How Scorpion Will Be Bigger and Sexier in Season 2

Walter O'Brien's genius will face the ultimate test this year: a "will they, won't they" relationship.

When Scorpion returns for its second season on Monday (9/8c, CBS), Homeland Security pulls Team Scorpion in on an urgent case, but not before Paige (Katharine McPhee) can do what she does best: get in touch with her emotions. Specifically, she reveals to Walter (Elyes Gabel) that she kissed him while he was unconscious at the hospital. Walter, because he is Walter, freaks out very privately.

"That [knowledge] will reverberate emotionally but on a deep level throughout that episode when he realizes what exactly happened in that hospital room," executive producer Nick Santora tells TVGuide.com. "It will culminate in that episode [with] a much more cognizant kiss between the two characters. We're going fully conscious on this one." Exec producer Nick Wootton adds, "This kiss won't be so much of a crime."

Walter and Paige and more TV duos who should do it

Despite locking lips again, Walter and Paige won't decide to become a couple right away. "As the season goes on, it makes for some complexity in their relationship," Santora says. "The team has always lived by the idea of the greater good. Does [a romance] fall into the category of the greater good or does it put Scorpion at risk?" And yes, this means the attraction between them will be more palpable than ever.

Check out what else to expect this year on Scorpion:

Clear and present danger As usual, Team Scorpion will have to save the day under dire circumstances, often with only a few hours' notice. "One week they might be stopping a nuclear-powered satellite falling from orbit toward the ground, which if it strikes, the sound would have the same effect as an A-bomb to capturing a war criminal in a foreign country to possibly stopping a runaway train." Also expect the guys to visit Cuba and Eastern Europe, go underwater, and one team member will even land behind bars.

Walter's trauma If you recall, Walter was in an accident that landed his car on the side of a cliff. He's now going through some physical therapy for his hand and the aftereffects of a concussion. Meanwhile, his team has been sidelined since he's been in the hospital. "They haven't been able to take cases, and we see how fractured the team is, how distracted these guys are without Scorpion. And so they're all very very excited to get back to it. What we see ... is that Walter may have come back too soon and that this may have very drastic consequences." Check out Walter's return to Team Scorpion:

Walter gets a bro For once, Walter will make a friend outside Team Scorpion, a fellow named Ray Spiewack, played by Kevin Weisman (Alias, Hello Ladies). "He's a guy who gets nailed for a nonviolent misdemeanor now and then; he's more of a nuisance criminal," Santora explains. "[He] has a heart of gold, lives in his '72 Gremlin... In short, the question this relationship asks the audience is, what can the smartest man in the world get out of being friends with possibly the dumbest man in the world? And the truth is, as we learn, maybe a lot. But Ray is a unique, strange, off, but lovable character."

Turning a new Paige While Paige has always fulfilled the emotional component for the team, she'll add more tangible contributions this year as she tries to make them into a "commercially viable association that can actually do jobs outside of the government sector," Wootton says. "What we'll see is this is like herding cats, and also that these guys ... do great work but they're still not quite ready for prime time." Also, expect her to take on some of the more physically dangerous roles, not always by her own free will. Meanwhile, her son Ralph (Riley B. Smith) will be doing some college work but also helping Team Scorpion on the runaway train case.

C'mon get Happy Paige and Walter won't be the only ones dancing around each other. After Toby (Eddie Kaye Thomas) failed to show up for his date with Happy (Jadyn Wong) last season, she clearly doesn't want to risk getting hurt again. But Toby is nothing if not persistent (read: annoying), which makes for some delightful scenarios when they're working together. "They both have to move on with their lives now that Happy has said, 'I value our friendship more than romance.' So they have this void now that they decide to be friends, and how do they fill it?" Santora says.

Gene Simmons will guest-star on Scorpion

Sylvester's woes Sylvester (Ari Stidham) has a more clear-cut relationship with Walter's sister Megan (Camille Guaty), who unfortunately suffers from multiple sclerosis. Santora says, "We established him basically falling in love with a woman that he knows is gonna die. Sylvester's biggest fear is his mortality, and he has to face it head on."

The fearless leader Meanwhile, we'll find out what Cabe (Robert Patrick) has been doing when he left Homeland Security, but clearly he'll jump right back into action when they reinstate him. "Hopefully this season we'll see Cabe get to the point where he can get past the loss of his family that he loved so much and maybe start to rebuild a life for himself outside of Scorpion," Santora says.

The new boss Alana de la Garza joins the show in a recurring role as Adriana Molina, the new director of Homeland Security. No-nonsense and stern, she's also gunning for Team Scorpion to succeed. Take a look at her introduction to the gang:

Scorpion returns for Season 2 on Monday at 9/8c on CBS.

(Full disclosure: TVGuide.com is owned by CBS.)