The CW’s The Vampire Diaries invaded the Saban Theatre in Beverly Hills on Saturday for PaleyFest12, and one of the big topics of the night was Team Salvatore! The brothers’ relationship was in high display in an early screening of next Thursday’s episode, “1912,” which also features a “doozy” of a cliffhanger and a truly ugly side of Stefan.

“He’s got a terrible darkness that haunts, and is always going to haunt him,” says executive producer Julie Plec of the younger Salvatore. “So now it’s about the path to moderation. It’s about Stefan finding that balance inside him so he can both be a man and a hero, and love someone and be loved, but also function as a vampire.”

PaleyFest: Read Recaps of the Castle, Bones, Once Upon a Time, Parks and Rec,
Community, Sons of Anarchy and American Horror Story Panels

The surprising guru coaching Stefan through that process is none other than his own wayward brother, Damon! They may often be at odds, but “the brothers are sharing a journey,” continues Plec. “It’s just manifesting itself in different ways.”

As Damon learns the pleasures of being a vampire in the “1912″ flashbacks and Stefan is struggling to go cold turkey in the present, they ultimately come to each other’s aid. “The brothers are trying to be heroes to each other,” says Plec.

“It’s interesting that there’s a camaraderie [even though] they’re both in love with the same girl,” adds Paul Wesley.

Speaking of that girl, the love triangle between Elena and the brothers is “going to come to a head” by season’s end, which will find “Elena having to ask herself a lot of questions about, ‘Who do I care for? What do both of these men mean to me?’” says Plec. So which guy is Nina Dobrev’s pick for the conflicted Elena? “She needs to go abroad, meet some new boys,” suggests the actress with a laugh. “I’m sure Italy has a lot more Salvatores.” (We wouldn’t be surprised if there was a third option closer to home after this week’s episode.)

Vampire Diaries First Look: Rebekah Tortures Damon, Stefan and Elena Have a ‘Moment’

Other topics covered during the Paley panel:

• The March 29 episode has a lot more to offer than just the image of Rebekah taking a knife to a shirtless Damon. “There’s an amazing bonding moment for both Elena and Damon and for Stefan and Damon,” says Ian Somerhalder. But back to the torture…. “Damon does something really crappy to Rebekah, and she gets mad and decides to stab him up and make him bleed,” explains Plec. Adds Somerhalder: “These Originals have an appetite for destruction, and they act on it.”

• If at first you don’t succeed, try again. “This is not the last we’ve seen of the Originals or of the mother’s plan to try to take out her children,” teases Plec.

• Don’t hold your breath for Katherine’s return any time soon. Even though she’s had romantic entanglement with both Salvatore brothers, “there is no love story that is more important than Katherine and her own self-interest and freedom,” says Plec. Translation: Katherine is a smart cookie and knows when to get out of Dodge.

• Bonnie will be dealing with repairing her friendship with Elena. “I don’t think she really believes that Elena did anything to sabotage her relationship with her mother,” says Kat Graham. “I’m sure that she’s going to eventually have to work through whatever she’s dealing with.” On another friendship front, “You’ll definitely see a lot of stuff with Caroline and Bonnie working together.” There’s also some love on the horizon for the witch!

• There’s talk of a flashback that “shows us Elena’s life before she had vampires in it,” reveals Plec.

• Will Elena turn into a vampire as she does in the L.J. Smith books? “We’ll see…,” replied Plec. “There’s a wealth of stories that have been given to us from these books. There’s things we’ve decided to do and things we’ve said maybe not for us. So I would say I don’t know.”

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Emily Thorne’s Revenge-enda is heading back to the beginning in an upcoming, all-flashback episode that showrunner Mike Kelley hails as “one of [his] favorite things” about ABC’s primetime sudser thus far.

Also unveiled at the drama’s PaleyFest 2012 panel on Sunday: Spoilers on the Season 1 finale, what’s next for Emily and Daniel (whose journey takes a dark turn), and much more.

Being touted as an “origin story,” an upcoming installment of Revenge travels back to 2002, Kelley revealed, to the day that the photograph in Lydia’s house, with Emily standing in the background holding a tray of champagne, was taken.

“The way we’re treating it is that this is an episode of Revenge set in 2002,” explained the EP. “We’re not setting it up like a flashback [within a present day episode].” So, from the moment the illuminating hour begins, expect to see a dark-haired Emily, a far-less preppy Nolan and… a long-haired, Tom Cruise-esque Jack?

