Arrow

ARROW

PRE-FINALE EPISODES | Executive producer Andrew Kreisberg says that coming out of the “pretty surprising,” Roy-centric episode “Seeing Red,” the CW series will throw into “sharp focus what Oliver’s mission as the Arrow is: to be a killer, or be a hero? To put down criminals, or save people?” The April 30 episode, “City of Blood,” is a “really big Sebastian Blood episode,” Kreisberg says, as the politico’s “ability to compartmentalize his idealism and his ruthlessness comes to a head.” (There’s also a confirmed funeral, eep!) The season’s penultimate hour, “Streets of Fire,” meanwhile “almost plays out in real time, 24-style, over a short span of time… That one really is a roller coaster.” As for Slade’s endgame, Kreisberg says, “His specific target will come as a big surprise to everyone. You’ll have to see how it plays out.”

MAY 14 SEASON FINALE | Titled “Unthinkable,” the sizable season ender required Arrow to return to The Watchmen‘s sprawling cityscape set — it’s that big. “There may have been a lot of what seemed like detours this season, but it all plays out in the last few episodes,” Kreisberg attests. “Hopefully, everyone will see the method to our madness and find the finale to be an exciting culmination of the season, as opposed to just a great episode.”

The Big Bang Theory

THE BIG BANG THEORY

PRE-FINALE EPISODES | Sheldon suffers a loss in the May 1 episode and it’s Professor Proton (returning guest star Bob Newhart) to the rescue! “He comes back to help Sheldon deal with that,” previews exec producer Steve Molaro of the outing, which also finds Amy and Bernadette collaborating on a “May the 4th Be With You” day gift for the guys. “It’s out big Star Wars episode,” Molaro declares. “There will be some cool special effects. Industrial Light and Magic helped us out.” In the May 8 ep, production on Penny’s latest B-movie (which also stars Wil Wheaton, see photo, above) begins, while Raj’s romance with Emily hits “a pretty big bump.”

MAY 15 SEASON FINALE | The pesky engagement issue rears its awkward head again for Penny and Leonard when “they take a serious look at how their lives are going,” teases Molaro, who notes that the marital quandary is actually woven through “the last three episodes… It’s a big topic.” Sheldon, meanwhile, is having a day from hell and “Amy is trying to comfort him, and she’s making things worse at the same time.” Molaro confirms that the episode ends with a cliffhanger, and we suspect it has something to do with this cryptic tease: “Somebody goes on a departure.”

Bones

BONES

PRE-FINALE EPISODE | In the May 12 episode, “Sweets will meet and be intrigued by a new intern” played by The Big Bang Theory’s Laura Spencer, previews exec producer Stephen Nathan of the penultimate Season 9 hour, which finds the Jeffersonian crew “visiting the world of drag queens, which is a first for us and for our team.”

MAY 19 SEASON FINALE | Booth becomes aware of a possible government conspiracy just as he’s circling a bigger role at the FBI. “The Ghost Killer turned out to be the tease for a much larger story about government corruption,” declares Nathan. “Since Booth is potentially being promoted to a much more important and influential position, he will be forced to confront and deal with this corruption head on.” As a result, “We will end Season 9 not knowing the future of Booth and Brennan’s lives,” teases the EP. “They will have to uncover and set right what has been poisoned in the FBI. And both will have to deal with what they’ve been forced to do.”

Castle

CASTLE

PRE-FINALE EPISODES | The first May sweeps outing, “Law & Boarder” (airing April 28), seems like business as usual, thrusting Beckett and Castle into the world of extreme sports. But the May 5 episode, “Veritas,” based both on its title and synopsis, hints at weightier matter, as Kate’s revisiting of her mother’s murder leads to someone getting killed. When evidence of the offing points to Beckett, she and Castle become the targets of a dangerous manhunt.

MAY 12 SEASON FINALE | Titled “For Better or Worse” and featuring a clergyman among its guest roles, the Season 6 finale at least seems headed for a wedding — though “a shocking surprise threatens to ruin the big day.” How will a small-town hustler (played by Warehouse 13‘s Eddie McClintock, above) who harbors a connection to Beckett figure into the “I do”-or-die hour?

