First of all, congrats to the winners of the SAG Awards last night, including Uzo Aduba, William H. Macy, Mark Ruffalo, Frances McDormand, Kevin Spacey, Viola Davis, Orange Is the New Black, Downton Abbey, Patricia Arquette, J.K. Simmons, Eddie Redmayne, Julianne Moore and the film Birdman.
Here are the news items for today:
TELEVISION
British actress-model Millie Brady (the upcoming Pride And Prejudice And Zombies) has been cast in the lead role in the Lifetime drama pilot The Clan Of The Cave Bear based on the Jean M. Auel book of the same name. The story takes place at a time in prehistory more than 25,000 years ago when Neanderthals shared the planet with the first early modern humans. A band of cave dwellers adopts blond and blue-eyed Ayla (Brady), a child of the “Others.” As Ayla matures into a young woman of spirit and courage, she must fight for survival against the jealous bigotry of Broud, who one day will be clan leader. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)
Actor Colm Feore (The Borgias) will appear on Gotham, playing Dr. Francis Dulmacher (aka The Dollmaker), the figure behind the mass kidnappings of Gotham’s street children. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)
Broadway star Kyle Dean Massey (Pippin) will play Kevin Bicks, an openly gay country artist, on Nashville. Kevin is a successful country artist who happens to like guys and his very existence deflates Will’s (series regular Chris Carmack) theory that the genre will never accept a gay superstar. (Kimberly Roots at TV Line and Deadline)
ONLINE SERIES
Actor David Tennant (Broadchurch and Doctor Who) has been cast as the villain known as Kilgrave in the upcoming Netflix series AKA Jessica Jones that will star Krysten Ritter (Veronica Mars) and Mike Colter (The Good Wife and Ringer). This online series is set to air sometime in 2015. (Chris Harnick at E! Online)
BOX OFFICE NEWS
Actress Emma Watson (Harry Potter franchise) will appear as Belle in the upcoming live-action film Beauty and the Beast. (E! Online)
Here are the top 10 box office films for this past weekend courtesy of Box Office Mojo:
1. American Sniper – 64 million
2. The Boy Next Door – 15 million
3. Paddington – 12.3 million
4. The Wedding Ringer – 11.6 million
5. Taken 3 – 7.6 million
6. The Imitation Game – 7.1 million
7. Strange Magic – 5.53 million
8. Selma – 5.5 million
9. Mortdecai – 4.1 million
10. Into the Woods – 3.8 million
Actress Melissa Benoist (Glee and the box office films Whiplash and the upcoming The Longest Ride) has landed the lead role in the hour-long CBS drama pilot Supergirl that will be written by Arrow and The Flash writer-executive producer Greg Berlanti and writer Ail Adler. The pilot will center, of course, on Superman’s cousin Kara Zor-El, who escaped from Krypton amid the planet’s destruction years ago. Since arriving on Earth, she’s been hiding the powers she shares with her famous relative. But now at age 24, she decides to embrace her superhuman abilities and be the hero she was always meant to be. (Laura Prudom at Variety)
Actress Rutina Wesley (True Blood) will have a pivotal recurring role of Reba McClaine, a blind woman who catches the eye of Francis Dolarhyde aka The Tooth Fairy (actor Richard Armitage) on Hannibal, which will be back for its third season this summer. (Michael Ausiello at TV Line)
BOX OFFICE NEWS
Actresses Sophie Turner (Game of Thrones) and Alexandra Shipp (House of Anubis and the made-for-TV movie Aaliyah: The Princess of R&B) and actor Tye Sheridan (the box office films Tree of Life and Mud) have joined the cast of the upcoming X-Men: Apocalypse film. Turner will play Jean Grey, Shipp will portray Storm and Sheridan will play Cyclops. Actor Oscar Isaac will play the villain of the film with Jennifer Lawrence, James McAvoy and Michael Fassebender returning. (Justin Kroll at Variety)
Q&A SECTION (with Matt Mitovich at TV Line and Natalie Abrams at Entertainment Weekly)
Question: Is there any chance for Captain Swan scoop from Once Upon a Time? – Sarah
Mitovich: Series co-creator Adam Horowitz tells me that when Season 4B arrives on March 1, “The tables are turned” for the Storybrooke lovebirds when “Hook, after having Emma return his heart, will now have to fight to protect Emma’s heart.”
Question: Do you have anything on The Flash? –Sandy
Mitovich: Episode 16 is a real family affair, introducing both Captain Cold’s sister (played by The Tomorrow People‘s Peyton List) and Cisco’s brother (Sleepy Hollow‘s Nicholas Gonzalez). Of the latter casting, showrunner Andrew Kreisberg says, “We’re definitely going to see Cisco in his home environment, which is fun. Some of it’s based on the comic book work that Geoff Johns and Sterling Gates and I did, and some of it’s our own invention.”
Bonus scoop: Episode 18 will unleash on Central City a bee-a-utiful tech wizard who rocks oversized shades and red lipstick and has devised a clever-slash-amoral-slash-wildly unstable scheme to weaponize bee-sized ‘bots.
Question: Have we seen the last of Michael’s shady brother on Jane the Virgin? — Katie H.
Mitovich: Hardly! Ryan Devlin returns as the suspicious brother in Episode 12, airing February 2. “We love Ryan,” executive producer Jennie Urman says. “So I’m sure he’ll pop up again.”
Question: Do you have scoop on either Defiance, Dominion, Once Upon a Time, TVD or Extant? –lilslim
Mitovich: I choose Defiance! For Season 3 of the Syfy drama, I can confirm that Linda Hamilton will be back as Pilar McCawley, and there will be the introduction of a new alien race.
Question: More Supernatural spoilers, please! — Dee
Mitovich: Previewing this Tuesday’s episode, EP Jeremy Carver says, “Charlie (recurring guest star Felicia Day) definitely comes back from Oz somewhat different — and that’s an understatement. Things happened. And typically, what happens in Oz, stays in Oz, but not this time. It’s all coming back. Suffice to say, we’re going to see a Charlie that has been substantially changed.”
Question: Do you have any Arrow scoop on Sin’s return? — Chris
Natalie: You can thank Brick’s plan to take over the Glades for her return. “We have to go back to the Glades to check things out and check on some people and survey the area,” Colton Haynes tells me. “I finally get to see Sin (recurring guest star Bex Taylor-Klaus) again and might recruit her to come help us along the way.” Speaking of returning faces, when Ra’s al Ghul pops back up in Starling City, the team may find an ally in Nyssa… until she finds out who really killed Sara. “Thea really has to watch her back,” Haynes says. “I feel bad because it’s not her fault. It’s Malcolm’s fault.”
