Mega Buzz on CSI, Heroes, SVU, Lost, Gossip Girl & More

Senior editors Matt Mitovich, Mickey O'Connor and Tim Molloy answer your questions. Speaking of which, we invite you to drop us a line at mega_scoop@tvguide.com.

Charisma Carpenter on CSI? That is all I need to hear! — Tony
MATT: Really? That's all? Because I was about to supplement my exclusive casting scoop by mentioning a "panty party" that takes place during Charisma's April visit, as Stokes investigates her character, Mink. But I guess you can just skim over that trivial tidbit. Sorry to bother, Tony! 

Even ifHeroes' ratings are lower than its first season, they're still higher than other TV shows that will be or are already renewed. If they are stable, is it enough to grant the show a renewal? — Nicolas
TIM: Like we said last week, there's no time travel in the latest Heroes volume, "Fugitives" — so we can't leap to May and say for sure. NBC exec Angela Bromstad said just last month that the show is "very secure" — but that was before the midseason reboot failed to help it recover its old ratings magic.

Before Gossip Girl's cruelly long hiatus, a preview showed Uncle Jack telling Chuck what had happened between him and Blair on New Year's. But the scene was cut from the episode, and now Jack is gone! Will this ever be brought up again? — H.C.
MICKEY: This reminds me of the time that my great-uncle Shorty, he of the "go-to-hell" pants, went missing at an ice-skating party. Fortunately, we just followed the Schnapps fumes down to his favorite thinking log and there he was, unconscious. Uncle Jack, on the other hand, is very much alive Down Under. My personal Gossip girl tells me we'll revisit the Uncle F---a situation in a future episode, which doesn't bode well for Blair. The real question: If we take that preview scene at face value, does that mean that Chuck already knows?

I crave Lost scoop! — Lee
MATT: About what, exactly? Why Ben is all bloodied? What Kate did with Aaron? How Hurley got free? Why Zuleikha Robinson has Sayid in cuffs? (I've read some saucy fan-fic about that last one.) Although this week's episode, "The Life and Death of Jeremy Bentham," is rife with exposition, we won't get an answer to any of those aforementioned burning questions until mid-March (keeping in mind there's no new episode on the 11th).

Everything I read said that Stephanie March would return to Law & Order: SVU on Feb. 17. I'm wondering when her actual return will be. — Chris
MICKEY: "The only reason to go back to an old boyfriend is because you say, 'Hmmm, maybe ...,'" says March, who does not, in fact, return until, um, March. (March 10, to be precise.) March tells us she'll tangle with Ugly Betty's Judith Light, who reprises her role as Judge Donnelly. Executive producer Neal Baer, meanwhile, hints that March will also have some top-secret, Oscar-winning company leading up to the finale.

What happened to Samantha Who? Why hasn't it come back this winter? — Colleen
TIM: Samanthatook a break to let ABC's highly-rated Bachelor run two hours every Monday, but it returns March 26 in a new Thursday comedy block, paired with In the Motherhood and together bumping Ugly Betty. Upcoming episodes feature more guest stars than usual, including Billy Zane (replacing Tim Olyphant as Winston Funk), Angie Harmon (as Funk's ex), Florence Henderson (playing Sam's granny) and Duran Duran's John Taylor (as a rocker).

Is someone leaving Brothers & Sisters this week? Who? — Eddie
MATT: If you're asking to be spoiled on the "shocking death" that ABC had been (yet no longer is, hmm...) promoting, I'm not your guy. No, the ramp-up to that tragedy is just too good. Instead, let's talk of returns — namely, Tom Skerrit will be back as William Walker in this season's penultimate episode, when we flash back to Kitty's past. P.S. If you followed my Facebook updates as I screened the B&S "two-hour movie event," please know that I was kidding about Sally Field having a Krav Maga fight scene.

Do you know when Gale Harold will return to Desperate Housewives? — Becky
MICKEY: It seems the fate of Jackson's romance with Susan (Teri Hatcher) was all but decided when Harold was involved in a serious motorcycle accident in October 2008. Though he taped one voiceover, the official word is that Gale has not returned to work on the show. According to my mole, he's not going to either, at least not this season. But what does he need Housewives for anyway? After his inclusion in this esteemed gallery, Harold will have his own show any day now!

Why is there never any Numbers love? Does my favorite show not merit (Mega) Buzz? — Dorian
MATT: What if your fave show merged with a favorite Showgirl? That's what will happen on March 13, when Gina Gershon guest-stars as Danielle Hill, the lead detective when a crime boss is accused of killing a district attorney. Fun fact: Just days before Gina's Numbers is up, Elizabeth Berkley will resurface on CSI: Miami. Where's that crossover when you need it?!

Breaking Badis one of the best shows on television. Any scoop on what to expect in Season 2? — Neil
TIM: In the Bryan Cranston-directed season opener (airing March 8), Walt calculates exactly how many more drug deals he has left as his DEA brother-in-law, Hank, realizes he's looking for a suspect with "book learnin' but no street skills." That is, someone like Walt. Meanwhile, Walt and Jesse's new partner in meth, Tuco, gets so erratic that the pair resolve to take him down with the aid of some magic beans. OK, they're not quite "magic." But special beans. VIDEO: Watch the Bad pilot here.

This on-again/off-again cycle with The Unit is driving me crazy and killing any sort of momentum for the series.  Do you have any scoop to compensate viewers for the annoyance? — Andrea
MATT: Andrea, I am assured that March sweeps will be resplendent with fresh Units. On the scoopy front, we soon will be meeting a new member of the Unit. But is he a good apple or someone with ulterior motives?

What can you tell me about Matthew Morrison's new Fox show, Glee? — Katie
MICKEY: I can tell you that you'll never look at The Sopranos' series finale the same way after you see what the cheery warblers of Glee do with "Don't Stop." Who knew that tune could be so life-affirming? Glee is scheduled for late spring-early summer, which suits it tonally (think High School Musical-meets-Election).

Matt's Mega Rave: It's never easy being a female on 24. You either get kidnapped, capped in the cranium, chased by a cougar, or are forced to mind a mystery infant. That makes what Annie Wersching has been doing this season all the more impressive. It's near-impossible for a gal to measure up to Bauer, Jack Bauer, but dare we say that, at the end of this bad day, Agent Renee Walker could ... come close. (Watch my recent red-carpet Q&A with Annie.)

Tim's Mini Rant: In the last two episodes of The Bachelor, the only substantive event was Jillian's dismissal. (And yes, I know it's silly to use the word "substantive" with regard to a reality show.) Next week's supposedly explosive finale has a lot of hype to live up to if it's going to justify all these hours of nothing. I love the New Zealand scenery and the shots of little lambs,but I hope we aren't getting fleeced.

Mickey's Micro Riff: Seattle Grace needs you, Addison.

Reader Quote of the Week: "You should know by now that nobody goes potty on 24!"(Mr. Furley, responding to a fellow 24 fan's comment that a White House staffer appears to "lose control of his bodily functions" in next week's preview)

Crave TV scoop? Email us at mega_scoop@tvguide.com. Additional reporting by Robyn Ross.