really don’t know how we’re going to get out of it. I feel like the writers have really painted themselves into a corner.” As to whether Benson makes it out alive, all I can tell you is what Warren Leight tells TVLine: that the finale is “a struggle for survival between Benson and [a perp nicknamed] the Beast… I guess it can go one of three ways, you know?” Not exactly comforting, is it?

Question: The Big Bang Theory closes out its best season yet this Thursday. That warrants a scoop! —Charlie
Ausiello: No matter how many times I rework my calculations on the white board in my office, I can’t alter this probability: Breakup rumors are swirling around one of the show’s couples.

Question: Whatever happened to ABC airing the remaining episodes of 666 Park Avenue?  I need some closure here. —Matt
Ausiello: The remaining four episodes will unspool Saturday nights beginning in June, and Rachael Taylor is giving the final episode two very enthusiastic thumbs up. “I love the ending,” she tells TVLine. “Everything gets completely flipped on its head, and it was very fun for me to play. My character is very different in the last episode. I’m really looking forward to people seeing the end, because s—t gets crazy.”

Question: I’m a TVLine addict who is terrible at writing. How can I have your job? OK, I’ll settle for Breaking Bad scoop. —Sara
Ausiello: First off, Sara, I’d say you need to work on your cover letter. Here’s a little Bad intel to mull while you’re crafting your next draft: The series finale is “amazing,” raves Betsy Brandt. “It’s the perfect ending for that show.”

Question: Is Heather Morris leaving Glee? That finale sure seemed like Brittany’s farewell. —Donna
Ausiello: All indications are that Morris will be back in some capacity, but probably not until the first part of 2014 at the earliest (Morris’ baby is due in the fall). But don’t expect Santana to wait around for her ex to resurface. Word on the street is she’s getting a serious NYC girlfriend in Season 5.

Question: Any word on when Nick’s mother might be returning to Grimm? —Amanda
Ausiello: “There will be references” to to the Woman in Black in next Tuesday’s finale, per David Giuntoli. “There will be communiqués involved. I’m not sure in what capacity she’ll be back next season, but I’ve been ‘hearing things.’” (I have too; she’ll be back). Speaking of the finale, Giuntoli offers up the following teases: “There are going to be zombies; one of the main characters kinda-sorta dies and may or may not be coming back; and Nick and Juliet – romance!”

Question: 90210 pretty much wrapped up everyone’s storyline with the exception of Silver’s. It was kind of cruel just to leave things hanging on that cancer diagnosis. Was there supposed to be more to the story? —Tammy
Ausiello: Yes, but the 11th hour cancellation precluded the show’s brass from telling it. “It was a bit of a struggle not knowing where the series was headed,” admits co-showrunner Patti Carr. “We thought we would have more time to tell the end of it. It’s our apology to the fans if some of the storylines feel like they weren’t where you thought [they'd] end up — and I think Silver’s is one of them.”

Question: Any hints about who takes the cure in the Vampire Diaries finale? —Kate
Ausiello: Three, actually. 1) It’s not who I thought it would be. 2) Julie Plec is a genius. 3) Julie Plec is a genius.

Question: Any intel on Once Upon a Time‘s casting of Peter Pan? —George
Ausiello: The role of Peter Pan will be played by… a dude! “I can confirm that it will be a male playing the part,” exec producer Adam Horowitz tells TVLine. Beyond that, “Anything to do with that casting we don’t want to talk about, because that would be a big spoiler. Our approach to Peter Pan is one we’re super-excited about. Since Season 1, the Peter Pan mythology was something we wanted to do, but we couldn’t because of the rights issues. Once they were dealt with, we were able to finally go to town and open that world up. We started with Captain Hook, and we knew we wanted to build to what we’re about to do in Season 3.”

Question: How about a scoop on the Nashville finale? —Missi
Ausiello: “It’s bloody,” reports Sam Palladio, all but confirming reports of multiple season-ending deaths. “It’s shocking, actually. When I read the script, it made me go, ‘Wh-wh-whoa! Wow!’ I can’t wait to see the episode.”

 Question: What does the Grey’s Anatomy season finale hold for Cristina and Owen? Please answer. I’ll bake you cookies. — Liv
Ausiello: Before I tell you what Shonda Rhimes told TVLine, let me state for the record: vegan oatmeal raisin. Now then, you can go ahead and abandon any hope of the couple meeting in the middle regarding the issue of children. “There’s never been any suggestion that Cristina is going to meet anyone in the middle,” Rhimes notes. “Cristina is not that person.” However, for better or worse (my guess: worse), she adds, “I do think that the more this Ethan situation plays out, the conversation that she and Owen have been avoiding so much really gets forced out into the open.” Ruh-roh.

Question: Are Alex and Jo going to finally get busy in the Grey’s finale? — Chris


Ausiello: Whether it happens in the finale, boss lady Shonda Rhimes says that “one would hope” the non-couple is destined to go down in Grey’s history as one of the show’s great romances. “We were stepping carefully on that, feeling out the chemistry and taking it much slower than I originally intended, which I really enjoyed. It felt like it felt truer to the characters. And I feel like it’s working pretty interestingly.” Which gives me the feeling that this could drag on into next season…

Question: Any Veronica Mars movie spoilers?! — Ted
Ausiello: Before the flick goes into production, it’s looking to cast… well, Rebel Wilson, basically. For the juicy supporting role of Ruby, the powers that be want a plus-sized (check) funny lady (check) who can do a British accent (check). Rebel, you can drop my commission check (check) in the mail.

Question: Please tell me you got some Revolution scoop out of the NBC upfront. Something, anything? — Kyle 
Ausiello: Not only did Matt Mitovich score you some scoop, he scored it directly from Giancarlo Esposito, who told him, through the finale, “Tom’s next move is to try and cover his own butt, first. But also, there is a race to figure out who really is in control of the power. The final episode will blow your mind in terms of all of the elements coming together, and some questions you haven’t even thought of asking will be answered.” Which bodes well for a future edition of Questions You Never Even Thought To Ask Ausiello.

Question: Any scoop on Modern Family? —Andy
Ausiello: In next week’s finale, Jay runs into a familiar face while in Florida for the funeral of Phil’s mom. “He sees an older woman, in her 80s, watering flowers, and he knows her from someplace,” explains Ed O’Neill. “And they finally realize how they know each other and it’s quite funny. It’s a great mislead. The whole finale is very, very good.”

That’s a wrap! Please send questions, comments, and anonymous tips to askausiello@tvline.com. (Additional reporting by Meg Masters)

Ask Ausiello: Spoilers on Grey’s, Glee, Walking Dead, Scandal, Office, Arrow, TVD and More!

Question: Any chance of a Jackson/April reunion before or during the Grey’s Anatomy finale (airing May 16)? – Emma
Ausiello: Can’t confirm a  reunion, but I can confirm — via Shonda Rhimes — that in this Thursday’s episode, “Something happens for April that is fairly life-changing. And then in the finale, all of that is brought into question in a huge way.” Theories?! Hit the comments!

Question: Coming from the other side of the Atlantic from Portugal! Do you have any Grey’s Anatomy Season 9 finale scoops? —Simão Silva (you can call me Simon)
Ausiello: Hi Simão Simon! A major character’s life will hang in the balance when the clock ticks down on Season 9 next week, but before you go calling Rhimes a serial Grim Reaper, consider the facts. “Everyone thinks I kill everybody — and I don’t,” she insists with a chuckle. “I was doing a tally and I’ve only killed three series regulars [while] four series regular [characters] just left into the ether somewhere to do other things in other hospitals. I don’t kill everybody.” (Gonna need someone to double-check her stats. I suck at math. And I’m lazy.)

Question: Any more exciting news you can give us about The Office finale? —Sebastian
Ausiello: More exciting than S.C. returning? More exciting than an extra 15 minutes being tacked on to the episode? Hmmm… how about scoop on the “final” scene of the series, straight from John Krasinski himself? “[It's] a random scene where everyone’s exiting the office,” he reveals. “It was a very mundane [moment], walking out of the office. It wasn’t big or dramatic or anything. I think it [falls] at the beginning of the [episode] or something, so it’s not like it’s the last shot [of the series]. As per usual, I was crying-laughing with Craig [Robinson] and we were all joking around in the hall every time we ended it.” The crying-laughing quickly turned to just crying when “instead of saying, ‘Go again,’ [exec producer] Greg [Daniels] randomly just said, ‘Ladies and gentlemen, that’s the end of The Office,’” Krasinski recalls. “And it really was a gut punch. It’s a life-changing event and there’s no way to describe it… It’s a part of your life that defined you, and to have it go away is so incredibly bittersweet. The only thing that helps us all is that we’re so proud of the work and we’re so proud that we got to have a series finale. That’s a very rare thing.”

Question: I heard a rumor that someone might be leaving Glee in the season finale? True? —Nils
Ausiello: Thursday’s finale definitely leaves you with the impression that a pivotal, longtime character will not be back next season — at least not full-time. That said, I have received no confirmation that the actor/actress in question is, in fact, departing the show. Speaking of the finale, rumor has it somebody’s getting *a****d!

Question: Last chance for Glee finale scoop — whaddaya got? —Tammy
Ausiello: A mystery wrapped in an enigma topped with some cryptic sauce. Jacob Artist says he’s not sure if Jake and Marley end up in a happy place because things “might’ve changed a little bit from the original script that we all read.” And that change — which Artist describes as more of an “editing” choice — could ultimately impact several relationships on the show, “Jake and Marley included.” What does it all mean?!

Question: Next week’s Vampire Diaries finale. Next week’s Vampire Diaries finale. Next week’s Vampire Diaries finale… —Carol
Ausiello: If I’m understanding you correctly you want scoop on… next week’s Vampire Diaries finale? Did I get that right? Something allegedly goes down in the episode that is so mind-blowingly cool/surprising that it defies categorization, which is why I haven’t included it in our May Sweeps Scorecard.

Question: I’m dying for some Big Bang scoop. It can be about any couple – I’m not picky.  – Marge
Ausiello:  How about Raj and Lucy? In this week’s episode, he ditches the guys – and a hot game of Dungeons & Dragons – to spend time with his honey — and by the end of the evening, he’s very glad he did. Want a clue that’s no help whatsoever? Chain-link. You’re welcome. Bonus Spoiler: Wolowitz busts out some truly impressive celebrity impressions during the ep.

Question: Please tell me Sheldon and Amy are going to get closer to doing it by the end of this season of Big Bang. I think I’m more frustrated than she is! – Anna
Ausiello: If I were to tell you that the topic is addressed in this week’s episode – which, after all, is called “The Love Spell Potential” – and that said conversation takes place in Sheldon’s bedroom, would that alleviate some of your frustration… or just make it worse?

Question: I know Bones‘ season ended just last week, but you have to have more scoop on the two bonus episodes they shot after the finale, right? —Cassidy
Ausiello: First off, as exec producer Stephen Nathan points out, “They’re not really ‘bonus’ episodes because we know actually where they’re going to go. One will be the second episode of next season, and the other will be fourth.” As reported in last week’s AA, Episode 9.2 is Sweets-centric. Episode 9.4, meanwhile, is a “much more free-standing episode,” notes Nathan. “We worked with [Bones producer] Kathy Reichs and her daughter on that one, and it is going to be a lot of fun. That’s just a great, [classic] episode of Bones.”

Question: Got anything left over from your interview with Bones EP Stephen Nathan? —Rachel
Ausiello: Just this little tidbit on a potential Season 10. In short, Nathan is confident there will be one. “I’m not planning on Season 9 being the last season at this point,” he tells me. “I think there’s a lot more life in the show. It just doesn’t feel old to us.”

Question: With Christopher Abbott’s abrupt exit from Girls, it’s clear Marnie won’t be spending Season 3 having Charlie’s “little brown babies.” Any intel on what Allison Williams’ beautiful disaster of a character will be doing? –Lorne
Ausiello: You want Marnie scoop? We went straight to the source. “Marnie is working out her demons with exercise,” Williams tells TVLine. “That’s a big part of her life: She’s deciding that fitness is something to channel her anger into.” Post-split, the character will definitely need her mother’s crazy shoulder to lean on, which means that Rita Wilson will indeed be back in the mix. “There’s always the phantom of some man in [Marnie's mother's] life,” Williams says with a laugh. “Luckily or unluckily, so far we’ve never met one of them. But I would be very curious to see what that cater waiter [a lover referenced by Wilson's character in Season 2] was like.”

Question: I’ve got a burning Good Wife Q I’m hoping you can help me with. Do you know if we will get to see the conversation between Will and Alicia that Will demanded they have after their kiss in the car in the finale? That will be an interesting talk considering she is leaving Lockhart/Gardner. —Katharine
Ausiello: Per series creators Robert and Michelle King, “We’ll definitely see that conversation. But it will come with enough baggage to fill a box car.” In other Good news, did you see who’s getting a new love interest next season?

Question: It’s my birthday over here and a great gift would be scoop on the Scandal finale. But anything Scandal is greatly accepted. —Mateo
Ausiello: How about details on John Barrowman’s top-secret May 9 guest stint? According to Shonda Rhimes, the Arrow baddie plays “a fixer” with a “very interesting” client. Bonus (b-day) Scoop: Joe Morton’s character/Jake’s boss does have a name: Rowan!

Question: Love Orphan Black, but I miss Art! Please tell me Sarah’s going to re-join the force soon. —Christopher
Ausiello: Art’s “like a bad smell,” notes EP Graeme Manson, “he just won’t go away.” Translation: “We haven’t seen the last of Art,” he confirms. In the meantime, “Sarah’s many deceptions are still rippling and the effects are being felt, so there’s prices to be paid for the things that she’s done.”

Question: Any good Hart of Dixie scoop you could possibly dish out? —Stephanie
Ausiello: George and Tansy’s recent break-up doesn’t necessarily mean Mircea Monroe is leaving the show. It may mean that. But it doesn’t necessarily mean that. Allow exec producer Leila Gerstein explain: “We love Mircea and would welcome her back in any capacity… I don’t think [her split with George] means there’s not Tansy and George in the future, because they’re very adorable together. And it doesn’t mean that there’s not Tansy and someone else ahead!”

Question: Any idea on how Season 4 of The Walking Dead is going to start off time-wise? Will there be a time jump of a few months, or will it pick up around where Season 3 left off? —Lee
Ausiello: I’m hearing there will be a somewhat significant time jump (hint: more than three months but less than a year).

Question: Please, tell me John Barrowman doesn’t die by the end of Arrow Season 1! I mean, he’s immortal, right? —Judith
Ausiello: Let’s just say I’m reserving a spot in our May Sweeps Scorecard under fatalities for a character on Arrow and leave it at that, K?

Question: So we finally got a Karen-Derek makeout scene on last week’s Smash, but then we found out that they cut their, ahem, duet short — and that Derek wound up sleeping on Karen’s couch! And to make matters worse, Karen later went and professed her love to Jimmy. Please tell me that all this doesn’t mean the Cartwills dream is over before it made it past first base! –Sharon
Ausiello: Don’t shoot the messenger, Sharon, but with only three episodes left till the curtain closes on NBC’s musical drama, the odds are looking increasingly slim that Karen and Derek are endgame. Unless, of course, the Hit List ingenue calling her director “disgusting” in this Saturday’s episode turns out to be just a minor speed bump on their road to true love.

Question: Call me paranoid, but the latest Tonys development on Smash — that Ivy Lynn is now also a contender for Supporting Actress for the short-lived Liaisons — has me worried she’s going to lose Lead Actress in a Musical race to Karen “Iowa!” Cartwright. Say it ain’t so! –Rose
Ausiello: Lest we forget, the Tonys are like most other industry awards shows: Politics plays a part. And let’s just say a little blind item in the Village Voice concerning a certain leading lady’s extracurricular activities — including an affair with a former costar’s fiancé — might have an adverse effect on her chances at taking home a statuette for either side of her mantle.

Ask Ausiello: Spoilers on Bones, Once, Scandal, Glee, Vampire Diaries, Smash and More!

Question: Do you have anything  particularly scandalous about the season finale of Scandal you can share? —Daniela
Ausiello: I see what you did there. Scandalous. Scandal. Clever. I may steal that for next week’s AA. In the meantime, conventional wisdom points to the elusive mole being unmasked in the May 16 finale. Kerry Washington, meanwhile, points to it being the person you’d least expect. “It’s so shocking,” the actress tells us with a huge, hearty laugh. “So, so shocking. And so good. One of the things the show does so well is they mostly do these, like, one-two or one-two-three punches. So it’s not usually one cliffhanger; it’s usually a shock, and then another couple of shocks — and that’s kind of how that goes down.”

Question: Will Glee‘s Blaine actually go through with the marriage proposal to Kurt? Hope not. They’re freakin’ teenagers! —Jonathan
Ausiello: That’s just the kind of common sense advice Blaine needs right now. Cue a special appearance by Kurt’s pa, Burt! “Blaine is considering marrying Kurt and [I offer] my point of view on that,” Mike O’Malley tells TVLine of his May 2 encore. “I had some beautiful scenes with Darren Criss, who is just turning into such a remarkable actor. Well, turning into, he was – but this year they’ve given him strong, strong material and a really nice, beautiful arc to play. And oftentimes, my scenes with him are triangulated with the presence of Chris Colfer, and in this episode, they’re not. I have one really beautiful scene with just Darren, and I loved it.”

Question: After Monday’s Bones finale, can you divert our attention for a bit and tell us a bit more about Bones‘ Season 9 episode “El Carnicero en el Coche” that the cast and crew are shooting right now? From a pic that David Boreanaz tweeted, it appears that Sweets might have quit his job. —Rex
Ausiello: It’s the second episode of Season 9 and, yes, it revolves around Sweets’ new gig. As exec producer Stephen Nathan reveals, the events of the season finale will drive the Jeffersonian’s resident shrink out the door. “He has some leave coming from the FBI, and considering all the stress and guilt he feels after Pelant’s [latest killing spree], he decides to take his leave and explore another opportunity,” Nathan previews. “We’re going to see in Sweets that crime-fighting isn’t the only thing he’s focused on. We’re going to open up his life a little more.” Nathan, however, stresses that the leave is only a temporary one, adding, “He’s going to be around. He’s just going to explore his character a little bit more.”

Question: Is the vote-tampering secret between Peter and Will going to resurface on The Good Wife next season? Seems too juicy of a storyline to just let end in the finale. —Kathy
Ausiello: I’m with you, Kath. Even though Peter didn’t end up needing those votes to win, it could still wreak havoc on his political career — and jeopardize his relationship with Alicia. But as Josh Charles points out, even if the political scandal stays under wraps, it still “adds a really neat dynamic” to Peter and Will’s relationship. “It’s now something that lives between them,” he adds, “Whether that becomes something that’s explored literally — or it’s just there sort of hanging in the air – will remain to be seen.” Speaking of The Good Wife, series co-creators Robert and Michelle King have agreed to answer reader questions about the finale. So, stop what you’re doing, compose a really intelligent question pertaining to the finale and/or Season 5, and send it to askausiello@tvline.com with the words “Good Wife Q” in the subject line.

Question: Do you have any scoop on Grey’s Anatomy? —BP
Ausiello: If you are among the few who believe that this Owen/Ethan storyline will have a shiny, happy ending — with the motherless, potentially fatherless lad skipping off to live with his grandma Nancy — I’d like to introduce you to this thing called television. “There are a lot of interesting twists coming up, ones that I did not expect,” All My Children alum Jennifer Bassey, who plays Nancy, tells us. “It will really tear your heart out…. It’s heavy-duty stuff!” In other Grey’s news, Shonda Rhimes tweeted the following finale tease on Tuesday and I can’t get it out of my damn head! “On set at Grey’s. A piece of this scene was so top-secret that I had to whisper it to the director instead of writing it in the script.” Anyone by chance know what supermarket Rob Corn shops at?

Question: I have a Q about Once Upon a Time and its potential spin-off: If we decide not to watch the spin-off, will we still understand everything that’s going on in Once Upon a Time? Or are the two shows completely connected? Thanks! —Emily
Ausiello: Worry not. Should the Wonderland-based limited-run offshoot get the green light from ABC on May 14 — and even though Barbara Hershey’s Cora and even Lana Parrilla’s Regina could appear in flashbacks – ”It is intended to exist as its own thing,” says Once cocreator Eddy Kitsis. Adds Adam Horowitz, “If you’ve never seen Once, you can actually watch Wonderland and not worry.”

Question: Got any scoop on Revenge, Once Upon a Time, Nashville, Hannibal or Orphan Black? —Danae
Ausiello: On the Once Upon a Time front, expect to see Mulan, Aurora and Prince Phillip once again, before the season is over. And lest you think Regina’s “trigger” to implode Storybrooke is just a MacGuffin for us to gaze upon and imagine its potential, ”We’re definitely going to see what that black diamond does,” EP Eddy Kitsis warns.

Question: I know its unlikely, because she’s on Nurse Jackie, but what are the odds that Merritt Wever will keep showing up on New Girl? I love her with Max Greenfield! – Kasey
Ausiello: “That’s definitely sort of up in the air,” says series creator Liz Meriwether. “I certainly hope so. She’s great.” The scene Wever and Greenfield share in tonight’s “Virgins” episode – a must-watch – is an example of what Meriwether calls “a lot of really great chemistry and fullness” between Schmidt and his college girlfriend. “She doesn’t take any of his bulls—t, and is pushing him to be a better person. That’s what he’s struggling with and what their arc is as a couple.” So you wanted odds? I’d say it’s at 5/2. (Full-disclosure: I have no clue what those numbers mean.)

Question: So we know there are ghosts appearing on The Vampire Diaries soon. Do you know if any characters are actually getting resurrected permanently? Or are they all just ghosts? —Audrey
Ausiello: Rumor has it that one resurrection may stick.

Question: I need some Vampire Diaries scoop on Caroline. —Calleigh
Ausiello: These 15 words will leave her mouth in the May 16 season finale, per exec producer Julie Plec: ““Come hell or high water, hell will freeze over before I let anybody cancel graduation.” As Plec explains, “The instinct to miss graduation is going to be on [everyone's] minds because there’s greater things afoot. And Caroline, as we know, finds these moments and high school events very precious and gets very angry when anybody tries to mess with them.”

Question: What does NCIS: LA have in store for Nell and Eric? —Sophiaq
Ausiello: For the remainder of this season? Not much. For next season? At least one juicy episode. “We’re actually [about to] shoot one episode [for Season 5] that’s apparently an Eric-Nell episode,” Barrett Foa shares. “We haven’t really checked in with them after the big Christmas under the mistletoe [incident] — there hasn’t been a ton of stuff with the two of us — and I think it’s time to get that back, because I figure fans are really ready for that.”

Question: Do you know if Dalia will still be living with George next season on Suburgatory? I love that dynamic. I hope it doesn’t go away just because George and Dallas broke up. —Tania H
Ausiello: I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but it sounds like it’s going away. “Dalia will really want to remain part of George’s world, but given what has gone on with her and Tessa, how realistic is that?” muses series creator Emily Kapnek. “It will be really hard for George to justify spending time with Dalia. It will hurt him probably to turn his back on her. Until Dalia and Tessa can reconcile, there really is no place for Dalia to go with that. I imagine that she would be really upset and hurt, and probably take some of this stuff out on Dallas, blaming her for the loss of Daddy Altman.”