Question: Can you make my day with some Sam Supernatural news? — Maria
Natalie: For those of you who are worried about Sam not getting his own story in the second half of the season, executive producer Jeremy Carver promises that’s not the case. That said, Sam’s story will revolve around saving Dean. “It’s going to be a Sam story, but it’s going to be focused around, ‘How do I save my brother?’ And it’s going to make Sam ask a lot of questions [about] himself that may actually have him questioning stances he’s taken in the last couple years,” Carver says. “Sam’s come a very far way in the last couple years in terms of this unwillingness to let others die while the brothers live. And what Dean is facing is going to have Sam facing that question anew. People should not despair that Sam doesn’t have a story. Sam has a story, and he has a want.”
Question: Can you pretty please tell me who takes over Dyad in Rachel’s absence on Orphan Black? I think it’s Delphine. — Trisha
Natalie: That would be correct! “Delphine’s job responsibilities have changed mainly because there is a position that has been vacated, because of the fall of Rachel,” executive producer John Fawcett tells me. “Someone has had to step into Rachel’s chair, which may interfere—in a large degree—in her relationship with Cosima.”
Question: Please tell me Rayna runs straight to Deacon after calling off her wedding on Nashville. — Susan
Natalie: Sadly, she doesn’t. But Luke does! Let’s just say the pretty boy is certain that Deacon was the cause of his break-up, and he’s not happy about it. As for Rayna, she needs some time to deal with her very unhappy daughters (and the very annoying press) before she can talk to Deacon. That being said, the two will come face-to-face by the end of the hour.
Question: I’m glad Hilarie Burton is returning to Forever for Henry, but what about a love interest for Jo? — Josh
Natalie: Oh, it’s coming. She just had to start processing the death of her husband in last week’s episode first. “Part of that episode helps her move on to be ready to date someone new,” executive producer Matt Miller tells me. “We bring in somebody new towards the end of the season for her that will be a love interest. He first gets introduced in episode 18. She meets this billionaire tycoon guy, and suddenly, Henry starts to get a little uncomfortable with that.”
Question: Quick 12 Monkeys question: Dr. Railly is dead in the future. Do you think Cole is driven to save her in particular? — Karl
Natalie: “Absolutely,” showrunner Natalie Chaidez says. “One of Cole’s goals is to protect Cassie and to save Cassie, who starts out as a stranger, becomes a friend, a comrade, and ultimately, by the end of season one, something much, much more. His drive to save this woman that he deeply cares about, maybe the only woman that he’s cared about so deeply, is really one of his main drives through season one.” Aww, he’s her lobster!
Here are the news items for Tuesday and Wednesday:
TELEVISION
Gotham and Empire were both renewed for next season. (Variety)
NBC has given a greenlight to the hour-long dramedy Apocalypse that focuses on the last days of mankind. It is set against a backdrop of apocalyptic chaos, following an extended family whose lives start to intersect in the most unexpected ways after news breaks that a comet is on a collision course with Earth. It will star Rob Lowe, Jenna Fischer and Megan Mullally. (Matt Mitovich at TV Line)
BOX OFFICE NEWS
The top 10 box office films for this past weekend, courtesy of Box Office Mojo, were:
1. American Sniper – 90.2 million
2. The Wedding Ringer – 21 million
3. Paddington – 19.2 million
4. Taken 3 – 14 million
5. Selma – 8.3 million
6. The Imitation Game – 7.1 million
7. Into the Woods – 6.5 million
8. The Hobbit: Battle of the Five Armies – 4.8 million
9. Unbroken – 4.2 million
10. Blackhat – 4 million
Q&A SECTION (with Kristin dos Santos at E! Online)
Question: Anything at all regarding Outlander! – Monica
Kristin: Look for some of Caitriona Balfe’s best work yet in a heartbreaking scene involving a baby. (And, no, her character Claire isn’t having one!) It goes down in the second episode after the show returns in….April. Shudder. That never gets easier to say!
Question: Got anything on Agent Carter? – Tom
Kristin: When Howard Stark (guest star Dominic Cooper) makes his big return next week, Agent Peggy Carter won’t be welcoming him home with a hug this time. In fact, his return comes right on the heels of her learning that Howard and Jarvis lied to her…and their lie has a little something to do with her long lost love, Captain America. Expect Peggy to shut Howard down during their knock-down, drag out argument in the best possible way–her scathing and honest words.
Question: Can we have some hints on how Claire’s storyline is going to develop? And her relationship with Cas (on Supernatural)? – amberspectre
Kristin: Expect to see things with Castiel and his vessel’s orphaned daughter Claire to get worse before they can get better on Supernatural. “Claire does not understand why Dean killed her surrogate father Randy,” executive producer Jeremy Carver says. “So Claire is very much a live wire still. How to deal with her and how to be a father to her is very much Castiel’s story right now. There is more to be seen with their story.”
Actor Zachary Levi (Chuck) will play a key role in this summer’s NBC event mini-series Heroes Reborn, based on the NBC series of the same name that will take a new look at the show that was once a big hit for the network. (The Futon Critic)
The new drama The Royals on E! has been given a second season order before the first season has even debuted. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)
The BBC has decided not to give their mini-series In the Flesh a third season order. (Matthew Jackson at Blastr)
Q&A SECTION (Matt Mitovich at TV Line and Natalie Abrams at Entertainment Weekly)
Question: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. fans needs some SkyeWard hope after a certain shot(s) heard round the world in the winter finale. Got anything on their future? –Brooke
Mitovich: It would seem that any last shred of affection ‘tween the two took its hits as well. As Brett Dalton tells me, “Ward had a hell of a time in the cage by himself for six months, he had some suicidal tendencies, and once he comes to the end of wrestling with all of his demons, he makes a promise – to reunite Skye with her dad. And that went on for 10 episodes. But her shooting me three times kind of answers the question of, ‘Are you into this? Is this gonna work?’ It was a big statement for her to make. Things can never be the same.” That said, Dalton hinted at a “new chapter” ahead for his character.
Question: Ratings be damned, I’m loving Revenge more than ever. Have anything for the faithful fans? –Deb
Mitovich: “There’s something hugely big for Nolan that we’re literally on the precipice of,” Gabriel Mann reveals. “I think it changes the course of Season 4 for him.” Mann hints that it might have something to do with a certain new houseguest, as his character is “going to delve into Louise’s world and see all the baggage she brings with her.” As for Nolan’s love life (or lack thereof) this season, Mann hints at a major turn of the tide: “This season, I thought Nolan needed to take a little bit of a break … but [his love life] is not going to be dry for a whole lot longer.”