PaleyFest: Read Recaps of the Vampire Diaries, Castle, Bones, Once Upon a Time, Parks and Rec, Community, Sons of Anarchy and American Horror Story Panels

“You should see my hair in that episode,” Nick Wechsler deadpanned, alluding to a ‘do described by Kelley as similar to Cruise’s superstar in the upcoming movie Rock of Ages. (Here’s a little sample for you.)

The flashback episode is designed to give Emily “her first glimpse at these people who destroyed her family, when she’s still not quite believing her father and his journals,” added Emily VanCamp. “There’s a big event [that happens] at this New Year’s Eve party, and it really solidifies what her father’s been telling her… That’s sort of the beginning of her journey.”

Added bonus: Madeleine Stowe noted that the episode actually finds some cast members going much further back in time — to 1990!

Other takeaways from the Revenge Paley panel:

• The next new episode (to air sometime in April) finds Mason Treadwell (guest star Roger Bart) returning as part of Victoria’s scheme to save Daniel. And as if there was ever any doubt that Victoria would “go to the ends of the Earth” to protect her son, Stowe revealed, “In [the next episode] somebody sends guys to beat up Daniel [in the showers]…. Who could that possibly be?” Of course, Mommy Dearest is behind the attack, because, Stowe explained, “In Victoria’s mind the best way to get her son out of jail is to get the daylights beaten out of him. I actually think it’s utterly justified, but it’s going to cause a big problem between them.”

• Following Revenge‘s next new installment, Episode 17, the series will jump ahead in time to December, with Daniel’s murder trial wrapped up by Episode 19.

• Season 1 will “obviously” end on a cliffhanger, Kelley promised. And if the drama is lucky enough to receive a second season (which it no doubt will be), they’re going to stick with the formula that works. Basically, the show will “set up [a mystery] in the beginning, pay it off in the middle, fall it out, and then set up some new stuff,” he shared.

• The Jack/Emily/Daniel love triangle “kind of steers one way soon,” offered VanCamp. “We already know how much love Emily has for Jack — that’s a given — [but] in the next episode you see how far she’s willing to go for Daniel, as well.”

• Speaking of Daniel, Josh Bowman shared that his currently incarcerated character will soon “come to a crossroads in making a decision between good and evil.” Added Kelley, “He’ll at least [realize] that he’s been pulled and pushed and manipulated by both his mother and beautiful fiancée,” which results in a “new respect and understanding” between Daniel and his father.

• Emily/Nolan ‘shippers may want to regroup and reassess their cause because, according to Kelley, theirs was always “meant to be a sibling relationship. It’s got a nice, warm beating-heart to the series; otherwise it’s just a bunch of nastiness.” Gabriel Mann, however, is not in total agreement with that stance, joking, “I don’t like that — we’re not related!”

• Might Em’s Daddy Dearest actually be alive and kickin’ somewhere? “I’ve said it once before and I’ll say it again: If it’s not impossible, we’ll probably do it,” Kelley teased. “I love that character (played by Men in Trees‘ James Tupper)… but I can disappoint and titillate you all by saying you will not find out this season.” Regardless of what the future holds for David Clarke, Revenge does have plans to someday unveil what happened to Emily’s mother.

• “Vengeance is coming” in the Victoria/Conrad divorce storyline, Stowe warned.

• Kelley teased that cutthroat Hamptonite Ashley Davenport (played by Ashley Madekwe) will “have a definite shift in loyalty. We’re going out [this season] with Ashley doing something where she has to make a big decision about regarding [Emily].”

• “Declan turns into a bit of a tattletale” when it comes to his girlfriend Charlotte and her rapidly-developing pill addiction, Christa B. Allen shared.

For those Once Upon a Time fans who couldn’t make it to Beverly Hills last week to attend the freshman drama’s PaleyFest panel discussion, Hulu has conjured up a special treat: You can watch the full hour-long Q&A right here.

Already TVLine hit you with a recap of the event’s most magically delicious scoops, but by pressing PLAY below you can see the cast and creators expound on those as well as many other topics. Plus, you can weigh in on the new Chuck Taylors I wore as moderator (since you can’t get a clear view of my nifty, rare “Find Flight 815″ T-shirt).

As an added bonus, I’ve listed below the player a “laundry list” of what is discussed and at the time stamp where you can find it. Enjoy!

