Nathan Fillion, Johnny Galecki, Damian Lewis

Every week, editors Adam Bryant and Natalie Abrams satisfy your need for TV scoop. Please send all questions to mega_scoop@tvguide.com or tweet them to @adam_bryant or @NatalieAbrams.

Loved the Castle premiere, but what was Castle doing with a half-naked woman in the promos for the next episode? —

ADAM: As creator Andrew W. Marlowe already teased, that encounter is a consequence of Castle pretending to be single in order to keep his relationship with Beckett a secret from their co-workers. But that doesn't mean infidelity won't be an issue. An upcoming case will implicate Castle in the murder of an ex. "It makes everybody question: How well do we actually know this guy?" Marlowe says. But it gets worse: "Castle may have been having an affair with her at the same time he was dating Beckett," he teases. "That goes to the heart of all of Beckett's insecurities."

Is Leonard actually going to date someone other than Penny on The Big Bang Theory? — Thomas

NATALIE: Unfortunately, yes. Margo Harshman (she played Amanda Peet's wacky sister on Bent) is coming on to play Sheldon's new assistant, but executive producer Bill Prady says complications will arise. The first? Both Penny and Amy don't trust this girl. "There's a really funny Amy and Penny spying episode where we get to do a lot of physical comedy together, and that was really fun," Mayim Bialik teases.

I just marathoned Season 1 of Homeland, and I need classified intel on the new season! — Greg

ADAM: Remember all the meticulous preparations Brody went through before he tried to blow up the vice president? Well, he didn't exactly tie up all the loose ends after his vest failed to detonate. What do you think will happen when one of them winds up in the hands of Carrie & Co.?

Belle doesn't look too happy with Rumple in the Once Upon a Time clips. —Joan

NATALIE: She isn't! Belle's mere presence will be an unforeseen complication for Rumplestiltskin. "Gold is a meticulous man, as is Rumplestiltskin, and he had a plan that he has been enacting," executive producer Adam Horowitz says. "The wild card was Belle because he never, ever thought she was going to be coming back, and he is a man who has, in the past, always chosen power over love. I think he's on a mission, and here he has a second chance with the woman he always regretted letting go."

Christine Lahti was great on Hawaii Five-0. But what's up with her and Wo Fat? Why didn't she kill him? — Neal

ADAM: You shouldn't expect that answer to come right away. (Lahti has signed on for four episodes, but she tells us she expects to do more.) But Lahti already knows. "We filmed the actual few minutes when that shootout took place, so I think that will be used in flashbacks when the truth is finally revealed," she tells us. Our wild theory: McGarrett's mortal enemy is also his half-brother!

I loved seeing Fat Schmidt again on New Girl. Will he return? — Shelly

NATALIE: Yes, and soon! "We get to see the moment when Nick and Schmidt met," creator Liz Meriwether tells us. "It's actually funny to see Fat Schmidt, but it's also funny to see Nick in college with weird facial hair. We got a Napster poster. It felt like Nick would be the kind of person who would be into Napster in the '90s."

Is Olivia going to have a love interest on SVU this season? — Monica

ADAM: Benson's (ultimately doomed) relationship with David Haden (Harry Connick Jr.) has nonetheless made her more interested in pursuing romance. "She's lost a lot. She's on a journey and I think the absence of these strong alpha males in her life gives her a little more room to explore her own boundaries," executive producer Warren Leight tells us. To that end: Benson will lock lips with someone in the Season 14 opener!

Thanks for the scoop on Fringe. Can you tell us whether Henry Ian Cusick returns? — Joseph

NATALIE: Last we saw Simon Foster, he was stuck in amber alongside William Bell, who we know will be returning. Executive producer J.H. Wyman clarifies — sort of: "[Simon will appear] in some way, shape or form."

What's this I hear about Lisbon getting her own Red John-like obsession on The Mentalist? — Destiny

ADAM: It's true. The show is crafting a three-episode arc during which creator Bruno Heller says Lisbon "becomes like Tommy Lee Jones in The Fugitive." But who is she after? The show is casting two likely suspects: There's an adventurous multimillionaire playboy who buys spacecraft and travels to exotic locales to distract people from learning the real source of his income, as well as a cerebral, mysterious government official. Whoever it is, Lisbon will more clearly understand Jane's obsession. "She gets a bit of a killer instinct," Heller says. "Once you've felt that urge and that need, you understand people in that same frame of mind much better."

Other than Gloria's pregnancy, do you have any scoop on Modern Family? —Marcus

NATALIE: Though Haley will be off at college, her presence will certainly still be felt. Without her older sister around to keep her check, Alex will start to get a little too confident for her own good. Thank goodness for video chats with her big sis or we'd have a serious diva on our hands.

I love Matt on The Vampire Diaries. Will he have any good story lines this season? — Haley

ADAM: Although Matt was essentially the reason that Elena died, he'll also play an integral role in her transition. Let's just say his guilt will lead him to do just about anything for her — especially when she needs to feed.

Please give me some scoop on The Walking Dead! — Bryan

NATALIE: Would it surprise you if we said there's lots of death in the first two episodes? Well, there's also an important near-death that leads Rick to test out a theory that the comic books proved to be false. The silver lining? The group is now a well-oiled machine that takes out walkers like it's no big deal. Well, not everybody will think it's no big deal.

Natalie's Mega Rave: While we'd love to see Amy Poehler finally win an Emmy, her yearly gags on the telecast have become one of the few things to which we look forward. Case in point: accidentally switching speeches with Julia Louis-Dreyfus and writing in that it was a shame that she herself didn't win. Maybe next year, Amy!

Adam's Mini Rant: A helicopter-aided underwater prison break and a midday automatic-weapon shooting spree? We had no idea Hawaii Five-0 hired Michael Bay to direct its season premiere!

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



(Additional reporting by Kate Stanhope)