Question: Should we be worried that The CW hasn’t renewed Nikita yet? —Soso
Ausiello: I don’t think so. I’m told the reason Nikita wasn’t included in last week’s CW pickups was because series creator Craig Silverstein was in Virginia shooting his AMC pilot Turn and therefore unable to pitch his Season 4 plan to the network. He’s now back in L.A. and due to meet with CW brass in the coming days. Bottom line: The show is still a safe bet for a (shortened) fourth season.

Question: Will we meet Sherlock Holmes’ dad this season on Elementary? —Nola
Ausiello: We put that exact question to showrunner Rob Doherty. His response? “I’m not telling.” The EP did, however, confirm that the message Joan received in response to her request to stay on as the investigator’s sober companion “did come from Sherlock’s father,” and that it’s “no coincidence that the dad’s first initial is M. We anticipated and looked forward to some discussion about that.” Are you thinking what we’re thinking?!

Question: Since NBC renewed Law & Order: SVU for next season before Mariska Hargitay signed her contract (as opposed to last year), does this mean she is having trouble with her negotiations? Are they trying to get rid of her? —Jessica
Ausiello: What’chu talkin’ ’bout, Willis? Her deal is done. She’s returning. End of story. (Unless you know something I don’t. Which is possible. But unlikely.)

Question: Any scoop on this Wednesday’s season finale on The Americans? —La-Shauna
Ausiello: The Jennings’ laundry room — you know, the one where they keep some of their spy stuff — plays a key role.

Question: Call me crazy, but as a denizen of NBC’s old 227-Golden Girls-Amen Saturday-night programming bloc, I’m kinda digging Smash inhabiting a similar position on the Peacock net’s current lineup. I have to say, though, that there hasn’t been enough of Anjelica Huston’s Eileen — or her take-no-prisoners hilarity — the last few episodes. Any scoop? —Katrina
Ausiello: What? No love for Hunter? (Shakes head.) Despite that snub, Katrina, I’ve got good news for you: Eileen’s ne’er-do-well ex Jerry is back in the picture on this Saturday’s episode (with pretty young thing in tow). And without giving too much away, let’s just say Eileen gets her fingers around Jerry’s martini glass before she’s even finished her first sentence in their conversation.

Question: I’m still reeling from the cliffhanger at the end of last week’s Smash — with Kyle stepping in front of those screeching headlights. They’re not seriously gonna make me yell, “Oh my God, they killed Kyle!”, are they? —Brent
Ausiello: Would you settle for some intel on the show’s other unresolved cliffhanger — the one with Karen asking Derek, “Are you gonna walk me home or what?” Let’s just say that the tousled director makes it all the way up to his leading lady’s apartment, that the duo knocks back a room-spinning amount of vino and that — grab your smelling salts! — Cartwills fans will be hitting the rewind buttons on their DVRs. That is, at least, till somebody delivers the line, “I was a total ass. I always am. I ruin everything.” (Cue sad trombone.)

Question: Long time reader, first time question asker. I am so glad to know that you too are an Orphan Black fan. Any scoop to share? —Vanessa
Ausiello: Party at Alison’s house this week, and it’s a doozy! As the characters and storylines converge on her abode, “Clone antics ensue,” previews EP Graeme Manson with a laugh. “And Felix is right in the middle of it, which is fun, too.”

Question: My hart broke when Zoe/Wade broke up on Hart of Dixie. They didn’t get nearly enough time “together.” Please tell me Zoe gives Wade another chance! —Lauren
Ausiello: I see what you did there. Hart. Hart of Dixie. Clever. I may steal that for next week’s AA. In the meantime, exec producer Leila Gerstein insists Wade’s infidelity and the pair’s subsequent breakup “was never intended to be the end” of their story. “It is a long series [and] we expect to do many, many, many more episodes of this show,” she adds of the recently renewed dramedy. “And they’re not even done for this season! There will be another connection between Zoe and Wade before the season is over. I would certainly tell ‘Zade’ fans out there that they should not be giving up hope.”

Ask Ausiello: Spoilers on Grey’s, Bones, Smash, Rookie Blue, Revenge, Arrow, NCIS: LA and More!

Question: Any NCIS: LA scoop? —Kria
Ausiello: The May 14 finale will be a veritable Big Badapalooza. “It’s like a supervillains episode,” teases Barrett Foa. “Basically, every bad guy we’ve ever done battle with [is] coming back for the finale.” The returning evildoers include traitorous CIA vet Isaak Sidorov (played by Sons of Anarchy‘s  Timothy V. Murphy) and “The Chameleon” (Highlander‘s Christopher Lambert). “Big nuclear things are going down,” the actor adds. “It leaves you on the edge of your seat [and] is, of course, a great cliffhanger.”

Question: How worried should we be about Mer’s baby on Grey’s Anatomy? —Jennifer
Ausiello: Not nearly as worried as you should be about the person delivering Mer’s baby on Grey’s Anatomy.

Question: Today is my birthday—the best present ever would be some juicy Scandal scoop. —Miranda
Ausiello: How about exclusive details on John Barrowman’s mysterious May 9 guest stint, directly from the actor himself? “I can say absolutely nothing,” the Arrow baddie maintains of his appearance. “All I can say is I’m in Scandal. It is so top-secret.” Curses. Um… how about some behind-the-scenes intel, JB? “It was some of the hardest stuff I’ve ever done,” Barrowman confesses. “I realized again how frightening some things were to do. I was very nervous, but thank god everyone was on my side because I had a very difficult time getting through that day.” A major factor contributing to his fragile emotional state was exhaustion. Recalling his first day on the Scandal set, “I finished filming Arrow at 1 am, went to the [Vancouver] airport for a 4 am check-in, got on a flight [to Los Angeles] at 6 am, got to the set of Scandal at 9 am and started shooting at 11:30 am. I was completely stressed out and tired.”

Question: Will Tommy discover his father’s Dark Archer identity on Arrow before the season ends? —Jacob
Ausiello: Barrowman was a skosh more forthcoming about that. “He’s desperate to tell Tommy,” shares the actor. “But anytime he goes to do it, something happens. We already had one of those moments when Malcolm was almost assassinated in his office. But I’m sure there will be others.” Speaking of the finale, Annie Ilonzeh (Charlie’s Angels) is confirmed to return in the May 15 season ender, as Laurel’s colleague Joanna. “We’re very excited to have her back,” says EP Andrew Kreisberg. “She’s a big part of the Arrow family.”

Question: With Smash‘s Jimmy getting into a fist fight with his drug-dealer brother at the Bombshell premiere party — and Karen finally calling off their affair because dude is totes scary — does that finally clear the way for the Karen-Derek romance for which we’ve been patiently waiting almost two seasons? –Elijah
Ausiello: Showrunner Josh Safran remains cryptic on the future of “Cartwills,” but he does offer this tantalizing tidbit: “Karen and Derek’s relationship takes a major turn” in the May 4 installment. Before that happens, though, it sounds like the two men not exactly in Karen’s life (yep, Derek and Jimmy) are set to clash as early as this Saturday’s episode, building to “a final confrontation — one from which there might be no turning back,” adds Safran.

Question: Do you have any intel on which Smash musical, Bombshell or Hit List, is going to ultimately land the big statuette? Please help — I really want to win my Tonys party pool for a change! –Blanche
Ausiello: You do realize Bombshell and Hit List exist only in Smash‘s fictitious version of Broadway, right? (Although as we speak, Phillip Spaeth, who played dashing chorus boy Dennis in Season 1, is actually starring in Matlida on the Great White Way.) Anyhow…back to the subject at hand: Hasn’t anyone ever told Derek and Scott that you don’t count your Tonys before you’ve actually managed to book an actual Broadway theater? Safran teases that Broadway aspirations for the buzzy downtown musical will “hit a snag” during Saturday’s episode. What’s more, he adds, “a figure from Derek’s past causes a bunch of trouble in his — and many other people’s — present,” starting in Episode 15.

Question: Supernatural, please. —Sandi
Ausiello: Felicia Day is back as hacker extraordinaire Charlie this Wednesday, but the latest visit from the Queen of Moondoor will be a little different. “We’re going to get a pretty special look into her past in a way that we haven’t seen before,” previews EP Jeremy Carver. “We’re going to start to peel back Charlie a bit more. It’s pretty exciting — and moving as well.” Also exciting: Dean teaches Charlie how to be a hunter, and she takes to the life “in a characteristically Charlie way, which would be excited, a bit blustering, then eventually getting the hang of it..”

Question: Any scoop on Max (Josh Zuckerman) returning for the series finale of 90210? Please say he’ll be back! —Jessica
Ausiello: I would if I could but I can’t. Because he won’t.

Question: I’ll take any Once Upon a Time scoop you can share. —Estée
Ausiello: The prospective spin-off, Once Upon a Time in Wonderland, will be — no surprise — “a little more Wonderland-y” than original flavor Once, per consulting producer Jane Espenson. The offshoot, envisioned as an American Horror Story-style 13-episode standalone that would ostensibly bridge the original series’ winter hiatus, will also be “more adventurous” and boast “a lot of humor [and] a lot of spectacle. It’s really going to be gorgeous.”

Question: I’m really excited for next week’s season finale of Bones. Do you have any spoilers about the episode that you can share? —Marina
Ausiello: The marriage issue comes up within the first five minutes (Booth playfully initiates the discussion), and then again much later in the episode. Also, as the following promo already spoiled, Pelant is sporting a scary-ass scar!

Question: Anything new on the season finale of The Vampire Diaries? —Maximilian
Ausiello: The May 16 climax finds Rebekah “just trying like hell to graduate and have that true-life human experience,” previews EP Julie Plec. But perhaps she should be more concerned about this teaser from Plec: “We’ll get a surprise visit from at least one more Original.”

Question: Is there anything you can spoil on the Good Wife finale that we haven’t already heard? —Liz
Ausiello: The moment everyone will be talking about occurs in the final five minutes.

Question: Have we seen the last of Amanda Peet on The Good Wife? Also, did she really dump Will for an old boyfriend? —Jessica
Ausiello: You’ve seen the last of her this season. “She was wonderful,” raves series cocreator Robert King. “If we can drag her back [in Season 5] we will.” To the second question, King confirms, “She was completely lying about there being [another man]. She knew he was [still] in love with Alicia.”

Question: Please tell me Danny and Mindy are going to end up together on The Mindy Project. I can’t handle another drawn-out TV romance. —Andrea
Ausiello: This isn’t the answer you want, Jen, but it’s the one you’re gonna get: Maybe. But if the two docs do hook up, it probably won’t happen this season. When TVLine recently talked with executive producer Matt Warburton, he observed, “I think their relationship is so complex that no season of television can really, fully deal with it.”

Question: Grimm finale scoop, please! —Eric
Ausiello: How about I do you one better and give you intel on the last two episodes? I’m hearing that Baron Samedi, the Haitian baddie who first appears in the penultimate installment, starts something that has repercussions in the finale and puts the entire city of Portland at risk.

Question: On Big Bang Theory, does the job offerLeonard gets in the season finale have anything to do with the guys’ tenure fight? —Kat
Ausiello: Nope. Big Bang EP Steven Molaro tells TVLine that the tenure situation is “an ongoing thing” and that “there’s no reason why that story thread could not continue through Season 7 or 8.” However, he says with a laugh, “I do need to do more research about tenure and how long these things take.” Bonus Scoop: A Big Banger will experience a major breakthrough pertaining to the opposite sex in the season finale.

Question: Hello my favorite TV spoiler-er! Do you know if the 8th season of Psych will be its last (I really hope not!)? If not, I’ll settle for any Psych-related scoop please! —A
Ausiello: USA hasn’t made a final decision about Season 8 (which will likely be expanded from eight to 13 episodes) serving as the show’s swan song, but all indications are that it will be. On the scoop front, Anthony Michael Hall is set to reprise his role as Trout in the S8 premiere, which finds his SBPD efficiency consultant the victim of a murder attempt. Among the prime suspects: his lowlife, trash-taking mother. Bonus Scoop: Speaking of Season 8, do we know why [SPOILER] is holding a sonogram in the premiere, pondering baby names…?

Question: I need to know if we are ever going to find out what Nick and Jess wrote down on their cards during New Girl‘s date night episode.  —Candice
Ausiello: You may need to wait a few months (if not years). “That might be a Season 3 reveal,” shares series creator Liz Meriwether. “I feel like one of them potentially just doodled and didn’t actually write anything.” Bonus Scoop: Do not miss this next week’s episode. Trust me.

Question: “Ron Swanson versus The Banana” was probably one of my favorite episode-ending tags to date on Parks and Recreation. Please tell me you have some epic Parks scoop as one of my favorite comedies nears the end of its season. —Lauren
Ausiello: Jon Glaser’s Councilman Jamm has a “big” episode this Thursday, per exec producer Mike Schur. “Ron wants to close Pawnee’s mini-golf course because it’s publicly funded and Leslie, of course, loves mini-golf and thinks it’s incredibly important that it stay open,” Schur elaborates. ” So, she fights him on it and Councilman Jamm is the swing vote. She takes him mini-golfing and tries to woo him to her side — and then Ron comes, too, and it’s a backroom political fight on a golf course,” probably amid miniature windmills.

Question: Out of all of the spoilers in your  May Sweeps Scorecard so far, which show contains the most shocking spoiler? —Peter
Ausiello: One of the pregnancy entries is pretty shocking. Also, the Revenge death is a bit of a jaw-dropper.

Question: Burning Suburgatory Q — will Malin Akerman be hanging around Chatswin next season? —Sharada
Ausiello: “That’s the intention,” says series creator Emily Kapnek. “If her [ABC pilot Trophy Wife], for whatever reason, didn’t go forward, we’d love to do an extended episode arc with her. If we were able to even just get her for a couple [episodes], in the event that her pilot did go forward, that would be great, too.” Should the underrated comedy be back for Season 3 (and I remain convinced it will) Kapnek can easily envision the show “evolving into a co-parenting” situation, with Tessa bouncing between Jeremy Sisto’s George and Akerman’s Alex. Regardless, she assures fans that “George and Tessa are due for a little bit of a reconnection.”

Question: Please, do you have any Rookie Blue scoop? —Kristin
Ausiello: I actually have five — count ‘em five — scoops from the Season 4 premiere on May 23:
* Andy and Nick’s undercover gig trying to bust a drug smuggling ring involves more than just pretending to be bad guys.
* Someone’s taken a vow of celibacy.
* Gail is actually in a good mood. (Gasp!)
* One officer gets punched and kicked in the face by three different people.
* As previously hinted, Sam started dating someone new in the six-month gap between Season 3 and 4.

Question: Have we seen the last of Marco on Revenge? I’m convinced — or at least I was convinced — he’s the Falcon. —Drew
Ausiello: We put your question to departing (sigh) series creator Mike Kelley, who declined to comment on Marco’s role moving forward beyond acknowledging, “He definitely does have knowledge of Nolan and that can come into play at any time.”

Question: Big Vikings fan here. Any news on what is in store for Ragnar and his family in the last episode of Season 1? —Mary
Ausiello: Most simply said, if you ship (Viking humor!) Ragnar and his fiercer half Lagertha hard, Sunday’s season ender will put you to the test. As foreseen by the seer and during Ragnar’s visit to Gotaland, “A new woman comes into Ragnar’s life,” series creator Michael Hirst told Matt Mitovich, “and it is unexpected because so much of the first season has been about this rock-solid relationship between [Ragnar and his wife].” Back home, meanwhile, Lagertha deals with yet another crisis. As for Ragnar’s brother Rollo, if you suspected that Siggy lit a fire under her new honey after the King Horic dis, you’d be right — and in the finale he launches a bold power play.

That’s a wrap! Please send questions, comments, and anonymous tips to askausiello@tvline.com. (Additional reporting by Meg Masters, Vlada Gelman and Kim Roots)

Ask Ausiello: Spoilers on Grey’s, True Blood, NCIS, Big Bang, Chicago Fire, TVD and More

Question: I hear that Grey’s Anatomy‘s season finale is a big secret, but surely you can find out something for us. —Barbara
Ausiello: Challenge accepted. Last month, Shonda Rhimes sent Grey’s fans into a veritable tizzy when she tweeted that everything she previously said about this season’s finale “NO LONGER STANDS,” adding, “We changed everything.” Well, sources confirm that the scoop Rhimes gave me back in February — that the episode would not feature a [spoiler] — still holds true. So, um, phew.

Question: Now that it’s been confirmed that Muse Watson is coming back to NCIS as Mike Franks, can you give us some spoilers about why he’s there and what’ll happen with Gibbs? —Marla
Ausiello: Fortunately, Matt Mitovich just got off the horn with show boss Gary Glasberg, who explained that the Season 10 finale, titled “Damned If You Do” and airing May 14, presents “a situation where Gibbs has to really question, ‘How far is too far? How far can you push the boundaries? How far can the team cross the line?’ And in looking at things from a moral stance, in terms of what has happened over the years, things get internalized and we’re very fortunate to have the ‘conscience’ that is Mike Franks there for Gibbs to interact with.”

Question: Do you have anything new on the NCIS front? –Cheryl 
Ausiello: If you, as many do, see a resemblance between incoming guest star Colin Hanks and Sean Murray (who plays Agent McGee), Glasberg promises that “absolutely” will be addressed on camera. “There’s a terrific scene in ‘Double Blind,’ which is the penultimate episode, when McGee and Colin (playing a DoD snoop) meet for the first time. And it actually comes up again in the finale as well,” the showrunner shares. “We got a big kick out of it around here!”

Question: I saw some Big Bang Theory finale rumors floating around that Amy gives Sheldon an ultimatum — either he sleeps with her or they break up. Can you confirm? —Nora
Ausiello: I can’t confirm that specific scenario, but the May 9 episode, tellingly titled “The Love Spell Potential,” does address the sex issue head-on. “They have a scene toward the end which discusses that quite a bit and kind of goes right at their relationship and will it ever be physical or not,” previews exec producer Steven Molaro. “It is an incredible scene and I can’t wait for it to go on TV.”

Question: There are rumors that True Blood is going to kill off the gorgeous and sexy Eric Northam! Please tell me this isn’t true. He is one of the main reasons I watch. —Kelly
Ausiello: I can neither confirm or deny the rumors, but I can offer you two pieces of evidence that suggest such a twist is in the realm of possibility. The first one comes care of Joe Manganiello, who tells TVLine, “We’re getting to the point in the season now where people are starting to die. The table reads are starting to get smaller, and I’m sure they will continue to do that.” Exhibit B, meanwhile, arrives in the form of Episode 7′s title — “The Funeral.” Sorry I don’t have better news for you Kelly.

Question: Any serious True Blood scoopage? —Colleen
Ausiello: I suppose that depends on how you choose to interpret this additional, equally provocative tease from Mr. Manganiello: “I think [the producers] looked at some things that went on with Alcide last season, and thought, ‘How can we top that or how can we get even racier?’ And I think they’ve succeeded… Right out of the gate, it’s really juicy.”

Question: Do you have any new scoop on Chicago Fire? I’m especially interested in what’s next for Casey and Hallie. I love them together! —Máté
Ausiello: One red-hot, smokin’ Casey/Hallie scoop, coming right up: The return of Casey’s ex “complicates things a lot” for the firefighter, says executive producer Danielle Gelber. “Hallie has come back with renewed vigor, and is also passionate about something new in her life – not a person, but a pursuit… There’s really a feeling that she took a step away to get some distance, perspective, and she’s back with not a vengeance, but with renewed passion.”

Question: Cary/Kalinda of The Good Wife are my favorite current pairing on TV, followed by Schmidt/Cece of New Girl. Can you give me scoop on what’s going to happen with either couple between now and the end of the season?  You get 1K cool points if you spill spoilers for both couples! —Flora
Ausiello: Are these cool points redeemable at Blossom Du Jour? I’m going to assume they are, so, first, let me tell you that I’m hearing from semi-credible sources that the “shocking announcement” threatening to derail Cece’s wedding day does not involve a bun being present in the bride-to-be’s oven. So, that leaves… what? Hit the comments with your theories. As far as Cary/Kalinda, Good Wife exec producer Robert King tells me that their “career and personal [lives] start colliding” in the final two episodes of the season, adding, “Our intent is to go a lot of miles with Kalinda and Cary because they’re such an odd couple. And both Matt [Czuchry] and Archie [Panjabi] are wonderful together.” Regarding the decision to imply rather than show the pair’s romantic rendezvous following their recent bar flirtation, King explains, “You always want to tease out these relationships and not spill your goods. We didn’t intend to do anything other than leave the audience wanting more.”

Question: I am getting really nervous that Glee has not been picked up for a fifth season yet. Will it be renewed? —Nadia
Ausiello: Your answer is right here.

Question: When do you plan on updating your May Sweeps Scorecard? —Jeff
Ausiello: Um, I added about a dozen new (albeit spoiler’d out) entries this week alone. Take particular note of the expanding pregnancy category.

Question: In the promo for this week’s Vampire Diaries’ prom episode, Stefan and Elena seem to be sharing a moment — is it genuine or is Elena pitting the Salvatore Bros. against each other? Also, any nice Delena moments in the episode? —Ana
Ausiello: Elena and Stefan do share an incredibly heated dance, but it’s his intentions you should be asking about. As for Delena, let’s just say Damon’s doubts about Elena’s feelings for him prove to be a sore spot.

Question: I would love to know if Caroline dances with Klaus at Vampire Diaries‘ prom? It is kind of their thing. —Amy
Ausiello: Although Caroline’s dance card is pretty full in the episode, she doesn’t hit the floor with Klaus. That’s the bad news. The good news is that, prior to the big event, those crazy kids do share a nice moment — during which Klaus actually proves to be a friend! Stop the presses!

Question: Is it possible Padma didn’t really die on Revenge? ABC’s logline for the April 28 episode, which references Emily, Aiden and Nolan’s “search for Padma,” suggests she’s still among the living. Whassup? —Claire
Ausiello: Whassup is they must be searching for a corpse, because girlfriend is dead as a doornail. I think. “The hunt for Padma completed with Aiden finding her dead,” confirms series creator Mike Kelley, who then adds, “We kind of table the Padma story until the finale.”

 

Question: Got any scoop on Supernatural? Dying to get some since we’re on hiatus until the 24th! —Ali
Ausiello: Given what a winning introduction the Men of Letters received earlier this year, surely that’s not the last we’ve seen or heard of the secret organization, right? Right… ish. “We will absolutely see the positive and negative effects of being legacies,” says EP Jeremy Carver, adding that MoL “are involved in some capacity” later this season.

 

Question: Anything about Elementary? —Hala
Ausiello: Next Thursday’s episode takes a page straight out of a Sir Arthur Conan Doyle story — and gives it an Elementary twist. The hour is based on the tale “The Adventure of Charles Augustus Milverton” — but it’s not a retelling. “We looked at it and thought it was a great launch to a story,” says exec producer Rob Doherty. “We took the original ending and made that our teaser. Sherlock is hired to recover some blackmail material, infiltrate [bad guy] Milverton’s home and is present when somebody else breaks in behind him and kills Milverton.” That leaves the investigator in “a bit of a bind in that if he reports the murder [and] comes forward as a witness, Milverton’s accomplice will realize his partner is dead and will release all of the blackmail materials into the world. And yet, it’s wrong to not step forward and tell the police you’ve seen somebody killed. We liked that quandary for Sherlock.”