0:00 Introductions
2:45 Hidden Lost nuggets and other “Easter eggs”
4:30 Ratings/the challenge of producing Once Upon a Time
7:00 Robert Carlyle on how he created Rumpelstiltskin (hint: his son played a role)
9:00 Getting clarification on the show’s “rule book”
11:30 Jennifer Morrison on Emma (someday) believing Henry
13:00 Ginnifer Goodwin on why the Mary Margaret/David kiss didn’t affect the curse
14:15 Lana Parrilla on the Evil Queen’s wardrobe, making Regina a rich character
16:40 Josh Dallas smiling on cue, then discussing the obstacles ahead for David and Mary Margaret
18:00 Ginner Goodwin on playing a princess on-screen and off
19:45 Raphael Sbarge, Josh Dallas and Robert Carlyle on Archie’s two new patients, the return of Jiminy Cricket
23:00 Series creators Eddy Kitsis and Adam Horowitz on Regina and Mr. Gold knowing each other’s secrets
25:00 ”What did Snow White do to make the Evil Queen so, so angry?”
26:40 Secrets behind the show’s special effects
29:45 Talking Barbara Hershey as Evil Queen’s mother (Parrilla wanted “a Beaches moment”), Pinnochio’s whereabouts, the plan for The Little Mermaid
32:00 How the Vancouver weather has affected production — for better or for worse
35:00 ”Will Jamie Dornan (Graham/The Huntsman) be seen again?”
35:50 “Fashion questions” relating to Emma, Mary Margaret and… Rumpel’s fingernail polish!
38:50 ”If the actors could play any other character, who would they choose?”
40:30 Audience questions about playing dual roles… Storybrooke’s time stoppage… dwarfs being hatched from eggs (?!)… Josh Dallas replacing Justin Bieber on one girl’s playlist (49:20)… Malificent’s return… favorite scenes (54:00)… and Morrison getting to kiss “one of the hottest men.”

[Warning: If you have yet to watch Thursday's Vampire Diaries, avert your eyes now! Everyone else, read on...]

The Vampire Diaries delivered another shocking cliffhanger tonight when Meredith explained to Alaric that the very ring that had saved his life on multiple occasions was doing more harm than good. The magical piece of jewelry was changing him with every resurrection – and not for the better — just as it did with previous wearers John and Samantha Gilbert. A hundred years ago, Elena’s distant relative Samantha went mad and started murdering council members. Could the same be happening to Alaric now? Is he Mystic Falls’ serial killer?

Vampire Diaries Scoop: The Love Triangle ‘Comes to a Head’

“There’s a big journey for Alaric [coming up],” executive producer Julie Plec teased at the show’s PaleyFest panel last Saturday. “[It's] a big journey for Elena. Stefan and everybody is going to be at the center of this storyline.”

Trying to attack and remedy what’s happening to Alaric will be difficult, especially since no one knows exactly “what the consequences are” of what the ring’s doing, explains Nina Dobrev. “They don’t know what’s going to happen.”

The realization that the object that “used to be so reliable” in keeping her loved ones alive “might actually contribute in allowing a darker element to take hold [of them]” will rock Elena’s world, previews Plec. Adds Dobrev: “Everything that she depended on is now gone.”

Vampire Diaries Hot Shots: Cassidy Freeman Teams With Damon! Plus: Meredith [SPOILER]!

And what does this revelation mean for Elena’s little brother, who has also died and come back while wearing the ring? “It definitely has implications for Jeremy,” teases Plec. Last we saw, Elena had sent her bro away to live a safer life outside of Mystic Falls. But with this new development, “Jeremy is now wildly unprotected. … [Elena] now has to deal with her guardian [being] in a difficult place and potentially her brother [too].”

So why make one of the only remaining adult, grounding forces in the Gilberts’ lives a potential threat, possibly even putting his own life in jeopardy? Plec assured the PaleyFest audience that Alaric and his portrayer Matt Davis are “near and dear to us,” but there are alluring aspects to the plot twist. “As we’ve seen on the show, getting to explore a darker side is both exciting for a character and an actor,” she explains. “We wanted to showcase that.”

Matt Davis Joins CW Drama Pilot Cult — What Does It Mean for Vampire Diaries‘ Alaric?

For his part, Davis calls the storyline “a beautiful experience to watch unfold.”

“He has been getting killed, and I love that we’re now at that tipping point of the consequence of all of that,” he continues, adding that the next few episodes will be “shocking.”

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The Paley Center for Media has unveiled its full slate of panels for PaleyFest 2013, to be held in Beverly Hills this March, and it includes zombies, singers, archers and nerds!

In addition to the previously announced events for Once Upon a Time, Revolution, The Newsroom, The New Normal and American Horror Story: Asylum, the annual event will also welcome back Community, New Girl and The Walking Dead, as well as showcasing Parenthood, Nashville, The Big Bang Theory, Arrow and more.

