Ask Ausiello: Spoilers on '24,' 'Grey's,' 'Castle,' 'Dexter,' 'Bones,' and more!

Got a scoop request? An anonymous tip you’re dying to share? Just want to say hi? You can send any/all of the above to ausielloscoop@ew.com

Question: Stop beating around the bush about Mark and Addison. What exactly goes on between them during the Grey’s Anatomy/Private Practice crossover next month? —Carrie
Ausiello: Ever heard of the phrase, “Knocking boots ’til the cows come home”?

Question: Can we get some Mark and Lexie scoop? Seriously, we’ve heard everything about everyone on Grey’s except them. —Sophie
Ausiello: Ever heard of the phrase, “Deep doo-doo”? That’s pretty much where their relationship is headed. Let’s just say Mark may not be the only one doing a little two-timing in the Jan. 14 crossover.

Question: Any news on Joss Whedon’s upcoming Glee episode? —John
Ausiello: Yes. He’s booked to direct the sixth episode back, which, barring any interruptions, will air on May 18. Send your viewing party invites to ausielloscoop@ew.com and I’ll try and hit as many as I can.

Question: Thanks for rubbing in our faces the fact that you got to watch the first four episodes of 24. Prove to us that you’re as generous as you are arrogant and give us some scoop. —Patty
Ausiello: Look, if I really wanted to be an ass about it I would’ve stuck with my original caption: “Your life sucks compared to mine.” On the scoop front, I’m shocked this isn’t out there yet, but among the new faces at CTU this season is a character named Jenny. Unfortunately, I can’t tell you who’s playing her as it would spoil a pretty big twist.

Question: What gives? 24‘s premiere is a little over a month away and we haven’t gotten any new scoop in ages! —Nicole
Ausiello: A month away? That’s odd, because I just watched the first four episodes last night thanks to the advance screener Fox sent me and not you. I know. You want my life. Get in line. In the meantime, take comfort in knowing that the five-week slog until the Jan. 17 regular people premiere will be worth the wait. Day 8 gets off to a strong start. But be forewarned: Mykelti Williamson’s CTU boss Brian Hastings may go down as the biggest, most clueless toolbag in 24 history. And this show has seen a lot of clueless toolbags. Oh, and I’m trying to get confirmation on this, but, based on these four episodes, I’m fairly certain Katee Sackhoff’s agent worked the following non-negotiable clause into her 24 contract: “Client’s long flowing blond locks must be perfectly swept over her left shoulder at all times.”

Question: When will the Archie/Hilda/Bobby triangle get resolved on Ugly Betty? —Kenneth
Ausiello: Soon. Very soon. Like two days from now soon.

Question: Who was the woman standing over Bart’s grave on Gossip Girl? Was it Chuck’s mom? –Randi
Ausiello: First off, the grave stalker has a name, and it’s Laura Harring (The Shield). Second, yes, she will reveal herself to be the Bass family matriarch when GG returns in March. Something about this makes my impostor antennae go up, though. Call me a whore for stunt casting, but if and when Chuck’s mum returned from the dead, I always imagined producers would go for a big name. You know, like Michelle Forbes. Who’s with me?

Question: Is Orla Brady on Fringe playing Peter’s mom from Over Here or from Over There? —Michael
Ausiello: Is there an Over Here and There option? Teases exec producer Jeff Pinkner: “In a show exploring two alternate universes, there is more than one of everything… and everyone.”

Question: Any more deets on Elizabeth Banks’ character on 30 Rock? —Jill
Ausiello: She’s being described as a fast-talking, quick-witted, whip-smart host of a financial news program. Picture a cross between Suze Orman and Glenn Beck. Sounds like the perfect foil for Jack, no? BTW, Banks’ Rock stint may be expanded from four to six episodes, provided the scheduling can be worked out. She’s shooting Rock simultaneously with her role in the Paul Haggis-directed The Next Three Days. Someone’s in demand!

Question: How’s about some good 30 Rock scoop. —Khewit
Ausiello: I hear Tina Fey’s next big celeb get is Matt Damon. I also hear The Ausiello Files will collect a small commission if a deal comes to pass since we jump-started negotiations with Damon at last week’s Invictus premiere. “I would do [30 Rock] in a heartbeat if they asked me to come on,” Damon enthused. “I have not been approached about doing it. She should call my people — or even better me. Or I could call her. Let’s make this happen. Tina is a brilliant comedy writer. My wife and I download that show in bulk. That’s actually one of the downsides to working so much this year; I have fallen behind on this season. But we love that show, so if she has a part for me, I’m game.” Ball’s in your court, Fey!