 

Question: You’ve stopped giving us any Community scoop! Why? —Kavya
Ausiello: Because I haven’t had anything to give… until now. In an upcoming episode, Dean P will unveil his most shocking outfit to date. “His shirt comes off,” co-showrunners David Guarascio and Moses Port tell TVLine’s Meg Masters. “Sometimes the best costume is no costume.” In possibly related news, the EPs hint that Dean and Jeff will make a “big, um, commitment” in an upcoming episode, adding, “There’s more Jeff/Dean for sure… Big steps.”

 

Question: What’s Nashville going to do with Susan Misner now that she’ll be a regular on The Americans next season? Is there any way she can stay? –Mariel
Ausiello: Series creator Callie Khouri says probably not – and she feels your pain. “I hate it,” she tells TVLine. “She’s been so great, and she and [Charles Esten] have incredible chemistry. She’s just really, really good.” The EP went on to praise Misner for succeeding in the thankless task of being Deacon’s NotRayna: “It’s a testament to her and her acting ability.” On the bright side: At least Deacon will have a new heartbreak to write songs about.

 

 

Question: Anything on the Episodes front? One of the best comedies on TV, IMHO. —Jacob
Ausiello: Although Season 3 won’t hit your screen until 2014, remember, scoopage is starting to circulate. For one, it appears that Matt LeBlanc — sorry, “Matt LeBlanc” — will have a bit of a PR crisis to deal with when a false rumor makes rounds that he’s entering rehab. It also looks like, with Pucks! on hiatus, “Matt” will take a stab at drama (which scares us more than a bit). But perhaps most interestingly, a Tonight Show appearance figures into one of Season 3′s first episodes, raising the question: Depending on when exactly Episodes returns, will the show need to shoot those scenes two ways, using different Jay/Jimmy host scenarios?

 

Question: I’d love some scoop on Beauty and the Beast if you have time to find some. –@Ewokgrl
Ausiello: Can I interest you in a pair of episode titles? In the CW drama’s penultimate freshman hour, “Date Night,” “Cat and Vincent get to go on a date that is not in his ‘lair’ or whatever you want to call it but out on an actual date, and it’s super-fun,” EP Jennifer Levin tells us. The season finale meanwhile is titled “Never Turn Back” — and make of that what you will.

 

Question: I need some Nikita scoop. —Oli
Ausiello: Division may not be long for this world. Asked if the season is building to the end of the covert spy org, EP Craig Silverstein responds with an unequivocal, “Yes,” before cryptically adding, “and maybe sooner than you thought.”

 

That’s a wrap! Please send questions, comments, and anonymous tips to askausiello@tvline.com. (Additional reporting by Meg Masters, Vlada Gelman and Kim Roots)

Ask Ausiello: Spoilers on Glee, Once, Nikita, SVU, Scandal, Grimm, Good Wife, Bones and More!

Question: Glee got me reeled in with this whole “catfishing of Ryder Lynn” story line, and now I’m dying to know: Is “Katie” a dude? And if so, will Ryder figure it out any time soon?
Ausiello: Ryder’s not exactly Sherlock Holmes, but he begins to put together some of the puzzle pieces in this Thursday’s episode. What’s surprising, though, is that one massive clue — which points to the culprit being a person in (or very close to) New Directions — drops right in the middle of the most harrowing scene the show has ever done.

Question: I know I’m probably in the minority, but I’m excited about single, lesbian Santana taking Manhattan — and I don’t even mind the Brittany-Sam pairing. (It makes sense in a weird way.) So here’s my Glee question: Are we gonna see Kurt and Rachel’s new roomie get some sex in the city before the season is over? —Katie
Ausiello: Shut the porch door — you’re Team Bram? Let me make a notation on my scorecard. (This one might come down to a handful of hanging chads.) Speaking of the dynamic blonde duo, Sam makes a big romantic gesture on Thursday night’s episode that will have serious implications for one of the ensemble’s most hirsute characters. (Spoiler alert: His name rhymes with Chord Lugging Tons.) Now to answer your real question about Santana’s love life, sources confirm to me exclusively that I have zero information on that front.

Question: Big Mindy Project fan. Is there any scoop on Mindy and Danny? — Beth
Ausiello: The romantic tension will be amped up in this season’s final episodes — and there may or may not be [SPOILER].

Question: I’m obsessed with Nashville and I’m so happy new episodes have returned! Any scoop? —Jill
Ausiello: The apparent heart attack/stroke that Lamar suffered at the end of last week’s episode will prove to be fatal. Just joshing. He survives, but for how long? “He’s one tough customer,” acknowledges series creator Callie Khouri. “But there’s also the oh-how-the-mighty-have-fallen aspect to deal with. It’s a different place than we’ve seen him throughout the whole season. He seems very strong and a kind of invincible person. And then suddenly you realize: Everybody’s mortal.”

Question: Got any Law & Order: SVU scoop on Olivia and Cassidy? I love them together. —Stephanie
Ausiello: The good news is they’re still a couple. The less good news is their relationship will largely evolve off screen for the remainder of the season. “I’ve been trying hard to maintain [the show's serialized elements] on a standalone show, which is a challenge,” concedes showrunner Warren Leight. “[But] something works between the two of them – and I like it; I like writing for him. And I like how much tension there is between Cassidy and Amaro…  So Cassidy remains in our minds. And if there’s a Season 15, I have to think we’ll see more of him, as well.”

Question: Do you know if there any big deaths coming up on The Vampire Diaries? —Audrey
Ausiello: Nope, but I can tell you that next Thursday’s episode features another big return, as well as a passing glimpse of Silas’ real face — rumor has it he looks a lot like an actor out of Atlanta named Scott Parks. However, don’t get too used to seeing Silas’ authentic self. According to sources, the erstwhile warlock will continue to do most of his dirty work in disguise.

Question: When will Vampire Diaries start addressing the fact almost all of the core characters will be graduating high school in a few weeks? —Matt
Ausiello: The G-word will soon become a big topic of conversation in Mystic Falls. “There’s going to be a lot of questions about, ‘Who am I? What am I going to do with my life? What am I meant to be? Where am I meant to go?’” previews exec producer Julie Plec. “All of our characters will be faced with that question as they make decisions about whether to stay or go, go to college, travel the world, break up, stay together. A lot of big, important life decisions as we say goodbye to the high school chapter of the show.”

Question: Please, Scandal withdrawal is killing me. Anything related to the show is greatly appreciated. —Mateo
Ausiello: How about some new intel on the mysterious character Jasika Nicole is playing? TVLine previously scooped that the Fringe vet’s alter ego has “a deep connection to an existing character.” Well, the preview snippet ABC just released for her episode — airing April 25 — includes this telltale line: “Secrets from Huck’s life before Pope and Associates are revealed.” You thinking what I’m thinking?!

Question: The Spartacus finale is just days away, and I have two Qs: Have you seen it? And, if so, thoughts? Scoop? —Jesse
Ausiello: Technically, that’s three Qs, but I’ll overlook it since I have answers for you. Yes, I’ve seen it. I thought it was a thoroughly satisfying conclusion to the series. And there’s (naturally) a ton of death (both pivotal and inconsequential), some seriously stunning (and gut-wrenching) imagery and a fair amount of heart-tugging flashbacks/callbacks. Yes, there’s some gratuitous sex and breastacle flashing, too. God, is that all you people think about?! Disgusting.

Question: I would love to hear anything about The Good Wife‘s final three episodes of the season. —Ella
Ausiello: Cary’s move to launch his own firm will take center-ish stage, I hear. In possibly related news, remember the big Alicia story that Julianna Margulies teased was coming in Episode 20? Well, Episode 20 is right around the corner — April 14, to be precise. Might Alicia join her former nemesis out the door? Does Florick/Agos have a certain ring to it? Amy I grasping at straws?

Question: Once Upon a Time is in the middle of three-week hiatus for the third time this season. Can you tide us over with some scoop, please? —Ben
Ausiello: Walking Dead‘s decision to promote Sonequa Martin Green to a series regular in Season 4 doesn’t necessarily mean the end is near for Once‘s Tamara. “The challenge that we’ve faced, both seasons so far, is scheduling,” Once exec producer Adam Horowitz notes. “We don’t want to give away what our plans are for any character, but we’ve been able to work out scheduling in the past.” (Helping matters, he said, is the fact that Walking Dead resumes just as Once is wrapping S2.) Adds EP Eddy Kitsis: “Hopefully, things will work out [when it comes to Season 3]. We think she’s done a great job.”

Question: I know you’ve probably teased everything you could about it, but anything else on the Bones‘ season finale? With the exception of Sunday’s big scene, they have been pretty quiet as of late. —Rachel
Ausiello: Pelant’s possible accomplice has been identified: Beau Knapp (Super 8) has been cast in the April 29 finale as Zane Reynolds, a menacing member of a religious cult whose family members were killed by FBI agents ten years ago. Booth believes that Zane, armed to the teeth, is taking orders from Pelant and might be targeting Booth & Co.

Question: Any word on a renewal for Nikita? It seems to have stayed pretty steady since moving back to 8pm? —Jared
Ausiello: Good news: Buoyed in part by a report in Deadline that said the show might be renewed for a shortened final season, Nikita has been upgraded to a “safe bet” on TVLine’s Renewal Scorecard. Also brightening the show’s renewal prospects is word that the show’s May 17 closer features a cliffhanger-ish ending. Basically, if they ended the series that way, people would be very unhappy.

Question: Nikita scoop, please! Preferably anything on Alex and Owen? I love the dynamic that has been set up between them. —Steph
Ausiello: Lyndsy Fonseca hints that there’s a “really cool twist” coming with regard to Owen’s relationship with not only Alex but everyone. “Owen as a character changes a lot by the end of the season,” she teases. “All I’m going to say is that Amanda’s influence on — and what she’s done to — Alex and Nikita and Owen and eventually another character is going to become apparent.” Bonus Scoop: The aforementioned finale? Per Fonseca, Amanda has a “big part” in it.

Question: I loved the Justified finale. Is that the end of the Detroit mob plot, or will it continue in Season 5? —Keith
Ausiello: Much like Nicky Augustine, it’s dead. “It’s our intent to move off of it, to a certain extent,” confirmed exec producer Graham Yost, before nothing that we may see Max Perlich’s mafia heir Sammy Tonin again. “We really like [him]. There could be fun stuff there, but that’s not something we’re driving toward. [But] if something materialized, it would be a good story.”

Question: Does Margo Martindale’s casting in CBS’ Will Arnett pilot mean her Americans handler Claudia is about to get whacked? I hope not. I love the dynamic between her and Elizabeth (Keri Russell). —Julie
Ausiello: From the sounds of it, FX’s espionage thriller isn’t letting the Emmy winner go without a fight. “We love Margo,” says exec producer Joel Fields, before adding (with tongue planted firmly in cheek), “Look, we’re The Americans. We’re spies. And I would never threaten anybody else in the business or at another network, but we love Margo. And Claudia is part of The Americans. So [CBS] can TRY to come after her and put her in another pilot. But they should be aware of the KGB. The KGB is a very powerful organization with a long reach.” Hope that answered your question, Julie!

Question: Do you have any Grimm news? —JP
Ausiello: Nick’s heightened abilities in the wake of being attacked by that fly Wesen won’t turn him into Superman, maintains exec producer David Greenwalt. “You’ll see some cool fighting for sure,” he adds, “but he won’t be able to leap off tall buildings in a single bound or anything like that.” Adds fellow EP James Kouf with a laugh: “It’ll take at least two bounds.”

Ask Ausiello: Spoilers on Grey’s, Walking Dead, Sons of Anarchy, Glee, Shameless and More!

Question: I’d be grateful if you could toss some Sons of Anarchy scoop my way. —Ron
Ausiello: Don’t look for Clay to find an easy way out of the pokey. Asked how long Ron Perlman’s ex-SAMCRO frontman will be behind bars in Season 6, series creator Kurt Sutter acknowledged that the character backed himself into quite a corner. “That’s a rough one,” he says. “We’re going to have to play out that storyline a little bit to know exactly where it goes. We’re still kind of figuring out the ramifications of everything in terms of where he lands.” The bigger question is whether there’s anyone left in Charming who gives a damn about him. “The interesting thing is by having the two people he loved most in terms of the club, Juice and Gemma, kind of turn on him,” Sutter notes. “I do think there was a moment  where, even though you despise Clay to an extent, you actually felt sorry for this guy. So yeah, there’s not a lot of sympathy out there.”

Question: Any news on the upcoming season of Sons of Anarchy? —Teresa
Ausiello: As a matter of fact, yes: Sutter essentially confirms that Jax has given up on the fantasy of ever getting out of the family business. “I think Jax has made the decision, ‘This is my life, this is what I’m supposed to be doing, but can I do it the right way? Can I get us out of guns? Can I go legit?,” shares the boss. “He’s at the same precipice his dad was at 25 years ago. It’s not so much about getting out but, ‘Can I make it less dangerous and keep people safe? Can I keep my family whole?’ That’s the shift that has happened.”

Question: So… 90210 is ending. Can you give us any sneak peeks as to what’s going to happen? —Sanjana
Ausiello: A major character will be diagnosed with the Big C (and I’m not talking about chlamydia.)

Question: I’m curious about this first son of Victoria’s on Revenge. Will we meet him this season? —Sam
Ausiello: Unlikely. Word around the Hamps is V’s MIA demon spawn will turn up next fall.

Question: Add me to the list of Walking Dead fans wanting more Andrea/Michonne flashbacks in Season 4. Any chance of that happening? —Carol
Ausiello: Laurie Holden certainly seemed game for a comeback when I chatted with her after Sunday’s finale, but it’s ultimately up to series creator Robert Kirkman and new showrunner Scott M. Gimple. For his part, Kirkman tells me there’s “definitely some room to [further explore] the relationship between Michonne and Andrea” moving forward, adding, “It’s always a possibility.”

Question: I was wondering if you had any scoops as we head into Sunday’s finale of Showtime’s most underrated series, Shameless? —Mike
Ausiello: Although the penultimate episode strongly implied that Jimmy was about to sail away to his death, Emmy Rossum tells TVLine that his ultimate fate remains a mystery — even to her. ”They shot a bunch of different things [in the finale] in terms of Jimmy, and they’re not telling us what they’re airing,” she says. “So I’m not really sure how the season ends, to be honest.” Meanwhile, Rossum says we should also be “worried about Frank, because we’re going to see him take the biggest toll in the finale.”

Question: What should we brace for in the Justified finale? The whole Winona/glider thing has me fearing the worst. –Elicia
Ausiello: Your intuition, like all of ours, would be spot-on. “Raylan has got a lot of s–t to deal with” during Season 4′s final hour, says Timothy Olyphant. “Winona is in trouble, and he’s going to have to deal with it by making some tough decisions.” All told, the actor-producer said of his just-renewed FX hit, “I’m really proud of this season, and I think it’s a nice finale.” (For Joelle Carter’s take on the finale, scroll down for the latest episode of Spoiler Alert!.)

Question: What does the Cul de Sac Crew do with all their wine corks on Cougar Town? I would love to see a wall in Jules’ house just covered floor to ceiling in them! —Nicole
Ausiello: [Crickets] So… Dan Byrd told us that this week’s Breakfast Club-themed episode is “one of my favorites” from all of Season 4, as the C-d-Sers expose their inner monologues willy-nilly. Although everyone, Travis included, gets to partake in the gimmick, “There’s definitely more voiceover with Jules” after she lands in “grocery store jail.” Says Byrd, “It’s a great little tool to add more comedy, to be able to say what anybody’s thinking at that moment.”

Question: I just watched the entire first two seasons of Awkward on Netflix in two days! Do you have any scoop for Season 3? BTW, love TVLine! —Elizabeth
Ausiello: Flattery won’t get you everywhere but it will score you scoop, Liz. During a recent Season 3 set visit, Beau Mirchoff told TVLine that Jenna and Matty are “pretty great” as an official couple, adding, “They both care about each other a whole lot.” But as Shakespeare once wrote, the course of true love neverith did runneth smoothith. “I hate to say it, but I wonder if Matty cares for Jenna a little bit too much,” the actor teased, before delivering this little tidbit: “You get to learn more about Matty this year in his home life. He’s not as happy as people may think.” (BTW, Season 3 launches on April 16.)

Question: I’m so excited for the Carrie Diaries season (hopefully not series) finale next week! Have any scoop? —Julius
Ausiello: Exec producer Amy Harris is feeling so optimistic about a renewal that she’s already prepping her pitch to The CW for a possible second season. The theme? The age of innocence… lost! “After those [firsts] have happened and you’ve had some betrayal and some hurt along the way, who do you become?” muses Harris. Ideally, the start of Season 2 will feature “those hot, steamy New York summers mixed with the country club of Castlebury. That is going to lead to some exciting, very sexy stories.” By the way, did you see the tease about a Sex and the City character who’s mentioned in next Monday’s finale? Well, sources confirm to Ask Ausiello exclusively that we “might” meet him/her in the flesh during that aforementioned Season 2 heat wave.

Question: Got any scoop on Friday’s penultimate Spartacus: War of the Damned? —Stacy
Ausiello: A major character switches sides, and someone we thought was dead turns up very much alive.

Question: Do you know anything, even the smallest thing, about the Grey’s Anatomy finale? —Jessica
Ausiello: I know the cast received a very subtle warning not to share the contents of the script with anyone. I also know that it will be big — literally and figuratively. “The last two episodes of the season work together as a giant two-week finale,” reveals consulting producer (and Scandal co-star) Dan Bucatinsky, who penned the episode leading into the two-part closer. Titled “Do You Believe in Magic,” the hour — Season 9′s 22nd (of 24) — is “an exploration of magic,” Bucatinsky explains. “The magic of medicine, and also the magic of romance and the ways in which the revelation of a secret can play both as a blessing or a curse.” On the Mer-Der front, the abracadabra-themed ep will explore their “tantalizing and terrifying” emotions as they await the birth of their child. “They’re looking at both the magic of creating a family and the scariness of not knowing.”

Question: What’s coming up on The Americans? It’s my favorite new show! —Hannah
Ausiello: The Season 1 finale’s coming up, and according to exec producer Joel Fields it will delve deeper into the ’80s phenomenon known as (the other) Star Wars. “That will play a fun role in the finale,” Fields reveals, noting, “Nobody called it Star Wars in 1981. It was Strategic Defense or the Anti-Ballistic Missile Program, which was a mouthful.” Fields is particularly interested in exploring the Day After-esque paranoia that pervaded society during that time. “We genuinely wondered when there might be a global, thermonuclear confrontation that would result in the end of all civilization in the matter of moments,” he recalls. “That was a real possibility that hung over all of us then. And that’s such an interesting world to [dramatize].”

Question: I need some Hart of Dixie scoop, please! —Audrey
Ausiello: A New York-bound Zoe will experience the flight from hell in the season finale when a passenger falls ill and, naturally, she’s the only doctor on board. Now I have a question for you: Who do you think is accompanying her on this trip? Because rumor has it she’s not travelling alone.

Question: Do you know anything about Royal Pains‘ fifth season? —Cristina
Ausiello: Hope you’re sitting down, because we have it on good authority that Evan’s well-heeled artist wife is getting a (gulp) 9-to-5 job. The show is casting the recurring role of Russel Berger, a fortysomething curator at Sutton and Chesterfield’s, where Paige is interviewing for an internship. Her fastidious potential boss looks her up and down, rolls his eyes and sighs, “Oh, that’s right… you’re a woman.” How rude (and kinda hilarious)!

Question: What’s happening with Monday Mornings on TNT? Has it been renewed? —Robin
Ausiello: If by “renewed” you mean “on the verge of cancellation,” then yes, it’s been renewed.

Question: Got any Glee scoop coming up for Santana? Maybe a new love interest? —Ashley
Ausiello: Ryan Murphy strongly hinted at that very possibility in a Twitter Q&A on Monday. Responding to a question about future Brittany/Santana duets, Murphy said, “Wouldn’t you rather see Santana singing to a hot together girl in NY who could emotionally give her a real relationship? I do.” (For the record, I do, too.) Meanwhile, the rumors are true: Rachel will dust off “Don’t Stop Believing” for her Funny Girl audition (but there’s a small, super-fun twist).

Question: Any juicy spoiler re: the Bones season finale? I’m nearly dying with anxiety! —Maria
Ausiello: What’s scarier than Pelant unleashed? Pelant unleashed with a freakin’ accomplice!

That’s a wrap! Please send questions, comments, and anonymous tips to askausiello@tvline.com. (Additional reporting by Vlada Gelman)

Ask Ausiello: Spoilers on Spartacus, 90210, Liars, Glee, Bones, Castle, Teen Wolf and More!

Question: Is Puck ever going to get a real storyline again on Glee? It feels almost like he’s been completely written off the show and he’s my favorite. —Sarah
Ausiello: Funny you should ask. Word on the street is he plays a significant part in the episode that is currently shooting. (Hint: We’ll get answers to the questions, “Where is he living?” and “What’s the deal with him and Kitty?”)

Question: Any interesting Glee news you can share with us? —Sebastian
Ausiello: Does the prospect of Coach Roz wresting control of the Cheerios from Sue sound interesting?

Question: Do you have any scoop on Castle‘s 100th episode? —Kathrin
Ausiello: It airs Monday and “there’s a lot of Castle/Beckett fun,” previews series creator Andrew Marlowe. “It does focus on aspects of their relationship, but what we wanted to deliver is something that was classic Castle and Beckett. Something that felt like it could have played in [the] first season, or now. We were looking for something that was really quintessential, and we were really excited to have found it.” And perhaps on a related note — or quite possibly not! — Jon Huertas teases, “There’s some lingerie” featured in the milestone outing. “It’s not on Esposito this time, but there’s some sexy attire. And there might even be a celebration.”

Question: Aus, come on. It’s the final season and you’re showing no love to Spartacus! —Naazneen
Ausiello: Jupiter frak me, you’re right. Apologies. Hopefully this will make up for lost time: In next Friday’s penultimate episode (this Friday is a recap special, FYI) Spartacus (the character and the show) pays glorious tribute to Crixus and, at the same time, introduces a much-despised character to the mystical power known as Karma.

Question: I’m crushed about 90210 being cancelled, and the only thing that would mend my broken heart is a Silver and Dixon reunion. Will my heart be forever broken, or is it a possibility that these two find their way back in the end? —Natalie
Ausiello: All I’ll say is that at least two of the show’s star-crossed duos will reunite in the May 13 series finale — with one of those couples getting full-on engaged. Also, rumor has it much of the swan song revolves around the aftermath of an explosion.

Question: Is Jenna back for good on Pretty Little Liars? An what about Shana — is she around for a bit? —Lori
Ausiello: According to exec producer Oliver Goldstick, “You’ll see both around,” adding, “We saw [in last week's finale] that they’re a weird trio, like Macbeth’s witches, with Melissa and Jenna and Shana plotting. So the four girls start Season 4 questioning what the alliance is between those three. Is one of them actually giving orders to the others? What bonds them besides their antipathy toward Alison and the Liars?”