The full line-up is below:

Friday, March 1: Opening Night Presentation: The Walking Dead (7 pm)

Saturday, March 2: Revolution (7 pm)

Sunday, March 3: Once Upon A Time (1 pm matinee presentation) and The Newsroom (7 pm)

Tuesday, March 5: Community (7 pm)

Wednesday, March 6: The New Normal (7 pm)

Thursday, March 7: Parenthood (7 pm)

Friday, March 8: The Mindy Project (7 pm)

Saturday, March 9: Nashville (1 pm matinee presentation) and Arrow (7 pm)

Sunday, March 10: Dallas (1 pm matinee presentation)

Monday, March 11: New Girl (7 pm)

Wednesday, March 13: The Big Bang Theory (7 pm)

Thursday, March 14: 2 Broke Girls (7 pm)

Friday, March 15: Closing Night Presentation:  American Horror Story: Asylum (7 pm)

Ticket and venue info can be found at PaleyFest.org.

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Mark your calendars — The Paley Center for Media in Beverly Hills, Calif. has confirmed the star-studded line-up for PaleyFest 2013 aka 15 TV-show discussion panels including Once Upon a Time, Revolution, Parenthood, Community and American Horror Story.

Flip through the current RSVP list below, and feel free to submit potential questions for your favorite stars in Comments.

VIDEO | Once Upon a Time: Watch 2012′s PaleyFest Panel, Hosted by TVLine’s Matt Mitovich

If you’re in the LA area (or planning to travel), tickets are available here. For those of you who aren’t so fortunate? Stay tuned to TVLine.com and our Twitter feed for an abundance of up-to-the-minute coverage during next month’s festival.

UPDATE: Emilie De Ravin has been added to the Once panel.

LIVESTREAM UPDATE: Thirteen of this year’s panels — Revolution, Once Upon a Time, The Newsroom, Community, The New Normal, Parenthood, The Mindy Project, Nashville, Arrow, Dallas, New Girl, 2 Broke Girls and American Horror Story: Asylum — will be viewable via LiveStream, starting about a half hour in (e.g. 7:30 pm PST for Revolution). The panels for Walking Dead and Big Bang Theory, meanwhile, are being streamed to select movie theaters nationwide.

The Walking Dead executive producer Robert Kirkman and several cast members took the stage at PaleyFest 2013 on Friday to sneak-peek upcoming scenes, ponder the personality clashes that have arisen among the survivors in Season 3 and preview Rick’s dire need to step up and be a great leader again.

The Dead panel livened up straight away with fresh footage from this Sunday’s episode, in which Rick finally softens toward Michonne a bit (though he tells Carl it’s just conditional). The trio also encounters a crazy, booby-trap-filled new town.

The episode also features the aftermath of Carl calling out his father on his “new,” un-leaderlike mindset. “[Carl] needs a firm hand,” Andrew Lincoln said with a laugh. “He has a point, though. Rick has been making some terrible calls [and] after that scene it puts him into a different gear. Something happens this week that really holds a mirror up to Rick and he realizes he’s got to step up.’

Addressing the Grimes boy’s ‘tude, Kirkman said, “Carl really is one of my fave aspects in the comic and the show… Where we’re going to go with this kid are some pretty exciting places.” This season, he stressed,  is “just the beginning” of Carl’s journey.

Other topics touched on during the PaleyFest Q&A:

FOLLOW THE LEADER…? | “To push one of the central characters off the cliff’s edge is really bold,” Lincoln said of Rick’s deteriorating sanity. ” Even if it means conjuring ghosts? “That’s quite a common thing,” Lincoln noted. “His brain’s short circuiting [from] guilt.”

IS THERE GOOD IN THE GOVERNOR? | “The Governor and Rick are both facing the same problems,” said EP David Alpert. “For the Governor, there is something in him that’s good…. But the darkness has allowed him to grow and prosper.”

DOES THE GOV’ STILL GET ANDREA’S VOTE? | “She did [have feelings for him] until she went back to the prison,” said Laurie Holden. But “at this point, [she thinks he's] a bad man. When she goes back and sleeps with him, that’s not because she thinks he’s handsome,” she explained with a laugh. Holden notes that Andrea “thought she could follow through” with what moderator and Talking Dead host Chris Hardwick has coined “Carol’s vagina warfare plan.”

RELATED | Scoop on The Walking Dead in Matt’s Inside Line

A NEW HITCH | Danai Gurira said a scene airing this Sunday where Michonne and Rick coldly (yet understandably) blow off a hitchhiker is “a brilliant moment because it’s so real and so brutal… It’s like a war zone, so you can’t trust people easily.” Observed Lincoln, “You could squeeze all those [hitchhiker] scenes together and it’s a perfect short film for their mental state.”

