What is Person of Interest’s Team Machine squabbling over now? What makes Arrow’s Damien Darhk do horrible things? Does Castle‘s Kate have a plan? Read on for answers to those questions plus teases from other shows.

Is Person of Interest’s Mr. Finch going to make any ethical changes to The Machine when rebuilding it? –Kaan

That issue is very ripe for debate when(ever) the CBS series returns, with Finch and Root taking very opposite sides. “Root is still [The Machine’s] No. 1 champion,” Amy Acker told me at POI’s 100th episode party, “so she is trying to convince Harold that we should maybe make some ‘modifications’ while we’re rebuilding Her.” Finch, though, is at least at first included to pursue the status quo. “What’s great fun about the early episodes is watching the two of them argue about, if they can adjust The Machine’s secret formula, should they?” says EP Jonah Nolan. “Given that the stakes are higher and time is running out for them, what are the ethics in changing your strategy?”

Could you give us some scoop on Shaw’s return to Person of Interest? –Alejandra

Sarah Shahi assured me, “We will learn what happened to Shaw over the last nine, 10 months, however long it is she’s been missing.” And put most simply, Team Samaritan “definitely did a number on her.” As such, count on meeting a Shaw you perhaps have never quite seen, when she resurfaces a few episodes in. “Everything that’s going on in that episode, these are the reasons why I said yes to this show,” the actress raved. “It’s everything that I wanted to play in this character, all the places I wanted to go to as an actress but never had the opportunity, and they wrote it for me.”

I was wondering if you have any scoop on Castiel’s storyline on Supernatural? –Zarah

Tonight’s episode finds the angel seeking out Metatron for help and discovering they have more in common than they thought, despite their mutual dislike. “Metatron is more or less human, which is a burden that Cas has had to bear in the past,” Misha Collins previews. “While Cas is not a huge fan of Metatron, he, ultimately, ends up feeling a little bit of empathy for him, because he’s experiencing the human experience for the first time and all of its difficulties.”

With Arrow‘s Oliver Queen running for mayor — and knowing the unfortunate history of mayoral demise in Star City — how will Damien Darhk react to a new player on the field? –Tabitha

Showrunner Wendy Mericle says that Oliver’s candidacy “is not going to sit well with [Darhk],” at all. “He has a history of not wanting anybody taking over that position.” even if it’s “someone he quite frankly doesn’t take as a serious threat.” In fact, it’s Oliver’s unassuming public facade that Damien Darhk “loves it at first,” Neal McDonough says, “because he thinks he can use him as his pawn. We then find out rather quickly that that pawn is not for sale, which certainly sets [Damien] off and makes [him] do some really horribly, dark things.”

Do you have any scoop on Chicago P.D.’s Burzek? Any more engagement planning? –Danielle

“It’s a rocky road” for Ruzek and Burgess, exec producer Matt Olmstead warns. “Those two are going to have issues ahead.” And if you were surprised that the engaged couple still isn’t living together — remember, she came over for dinner at his place last week! — that is indeed a symptom of Ruzek’s commitment issues. “We want to play a little bit of a Peter Pan mentality where he loves the engagement [period],” the EP explains. “When it comes to the reality of actually getting married, he’s got cold feet, which she picks up on.” Ruzek does, though, have a houseguest in Olinsky, and the two unexpected roomies provide for “a lot of fun” scenes, EP Danielle Gelber adds.

Any chance we’ll get some more clues about LokSat by the Castle fall finale? –Rachael

That Nov. 23 episode, “Mr. & Mrs. Castle,” promises to be the most LokSat-heavy of the November sweeps hours, as we gain better insight into Kate’s plan. Per co-showrunner Alexi Hawley, “Ultimately what she’s trying to do is find a way to get to LokSat through the drugs,” having secured the “fingerprint” of the heroin Vulcan Simmons once peddled on Bracken’s behalf. “That drug pipeline is still open, so if she can match the unique fingerprint of that heroin to a different dealer or a different distribution hub, then she knows she’s close to LokSat.”

Are there any good Haylijah scenes coming up on The Originals? –Sel

It sounds like you’re in luck, Sel, because Phoebe Tonkin says there are a “bunch” of fun Hayley/Elijah scenes on the horizon. “Daniel [Gillies] and I work so much together,” she reports. “The show right now is quite dark and heavy, so there aren’t any light, fun moments, but I’m hoping there will be some between Hayley and Elijah.”

I’ve recently become obsessed with Jane the Virgin. Any scoop? –Jennifer

With the Jane/Michael/Rafael love triangle taking a breather, that means potential new love interests. “There’s going to be a point this season where Jane is exploring dating, and it’s not Rafael or Michael,” executive producer Jennie Urman previews. “There will be other choices.” And to be fair, there could be some new gals for Michael and Rafael, too, the EP teases.

Something about SVU? –Felicia

The episode which series star Mariska Hargitay directed last week revolves around a date rape at a high school.

I’ll take whatever you have on the Sleepy Hollow/Abbie front, please, whether it be Quantico flashbacks or a deep look into her romance with Danny. –Lauren

We went straight to the source — Nicole Beharie herself — for some scoop on Abbie/Daniel. Turns out, that intel is locked away deep in Jefferson’s bunker… even from her. “I hope that we learn more. But I don’t know at this moment,” Beharie tells TVLine, adding that she’s game for more moments like last Thursday’s Outer Banks love shack reveal. “Hopefully people like it and we can have a little bit more fun with it, because I love Lance [Gross]. He’s awesome.”

I will take anything you’ve got on How to Get Away With Murder, please! – Denise

For those who missed seeing twisted siblings Caleb and Catherine Hapstall during last week’s installment, showrunner Pete Nowalk has good news. “We will see them [on Nov. 12] and find out more about them in a very big way,” he teases. “There is no Client of the Week. The clients are Catherine and Caleb, and the two of them will have a very big decision to make.” Nowalk points out that much of the action will focus on their late aunt’s previously undiscovered biological son, and “the question is: Are they going to find out about Philip — and what will they think about the fact that Annalise hasn’t told them about him?”

We are overdue for some love for The Middle, such an underrated gem. Hit me up! –Leah

You’ll gobble this up: In “Thanksgiving VII” (airing Nov. 17), Axl is “affected by how fast life is going,” says exec producer Eileen Heisler. Reuniting with some buds at a bar during the break, he realizes, “Things aren’t going exactly as he had hoped, and he finds himself little more emotional about it than one might think with him.” Mom Frankie meanwhile will return to her Season 2 gig at Heritage Village, “which will be really fun,” the EP promises.

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