Question: Is Colton Haynes really gone from Teen Wolf? If so, are they going to recast the part? –Kriselda
Ausiello: Now that Haynes has been upped to a series regular for Arrow Season 2, his days as Jackson are definitley over. And while there was talk that his character would be killed off for the Season 3 premiere (airing June 7), Haynes himself has heard nothing to that effect. “I don’t know, actually,” he tells us. “I’m still really good friends with everybody, and I’m sure that [showrunner] Jeff [Davis] and all the writers, whichever way they go [with Jackson], it will be epic and true to the show. I think that Jackson will always be alive, somehow. Whether they kill him or not, Jeff will find a way where everybody is happy.”

Question: Veep‘s second season is right around the corner — got any new intel? —Beth
Ausiello: Anna Chlumsky’s chief of staff is getting a new love interest and he’s going to look a lot like onetime Office worker Zach Woods (Gabe).

Question: Any scoop on the New Girl finale? —Amber
Ausiello: I have three little nuggets of info for you: The episode is cheekily titled “Downton Abbey Christmas Special” (a nod to the fact that Fox tacked on an extra “bonus” ep to its Season 2 order), it takes place on Cece’s wedding day, and it features a guest appearance by a living, breathing, out-of-control badger. I kid you not.

Question: Scandal scoop? Please? I’m obsessed! —Jeff
Ausiello: The Grim Reaper will be putting in another appearance soon. No recurring character is safe!

Question: How long before Neal figures out Tamara’s real deal on Once Upon a Time? —Kelly
Ausiello: Not any time soon, so everyone there in Storybrooke — both magical and “Muggle” — had better watch their backs. Because make no mistake, Tamara isn’t pulling off her dirty work using any ol’ $99 stun gun. “We did not just kill a magical creature with an off-the-shelf Taser,” series cocreator Adam Horowitz affirms. “The Taser isn’t what it seems at first, and we get into that soon.”

Question: I’m ashamed to admit I watch (and enjoy) Anger Management. Go ahead and judge me, but do it after you give me some scoop. —Jenna
Ausiello: FX’s Charlie Sheen comedy is currently shooting an episode titled “Charlie Gets Lindsay Lohan In Trouble,” which tells us two things: Lilo will be playing herself (which we knew). And the show is going to have some fun lampooning that pesky image problem of hers (which was inevitable). I also hear Lohan will find herself shooting a commercial for a Japanese gum for alcoholics called Number One Happy Whiskey Chew (which I’m pretty sure we didn’t know). And with that, the judging of Jenna begins!

Question: I have not heard anything about Bones‘ penultimate episode this season. Do you know anything about it that you can tease? I know Chad Lowe is directing and that, apparently, they’re shooting something big on Tuesday. —Amelia
Ausiello: Today’s Ask Ausiello is (apparently) brought to you by the word penultimate! Regarding your query, I defer to exec producer Stephen Nathan: “The penultimate episode involves shutting down the lab because of an unknown and highly contagious disease which has killed a blogger. One of our own is also afflicted. The only way to save this member of ‘our family,’ who I will not divulge, is to catch the murderer. It’s a pretty intense and emotional Bones.” Which member of the team do you think gets cooties? Jump to the comments with your most educated guesses! (Then jump back and read the rest of AA, please. There’s some good stuff below.)

Question: Any shot at all for Smash? Any discussion out there from DirecTV, Bravo, etc. about co-producing or picking it up entirely? I enjoyed Season 1, but I’m really loving Season 2 and really disappointed to hear that it’s pretty much already been canceled. —Nick
Ausiello: It hasn’t been officially cancelled, but the writing is on the wall. That said, the show must go on, and so must the scoop: Dylan Baker, in addition to his imminent encore as The Good Wife‘s wily Colin Sweeney, is due back to NBC’s musical drama next Tuesday, as Karen’s dad. “My wife Becky [Ann, who plays Mama Cartwright] was not available, so I had to come back solo to check in on Karen, see what she’s up to,” TV’s go-to guest star tells us. And did daddy’s little girl make him proud? “She has this killer song in the episode” — Hit List‘s “Broadway Here I Come” — Baker reports, “that she knocked out of the park.”

Question: I’ve been waiting weeks for any news on Game of Thrones and still none! Any spoilers you can toss my way? —Laura
Ausiello: After screening the first four episodes of Season 3, I’m ready to declare it the Year of Jaime and Brienne.

Question: Just loving Arrow. Any hope for Laurel and Oliver? —Clare
Ausiello: Though in this Wednesday’s episode Oliver is there to console Felicity in the wake of this tragic incident (for which she blames herself), know that by hour’s end, the tough guy bravely reaches out to his ex, having decided he’s “tired of living on an island.”

Question: Big Bang Theory season finale scoopage, please? —Carlos
Ausiello: Producers are eschewing a big splashy event (like last year’s Howard-Bernadette nups) in favor of “an intimate” episode, per exec producer Chuck Lorre. “[It's a] small story that’s meaningful to the characters and to us as writers on the show.” Adds fellow EP Bill Prady: “It’s a really good character story.” Hmm… Are Sheldon and Amy about to — don’t do it Michael… it’s too obvious… you’re better than that… you’ll be judged as harshly as Jenna… — bang?

That’s a wrap! Please send questions, comments, and anonymous tips to askausiello@tvline.com. (Additional reporting by Megan Masters and Vlada Gelman)

Ask Ausiello: Spoilers on Bones, True Blood, Grey’s, NCIS, Castle, Glee, Dead and More!

Question: Can’t wait to read/watch your interview with Bones‘ David Boreanaz and Emily Deschanel. When will it post? Until then, what can you tease about what they told you on the set? —Amelia
Ausiello: Those two blessed souls gave me such a blockbuster interview that I’ll be splitting it up into two parts, the first of which is slated to debut Wednesday. Here’s your appetite-whetter: Before the season is over, there will be a wedding. But who’s getting hitched?!

Question: How will this season’s Bones finale compare to all of the previous ones? —@xBajanQueenRiRi via Twitter
Ausiello: David Boreanaz will be calling the shots behind-the-scenes, so rest assured major stuff will go down. “David likes to direct big episodes, and this will be big,” previews exec producer Stephen Nathan, adding that the hour will “feature a bit of action” and, quite possibly, a casualty or two. “We’re not going to be altogether sure how everybody is at the end of the season finale,” he teases, cryptically. “Lives will hang in the balance.”

Question: Be your awesome self and please help sort out some Bones fandom confusion: What ep does Booth’s mom appear in and will she be in more than one episode this season and/or next? —Denise 
Ausiello: First off, Joanna Cassidy turns up in the April 15 episode and not the April 29 season finale, as was reported. Secondly, although she’s only booked for one episode, Nathan says he “would like to continue that story” in Season 9. Lastly, and this doesn’t pertain to your question but I thought you should know: The show will once again stay in production after the finale wraps to shoot a few standalone “bonus” episodes (two, to be precise) to air sometime next fall.

Question: What does the Parks and Recreation finale have in store for Ben and Leslie? —Ronnie
Ausiello: Not sure about Ben, but Leslie is going to have a run-in with these guys.

Question: Any Meredith/Derek/baby-related Grey’s Anatomy scoops? —Tia
Ausiello: The unsettling news: Mer goes into full-tilt-panic mode about the health of her oven bun in the March 21 episode. The better news: Derek does some incredibly sweet things to calm her fears.

Question: I long for hot weather when vampires and werewolves take their clothes off! Any True Blood scoop? —Jenilee
Ausiello: Yep — I can tell you with whom those vampires and werewolves will be stripping down! She’s Violet, a hot-as-hell, tough-as-nails blood-sucker in, give or take, her 600s (though she’ll look about 25). Not only do I hear that she’ll be mixed up in a major love triangle, the role will go from recurring this season to series regular the next. Got casting tips? Hit the comments!

Question: Break it to me gently — what’s the fate of Bunheads? Will it live or die? —Audrey
Ausiello: Contrary to rumors, it has not been picked up for a second season by ABC Family. That said, I firmly believe it will be.

Question: Any news yet on whether Cote de Pablo has/or will sign her contract to remain on NCIS? —Linda
Ausiello: Only that her castmates “hope that’s the case,” Brian Dietzen tells TVLine. “I’m optimistic,” he added. “But who knows? All I know is that everyone has been pretty close for a long time, and [no one] is unhappy on the show. If the cast doesn’t stay intact, I don’t think it’ll be because, ‘Oh, we don’t want to be here.’ It’ll be because of other opportunities or something. But hopefully we don’t discuss that for a while because the show is going really, really well, and people enjoy working on it. I know I’ll be there next year!”

Question: I need scoop on NCIS: LA‘s Deeks/Kensi. Anything would be awesome! —Christy
Ausiello: Oh, I’ve got much more than “anything.” Daniela Ruah shared with TVLine this sexy scoop at Monday’s TV Academy Hall of Fame event: “Considering how fun it was to see Kensi and Deeks go undercover as a married couple, they’re doing it again” — not long before the season ends. “I just found out today,” she added, “so that’s pretty much the extent of my knowledge.”

Question: I noticed you have Axl from The Middle listed as graduating in your May Sweeps Scorecard. Do we know if he actually graduates? —Carla
Ausiello: Well, I know at least that there will be a graduation episode. (Given that it’s Axl, though, anything is possible.) In that same episode, which also happens to be the season finale, Sue takes her driving test again. And by “again,” I mean “for the sixth time.” Oh, and did you hear about this?!

Question: Any scoop on Castle‘s Lanie/Esposito? Will they be getting more airtime? —Katherine
Ausiello: At minimum, they’ll get some sexy-loooking-time. Tamala Jones confirms that, as hinted in the Valentine’s Day episode, the 12th precinct’s M.E. and detective “are seeing each other, and have been secretly seeing each other.” Moving forward, she teased, “I think possibly you’ll see a little bit more action between them [in Episode 100, airing April 1]. Everybody’s going to be looking spectacular, I can tell you that.”

Question: A while ago, Nashville kind of made it sound like Deacon had caused an accident back when he wasn’t sober. Any details on that? —Makenna
Ausiello: I can’t tell you exactly what happened when Deacon was on the sauce/pills/whatever, but I can tell you that Nashville creator and EP Callie Khouri promises a big reveal. “It’ll come up later,” she says. “We’ll find out more about that time in his life.” Bonus Scoop: Look for Liam to ask Rayna to go away with him for a long weekend. And look for her to say yes.

Question: You guys got any good Grimm scoop? —Ron
Ausiello:  If you’re a fan of Monroe and Rosalee as a couple, Ron, you won’t like this: I’m hearing that because of the bigger stories going on (like Adalind’s Wesen bun in the oven and the Juliette-Renard-Nick triangle), the Spice Shop proprietress and her suitor will be backburnered for a while. “I think that Monroe and Rosalee are more in the service of a bigger story right now,” notes Silas Weir Mitchell.

Question: Will there be any major deaths in The Walking Dead finale? —Soso
Ausiello: I’d much rather discuss Sunday’s antepenultimate Season 3 episode, in which you’ll get a flashback to “simpler times” between Andrea and Michonne (and the latter’s “pets”); you’ll see Andrea train a gun on the Governor (but what, if anything, could stop her from pulling the trigger?); and you’ll be on the edge of your seat throughout a 10-minute cat-and-mouse sequence, ultimately uttering an expletive at your TV as it comes to an end.

Question: Scandal fan here with an urgent question: Who is Jake? —Nancy
Ausiello: A new woman’s about to come between the POTUS and the first lady, and her name is Lauren. She’s Fitz’s new assistant, and her primary job responsibility is to keep Mellie at bay (no small task). Oh, and to answer your question: No clue who Jake is. But I have my theories.

Question: We know that Schmidt loses his virginity to Nurse Jackie‘s Merritt Wever in New Girl‘s big flashback episode, but do do you have any intel on who Jess’ first time was with? —Donna
Ausiello: Without giving too much away, he’s smokin’ hot and carries a big hose. And he’s someone we’ve never, ahem, laid eyes on. Sex puns, FTW!

Question: What’s going to be happening with Adam and Kurt on Glee? –Chris
Ausiello: They’re going Greek! Maybe! Rumor has it that one of NYADA’s most popular fraternities will invite Kurt (and maybe Adam) to become members — bypassing the dreaded pledge process and all — after they “put out” (and save the day) at their big spring rager.

Ask Ausiello: Spoilers on Grey’s, Once, Vampire Diaries, Southland, Castle, Glee, Suits and More!

Question: Two weeks until Grey’s Anatomy returns! I need scoop, STAT! —Babar
Ausiello: Now that Jackson has been handed the keys to Seattle Grace, expect some “pretty significant” changes, previews Jesse Williams, who notes that the promotion represents both a “leap forward” and a “leap back” for his well-pedigreed alter ego. “He wants to be taken seriously and to make his own name for himself, but he’s also getting handed a responsibility that is a [direct] result of his legacy and his family, which is what he set out from the very beginning [to avoid]. So that creates some inner turmoil for him, and maybe a little bit of guilt. But he’s going to have to make it work or get run over. And I think we’re going to see that struggle over the course of the next few episodes.” On the personal front, Williams — who spoke to TVLine over the weekend at a Montblanc/UNICEF pre-Oscar charity brunch — hints that the Jackson/April/Stephanie/Matthew imbroglio will come to a head. “Something is going to have to get figured out with April and Jackson,” he surmises. “I don’t know about a resolution, but [those] two ships are going to try to meet at some point by the end of the season.”

Question: I’ve just finished watching the first season of Once Upon a Time and I love it, especially the relationship between Emma and August/Pinocchio. Do you know if he is coming back in Season 2? —Gaia
Ausiello: Yes, as previously reported, Eion Bailey will resurface later this season as August — as will Jamie Dornan as Sheriff Graham/The Huntsman! — but Emma will only reunite with one the fellas. “I don’t have scenes with Jamie, unfortunately,” Jennifer Morrison shares with us, “but I do have scenes with Eion.” Bonus Scoop: Though Matt Mitovich teased in the new Spoiler Alert! that there would be one death in this Sunday’s episode, technically there are two — one in each realm.

Question: Got anything on ABC’s under-appreciated Happy Endings? —Claire
Ausiello: I actually have a question for you Claire: Why are Dave and Penny holding a (totally fraudulent) casting call for a baby? In other Happy news, did you hear about this?!

Question: Any info on Jenny Slate’s Parks and Recreation guest stint, beyond her playing Jean Ralphio’s twin sister? —Lily
Ausiello: Her character, Mona Lisa Saperstein, is being brought on primarily to terrorize Ben. “One of my favorite things to do in the world is take awful people — like Jean Ralphio or Mona Lisa — and just put Adam Scott in scenes with them,” says exec producer Mike Schur with a laugh. “I have them act so horrifying and then have Adam just basically be the conscience of the show, and be absolutely blown away by how horrifying they are.”

Question: Is Eve Best leaving Nurse Jackie? I read that O’Hara was going to leave for London. —Mayara
Ausiello: Jackie lose her BFF? Pshaw. Per a Showtime rep, Best will be back as a series regular for Season 5 (bowing April 14).

Question: Southland scoop? —Charley
Ausiello: Now that Cooper and his young boot have parted ways, get ready to meet John’s new partner in this Wednesday’s episode. Yes, we said partner, not trainee. “John gets to a point where he just doesn’t want to train for a while,” previews Michael Cudlitz. “He’d rather be on the streets again with a seasoned officer, and he makes that choice as he reevaluates things in his life.” Enter, Third Watch‘s Anthony Ruivivar as Hank Lucero, a 10/15-year veteran of the LAPD. It’s a “very normal partner relationship with two seasoned officers who are at different places in their careers,” says Cudlitz. “So you get to see a little more active day-to-day policing.”

Question: Suburgatory scoop, please. – Latifah
Ausiello: Bad news: Ryan Shay’s leaving. Better news: I’m kinda-sorta screwing with you. The truth is, Ryan will be going off to college on a football scholarship in the Season 2 finale, but series creator Emily Kapnek insists Parker Young will be back next fall (assuming the show gets a third season pickup from ABC, which, come on, it will). “We have a great, fantastic scene with Ryan and Tessa coming up in the finale,” Kapnek tells TVLine, “[where they are] navigating his departure and whether or not he can live with being away.” Adds Young: “[They] learn to come to terms with the fact that they can’t be together forever…. [Tessa is] a strong girl; she can handle being abandoned.” Bonus Scoop: Kapnek says Tessa’s mom (played by Malin Akerman) will resurface before season’s end.

Question: Happy belated birthday!  Do you have any scoop about the 100th episode of Castle? —Sue
Ausiello: I’ve got two words for you, and one of them’s “***r” and the other one’s “*i**o*.” Also, true fact: Birthday wishes don’t mean anything unless they come with a gift. (Look, I don’t make the rules.)

Question: I will Smurf whatever pull I have with the big Smurf in the sky to rain blessings upon you if you deign to tell me if there’s more Quintana coming up on Glee? —Rob C.
Ausiello: As of this writing, no. But there’s a lot of Season 4 left.

Question: Any scoop on the upcoming Klaus sex scene on The Vampire Diaries? —Holly
Ausiello: There will be blood ink. Teases exec producer Julie Plec of the anticipated coitus session in Episode 16 (airing March 14): “I will say that Joseph Morgan has some tattoos that I didn’t know he had until shooting this scene.” (BTW, Plec wouldn’t say if his partner in fornication was someone we’ve met before).

Question: Any scoop on Elijah’s Vampire Diaries return? —Jessica
Ausiello: Plec confirms that viewers will get “a little Elijah flavor” before the planted Originals spin-off airs in April. “It’ll be fun to have him back in our Mystic Falls universe,” she adds. “We finally get a sense of what he’s been doing during his whole absence from our world.”

Question: Can you give us any Vampire Diaries scoop on Silas? —Holly
Ausiello: Plec will eventually put a face to the name, telling TVLine, “We do plan at some point to meet the real Silas.”

Question: Suits fanatic here. Is it too early to beg for details about next season? —Anelej
Ausiello: Folks, you really need to stop asking me if it’s too early for scoop. As the Ask Ausiello mission statement clearly states, it’s never too early. Case in point: I already know that Season 3 will continue the Rachel-wants-to-become-a-lawyer plot, despite her recent rejection from Harvard. “I don’t think her quest to become a lawyer is dead,” shares EP Aaron Korsh. “[But] she’s going to have to deal with what she wants to do [in Season 3]. She acted with hubris [and] didn’t apply to a backup school. There are other schools she can apply to. She’s got to decide what she wants to do moving forward.”

Question: Any Sons of Anarchy Season 6 scoop? —Ashley
Ausiello: It’s a little too early to be asking me that.

Question: I’ll take any Cary-related Good Wife scoop I can get. —Jessica
Ausiello: His estranged pop (played by John Shea) resurfaces in the March 17 episode — only this time he’s bringing new business to Lockhart Gardner. “Robert and Michelle [King] really enjoyed John’s work,” Matt Czuchry tells TVLine, “and loved what it did in terms of opening up Cary’s personal life and professional life.”

Question: In the last new Nashville, Glenn quit working for Juliette. Does that mean she’s going to have a new (and maybe young and hot) manager sometime soon? –Dana
Ausiello: Her new manager is certainly young and decidedly hot… and that’s because Juliette’s new manager is herself! Despite the country star’s new sense of direction, “She’s not better off without him, that’s for sure,” says creator Callie Khouri. “She’s certainly not the best person to be managing her own career. So we’re going to watch that for a while.”

Question: I refresh the TVLine homepage a dozen times a day waiting for the story that HBO has come to its senses and renewed the brilliant Enlightened for Season 3. End my agony and give me some news — good or bad — because I can’t wait anymore!–Petula
Ausiello: First of all, thanks for your obsessive use of the “refresh” button: It’s readers like you who’ve contributed to TVLine’s success story! Secondly, while creator/executive producer/star Mike White is uncertain of Enlightened‘s future, he has good news about Sunday’s Season 2 finale for both fans and detractors of Laura Dern’s protagonist Amy Jellicoe. “People who hate Amy are going to love the scene where she confronts Krista (Sarah Burns) in the hospital room after she’s had her baby. And people who love Amy will enjoy her final showdown with Abaddon, which brings her as close to a Norma Rae-Silkwood type of heroine as she’ll ever be.” And just in case the season finale turns out to be a series finale, “Both scenes are nice little bookends to how we set up Amy in the pilot with regards to her relationships with Krista and with Abaddon,” adds White. “It all comes full circle.”

Question: I’d like to know how much longer Fitz is going to go down this dark path on Scandal before we get to see him happier again. —Carly
Ausiello: Well, first he has to stop surrounding himself with such lowlifes. Case in point: An upcoming episode will involve a Supreme Court nominee (played by Tim Halligan, Commander in Chief) whose skeleton-packed closet threatens to tarnish Fitz’s recommendation and image.

Ask Ausiello: Spoilers on Once, Glee, Shameless, Scandal, Smash, Good Wife, Revenge and More!

Got a scoop request? An anonymous tip you’re dying to share? Just want to say hello? Send any/all of the above to askausiello@tvline.com

Question: Is there any chance Once Upon a Time fans will ever get a flashback to the day Regina first adopted Henry? —Lanie
Ausiello: In a manner of speaking, yes. “We are going to explore the origins of what made Regina go get Henry,” series cocreator Adam Horowitz reveals, “what made Regina want a child.”

Question: Once Upon a Time‘s Henry/Neal/Emma rocked “Manhattan.” What’s next for my favorite family? —Patti
Ausiello: What’s next? Uh, major complications. ”Emma’s not going to forgive Neal or ask for him to be in her life romantically, but she at least feels that it would probably be best for Henry to have Neal in his life,” Jennifer Morrison told TVLine’s Matt Mitovich. “But in the midst of Emma asking Neal [about that], it’s revealed to her that he has a fiancee, a whole life that’s been going on. So, that definitely is complicated!”

Question: Any additional details on John Noble’s Good Wife role, aside from him being a man from Alicia’s past? He’s not her father, is he? —Maria
Ausiello: I can neither confirm nor deny that the Fringe vet is playing Alicia’s MIA pop. I can, however, confirm that Stockard Channing will reprise her role as Alicia’s mom in the very same episode. Hmmm….

Question: I just can’t get enough of The Good Wife, especially after Sunday’s episode. You’ve already answered questions on Alicia/Will. I’m dying to know what is going to happen between Cary and Kalinda.—CeCe
Ausiello: For the first time in, like, forever, “they’re both on the same page in terms of where they are in their lives,” notes Matt Czuchry. “And in the past, that wasn’t the case. When Cary was helping Kalinda out, Kalinda wasn’t helping Cary out. That’s not the case anymore.” Their newfound synchronicity, teases the actor, will result in some “interesting moments as the end of the season [nears].”

Question: To soon to ask for Rookie Blue scoop? Any news? —Iga
Ausiello: It’s never too soon. When ABC’s summer procedural returns, the action will pick up six months after Andy and Nick took off for their undercover gig, and there will have been “a lot of changes” for all the characters in that time, Missy Peregrym told TVLine at the Streamy Awards this past Sunday. For one, the task-force partners have “developed this friendship that’s really strong” and “totally different than anything Andy’s ever had,” says the actress. “It’s very opposite of Andy and Sam. There’s not the same amount of intensity.” Speaking of those exes, “there’s a few surprises” in store for McNally when she returns to the Precinct and her ex-boyfriend. Hmm, like maybe a new girlfriend for Sam?