THE FEMALE FEUD | “Here’s the deal: Andrea and Michonne are two adult women who wanted different things,” Holden said of the BFFs’ estrangement. “Andrea didn’t choose a guy over her; she chose a life and community.” Nonetheless, Gurira chimed in, “In Michonne’s mind, it’s got a lot to do with loyalty.”

RELATED | It’s Official: Scott M. Gimple Named New Walking Dead Showrunner, Replacing Glen Mazzara

CAN MERLE BE TRUSTED? | And no, it’s not a rhetorical question. “[Daryl] knows there’s good in his brother — but then again he’s tried to kill half the people on this stage,” Norman Reedus said. “But I think he hopes.”

ISN’T IT ROMANTIC? | Surveying the never-easy Glenn/Maggie relationship, Steven Yeun said, “He’s young and that love is young. And a love like that is hard to keep down. So he’s coming at this [situation] very selfishly and I think that’s very appropriate for what a 20something would do.” Meanwhile, on the Daryl/Carol front, Reedus opined, “I like these two damaged people gravitating toward each other. If it happens, it might happen. I don’t want to make the first move!”

WATCH THE FULL WALKING DEAD PALEYFEST PANEL HERE:

http://www.hulu.com/watch/462699

Revolution executive producers Eric Kripke, J.J. Abrams and Jon Favreau joined the cast of their hit NBC series at PaleyFest on Saturday to to drop a bombshell: “We reveal why the power went out — and we do it early,” Kripke shared at the top of the panel discussion.

RELATED | Revolution Exclusive: 24 Alum Annie Wersching Cast as [Spoiler]‘s First Love

In fact, the answer will come as soon as Episode 13 of this season (which resumes March 25 with Episode 11). And while it might seem like that’s too quick to give away one of the show’s biggest mysteries, the EP said they couldn’t keep skirting around it since “Rachel would know” the answer and has no reason not to tell the others.

“It opens the door to a bigger story and a bigger mystery,” Kripke teased, adding that drama will have a “much more epic scope” as the revolution against Monroe really heats up. “The fights get bigger, the emotion gets more fraught,” he continued.

RELATED | Revolution: 6 Electrifying Scoops on What’s to Come! Plus — Watch the Spring Trailer!

Other topics touched on during the PaleyFest Q&A:

SO MANY ANSWERS | The reason behind the blackout isn’t the only mystery to be solved. “Every question that has been asked, at least certainly in the first 10 [episodes], we answer it before the end of the season — and still allow for a lot more questions and interesting developments to happen,” previewed Kripke. Among the enigmas explored: “Why did Rachel slap Miles? What is their history about? Where’s Grace right now? What’s Randall want from her? What turned Miles and Monroe against each other?”

GOING ABROAD | When the show explores the world outside of the Monroe Republic, the freedom fighters will find that not everyone is living under harsh conditions. “Georgia is influenced by factors like climate,” explained Kripke, so there are more crops and well-fed citizens. The land is also ruled by Leslie Hope’s President Foster, who is “badass, She’s really steely and strong and has her own management style that is quite different from Monroe’s.” In exploring the other republics, Kripke liked the idea of a “Game of Thrones influence, with different politics and aspects of these societies clashing against each other.”

CAN MONROE BE SAVED? | “The question of redemption is a bit more murky for someone like Monroe,” said his portrayer, David Lyons. “There’s a void in him that can’t be filled with all the power in the world and that’s a dangerous situation. He’s a broken man, and the question is: Can he be mended? I’m not sure.”

MAMA, WHY’D YOU GO? | Charlie will have “a lot of anger and resentment” toward her mother, previewed Tracy Spiridakos. Making matters worse, Rachel (played by Elizabeth Mitchell) doesn’t really have any answers for her daughter about why she had to leave her behind. So for Charlie, it’s about finding “her way in [with her mother] without getting burned.”

FATHER/SON FIGHT TIME | JD Pardo counts an upcoming confrontation between Nate and Neville — in which the youngster “stands up for himself” — as one of his favorite moments.

THE EX RETURNS | When Aaron reconnects with the wife he abandoned, “They’re able to work out their issues,” teased Kripke. “Now he’s found his strength, so what does that mean for them?”

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Once Upon a Time executive producers Eddy Kitsis and Adam Horowitz and several cast members took the stage at PaleyFest 2013 on Sunday to talk about Snow’s dark turn, a visit to Storybrooke in 1983, the Season 2 finale (yes, already!) and much more.