Chicago Fire

CHICAGO FIRE

PRE-FINALE EPISODES | Casey may be eying engagement rings, but he and Dawson are facing a “fork in the road,” says executive producer Matt Olmstead. “He’s not thrilled about her becoming a firefighter, which really is the crux of it all between the two of them… [But] his approach to it in looking at that ring is [to] blow past it all.” Whether this conflict will bring them closer together or tear them apart will “play out [through] the end of the season and resolve in early Season 3.” On April 29, Fire kicks off the first half of a two-night crossover with Chicago P.D., featuring guest stars Amanda Righetti (The Mentalist) and Dylan Baker (The Good Wife), during which one of Firehouse 51’s own goes missing when a bomb explodes at a hospital. Elsewhere, Shay gets a visit from “someone from her past” — and it’s not the good kind of pop-in. “Immediately, everybody who knows [Shay] is advising her, vehemently, to not let this person back in her life,” previews Olmstead. “And Shay, perhaps a fool for love, is reluctant to listen.”

MAY 13 SEASON FINALE | “When I pitched what we came up with in the room to [executive producer] Dick Wolf, his response was, ‘This is one of the best season-ending cliffhangers I’ve ever heard,’ and he’s heard a few,” Olmstead shares. “A lot of people [are] in jeopardy, as is inherent with being a firefighter. It’s a big event where it’s life or death for a lot of people.” Meanwhile, with their romance blossoming across two shows, P.D.‘s Lindsay “plays an important part in Severide’s life” in the closer. “We’re really encouraged by that relationship and plan on [delving] into it more.”

Elementary

ELEMENTARY

PRE-FINALE EPISODES | Sherlock’s (duplicitous?) brother Mycroft (played by Rhys Ifans) returns to New York in the April 24 hour, but what – or whom? – is he really after? “At least on the surface, he’s there to tend to his business,” says executive producer Rob Doherty. “But he’s also come back to talk to Joan about the possibility of a kind of relationship. She’s been on his mind, and he’s expressing greater interest.” And that doesn’t sit well with her partner, “who would be troubled by the notion of [Joan] entering a romance with anyone, but [Sherlock’s] discomfort is compounded because this guy also happens to be his brother.” It all leads to “a fun, but very awkward dinner” between the trio and… Ms. Hudson (returning guest star Candis Cayne)! Meanwhile, “a few secrets come out” about Sherlock’s past in the last two episodes, courtesy of his bro. “We’ll find that those two guys intersected more than Sherlock thinks they did over the last five years. The truth is Mycroft has been keeping more of an eye on Sherlock than Sherlock understands.”

MAY 15 SEASON FINALE | Tensions rise between Sherlock and Joan, but duty calls when Mycroft finds himself in “a great deal of trouble,” Doherty previews. “In fact, his life is in danger, and the only people who can help him out of this particular jam are Sherlock and Joan. They really find themselves on an island where they can’t turn to the police, and case-wise, they have to take on a lot more than they do typically.”

may-sweeps-glee

GLEE

PRE-FINALE EPISODES | As Season 5 winds down, familiar faces will find themselves in unfamiliar territory. Rachel finally faces the consequences of her diva behavior; Santana struggles to find her true calling, first as a singer with Mercedes’ record label, then as Rachel’s publicist; and Kurt lands a major leading role… at a retirement home. Executive producer Ryan Murphy tells TVLine that both couples — Klaine and Samcedes, respectively — will encounter new “problems,” and that you’d better enjoy NYC while you still can because “the final season is not New York-centric at all.”

MAY 13 SEASON FINALE | The final hour of Season 5 opens with everyone at a crossroads, as Rachel contemplates leaving Broadway behind for a future in television, Sam and Mercedes consider splitting to save their careers and Blaine truly steps into the spotlight at NYADA. “All of these things are building to a head in [the finale],” Murphy explains. “I would say ‘explosion’ is too harsh of a word, but something big happens, and the final season is the aftermath of that.”