Question: Any Parks and Recreation scoop? —Carrie
Ausiello: Patton Oswalt is guest starring in an upcoming episode (directed by Amy Poehler) as a guy who objects to Leslie making changes to the horribly outdated Pawnee Charter. Basically, he thinks life was better in 1817 when the town was founded, and that the people who wrote the charter were unimpeachable geniuses whose writings should never be altered. Elsewhere in P-town, Tom flirts with a dream — and Ann reacts to it like a nightmare — when a gal-on-the-prowl courts them for a threesome.

Question: I feel like the only guy in the world that loves Rachel and Brody together on Glee. Please tell me that he’s not an escort or prostitute or whatever and it was just a coincidence that he was leaving a friend’s hotel room with some money. —Rashad
Ausiello: All I can tell you is that you’ll get a definitive answer to that question in the very next episode, airing March 7. I lied. That’s not the only thing I can tell you. I can also tell you that shortly after the show returns from its mini-winter hiatus, Sue will be in the middle of a feud with Blaine. “I’m blackmailing him to get back on the Cheerios,” reveals Jane Lynch. “Because I want his ass on my Cheerios.”

Question: Anything you can share about this week’s Vampire Diaries? Based on the promo, Elena doesn’t appear to be taking Jeremy’s death well — assuming he is actually dead. —Andy
Ausiello: Let’s just say Elena invents a new stage of grief to cope with her brother’s apparent passing, and it’s hot.

Question: I’m disappointed that there hasn’t been anything juicy about Switched at Birth in almost a month. Can you give me the latest on my secret weeknight obsession? —Catherine
Ausiello: SaB is going where no show has gone before: The March 4 hour will be told entirely in American Sign Language. “The theme of the episode is, can the hearing world and the deaf world really co-exist with each other without there being a prejudice or reverse prejudice going on?” star Vanessa Marano previewed at the Streamy Awards. With Carlton School for the Deaf on the brink of being closed, Bay gets involved in the fight to save it, and ends up causing “so much trouble,” teases the actress. “She helps out the deaf kids in that episode, and then doesn’t necessarily get rewarded in the way that she was hoping she would be.”

Question: I’m keeping my fingers crossed that one day you’ll choose my scoop request. Any info on New Girl? —Sarah
Ausiello: Today’s the day, Sarah! To make Cece jealous, Schmidt seeks out an ex who loved him back when he was… bigger… but in trade for the favor he wants, she forces him to revisit his pizza-inhaling ways.

Question: I have become addicted to Beauty and the Beast. Please, please, please give me something, anything, and I will love you even more than I do now! —Christina
Ausiello: Tone it down a scosh, Chrissy. Not too much — just a scosh. Maybe lose one of the pleases. Re: B&B, you know the near-kiss that had you throwing things at the TV last Thursday at 9:57pm? You’re gonna get at least one more of those before things starting going sideways again, and swiftly, for Vincent and Cat. (Little sisters, ugh!)

Question: So I’ve been reading your spoiler columns for the past couple years, but I’ve never asked you a question. Maybe I’m too shy, who knows? Anyway, this past weekend, I watched every episode of Shameless, and I am hooked! I was wondering if you could spare a tidbit, possibly about the foster care plotline? —Shea
Ausiello: One of the Gallagher children who shall remain nameless (but who is pictured at the top of this column) finds out who placed the call to child services, and I’m told epic crazy-eyes result. Also, the season finale? Game-changer!

Question: Come on, Aus! I ask for Ivy-related Smash spoilers every week! Surely you’ve got something by now? —Linzey
Ausiello: Well, aside from the fact that “They Just Keep Moving the Line” is now in the Top 10 — with a bullet — at TVLine HQ, let’s just say that in next week’s episode, the blonde bombshell finds herself participating in three out of the following four activities: 1) Grinding up on Jennifer Hudson’s sweet starlet Veronica Moore; 2) Harmonizing with sworn enemy Karen; 3) Booking a gig that’ll be (as that network tagline goes) “only on Bravo!”; and 4) Removing one of Ellis’ teeth with pliers. Oh, and for a little bonus scoop, would you be surprised to find out that Ms. Cartwright might have a hidden knack for songwriting?

Question: Tell me something about Revenge! —Simona
Ausiello: With Amanda pushing up daisies, the show is on the lookout for another recurring female rabble-rouser. Producers are casting the role of Regina, a cynical, sharp-tongued 18-year-old who possesses a vicious sense of humor and a wild streak. Got casting tips? Hit the comments!

Question: Could you supply some scoop on Body of Proof in your next Ask Ausiello? —Jason
Ausiello: Dana Delany says the rebooted ABC drama’s third season (premiering Tuesday) features less “whimsy” and “a lot more danger,” adding that Megan will find herself in several perilous situations over the course of the 13 episodes. And at the risking of getting ahead of ourselves, the finale will resolve a long-standing mystery and feature a shocking cameo by this studly hunkamuffin.

Question: Any scoop on Scott Foley’s Scandal peeping tom, Jake? My guess is he’s working for Mellie. —Jodi
Ausiello: Interesting. My money’s on Hollis. Another provocative question no one (except me) seems to be asking: How long has Jake been spying on Liv? “It could have been going on for years,” speculates Foley. “Or it could be a new thing. Personally, I think it’s probably been going on for a month or two and he realized there was something interesting [about her and decided] to meet her in real-life and see what happens.”

Question: Is Fox ever going to air Goodwin Games? —Joey
Ausiello: No news, coupled with the fact that Scott Foley — who stars in the seemingly-jinxed comedy alongside Becki Newton and T.J. Miller — doesn’t even know, is bad news. “I hope it [airs],” sighs the actor. “All seven episodes were sent to me the other day and my wife and I sat down and had a three-hour Goodwin Games marathon and we were laughing and we were crying. I’m really proud of the work and the show.”  Foley speculates that the network, coming off a weak fall season, got “cold feet,” acknowledging that the show “is not your standard comedy.”

Ask Ausiello: Spoilers on Walking Dead, Grey’s, Scandal, Big Bang, Nashville, Bones and More!

Question: Did we ever find out what Pelant did to Booth and Brennan’s alarm clock on Bones? Or did I just blink and miss it? —Laura
Ausiello: You definitely did not blink and miss it, since the episode that solves that little mystery hasn’t aired yet. Nor has it been shot. Or written. And that’s because the episode I’m referring to is the Season 8 finale! And while we’re on the subject of major developments coming up in the finale, exec producer Stephen Nathan promises that viewers will get “one more surprising piece of the Brennan/Booth marriage dilemma.” What are you waiting for Internet? React!

Question: Will Smash do the back-and-forth of “Who will play Marilyn —Karen and Ivy” this season? Or will the show stick with Karen? —Jackie
Ausiello: A bigger question (at least at the start of the season) is whether there will be a Marilyn for one of them to play, given all the financial issues plaguing Bombshell. Once that gets answered (News Flash: Yes, of course, there will be a Marilyn for someone to play), I have a hunch we won’t know whose name will be on the marquee until opening night (aka the Season 2 finale). Said hunch is based on the fact that Smash has been shooting on location at a theater across the street from TVLine’s Times Square offices and someone from the crew literally draped a sheet over the part of the Bombshell poster that listed the cast. And in what Hollywood insiders are calling a miraculous show of restraint, I did not walk over and peek underneath said sheet. [Beat] Or did I… ?

Question: Where the heck has Matthew Morrison been on Glee? Care to explain? Also, while you’re at it, care to share some Glee scoop? —Ezriel
Ausiello: Wasn’t it established that Will’s in D.C. saving Big Bird from meanies like Romney? Anyway, I can confirm that he will put in an appearance at his upcoming wedding to Emma, although his current absence has made “the wedding planning hard,” notes bride-to-be Jayma Mays. “It’s been very tricky. She’s a little frantic about getting married. There’s lots of stuff for her to deal with, and she doesn’t deal well with chaos.” Mays teases that there will be a “big surprise” at the nuptials. She also reveals that Emma will “sing,” adding. “Matt sings [too]. It was very fun.”

Question: Could I please have a niblet of scoop on what’s coming up on the second half of The Walking Dead‘s third season? —Rob
Ausiello: When the show returns on February 10, not only will we learn the outcome of the Daryl/Merle showdown, a character you probably never thought you’d see again will put in an appearance, and Rick will do something (literally) everyone has wanted to do at one time or another.

Question: I’m devastated about the cancellation of a certain B—– in Apartment 23, but at least Happy Endings is still around. I’m a glass-half-full kinda gal! Reward my optimism with some scoop? —Dani
Ausiello: Zach Braff is making a cameo later this season. Sorta but not really. In an upcoming episode, Jane rattles off her and Brad’s “usual” laundry list of sexual positions — up to and including “hardcore Zach Braff-ing” and something called “Jazzy Saxophone.”

Question: Any news on The Office finale? –Sebastian
Ausiello: How about this, courtesy of Angela Kinsey: The documentary-within-the-show will soon start airing, “and you’re going to see people in the office reacting to being all of a sudden on television,” she says. Will there be any breakout stars? “We’ll see,” she teases. “It’s going to be very odd for everybody.” And though Kinsey’s cat-loving accountant may not get caught up in that particular kerfuffle, there will be “a big shake-up in her life,” the actress previews. “I can’t wait to act it out, because it’s really awesome.”

Question: After the latest Office episode, I need some reassurance that everything will end happy with Jim and Pam. Please tell me it will be PB&J forever! –Sophie
Ausiello: I can’t give you any guarantees, Sophie, but before your face starts to do that crumpling thing, how about this: I can tell you that we’re going to meet more of the documentary crew – beyond the boom operator who comforted Pam after her phone call – as the series winds down. “How the interaction between the documentary crew and us plays out, it’s pretty amazing,” Brian Baumgartner told TVLine at Sunday’s Screen Actors Guild Awards. “Our hope is you begin to think, ‘Oh yeah, there have been some other people who’ve been in the office, following these characters around for nine years. Of course they’re going to have relationships with those people.’ There were rules that we’ll learn were set up between the documentary crew and its subjects, and those lines start to get blurred as we move ahead.” Baumgartner also hinted that, if things go the way he thinks they will for Kevin, “I’ll be pleased.” See, Sophie? Someone’s going to be happy. Now please go get a tissue, you’re making a spectacle of yourself.

Question: Will we see Robin telling Barney about her inability to have children on How I Met Your Mother? —Tiera
Ausiello: Sounds like a question for exec producer Craig Thomas! “We’ve in some sense covered that [in "Symphony of Illumination"],” he says, “but not so definitively that it’s not an issue that we see them talk about. Ultimately, Barney and Robin aren’t the most touchy-feely couple that talks about every issue before getting married. And they are on a pretty accelerated timeline toward getting married. [But] that’s certainly one topic they’ll have to discuss.” Bonus Scoop: The Barney/Robin nups “will definitely” take place this season, Thomas confirms.

Question: Anything on The Big Bang Theory? —Alex
Ausiello: Hope you’re sitting down, because I have some jaw-dropping news for you: Penny is getting a job. A job as an actress. I hear she’s going to get cast in a small community theater production of A Streetcar Named Desire. Hey, it’s something. Meanwhile, Mayim Bialik told us at the SAG Awards that there are “a couple big Sheldon/Amy episodes,” coming up. “I’ve actually been surprised how much the writers and producers want to push this relationship,” she shared. “Amy wants more, and we see what Sheldon thinks.”

Question: Please, tell me something about The Vampire Diaries. —Nana
Ausiello: The search for a cure will take the gang straight into… an episode of Lost? In the Feb. 7 episode, Shane leads the gang to a spooky deserted island, and faster than you can say “SMOKE MONSTER, BITCHES!” something or someone starts stalking them.

Question: Thanks for all the Grey’s Anatomy and Scandal scoop this week? Did Shonda Rhimes happen to give you an airdate for that James/Cyrus scene that she described as one of the favorite scenes she’s ever written? —Stacy
Ausiello: Not only did she give me airdate (Thursday, Feb. 7) for the scene, but she told me what happens in it! “It is the culmination of what we’ve been watching them go through this whole season,” Rhimes revealed. “James has wanted a baby, James has been following this case and figuring out what Cyrus has been up too. It’s really James’ confrontation of Cyrus. And it [takes place over] an entire act.” Wait — there’s more! “And there is some very intriguing nudity involved,” Rhimes adds. “And it literally is my favorite thing I’ve done ever.” I guess I’ll watch it.

Question: I’m kind of loving Jo/Alex on Grey’s Anatomy, but I think it’s time they stop being polite and start getting it on. She bought him a couch for chrissakes!  —Carrie
Ausiello: I’m right there with you, Carrie! It’s Shonda Rhimes that remains on the fence. Elaborarting on what she told me about the pair earlier in the week, Rhimes says, “I don’t know that you will see one of them cross the line. I’ve been watching this thing build. And I feel like we want the build to feel natural and real and not to have it go too fast. And not to feel engineered. I’m just watching their chemistry and enjoying them together. Right now, we’re just leaning into it and seeing where it goes.”

Question: Please tell me more about the next episode of Nashville. I’ll take anything you want to share about it. —Angel
Ausiello: I suspect this probably pertains to the next next next next next next episode, but I’m hearing something bad happens on the “Red Lips White Lies” tour. Like major-accident-with-numerous-casualties bad.

Question: Love your columns! Any scoop on Spartacus: War of the Damned? —Rich
Ausiello: The Feb. 22 episode is not for the faint of heart — and that’s saying something for a show that featured a bunch of children eating raw horse intestines. “For a long time [the show] shied away from the cruelty and the negativity of the rebellion,” notes leading man Liam McIntyre of Spartacus & Co. “And in Episode 4 that really gets put front and center. It gets real dark. The rebels were famous for not just being like Robin Hood-and-his-merry men, but also for raping and pillaging across the country. That component had to be addressed. It’s reprisal time, and it gets graphic and horrible to watch.” And yes, Spartacus gets his hands dirty, too. “There’s a scene at the end of the episode where he’s forced to make a very big call,” reveals McIntyre. “And it defines how his journey plays out the rest of the season.”

Question: I’m loving Once Upon a Time this season, but will we ever see Sidney Glass (Giancarlo Esposito) again? He’s been locked in that underground cell for months! —Dan R.
Ausiello: The man you seeketh — Esposito, not Glass — is a wee bit busy these days as a series regular on Revolution. (Don’t feel too embarrassed for forgetting — NBC’s blackout hit has been hibernating since Nov. 26 and won’t return till March.) I do, however, have some consolation Once scoop for you. Producers are casting a role enigmatically known as The Healer. He’s described as being an Asian male in his late 50s or 60s, a powerful and revered figure known for helping folks in terrible trouble. As you might expect from this mystical type of character, he’s known to fancy a flowery turn of phrase, and doleth out cryptic descriptions does he. (See what I did there?) Deep down, though, The Healer is deeply moral, he knows right from wrong and understands that his great powers come with great responsibilities. Now we’ll just have to see if one of those responsibilities will be helping Mulan revive the cursed Phillip when this healer pops up in Episode 18.

Question: Hart of Dixie spoilers are so rare! Please tell us something! —Audrey
Ausiello: Why, yes, Audrey, you did sense a little sparkage between Lavon and Annabeth last week — and they will act on it in the not-too-distant future.

Question: Do you have any scoop on when Castiel might be back on Supernatural? —Julia
Ausiello: Soon. “[Cas] is really crucial to the tablet stories,” says exec producer Bob Singer. “He’s going through a trail of his own that’s personal. Naomi’s very unhappy with him. Crawley’s very unhappy with him. He’s a confused angel right now.”

Question: Any scoop on The New Normal? Crossing my fingers for good news on a second season. —2 Red Pandas 
Ausiello: Ask Ausiello: Now popular with pandas! Moving on, here’s some verrrrry innnnteresting casting scoop: Producers are looking to fill the role of [SPOILERS]‘s 16-year-old son? (Wait! I’m one episode behind on my DVR, but did we know [SPOILER] already had a kid?) Either way, the kid is described as 16, attractive and not unexpectedly filled with raging hormones.

Question: I’ve been absolutely loving White Collar this season! Have any interesting scoop? – Leslie
Ausiello: TV’s Man in Black, Titus Welliver, kicks off his arc tonight and he’s got plenty of reason to want Peter and Neal out of the picture. Permanently. See, that evidence Ellen left behind is capable of doing more than just clear Neal’s dad, James. “She discovered a lot of corruption within the police force and some of that will go to prove that [James is] innocent, but a lot of it will go to potentially be very damaging to Titus’s senator character, and a lot of [other] people in high places,” previews creator Jeff Eastin. And these powerful bad guys will “stop at nothing” to get the damning material. “They’ll kill off [anyone], they’ll kill Peter. It doesn’t matter who they kill to get to it.”

Question: I am so excited for FX’s The Americans. Got a tease or two? —Amy
Ausiello: Keri Russell kicks ass. And talks Russian. And wears Jordache jeans. She’s also dropping by my office Wednesday for an on-camera interview to discuss, among other things, why the Season 4 Felicity scene pictured above remains one of the high points of her career

Ask Ausiello: Spoilers on Grey’s, Revenge, Downton, Arrow, Big Bang, Bunheads and More!

 Question: Anything on Grey’s Anatomy? It would really make my day! —Tia

Ausiello: You already know that the survivors strike it rich with the airplane lawsuit in this week’s episode. You also know that Callie is way more excited than the rest of the gang. But what you may not know is that “Callie wants to go out and celebrate,” reveals Ellen Pompeo. “But nobody is really into celebrating because it’s blood money. People died. Arizona lost her leg.” They decide to tag along anyway, leading to “a very awkward dinner,” says Pompeo. “But Callie has her reasons for wanting to celebrate and she explains it at the dinner.”

Question: Any Leonard and Amy-related Big Bang Theory scoop? —Troy
Ausiello: The show’s Valentine’s Day episode promises to be a hoot, mostly because “Amy tells Sheldon that she got him the perfect gift,” reveals exec producer Bill Prady. “And Sheldon doesn’t like gifts, so it’s a very difficult time for Sheldon trying to reciprocate.” A hint about said perfect gift? Teases Prady: “It’s not sexual. I’ll tell you that much.” Bonus Scoop: Episode 16 features a marriage proposal!

Question: Do you have any scoop about the Private Practice series finale? —Tara
Ausiello: What if I told you that in next Tuesday’s series finale, Parenthood‘s Sarah Ramos is guest-starring as… the entire Private Practice audience? Amy Brenneman told Matt Mitovich that Violet’s final storyline  is “this beautiful, metaphorical thing” in which a patient of five-plus years has trouble saying goodbye. “She’s ready to move on, but she’s like, ‘I need you.’ And I say things like, ‘We’ve been meeting together once a week for a little more than five years…. You’re going to be OK,’” Brenneman previews. “And I am Shonda [Rhimes] talking to our sweet audience.” (Hmm, does that mean the episode ends after 45 minutes…?)

Question: Did you get any exciting scoop at the TCA press tour about what’s coming up on Bones in the second half of the season? —Cassidy
Ausiello: Yes! “Angela goes undercover as a roller-derby girl,” Michaela Conlin shared with us. “They need somebody to help them with a crime that occurs around a roller rink, and Angela used to skate, so it’s very much in her wheelhouse” — presumably no pun intended. To prep for the wild ride, “I got to train with the L.A. Derby Dolls, which was super-fun,” she said, “and fall a lot on my rear end!”

Question: Any more intel on the plot of Elementary‘s Super Bowl episode? —Joel
Ausiello: How’s this for a touchdown? An escaped murderer on the loose in New York City gets back to business as quickly as possible, and Sherlock’s paired with a FBI profiler (played by Covert Affairs‘ Kari Matchett) to figure out how to catch the killer (played by this guy). “We’ll find out that there’s something of a history there between Sherlock and this profiler,” previews executive producer Rob Doherty, who adds that Sherlock “has very strong feelings about profiling in general, but he has even stronger feelings about this particular character.” From what Doherty says, the post-Bowl episode sounds like a strong one. “We tried to find just the right amount of humor and action and backstory for that particular show.”

Question: You must know what Modern Family‘s Gloria and Jay are going to name their baby – or at least whether it’s a boy or girl. How about giving us a hint? —Erica
Ausiello: I can confirm that the show’s adding a new… female! But it’s not what you’re thinking. She’s 40, she’s Gloria’s polished new friend and – though not a bombshell – she’s very educated.

Question: Is it too soon to ask about Unforgettable? —Lindsey
Ausiello: It’s a little early but I’ll allow it. Let’s start with the basics, Lindsey. You know it’s back for a second season on Sunday, July 28, yes? And that Michael Gaston, Kevin Rankin and Daya Vaidya (who played Detectives Mike Costello, Roe Saunders and Nina Inara) are no longer part of the full-time cast? Okay, on to new business. Looks like the show’s about to inject some fresh blood by way of two new Major Cases team members. The first, Eliot, is the intelligent, politically savvy new head of the division; in one of his first moves, he transfers Carrie and Al from Queens into his unit. Next is Jay, a whip-smart detective with a wide range of expertise in a lot of obscure topics – and I’m hearing that the show is willing to completely change his backstory if the right actor comes along.

Question: Would love some Arrow scoop, especially since we know you spoke to Stephen Amell at the Golden Globes. —M.J.
Ausiello: Nothing gets past you, M.J. I can offer up three pieces of information. One: Star Stephen Amell recently tweeted that the title of the upcoming Episode 16 should be “Holy S—balls!” Two: At the Golden Globes, he was stoked to elaborate. “In Episode 9, a lot of stuff happened. And in Episode 16, it’s just thing after thing after thing after thing happening and coming to a resolution or taking it in the next direction. And then, after all that, after the episode’s over, there’s the biggest cliffhanger.” And finally, three: One of the “things” he mentions is that Oliver’s secret is not as secret as he wants it to be.

Question: Any scoop on if/when Helena will return to Arrow? —Jason
Ausiello: EP Greg Berlanti assures us she’ll return. In fact, “We’re just writing that episode right now. We like to think of her as the crazy ex-girlfriend,” he says, laughing. “Her mission isn’t done nor complete yet in terms of: She wanted to kill her dad, and he’s still alive.”

Question: Anything on TV’s most underrated comedy The Middle? Are we ever going to see Jane Kaczmarek again? —Rebecca
Ausiello: I have it on good authority that the Malcolm in the Middle mom will be back later this season as dental diva Mrs. Armwood – and that she’ll front-and-center in a scene that involves Frankie, a tooth-scraping tool and severe bodily harm.

Question: I love what you and your staff have done with TVLine. My wife and I are enjoying Bunheads and would love to know just a little something that happens in the upcoming episodes. —Matt and Kelley
Ausiello: Thanks, Matt! For being such a loyal reader, you get the following scoop: Michelle’s going to audition for a musical in the season finale (which shoots next week), and Bunheads creator Amy Sherman-Palladino is going to make sure we see everything. “I want to take the audience through the entire experience of a cattle call,” she says. “So we’re going to see Michelle go through that entire process.” So what’s the big show she’s up for? “A new musical… that I will make up in about an hour,” she joked. (Translation: The story’s not ready yet.) “But it will be,” she asserts, “and it will be phenomenal! And it will be a lot of dancing!”