Question: Is there anything Castle-related you have to share? –Mandy
Mitovich: I know we kinda swore off teasing the upcoming two-parter any further — especially now that this spoilery cat is out of the bag, sigh — but I could not abstain from relaying what Tamala Jones had to say about the February sweeps event. “You’ve never seen a Castle episode like these. It’s completely outrageous,” she effused. “You’re going to cry, you’re going to think someone died…. Your mind and your heart are going to be one.” Jones went on to say that Part 1 ends with a cliffhanger that will leave you “pissed that Part 2 isn’t coming on the next day,” while the actual conclusion is “emotionally driven” with regards to, among others, Lanie’s best friend, Kate. “There’s some serious, serious ish going on!”
Question: I saw on Twitter that TV Line visited the Jane the Virgin set. What scoop did you get? –Meaghan
Mitovich: File this under muy curious: The freshman hit’s beloved narrator “is definitely connected to the narrative, and at a certain point in the show, I would plan to reveal who it is, but not now,” executive producer Jennie Urman shared. As for one fan theory floating around the interwebs about his identity — he’s Sin Rostro! — “Who knows? I like it,” the EP replied with a laugh. “It’s a funny theory.”
Question: Do you have any Scandal or How to Get Away With Murder scoop for us? –Colleen
Mitovich: Scandal‘s Jon Tenney told me that POTUS won’t take kindly to his veep’s “ballsy” move against Olivia (“You don’t mess with Fitz’s lady!”), while Andrew cheating on Mellie with LizzieBear will be dealt with as well (“There’s a lot to be explored there, which I think people will enjoy”). As for Murder, Alfred Enoch says that Wes and Annalise will be “bound ever closer by the secret that they share,” adding: “The writers find new and genius ways to put a lot of strange things in our relationship.”
Question: What’s going on with Haven? Is the fifth season the last season? –David
Mitovich: Syfy president Dave Howe told me this morning that the second half of Season 5 will premiere during Q3 (this means roughly early fall). As for anything beyond that, “It depends on how it does.” (Ain’t that always the case?)
Question: Can you get some info on The Flash? Will Iris reciprocate the feelings Barry has for her? Will we see them get together this season (hopefully)? –Brenda
Mitovich: Noting that Barry’s midseason finale confession “really changed the world, and there’s no going back,” EP Andrew Kreisberg says the next few episodes back will be “dealing with the repercussions.” And Barry might just “deal” by moving on. “As he gets a new love interest in Linda Park (played by Malese Jow), Iris’ reaction to that is going to be interesting,” Kreisberg previews. “Certainly, there is no shortage of amazing women in Barry Allen’s life, including Caitlin and Felicity. Which girl actually gets to land him will be one of the surprises of the back half of the season.”
Question: I read that there is going to be some interaction between Arrow‘s Felicity and Thea. Any idea how that will come about? –Emmy
Mitovich: You read that here in my column, in fact. But EP Marc Guggenheim tells TV Line that those scenes have since been “pushed off a bit” and will air later in the season. Still on the immediate horizon, however, is “Felicity having scenes with Laurel that are really terrific,” he shares. “As Felicity said in Episode 3 of this year, she didn’t even think they were friends, so it’s kind of fun to watch these two women who are so different from each other interact. Felicity’s got some words of wisdom to impart to Laurel, and has a perspective that is somewhat unique.”
Question: Is Manu Bennett returning to Arrow in flashbacks, or for real? –D.L.
Mitovich: “Slade is definitely [resurfacing] in the present day,” showrunner Andrew Kreisberg affirms. And his disposition remains unchanged. “Not that he’s ever happy, but he’s particularly unhappy,” says the EP. “When he comes back, he’s out for blood.” Bonus scoop: Speaking of baddies, Vinnie Jones (who on Wednesday begins an arc as Danny “Brick” Brickwell) teased for me a fight scene in which a stunt woman jumped out a high window and grabbed a rope dangling from a helicopter above. Hmm, which character could that be?
Question: Do you have scoop on the upcoming CBS series Supergirl? –lilslim
Mitovich: Only that casting for, among other roles, the lead remains ongoing. “There’s only one person [right for the role], that’s the thing. So you’re looking for that person,” EP Greg Berlanti explains. Is he leaning toward a familiar face or fresh one? “We have no preference,” he asserted.
Question: Please, please tell me that Hersh will return to Person of Interest! –Nick
Mitovich: Hersh? His fate seemed pretty sealed in the Season 3 finale. That said, showrunner Jonah Nolan told me that over the winter/spring run, “We’re going to meet some new friends, and we’re going to revisit some old ones.”
Question: Can you give me anything on The Messengers!? Love the premise and the cast, but I’m quite let down that The CW gave them the Friday night death slot. – Marko
Mitovich: I would venture to say The CW knows precisely what it is doing with that one. Sorry.
Question: Can you say whether Rachel is dead or alive on Orphan Black? — Bellamy
Natalie: “She’s alive,” executive producer John Fawcett says, noting that Rachel will struggle with her new imperfections after being shot in the eye with a pencil during the finale. “How do you take someone like that and then f— them up? How do they respond to that? This is someone who has a ton of power, really, and thrives on [being above the other clones]. Now to be less than perfect and to have her authority and power stripped from her, that’s an interesting journey that character could be on this year.” Who will step up at DYAD in her place? You will be surprised by that answer.
Question: Will Team Arrow actually tell Laurel that Thea killed Sara? — Brian
Natalie: That’s the big question once Laurel joins the team. “Laurel will find out who killed her sister,” Katie Cassidy tells me. “The audience will be surprised by her reaction. I feel like I wouldn’t be surprised if Laurel lost it on Thea, but people will be surprised and excited.” As for the big “Canaries” episode coming up, Cassidy says, “There’s going to be some crazy badass scenes of the Canaries fighting.” Make of that what you will.
Question: Now that Peggy found Howard Stark’s inventions, where does Agent Carter go now? — Veronica
Natalie: Peggy will still be attempting to clear Stark’s name, but Leviathan will take a more prominent role in the coming episodes. “Why did they steal Howard Stark’s stuff? And what’s Howard Stark’s secret agenda?” executive producer Michele Fazekas says. You may find a clue to that in the comics.
