Mega Buzz: Scoop on Medium, CSI, Mad Men, Melrose and More

Every week, editors Mickey O'Connor and Adam Bryant satisfy your need for TV scoop. Please send all questions to mega_scoop@tvguide.com. 
I've just read that Garret Dillahunt will guest-star in the season premiere of CSI. Is he playing "Dr. Jekyll," the new serial killer, or will it be someone else? — Vic
ADAM: Sorry, Cromartie fans, but Dillahunt is not Dr. Jekyll. He plays the head of a celebrity security service, which doesn't exactly scream "serial killer cover" to us. Then again, the character's name does imply duplicity. Here's what we do know about Dr. Jekyll: He's infamous for leaving behind immaculate crime scenes: The body is all the evidence the CSIs will ever get. Fantastic! A serial killer with OCD!
Any scoop on Medium and how it might change now that it's switched to CBS? — Antioch
MICKEY: "I guess I can let the cat out of the bag: [Allison] comes out of the coma," jokes Medium executive producer Glenn Gordon Caron. He explained that he half-seriously wrote the medical cliff-hanger to stave off cancellation. Now that the show is safely ensconced on Friday nights with soul-sister Ghost Whisperer, this season will deal with the aftermath of Allison's health problems, and how it alters her gift. Look for Marc Webb, director of (500) Days of Summer, to helm an upcoming episode, though not the zombie one.
I'm dying for Mad Mento come back! Got any scoop? — Jamie
ADAM: Secrets are so heavily guarded on this show that I am actually typing this in a whisper. So lean in closer, and for a carton of Lucky Strikes, I'll tell you this: The British invasion of Sterling Cooper isn't so groovy after all, in that it brings with it a bunch of firings (topical!), but for at least two main characters, the upheaval will be sorta-good news. Plus, Joan's got a new man in her life who wastes no time creating headaches for her at the office. That's because he works there, too.
Will Amy Acker return to Dollhouse? I heard she was cast on another show, but that 13th episode seemed to indicate that Whiskey/Dr. Saunders is an important character to the show's mythology. — Candace
MICKEY: Joss Whedon says despite her commitments to Happy Town, Acker will be back for Season 2, though not nearly as much as he would like her to be. But, he hinted, in her few episodes, they're really going to make the most of her.
So psyched for Pauley Perrette's crossover on NCIS: Los Angeles? What can you tell me about it? — Josh
MICKEY: I'm about to break a lot of fanboy hearts. As previously reported, Abby will primarily be on N-Sizzla (say it out loud) to help solve a case, but she'll also be getting a little BIZ-AY. Barrett Foa, who plays NCIS: LA's tech-op Eric Beal (and who once appeared in Broadway's Avenue Q, incidentally), told me exclusively that he was about to shoot a scene with Perrette of a flirtatious, romantic nature. He also reports that Perrette is just as charming as Abby is. Aw, hot geek love!
Can Ashlee Simpson-Wentz even act? I was surprised to see her name among the Melrose Place cast. — Nell
MICKEY: Well, it's a fair question, as Simpson-Wentz made her name behind a microphone. But I'm happy to report that she's... not too bad. While her screen time is minimal in the pilot (there's, like, one scene of your typical, wide-eyed small-town girl kind of stuff), my moles tell me that future episodes will require AS-W to do some real heavy lifting, acting-wise. Soon we'll see that Violet is no shrinking, um, violet. In fact, she's kind of a stalker. Watch your back, Auggie.
In the trailer for Season 4 of Dexter, I noticed that they say the Trinity Killer has been on the loose for more than 30 years.  Does this mean we might see parallel storylines in two time periods with both Dexter and Harry pursuing the same character? — John
ADAM: I like where your head is at, John. Unfortunately, while Harry (James Remar) will be back for Season 4, everything appears to be business as usual for Dead Daddy. "He remains the visual embodiment of Dexter's code," a Showtime rep tells me, adding, "We don't assume Harry was aware of Trinity."
Any scoop on Smallville? — Liam
MICKEY: When CW President Dawn Ostroff told the crowd at the fall TV previews Tuesday that Michael Rosenbaum could return to the show in the future, but probably wouldn't this season, I swear she was holding something back. So I checked in with a few of my favorite red-and-blue blurs, and they told me that we will be seeing more of Lex in future episodes. What do you think? Is this a trick?
Any update on the Beckett/Castle situation? Do we know how long Castle's going to be in the doghouse for going behind Kate's back regarding her mother's case? — Linda
MICKEY: Who's to say that's why he'll be in the doghouse? As Season 2 begins, Beckett will be stewing over something entirely different because while she's off doing the gritty police work, Castle will get them both in trouble yet again.
Care to give any scoop about Julianna Margulies' The Good Wife? I am dying to see it premiere in September! — Karen
MICKEY: The show's ripped-from-the-headlines premise has Margulies returning to the workforce after her state-attorney husband (Chris Noth) is embroiled in a sex scandal and sent to prison. Look for a startlingly powerful scene between Margulies and Noth within the show's first five minutes. And Noth's character, who is seen sucking the toes of a prostitute, won't always be a jailbird.
Will I be able to catch up on the first season of Fringe online anywhere before the fall premiere? — Shawn
MICKEY: Try our Online Video Guide for the episodes you might have missed. Otherwise, you can wait until the first season comes out on DVD Sept. 8. In an alternate universe, TV studios wouldn't care about making money, but we live in this one.
Is there going to be a new psycho on One Tree Hill this season? — Jerry and Lana
MICKEY: Let me ask you this: Is James Van Der Beek a psycho? Because I'm hearing the erstwhile Dawson might want to return to Tree Hill. There's a catch though. He'd like to direct an episode or two.
Adam's Mega Rave:  After already burning its way back into my heart with an incredibly strong season and a delightful against-type performance from Michael J. Fox, Rescue Me throws the fabulous Maura Tierney into the mix. Her quirky, ball-busting character goes toe-to-toe with Tommy Gavin and still has the guts to call him Opie! Get well soon, Maura — we can't wait to see you again on Parenthood.
Mickey's Mini Rant: Here's the thing: The CW's Vampire Diaries actually looks pretty good, so why doth the creators and stars protest too much about its resemblance to Twilight? We know it came from different source material, and we know that nevertheless the stories are very similar. Relax, people!
Reader Quote of the Week: "Guiding Light got what was behind Door No. 2... and it wasn't a Brand New Car." — magicman, on the news that a remake of Let's Make a Deal would be replacing the canceled soap
(Additional reporting by Tim Molloy and Robyn Ross)
Crave scoop on your favorite TV shows? E-mail Mickey and Adam at mega_scoop@tvguide.com or drop us a line at Twitter.com/TVGuide. The question you don't ask is a question we can't answer!