Matt's Inside Line: Scoop on Mentalist, Sons of Anarchy, Homeland, Falling Skies, Dixie and More

Why are G-men storming The Mentalist? How quickly will Homeland answer burning questions? Will Falling Skies‘ Karen get a warm welcome home? Is Sons revving up the father/son animosity even higher? Read on for answers to those questions plus other teases from fall and summer shows.

The Mentalist | We start this week’s column with a dip into the reader mailbag, where Erin asks: “Do you have an Inside Line on The Mentalist?” As a matter of fact, the CBS procedural – which, remember now, has moved to Sundays at 10/9c – has put out a casting for not one, not two but three FBI agents. Yeah, apparently that season-ending shoot-out has left a big multi-jurisdictional mess to be mopped up. Among the new recurring G-people are a handsome “good guy” named Gabe, a “ferocious alpha female” named Alexa and quiet lunk named Reede. The Mentalist, as reported earlier this week, returns on Sunday, Sept. 30.

Homeland | Ack, we now turn to one of The Mentalist‘s time slot rivals, which also kicks off its new season on Sept. 30. (I feel dirty. And yet, there’s scoop to share….) I have learned that one of the Season 2 roles I told you about, Brody’s chief of staff, has been cast, and Broadway vet Alexander Gemignani has landed the potentially recurring gig. Now you’re like, “Wait, Brody’s in office already?” To which Damian Lewis says: “Well, let’s put it this way: Brody’s political career is somewhat accelerated in the first episode. In fact, a lot happens in that first episode.” A lot, but not anything as regards the burning questions coming out of Season 1. “You know what? Any trails which were left open – like the mole, the razor blade [slipped to Hamid] and the [missing] memory card – none of them are touched on in the first episode,” Lewis shares.

Falling Skies | Another Sunday night drama? Sure! This weekend is when Karen (played by Jessy Schram aka Cinderella) resurfaces, and under quite extraordinary circumstances. “I won’t spoil it for you,” showrunner Remi Aubuchon starts, “but I will say that when she reappears, you just won’t believe what’s happening with her.” What, is the former 2nd Masser no longer lip-synching for Mr. Overlord? “I’m hesitant to say any more,” Aubuchon hedges. “But the way she comes is really quite interesting.” Especially for Margaret, I have to imagine. (Hey Hal – it’s no contest, really.)

RELATED | First Look: Sons of Anarchy‘s Official Season 5 Poster Underscores Huge Clay/Jax Rift

Sons of Anarchy | “It’s going to be a very, very uneasy partnership” — that is how Charlie Hunnam sums up the dynamic between Jax and Clay as Season 5 picks up, a short time after SAMCRO’s abrupt change in leadership. “Jax is keeping him around as a matter of necessity, and when that necessity ends… I don’t know what going to happen.” As such, Clay, even as cocksure as he can be, must figure that his days of serving the club in any capacity are numbered, no? “I would imagine that Clay understands that he has a finite amount of time,” Hunnam offers. “And I’m sure he’s going to put that time to very good use, to engineer some reason that he’s essential beyond this period of his actually being essential.”

Hart of Dixie | A new recurring character being added for Season 2 is both good news — for Zoe and Lavon – and bad news – for Lemon. Ruby, an African-American in her early 30s, is described as gorgeous and sophisticated,” a successful cosmopolitan businesswoman who returns to Bluebell after selling off her cosmetics line over in Atlanta. The rub is that Ruby was Lavon’s high school sweetheart and thus an old foe of Lemon’s. And likely because of her aforementioned cosmopolitan flair, she and Zoe hit it off right away. Any casting suggestions? (The 4400‘s Megalyn Echikunwoke, perhaps?) Hit us with ’em in Comments!

Touch | Remember how you wanted to love the Kiefer Sutherland drama, but perhaps you felt its cast was just a touch too tiny? I mean, you had Kiefer, Gugu and… the kid. That’s about to change. Going into Season 2, not only is Maria Bello now on board as a regular, but two other new faces are being added to the cast. One of the new characters, Calvin, seems benign enough – a young genius entrepreneur scientist who’s really into math and algorithms. But it’s the other role being cast, Manolo Ortiz, that our erstwhile Jack Bauer may want to worry about, as he’s described as a former priest-turned-killing machine, a religious zealot who fancies himself on a mission from God. Sounds like our touchy-feely Fox drama is bringing on some form of big bad.

If there’s a show you’d like the Inside Line on, email mattmtvguy@gmail.com, and maybe it’ll get some love the next time around!  (With reporting by Meg Masters)