Rueben's Ramblings

Hey All,

Here are the news items for today:

TELEVISION

Actor Peter Gallagher (Covert Affairs) will have a recurring role on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit this fall, playing Deputy Chief William Dodds, the charismatic and tough-as-nails boss who oversees all of the special victims units in New York City. (Michael Ausiello at TV Line)

Actress Frances O’Connor (Mr. Selfridge and Timeline) has been cast as Belle’s (series regular Emilie de Ravin) mother on Once Upon a Time; she will be seen through flashbacks. (Natalie Abrams at Entertainment Weekly)

Actor Austin Butler (The Carrie Diaries and Switched at Birth) will have a recurring role on Arrow this fall, playing a new love interest for Thea Queen (series regular Willa Holland). (Tierney Bricker at E! Online)

Actress Mamie Gummer (Off the Map and Emily Owens, M.D.) will guest star in an episode of Elementary this fall, playing Margaret Bray, a New York heiress who runs her family’s charitable foundation. After a rare map that belonged to her family leads to bloodshed—and two deaths —Margaret finds herself a somewhat unlikely aide to Holmes (series lead Jonny Lee Miller) and Watson’s (series lead Lucy Liu) investigation and in danger herself. (Chris Harnick at E! Online)

Actor Ben Hollingsworth (the Hallmark Channel movie Lucky in Love) has landed a recurring role on the upcoming FOX mid-season drama Backstrom that will star Rainn Wilson (The Office) as Everett Backstrom, an overweight, offensive, irascible detective who’s engaged in a constant struggle with his self-destructive tendencies. Hollingsworth will play DA Steven Kines, who meets with Backstrom regarding a material witness who’s gone missing. (The Deadline Team)

Due to a scheduling conflict actress Madeline Carrol will be replaced by actress Mary Mouser (Body of Proof) as Karen Grant, the daughter of the President of the United States on Scandal. (Natalie Abrams at Entertainment Weekly)

Q&A SECTION (with Matt Mitovich at TV Line)

Question: With less than a week to the Season 5 premiere, feel like sharing any Haven scoop? Anything on Jennifer’s fate? Dave’s fate? –Michelle

Mitovich: Jennifer’s fate is the hot topic as the season premiere plays out – different people need to find her for very different reasons. Things don’t look very good for Dave, either – though there’s a final scene with him that will make you go hmmm.

NOTE: The show has been shifted to 8 PM on Thursday nights. Set your DVR’s accordingly.

Question: Dying for a Homeland scoop, particularly one involving my favorite duo, Carrie and Quinn. Will sparks fly this season? –Jo

Mitovich: Having hit the Season 4 premiere screening on Thursday night, I can avow that, yes, sparks of a kind are flying between the two when the show returns – primarily because they find themselves on opposite sides of a budding conflict. As Claire Danes explained it to me at the event, “Quinn is eager to get out of the [espionage] business and is recognizing behavior in Carrie that he himself has had in the past as an assassin, and he’s concerned for her. So he’s trying to jar her into ‘consciousness,’ but she’s reluctant to engage.”

Question: Long-time reader, first-time writer. Do you have any Blacklist scoop? –Steph

Mitovich: Get ready to meet Red’s little friend! Literally. Episode 5 of the NBC hit’s second season will introduce us to Glen, a “diminutive” DMV wonk who has a long history with Spader’s character. Also being cast for that episode is the recurring role of Zoe, a “worn but pretty” woman who holds no less than the key to Red’s past.

Question: Is there anything you can tell us about Hook’s arc for this season of Once Upon a Time that we haven’t heard yet? Anything on his childhood/parents? –Ana

Mitovich: Series co-creator Adam Horowitz would only say that when it comes to the good (?) pirate, “There is more delving into his past to come” – though the burning question of whom he traded the Jolly Roger to, in the name of finding Emma, won’t be revealed until “somewhere down the road.”

Question: Do you have any Once Upon a Time scoop that has nothing to do with any of the ‘ships? –Sara

Mitovich: Always! For Episode 7, the ABC series is casting the one-off role of a pompous prince who beneath his veneer of confidence-slash-arrogance is not much more than a coward ill-equipped to handle conflict.

Question: The wait for more Sleepy Hollow is killing me! Tide me over with some scoop? –Meaghan

Mitovich: As if Ichabbie ‘shippers needed more headaches to worry about, casting is underway right now for the recurring role of David, a charismatic hunk who “has seen a lot in his lifetime” – and is poised to be a romantic interest for Ms. Mills when he surfaces about two-thirds of the way into Season 2.

Question: Got anything juicy on CW’s The Flash? –Andy B.

Mitovich: Looks like Central City will get hit with a Blackout in Episode 7, when Farooq, an electricity-wielding metahuman, seeks vengeance against Dr. Wells. Flash to the rescue? Maybe not, seeing as Barry will be suffering a “powers” outage just when this new baddie arrives.

Question: Do you have anything on how things are with Mary and Francis when Reign comes back? –Bree

Mitovich: Mary and Francis will face immeasurable new conflicts — and understandably so — now that Lola has given birth to her and Francis’ lovechild, but the real couple struggling at French Court in Season 2 will be Bash and Kenna. “There are going to be new players who come in over the course of the season,” executive producer Laurie McCarthy teases. “One of them might have a history with Bash that’s going to unnerve Kenna.”

That’s it. Enjoy!

Have a great weekend!!