The Good Wife

THE GOOD WIFE



PRE-FINALE EPISODES | The arrival of Bates Motel’s Nestor Carbonell in the May 4 episode will find Alicia testing the boundaries of her marriage-of-convenience to Peter. And then in the penultimate hour on May 11, Eli learns the truth about their strictly business union. “It’s the power couple situation, where the marriage means more than the two people independently,” explains exec producer Robert King. “Their marriage actually works better when they don’t try to add love or sexual commitment to it, and part of what we want to explore is is that possible?”

MAY 18 SEASON FINALE | The futures of Florrick Agos and Lockhart Gardner will be determined by hour’s end, and, similar to the Season 4 finale, viewers will be left with “a real sense that a new chapter is starting,” says King, adding that, “A lot is swinging on Alicia and Diane’s decisions.” Prior to that, the tension between Alicia and Cary will be ratcheted up a notch and trigger an “explosive scene” that caught even their portrayers, Julianna Margulies and Matt Czuchry, by surprise. “They found this new level [in their relationship].”

Grey's Anatomy

GREY’S ANATOMY

PRE-FINALE EPISODES |On April 24, Derek’s sister Amelia (Private Practice‘s Caterina Scorsone) makes a surprise visit, while Jackson must deliver bad news to the docs. Then, Isaiah Washington returns on May 1 to bring closure to the Cristina/Burke love story ahead of Sandra Oh’s exit, and word is there will be closure. In the penultimate May 8 hour, panic spreads around the hospital when the residents learn one of them is on the chopping block (we’re guessing it’s Shane or Leah), while Callie receives some rather distressing news.

MAY 15 SEASON FINALE | Cristina checks out of Grey Sloan for good in an emotional and, according to a source, “extremely satisfying” episode. Elsewhere, the official logline for the finale — titled “Fear (of the Unknown)” — touts a “life-changing decision” for Meredith and “shocking news” for one of the docs (again, we’re guessing Shane or Leah). Oh, and no less than a terrorist attack causes pandemonium at the hospital, because, well, this is a Grey’s finale.

Grimm

GRIMM

PRE-FINALE EPISODES | A new character, dubbed Trubel (as in “Trouble”), arrives in Portland on April 25, and as you may have inferred from NBC promos, she’s a Grimm. Expect to see Trubel kick ass “very spectacularly,” series co-creator James Kouf says, adding that she won’t tie into any existing plot: “She’s got her own deal.” Meanwhile, Adalind’s feelings about motherhood have undergone a sea change since little Diana was taken from her. The Hexenbiest feels “a kind of love that she has never felt before, because she’s always been about herself,” says co-creator David Greenwalt. “Now, suddenly, there’s another very large number in the equation. Certainly she has great motivation for everything she’s doing.” Finally, look for a return of the series’ procedural element, which was put on hold during the height of the Hexenbaby arc.

MAY 16 SEASON FINALE | Wedding bells will ring for Monroe and Rosalee in the finale which, true to Grimm fashion, will have an ending that won’t be resolved until the fall. “We have doozies of cliffhangers that should be even more exciting than previous years,” Greenwalt promises. What to expect, aside from Monrosalee gazing at each other adoringly? Nick in Grimm-hiding sunglasses that may or may not work. “Something kind of like a resurrection” (per Greenwalt). Problems that arise for possibly-about-to-get-engaged couple Nick and Juliette. And at least one character who’s “gonna get hurt.”

Hannibal

HANNIBAL

PRE-FINALE EPISODES | Last Friday’s installment kicked off an extended arc in which addled profiler Will Graham returns to some very high-stakes therapy with the infamous Dr. Lecter. “The question is whether Will will be able to hold on to his humanity or if Will’s humanity will slip through his fingers,” previews showrunner Bryan Fuller, adding that the emergence of the antler-sporting “Willdigo” is symbolic proof that Hannibal continues to wield dark influence over the mind of his “friend.” Also on tap during May Sweeps? “The Mason Verger story comes to fruition,” Fuller teases. “We will learn how that character came to look the way he did in the Ridley Scott movie [Hannibal].” Plus, Gillian Anderson’s Bedelia Du Maurier sneaks back onto the scene (though hopefully not via dinner plate).