Question: Can you give us anything about the Amanda sinking on Revenge? Like, clues about which character gets whacked? —Kay
Ausiello: I can’t give you the edge in your office’s Revenge death pool, Kay, but I can tell you this: The show isn’t going on a break after its huge midseason climax – it’s going to truck on, full speed ahead! “We’ve mapped out closely what we want the end of the season to be,” EP Mike Kelley told TVLine’s Meg Masters. “This year, like last year, we’re asking the audience to trust us to lead them to a pretty explosive conclusion to Season 2 that I think will have a lot of people talking for a very long time.” Bonus Scoop: He also hinted that The Initiative’s huge plan is “all tied together to what Nolan’s able to do on the show.”

Question: Can you please explain to me what The Initiative is on Revenge? For the life of me, I can’t figure it out. —Jamie
Ausiello: Until the release of my forthcoming sure-to-be-bestseller Confusion Times Double Infinity: Ausiello Explains Revenge’s Initiative, I’m going to let star Henry Czerny give you the Cliffs Notes version. “Here’s what The Initiative is: People go through life assuming they can control their environment,” says the man who plays Conrad. “The Initiative is the cloud over them that they have not addressed thoroughly that gets in the way of them being able to appreciate what’s going on without having to control them. It’s not simple. It’s nebulous. You can deal with The Initiative very simply: You can acknowledge it and move on. [But] the Graysons feel that it’s an albatross they need for some reason to pay homage to.” Now that clears things right up, doesn’t it?

Question: January 15 marks the 20th anniversary of Santa Barbara‘s final episode. Is there anything that can make me think the world hasn’t gone to hell in a handbasket since?  —Carl
Ausiello: Keri Russell has a new drama series coming out. The number of people who watched Downton Abbey‘s third season premiere is greater than the individual populations of 144 of the world’s nations. My acting resume continues to expand. Rest easy, Carl. The world is fine.

Question: So, with Barney and Robin’s wedding set to be in May 2013, does this mean the Mother will be appear throughout How I Met Your Mother‘s ninth season? BTW, nice Golden Globe pics! —Marie-Christine
Ausiello: Don’t have an answer to that question, but I can tell you that this season’s 17th episode, titled “Weekend at Barney’s,” will find the Legen-dary One headlining a circa-1988 fantasy sequence. (No word if said fantasy sequence features a cameo by Andrew McCarthy.)

Question: I’m a huge fan of Ask Ausiello and have been for years. (Ego stroke!) I was curious if you have any insider information on Episodes? Any idea when it is coming back? —Dan
Ausiello: Flattery gets you everywhere. Episodes will return on Showtime in early 2014, and here’s a little scoop from series co-creator Jeffrey Klarik: Since John Pankow’s Merc was fired last season, there’s a new head of the network. “He’s a piece of work,” Klarik says, before adding, “He is bipolar.”

Question: On The Good Wife, there have been tiny hints that Kalinda might have some romantic feelings for Alicia (Nick being jealous, Lana, too). Can you please find out if they’re going to elaborate on that? —Flor
Ausiello: I think you can safely rule that out… although Archie Panjabi does confess that last week’s “bedroom scene” with Alicia and Kalinda was very satisfying. “It was a really nice moment,” she said of Alicia finally sorta accepting Kalinda’s apology. “[There is a lot] of pain there in the midst of everything that’s happened. But hopefully this is the beginning of getting back to how it was.”

Question: Any scoop on Penny and Pete on Happy Endings? Maybe something about next week’s proposal? —Josh
Ausiello: Casey Wilson tells me that the big moment is going to be a dah-zas-ter. “It’s Penny’s dream come true,” she says, which means, naturally, “It is ruined by Max. We’re doing a prank episode. Everybody starts pranking each other, and they end up getting more heightened and more heightened. And something terrible happens to Max’s limo – R.I.P. Max’s limo. And Penny’s beautiful engagement is a little bit stymied by Max’s prank.” Bottom line? “Basically, Max ruins everything.” Bonus Scoop: Max may soon have his own piece of perfection in Wilson, a very handsome Brazilian who happens to be the son of David’s biggest food-truck nemesis.

Question: Need Scandal scoop, please. Obsessed. —Ricky
Ausiello: How about a little intel on the couples Shonda Rhimes loves playing with most? “I really enjoy writing Olivia and Fitz and Mellie and Fitz,” she shares. “I think that Mellie and Fitz is the most interesting marriage I’ve ever gotten to write. Cyrus and James are the healthy marriage on the show. And Nellie and Fitz are this very twisted, dark dynamic of what happens when a marriage has gone bad — and yet they still love each other, and yet I feel sorry for her a lot. I have a lot of compassion for Mellie, even when she’s doing terrible things.”

***Major spoiler alert about Downton Abbey‘s Season 3 finale ahead, so if you don’t wanna know, don’t read on.***

Question: Not sure I want to watch Downton Abbey without Dan Stevens’ Matthew. Care to try and change my mind? —Jodi
Ausiello: I’ll leave that task to EP Gareth Neame, who has found the silver lining in the much-grieved exit. (Hint: It focuses on Lady Mary.) “When you see something that feels like a difficult thing for a show — like an exit of a key character — it’s actually a dramatic opportunity,” says Neame, adding that he knew about Stevens’ departure a year before it happened, so he was able to “flip the story in a whole different direction.” He adds, “In any relationship drama, the will-they-or-won’t-they is always more interesting than married couples. So actually what we’ve been able to do is reset [Lady Mary]. She has to start again, and that will be much more interesting.”

That’s a wrap! Please send questions, comments, and anonymous tips to askausiello@tvline.com. (Additional reporting by Kim Roots, Vlada Gelman and Megan Masters)

Ask Ausiello: Spoilers on Grey’s, Glee, Smash, Once, Revenge, Dexter, Revolution and More!

Question: Any more Smash scoop other than what was revealed in your preview story about the first two episodes? —JC
Ausiello: Did you hear about the Will & Grace reunion that wasn’t? Because although Sean Hayes will be guest-starring on Smash, it turns out he doesn’t share a single scene with former NBC sitcom castmate Debra Messing. Was new Smash boss Josh Safran worried that putting the two together would be too on the nose? “It wasn’t so much that, but that it wouldn’t have been organic to do it,” he explains to TVLine. With Hayes playing the lead of another Broadway show, “It would have looked like just a stunt because [his and Julia's] storylines are not related at all. I felt like the audience would have known that we were forcing something.”

Question: Any developments in your campaign to get Anna Camp back on The Good Wife. —Melinda
Ausiello: A major one, actually. “We have a [creative] way to make it work,” reports exec producer Robert King. “We’re just trying to see if we can make the dates work.” Complicating matters a smidge: Camp is already juggling two recurring roles (on Fox’s The Mindy Project and CBS’ Vegas) and she’s about to dive head-first into pilot season. “We love Anna,” adds fellow EP Michelle King. “So [hopefully] there’s a way to make it work.”

Question: Safe to say a Glee spin-off is officially off the table now that the New York-Lima split focus seems to be working? —Sam
Ausiello: It’s very safe to say, particularly since Fox president Kevin Reilly pretty much confirmed it on Tuesday. “I don’t think there’ll be a spin-off per se,” he told reporters at the Television Critics Association’s winter press tour in Pasadena. “What ultimately came of the spin-off talk was, ‘Let’s do it within the franchise.’ It’s like life. You have friends, they go off, their lives go on, you maybe lose distance…. We can do that within this world. That’s the nature of the [show's] relationship with the actors too. Some of them want to move on to other things, but…. this gives them the chance to come back and do an arc, to do an episode. It’ll be fun to continue that kind of morphing.”

Question: Will you give us another hint about the couple breaking up from your blind item? —Christina C
Ausiello: I won’t, but Shonda Rhimes will! The Grey’s Anatomy creator took to Twitter earlier this week to deny that any of the show’s major couples will be splitting up by season’s end, thereby narrowing down the list of possibilities to eight. This thing’s getting serious, people!

Question: Obsessed with American Horror Story: Asylum. Got anything?! —Nick
Ausiello: That makes two of us, Nick. This Wednesday there is a pretty significant death, yet another wackadoodle wrinkle with regards to Kit and Grace’s baby and a major setback for Sister Jude. Also, the way is paved for Lana to slip out of Briarcliff — though to do so she will need to literally get past Dr. Thredson first! Oh, and Dylan McDermott out-icks last season’s crying masturbation scene. Really.

Question: Any Dexter Season 8 scoopage beyond what you reported on Monday? —Mona
Ausiello: Yes. Producers have quietly begun looking for a 6-year-old boy to play a 4-year-old boy throughout S8, which makes me wonder if Harrison is going to experience a growth spurt between seasons.

Question: Have we seen the last of Haddie this season on Parenthood? —Kim
Ausiello: Affirmative. “The Christmas episode was the last we see of her this season,” confirms exec producer Jason Katims. “We’re hoping if we come back next season to do more stories with her. It is challenging because you’re trying to be real, and the reality is that she’s 3,000 miles away.” Haddie, or actually her portrayer Sarah Ramos, will next seen as a patient of Violet’s in the Jan. 22 Private Practice finale.

Question: Weren’t we supposed to meet Conrad’s son from his first marriage on Revenge this season? —Donna
Ausiello: Yes, but those plans continue to be on hold. “We can wait a little while to meet Conrad’s first family,” notes series creator Mike Kelley.

Question: Any update on the introduction of Nolan’s mom on Revenge? —Amber
Ausiello: It’s happening… at some point. “There’s definitely an intention to explore all of our characters’ histories and family ties, so the answer to that is yes,” says Kelley. “We have all of these things sitting in a waiting room, and we’re just waiting for the right moment to explore them all. The immediate plan is to start resolving the stories that we’ve got now.”

Question: Big-picture Lying Game question — do the producers envision a show where both twins are out in the open? —Tara
Ausiello: Big-picture answer: Yes. “I don’t want to say exactly, but from the very beginning we’ve called it The Twin Show, and that’s the logical next thing to happen,” explains exec producer Chuck Pratt Jr. “You’ll see in this season we’ve kind of already accomplished that. [Emma and Sutton] are in more scenes together than they’ve ever been; one’s living in secret and they switch back and forth a couple of times. So, we really feel like we’re already doing it. When the story of the past and what happened to Derek and all of that comes out, at some point they’ll have to find out. Mads found out [last season], and other people are going to find out this season until it gets to the point of, well, who doesn’t know? We just want to make sure we’ve gotten the most we can out of The Prince and the Pauper before we move into The Parent Trap.”

Question: Anything on Revolution? —Pete
Ausiello:On the casting front, Eric Kripke tells us we’ll be seeing “a lot more” of Colm Feore (as the mysterious Randall) and Mark Pellegrino (as militia meanie Jeremy Baker). He also had new scoop on ER alum Leland Orser’s character, John Sanborn — that he’s an old scientist colleague of Rachel’s.

Question: Thank you for giving that cool Sweets’ scoop during your new Spoiler Alert!. So in honor of that and the fantastic news of Bones‘ renewal. Anything on Booth and Brennan for the end of the season that hasn’t been teased before? —Cassidy
Ausiello: How about a few additional details about Pelant’s return later this month? “He’s coming back in a really extreme way,” teases exec producer Stephen Nathan of the 24-esque episode. “He has somehow gotten himself another identity and has installed himself in a Blackwater-type organization where he has access to military equipment.” Nathan also confirms that the episode opens with “a body being discovered in Angela and Hodgins’ bed,” adding, “Pelant has [clearly] been in their house. And they have a child. So it really escalates the story.”

Question: Okay, seriously. When are Schmidt and Cece getting back together on New Girl? I can’t stand them being apart! —Andy
Ausiello: You may see some movement on that front by season’s end. But for now, Cece remains “on her path to marry an Indian guy” in light of her prematurely ticking biological clock, reveals series creator Liz Meriwether. “She’s very much setting out for her mom to set up an arranged marriage for her. And Schmidt is dealing with that and trying to undermine her a little bit.”

Question: Any scoop on the second season of television’s most criminally underrated show, HBO’s Enlightened?  —Sascha
Ausiello: Amy joins Twitter and takes an unorthodox approach to building her follower count. Also, look for her to forge an unlikely alliance in her mission to destroy Abaddonn, and a major character departs very early in the season. Oh, and Season 2 is absolutely terrific. I watched all eight episode in one sitting. I didn’t want it to end.

Question: How was your holidays? Received any gifts worth sharing about? —KM
Ausiello: Yes, but I’m holding the big reveal for Comic-Con. It’ll be worth the wait. Trust me.

Question: Looking for a Once Upon A Time scoop. —Sara
Ausiello: Your search is over. The ABC hit is casting the 20-year-old version of Regina’s father as well as his fourtysomething father, presumably to take part in the same flashback that features Rose McGowan as Young Cora.

Question: Jim left for Philadelphia on The Office, but does that mean John Krasinski will be off the show for a while? —Graham
Ausiello: That’s actually not what that means. As exec producer Greg Daniels explains, we will follow Jim to his new sports marketing job in the City of Brotherly love. “We’ll show you his office in our next episode,” Daniels reveals. “It’s very different [compared to] Scranton. It’s in a converted old industrial building and it’s all concrete; it’s very cool. It’s a very different vibe from the Scranton office.” Daniels says viewers will see Jim realize “the brilliant career” he always dreamed of. Bonus Scoop: Office producer (and onetime NBC boss) Ben Silverman will recur as one of Jim’s new colleagues. “He’s actually quite good,” Daniels says with a laugh. “I couldn’t believe it. We’re kind of starting to write toward him as if he’s an actor.”

Question: Oh, great TV guru, I’m in dire need for some Scandal scoop. I’ll send you some delicious Costa Rican coffee if you answer me. —Mateo
Ausiello: Rumor has it the Grim Reaper’s about to make a cameo. (And I’ll see your Costa Rican coffee, and raise you a case of Diet Coke.)

Ask Ausiello: Spoilers on Once Upon a Time, Bones, Office, Supernatural, HIMYM and More!

Question: Do we really have to wait until January 8 for the next Ask Ausiello?! How much time off does one man need? —Julie
Ausiello: I’m powerless to your guilt trips, Julie. That’s why I interrupted my once-a-decade vacation to bring you a new column. Hope you’re happy.

Question: The lack of Once Upon a Time news regarding August W. Booth/Pinocchio and his current state/possible reunion with his dad is getting on my nerves. Please tell me you have a scoop about him? —Angelique
Ausiello: The best answer series cocreator Eddy Kitsis will part with, regarding August being seen again this season, is: “Perhaps.” He goes on to add, ”We are hoping to have him back. August is an important part of the fabric of the story, and it’s a story that we are continuing to tell.” In the meantime, though, Kitsis confirms that “you will get the answer” to what it was that August showed Neal Cassidy to convince him of Emma’s fantastical backstory.

Question: I have a question about Once Upon a Time: Are there any chances to get the Huntsman/Jamie Dornan back? I miss him so much!!!
Ausiello: As has often been the series creators’ refrain, you will maybe someday see Dornan again in a flashback, but never in Storybrooke. “[Sheriff] Graham is dead,” asserts Kitsis, “and if we brought him back, everyone would say we were messing with continuity. We don’t want to do that.” Kitsis notes that last season revealed one love of Emma’s life — son Henry — while this cycle introduced us to another, Neal Cassidy, who likely will resurface during February sweeps. As for a certain pushy pirate? “Hook is obviously eye-candy,” Kitsis allows. “I don’t know if Emma would stare at him and think he’d be a great father to Henry, but he might be fun in Vegas!”

Question: If you’re looking for any belated holiday gifts for me I’m curious in which episode Ed Helms will return to The Office, and what’s to come soon in regards to Erin and Pete, whom I’m already finding infinitely more compatible with Erin than Andy (with all due respect to the ‘Nard dog). —Todd
Ausiello: Helms returned to work on the show right before the Christmas break, so, by my calculations, that puts Andy’s first episode back at around February or March. And as exec producer Greg Daniels points out, “It was very easy for Erin and Pete to be the romantic focus when he wasn’t around,” adding that Andy’s reappearance makes the situation “more of a horserace.” (He also notes that the triangle has stirred up a number of debates in the writers room, which tells me even they don’t know at this point which guy Erin will choose.)

Question: I am dying for spoilers on The Office. —Becky
Ausiello: Daniels “definitely encourages” fans to watch the show’s Jan. 24 episode. “We start to break down the mystery of who’s behind the documentary,” he teases. “It’s a total explosive mind-bender.”

Question: Can you tell us more about the Sweets-Daisy awkwardness you mentioned in your Bones‘ 2013 Preview story? —Sophie
Ausiello: The exes are forced to work together on a case later this month and “they’re both nervous about seeing each other,” previews exec producer Stephen Nathan. “And they do confront each other [about the split].” Bonus Scoop: An upcoming episode will find Booth and Brennan investigating a murder at… The People’s Court!

Question: I never see anything about Chicago Fire, which is one of my favorite new shows. I would love some scoop — it would be a wonderful start to 2013. —Noel
Ausiello: I’m about to make your (new) year, Noel. (But spoiler alert: It’s all downhill from here. Kidding. Maybe.) As you know, Everwood‘s Treat Williams will debut later this month as the father of Taylor Kinney’s Kelly. What you probably don’t know is that the apple didn’t fall far from the tree. “They’re absolutely cut from the same cloth,” reveals exec producer Derek Haas. “Their relationship is also very complicated, and they haven’t seen each other in quite a long time. Dad’s a well-respected firefighter in his own right who’s now retired. His relationship with [Kelly's] mom has long since been over, [and now Kelly] is reaching out to him to reconnect.”

Question: I really did not appreciate the blind item bomb you left before Christmas about an actress on a TV drama dying. Just please tell me it’s not Caroline from The Vampire Diaries and all will be forgiven. —Amy
Ausiello: Carline was not the subject of the mini-blind item. However, that doesn’t necessarily mean she isn’t going to die. Hope that was helpful!

Question: Fans all over the globe are saddened and enraged by Matthew’s exit on Downton Abbey. It might make us feel better to know what Downton has in store for Lady Mary without him. Maybe a new love interest? —Kay
Ausiello: No maybe about it: There will definitely be a new man in her life in Season 4. The only question is, will it be someone we’ve met before or someone brand-spankin’ new?

Question: Thanks for the Sons of Anarchy scoop! As I am mourning the ending of the season, could you please make me feel better by offering up some Justified scoop? Your columns are the best. Been reading since TV Guide. —Amie
Ausiello: Appreciate the kind words and the loyalty, Amie! To show my appreciation, you’re about to get some incredibly specific intel on the opening scene of  next Tuesday’s Season 4 premiere, care of exec producer Graham Yost. “It opens with a flashback to something that happened 30 years ago,” he explains. “There’s a guy out getting his paper in the morning in a town in Kentucky, and he goes [back] inside and he hears this whistling sound and a thump. He walks back outside and there’s a man dead in the street with a parachute billowing and a bag broken open with bricks of cocaine spilling out.” The mystery that Yost says will serve “as the spine of the season” is: “Who was that man?” The requisite wrinkle: Arlo probably knows. Bonus Scoop: Newly-minted Mindy Project series regular Beth Grant is set to guest-star toward the end of the season as a character Yost calls “the Mother of Truth.”

Question: Were you ever able to find out how exactly Kalinda made Nick vanish on The Good Wife? Did she kill him? —George
Ausiello: Exec producer Robert King says he prefers to leave that unanswered question “ambiguous” — for now, at least. “There might be repercussions down the line,” he adds. “But at this moment, it’s mysterious.” Can we at least eliminate murder as a possibility (if for no other reason than to shoot down my colleague Vlada Gelman’s preposterous theory)? Responds fellow EP Michelle King: “We’re not ruling out anything.” That noise you hear is Vlada digging in her heels

Question: The winter break is killing me. I need some Supernatural info to save my life. —DJ
Ausiello: Here’s some mouth-to-mouth rescoopatation! We already know that a murder investigation brings Dean and Sam into the wild and wacky world of live-action role playing — specifically a LARPing convention. Now I’m happy to announce that yes, the Brothers Winchester will play dress-up. (Hit the comments with ideas about the kind of cosplay in which you’d like to see Sam and Dean engage!)

Question: Got any 90210 scoop? —Jarrod
Ausiello: A big breakup is looming (and I suspect it’s really going to bum Megan Masters out).

Question: Will we see Robin telling Barney about her inability to have children on How I Met Your Mother? —Tiera
Ausiello: No clue. But you will see her hold Marshall and Lily’s son, Marvin. “We have a fun episode coming up about Robin and the baby,” previews exec producer Carter Bays. “It’s almost based on myself. I feel like it’s a story that I could have taken from my own life a little bit, about the abject fear about holding a baby and how scary that is if you’re not someone who is around babies much or knows babies. It’s Robin overcoming her fear of holding a baby.”

Question: I can’t believe we have to wait until March 8 for Grimm to return! At least they had the decency to actually say “Sorry” when they aired the fall finale. Please tell me something, anything to help get me though the long, dark Grimm(less) months… –Jacquie
Ausiello: I do have a whole lot of hot Grimm scoop to warm these Nick-less Friday nights, Jacquie, but it’s got to last you a while… so I’ll give you some now and keep some in reserve for another time. Sound good? First bit: Series cocreator and exec producer Jim Kouf tells TVLine that Captain Renard “gets very close” to the key in the first few episodes back after the break. Second bit: I hear there’s a good chance the captain’s Adalind-conspiring brother Eric will be in the mix during the second half of the season. And finally: The show very much wants to bring Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio back as Nick’s mom  in upcoming episodes, but whether that happens or not depends largely on scheduling.

Question: How about some Parenthood spoilers? I promise I will find you and protect you in the event of a zombie apocalypse. I’ve been watching Walking Dead, so I know how to kill them. —Shannon
Ausiello: How about the anti-”Dair” brigade — promise to protect me from them, too? One could argue that they’re more lethal than zombies (and only slightly better looking). Deal? Cool. Should NBC’s weekly tearjerker be back for a fifth season — and come on, it will be — exec producer Jason Katims wants Ray Romano to be a part of it. “I would love for him to be around,” he tells us. “He is fantastic and his character is fantastic, so I would love that. It’s too early to know, because so many things have to happen: [NBC] has to say they want [a fifth season], plus Ray is not a series regular on the show so we don’t know what his availability and interest are going to be.” Katims’ top priority is to “figure out what the best story is and then from there figure out whether the actors are going to be available.”

Question: I’d be really grateful for a Nikita scoop that has nothing to do with romance of any kind. —Alexis
Ausiello: Pretty sure this meets your criteria: Exec producer Craig Silverstein says Isaiah “Old Spice” Mustafa will return later this season as reformed Dirty Thirty agent Cyrus. Probably. Maybe. “We want to get him back,” he says. “We still have a bunch of episodes in our back half, so we’re trying to figure out how to do it. We definitely want to see him again.”

Question: How dare you let me go into 2013 without telling me there were Revenge calendars?! You’re on my Revengenda now, Ausiello! —Winnie
Ausiello: Yikes. Um… Would you be open to accepting a scoop-themed peace offering straight from Revenge creator Mike Kelley? “I don’t think you’ve seen the last of Jennifer Jason Leigh,” the boss says of Emily Van Camp’s unhinged onscreen mom. “She will be involved in the show as we move forward — but I don’t want to tell you how just yet; she’s terrific.” We good, Winnie?

That’s a wrap! Please send questions, comments, and anonymous tips to askausiello@tvline.com. (Additional reporting by Vlada Gelman, Megan Masters and Kimberly Roots)

Ask Ausiello: Spoilers on Bones, Castle, Gossip Girl, Vampire Diaries, HIMYM, Grey’s and More!

