Kerry Washington, Vincent Kartheiser, Mariska Hargitay

Every week, senior reporter Natalie Abrams satisfies your need for TV scoop. Please send all questions to mega_scoop@tvguide.com or tweet them to @NatalieAbrams

Got any Scandal scoop? — Christie

It sounds like Maya's plan to target the president with her bomb will come to fruition. In other words, expect an explosive season finale! Making matters worse, we hear the finale takes place on Election Day, which means that the lives of even more people, including campaign manager Olivia, will be in jeopardy. Anyone want to guess the victim(s)?

Got any more Mad Men spoilers? — Emily

Pete's marriage crumbled in Season 6, but thanks to his new life in California, his outlook this year is extremely sunny. (Just wait until you see his outfit!) "Sometimes a clean slate is the best place to be because you can reinvent yourself," Vincent Kartheiser says. "The hope of that is invigorating. For a little while, you can fool everybody." But could Pete also be fooling himself? "He's making a good show, but I think most of it's a cover," Kartheiser says.

What can you tell us about The Beast's return on SVU? — Tiff

Even though Benson's now the sergeant, her personal history with psycho-rapist William Lewis gets her bumped from the case. (Look for a familiar face to make a surprise return and lead the charge.) But don't expect Benson to sit on the sidelines long: Once Lewis kidnaps a young girl, Benson defies her orders and agrees to trade places with the child. And although the Benson-Beast standoff will probably have you watching through your fingers, the good news is this saga comes to a definitive end.

Is Catherine going to die on Hawaii Five-0? — Justin

The fact that Michelle Borth's exit from the show coincides with Steve and Catherine's dangerous mission in the Middle East does seem ominous, right? Fortunately, I have good news! "She doesn't die," executive producer Peter Lenkov tells us exclusively. "She goes out spectacularly. She goes out a hero, and the door's open for her to come back. Hopefully we'll see her again at some point." Relieved?



What's coming up on The Blacklist? — Hiroki

Tom and Liz won't keep up their charade of a marriage much longer. In fact, when Tom goes on the lam, Liz finally confesses to the FBI that her husband was actually planted in her life. The good news: Liz's separation from Tom will ultimately provide answers about what he's been after this whole time. The bad news: Those answers point to an even larger conspiracy. We'll just say this: Everything is connected.

I can't believe Miriam is alive on Hannibal! What's next? — Kyle

Friday's episode is all about getting Miriam to ID the Chesapeake Ripper. But will her trauma leave her unable to finger the right person? Less confused is a newly un-incarcerated Will, who goes straight after Hannibal and once again holds Dr. Lecter at gunpoint. While it's a safe bet Will won't go through with his murder plot, by the end of the episode, at least one other major character will be dead.

Are Will and Layla actually going to make it on Nashville? — Lacey

If Will has his way, he'll make the couple's quickie marriage stick. But that doesn't mean he won't come to regret lying about being gay. "Will is committed to the idea of keeping his secret, and in his mind, Layla is a great way of doing that," executive producer Callie Khouri says. "It's a terrible position for him to be in because he's having to live a secret. He's starting to feel increasingly bad about that." But it may not be Will's guilty conscience that lets the cat out of the bag. "Gunnar's at his wit's end with how far he's willing to take this charade with Will," Khouri teases.



Another hiatus for The Vampire Diaries?! Anything you can give us to hold us over? — Laini

Sure, but it's not exactly good news! As the war between the witches and the Travelers heats up, our heroes will learn that quite a few Mystic Falls residents — including more than one regular character — have Passengers in them. So, ask yourself this: Who do the Travelers need to control?

Chicago Fire scoop, please. — David

We have not seen the last of Boden's former love interest Donna (Melissa Ponzio), who will rekindle her relationship with the Chief in a big way. In possibly related news, I hear someone from Firehouse 51 will pop the question before the season ends. Hit the comments with your guesses!

I need some good Grey's Anatomy news. Is Alex going to leave Grey Sloan? — Jolene

Not if Arizona has any say in his decision. "I do not think she'll let him go very easily," Jessica Capshaw tells me. "He can't have had her go on the plane and then go off with Dr. Butthole. That's not going to go down well for her."

Is Laurel going to confront Oliver about knowing his secret on Arrow? — Billy

It doesn't sound like she will jump right into action. "Does she actually believe [Slade]?" executive producer Andrew Kreisberg says. "Laurel's reaction to hearing that news is going to surprise people and it will also validate people's faith in her character. For all the people who love her, they'll love her even more. Maybe some of the people who didn't love her will change their minds."

Elijah and Hayley: Is it ever going to happen on The Originals? — Ross

As much as we'd like to see it, Phoebe Tonkin doesn't think it's in the cards any time soon. "No matter what world you live in, hooking up with your baby daddy's brother is not ideal," she says. "She isn't putting up with bullsh-- from two immortal brothers who try to boss her around. [So], I don't think she's thinking of romances right now."

Mega Rave: Jimmy/Steve's resurrection on Shameless was the cherry on top of a superb season that featured a realistic portrayal of a gay relationship in the Gallagher family, an emotional twist for the possibly bipolar Ian and actual growth for the mostly aimless Fiona. Well done!

Mini Rant: Am I the only one that thought Once Upon a Time's version of Oz was not as Oz-some as it should be?

This week's recommendation: Game of Thrones (Sunday at 9/8c on HBO). Joffrey and Margaery's nuptials are upon us. While it won't be as bloody as the Red Wedding, there will still be plenty of drama after the duo walk down the aisle.

Crave scoop on your favorite TV shows? E-mail Natalie at mega_scoop@tvguide.com or drop me a line at Twitter.com/TVGuide



(Additional reporting by Adam Bryant, Liz Raftery and Robyn Ross)