MAY 23 SEASON FINALE | The season began with a flash-forward to a brutal fight scene between Hannibal and FBI honcho Jack Crawford — and “Mizumono,” as the finale is titled, will bring that melee to its conclusion. “We only showed that big reveal [of the Jack-Hannibal scrum] because we knew we had a whole bunch of other ones in our back pocket!” Fuller explains with a big laugh. “The audience will be going, ‘There’s that moment and that moment and that moment — and then there’s the ending! Good God!'” Director David Slade, who shot the Hannibal pilot, returned for the Season 2 finale, a behind-the-scenes touch that reflects the central characters coming full circle “in a symmetrical way that’ll be satisfying and disturbing for the audience.” As for whether the brilliant-but-on-the-bubble drama’s season-ender would work as a series finale, Fuller has this to say: “It completes the arc of the last two seasons in a way that I find very satisfying, but it also ends on several cliffhangers that will be frustrating to not have closure on. So I’m of two minds, really.”

Marvel’s Agents of SHIELD

MARVEL’S AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D.

PRE-FINALE EPISODES | “We spent the first chunk of the season establishing ‘big S.H.I.E.L.D.,’ with helicarriers and bases all over the world,” notes exec producer Maurissa Tancharoen. But as touched on in the first post-Winter Soldier episodes, “That’s stripped away, so we’re taking our team on a journey of discovering what their purpose now is. We’re putting them through the wringer, and that’s only just begun.” Entering sweeps, Ward has commandeered the Bus — with Skye on board, privately aware of his Hydra agenda — while May is out to find ex-agent Maria Hill (played by Cobie Smulders, returning April 29), who last was seen on the big screen seeking employ with Tony Stark. “[Hill] is an example of a different way to deal with [the shutdown] – and that may be at odds with how Coulson’s dealing with it,” says Whedon. As such, expect “conversations full of conflict” when the two reunite. Says Tancharoen with a laugh, “Phil is ready to speak his mind to quite a few people at this point!”

MAY 13 SEASON FINALE | The EPs sum up the season ender as “too big,” to the point that, they joke (?), it’s been a struggle to produce. Tancharoen elaborates slightly: “We’ll put some of the things that we’ve built over the course of this season to bed, as well as tee up mysteries for Season 2.” As for an encore spoiled by a certain Marvel-verse actor, Whedon playfully hedges, “We don’t know anything about that!”

The Mentalist

THE MENTALIST

PRE-FINALE EPISODES | Season 6 will wind down with “two serialized stories,” says EP Tom Szentgyorgyi. “One is an increasingly complicated and dark pursuit of a person or persons abducting young women and doing fairly nefarious things to them.” The other arc concerns Lisbon’s intensifying relationship with Marcus Pike “and what Jane is doing about it.” As Lisbon “very seriously” considers Pike’s invitation to move to D.C. with him, for Jane these last episodes are about “the gradual surfacing of how important Lisbon is to his life.” Szentgyorgyi notes, “There has always been affection and camaraderie” between the crime-solvers, “but the notion that there’s more to it is something they’ve never discussed — until now.”

MAY 18 SEASON FINALE | Szentgyorgyi says the season will end “exactly” as mapped out last summer — “though it certainly takes on a different resonance” because the procedural has yet to be renewed. In a “beautifully acted piece” penned by series creator Bruno Heller and serviceable as “both a season and series finale,” the last episode “definitely answers some questions, and raises others,” Szentgyorgyi teases. “There is a mystery to be solved, but the finale is also very much about Jane and Lisbon.”