Got a scoop request? An anonymous tip you’re dying to share? Just want to say hello? Send any/all of the above to askausiello@tvline.com

Question: Here’s my burning Gossip Girl finale question: How do we know Dan and Serena got married in that flash-forward? We didn’t actually see them exchange vows. —Carmen
Ausiello: Great, conspiracy-obsessed minds think alike, Carmen. I too wondered why exec producers Stephanie Savage and Josh Schwartz opted not to show the two of them tying the knot. For all we know, Jenny had a bomb strapped to her back that was set to detonate right after the cameras cut away — retaliation for the role her brother/Gossip Girl played in running her out of town. Stranger things have happened. So, what say you Ms. Savage? “Dan and Serena do, in fact, get married.” Hmmm…until I see more evidence, I remain suspicious.

Question: Any Big Bang Theory scoop? —Kirsty
Ausiello: It was bound to happen — the geek squad will be making their way to (a rough facsimile of) Comic-Con in the new year. “We are going to touch upon our first look at the guys taking a trip to a comic-book convention,” exec producer Steve Molaro tells TVLine exclusively. “And that will be a fun one. That’s looming in the distance.”

Question: Could you give us more details on the episode where Brennan gets shot on Bones? Please! —Faye  
Ausiello: The February installment unfolds as follows, per exec producer Stephen Nathan: “Brennan is working on a case that someone does not want her to solve. And in their attempt to prevent her from doing that, she gets shot and has a near-death experience where she meets her mother again.” The family “reunion” forces Brennan to take a good hard look at her belief system. “This is the further evolution of Brennan’s character,” explains Nathan. “She is somebody who has been so literal, so rational and so reasonable; she wants everything to be explained. And now she is having an experience that is inexplicable, so she has to admit that there are things that are not explainable. As much as she tries to discount it and dismiss it, it changes her and makes her a bit more open to the world.”

Question: What’s the biggest scoop on Bones (Booth and Brennan, maybe?) you have at the moment? —Elena
Ausiello: Piggybacking on the above spoiler (which was pretty big, IMHO), Nathan says Brennan’s heavenly run-in with her mom will give viewers insight into “what she was like as a kid, before she became the Brennan that we know. She picks up the relationship with her mother where it left off.”

Question: The Nikita fandom is imploding over what appears to be Alex kissing Michael in the promo for the next episode. Care to shed some light before anyone else sheds blood? —Kat
Ausiello: I can confirm that there’s a kiss. I can also confirm that there’s a twist. As exec producer Craig Silverstein explains, the lip-lock takes place during a mission — in other words, it’s more business than pleasure. That said, “It’s a very cute scene,” he shares, “because they both don’t want to do it.”

Question: It kills me that more people aren’t watching Happy Endings. Not sure what my question is, but there you have it. —Joshua
Ausiello: Reading between the lines, I’m thinking your question was, “Can I please have some Happy Endings scoop?” And my answer is… yes! In an upcoming episode, Dave is forced to make a major decision about his career, so naturally, he consults a tarot card reader. But what the reader couldn’t have predicted — and by “reader,” I mean you, Joshua, not the tarot card reader — is that, though Dave walks in skeptical, he walks out as big a believer as Alex. Or, that is, as big a believer as Alex was when she walked in. When she walks out, she’s skeptical! (It’s very complicated, you see!)

Question: Any Castle news? —Gabriella
Ausiello: “It’s every man’s worst nightmare,” show boss Andrew Marlowe explains, when Castle’s ex-wife Meredith (Scandal‘s Darby Stanchfield) not only resurfaces in the next new episode (airing Jan. 7), but crashes at his place to tend to a sick Alexis. Especially since Kate is also at the time bunking with Rick, who famously has/had a habit of indulging in “ex sex” — and old habits perhaps die hard for one of the former marrieds. ”Castle has kind of dug his own grave and spends the episode trying to dig himself out of it,” Marlowe previews. “It’s also interesting to see everybody else’s take on things.” For in addition to RySposito sounding off on the sticky sitch, “You have Lanie saying to Beckett, ‘Girl, you have got to claim your territory!’”

Question: I’m still looking for NCIS scoop. —Lyn
Ausiello: One of the possible titles for CBS’ in-the-works NCIS: LA spinoff is NCIS: Red. Anyone know how that ties into the mobile unit premise? Not being snarky — I really want to know. (And please don’t make me do the research. I have Christmas presents to buy for myself.)

Question: Do you have some scoops about CSI: NY? —Bryan
Ausiello: Fans of “Flovato” (aka Detectives Flack and Lovato) should find themselves quite happy with the next new episode back, airing Jan. 4.

Question: It’s been quite a while since you’ve given us anything on How I Met Your Mother. How about a little something? –Rebecca
Ausiello: Reports of a Robin Sparkles comeback have not been greatly exaggerated. EP Carter Bays confirms that Scherbat’s ’90s alter ego will resurface in a big way in the Monday, Feb. 4 episode. “We [wanted to see] the next step in the progression that took her from Robin Sparkles to who she is today,” he previews. “What dominoes had to fall to get her from there to here?” Bays teases that viewers will be exposed to “a darker, edgier Robin Sparkles,” adding, “We’re going to see her rebellious side come out.”

Question: I was wondering if you have any scoop on The Lying Game. — Kristi
Ausiello: In fact, I do — straight from showrunner Chuck Pratt. “Laurel’s music will propel her into the beginning of the season,” he says, “but then Laurel’s going to take on a whole new dynamic in the show. She’ll become more of a force and an equal with Mads. She and Emma really start to bond, too, which will cause Emma problems because she’s lying to her.” If it sounds like the boss is a Laurel fan, it should. “One of our goals was to bring her to more of the forefront and really feature her this season,” he admits, “because we just think the world of [her portrayer] Allie Gonino.”

Question: I need some Hart of Dixie news involving Zade (Zoe and Wade). Hit me with your best shot. —Kris
Ausiello: You may end up trading Zade for Jade, if Travis Van Winkle catches on as Lemon and Brick’s cousin — and Wade’s potential competition for Zoe — Jonah. “He is a really fun character — a conceited, arrogant Southern boy,” teases exec producer Leila Gerstein. “You can think of him as a young Brick Breeland. He gets in Zoe’s face, and there’s conflict ahead.” And even further ahead, potentially romance. But, Gerstein swears, “There won’t be anything like that, certainly, for awhile.”

Question: I was devastated to see Amber and Ryan break up on Parenthood! Is Matt Lauria done on the show, or is there still hope? —Meghan
Ausiello: We have not seen the last of Ryan this season. Not by a long-shot.

Question: Time for a weekday update, Seriously?! Edition (insert Seth Meyers and Amy Pohler voices). Seriously Aus, where’s the love for The Vampire Diaries? —Sydney
Ausiello: Have you looked in your local roller disco? Because that may be where the show is headed. Though exec producer Julie Plec hastens to note that nothing is set in stone, she does admit, “We’re just now writing a script which, in a perfect world, will take us back to the ’70s in New York City. Everything could change, but it’s an era we haven’t explored yet. It could be a lot of fun.” Especially since she adds that “it’ll definitely involve our brothers in some form or another.” Cue the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack in 3, 2, 1…

Question: I am enjoying this season of The Vampire Diaries, but the one thing it needs is Katherine back! Any chance that’s happening anytime soon? —Ali
Ausiello: “That elusive vixen is still somehow lurking in the shadows,” teases Plec, “but keeping herself well hidden… Given Klaus’ continued presence in Mystic Falls, we shall see if we’ll be able to get her back into town.” Scram, Klaus!

Question: Any Parks and Rec scoop?! —Julie
Ausiello: Jerry’s retirement is on hold! “To be honest, we don’t have any specific plans” for him to pack it in, showrunner Mike Schur tells my colleague, Megan Masters. “It’s always been in the back of our head… as a chip to play, but I’m not sure we’re going to play it this year.” Hallelujah!

Question: January seems a lifetime away. Any Grey’s Anatomy scoop on Jackson/April to tide me over until then? —Alex
Ausiello: I’m going to answer your question with a question of my own: What do you think of April and [Spoiler] as a couple? I’m not saying Grey’s is going there, mind you. I’m just wondering what you think of them (i.e. They’re most likely going there. Maybe.)

Question: Too early to be asking for Sons of Anarchy scoop? —Joel
Ausiello: The fifth season just ended. The first episode of the sixth season hasn’t even been broken, let alone written. And it won’t air until next fall. I guess what I’m trying to say is, no, it’s not too early. “You can get ready for another reset for Clay next year,” speculates Ron Perlman. “What it is, I don’t know. But I would guess that Season 6 is going to very much be an exploration of [Clay and Jax] changing places. [Clay] goes on some sort of journey of retribution, while [Jax] watches his aspirations disintegrate right in front of his eyes, even if he can’t see it.” Perlman is quick to note that, “Every time I’ve tried to guess where [series creator] Kurt [Sutter] is going, I’ve been wrong. But it’s fun to play the game.”

Question: No question – just want to say Happy Holidays and thanks for all you do! —Frank
Ausiello: No thanks needed. Unless it comes in the form of a vegan burrito. I’m starving. But seriously, you’re welcome. And to prove how very welcome you are, I have a present for you — one last scooplet from this, the final AA of 2012! A major female character on an hour drama is getting killed off this spring. That’s it. That’s all you’re getting. (Hey, I didn’t say it was a good present.) Happy holidays!

That’s a wrap! Please send questions, comments, and anonymous tips to askausiello@tvline.com. (Additional reporting by Vlada Gelman, Meg Masters and Kim Roots)

Ask Ausiello: Spoilers on Grey’s Anatomy, Gossip Girl, Glee, Sons of Anarchy, NCIS, Suits and More!

Question: Can it really be happening? Is Gossip Girl really coming to an end? Since I know it is, can you let me in on some series finale secrets — especially regarding the flash-forward? —John
Ausiello: Three future couplings will surprise you. Two won’t.

Question: Do you have one last Gossip Girl scoop for me? — Kayla
Ausiello: There’s a twist in the final 15 minutes that I dare say will prove more polarizing than the incendiary Dan-Blair-Chuck triangle.

Question: 666 Park Avenue is awesome. Any chance it will be picked up by another network? —J.R.
Ausiello: No.

Question: Do you know if Jimmy Smits will be returning to Sons of Anarchy next season? I hope so. I really like him and Katey Sagal together. —Beth
Ausiello: There’s no deal currently in place for Smits to appear in Season 6, but as series creator Kurt Sutter told Meg Masters last week, “Nothing would make me happier than to bring him back… but he’s a busy guy. We’ll probably get into that soon with Jimmy.” Should he return, Sutter has big plans for Nero/Gemma. “I dig [them],” says the boss. “In the finale, when he’s all twisted up about being back in the life, that’s the thing that makes Gemma the most comfortable. She knows what to do with those kinds of men; she knows how to be strong for those kinds of men. So, what does that look like? It’s a culture clash that we haven’t explored yet. To plug her into that world, which is traditionally somewhat misogynistic, could be interesting to see played out a little bit and to see what that looks like. I’d love to keep that going.”

Question: Do you know why Jayma Mays has been MIA for so much of Glee this season? Anything coming up for her Emma?  —Megan
Ausiello: She’s a recurring player now, so she’ll continue to pop in and out as the storyline and her schedule allow. Meanwhile, I have a hunch “Wemma” fans will have some rather strong opinions about the alternate reality Artie envisions in this week’s It’s a Wonderful Life-themed episode.

Question: Can’t wait for Season 2 of Girls. Any scooplets? —Jessica
Ausiello: Is Hannah’s former boyfriend and current roomie Elijah (The New Normal‘s Andrew Rannells) coming out as straight? Sure sounds that way based on the official description from Episode 2, which includes the provocative teases, “Elijah questions his sexuality” and (MAJOR SPOILER ALERT) “Elijah and Marnie harbor a secret.” If that means what I think it means… eww, gross.

Question: Help a fellow Trojan out. Any Beauty and the Beast spoilers? It’s my favorite show of the season along with Nashville. —Susan
Ausiello: Fight On! But first, listen up: Christian Keyes (BET’s Let’s Stay Together) is joining the CW freshman for a multi-episode arc as Lt. Bishop’s brother — and a potential love interest for Catherine’s sister Heather. Bonus Scoop: His arrival will also somehow complicate Vincent/Beast’s anonymity. You may resume fighting on, Sue.

Question: Do you have any Nashville scoop on Rayna and Deacon? —Maggie
Ausiello: The winter finale had them back on (somewhat) friendly terms — but will it last? “As much as they have a great relationship, once they start to deal with it, the relationship becomes really volatile again,” explains series creator Callie Khouri. “They’ve both disappointed each other tremendously and they’re both really frustrated with the life they’ve created.” And although Deacon remains in recovery for his substance abuse issues, Khouri notes that “his other addiction is Rayna — and that’s the one that might kill him.”

Question: Big Grey’s Anatomy fan. Tell me you have something good about Meredith and Derek. —Tia
Ausiello: First off, let me tell you something good about Grey’s Anatomy in general — I’ve seen Thursday’s episode and it’s really, really terrific. Best of the season by far. Some highlights: On the eve of her wedding, Bailey’s an emotional basket case — equal parts Tasmanian Devil and Bridezilla; Owen and Cristina face a turning point in their relationship, triggered in part by the arrival of their divorce papers; April and Jackson go to great (read: hilarious) lengths to avoid attending Bailey’s nuptials together; Neve Campbell continues to prove that she was perfectly cast as Derek’s sis; and getting back to your question, Derek and Meredith share one of my favorite scenes together ever — a wholly uneventful husband-and-wifey exchange at the hospital that will make you swoon.

Question: Got any scoop on Grey’s Anatomy, preferably something to do with Callie and Arizona?  —NG
Ausiello: I almost forgot! Callie brings Arizona’s 2012 Pity Party World Tour to an abrupt end on Thursday, in the episode’s most rousing moment. You’ll applaud, you’ll laugh, you’ll want to hand Sara Ramirez an Emmy yourself.

Question: Do you have any interesting info on Constance Zimmer’s role on Grey’s Anatomy? —Christina
Ausiello: The theory I put forth last month? Don’t think that’s going to happen.

Question: Any NCIS news? —Robert
Ausiello: Yes! Among the returning faces on tap for the second half of Season 10 — besides Michael Nouri as Ziva’s father — show boss Gary Glasberg expects to have Matt Jones back as Probationary Agent Ned Dorneget. As for an encore from the enigmatic Miranda Pennebaker, Alex Kingston is currently busy across the pond with Doctor Who, Glasberg says, but he hopes to get her back soon. After all, he notes, “We’ve only scratched the surface with [Miranda] and what her relationship is with Gibbs.”

Question: Anything on Suits that we haven’t heard? —Sway
Ausiello: My colleague Vlada Gelman just screened the first two episodes back (airing Jan. 17 and Jan. 24) and promptly filed this exclusive report:  ”Hardman may be gone, but all-out war is about to erupt in the office. Expect some big power plays directed at the firm and within the firm in the first two episodes. Meanwhile, Mike will feel the consequences of having slept with the married Tess, especially when it comes to his relationship with Rachel. Even a surprising confession from Rachel to Mike, which reveals that they have more in common than they thought, can’t undo the damage.”

Question: Please give more insight on The Good Wife with Alicia getting the “P-word” you teased/tortured us about. I’m really hoping it’s not that she’s pregnant. —Val
Ausiello: She’s not pregnant. Nor is she becoming a porn star.

Question: Any word if Victoria Principal will return to Dallas for J.R.’s funeral? I would love to see her cause some serious trouble for Bobby and Ann. —BJ
Ausiello: I hear she’s among the names on producers’ wish list, but nothing’s official yet. I can tell you with absolute certainty that Pam’s presence will be felt in a huge way in the fantastic Season 2 premiere on Jan. 28 — so huge that her name is mentioned at least a dozen times. Bonus Scoop: Agent Skinner presents Mary Alice Young with quite the Sophie’s Choice.

Question: Longtime reader, first time asking a question. Should I be concerned about Happy Endings’ bad ratings? It’s my favorite show and I will lose it if ABC cancels it. —Mark
Ausiello: Frankly, I think you should be more concerned about this tease for Episode 15: Max starts dating a girl. (Anyone sensing a trend in this week’s AA?)

Ask Ausiello: Spoilers on Scandal, Supernatural, Once, Glee, Gossip Girl, NCIS, Dead and More!

Question: Can you please give me a scoop on the next Scandal episode? If you do, I’ll tattoo your name on my face like Mike Tyson! — Georgette
Ausiello: You’re in luck: Mitovich just screened the episode and filed this juicy report:

“Holy. Moly. This Thursday’s flashback-filled episode is off the hook, juicy as hell and one of the series’ best episodes to date, if not the very best. Oh, but you want teases. Well, you’ll see Flashback Cyrus fret over his ‘dirty little secret’ (aka James), get another look at Hagrid Huck and receive a download on all the scandalous Defiance/Cytron backstory. You should also watch for a scene where a freshly minted President Grant invites Olivia to be only the sixth person to touch [SPOILER]. Meanwhile, in the present day — and to the surprise of no one — Vice President Langston makes a bold move and, yes, the person behind Fitz’s shooting is made crystal clear.”

Georgie: Please send photo of your tatted-up mug to askausiello@tvline.com (A deal’s a deal!)

Question: My friend Leticia needs some cheering up, and a really good NCIS Abby-related brand-new spoiler/scoop seems to be the only thing that will work. — Ruby H
Ausiello: If “really good” will cheer her up, this oughta leave her ecstatic! Pauley Perrette told TVLine at the Trevor Live benefit in L.A. Sunday that she was not only shooting “a very, very Abby episode” but one that “people have been asking for… for 10 years.” In it, she explained, “we actually go back and find out about Abby’s past and childhood.”

Question: I’m excited to see the inside of Tony’s apartment in NCIS‘ Dec. 18 episode. Any hints of what we’ll find? —Mary
Ausiello: You’ll find “a lot of Michael Weatherly in it,” teases Perrette, who says Tony’s portrayer was a very hands-on interior decorator. “He picked out a lot of stuff — he has amazing taste. His [real-life] house is decorated so immaculately and with a lot of class. So there are couple Michael Weatherly things in there — and one really big surprise.”

Question: I would love to hear something new and juicy on The Walking Dead. —Ashley
Ausiello: The show resumes its third season on Feb. 10, but the episode you’ll want to plan your next viewing party around airs on March 3. “I think Episode 12 is going to be something special,” series creator Robert Kirkman told me. “All [eight episodes] are pretty great, but be on the lookout for that one.”

Question: How much longer do we have to wait for Schmidt and CeCe to get back together on New Girl? — Janet
Ausiello: How long till tonight’s episode? As Max Greenfield told TVLine at last week’s HFPA and InStyle-hosted Golden Globe kickoff party, this week, “Schmidt decides to go and tell CeCe how he really feels. He makes a serious move as a man.” As in let’s-have-baby serious? Um, not quite. “Not this season,” the actor laughs. “But season 4, I would love for some domesticity and a child.”

Question: So happy Nashville got picked up for a full season! It seems Juliette has finally found someone nice (and age appropriate). Do you know if  Sean is sticking around? —Amy-lee
Ausiello: You’ll get a better idea about the length of his stay in the closing minutes of Wednesday’s midseason finale when Juliette makes a big decision about the relationship. Teases series creator Callie Khouri: “All the stuff that’s been stirred up with her mother in the past several episodes has her really panicking a little bit and thinking about things she hasn’t before.”

Question: Is the Mulan/Aurora arc over on Once Upon a Time? Are they done for the season/forever? –Mary
Ausiello: Mitovich — who just spent a long weekend in Vancouver, where Once shoots — hears that one of the princesses will be seen soon after the show returns from its holiday break (on Jan. 6).

Question: Any fresh intel on who Ethan Embry is playing on Once Upon a Time? —Jenny
Ausiello: Jennifer Morrison knows about as much as the rest of us — which isn’t much. “[All we] know is he’s an outsider, he is a stranger and he is not a fairytale character,” she says, before quickly adding, “at least he’s not someone anyone recognizes from fairytale land.”

Question: Were you ever able to find out why Garcelle Beauvais was let go from Franklin & Bash? —Jeff
Ausiello: Yes! Beauvais says space issues led to her departure. “There was no more room for the character,” she explains of her powerhouse legal eagle, Hannah. “I think they did everything they could with that story and now it leaves me to go and explore. I am so excited about it.”

Question: Is Glee really going there with Brittany and Sam? Does the show realize what a s–tstorm it’s walking into? —Carly
Ausiello: I imagine they do since Brittany addresses the criticism head-on in a hilarious fourth-wall-shattering moment in this week’s episode.

Question: Do you think this is Glee‘s last season? —Ryan
Ausiello: Um… no. The show will definitely be back for Season 5. No question.

Question: Can I get some Glee scoop? —CM
Ausiello: The Marley/bulimia arc, which took a disturbing turn last week when the New Directions powerhouse collapsed during Sectionals, is going to get worse before it gets better. “It gets even crazier than you think,” reveals Samuel Larsen. “Trust me, it gets worse. It’s something no one’s really expecting at all.”

Question: Anything on NCIS: LA regarding my favorite couple, Eric and Nell? —Melissa
Ausiello: Sounds like those crazy kids are going to have a run-in with some mistletoe in the Dec. 18 Christmas episode. “There’s a little romantic spark happening,” hints Barrett Foa, who confirms that the “spark” he refers to is, in fact, a “really cool” kiss. “They’re really embracing the quirkiness of our characters. It’s a good [juxtaposition] between us and the big alpha males, LL Cool J and Chris O’Donnell. It’s a really nice interplay.”

Question: Any new scoop on Supernatural? —Jonathan
Ausiello: A big “Winchester family mythology episode” is on the docket for late January, confirms exec producer Jeremy Carver. Playing a central role in the hour will be Sam and Dean’s paternal grandfather Henry, whose arrival stirs up some daddy issues for the pair. “In other words, what did their father’s father have to do with the way their father turned out? A lot of that is explored head-on,” reveals Carver. “There’s a tremendous amount of emotional ground that’s covered. When we get a chance to do one of these episodes, we try to do it with great care because we’re essentially [etching] a part of the mythology into stone.” Might Jeffrey Dean Morgan make a cameo as Sam and Dean’s late pa? Responds Carver, evasively: “As with any character, we always have open discussions about everybody in our universe.” (We’ll take that as a no.)

Question: Any good Owen-Nikita moments we can look forward to on Nikita? —Tara
Ausiello: Moments? Try whole episodes. “When Owen comes back in January, there are two back-to-back episodes of Owen and Nikita doing crazy stuff,” Devon Sawa tells us. “Just [lots of] action and solving stuff.”

Question: Do you have any spoilers for Beauty and the Beast? —Allyson
Ausiello: New triangle alert! The show is getting ready to introduce a charismatic and slightly shady A.D.A. in his late 20s who will work closely with Kristin Kreuk’s Cat on a special task force. Business will turn to pleasure and, if all goes according to plan, the not-yet-cast New Guy could become a series regular. Let’s just give this to Jason Dohring and call it a day, k?

Question: Is there any chance of Nate and Serena getting back together as a couple before or during the series finale of Gossip Girl? —Erin
Ausiello: Answer’s still no, Erin. Ask me one more time and your IP address will be turned over to the authorities.