Actor Eric McCormack and actress Debra Messing will reunite together (they starred on Will & Grace together back in the day) when McCormack makes a guest appearance on Messing’s new drama The Mysteries of Laura, playing her ex-fiancé who also happens to be a murder suspect. (Lauren Piester at E! Online)
The Fosters has been picked up for season three by ABC Family. (The Futon Critic)
Actor Richard Armitage (The Hobbit franchise) will join Hannibal for the show’s third season, playing Francis Dolarhyde (The Tooth Fairy), a serial killer. (Michael Slezak at TV Line)
Veteran actor John Rhys-Davies (The Lord of the Rings franchise) has joined the cast of the upcoming MTV fantasy drama Shannara, based on the popular book series by Terry Brooks. The series follows the Shannara family that is set thousands of years after civilization’s destruction. He will play King Eventine, the grandfather of the lead character. The cast already includes Poppy Drayton (When Calls the Heart, the Hallmark Channel movie), Austin Butler (The Carrie Diaries) and Manu Bennett (Arrow). (Samantha Highfill at Entertainment Weekly)
Actor David Strathairn (Alphas) and actress Janel Moloney (The West Wing) will appear in the episode of The Blacklist that is set to air after the Super Bowl. Strathairn will play the recurring role of The Director, the high-powered and secretive leader of the US National Clandestine Service while Moloney will play Kat Goodson, the elegant, self-confident and cold liaison to the Director of NCS. (Natalie Abrams at Entertainment Weekly)
Actress Lucy Lawless (Xena) and Stuart Townsend (Betrayal and XIII) have joined the cast of the WGN thriller Salem for the show’s second season. Lawless will plays Countess Marburg, one of the last remaining survivors of the legendary line of ancient German witches while Townsend will have the recurring role of English aristocrat Samuel Wainwright, a doctor looking to uncover the secrets of Salem and keep his own from those who would seek to discover them. (The Futon Critic)
Actress Kristen Connolly (House of Cards) and actor Billy Burke (Revolution) will star alongside James Wolk (The Crazy Ones) in the CBS summer drama series Zoo that is based on the James Patterson book. The upcoming series is a global thriller about a wave of violent animal attacks against humans across the planet. As the assaults become more cunning, coordinated and ferocious, a young renegade biologist, Jackson Oz (Wolk), is thrust into the race to unlock the pandemic’s mystery before there’s no place left for people to hide. Connolly will play Jamie, a passionate young journalist intent on uncovering the story behind the mysterious animal behavior she’s been tracking. Burke will play Mitch, a straight-shooting large animal veterinarian who prefers the simple company of animals to navigating the complexities of humans. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)
Actress Allison Scagliotti (Warehouse 13) has joined the cast of the upcoming ABC Family crime drama Stitchers where she will play a computer-science grad student recruited into a secret government agency. (TV Line)
TV TRAILER
Q&A SECTION (with Kristin Dos Santos at E! Online and Michael Ausiello at TV Line)
Question: Super worried about Alison now that she’s in jail. Please tell me my Pretty Little Liars favorite will be okay! – Lauren
Kristin: Sorry, but we mustn’t tell lies. “I heard people are afraid we’re going to kill Alison. And nobody’s safe in our world,” Marlene King spills. “Nobody and that’s just the cost of living in Rosewood. Nobody is safe.”
Question: Please, Outlander scoop! – Kelly
Kristin: The first episode back starts off from Jamie’s (Sam Heughan) point of view, and we will be hearing a bit more of his perspective on things as the series goes on. It’s not just all about Claire. But this is: There’s also a lengthy upcoming sex scene that pretty much rivals the wedding night!
ME: Swoon! Picking my tongue off the floor and I haven’t even seen the scene yet. I’m going to be a mess when I do.
Question: I cannot wait to see my favorite fictional brothers Wentworth Miller and Dominic Purcell reunited on The Flash, so I’ll take any scoop you are willing to share! – Becky
Kristin: We’ve got good news as the Scofield brothers will be stirring up trouble as Captain Cold (Miller) and Heatwave (Purcell) on the CW series for more than one episode. “Everyone’s very happy with what we’re doing. We’re excited and the fact that Wentworth and I are in the show,” Dominic Purcell tells us. “I know that we will be in the finale. Maybe a few more before that. The possibility for us to keep coming back and forth is high.”
Question: Any info on Castle‘s mid-season two-parter, or any other episodes? —Sandra
Ausiello: So much has already been spilled about the February sweeps event, you instead get this: Matt Mitovich chatted up Stana Katic at HBO’s Golden Globes party, and she teased that Rick and Kate are “going to Mars,” as they (separately?) work a case involving “Mars, spacesuits and space travel.” The episode’s ominous title? “The Wrong Stuff.”
Question: I love Scorpion, and I’d love to hear any scoop you have about this show. —Sara
Ausiello: An origin episode is coming! “We’ve talked about doing an episode that takes place entirely in the past, where we’d get to see when Walter met all these guys for the first time and put together the team,” reveals EP Nick Santora. “Backstory is important to us, and we love that fans of the show care about it.”
Question: I’ll settle for any Flash scoop you have. —Mason
Ausiello: Any Flash scoop is yours for the taking. “There’s an unexpected, accidental time travel coming up,” executive producer Andrew Kreisberg previews. “And it is played both for hilarity and darkness. It happens in an episode we’re really excited it — the first Weather Wizard episode with Liam McIntyre” (AKA Episode 15).
Question: Can you give this Original Team Arrow fan anything to look forward to? It really feels as though Diggle and Felicity are getting lost among this push for the “suits.” H.I.V.E.? Andy Diggle? Felicity’s father? Anything? —Trish
Ausiello: On the topic of Felicity’s dad (versus her returning mom), exec producer Marc Guggenheim tells TV Line that unraveling that mystery is something the show will do “probably further down the line,” rather than this season. “That said, if everything goes according to plan, we will learn a little bit more about dad” before Season 3 wraps. “But we haven’t gotten to the episode yet or written the actual scene, so no specific promises.” As for Dig, David Ramsey confirms, “You’ll see me back in the Arrow suit” after Oliver turns up missing. That same bleak twist also will raise the question, “‘Why does the team stay together?’ If we stay together. This crusade that began with Oliver has become our crusade, but why? What does Oliver mean to me? Why do I love this guy? Some of those questions will be answered during this emotional examination.”
Question: Any Revenge scoop? — Neil
Ausiello: Brace yourself, Neil… As Revenge showrunner Sunil Nayar revealed to TV Line last month, Ben’s ex-wife will soon be making an appearance in the Hamptons — and now, I’ve got more scoop: Her name is April, and she’s currently working as a waitress at a diner. Described as “pretty-but-scrappy,” she’s become quite independent since splitting from her ex. But the question remains: How will she re-enter Ben’s life?
