Ask Ausiello

Ausiello: Yes and no. Yes, I have some news on the Las Vegas front, but it doesn't involve Ben Silverman coming to his senses re: Vegas. According to one of my NBC moles, exec producer Gary Scott Thompson — who's now helming the Peacock's Knight Rider reboot — has devised a Plan B in the event that Vegas is not given a proper farewell. And, apparently, said plan involves Josh Duhamel and Molly Simms walking through an episode of Knight Rider cradling a newborn baby! I. Kid. You. Not.

Ausiello: An elaborate ******* scene was shot last week. And I hear all of the Oceanic Six were present and accounted for.

Ausiello: Guess who RSVP'd "Yes" to Locke's flashback episode on May 1? Nestor Carbonell! Meanwhile, my frenemy at E! Online is reporting that Greg Grunberg will reprise his role as Oceanic pilot Seth Norris in the two-hour season finale. Coincidentally, that same episode will feature the introduction of another pilot, a "young Top Gun type" who, per the casting sheet, doesn't like it when his copilot brings Lucky Charms onboard. Or was it a lucky charm? Eh, it was one of those two.

Ausiello: Yes, it's one of the main seven. And for the record, the main seven are Mark Harmon, Pauley Perrette, Cote de Pablo, Lauren Holly, Michael Weatherly, David McCallum and Sean Murray.

Ausiello: I know that it's the last original episode of Scrubs to air on NBC ever, it was a crapload of work, and Bill Lawrence doesn't really care if no one likes it. "Even now, after seven years, we try to do one show that we spend way too much money and time on in the hopes that people… actually, you know what? We're ultimately just making ourselves happy," Bill confesses. "It's like last year when we did the musical. Some of the response was like, "Who gives a s--t?" But we were happy. Same thing when we did the live-action sitcom. And this year, partly because my wife always jokes that I haven't written an episode of Scrubs that my kids can watch, and partly because one of our favorite family movies is The Princess Bride, we did a huge homage to The Princess Bride. Zach directed it like a major feature; we blew our entire season's budget on it. There are horse chases and castles…. Janitor is a giant, Elliot is a princess, Dr. Cox is a knight. It's crazy and silly for a seventh-year show to be trying this stuff, but, man, I'm really proud of it." BTW, there's still no official (tee-hee) news about Scrubs moving to ABC next season.

Ausiello: Look, just because the teaser ABC sent out for the May 8 episode of Grey's says, "Callie turns to Sloan in her time of need" doesn't mean that the two of them are doing the jiggery-pokery behind the nurses' station. It means they're doing it [insert name of obscure Seattle Grace location].

Ausiello: An Office couple will get engaged by the end of the season, but I'm not saying whether it's Jim and Pam. And apparently neither is anyone else. Office producers made the entire cast and crew sign confidentiality agreements about the top-secret and oh-so-twisty season finale.

Ausiello: OK, well, maybe it was just the crew that signed them. In any event, Jenna Fischer is correct. Someone is leaving in the finale.

Ausiello: Not only did I interview her, but I brought along my pots and pans and joined her in a rousing performance of "Get the F--k Up!" (Editor's Note: Only one of these two things is true.) I also got the Brooklyn-born diva to cough up a little scoop about the show's upcoming reunion special. Apparently, one Club-goer gets carted off in handcuffs!

Ausiello: Gene Simmons is back, and let's just say life with daddy isn't everything she hoped it would be.

Ausiello: Here's one: Per a source close to NY, "Danny-Lindsay fans will be quite pleased with how the season ends for those two." In other news, Chris Meloni's doppelganger, Elias Koteas, has booked a flashy two-episode arc playing a bank robber who finds himself caught in the middle of a hostage situation. He'll appear in the season finale and in the fifth-season premiere next fall.

Ausiello: Unfortunately, one of my key BSG moles has dried up and fallen off, so you're going to have to settle for a little scoopbit on Caprica. According to a source close to the spin-off, organized crime will play a big part in the series. Turns out Granddaddy Joseph, whom Lee speaks so highly about on BSG, actually has ties to the Caprican mob. It's only slightly alluded to in the Caprica pilot, but I hear the Sopranos of Caprica funded Joseph's education and, naturally, they expect some favors in return.

Ausiello: Y*s! C*ng*at*lati*ns! 

Ausiello: I could, but then I'd be missing an opportunity to funnel some traffic to my handy "Bubble Show Status" chart, which can be accessed by clicking here.

Ausiello: That depends. If Julianna Margulies has incriminating photos of Kevin Reilly or Peter Liguori, then, yes, Canterbury's Law will be back. If Julianna Margulies doesn't have incriminating photos of Kevin Reilly or Peter Liguori, then, no, Canterbury's Law will not be back.

Ausiello: I do! The Chief is alive and well and… appearing on Criminal Minds! Jack McGee will turn up in the season finale as a gruff New York cop who butts heads with a Scotland Yard profiler (Love Actually's Sienna Guillory), both of whom are working with the FBI on a case. I'm told McGee and Guillory will return next season for at least one additional episode. Minds' season finale also features a guest turn by the super-talented Erik Palladino (Over There). And, yes, I realize that, technically, none of this qualifies as Rescue Me scoop. But guess what? This next batch does: According to an RM insider, memories of 9/11 will loom larger than usual next season when a reporter working on a book about the 10th anniversary of the attacks interviews Tommy and the gang about their experiences that day. The character is described as beautiful and French, and is expected to recur during the first part of the season (at least). In other words, Tommy will be banging making love to her by the second episode. 

Ausiello: Well, Arturo, you'll be happy to know that the cool cats of Sterling Cooper are already hard at work on Season 2, which will premiere on AMC in July. (Look for the Season 1 DVD around that time as well.) I hear that Preggy, er, Peggy may have to move back in with her devout Catholic mother, sister and brother-in-law.

Ausiello: I hear it had something to do with *h*o**c ****i****.

Ausiello: Two new players in the war between Scofield and the Company will be introduced in the season premiere. On one side we have Don, an FBI handler who offers Michael a way to bring down the Company once and for all. And on the other side we have Penrab, the Company's top assassin who's waiting on the sidelines for his chance to attack.

Ausiello: Brennan will be juggling two gentlemen suitors in an upcoming episode — one who may or may not be married and one who may or may not be gay.

OK, that's a wrap! The Ask Ausiello Discussion Thread is open for business, so head over there and post your musings about this week's column. And if you've got a question and/or a hot tip to share, e-mail me at ask_ausiello@tvguide.com. See y'all back here next week! — Additional reporting by Erin Fox and Mickey O’Connor