Mega Buzz: Supernatural's Foe, Diaries Side Effects and a Mentalist Confession

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.

Can you give us any more information about Bartholomew on Supernatural? —Gina
ADAM: Let's just say that he might pose a few more problems for the Winchester boys than previous angel Naomi did. "Bartholomew set out to be a headhunter to kind of rule the roost, whereas Naomi was more in the business of trying to preserve heaven and ruling that landscape," Jensen Ackles tells us. "With that comes [new] rules of the game." And those new rules are likely to more deadly. "Bartholomew is malicious in a way that Naomi wasn't," Misha Collins says. "She would engage in torture, but there's something more sinister about Bartholomew. He seems to me to be less sympathetic."

Any scoop on The Vampire Diaries? So many twists last week! —Tonya
NATALIE: Seriously. For one, Katherine getting her blood drained won't come without consequences. Once she's finally back to her sassy self again, it won't be long before she realizes that there's a major side effect — which will begin, or should we say fall out? — this week. As for Silas' return thanks to Katherine's blood, his dream of finally dying will come with an unexpected hiccup. 

What's going on with The Mentalist? — Leigh
ADAM:Sunday's episode, which was pre-empted a week because of football, features big movements on two fronts. Not only does Jane find out which of the five Red John suspects has the three-dot tattoo he's looking for, but he also shares a moving, soul-baring scene with Lisbon that some fans have been wanting for a long time. But beware: Both scenes won't end the way you might expect. Plus: "Tiger Tiger" won't be the only thing burning bright before the episode is over.

Will Charming and Snow White really try to have a baby on Once Upon a Time? —Adam
NATALIE: If they can find a way to get Charming off the island without killing him, yes. But first, we'll get another look into Snow and Charming's past, specifically the day of their wedding after Regina threatened something dastardly in store — the curse! "We're going to open up right after they get married," Josh Dallas teases. "Snow wants to get back at Regina for destroying her wedding basically. Charming just wants to go on the honeymoon. He just thinks it's a threat coming from Regina, that's all it is at the moment." Girlfight!

Anything good coming up on CSI? — Brandon
ADAM: Wednesday's episode, which features an Innocence Project investigator reopening an old rape case, will put Greg in the spotlight — and not in a good way. "His work is called into question," executive producer Don McGill says. "There are now allegations that Greg tampered with evidence." Fortunately, Greg will have someone in his corner, at least in spirit. "Greg explains why he did what he did, and he talks about his mentor, Gil Grissom," McGill says. "Grissom taught Greg Sanders how to be a CSI: how to walk into a crime scene, how to note every observation. And Greg says, 'I was so afraid of making a mistake; I followed everything Grissom taught me to a T.'" No one's going to argue with Grissom's skills, right?

What happened to Slade and Shado on Arrow? —Jennie
NATALIE: It won't be long before we discover their whereabouts, but expect the duo to be together — possibly in more ways than one since Manu Bennett likens their relationship to the English Patient. "Slade genuinely cares for Oliver as a young, vulnerable guy, and he cares for Shado as a capable young girl who has proven herself," Bennett says. "He respects the fact that she's a seasoned killer in her own right. She's also a caring character, which has brought up some emotion in Slade, who has been stuck on this island for Lord knows how long. At the end of the day, two men around a beautiful woman are always going to be primitive."

How long are Dawson and Shay going to stay mad at each other on Chicago Fire? — Ellen
ADAM: As Shay spirals more and more out of control, Dawson will have to move on to a new partner named Erik, who's not exactly a ray of sunshine. In fact, Dawson claims that he's the most negative person who she's ever met. So, how bad is he, really? Bad enough to make Dawson ask Casey for advice about possibly switching over to become a firefighter!

How will Astrid react to Stephen's powers on The Tomorrow People? —James
NATALIE: When Stephen's plan to take Astrid to homecoming goes awry, Astrid will go "full-on Harriet the Spy" to figure out what's really going on with her friend, Madeleine Mantock teases. But her sleuthing may put her in the line of fire.  "I do meet a Tomorrow Person who works for the other side very briefly," she adds. "I have a little bit of an encounter with a not-very-nice figure." Bonus tease: Look for Astrid's backstory to be revealed in Episode 12.

When are Castle and Beckett getting married on Castle? — Mandy
ADAM: Don't go buying a wedding gift anytime soon, but a save-the-date could be in the not-too-distant future. "As we come into the spring, pressing questions — like, 'When are we going to set a date?'  — will be a significant part of the storytelling," creator Andrew W. Marlowe tells us. In the meantime, the couple will focus on a more immediate concern. "Castle's place is a very masculine bachelor pad, and Beckett is spending a lot of time over there," Marlowe says. "What changes does she want to make and how does Castle react to that?" But is true co-habitation in their future? Not right away. "Is Beckett going to give up her rent-controlled loft?" Marlowe teases. "They're on a trajectory, and we want to play out that trajectory instead of making huge proclamations. They're just trying to find who they are in the relationship, and they both are very strong-willed."

Got any Scandalscoop? —Dennis
NATALIE: We're finally going to learn more about Harrison this week! But viewers may get more than they bargained for when we discover that Harrison's past is much more dangerous that we could've imagined. Plus: We'll see Cyrus make a surprising ask of Harrison, which could have scary, even deadly ramifications

Any Covert Affairs scoop? — Jeffrey
ADAM: How about a covert guest star? The season finale will reveal the director of Central Intelligence, and it's so major that the casting is being kept under wraps. "We are so, so excited about it," co-creator Matt Corman tells us. "There's a huge bombshell at the end that will change the whole trajectory of the show, and it's in part from this person." Start guessing now!

I hate that Parks and Recreationis on hiatus! Do you have any scoop to tide me over? —Shawna
NATALIE: Halloween in Pawnee will be doubly scary for Leslie, who will be facing the recall vote in that same episode. "Leslie's having a crisis of confidence about whether or not she's in the right job and if she's doing the right thing," Amy Poehler says. To distract herself, Leslie will set up a haunted house that may ultimately be more trick than treat.  

Adam's Mega Rave: If you're not watching Masters of Sex, you're missing out on some masterful acting. A week after Michael Sheen broke our hearts, Allison Janney slayed us as she barely contained her embarrassment and sadness as she realized the shortcomings of her sexless marriage. Don't make C.J. Cregg cry!

Natalie's Mini Rant: How I Met Your Mother's long-awaited proposal lacked weight. Let us see the chemistry between Ted and the Mother first!

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 Joyce Eng, Robyn Ross and Kate Stanhope)