Ask Ausiello: Spoilers On Walking Dead, Grey's, Scandal, Big Bang, Nashville, Bones And More!

Got a scoop request? An anonymous tip you're dying to share? Just want to say hello? Send any/all of the above to askausiello@tvline.comQuestion: Did we ever find out what Pelant did to Booth and Brennan's alarm clock on Bones? Or did I just blink and miss it? —Laura

Ausiello: You definitely did not blink and miss it, since the episode that solves that little mystery hasn't aired yet. Nor has it been shot. Or written. And that's because the episode I'm referring to is the Season 8 finale! And while we're on the subject of major developments coming up in the finale, exec producer Stephen Nathan promises that viewers will get "one more surprising piece of the Brennan/Booth marriage dilemma." What are you waiting for Internet? React!

CHEAT SHEET | TVLine's 2013 Renewal Scorecard: What's Coming Back? What's Getting Cancelled? What's on the Bubble?Question: Will Smash do the back-and-forth of "Who will play Marilyn —Karen and Ivy" this season? Or will the show stick with Karen? —Jackie

Ausiello: A bigger question (at least at the start of the season) is whether there will be a Marilyn for one of them to play, given all the financial issues plaguing Bombshell. Once that gets answered (News Flash: Yes, of course, there will be a Marilyn for someone to play), I have a hunch we won't know whose name will be on the marquee until opening night (aka the Season 2 finale). Said hunch is based on the fact that Smash has been shooting on location at a theater across the street from TVLine's Times Square offices and someone from the crew literally draped a sheet over the part of the Bombshell poster that listed the cast. And in what Hollywood insiders are calling a miraculous show of restraint, I did not walk over and peek underneath said sheet. [Beat] Or did I... ?

Question: Where the heck has Matthew Morrison been on Glee? Care to explain? Also, while you're at it, care to share some Glee scoop? —Ezriel

Ausiello: Wasn't it established that Will's in D.C. saving Big Bird from meanies like Romney? Anyway, I can confirm that he will put in an appearance at his upcoming wedding to Emma, although his current absence has made "the wedding planning hard," notes bride-to-be Jayma Mays. "It's been very tricky. She's a little frantic about getting married. There's lots of stuff for her to deal with, and she doesn't deal well with chaos." Mays teases that there will be a "big surprise" at the nuptials (could it have something to do with these photos?!). She also reveals that Emma will "sing," adding. "Matt sings [too]. It was very fun."

Question: Could I please have a niblet of scoop on what's coming up on the second half of The Walking Dead's third season? —Rob

Ausiello: When the show returns on February 10, not only will we learn the outcome of the Daryl/Merle showdown, a character you probably never thought you'd see again will put in an appearance, and Rick will do something (literally) everyone has wanted to do at one time or another.

PHOTOS | 23 Shows We'd Remake or Revive Now!Question: I'm devastated about the cancellation of a certain B—– in Apartment 23, but at least Happy Endings is still around. I'm a glass-half-full kinda gal! Reward my optimism with some scoop? —Dani

Ausiello: Zach Braff is making a cameo later this season. Sorta but not really. In an upcoming episode, Jane rattles off her and Brad's "usual" laundry list of sexual positions — up to and including "hardcore Zach Braff-ing" and something called "Jazzy Saxophone."

Question: Any news on The Office finale? –Sebastian

Ausiello: How about this, courtesy of Angela Kinsey: The documentary-within-the-show will soon start airing, "and you're going to see people in the office reacting to being all of a sudden on television," she says. Will there be any breakout stars? "We'll see," she teases. "It's going to be very odd for everybody." And though Kinsey's cat-loving accountant may not get caught up in that particular kerfuffle, there will be "a big shake-up in her life," the actress previews. "I can't wait to act it out, because it's really awesome."