Question: Bridget Regan’s “No. 1 fan” here, hoping you can tell something about her Agent Carter role! —Bill
Ausiello: The White Collar/Jane the Virgin actress debuts this Tuesday as Dottie Underwood, “another one of these kind of softly spoken women who comes along and starts to have a relationship with Peggy,” says Hayley Atwell. “But the thing with Peggy is that she can’t really get close to a lot of the people that are living and working outside of her secret life, so we see her struggling to really want to form intimacy with these women…. You see that she’s kind of missing out on being girly.”
Question: Ugh! I just binge-watched the first two seasons of Orphan Black and was reeling when I found out I would have to wait until April to see more of my favorite clones. Anything you can tell us about Cosima’s fate? Or what will become of Helena? Or scoop on the freaky-looking dude clone doing pull-ups? —Reva
Ausiello: Sarah and that freaky-looking dude AKA Rudy/Scarface are going to have an antagonistic relationship, especially given that he has the 411 on Project Leda while Sarah’s only just learned about Castor. “He knows who he’s talking to,” portrayer Ari Millen says of their confrontation. “He knows her story. And he knows why she’s there. He’s not giving her anything. He’s just going to play the game. He’s just going to have a good time.”
Question: Have you got any exciting spoilers from Grimm? I’ll take anything! —Larsen
Ausiello: Remember how Hank sorta easily accepted the fact that Wesen exist? Don’t expect the same reaction from Wu, portrayer Reggie Lee says, even once the sergeant has fully absorbed the idea. “How he deals with it now, and how [the gang] deal with him, is going to flesh out the next several episodes,” Lee tells TV Line, adding, “It’s so unlike anybody else that has gone through this situation on the show.”
Question: I want to know more about Sadie and Avery working together on Nashville. Please tell me this isn’t going to be a problem for him and Juliette. —Christine
Ausiello: I’ll let Laura Benanti field that one, Christine. “They have a good energy together,” she tells TV Line, but “it’s not romantic. I go on Twitter, and people are like, ‘Leave him alone!’ Everybody, calm down. Men and women can be in a room and no one’s genitals have to touch. It happens in real life.” Their “purely business” arrangement (you’ll remember that Avery is helping produce the new Highway 65 artist’s upcoming album) will result in “a very rootsy vibe that is different from what Rayna and Juliette have going on,” she adds. “It’s a little more Americana, which I appreciate.”
Question: Is Syfy’s 12 Monkeys worth watching? —Janet
Ausiello: Yep. If you’ve seen the 1995 movie, the new series is different enough that it’ll hold your interest. And if you haven’t, the show’s twisty take on time travel — as well as the chemistry between Suits‘ Amanda Schull, who plays a virologist, and Nikita‘s Aaron Stanford, as a man trying to avert a global plague — will quickly pull you in.
Actor Steven R. McQueen will no longer be a series regular on The Vampire Diaries, as his character, Jeremy Gilbert, is going off to art school. (Matt Richenthal at TV Fanatic)
CBS has given season renewals to NCIS: New Orleans, Madam Secretary and Scorpion. (The Futon Critic)
Actor Kyle MacLachlan will reprise his role of Agent Dale Cooper from Twin Peaks in the limited series run of the classic series that will air on Showtime sometime in 2016, just in time to mark the 25th anniversary of the show’s original run on ABC. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)
Syfy is developing a new one-hour drama series called 51st State that will be about a futuristic prison society. The United States, confronting a prison population stretched to the limit, purchases Greenland and converts it into a frontier prison colony with male and female convicts incarcerated together. Promised conditional freedom, the inmates are driven to the edge of their humanity when that promise, along with others, is broken. Struggling to seize control and exact revenge, reluctant heroes emerge. (The Futon Critic)
Here are the top 10 box office movies for this past weekend courtesy of Box Office Mojo:
1. Taken 3 – 39.2 million
2. Selma – 11.3 million
3. Into the Woods – 9.6 million
4. The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies – 9.4 million
5. Unbroken – 8.2 million
6. The Imitation Game – 7.2 million
7. Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb – 6.7 million
8. Annie – 4.8 million
9. The Woman in Black 2: Angel of Death – 4.6 million
10. The Hunger Games: Mockingjay, Part 1 – 3.8 million
Actors Patrick Wilson and Ted Danson and actress Jean Smart will be joining the cast of Fargo for the FX drama’s second season. Wilson will play Lou Solverson, a clean-cut Minnesota State Patrolman, four years back from Vietnam, where he served in the Navy while Danson will play Hank Larsson, Lou’s father-in-law and the Sheriff of Rock County, Minnesota. Smart will play Floyd Gerhardt, the matriarch of the Gerhardt crime family. (Elizabeth Wagmeister at Variety)
Actress Emanuelle Chriqui (Entourage) will join the cast of the TNT drama Murder in the First as a series regular, playing Lara Cruz, a brash and badass member of the SFPD Gang Task Force. (Matt Mitovich at TV Line)
Actor Ansel Elgort (The Fault in Our Stars and Divergent) will join Chloe Grace Moretz (If I Stay) in the teen thriller movie November Criminals that follows two teenagers who venture into the seedy underbelly of Washington D.C. to investigate a friend’s murder while falling in love for the first time. (Deadline and Dark Horizons)
Q&A SECTION (with Natalie Abrams at Entertainment Weekly)
Question: Why is Jarvis so loyal to Stark on Agent Carter? —Jason
Natalie: You will soon find out! “Howard did something for him that had an enormous [impact] in both his life and his wife’s life,” James D’Arcy tells me. “As a result of that, I think Jarvis feels extremely loyal towards somebody of, let’s face it, questionable morality.” Any guesses?
Question: Anything on Gotham‘s newest addition, Dr. Leslie Thompkins? — Matt
Natalie: I wouldn’t expect her to stay at Arkham forever. When talking about Leslie teaming up with Jim to help Gotham, Morena Baccarin told my colleague Samantha Highfill that Dr. Thompkins will be putting another skill set to use soon. “I do end up taking a job elsewhere,” she said. “I won’t tell you where, but it is a little bit different from just being a physician.”
Question: How will Beckett feel about Castle becoming a private detective when Castle returns? — Charlene
Natalie: It’ll be quite a shock for Beckett to learn the truth that Castle is a P.I., but it won’t be long before the two are working together again. One could even say it adds a new spark to their relationship having to work in secret. However, Gates won’t be as lenient with the rules, forcing Castle to take unconventional methods to get the job done—methods that end in injury.