Question: You said last week that we would get more Gossip Girl spoilers. Can we get those now please? —Léa
Ausiello: I found out what Kristen Bell will be doing in the series finale and it’s brilliant. Also, did you hear about the flash forward?!

Question: I am so dependent on you for my survival right now. I’m scoop-obsessed so I’ll take anything on Pretty Little Liars, The Vampire Diaries, Once Upon a Time, Big Bang Theory or Gossip Girl. I have a longer list of shows, but these five will do for now. —Saloni
Ausiello: I’ll provide the spoiler, you guess which of the five shows it pertains to: *****’s war against ****s will soon result in a deadly twist that no one will see coming.

Question: Any last-minute Sons of Anarchy season finale spoilers? —Christopher
Ausiello: A body part belonging to a pivotal character will go flying across a room. Enjoy!

END QUOTE | “Patrick and I have been together for a long time. We’ve been through absolutely everything together. We’ve had our bad days and our good days. [As] we come to the end of Season 9, we’re in a good place. We just try and have as much fun as we can. I think part of the reason the show is so successful is because we are very comfortable with each other.” — Ellen Pompeo on her decade-long partnership with her Grey’s Anatomy leading man Patrick Dempsey

Ask Ausiello: Spoilers on Gossip Girl, Dexter, NCIS, Bones, Big Bang, Vamp Diaries and More!

Question: Did you get any scoop/updates on what Hart Hanson & Co. are planning for the upcoming 150th episode of Bones? —Elena
Ausiello: Funny story. I not only raised the topic of the big 150th to exec producer Stephen Nathan recently, but I pitched him a story, too. Basically, I told him the milestone outing — which will likely air around midseason — should climax with Brennan proposing to Booth. His response? “Well, [the engagement issue] will be part of this season,” he confirmed. “That’s been held over their heads for a long time. It won’t resolve itself, but it will be something that we do explore this season.” Looking at Season 8′s big picture, Nathan envisions a tone that’s “a touch darker” than last season. “We kind of looked at last season as everybody came together and became very comfortable. So it was sort of a funnier, very peaceful and kind of loving season,” he notes. “But we don’t want them to get too comfortable. People were broken apart [in the finale] and we’re going to try to see how they come back together — if they come back together. Booth and Brennan have a lot to deal with. She might’ve done the right thing, but she broke up the family [and] went away. She took his daughter. And they’re going to have to get past that.”

Question: Any more details on the Angela-centric Bones bonus episode? —Aaron
Ausiello: Angela meets an artist (played by October Road‘s Jay Paulson) who forces her to “reevaluate her life,” reveals Nathan. “With Hodgins being a gazillionaire, she doesn’t really have to work. Also, what’s kind of been lost in these seven years is that Angela is a temporary employee [at the Jeffersonian]. But because she’s become so close to everybody, she’s working there full time. But that was never her intent. This was always just a sideline [gig] for her, so she’s [questioning whether] she should go off and pursue what she originally wanted to pursue.” Faster than you can say “Holy complication, Batman!” Nathan drops this final tidbit: ”Something will occur with Hodgins where it might not be as simple as she thinks.”

Question: Do you remember something called Gossip Girl? How ’bout a spoiler? —Evelina
Ausiello: How ’bout a brain-teaser? When the season starts up, Dan is spending some QT far, far away from the Big Apple with a certain brunette Georgina. Chuck and Blair, meanwhile, are in a, um, better place. Yeah, let’s go with that.

Question: Can you tell me anything about my favorite character from The Good Wife, Cary? —Rachel P.
Ausiello: He has a line in the premiere that pretty much sums up his Season 4 predicament: “I’m always right on time for the fall of Saigon.” As exec producer Robert King explains, “Cary is someone who is trying to deal with a law firm that is now on the edge. No matter where he goes he seems to be in a place that is on the verge of falling apart. And what he realizes is he wants to not be the yuppy fighter he was before. He wants to have a calm spirit to him. The difficulty is we’re going to see some family of his coming into the picture, and that is going to complicate things for him.”

Question: I know she’s on The Mindy Project now, but any chance Anna Camp will return to The Good Wife? She went away too soon! —Gerald
Ausiello: Camp says she’d return “in a heartbeat,” adding that she too was “bummed” her arc ended so abruptly last season. “What happened was I got a movie I had to go shoot,” she explains. “I don’t know if [Caitlin leaving to be a stay-at-home mom-to-be] was their original direction, but I was like, ‘Oh my gosh! I thought I was going to flirt with Josh Charles?!’”

Question: There’s been a lot of talk about a Tiva conversation on NCIS, but what about the other trapped pair, Gibbs and Abby? Don’t they have anything to talk about? Will they be in any shape to talk at all? Please, give us some scoop! —Leni
Ausiello: It’s interesting, Leni. While everyone is fretting over the fate of this agent or that one, has anyone stopped to think what the season-ending explosion means for the squad room itself? Series boss Gary Glasberg tells us the HQ will “miraculously be rebuilt” to look “pretty much” the same as it ever was, though its signature orange scheme may prove to be one casualty. “There’s a whole storyline in Episode 2 about that,” he says, “the color of the walls.”

Question: Have you seen the Season 7 premiere of Dexter? Thoughts? —Jodi
Ausiello: It’s no secret that I found the experience of watching Season 6 akin to undergoing a triple root canal with no Novocaine while listening to the dental hygienist run her finger nails along a blackboard. Well, I’m happy to report that the S7 opener (airing Sept. 30) is so good it almost makes up for the torturous S6. I literally gasped at one point in the episode — and I haven’t done that while watching this show since Dexter found Rita soaking in a blood bath some three years ago. Not much else I can say without outright spoiling what goes down, but here’s a medium-sized tease: There’s a major-ish death.

Question: Any news on Season 6 of The Big Bang Theory, specifically about Leonard and Penny after the botched mid-coitus proposal? —Alex
Ausiello: Nothing yet, but I can tell you that a cute, smart grad student will enter Sheldon’s orbit this coming season. Her name is Alex, and she studies physics and works at the university with the nebbish theoretical physicist.

Question: When the heck are we getting some scoop on The Middle? (See what I did there?) –Julie
Ausiello: Love it. And you’ll love this: The family’s going to have a heck of a time at the local carnival, (this game is fun!) where they’ll meet two generically named characters. The first, Guy With Flag, works the parking lot at a demolition derby and assumes Axl’s a driver when he arrives in his jalopy. The guy thus waves him into the arena, but Axl thinks he’s parking for the carnival. Eep! The second, Office Worker, is a woman in her 20s who mans the carnival’s lost-and-found office in the hopes that her family will come and find her.

Question: Can you tell me how Parenthood‘s Sydney is going to react to the older brother that Julia and Joel are adopting? —Margaret
Ausiello: I can confirm that she will have a reaction — whether it’s good, bad or somewhere in between I don’t know.  Julia, meanwhile, will find that juggling two children plus a full-time job is a lot harder than juggling just one. “Julia has always worked on the theory that she can do it all and have it all at work and as a mom,” explains exec producer Jason Katims. “And that theory will be challenged in a way it hasn’t been before. This will make her question whether she really can do it all – a job as intense as the one she has and still be there for her children.”

Question: I was wondering if we’re potentially going to get more than 15 episodes this season of Parenthood? –Jake
Ausiello: Anything’s possible, but I think that Katims is plotting out the season as though there’ll be just 15. In the meantime, here’s some scoop: In one episode, Kristina and Adam have differing opinions about whether Max should run for class president, and Crosby and Jasmine have a difficult talk with Jabbar after he hears someone use a racial slur. How about a casting item to top things off? This season, we’ll not only meet Ray Romano’s Hank, we’ll also be introduced his 11-year-old daughter Ruby. Though the kiddo is a sullen handful when she shows up, she soon transforms into (whew!) someone much more likable.

Question: What’s the latest on the Friday Night Lights movie? —Tony
Ausiello: Houston Dillon, we have a script! “I’m just doing a little tweaking to it,” reports Katims. “A million things have to come together, but we’re hoping to if everybody is on board with doing it we’re hoping to find a time for everybody’s schedule to shoot it. It’s definitely something we’re trying to make happen.” Meanwhile, the pic’s leading lady, Connie Britton, is still waiting for someone to send her said script. “I haven’t seen it yet,” the star of ABC’s upcoming Nashville tells me. “I do know that they have one and they’re all really excited about it.” My prediction: The FNL film will go into production next spring.

Question: Anything on Happy Endings? –Chris
Ausiello: I’ve heard some rumblings about the second episode, and it sounds pretty funny. Max proves to Brad that he doesn’t need to spend a lot of money to have an amazing Saturday; Dave and Alex drive their real estate agent nuts as they look for an apartment; and Jane insists on accompanying Penny on a car-buying expedition — which sets in motion a storyline TVLine first told you about a few weeks ago.

Question: So, thinking about Revenge a lot these days. Know anything? –Marko
Ausiello: I hear it’s a dish best served cold, Marko. But really, can’t you just turn the other cheek and move on? Kidding – there’s a new 40-something mystery man in the Hamptons, his name is Raymond and he tries to cover up his shortcomings with nice threads and a hot car. In other words, he’ll fit right in.

Question: I’d love anything you have to offer on Parks and Recreation or Community. Thanks! –Leah
Ausiello: Parks and Rec it is! The plot of Season 5’s second episode may or may not involve the town adopting a soft drink ban (similar to New York City’s proposed measure). Naturally, several Pawnee residents are less than thrilled about that idea. Meanwhile, Ben’s got a super -preppy intern named Devon whom we’ll see in several scenes of the same ep.

Question: I can’t wait for Season 2 of New Girl! Got any spoilers to help me wait until the Sept. 25 premiere? –Magali
Ausiello: I’ve got some good ones just for you, Magali. In addition to Winston’s intimidating mom, we’re going to meet his sister, Alisha – and, of course, Schmidt will be All. Over. That. The show’s looking for tall, lovely ladies with basketball experience, because Alisha plays for the Los Angeles Sparks WNBA team. Though Winston’s sis wants nothing to do with Schmidt’s advances, she does accept his challenge of a one-on-one game… and it turns out just about how you’d think it would. Elsewhere in the apartment, Jess drunkenly makes dates with three different guys (and under two different names).

Question: Veep is already one of my favorite shows — got any scoop on Season 2? —Eduardo
Ausiello: Production doesn’t begin until October, which means the show’s Emmy-nominated leading lady, Julie Louis-Dreyfus, didn’t know much when we recently pressed her for a spoiler. But she did tease that the new season will have an international flavor. “Selina will meet some political people from Denmark,” she shared, before adding with a laugh, “which is on the cutting edge of the political universe, where all global decisions are made. No offense to Denmark!”

Question: I heard Suburgatory is going there with George and Dallas this season, but until I hear it from you I won’t believe it. —Emma
Ausiello: Believe it. “George and Dallas are going to do some ‘exploring,’” Cheryl Hines previews with a wicked-ish laugh. OK, but will they grow closer as a result? “Dallas would really like that!” Hines answers. “If Dallas has anything to do with it — and I think she does — I think they will.” Of course, Hines notes, the neighbors, on paper, “are not the best couple, so … it’ll be fun to see them try to do something.” Bonus scoop: Series creator Emily Kapnek confirms that the pair will embark on an unconventional first date early in the season. “Dallas doesn’t want any foul-ups, so she shows up with her life coach,” she reveals. “And George is like, ‘Whoa! Really?’”

Question: Any chance Modern Family will embark on another vacation this season? The Disney trip was pretty damn near perfect. —Lori
Ausiello: Family co-creator Steve Levitan says he has “a trip in mind” this season, but it’s a ways off. “We think that might be a nice way to end this season.”

Question: I’m really excited for Suits‘ flashback episode this week! Got any scoop? —Nikki
Ausiello: The time-tripping hour goes back five years to when Jessica and Hardman ran the business together. “We get to understand why [Hartman] was forced to leave the firm,” previews Sarah Rafferty, who play Donna. “That definitely forwards the plot in terms of the balance of power issues that are happening at Pearson-Hartman, but it also speaks to big character issues with all the main characters.” As for Rafferty’s former secretary, we’ll get some insight into why Donna “is important to not just Harvey, but the firm — what her value is and why she’s valuable.”

Question: Will Bonnie be at odds with group after what she did in the Vampire Diaries finale? —Tony
Ausiello: According to showrunner Julie Plec, she won’t suffer “friendship consequences,” but she will suffer “witch consequences.” Elaborates the EP: “She tapped into something pretty dark to do it, and she’s going to have to tap into that again in the first episode. It’s not going to be a walk in the park for her. She’s going to be struggling with her own darkness inside of her as Elena is starting to adapt to hers.”

Question: British Downton Abbey fan here trolling for scoop on the upcoming Christmas special (or as you Yanks call it, the Season 3 finale). —Andrew
Ausiello: Prepare yourself for a major disconnect — the Season 3 Christmas special will be set in the summer. But don’t worry — with England’s chilly weather and near-constant drizzle, you won’t notice the difference.

That’s a wrap! Please send questions, comments, and anonymous tips to askausiello@tvline.com. (Additional reporting by Kim Roots, Vlada Gelman and Megan Masters)

Ask Ausiello: Spoilers on HIMYM, Community, Good Wife, Castle, Vampire Diaries and More!

Question: Do you have any more news on Castle? —Kaitlyn
Ausiello: In the category of “fun” episodes on tap for Season 5, series boss Andrew Marlowe is hoping to have the team investigate a murder at a sci-fi convention — “That should be fun, given Nathan [Fillion]’s background and how much of a rock star he is at Comic-Con” — and maybe do a riff on The Office. “We’re thinking about an episode that’s shot documentary-style, where we get one-on-one confessionals with the camera and get to know what people really think about certain things.”

Question: I really want to believe Community will remain great this season, but I’d feel better with a little scoop from you to back it up. Help a guy out? –Mike
Ausiello: This sounds potentially hilarious: The new showrunners are looking for a known actor or actress to play an older British professor who used to teach at Oxford. The tough history teacher will at first appear to be out of place in Greendale’s less-than-professional atmosphere, but a few episodes into Season 4, we’ll see that the prof is just as big a mess as anyone else on campus. Hit the comments with your choices for the part!

Question: Will we see Barney and Robin’s engagement this season on How I Met Your Mother? —Jacob
Ausiello: Yes — but whether it happens midway through the season or at the very end depends on the outcome of Season 9 negotiations. “Barney and Robin will get engaged this season,” confirms EP Craig Thomas. “I can guarantee that. We’ll show you how we get that far. When we will get to their actual wedding, I can’t tell you right now. But it’s going to be good.” Bonus scoop: Asked if Robin will be tasked with babysitting Marshall and Lily’s son, Marvin, Thomas all but confirmed that she would, saying, “I’m very interested to see what Robin Scherbatsky would be like for three hours with a baby.”

Question: Any Supernatural scoop about the Dean-Castiel dynamic? —Joyce
Ausiello: “That is something that we explore heavily throughout the season through some pretty extensive flashbacks into purgatory,” reveals new showrunner Jeremy Carver. “People are always referring to purgatory as hell, and purgatory is not hell. Purgatory is a really brutal, free-wheeling place, but it has different effects on different people. It will have a different effect on Cas and Dean as you already started to see [in the Season 7 finale]. But I will say what you think you saw might not be exactly what you saw.”

Question: Any chance Dalia will get a boyfriend this season on the supremely underrated Suburgatory? —Jen
Ausiello: Series creator Emily Kapnek wouldn’t confirm a boyfriend, but she would confirm “a very unexpected kiss for Dalia” in the season premiere. “Somebody you wouldn’t imagine she would ever touch with a 10-foot pole,” adds the boss lady. “But she’s feeling very vulnerable because her nanny is leaving, and it’s very, very hard for her to wrap her head around. So this person’s timing is just right when he finds her in the hallway of Chatswin High.” Other twists on tap for the alpha Mean Girl, per portrayer Carly Chaikin: “Dalia abandons The KKK for a bit, and tries a new, more sophisticated look.”

Question: What’s this I’m hearing about a big Vampire Diaries death? Any hints about the victim?—Clay
Ausiello: Stop asking yourself who dies and start asking yourself who does the killing. That’s what people will be talking about the following morning at the watercooler on line at Starbucks.

Question: I’ll take any Vampire Diaries spoiler you’ve got. I’m not picky. —Daniel
Ausiello: A flashback in this season’s fourth episode unearths a “big secret that will change the course of the season for everybody,” teases EP Julie Plec.

Question: Absolutely loved Parker Posey on Louie. Please tell me she’s returning! —Marcus
Ausiello: Sounds like she’s returning in some form. “She kind of comes back a couple of times… sort of… in a weird way,” hedges the show’s creator and star, Louis C.K., before adding, “You will see her face a few more times.” Bonus scoop: The final three episodes of the season are jam-packed with surprise cameos, including Jerry Seinfeld.

Question: Is this the season that Emily Deschanel finally directs an episode of Bones? —Marie-Eve
Ausiello: Probably not. “We would love her to direct, but the issue is the baby,” says exec producer Stephen Nathan of the new real-life mom. “She’s going to have a toddler and it’s just so hard to juggle the time. It’s hard under the best of circumstances, but to act on the show, feed the baby, play with the baby and direct…. I don’t know how it’s possible.”

Question: I’m not ashamed to admit that I’m ridiculously excited about Bones‘ upcoming all-squintern episode. Got any scoop? —Laurie
Ausiello: Hopefully someone at Fox was capturing behind-the-scenes footage for use as a DVD extra. “Watching those boys off camera was I think as entertaining as watching them on camera,” reports Tamara Taylor, who plays Cam. ”The amount of testosterone flying around the room was awesome.” The episode itself involves Team Squintern attempting to solve a mystery regarding a victim of the 9/11 attacks. “They’re all competing to crack the case,” Taylor explains. “Nerds, believe it or not, have egos too.”

Question: How about a Downton Abbey spoiler on my fave duo Bates and Anna? —Georgia
Ausiello: A sequence in the Season 3 finale featuring the lovebirds will likely have you crying out for the continuity police when it airs next year. The scene in question was shot on July 19 — aka Emmy nominations day — and, as Anna’s portrayer, Joanne Froggatt, explains, ”Brendan [Coyle] and I had just shot one half of the scene and then we broke for lunch. [During my lunch break] Michelle Dockery (Lady Mary) called and told me I was nominated, and I just screamed and jumped up and down in my dressing room. And then I didn’t see Brendnan until we got back on set, so we were like, ‘We’ve both been nominated!’ So one half of the scene was shot pre-Emmy nominations and one half is shot post-Emmy nominations. In the [later] shot I have very red ears and a flushed face, so makeup had to spray me down with foundation!”

Question: Any Drew-related Parenthood scoop? Will he still be with Amy? —Kim
Ausiello: Yes, but their relationship is doomed. The high school sweethearts break up early in the season and Drew, naturally, is “heartbroken,” says exec producer Jason Katims, adding, “As sweet as it was to see him have his first romance, I’m actually more excited to see him heartbroken and trying to get over it.” Making matters more angsty for the awkward teen, “Sarah may decide at some point in the season to move in with Mark,” Katims shares. “Drew hasn’t really bonded with Mark, so it would put him in a very uncomfortable position to be living in a small apartment with his mom and her guy, who is also a teacher at his school.”

Question: Are we going to see more of Danny and Lindsay’s daughter, Lucy, this season on CSI: NY? —Gloria
Ausiello: The little tyke will appear in Episode 4 when an innocent family outing turns tragic. “Danny and Lindsay are out in the city with Lucy and Lindsay finds herself in a little bit of danger,” reveals exec producer Pam Veasey. “She becomes an unfortunate victim and reluctant witness to something.” Meanwhile, Veasey says Season 9 will feature more “humor, surprises, gimmicks and personal stories,” adding, “Every character will have an episode where we follow them home on their day off.” The show will also shoot a portion of Episode 3 on location in San Francisco. “The hook is ‘bridge to bridge,’” she shares. “Brooklyn to Golden Gate. There’s a murder situation where we start in New York and travel to San Francisco.”

Question: Are there going to be any more cast changes on Body of Proof? –Angie
Ausiello: I hear the show’s adding a handsome district attorney who’ll be around to discuss Kate’s possible run for Congress. (“She’s got some political aspirations this season,” Jeri Ryan told us, “so it will be interesting to see where that goes.”) Well for one, sparks will fly between her and Mr. D.A., which is probably why the role of Dan is classified as a multiple recurring guest star: We’ll be seeing him a lot.

Question: Any word on Dixon’s fate on 90210? I’m a little worried. –Kelley
Ausiello: Aside from what we’ve already reported, no. But I can tell you to keep watch for Megan, a sweet 20-something who first shows up at a group therapy session but will be seen throughout the season.

Question: I can’t stand Sara on White Collar. Please tell me they’re bringing someone new in to catch Neal’s eye? Please? –Janie
Ausiello: Janie, this is White Collar. Of course there’ll be other ladies in Neal’s life. Now, whether the following guest star will be one of them, I’m not at liberty to say: Calloway, the New York White Collar Division’s new boss, is a go-getter who’s “disarmingly forward, thorough and direct” – and Peter’s surprised that someone so young holds the power position.

Question: I was a huge Ugly Betty fan, and I’m psyched that Michael Urie’s going to be back on my TV this fall. What can you tell me about Partners? —Sam
Ausiello: I can tell you that the show A) has tons of potential and B) is looking to cast boys to play Urie’s character, Louis, and David Krumholtz’s character, Joe, at ages 9 and 13, respectively. Little Louis is a mirror of his future self – effeminate, cocky and flamboyant.

Question: Any fresh Will/Alicia Good Wife intel? —Donna
Ausiello: Don’t hold your breath for a reunion. “They were two people who were in a love relationship who had sex who now have to work together with all of that heated emotion in their backpacks, and that’s difficult,” notes executive producer Robert King. “It’s not over in the sense that you can’t really close the door on something that happened. But are they two people trying to move on? Yes.” Bonus scoop: Kristin Chenoweth, who was injured earlier this month when a piece of scaffolding hit her in the head while on the Good Wife set, is “doing better,” reports King. “We have her written into the third, fourth and fifth episode. We’ll see if it works out. She’s so good in the first episode; we need her back.”

Question: Can’t wait for Blue Bloods’ return. Do you have any details about the upcoming season? —Stephanie
Ausiello: In the third episode, while Danny’s busy tracking down a rapist-killing serial murderer, Erin and her D.A. ex-husband find themselves arguing against each other in court over a case involving one of her family members.

Question: NCIS spoilers, please! —Missy
Ausiello: I’ve got some info on three guest-star roles that’ll show up the CBS procedural during the upcoming season. The eccentric Dr. Blackwell is a big-deal space geologist who weighs in on some mysterious material the feds bring him, and Ellie is an upper-middle-class lady who blames herself for her father’s death a decade ago and is shocked when new information tells a different story. But wait, I saved the best for last: The show’s looking for a 50-ish male to play an aging one-hit wonder from the late 1970s who blew his earnings in the ’80s and has been skirting creditors ever since – and if it works out, an actual rock star from that era will get the part.

That’s a wrap! Please send questions, comments, and anonymous tips to askausiello@tvline.com. (Additional reporting by Kim Roots and Vlada Gelman)