Question: Got any Grey’s Anatomy spoilers? It has been a while. —Sami
Answer: It’s been way too long, Sami. Way. Too. Long. Here’s your long overdue scoopage: Little Sofia threatens to derail Callie’s big Valentine’s Day surprise for Arizona on Feb. 9, but it’s not the tyke’s fault; it’s Mark’s. Callie asks him to look after their daughter but he’s got plans of his own, so she tries to pawn babysitting duties off on the other docs. I’m guessing it all works out because the episode ends with Callie escorting a blindfolded Arizona to [spoiler].
Question: All I want for Christmas is a good Meredith and Derek scoop. You got any? —Jessica
Answer: Santa ClAnswer at your service! You’ll be happy to know that Der and Mer are very much a part of the aforementioned V-Day episode. Let’s just say they are definitely in the mood.
Question: Got any news about Caroline’s storyline on The Vampire Diaries? —Charlotte
Answer: She’s turning 18, and for her birthday the show’s writers are giving her the second episode back, airing Jan. 12! “It’s a big [one] for Caroline,” confirms showrunner Julie Plec of the installment. “It’s emotional. It’s scary. It’s very, very, very powerful.” But the episode isn’t all about Candice Accola’s vamp. “It’s a big episode for the friends — for Elena and Matt and Bonnie and Caroline,” Plec adds. “It’s a big episode for Tyler and Caroline’s relationship. It’s a massive episode for Stefan and Elena, and Stefan’s pissing contest with Klaus and the lengths he is willing to go to make his point, not giving a damn about anyone or anything. It’s a big episode for Damon’s continued evolution as villain to hero. It’s just a nice episode all around.”
Question: The wait for new Vampire Diaries episodes is maddening. Please give us some Delenda scoop to tide us over? —Gabi
Answer: Stefan’s seeming betrayal of Damon and Elena leaves the pair “fraught with sexual and romantic tension and very, very, very angry at Stefan,” reveals Plec. “It leaves them thrown together to defend themselves against whatever Klaus’ next move is going to be. It leads to a fairly interesting showdown between Damon and Stefan in which Damon literally tries to beat the answer out of Stefan as to why Stefan betrayed him and ruined his plan.”
Question: How about you give me the Vampire Diaries scoop I so desperately need? —Elizabeth
Answer: We definitely haven’t seen the last of badass Original sister Rebekah, Plec tell us. But don’t expect a happy reunion when someone finally takes that dagger out of her. “She let herself get emotionally duped by Elena, and Elena literally stabbed her in the back,” explains Plec. Rebekah’s anger at Elena will be “a big problem for Klaus, who doesn’t want anything to happen to [Elena], and for Elena herself, who pulled the ultimate mean girl back stab and is going to have to pay the price for that.” Rebekah will also be none too pleased with Klaus for lying to her about their mother’s death. “She’s just mad period,” says Plec with a laugh, “all around.”
Question: I read that Daisy is coming back in Episode 7 of Bones. What’s going on between her and Sweets in that episode? —Ed
Answer: Sounds like shenanigans. “They’re up to what they shouldn’t be in Brennan’s office,” teases exec producer Stephen Nathan.
Question: Do you have any spoilers about Shameless — particularly about Steve/Fiona? —Domi
Answer: Sorry, Fiona/Steve lovers, but Justin Chatwin is mostly M.I.A. when Season 2 resumes on Jan. 8. Fiona’s rebound dance card, meanwhile, remains full, first with Lone Star‘s James Wolk, and next with Vampire Diaries‘ Taylor Kinney. The latter plays an old and now-married crush of Fiona’s from high school with whom she reconnects with. Look out for a ROTFLOL-worthy scene set inside a car that will have you looking at Kinney in a whole new light.
Question: Any exhilarating scoop on Season 2 of Homeland? —Joey
Answer: Don’t expect any major cast changes during the hiatus. “I would imagine everybody is coming back,” EP Alex Gansa tells TVLine’s Matt Mitovich. “Of our regulars, I think everybody is coming back.”
Question: Just about a month until Justified is back… and I can hardly wait! Any scoop? Please? I have cookies. —Michele
Answer: File this under “W” for “WTF?!?!?!” Early into Season 3, Boyd is desperately trying to stay in prison and Raylan is desperately trying to get him out! Now gimme my cookie!
Question: Do you have anything about Downton Abbey‘s second season? —Brooke
Answer: Someone should install a revolving door in the entrance to the estate, because within the first three episodes one staff member is fired, another one quits and a third one returns after a long absence. And I haven’t even gotten to the comings and goings among the family!
