Mega Buzz: New Blood on Elementary, Blacklist and Hawaii

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

I can't wait for Elementary to return. What's the status of Sherlock and Joan's relationship in the new season? — Katrina 
I'm going to guess "not great" based on this piece of intel: I hear the show is planning to cast the major recurring role of Kitty Winter, a character from the Holmes canon who on the show is a protégé of Sherlock's from London. Word is that Holmes will once again take Kitty under his wing in a partnership very similar to the one he established with Watson before taking the job at MI6. But it's not all bad news for Lucy Liu: The actress will direct an episode this season!

Do you have any scoop on the new season of The Blacklist? — Charlie
Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned, right? Red Reddington will learn that the hard way when a ruthless female Mossad agent who's been hunting him for some time finally tracks him down. But even though Red will once again get the best of his enemy, I hear it's not all bad news for her. After all, there is a vacant slot on Red's team...

Thanks for the scoop on Hawaii Five-0, but do you have anything about the team? — Matt 
Now that Catherine is gone, the Five-0 team is once again down to one woman — but not for long! "Max is going to be training a young female medical examiner," executive producer Peter Lenkov says. "It'll be somebody who will be there at crime scenes and be a voice in the ME's office." And don't expect her to get short shrift: In fact, she's just as whip-smart as Max. In other words, expect more exasperated Danny!

I need Sleepy Hollow scoop, STAT! — Bridget
I hear there are several new characters the producers aren't revealing in advance of Season 2 in order to maintain some element of surprise. But we were able to squeeze the following hints out of executive producer Mark Goffman: "We're going to be digging into Abbie's past a lot more and getting to know more about her family and her heritage, which is a big part of the show this season. We're also going to be filling out the town even more, so we'll get to see what the people of Sleepy Hollow are like."

Got anything on the new season of CSI? — Ron
While last year's finale steered clear of serial killer territory, the show will jump right back into that pool to kick off Season 15. The season premiere introduces us to a serial murderer known as Mr. Briscoe, whom D.B. Russell brought down years ago. However, just days before his execution,  the emergence of a new copycat murderer — and the mysterious appearance of Briscoe's separated-at-birth twin brother — throws all of Russell's previous work on the case into serious question. Oh, brother!

When will we find out what happened to Annie on that beach on Covert Affairs? — Sina 
There won't be a flashback episode, but pieces of the puzzle will be peppered throughout the season before culminating in the midseason finale. "There'll be a little something at [Episode] 10 that I think people will be waiting for and will be very revealing, so to speak," executive producer Matt Corman says. "It answers questions fans will have and it will be something to propel us forward."

I can't wait for the new season of Ray Donovan. Scoop me! — Chris
As you might suspect, Sully's murder from last season doesn't get swept under the rug — especially when a ladder-climbing FBI agent (guest star Hank Azaria) gets his claws into Ray. Unfortunately for Ray, that means once again tracking down Mickey and keeping a close eye on him so the FBI can sell its version of the truth. But how long will that truth hold up when a nosy reporter from Boston comes to L.A. looking for the real story about Sully's grim demise? Also bad news for Ray: Abby's dragging him to counseling! I'm sure that's going to go well.

Will there be more death on Under the Dome? — Jamie
Unfortunately, I hear the Grim Reaper isn't through with the folks of Chester's Mill just yet — especially once the dome decides to randomly change its shape. Expect a little something like this.

Anything on The Mentalist? — Glen
Look for even more new faces when the show returns. I hear the team will welcome Michelle, a book smart, eager rookie FBI agent who is hungry to learn and willing to sacrifice her personal life to focus on making a good impression on her superiors. I'm not the only one who thinks her by-the-book ways will clash with Patrick Jane's style, am I?

How will Stahma respond to Datak's attempted matricide on Defiance? — Etienne
To say she doesn't take it well would be putting it lightly. While she initially attempts to make the best of a tricky situation, after Alak gets hurt in the fallout of Datak's return, Stahama sets out to upset the patriarchal Castithan status quo, fighting violence with violence. But will the other Castithans follow a woman's lead?

Any Blue Bloods scoop? — Maya
Frank won't get off on the right foot with Dutton, the new D.A.  The pair clashes in the season premiere after a seasoned officer, in an unfortunate sequence of events, causes the death of a mentally ill homeless man. Dutton refuses to let the NYPD question said officer pending an indictment, but we all know Frank will find a way, right?

What's coming up on Tyrant? — Lea
While Bassam tries to convince Jamal to publicly apologize for their father's mistakes in order to stop an uprising, Sammy will have less political things on his mind as he tries to navigate the murky waters of his secret relationship with Abdul. Unfortunately for Sammy, that relationship will quickly fizzle shortly after it reaches its boiling point.

Mega Rave: I had hoped that Elizabeth Mitchell would play Elsa on Once Upon a Time, so having her join the cast as a potential Frozen villain is the best news I've heard all summer. Now, let's discuss finding a role for Josh Holloway...

Mini Rant: Shot in the head by a random hillbilly? Alcide definitely wins the prize for most unceremonious True Blood death. 

This Week's Recommendation: The Strain (Sunday at 10/9c on FX) Sorry, Twi-hards, the vampires at the center of this scary new drama don't sparkle in the daylight and they don't care a thing about love. (They don't even have the parts for that sort of thing!) However, Carlton Cuse and Guillermo del Toro's adaptation is a thrilling horror story that will make you squirm. (Pro tip: Don't eat while watching.) 
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, Joyce Eng, Sadie Gennis and Liz Raftery)

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