Question: I need some major Castle spoilers! —Clarissa
Ausiello: The Jan. 11 episode, the first one after the holiday break, features what a Castle insider calls “a hot make-out scene” between Nathan Fillion and very special guest star Alyssa Milano. “And Beckett,” my spy adds, “is not too happy.” The following week, look for a truly shocking twist involving the murder of Beckett’s mom.

Question: Still no word on Maggie Grace’s return to Lost? —Steven
Ausiello: Still no word.

Question: Can you please give me some inside info on the White Collar cliffhanger? I really want to believe that Peter hasn’t betrayed Neal, but it’s not looking too good. —Amanda
Ausiello: “Peter has always known more about Kate than he’s let on, something we’ve hinted at since the pilot,” says series creator Jeff Eastin. “Has he betrayed Neal? Come back in January to find out.”

Question: Please tell me something about the Dexter finale! —Curchel
Ausiello: I’ll let Courtney Ford (a.k.a. Trinity’s damaged journalist daughter Christine) do the honors since she actually read the script. “The finale definitely has a huge twist,” she told us at Monday’s Lovely Bones premiere in Hollywood. “It is a game-changer if you’re a Dexter fan. Fans are going to freak out. We freaked out when we were finally made aware of what was going to happen. They kept us in the dark about what was going to happen until the last possible moment. Initially, they even gave us a script that wasn’t the real finale script. I read it and I was like, ‘This is a little weird, but, okay, they know what they’re doing.’ And then I realized everyone else was kind of thinking that as well. Then it came time to film it and they said they had changes and we were given a few pages every day… only the ones we needed that day, so it kept us in suspense. It is a terrifying way to work because you don’t know where your character is headed.” Wait a second. I was under the impression that her character was headed to the land of fire and brimstone after committing suicide last Sunday. But Ford is talking as if she played a role in the finale. Maybe she appears in a flashback. Or as a ghost. Or maybe she’s the game-changing twist. Dammit, Sunday, get here already!

Question: You need to throw us Bones/Booth fans a bone here. In the holiday spirit, could you at least tell us when the next big B&B episode will be? —Tessa
Ausiello: Do you consider Brennan undressing Booth big? If so, then the next big B&B episode is this Thursday. Context police: Booth gets covered in the exploded flesh of a suicide bomber and Brennan has to take his clothes for evidence.

Question: Can we have another hint on your Sept. 10. Blind Item? Pretty please? —Alli
Ausiello: You can’t. But the person who wins this can.

Question: How many awards is Zach Gilford going to win for his performance in last week’s Friday Night Lights? If it were up to me, I’d just make up an award in his name. He was that good. —Phil
Ausiello: I’m not a big crier, but, damn, that episode turned me into a blubbering mess of red eyes and snot. Zach was astonishing. But I’ve long since given up on the idea of anyone at FNL ever being nominated for, let alone winning, an award. That’s why God invented Dream Emmy Ballots. Speaking of Zach, his FNL swan song airs tonight on DirecTV. Here’s what he told my colleague Simon Vozick-Levinson about shooting his last scene with leading lady Aimee Teegarden. “While we were filming it, there was a moment where something just clicked,” he said. “I was like, ‘Oh, I need to say this right now, and that’s going to make this scene work.’ I did, and it totally worked. It got that scene over the hump of where it needed to be. You know, I’ve worked with Aimee for so long, and so much over the last few years, probably more than anyone. She’s like a little sister to me, ’cause she’s several years younger than me. So it was cool to have a really good last scene with her.”

Question: I was wondering if there is any update on the Pushing Daisies comic or movie? —Luke
Ausiello: Tentative street date is Spring 2010!

Question: Can we please, please have some Big Love scoop? —Rachael
Ausiello: Exec producer Will Scheffer tells me that Sissy Spacek had some reservations about joining the cast this season as a lobbyist and nemesis to Bill (Bill Paxton). “She had never done television before and she was nervous about getting on a moving train,” he recalls. “And she was concerned, frankly, that the part might not be big enough for her. But we reassured her — and much to her great satisfaction now that she’s midway through [shooting] her arc — that it was a big, meaty role.” Scheffer adds that Paxton and Spacek have a chemistry that is equal parts Tracy/Hepburn and “like two people out of GoodFellas.”

Question: Got anything on Mercy? I know it isn’t a big draw, but I love it! —Joe
Ausiello: New boss man cometh to Mercy Hospital. The show is looking for an actor in his 30s to mid-40s to play the sarcastic, highly opinionated, womanizing Head of ICU.

That’s a wrap! Send questions/comments/anonymous tips to ausielloscoop@ew.com! Thanks for playing! (Additional reporting by Carrie Bell)

PHOTO CREDIT: 24: Fox; Grey’s Anatomy: ABC; Gossip Girl: The CW