The Mindy Project

THE MINDY PROJECT

PRE-FINALE EPISODES | Watch out, Dr. Castellano — there’s now another good-looking man in Mindy’s life: guest star Tim Daly (Private Practice), who’ll stick around for a few episodes as a NYC cop who’s “not a guy,” but “a man.” “He’s someone that, in a lot of ways, out-Dannys Danny,” executive producer Matt Warburton explains. While Drs. L and C continue to try to figure out what they are to each other, the rest of Shulman & Associates also will get caught up in affairs of the heart – Peter, especially. “We have a really nice story for Peter [on April 29], because we think it’s important that the show, as a workplace comedy, really explores the romantic lives of everybody,” Warburton says – and that includes the so-wrong-it’s-right combo of Tamra and Morgan.

MAY 6 SEASON FINALE | Getting Warburton to dish on Season 2’s final episode, titled “Danny and Mindy,” is like getting Dr. Castellano to hand over his tomato sauce recipe: Not likely to happen. Might a happy ending – as hinted in Mindy Kaling’s romantic, Instagrammed, golden hour shots of her and Chris Messina canoodling in New York – be on its way? Warburton affirms that the Empire State Building, a rom-com staple, does figure into the final episode (“We try to do it in a really splashy way”), but he won’t say if it’s in a dream sequence… or whether we should expect unannounced guest stars. “I’m going to stay mum on that one,” he says with a laugh.

Nashville

NASHVILLE

PRE-FINALE EPISODES | Following Scarlett’s onstage breakdown, “Things kind of went very south for her,” says series creator Callie Khouri, who adds that the songbird soon will be in a better place to examine what happened. “Family history affects her more strongly than we’ve seen at any other point throughout the season.” As Scarlett recovers, she will lean heavily on her ex-boyfriend Avery, which won’t sit well with his current, strongheaded honey. “[Juliette] acts out her frustration and her worry in a way that’s probably not as productive as one would hope,” Khouri previews. Meanwhile, Rayna and Deacon are “heading to a place where they’re looking for a more peaceful way of co-parenting,” and when Luke is injured abroad, the First Lady of Country Music will organize a charity concert attended by American Idol alum Kellie Pickler and the real First Lady, Michelle Obama.

MAY 14 SEASON FINALE | No car crashes, no proposals, no insane cliffhangers this year – but Khouri says Rayna’s fledgling business will be her main concern at the end of the season, as it should be. “Rayna does have a lot invested,” Khouri says. “She’s going to drop her own album, and the press all has to be good and the reviews have to be good.” No pressure there!

NCIS

NCIS

PRE-FINALE EPISODES | Kicking sweeps off on April 29 is a George Schenck/Frank Cardea-penned look at the plight of homeless war veterans. “It turned out to be a really lovely, emotional episode,” says show boss Gary Glasberg. On May 6 is the Tony-centric “The Admiral’s Daughter,” in which DiNozzo must escort the title character from the NCIS office in Marseilles, France, to the States, “but things gets complicated.” Likening the outing (which was originally conceived as the season finale) to the 1975 thriller Three Days of the Condor, Glasberg promises “significant action and fun stunts.”

MAY 13 SEASON FINALE | While “Honor Thy Father” partly involves a search for an escaped terrorist, “The real A-story revolves around the loss of Jackson Gibbs,” who was played by the late Ralph Waite. Glasberg says the hour features “rough emotional moments” and “gives insight into some things about Leroy Jethro Gibbs that, even after 11 seasons, we’re still chipping away at.” As such, viewers may be left with damp eyes as the season ends — but zero questions. “We just didn’t feel like we needed a cliffhanger. Nothing’s left dangling,” Glasberg attests. “In Season 12, we’ll come out of the gate hot and go from there.”

