Matt's Inside Line: Get Scoop on Criminal Minds, Good Wife, Horror Story, Once, NCIS and More

Why did Criminal Minds do it? What does Horror Story‘s final chapter look like? Will Once Upon a Time‘s Emma find herself embroiled in a fairytale romance? Will a Castle couple reconnect? Read on for answers to those questions plus teases from other shows.

Criminal Minds | SPOILER AHEAD! This is what my emailbox looked like this morning: A huge stack of “Is Reid’s girlfriend really dead?!” I for one didn’t think that was in doubt, and it isn’t — and here’s the tale behind the tragic twist. “We pitched a story where we’d introduce a unique love interest for Dr. Reid and it would end in tragedy,” showrunner Erica Messer explains. And make no mistake, the dark wrinkle had Matthew Gray Gubler’s blessing. “Matthew agreed the only way to tell this story was if she died in the saddest way possible,” Messer says. And while Maeve’s murder — in front of the beau she’d only just set eyes on — abruptly ended this week’s hour, Reid’s reaction/mourning “will be the emotional anchor of episode 813 and it’s the arc for Reid’s character for the rest of the season.”

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American Horror Story: Asylum | We’re still upset that Lana Winters turned into a bit of a B-word in this week’s episode, but the way Sarah Paulson teases next Wednesday’s season finale, we’ll forgive. “It’s really outrageous and amazing,” she says — and boasting a bunch more Sarah Paulson than Season 1′s climax. “I was barely in it last year, so it’s very different,” she notes. With Johnny Morgan aka Bloody Face Jr. angling to meet his mama here in 2013, “It’s a very emotional journey, and my character goes through a very tremendous amount of dark stuff,” Paulson says. As for how things turn out for the inmate-turned-real crime auteur, Paulson will only say, “It’s pretty spectacular what the writers did…. I think people will be pleased.”

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The Good Wife | Not to give everyone one of you reading this a big head, but you are to credit for Kalinda’s husband Nick being nipped in the bud. As Archie Panjabi shared at the Golden Globes, “To get the reaction that [the storyline] got and to see the passion from so many journalists and the fans was just astounding. And because of that, they changed things. You realize how powerful the press, the public are.” The lack of love for Nick also touched Panjabi as an actress. “I actually feel honored to think that many people care about Kalinda and are so protective of her — three years in!”

New Girl | A new casting call reveals that Jess will look to “tackle” romance with a bona fide athlete. The Fox comedy is filling the guest-starring role of a large, handsome linebacker for the San Francisco 49ers who is game to huddle with the adorkable one when they meet through Winston. Alas, Jess’ flirtation with the jock will be cut short when he walks in on her using a _____. (Fill in the blank via comments! Love me some Match Game.)

And now, from the reader mailbag….

Do you have an Esplanie scoop for us Castle fans? –Marine
Jon Huertas has plenty to say about Kelly Hu’s imminent drop-by, which I’m saving for Monday. For now, I’ll relay his belief that it’s Lanie “who needs to put up or shut up” in that off-and-on relationship. “She’s the one who pushed Esposito away, when the whole marriage conversation came up, and she’s the one who’s all about the booty call and keeping it not so serious,” he noted. “So it’s her that needs to put up or shut up.” And if she did? “Esposito would probably say, ‘I’m down with that.’” Looking beyond Hu’s Monday visit, Huervas shared this: “There’s some stuff coming up with Lanie, that we’ll see in a different episode.”

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I have tried to find out the identity of an unacknowledged actress on Castle. She was mentioned once as “Officer Johnson,” she has been in the background in most of the squad room shots, she originally had short red hair and is now a blond, and she seems to be their “go to” for reaction shots. –Susan
I love a good mystery as much as Rick himself, so I did some gumshoe detective work (meaning: sent a few emails) and came up with a prime suspect: Soaps vet Schae Harrison!

I’d love to know what’s in store for Chicago Fire‘s Casey. Between breaking up with Hallie, his family problems and a possible romance with a confused Dawson, he has a lot on his plate. –Carol
Consider that plate full for the near future, seeing as Casey’s “friendship” with Dawson will be compromised after she crosses a line by confronting someone from his recent past.

Any word on who might be playing McGee’s father on NCIS? That episode has been mentioned taking place in February. — Jeannie
There’s no casting news yet, and here’s why. “That episode is definitely happening — we are working on the script right now — but we pushed it to a bit later,” show boss Gary Glasberg told me just the other day. “It will probably happen in the spring, and it will be part of what leads us into our final arc.”

PHOTOS | Once Upon a Time‘s Rumplestiltskin Terrifies Belle, and [Spoiler]‘s Brother Shows Up

Now that Once Upon a Time‘s Hook is out in the open, will we get to see him interact with the other residents of Storybrooke? –Stefanie
You mean, presuming he survived getting mowed down by The Outsider, right? (Of course he lives.) Well, to perhaps – perhaps! – answer your question, I’ll offer up this scooplet. “Emma’s love life is going to get really complicated,” series cocreator Adam Horowitz told me last week. In fact, across Storybrooke at large, he said, “The permutations of romance will continue to turn as we move forward.”

If there’s a show you’d like the Inside Line on, email mattmtvguy@gmail.com, and maybe it’ll get some love the next time around! (With reporting by Vlada Gelman)

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