Question: Anything on Forever? — Etienne
Natalie: Though Henry fears death, he’ll find himself in a compromising position in an upcoming episode. “We will see him take his own life at some point to get out of a bind,” executive producer Matt Miller says, teasing that it will be a real struggle for him.
Here are the news items for the past couple of days:
TELEVISION
Revenge has promoted Elena Satine, Karine Vanasse, Brian Hallisay and James Tupper all to series regulars for its current season four. (Teresa Jue at Entertainment Weekly)
The USA Network has canceled Covert Affairs after five seasons. (Vlada Gelman at TV Line and Deadline)
Actor Liam McIntyre (Spartacus) will be seen as villain Weather Wizard on The Flash. (Punkd Images and Dark Horizons)
Actors Joe Anderson (The River and soon to be on Hannibal) and David Morse (Treme) will appear in the WGN America drama Outsiders that centers on the Farrell clan, a family of outsiders who have been in the hills of Appalachia since before anyone can remember. Living off the grid and above the law on their mountaintop homestead, they’ll protect their world and defend their way of life using any means necessary. Anderson will play Asa, a man who bridges the mountain and the “outside” world while Morse will play Big Foster, a weathered man with a brutal and grandiose primitive power who is hot-blooded and reactive, which makes him all the more dangerous. (Lesley Goldberg at The Hollywood Reporter)
Actress Jane Seymour (Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman) will have a recurring role on Jane the Virgin, playing Amanda, the leader of a romance writer’s group Jane Villanueva (series lead Gina Rodriguez) joins. (Bill Keveney at USA Today)
Young actor Max Charles (The Amazing Spider-Man and the made-for-TV movie Northpole) will take over for young actor Ben Hyland in the FX thriller The Strain, playing Zach Goodweather, the son of Dr. Ephraim Goodweather (series lead Corey Stroll). (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)
Actor Jonathan Tucker (Kingdom) will appear in the final season of Justified that will start on FX on January 20. He will appear in the final five episodes of the series, but details are slim on who he will play. (Teresa Jue at Entertainment Weekly)
Actor Edward James Olmos (Battlestar Galactica) will guest star in an upcoming episode of Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. He will play Robert Gonzales, whose debut will have massive repercussions for Director Coulson (series lead Clark Gregg) and his team. (Natalie Abrams at Entertainment Weekly)
ONLINE SERIES NEWS
Netflix has renewed Marco Polo for a second season. (TCA Announcement)
MADE-FOR-TV MOVIE NEWS
Actor Matt Bomer (White Collar and the HBO telefilm The Normal Heart) will be back on HBO for the biopic Monty Clift that will focus on the complicated life of legendary actor Montgomery Clift (Bomer), who finds himself deeply involved with a young Elizabeth Taylor following the filming of A Place in the Sun. (The Hollywood Reporter and Yahoo)
BOX OFFICE NEWS
Here are the top 10 box office movies for this past weekend courtesy of Box Office Mojo:
1. The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies – 21.9 million
2. Into the Woods – 19 million
3. Unbroken – 18.4 million
4. The Woman in Black 2: Angel of Death – 15.1 million
5. Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb – 14.5 million
6. Annie – 11.4 million
7. The Imitation Game – 8.1 million
8. The Hunger Games: Mockingjay, Part 1 – 7.7 million
9. The Gambler – 6.3 million
10. Big Hero 6 – 4.8 million
BOX OFFICE TRAILER
Q&A SECTION (with Kristin at E! Online)
Question: Outlander scoop! Saw on Twitter you got the first episodes back. – Manny H.
Kristin: LOVED THEM. HARD. All you need to know: The first episode back is gut-wrenching, uncomfortable/offensive and then basically straight-up porn. The second episode back is slower-paced and odd, but an amazing set up for the third episode back, which is STRAIGHT UP BANANAS. I didn’t breathe from about half-way through the episode to the end of it. Major game-changers galore and something that fans who didn’t read the books wouldn’t think would happen so soon.
Question: So glad Revenge is back from its break! Got any scoop on the craziness ahead? – Gabby
Kristin: Loving Louise? Good, because the show has just promoted Elena Satine to a series regular! And yes, you can expect to see her somewhat separated storyline intertwine with some of the Hampton’s other main players, namely Emily, very soon. “Right now, they seem to be on two separate tracks, but our goal is to get them altogether, so Emily will eventually cross into Louise’s world,” showrunner Sunil Nayar teases. And he describes the duo’s dynamic as “fun” and says to expect a bit of a return of “the parties and the snark” after the darkness that was Daniel’s death.
Question: I need Gotham scoop. – Matt
Kristin: You’re in luck! We hear that the Fox comic book drama is currently casting the role of Reginald “Reggie” Payne, a late 40s-early 50s Brit who is rough around the edges. Reggie is Alfred’s army buddy from the war, and while he was once a fit, handsome man, he’s unfortunately let himself go, and time hasn’t been kind on him at all. A scruffy beard, bloodshot eyes and raggedy clothes hide who he once was. Other new faces heading to Gotham? Dr. Dulmacher, aka The Dollmaker, a handsome, creepy, mad doctor; Gus Floyd, a young misfit who takes leadership of the bank robbers known as the Red Hood Gang who gains energy and confidence while robbing a bank; and Clyde Destro, a portly, serious man in his late 30s to mid-50s who is a member of the Red Hood Gang.
Question: Anything on Nashville?! – Tara
Kristin: If you hated Luke as much as we did, prepare to feel extremely validated in your hatred since he takes his canceled nuptials as well as a temper-tantrum-throwing toddler. Seriously, Rayna dodged quite the bullet by not marrying this immature brat! Also, the ABC southern soap is currently casting the role of late 20s-early 30s Kevin Shay, who is an openly gay singer-songwriter and is one of the most successful in Nashville, having written for some of the biggest country artists in the industry. Described as handsome, tough, and a man’s man, it sure sounds like Kevin might be paving the way for Will to finally come out!