RELATED | Once Upon a Time: Jennifer Morrison on Emma’s ‘Complicated’ Love Life and the New, Dark Threat

The panel kicked off with Ginnifer Goodwin dropping some scoop about Snow’s journey from white to something much murkier following the events of tonight’s big episode and next week’s even more powerful outing.

“What she is going through is going to shake her self-identity, her self-definition,” previewed Goodwin. “If she’s not the Snow White she can read about it in story books, then she doesn’t know who she is. That opens a lot up for her. She can get in touch with a more evolved way of protecting herself and her family.”

As Snow attempts to guard her loves ones, her rivalry with Regina will “get pretty intense,” teased Lana Parrilla. “We’re definitely going to see a different side to Mary Margaret, and I think we’ve earned it.”

But just how dark can Snow go, especially given that the character is owned by the family-friendly Disney? Kitsis assured fans that after next Sunday’s episode, viewers will see that “they’re pretty much letting us do what we want.”

And how will Charming deal with his wife’s new path? “It concerns him a great deal because someone that he loves with all of his heart is hurting,” said Josh Dallas. However, David “knows better than anyone that people can mess up [and] have darker sides to them. … He’s going to be there for her no matter what.”

RELATED | Matt’s Inside Line: Scoop on Once Upon a Time, Beast Sex, Castle, Scandal & More

Other topics touched on during the PaleyFest Q&A:

TRAVELING THE LANDS | The show will visit a new realm this season, during which viewers will get hints about a significant resident of said land. That character, however, won’t make his or her debut until Season 3, previewed Kitsis. Meanwhile, David will want to get back to his home. “As much as David likes electricity, he misses his sword and his castle and his horse,” said the EP. “He wants to rebuild his land. That is something a lot of people will get on board for.”

WELCOME TO STORYBROOKE | “We’re going to see the first week of the curse,” said Kitsis of the March 17 episode. “We’re going to see the Huntsman. We’re going to get more insight into what it was like that first week in 1983 and what it was like for the Evil Queen to win.” In the hour, viewers will also glimpse why Regina went to adopt Henry. So why air such a pivotal flashback so early in the show’s run? “When you see the episode, that answer becomes very clear,” replied Horowitz.

THE END IS NEAR | This season’s two-part finale will be titled “Second Star to the Right” and “ And Straight On ‘Til Morning.”

FATHER, SON, GRANDSON | Rumpel and Bae’s relationship may be in a sad state of affairs right now, but “there’s a little gamechanger” in Episode 22, hinted Robert Carlyle. As for the seer’s warning about Henry and what the Dark One will do with that information, “The question is: Has [Rumpel] learned anything [from his past mistakes]?” said Kitsis. “What chance does his grandson have?”

NO MADNESS | Addressing recent reports that the Mad Hatter may be recast and spun off into his own show, Kitsis insisted that “we have no plans to recast anyone.” However, Jefferson’s portrayer Sebastian Stan “is a very busy man,” he added. “I don’t know when he will be making his way toward us.”

TEAM EVIL | “Regina the Evil Queen is going to make a comeback, but in a different way,” teased Parrilla. As for the dastardly Captain Hook, “you will see him pop back into the season in a fun way,” revealed Kitsis. But will the foe find romance with Emma, setting up a triangle with Neal? “It could happen,” is all Horowitz would say.

LACEY RACY | An upcoming Belle episode will reveal the character’s cursed persona. “Lacey’s very interesting,” Emilie De Ravin teased cryptically, while Kitsis added, “She’s the opposite of Belle. Things are going to get a lot more interesting for Mr. Gold.” But will Belle ever regain her memories of her true identity? “Have hope and faith and we’ll see what happens,” offered up Kitsis.

AND EVEN MORE SCOOP | Also on tap for this season: The reveal of where August ran off to and what he’s been doing (just don’t expect answers this year about how he knew Neal was actually Bae); more of Hook and Bae’s backstories; and possibly some romance for Regina. “Everything that motivates her is love,” explained Kitsis. “She has a huge capacity for love. She’s just got a strange way of going about getting it.” Added Parrilla with a smile: “She’s holding out for the right one.”

Want more scoop on Once Upon a Time, or for any other show? Email mattmtvguy@gmail.com and your question may be answered via Matt’s Inside Line.

Already TVLine has hit you with the bold-faced highlights and headlines from the Once Upon a Time panel held Sunday at PaleyFest 2013 and moderated by myself.

But for those who 1) were not in attendance, 2) didn’t catch the LiveStream or 3) simply want to relive it all over again, here is video of the whole hour-long shebang!

I’ve included, as always, a super-helpful laundry list of timestamps denoting which topics landed where. (If your Hulu player shows time remaining versus time elapsed, click on that clock and it will switch over to what you need.)