Question: After the latest Office episode, I need some reassurance that everything will end happy with Jim and Pam. Please tell me it will be PB&J forever! –Sophie

Ausiello: I can't give you any guarantees, Sophie, but before your face starts to do that crumpling thing, how about this: I can tell you that we're going to meet more of the documentary crew – beyond the boom operator who comforted Pam after her phone call – as the series winds down. "How the interaction between the documentary crew and us plays out, it's pretty amazing," Brian Baumgartner told TVLine at Sunday's Screen Actors Guild Awards. "Our hope is you begin to think, 'Oh yeah, there have been some other people who've been in the office, following these characters around for nine years. Of course they're going to have relationships with those people.' There were rules that we'll learn were set up between the documentary crew and its subjects, and those lines start to get blurred as we move ahead." Baumgartner also hinted that, if things go the way he thinks they will for Kevin, "I'll be pleased." See, Sophie? Someone's going to be happy. Now please go get a tissue, you're making a spectacle of yourself.

Question: Will we see Robin telling Barney about her inability to have children on How I Met Your Mother? —Tiera

Ausiello: Sounds like a question for exec producer Craig Thomas! "We've in some sense covered that [in "Symphony of Illumination"]," he says, "but not so definitively that it's not an issue that we see them talk about. Ultimately, Barney and Robin aren't the most touchy-feely couple that talks about every issue before getting married. And they are on a pretty accelerated timeline toward getting married. [But] that's certainly one topic they'll have to discuss." Bonus Scoop: The Barney/Robin nups "will definitely" take place this season, Thomas confirms.

Question: Anything on The Big Bang Theory? —Alex

Ausiello: Hope you're sitting down, because I have some jaw-dropping news for you: Penny is getting a job. A job as an actress. I hear she's going to get cast in a small community theater production of A Streetcar Named Desire. Hey, it's something. Meanwhile, Mayim Bialik told us at the SAG Awards that there are "a couple big Sheldon/Amy episodes," coming up. "I've actually been surprised how much the writers and producers want to push this relationship," she shared. "Amy wants more, and we see what Sheldon thinks."

Question: Please, tell me something about The Vampire Diaries. —Nana

Ausiello: The search for a cure will take the gang straight into... an episode of Lost? In the Feb. 7 episode, Shane leads the gang to a spooky deserted island, and faster than you can say "SMOKE MONSTER, BITCHES!" something or someone starts stalking them. In possibly related news, this is the same episode we meet this woman (click link, scroll down to fourth item.)

Question: Thanks for all the Grey's Anatomy and Scandal scoop this week? Did Shonda Rhimes happen to give you an airdate for that James/Cyrus scene that she described as one of the favorite scenes she's ever written? —Stacy

Ausiello: Not only did she give me airdate (Thursday, Feb. 7) for the scene, but she told me what happens in it! "It is the culmination of what we've been watching them go through this whole season," Rhimes revealed. "James has wanted a baby, James has been following this case and figuring out what Cyrus has been up too. It's really James' confrontation of Cyrus. And it [takes place over] an entire act." Wait — there's more! "And there is some very intriguing nudity involved," Rhimes adds. "And it literally is my favorite thing I've done ever." I guess I'll watch it.

RELATED | Grey's Anatomy Scoop: Is the Other Shoe About to Drop For Owen and Cristina?Question: I'm kind of loving Jo/Alex on Grey's Anatomy, but I think it's time they stop being polite and start getting it on. She bought him a couch for chrissakes!  —Carrie

Ausiello: I'm right there with you, Carrie! It's Shonda Rhimes that remains on the fence. Elaborarting on what she told me about the pair earlier in the week, Rhimes says, "I don't know that you will see one of them cross the line. I've been watching this thing build. And I feel like we want the build to feel natural and real and not to have it go too fast. And not to feel engineered. I'm just watching their chemistry and enjoying them together. Right now, we're just leaning into it and seeing where it goes."

Question: Please tell me more about the next episode of Nashville. I'll take anything you want to share about it. —Angel

Ausiello: I suspect this probably pertains to the next next next next next next episode, but I'm hearing something bad happens on the "Red Lips White Lies" tour. Like major-accident-with-numerous-casualties bad.