Question: Are Once Upon a Time‘s Rumpelstiltskin and Belle ever going to be together again? –Ann
Mitovich: Or, does the pursuit of power come with a price? When I invited the series creators to take us inside Rumple’s mad-for-magic mindset, Eddy Kitsis explained, “Rumple let us know in Season 1 that he’s a difficult man to love. And he’s let us know that he always chooses power over love that is his fault. But he began the season with honorable intentions — he really was going to give Belle the knife – but when he saw the [Sorcerer’s] hat, that made him realize, ‘I did the noble thing and it ended up with my son dying and me being a slave. So if I can never have to wake up and worry about someone getting my dagger, why can’t I have everything?’ And as he learned, you can’t.” But to more directly answer your Q, Adam Horowitz offers this: “Rumple and Belle] have been through a lot together, and despite how it may have felt in the midseason finale, their story is not over.”
Question: Any spoilers about the upcoming episode of Castle? –Fred
Mitovich: Monday’s episode — the first in which NYPD outcast Rick hangs up his shingle as a P.I. — is a tremendous amount of fun, though in a way that can’t exactly be replicated on a weekly basis (for however long Rick winds up going solo). The “competition” between Beckett’s team at the 12th and Rick plays out in a highly entertaining way, as each entity tries to out-scoop the other — or, at one point, tries to coax intel over copious amounts of red wine. (Along those same lines, the good-natured rivalry also feeds into one of the first “Wait, what did they do?!” bed scenes in a while.) Will Rick save the day in a way that gets him back in Gates’ good graces? How does Perlmutter react to Rick rummaging in his office? And who at the 12th does the best Rick Castle impersonation? You’ll get those answers and more.
Question: I love Bellamy/Clarke together on The 100 — is there any chance these two will finally get romantic? There is so much sexual tension there! –Katrina
Mitovich: Finn was always intended to be Clarke’s primary love interest, but now that he’s out of the picture — sorry, it’s time we all accept it — there could be a chance for Bellamy to swoop in. “Never rule that out,” executive producer Jason Rothenberg says of a Clarke-Bellamy pairing.
Question: Please tell me The Librarians is going somewhere with Jake and Cassandra’s adorable chemistry! –Ashley
Mitovich: It may come down to the wire, seeing as the TNT drama has only two freshman episodes remaining. “Stone and Cassandra have a very complicated relationship,” exec producer John Rodgers tells the Inside Line. “They are going to get closer, but how close before the end of the world (and season) is a good question.”
Question: Got any scoop you can share about Abby’s boyfriend on NCIS? How long might this relationship last? –Robert
Mitovich: Showrunner Gary Glasberg told me that with the Sergei Michnev story heating back up as well as other fish to fry, “We step away from [Abby’s romance with Burt] for a little while” — though not for forever. “Everybody really likes having [Johann Urb] around, so I’m sure you’ll see him again,” Glasberg shares, adding: “It’s been nice to have everybody kind of in pleasant relationships!”
Question: Will Suits’ Katrina come back, or is Amanda Schull too busy with 12 Monkeysnow? –Christine
Mitovich: At the very least, Schull found time to pop up in the Season 4 premiere, which finds Louis before her on bended knee, popping a question.
Here are the news items for after Christmas and before New Year’s Eve:
TELEVISION
The Flash has been renewed for another season of speedy adventures. (Nathalie Caron at Blastr)
Actor Michael Imperioli (The Sopranos) will appear in at least two episodes of Hawaii Five-0 next year, playing a reformed criminal, originally from Staten Island, who has a passion for surfing. Now, he owns an Oahu-based barbershop and acts as a confidential informant. (Vlada Gelman at TV Line and Entertainment Weekly)
BOX OFFICE NEWS
Here are the top 10 box office movies for this past holiday weekend courtesy of Box Office Mojo:
1. The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies – 41.4 million
2. Unbroken – 31.7 million
3. Into the Woods – 31 million
4. Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb – 20.6 million
5. Annie – 16.6 million
6. The Hunger Games: Mockingjay, Part 1 – 10 million
7. The Gambler – 9.3 million
8. The Imitation Game – 7.9 million
9. Exodus: Gods and Kings – 6.7 million
10. Wild – 5.4 million
BOX OFFICE TRAILER
Q&A SECTION (with Michael Ausiello at TV Line)
Question: I know it’s early yet, but any Once Upon a Time scoop to get us through this hiatus? —Jenny
Ausiello: As Season 4 unfolds starting March 1, new flashbacks will highlight the Charmings, Ursula’s origin story, more of Captain Hook’s past and the tale of how Regina first met Maleficent.
Question: I was wondering how, after Arrow‘s stunning midseason twist of “killing” Oliver Queen, Felicity would react. Felicity was clearly hurt when Oliver kept pushing her away, and now that he finally tells her he loves her — she was his last dying thought! — and now she’s lost him again! –Julie
Ausiello: I will just remind you that when Matt Mitovich last Q&A’d Emily Bett Rickards, she had just wrapped filming “a sad moment” for Episode 10 — aka the midseason opener, airing Jan. 21 — and it had left her “drained.” (Elsewhere on Team Arrow, Marc Guggenheim told us that in the same episode, David Ramsey “shot what I would describe as his most emotional scene…. David breaks your heart with his performance.” So, yeah. Kleenex.)
Question: Any scoop on Arrow? —Anita
Ausiello: We haven’t seen the last of Thea’s DJ-boytoy, played by Austin Butler. “Like a lot of our characters, there’s maybe a little bit more to him than meets the eye,” exec producer Greg Berlanti teases. And will her papa Malcolm Merlyn have a take on the new guy in his daughter’s life? Says Berlanti with a laugh: “It would be surprising if he didn’t.”
Question: In a recent episode of Forever, Jane Seymour played Abe’s twice-divorced wife — but Henry had never met her. How does the show explain that? —Angie
Ausiello: Easy, says star Ioan Gruffudd: It doesn’t. (At least, not yet.) “That’s a very good question!” he says, laughing. “It will be interesting to find out what that period of time was and why they were apart. Was it to protect Abe? Was it to protect the secret or something like that? It will be interesting.”
Question: I need info on Scorpion. Namely, is Camille Guaty/“Megan” going to be pretty much a regular for the immediate future? —Justin
Ausiello: A show rep confirms that the Prison Break alumna is now in fact recurring on the freshman CBS drama. As such, you should see Walter and Sylvester’s confidante again sometime soon.
Question: When is Will going to come out on Nashville? It’s been long enough! —Ryan
Ausiello: Hallelujah, Nashville fans: Showrunner Dee Johnson says the closeted character “probably will be out” by the end of Season 3. However — and interestingly — she adds, “I don’t know whether it will be voluntary.”
Ausiello: An upcoming twist. The Witnesses’ “relationship in a position we’ve never seen before.” An “epic climax” with “ramifications for Season 3.” (All courtesy of showrunner Mark Goffman.) Intrigued yet?
