16 Dec 2015
by Michael Ausiello
Question: Any Good Wife scoop on Cary? —Mohammad
Ausiello: I finally have an answer to the burning “Does he bat for Team Gay?” question. Remember a few months ago when Cary seemed to doth protest too much when his underling hit on him? Well, EP Robert King reveals that the odd, seemingly out of nowhere exchange was neither a seed being planted for a bigger storyline nor a non sequitur. “We liked how Cary was out of step in trying to get in touch with the newest generation coming into the law firm,” King explains. “He wanted to belong and he wanted them to feel like they belonged. And of course it’s misinterpreted by the young associate as a come-on.”
Question: Are we going to see Zach this season on The Good Wife? —Anabel
Ausiello: Yes, ma’am. Graham Phillips will return as Alicia’s golden boy in the first post-holiday episode (airing Jan. 10), an hour that finds the entire Florrick clan crammed into Peter’s campaign bus en route to the Iowa Caucuses. (Get a first look at the family reunion, below; is that Zach’s GF wearing the Georgetown hoodie?) Oh, and you know who else will be on that bus? Alicia’s new archnemesis Eli! Fun times.
Question: Can you give Nashville fans an update on Hayden Panettiere’s temporary leave? —Shannon
Ausiello: We asked showrunner Dee Johnson this very question last week, and she said Panettiere’s medical leave (for treatment for postpartum depression( would end “soon,” but added that the actress hasn’t yet returned to set.
Question: Come on, give: I think Madam Secretary is the best show on TV, and I need the dirt! —Andrew
Ausiello: Did you pick up on the fact that there were a bunch of high-powered dignitaries — Elizabeth and President Dalton, as well as Maria Ostrov — very close to the area where the attack happened at the end of the fall finale? Because I did. “I’m so glad you saw that,” executive producer Barbara Hall tells TVLine, promising that the next episode will pick up right where the finale left off. “We’re not going to make you wait” to find out who lives or (gulp) dies, she continues. And the confusion over who was the attacker’s actual target? “The episode is pretty much dedicated to taking us down that path.”
Question: What’s new for NCIS in 2016? —Marsha
Ausiello: The CBS juggernaut, perhaps inspired by our bullish renewal prediction, is looking to add a pair of fresh, young faces to the team in Season 14. The newbies, one male and one female, would both be series regulars.
Question: Can I have some Big Bang Theory scoop, please? —Aleksandra
Ausiello: Just because Sheldon and Amy are a couple again doesn’t mean we have seen the last of her ex, played by Stephen Merchant. “He’s a busy guy, but the door is wide open for him to come back,” showrunner Steve Molaro tells me. “We were honored to have him.” (For another TBBT tidbit, scroll down to “This AAnd That.”)
This AAnd That…
♦ Tonight’s coitus-themed Big Bang Theory completely lives up to the hype. It’s a deliriously sweet and funny half-hour, featuring predictably on-point performances from Jim Parsons and Mayim Bialik.