Got a scoop request? An anonymous tip you’re dying to share? Send any/all of the above to askausiello@tvline.com
Question: I read that Penny and Sheldon will bond during Leonard’s absence on The Big Bang Theory – do you have any more details on this? —Emily
Ausiello: I can confirm that there will be some hugging (see photo, right). I can also confirm that there will be an exchange of classified information. “They [share] a couple of intimate secrets about each other,” exec producer Steven Molaro teases of the CBS comedy’s Sept. 26 opener. “They have some really sweet scenes together.”
Question: What’s up with Sons of Anarchy? —Robert
Ausiello: Jax won’t be making any conjugal visits to his jailhouse bride when Sons of Anarchy kicks off its sixth season on Sept. 10. In fact, he won’t be visiting Tara, period (although it won’t be for lack of trying on his part). When the unhappy couple do eventually come face-to-face, expect “a deep sense of sadness on both their parts,” shares series creator Kurt Suttter, who describes the reunion as “loving but very sad.” As the SOA boss notes, “They’ve been through so much already, and how many more times can you say, ‘I’m sorry?’ How many more times can you say, ‘It’s going to get better?’ How many more times can you say, ‘It’ll change?’ It’s almost like there’s a certain amount of resignation that they both are aware of.”
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Question: Can I get tapes of the past two seasons of the Sons of Anarchy? —Don
Ausiello: Sure thing. What format do you prefer — VHS, Betamax or 8-Track?
Question: Are there any Beauty and the Beast Spoilers? –Viv
Ausiello: I foresee a helper… and a headache. The show is currently casting the guest-starring roles of Zach, a cocky former soldier who uses a reunion with an old friend (perhaps Vincent?) for vengeance (against, perhaps, Muirfield?), and Beth, a high school pal of Cat’s who is now the hard-charging producer at a news station — suggesting to me that she’ll be the next one to get wind of the beasts now in our midst.
Question: Can you please keep us updated with the latest on Beauty and the Beast? It will be much appreciated! –Carol
Ausiello: Speak of the devil, here is the very, very latest: I can exclusively report that Bryan Dechart (Jane By Design) will debut in Episode 4 as Aaron Keller, a relative of Vincent’s (!) who is a street-smart arson investigator prone to being a (ahem) “hot” head. Hailing from a family of firefighters, Aaron is desperate to make his mark. And there you have the very latest!
Question: First time asker and I’ll keep it short and sweet — Newsroom, Nashville or The Originals? I’ll take anything! —Zara
Ausiello: Let’s head to Nashville. According to showrunner Dee Johnson, Peggy is determined to have Teddy’s baby. “She’s not going to run out and get an abortion,” Johnson says, adding that Teddy is “certainly not happy” about the bun in his mistress’ oven and that it’ll take a little while for Rayna to find out that Pegs is expecting. (Though, given everything that happened in the season finale, this whole mess is the least of Rayna’s problems, am I right?)
Question: Can we look forward to any substantial Snow/Emma scenes in Once Upon a Time Season 3? Also, is Snow finally going to get back to her warrior ways? –Christina
Ausiello: Yes, and thus yes. As mom and daughter brave Neverland together while still adjusting to their family dynamic, “In a lot of ways, Mary Margaret may not be able to bond with Emma, but Bandit Snow and Emma have a lot in common,” notes cocreator Eddy Kitsis. Meaning, going up against Peter Pan and his Lost Boys will bring bow-toting Snow to the fore. “David and Mary Margaret last year were saying, ‘We are both,'” Kitsis reminds. “But this year it’s, ‘We need Snow and Charming.’ That’s what this mission requires.”
Question: Do you have any new Bones spoilers for us? —Maria
Ausiello: Booth and Brennan have more than just a wedding to look forward to this season. Per exec producer Stephen Nathan, Bones intends to show the love-struck pair experiencing a number of pre-marriage trappings, including, presumably, bachelor and bachelorette parties. Although the rituals “might not be in the right order,” Nathan teases. “We want to continue to mess up tradition while kind of keeping it traditional at the same time.”