BONUS SCOOP: Ichabod’s aforementioned karaoke experience is coming up in Episode 14, and we’ll get not one but two scenes involving at least one Witness taking the stage.
Question: I know you guys reported it was unlikely that Red Band Society would be getting a second season, but is there at least a chance we will get some closure? —Estee
Ausiello: As EP Rina Mimoun told us last month, the final three episodes of the medical drama’s first season — which have yet to be scheduled by Fox — will provide “closure for a lot of the current teen storylines” while showing ways that the adult characters’ arcs could continue (on the off chance of a pickup announcement). Episode 11, meanwhile, will feature the return of Jes Macallan’s Ashley and the introduction of Leo’s family — including William Ragsdale (Herman’s Head) as the heartthrob’s dad. Plus, the sometimes-underutilized Dash will be getting a love interest, played by newcomer Jessica Lu. “We’re packing a lot into the last three episodes of the season,” says Mimoun. “I’ll tell you that.”
Question: Anything on The Blacklist? —Missi
Ausiello: Regarding that gigantic cliffhanger in November’s fall finale — How do Tom and Red know each other?! — series creator Jon Bokenkamp says that burning question will be answered. Eventually. “Tom clearly has some sort of past that Liz is not aware of, that involves Red,” the EP confirms. “We will continue to tell that story. We don’t dive right into it in the Super Bowl episode, but that does start to bubble up later in the back half of the season.”
Actor Ernie Hudson (Ghostbusters) will guest star as Poseidon on Once Upon a Time in an episode set for 2015 that will find actress JoAnna Garcia Swisher reprising her role as Ariel. Actor Sebastian Roche (The Originals) will also guest star on Once Upon a Time, playing King Stefan, the father of Aurora (recurring guest star Sarah Bolger), who has a complicated past with Maleficent (recurring guest star Kristin Bauer Van Straten). (Natalie Abrams and Jonathon Dornbush at Entertainment Weekly)
Actor Michael Pitt has been replaced by actor Joe Anderson (The River) as sociopathic meat-packing magnate Mason Verger on Hannibal. (Michael Slezak at Entertainment Weekly)
The cast has been fleshed out for the Syfy space drama Dark Matter, including actor Roger Cross (24 and The Strain) and Anthony Lemke (Witches of East End) and actresses Zoie Palmer (Lost Girl) and Jodelle Ferland (The Cabin in the Woods). The series focuses on the crew of a derelict spaceship, who are awakened from stasis with no memories of who they are or how they got on board. Facing threats at every turn, they have to work together to survive a voyage charged with vengeance, betrayal and hidden secrets. The 13 one-hour episodes will debut on this coming summer. (Etan Vlessing at The Hollywood Reporter)
Actor Mike Colter (The Good Wife and Ringer) has landed the role of comic book hero Luke Cage in the Marvel and Netflix series Jessica Jones that will star Krysten Ritter in the lead role. Marvel and Netflix have partnered to adapt four of the Marvel’s properties — Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage and Iron Fist — into four hour-long, 13-episode series, with Daredevil set to debut first in 2015. (Laura Prudom at Variety)
BOX OFFICE NEWS
Here are the top 10 box office movies for this past weekend courtesy of Box Office Mojo:
1. The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies – 56.2 million
2. The Night at the Museum: The Secret of the Tomb – 17.3 million
3. Annie – 16.3 million
4. Exodus: Gods and Kings – 8 million
5. The Hunger Games: Mockingjay, Part 1 – 7.7 million
6. Wild – 4.1 million
7. Top Five – 3.57 million
8. Big Hero 6 – 3.56 million
9. Penguins of Madagascar – 3.52 million
10. P.K. (The Bollywood comedy) – 3.4 million
Q&A SECTION (with Natalie Abrams at Entertainment Weekly)
Question: Do you know when Agent Carter picks up? — Donald
Natalie: It obviously takes place after Captain America: The First Avenger, but actually before Stark asks her to head up S.H.I.E.L.D. with him at the end of the Marvel One Shot. “That will essentially be the last thing that ever happens in the series,” executive producer Michele Fazekas says. “We will never have S.H.I.E.L.D. in this series. So, in some regard, the One Shot is the end of the series.”
Question: What are three words/things that are mysterious now, but won’t be once Once Upon a Time returns this March? — OnceStorybrooke
Natalie: I took your ingenious question straight to the OUAT bosses and the answer is… interesting. “Voice, Feinberg and eggs” executive producer Edward Kitsis says. “Take that, Once people!” Any guesses as to what the heck that means? The comments section is yours for the taking.
Question: Will Sarah Bunting return for season five of Downton Abbey? — Tonya
Natalie: Yes, Sarah Bunting (Daisy Lewis) will play a larger role in the upcoming fifth season. “She creates quite a lot of crisis for [Tom] Branson,” creator Julian Fellowes tells my colleague C. Molly Smith. Not being a Downton follower myself, Molly offers up her best guess as to what the “crisis” is: “It has to do with politics, the foundation of Tom and Sarah’s connection,” she says. “But, I wouldn’t rule out romance either. The two share said common interest, and Tom just might be ready to find new love.”
Question: Do you have any scoop on the next time Barry will face Reverse Flash on The Flash? — Steve
Natalie: After the disastrous first bout, Barry will set his sights on testing the limitations of his powers in a bid to match his nemesis. “We’re exploring the vibrating a lot going forward and what the vibrating can do,” Grant Gustin says. “And how to slow things down, see things and survey situations with time stopped, essentially.” Will those powers also include time travel? “Maybe,” Gustin says with the highest pitch voice of someone trying to keep a secret.
Question: Now that Nolan and Louise are friends, does that mean she won’t be having anymore visions on Revenge? — Derek
Natalie: Alas, she’s still crazy. “She still has her visions,” showrunner Sunil Nayar says. “Louise is wonderfully damaged in a lot of ways. There’s going to be an element to Nolan and Louise—we’re going to deepen their dynamic together. We’re also going to bring Louise’s brother in and we’re going to dig deeper into the Ellis family history so that we understand who Louise is more and understand what it is that she really wants and what makes her tick.”
Question: Please tell me anything about Slade’s return to Arrow! — Tim
Natalie: Burning questions will be answered! “Everyone’s been asking: How does he feed himself?” executive producer Marc Guggenheim says. “You’re going to get an answer to that question. He loomed so large in season 2 that his return in episode 14 really makes it feel incredibly epic. You’ll see why it’s very appropriate for us to revisit Slade Wilson in episode 14 when you see the end of episode 13.”