04:30 Ginny Goodwin on how dark Snow White will get — and is Lana Parrilla ready for her to bring it?
07:00 Series creators Adam Horowitz and Eddy Kitsis on mapping out Season 2
08:45 Robert Carlyle on the “saddest” part of the Rumple/Bae reunion, teases Episode 22 “game-changer”
11:00 Emilie de Ravin on the challenge of playing Belle in amnesic “limbo”
12:15 Jennifer Morrison on playing the Neal/Bae reveal, capturing so many emotions “in three seconds”
13:45 How long have the creators known Neal and Bae were the same? Did they have second thoughts as fans caught on?
15:00 Discussing the “doomed Henry” reveal (WATCH FOR: Lana Parrilla pretending to clobber Robert Carlyle when he suggests Henry’s days are numbered), parsing the seer’s words — including my Rumple impression. (Hey, Jen Morrison likes it, so… win!)
17:00 Adam and Eddy on writing Season 2 versus Season 1
18:00 Is David still itching to leave Storybrooke and go fight ogres?
19:00 Will Colin O’Donoghue’s broken leg hinder Hook’s mission? And does the pirate share guyliner with Lost’s Richard Alpert? (WATCH FOR: Colin eliciting awwwws with a pouty face.)
22:00 Can dastardly Hook be made dateable?
23:00 Josh Dallas and Ginny Goodwin on playing “protective parents” to Jen Morrison (WATCH FOR: Josh embracing his “little girl”)
25:00 Lana Parrilla reflects on Regina’s aborted “redemption tour,” the Evil queen’s “comeback”
26:30 The creators and cast weigh in on the show’s perceived “anti-adoption” agenda
29:15 Eddy and Adam preview “Welcome to Storybrooke,” which flashes back to the first days of the curse — who’s returning? Will Regina have 1980s-style crimped hair?
31:00 The latest word on August/Pinocchio’s return, Mad Hatter spin-off rumors
33:00 Talking special effects, the creators’ fave moments
36:00 Emile de Ravin previews her “racy” turn in the episode “Lacey”
37:15 Rapid-fire scoop-seeking, talking about a new realm, Greg’s ringtone, secret identities and the “next generation” of magic-makers
40:00 Season finale titles revealed!
40:30 Twitter questions about backstories to come and Bobby Carlyle’s “Bowl of Soup” joke
42:45 TVLine Reader Questions about Regina’s love life, Emma’s powers and “Rumbelle” happiness

UPDATED: Check out photos from the March 10 episode “The Miller’s Daughter,”
guest-starring Rose McGowan (Charmed) as Young Cora.

Community executive producers David Guarascio, Moses Port, Russ Krasnoff and Tristram Shapeero joined several cast members of the NBC comedy at PaleyFest on Tuesday to make an announcement: A puppet episode is coming later this season!

VIDEO | Exclusive Community First Look: Britta Busts Out Her Very Own Therapist-Themed Rap Song

The story finds the study group taking a wild balloon ride that crash lands in the woods and forces them to spend a little time with a friendly mountain man (played by Seinfeld‘s Jason Alexander). The gang gets immortalized as puppets when Dean Pelton encourages them to talk about their adventures.

Also on tap for this season: More paintball fun, a Freaky Friday tribute and, in this Thursday’s ep, the introduction of James Brolin as Jeff’s dad and Adam DeVine (Pitch Perfect) as his brother.

“It is quite intense between Jeff and his dad,” previewed Joel McHale. “Thank God for Gillian [Jacobs] and Adam, who knock it out of the park. It gets pretty heavy.”

As for whether the identity of Jeff’s dad makes him half-brothers with Castle‘s titular writer, whose dad is also played by Brolin, McHale joked, “Let’s just say, if there is a Season 5, we end up on Serenity.”

RELATED | ABC Pilot Scoop: Community‘s Ken Jeong Is Spy‘s Boss AKA ‘The Examiner’

Other topics touched on during the PaleyFest Q&A:

SWITCHING PLACES | The Oscar-winning writer who brings Dean Pelton to life, Jim Rash, penned “an episode with Troy and Abed that I think is one of the best we’ve ever done,” raved McHale. Added Rash: “It was an awesome and stressful process. … It’s sort of a Freaky Friday homage with a little body switching, and it’s very important” to the boys’ friendship.

HOW IT ALL BEGAN | An upcoming origins episode will reveal how the superhero-like study group “really came to be,” teased Guarascio.