Question: Love your columns! Any scoop on Spartacus: War of the Damned? —Rich

Ausiello: The Feb. 22 episode is not for the faint of heart — and that's saying something for a show that featured a bunch of children eating raw horse intestines. "For a long time [the show] shied away from the cruelty and the negativity of the rebellion," notes leading man Liam McIntyre of Spartacus & Co. "And in Episode 4 that really gets put front and center. It gets real dark. The rebels were famous for not just being like Robin Hood-and-his-merry men, but also for raping and pillaging across the country. That component had to be addressed. It's reprisal time, and it gets graphic and horrible to watch." And yes, Spartacus gets his hands dirty, too. "There's a scene at the end of the episode where he's forced to make a very big call," reveals McIntyre. "And it defines how his journey plays out the rest of the season."

Question: I'm loving Once Upon a Time this season, but will we ever see Sidney Glass (Giancarlo Esposito) again? He's been locked in that underground cell for months! —Dan R.

Ausiello: The man you seeketh — Esposito, not Glass — is a wee bit busy these days as a series regular on Revolution. (Don't feel too embarrassed for forgetting — NBC's blackout hit has been hibernating since Nov. 26 and won't return till March.) I do, however, have some consolation Once scoop for you. Producers are casting a role enigmatically known as The Healer. He's described as being an Asian male in his late 50s or 60s, a powerful and revered figure known for helping folks in terrible trouble. As you might expect from this mystical type of character, he's known to fancy a flowery turn of phrase, and doleth out cryptic descriptions does he. (See what I did there?) Deep down, though, The Healer is deeply moral, he knows right from wrong and understands that his great powers come with great responsibilities. Now we'll just have to see if one of those responsibilities will be helping Mulan revive the cursed Phillip when this healer pops up in Episode 18.

Question: Hart of Dixie spoilers are so rare! Please tell us something! —Audrey

Ausiello: Why, yes, Audrey, you did sense a little sparkage between Lavon and Annabeth last week — and they will act on it in the not-too-distant future.

Question: Do you have any scoop on when Castiel might be back on Supernatural? —Julia

Ausiello: Soon. "[Cas] is really crucial to the tablet stories," says exec producer Bob Singer. "He's going through a trail of his own that's personal. Naomi's very unhappy with him. Crawley's very unhappy with him. He's a confused angel right now."

RELATED | Supernatural Scoop: Look Who's Returning!

Question: Any scoop on The New Normal? Crossing my fingers for good news on a second season. —2 Red Pandas 

Ausiello: Ask Ausiello: Now popular with pandas! Moving on, here's some verrrrry innnnteresting casting scoop: Producers are looking to fill the role of [SPOILERS]'s 16-year-old son? (Wait! I'm one episode behind on my DVR, but did we know [SPOILER] already had a kid?) Either way, the kid is described as 16, attractive and not unexpectedly filled with raging hormones.

Question: I've been absolutely loving White Collar this season! Have any interesting scoop? – Leslie

Ausiello: TV's Man in Black, Titus Welliver, kicks off his arc tonight and he's got plenty of reason to want Peter and Neal out of the picture. Permanently. See, that evidence Ellen left behind is capable of doing more than just clear Neal's dad, James. "She discovered a lot of corruption within the police force and some of that will go to prove that [James is] innocent, but a lot of it will go to potentially be very damaging to Titus's senator character, and a lot of [other] people in high places," previews creator Jeff Eastin. And these powerful bad guys will "stop at nothing" to get the damning material. "They'll kill off [anyone], they'll kill Peter. It doesn't matter who they kill to get to it."

Question: I am so excited for FX's The Americans. Got a tease or two? —Amy

Ausiello: Keri Russell kicks ass. And talks Russian. And wears Jordache jeans. She's also dropping by my office Wednesday for an on-camera interview to discuss, among other things, why the Season 4 Felicity scene pictured above remains one of the high points of her career.

That's a wrap! Please send questions, comments, and anonymous tips to askausiello@tvline.com. (Additional reporting by Vlada Gelman and KimRoots)