Question: Just wondering if you had any scoop on the upcoming 100th episode of The Big Bang Theory? —Shoof
Answer: Major spoilers about the milestone episode can be found here. Now here’s a scoop about the 101st episode: Kripke’s returning! John Ross Bowie confirms to TVLine that he’ll be reprising his role as Sheldon’s nemesis in early ’12. “I don’t know anything [about the story], but I have never had a dull episode,” he notes. “I’ve done rock climbing, karaoke and I had a bunch of chemical foam dumped on me. Maybe stunt driving is next. I’m a little scared. I’m pretty sure whatever it is I will be back for it is not in the name of good. He is a supervillain. He is so abrasive and he actually seems to like being that way. So I highly doubt I will be building bridges to friendship with Leonard and Sheldon. Plus, we have not see Kripke since Amy and Sheldon got together so there could be a lot of fun to be had with that. Maybe he’ll try to steal her away.” Bowie, meanwhile, doesn’t see Kripke becoming a more permanent fixture on Big Bang. “As much as I love playing the character, I have to agree with the people on the Internet: A little Kripke goes a long way,” he says.
Question: Can we please give us a little Gossip Girl/Dair something to keep us going before you make our hearts explode in January? You’re such a tease! —Lana
Answer: Good things come to those who wait… two more weeks. (Trust me, it’ll be worth the wait.)
Question: What can we expect to see in the next HIMYM episodes? — Annette
Answer: More Kal Penn. “We love working with Kal and I really like his character, Kevin,” EP Carter Bays tells me. “There’s a great episode coming up with him. It’s a fun little adventure with Ted, Barney and Kevin together. It’s fun seeing him in the mix.” Bays also says there’s a decent chance Ashley Williams will reappear. “We never want to let go of Victoria. And I definitely think one visit [this season] is far too few.” Agreed.
Question: You seem to be the master of all Good Wife scoop, which is awesome (or just plain good). So, I ask you: Any word if the show plans to bring back Lisa Edelstein? —Shane
Answer: No plans at the moment. But I’ll tell you who is returning: This person!
Question: How about some scoop on Shaw’s return to Chuck this Friday? —Joel
Answer: How about it, indeed! “We’ll realize that Decker and his plan has all been manipulated by Daniel Shaw from his [prison] cell,” reveals EP Chris Fedak. “We wanted to do a monster story. We wanted to do a Christmas story. Christmas is such a haunted holiday, like in the Charles Dickens tradition. So when we started thinking about this year’s Christmas story, we thought, ‘Let’s bring back a monster from our past.’ At the end of Season 3, Brandon [Routh] was such a good ‘Mwahaha’ bad guy. I was like, “We gotta bring back the ‘Mwahaha.’” Fedak calls the hour “one of our most crazy, intense” episodes ever, adding, “It’s Daniel Shaw haunting Sarah Walker. Brandon came back, and he was great. He just plays an icy killer like nobody else.”
Question: I know everyone’s talking about Deb walking in on Dex in the Dexter finale, but I want to know about the creepy intern. What’s the deal with him sending Dex the arm of his dead brother? —Steve
Answer: The deal is… you’ll have to wait until Season 7 to find out. Asked why he left the Louis (Josh Cooke) thread dangling in the finale, exec producer Scott Buck told me, “I think what we’re doing with Louis is setting him up for things to come.”
Question: Now that Enlightened has been (thankfully) renewed for a second season, do you know if Mike White plans to introduce a love interest for Amy? Girlfriend needs to get some. —Deb
Answer: I’ll let Laura Dern (via TVLine’s Michael Slezak) tackle this one. “She hasn’t had kids and she’s had a divorce, and you want to know if I feel like she’s finally going to meet somebody, and all I can say to you is, “God I hope so,” the Golden Globe nominee says with a laugh. “But I’m just not sure. I just don’t know, even if it’s a wrapped with a neat little bow, it’s going to be tricky.”
Question: Have you heard anything about Terra Nova‘s chances at a second season? —Renee
Answer: I’d put them at 50/50.
Question: Can you tell me something about Episode 200 of NCIS? —Bianca
Answer: Sadly, I can’t. That information is under lock and key. I can, however, tell you that Sarah Jane Morris isn’t the only NCISalum returning in the episode airing Jan. 3. CBS confirms that Scott Wolf will also be back, reprising his role as Agent Stratton. “Stratton intends to finish what he started and influence some unexpected lives in the process,” teases exec producer Gary Glasberg, “including Gibbs’.”
Question: Anything on Southland? —Cory
Answer: Look for a very brief and mostly silent reunion between Cooper and Sherman in the Season 4 premiere (airing Jan. 17). On the work front, Sherman comes to blows with another cop (guest star Lou Diamond Phillips) over his lax attitude about protocol, while Cooper is paired with Lucy Liu’s new cop character, who requested him for a very specific reason.
Question: I’m obsessed with New Girl. Best new comedy of the season. Scoop me, please! —Dave
Answer: As you know, True Blood‘s Ryan Kwanten will guest star early next year as Jess’ Valentine’s Day one-night stand. But what you may not know is that the actor is a sitcom star waiting to be born. “He played off of Zooey [Deschanel] really well and just immediately got the comedy and knocked it out of the park,” raves series creator Liz Meriwether. “I was potentially distracted by staring into his eyes, but I did get past that and was genuinely laughing at pretty much everything he was doing.”