Once Upon a Time

ONCE UPON A TIME

PRE-FINALE EPISODES | ABC’s fantastical drama opens its sweeps run April 27, with an episode that “answers an enormous amount of questions,” cocreator Eddy Kitsis promises. Among them: Who cast the new curse and why? And what else is Hook hiding about his remembered year? And though the Storybrooke heroes seem to have the Wicked Witch’s time-traveling agenda figured out, “There’s an additional surprise element to what’s coming,” says cocreator Adam Horowitz. “It becomes more than it appeared at first blush.” On May 4, the episode “Kansas” serves up more Oz-based mythology (and iconography) as well as introduces us to the show’s take on Dorothy. All of that, Kitsis says, “will open the door to a new adventure that leads to the two-hour finale.” Exclusive bonus scooplet: Someone you thought you’d seen the last of puts in one more appearance, and soon.

MAY 11 SEASON FINALE (2 HOURS) | The double pump of “Snow Drifts” and “There’s No Place Like Home” is “not just two episodes crammed together in one night,” says Kitsis. “It was written as a two-hour movie, and it will not only complete the arc of this season, but it will absolutely set up next season” – akin to how last May, the gang set course for Neverland. “We’re not getting on a boat this time,” Horowitz quips, “but seeds for Season 4 are planted.” As is a ring on someone’s finger. “There will be a wedding,” Kitsis affirms, adding… well, nothing. (But we tried!)

The Originals

THE ORIGINALS

PRE-FINALE EPISODES | In the coming weeks, Cami must face the “terrible repercussions” of Kieran’s death, though she’ll barely have time to mourn her uncle before “a new player seeks to fill the gap left in the wake of the priest’s death,” teases co-executive producer Michael Narducci. Meanwhile, Elijah will step in to help Hayley fight her enemies, but Narducci warns that his actions could end up tearing them further apart. As for the hybrid bun in Hayley’s oven, “the witches’ plan for the baby — and the lengths that the Mikaelson clan will go to in order to protect it — will be a major focus as we move to the end of our season.”

MAY 13 SEASON FINALE | Narducci says the finale brings about “shocking alliances” and “deadly betrayals” that will dramatically tip the balance of power in the Big Easy. “Some characters will die, others will be changed forever, and by the end of the season, we will see a huge twist — a new alliance that we’ve been building toward for some time that will help define what the series will be as we move into Season 2.”

Parks and Recreation

PARKS AND RECREATION

APRIL 24 SEASON FINALE (ONE HOUR) | Perhaps you’ve heard that the supersized season ender is “bonkers”? Allow executive producer Mike Schur to elaborate: For starters, the “massive” Unity concert will feature special musical guests Ginuwine, The Decemberists, Yo La Tengo, Letters to Cleo and Jeff Tweedy. In the midst of all that, “Leslie’s deciding whether to take this [new] job. Tom’s restaurant opens. [And] we do something in the last three minutes that’s completely out of left field [and] totally unprecedented in the history of the show. It’s a very big, seismic shift.” Phew! Even with a job in another state on the table, Schur assures TVLine that “there’s not a thing in the world” that could tear Leslie and Ben apart. “Part of the finale is him saying, ‘Enough is enough. You’ve got to decide,’ and holding her feet to the fire,” he adds. “In fact, she decides because of him. He does something very smart and dramatic.”

Reign

REIGN

PRE-FINALE EPISODES | “We’re going to move time forward more quickly towards the end of the season,” executive producer Laurie McCarthy tells TVLine, suggesting that King Henry’s madness will begin to progress more rapidly. “Mary will be the focus of his ambitions, of his rage and maybe even his desires.” Speaking of desires, one thing you should not expect is a rekindling of Bash and Mary’s romance. “There will always be a lingering thing between them,” McCarthy admits, “but [Kenna] is going to find herself falling for Bash, and she’s going to be successful in getting him to fall for her. Our lives have chapters. People move on.” As for that pesky “darkness” lurking about, McCarthy promises, “By the end of the season, we’ll answer the question of who the ‘darkness’ is and what kind of terror he’ll bring.”

MAY 15 SEASON FINALE | The final hour of Season 1 packs both “an incredible payoff and a shocking ending for Mary and Francis [as well as] Bash and Kenna,” McCarthy shares. “The king’s madness will also escalate in a shocking way. All of those events will come together — including the culmination of what we used to call ‘the thing in the woods’ — in a very surprising, dramatic end.”

