Matt's Inside Line: Scoop on NCIS, Arrow, Criminal Minds, Supernatural, Longmire, Castle and More

Which NCIS vet is getting an overdue origin story? Is Arrow‘s newcomer keeping secrets? Which Dexter alum is heading to Criminal Minds? Will a Castle quasi-couple finally get their due? Read on for answers to those questions plus teases from other shows.

Any new info on Arrow’s Ray Palmer would be appreciated! –Rida
Hmm, I do like to be appreciated. Playing the Arrow newcomer, onetime Superman Brandon Routh is (like onetime Lois Lane Teri Hatcher) “spectacular,” EP Marc Guggenheim tells TVLine. “He has exceeded everyone’s wildest expectations. And what’s fun about the way Brandon interacts with everyone is we wanted someone who would offer a bit of what Grant Gustin did — someone who’s a little more on Felicity’s end of the spectrum in terms of color, and at the same time is very different from Grant. And Brandon, he’s just this change agent that shakes up everybody.” That said, a guy’s gotta have his secrets. “You’re going to see that there’s a lot going on with him,” Guggenheim hints. “He’s not what he initially appears to be.”

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Any more Supernatural scooplets coming out of press tour or Comic-Con? –Deb
If you’re a fan of the Men of Letters, count on seeing them again this season — just not right away. “One of the reasons for that,” EP Jeremy Carver explains, “is that the boys are on the road actually for a good portion of the first run of episodes. It takes them a while to get back to the Men of Letters.”

Any scoop on Criminal Minds? –Brandon
This just in: Dexter alum C.S. Lee will guest-star in this season’s second episode as a high school English teacher with a deadly obsession that began in adolescence, when his academically rigorous father would make him and his older brother read in their shed for hours as punishment for supposedly poor grades. Gee, can’t imagine that has manifested itself too badly in adulthood.

Any stuff coming up for Spencer Reid on Criminal Minds?- DD
The season-ending shooting will have affected both Reid and Garcia more than either of them let on in the Oct. 1 premiere. But over the course of the subsequent three episodes – including a Reid-centric Episode 4 — the show will surface their true feelings. “It was a traumatic event,” affirms showrunner Erica Messer. “It was certainly something Garcia’s never done and certainly isn’t used to.”

I would love any scoop on Longmire’s remaining episodes, especially the finale. –Michelle
Just as a key discovery is made in the David Ridges case, Walt cannot deny that Branch’s erratic behavior is intensifying, making him a danger to himself and others. Meanwhile, as Vic’s marriage continues to unravel, she is forced to make an important decision about her future in Absaroka County.

RELATED Spoilers on NCIS Season 12’s Recurring Villain Via Ask Ausiello

Are we going to get the backstory on how Abby and/or Ducky started with NCIS? Also, What is the title of Episode 1? –Barbara
I’ve got nada on Abs thus far, but showrunner Gary Glasberg says that Episode 3 is “a Ducky origin story, where people learn all kinds of things about his past and see a younger David McCallum, so we’re excited about that.” The Season 12 premiere, meanwhile, is titled, “20 Clicks.”

Whatever happened to the ABC Family horror drama The Final Girls, with Jamie Lee Curtis, that was announced last September? –Vince
Still in development, I am hearing.

Since Scott Michael Foster is now cast on Once Upon a Time, does that mean he is toast on Chasing Life? –Sarah
For one, I reckon that an ABC Family summer series has a very different, non-overlapping schedule with Once, which just started shooting Season 4. But then there’s this, from Chasing Life EP Patrick Sean Smith: “We don’t want to [kill Leo]. But every character has its purpose on the show.” That said, he notes, “We’re finding so many new opportunities in his relationship with April that we hadn’t considered before.”

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Hello, I was just wondering if we will find out who killed Chicago P.D.’s Jin? –Kim
Solving that mystery will be the focus of the Sept. 24 season opener. “Voight looks like a shoe-in for it,” says Jesse Lee Sofer, who plays Halstead. “We’ve got to see what happens and … see who sticks by him and who doesn’t. And whether or not he did it or not, we’ll find out soon.”

Any scoop on Castle’s Esplainie?–Marine
In a word from series creator Andrew W. Marlowe, “Yeah” – but I truly believe him, based on some body language I picked up on as he said. It. “We do have a couple of things that we’re working on, in that relationship,” he added. (To which I suggested: They should quickly make use of the wedding venue! He laughed: “If only we could go back there and afford the location fee!”)

VIDEO Castle‘s Nathan Fillion Asks: ‘How Much Longer Can We People Wait for a Wedding?’

Will Wilke be coming back to Switched at Birth now that The Carrie Diaries is cancelled? –April
Exec producer Lizzy Weiss allows that, since Austin Butler is no longer busy as Ms. Bradshaw’s beau, such an encore could happen. “Like the fans, we love Wilke!” she effuses. “So yes, it’s entirely possible.”

I am a fan of ABC Family’s Twisted — is it coming back? –Erin
“We love Twisted,” ABC Family president Tom Ascheim said when I asked about a possible Season 2, “but we’re going to announce pick-ups toward the end of the summer.”

I understand some of the new Amazon pilots are being made into series, but I haven’t been able to find out when the next episode will be released. Able to help? –Dewey
As reported during TCA, this is as much detail as Amazon is offering right now about Bosch and others.

Will Homeland address the passing of James Rebhorn (Carrie’s father) this season? –Melinda
Remembering Rebhorn as “one of the kindest, most supportive and wonderful men to work with,” EP Alex Gansa was mum at TCA on how exactly the show will write in his absence. ”We want to honor him,” he said, “but how we actually go about doing that, I’d rather not say.”

Got any juicy scoop about Homeland? I love Carrie and Quinn — what’s in store for them in Season 4? –Jane
Again, top secrecy. “We’re all very much invested in the Quinn character,” is all that EP Alexander Cary would say at TCA. But as a consolation prize, Jane, I offer this from Gansa: “I can say unequivocally that Dana Brody will not be back for Season 4.” [And the crowd goes wild.]

Real questions, real answers. If you need the Inside Line on a favorite show, email InsideLine@tvline.com! (With reporting by Vlada Gelman and Andy Swift)