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Question: Since Person of Interest announced that Sarah Shahi would be a series regular, social media has been lit up by passionate fans who either love or hate her character, Sam Shaw. Are they sticking by their choice? —Casey
Ausiello: Absolutely — and the thing to keep in mind is that as a result, Shaw isn’t now some full-time member of Finch’s team. As showrunner Greg Plageman explained to Matt Mitovich as part of our Fall Preview Spectacular, Shaw’s betrayal by her own government “informed her opinion about belonging to anything or giving allegiance to anyone right now.” And as such, “She helps us out only when she feels like it.”
Question: Anything new on the NCIS front? –Cheryl
Ausiello: If you are by chance among the McAbby fans who worry that Tim’s new computer geek girlfriend Delilah (played by Big Bang Theory brainiac Margo Hasrhman) will be some ersatz Abby, Gary Glasberg is here to set the record straight. “I’d like to believe that maybe he’s drawn to people like that and is intrigued by women like that, but I wouldn’t say that [Abby and Delilah] are that similar,” the showrunner tells us. “They have their differences, that’s for sure!”
Question: Any scoop on Grimm? –Jordan
Ausiello: The third season of the supernatural drama will feature “alligators in the sewer” and “a reemergence of the Bauerschwein-Blutbad feud,” show bosses James Kouf and David Greenwalt tell TVLine. A word to the wise: You might want to DVR the Wu-centric episode – in which the cop comes face-to-face with the Wesen world – and watch it after dinner. The baddie in that hour is “something so creepy that the last thing that creepy was the fly episode,” Greenwalt promises. “This is right on par with that.”
Question: First off, I love your column! I have been reading Ask Ausiello since you were on Entertainment Weekly! Second, do you have any 2 Broke Girls scoop? I’m dying! —Richa
Ausiello: Thanks, Richa, but to be precise, I was in Entertainment Weekly, not “on” it. I’m a stickler for details, oh yes I am. Moving on to your query, showrunner Michael Patrick King tells us that Steven Weber will “probably” be back as Caroline’s pop this season and that “you never know” whether Candy Andy will return to romance Caroline. “We loved Ryan [Hansen] so much,” he says, but acknowledges that Hansen’s casting on CBS’ Bad Teacher complicates things a bit.
Question: Any Rookie Blue scoop? —Holly
Ausiello: The show’s two-part season ender, airing Sept. 5 and Sept. 12, will play out in roughly real time, which exec producer Tassie Cameron says should “give some indication of the urgency and pace.” Also, it’s a good thing ABC’s summer sleeper was renewed since Season 4 ends on a cliffhanger. Teases Cameron with a laugh: “I wouldn’t have wanted to end the show on our finale.”
Question: I know it’s early, but got anything on my favorite show, Cougar Town? —Christopher
Ausiello: Season 5 will answer the burning Q, “What would happen if Penny Can became a worldwide phenomenon?”
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Question: Do you happen to have any news on Revolution to tide us over? —Carolyn
Ausiello: Things are getting darker, and not just because the power is out again. Despite moving to 8 pm, aka the family hour, all the characters will find themselves in “grimier situations,” previews executive producer Eric Kripke. “We wanted to explore more of our world – What does gambling look like? What do hookers look like? What does shadier nightlife look like? – and explore some of those corners.” Which, of course, is where they find Monroe.
Question: I have to say, the more I hear about Revenge Season 3, the more encouraged I become. Anything else you can share? —Melody
Ausiello: The weekly takedowns are back, but with a twist: They’ll play out over multiple episodes. They’ll also be less plot-driven. “We’re going to use them to explore who Emily is a little bit more than we’ve had a chance to in the past,” previews new showrunner Sunil Nayar. “We’re 44 hours into the show now. She’s experienced so many different things, culminating in the revelation of who she [really] is to Jack. We’re examining not just who she is and what happiness means to her, but what are the ramifications of her plans are. Because now there’s someone who knows. And that’s going to have an impact on Emily. So the takedowns are still going to be wonderful, but they’re also going to have a deeper meaning and a deeper effect.”
Question: Anything on HIMYM? —Nick
Ausiello: The final season’s ninth episode, titled “Mom and Dad,” will introduce us to Robin’s French-Canadian cousin, Claude, who may or may not have been involved in some shady hockey-related doings. (Ted’s pretty confident he’s guilty as sin.) Speaking of HIMYM, first Season 9 photos!
That’s a wrap! Please send questions, comments, and anonymous tips to askausiello@tvline.com. (Additional reporting by Vlada Gelman, Megan Masters and Kim Roots)
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