Revenge

REVENGE

PRE-FINALE EPISODES | As Victoria and Emily ratchet up their revengendas, “They become really, really potent rivals again, in ways that you’ve never seen before,” showrunner Sunil Nayar says. “It’s going to be super satisfying.” The EP adds that every episode up to and including the season ender “is filled with love and death, really.” The April 27 and May 4 installments see “the revitalization of not just Emily and Victoria, but Emily, Nolan and Jack against the Graysons,” he adds, “and every single person does some pretty extraordinary things in an effort to not lose their side of the argument.”

MAY 11 SEASON FINALE | Ms. Thorne and her former mother-in-law do Sharpie battle with increasingly high stakes right up to the end. As Nayar previews, “Emily and Victoria have scenes in the finale that are going to blow the audiences’ minds… and the performances that Emily [VanCamp] and Madeleine [Stowe] put into this are so good.” Also, now that Aiden knows Pascal was involved in his father’s murder, “I can’t wait for people to see is what Aiden ends up trying to do to get resolution for himself and for Emily,” Nayar says. The show boss adds that Daniel might want to cut back on the Scotch, because, well, “He’ll be in peril by the end of the season – and deliciously so.”

Suburgatory

SUBURGATORY

 
PRE-FINALE EPISODES | Love is in the air… even if ABC hasn’t decided whether or not to put a ring on (aka order a fourth season of) ABC’s Wednesday comedy. Lisa and Malik are headed for the altar, “Dallas is realizing she’s not done looking at her relationship with George,” and Dalia will consider an elderly suitor who “doesn’t smell very good,” co-exec producer Andrew Guest teases. Also, Dallas dives headlong into sorting out her vacuous daughter’s post-high school plans in an episode that’s cheekily titled “Dalia Nicole Smith.” “We figure out that a military career might not be the best for Dalia — though you might be surprised how quickly she can assemble a rifle,” Guest chuckles. Elsewhere, George rediscovers his passion for music (this time as just a man and his guitar), and recurring faves Alan Tudyk and Parker Young are set for two more visits apiece.

 
MAY 14 SEASON FINALE | “With comedies, there’s a tendency to end the season on a big event,” Guest notes, but Team Suburgatory chose to zag instead of zig by focusing on the aftermath of Lisa and Malik’s nuptials. The happy couple start sharing a locker, while Tessa ponders if there’s a future for her and Ryan (who’ll be in Chatswin for his sister’s ceremony). And while you can expect George-Dallas action, too, don’t look for Season 3 to end all wrapped up with a pretty bow. “We are not thinking of this as a series finale,” Guest says of the bubble comedy’s Season 3 capper (entitled “Stiiiiiiill Horny”). “While it would be a dramatic end to the series, a lot of things are gonna get shaken up at the very end of the year.”

The Vampire Diaries

THE VAMPIRE DIARIES

PRE-FINALE EPISODES | As the Travelers move forward with their plans, Stefan and Elena will develop an “us-against-the-world” mentality, executive producer Caroline Dries teases. “They’ll need to lean on this strong connection to get through it.” Meanwhile, as Bonnie makes “brave choices” about the Other Side’s big dilemma, Dries reminds us, “There’s always a sacrifice, and her relationship with Jeremy will certainly be one of the things that complicates everything.” As for Stefan and Caroline’s undeniable… something, Dries encourages patience: “Our plan is to let this friendship evolve naturally and watch what happens when feelings start to emerge, ever so slowly, from one of them and how that begins to complicate things.”

MAY 15 SEASON FINALE | The final hour of Season 5 culminates in an all-out battle for Mystic Falls — against the Travelers, of course. In addition to the usual “blood, death and tears,” Dries says to brace for more reunions with “faces that we’ve been missing over the series.” (That’s right, she said “series.”) She also promises the finale “will end in true Vampire Diaries fashion, with a stunning cliffhanger that leaves us thinking, ‘Wait, what? No. Tell me that didn’t just happen.'”