UNLIKELY LOVE | What does the future hold for the odd pairing of Britta and Troy? The romance is “not doomed,” said Guarascio. “A lot of the year is the resurrection of Britta. … Who knows, maybe that will lead to something we’re not quite expecting.”

CRAZY SHIRLEY | “We’re going to see her house in the Thanksgiving episode,” previewed Yvette Nicole Brown. “Shirley likes really weird wallpaper.” Viewers will also “find out why Shirley’s the way she is,” and it has something to do with her in-laws. The actress also offered up this cryptic tease: “There’s something bigger coming than Malcolm-Jamal Warner playing my husband.”

GRADUATION DAY LOOMS | Will the Greendale gang be leaving school behind at the end of this year? Unlikely. “Everyone’s on their own pace as is often the case in community college,” said Guarascio. “So stay tuned.”

MORE COMMUNITY TALES? | Will the beloved, but ratings-challenged comedy be back for a fifth season? “It’s one of things where no one ever lets you know those things in advance,” replied McHale. “Believe me, I hope so.” As for stepping in as showrunners this season following creator Dan Harmon’s exit, Guarascio admitted that it was “hard” for him and Port. But “the cast is just so fantastic and the heart and soul of the show becomes the people who are performing it,” he continued. “We really need to listen to them because they’ve been doing the show the past three years and they know it inside and out.”

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Parenthood showrunner Jason Katims, along with 12 of the beloved NBC family drama’s cast members, graced the stage at PaleyFest 2013 Thursday night to discuss high hopes for a fifth season, who’ll be back if the series is fortunate enough to return, Sarah’s controversial romantic twist and much more.

Wasting no time getting to the juiciest question of all, TVLine’s own Michael Ausiello — who moderated the event — grilled Katims on the likelihood of a renewal. The EP, of course, didn’t have a definitive answer, but instead turned it over to Max Burkholder, who enthused: “You can never be sure, but I am definitely crossing my fingers!”

RELATED | Parenthood Boss on Sarah’s ‘Wrenching’ Finale Decision! Plus — Season 5 Scoop!

Though Season 5 is not a certainty (yet), Katims did reveal a few things he has up his sleeve should the situation present itself: the first being the return of Matt Lauria‘s fan fave Ryan.

“Let’s say there’s a Season 5: I absolutely loved the dynamic between [Amber and Ryan] and I would love to continue that storyline,” he shared. However, “Matt may or may not be available next year, so we’ll have to see what happens.” (Mae Whitman, for her part, boasted playfully, “Oh, he’s available! He’s one of my closest friends and I really hope he comes back because I love working with him.”)

As for where any Season 5 would pick up, Katims said, “Hypothetically, there will be a time jump, like in real-time or somewhat close to that.”

Other topics touched on during the PaleyFest Q&A:

SARAH’S CHOICE | When questioned about Sarah picking Ray Romano‘s Hank over Jason Ritter‘s Mark in the finale, Lauren Graham had a surprising response. “I saw it differently,” she explained. “I felt that the finale left it open. Sarah made a choice and then Hank’s like, ‘I’m moving to Minnesota,’ so to me there was a lot of energy in both areas. I did not view it as [she] chose one or the other necessarily.” That said, “It was hard” to see Mark get his heart broken because “Jason’s been with us from the beginning” — sentiments the character’s alter ego echoed. “I remember standing in the [class]room and listening to Lauren say those things, and it was like, after all this time it all ends right here?!” Ritter laughed. “It is heartbreaking because you do become invested. This is a real family that’s been created.” Speaking of TV family…

THE GILMORE CONNECTION | “They always trade you in for someone younger, don’t they?” Graham teased when asked about her Gilmore daughter Alexis Bledel playing Ritter’s love interest in a Fox comedy pilot. More seriously, the actress admitted that it truly freaked her out when she learned of the casting “because I have such specific relationship with these people and these characters — it didn’t occur to me that they’d ever meet each other!” However, “three seconds” after processing the news, she realized: “It’s going to be amazing. The two of them will be perfect together… And [as such] I can guarantee you Mark and Sarah will not be back together.” (To even the score, she’s hoping that “Alexis’ old love interests from Gilmore Girls will be Sarah’s new love interest.” Paging Matt Czuchry….)

RELATED | Renewal Scorecard: What’s Coming Back? What’s Getting Cancelled? What’s on the Bubble?

THE GRADUATE | Don’t expect the college-going Drew to disappear next year in the same way that Haddie mostly did. “Drew is going to Berkeley,” Katims noted, “So, he’s in town.”

BABY LOVE? | Not exactly. Dax Shepard and Joy Bryant revealed that when they both read that Crosby and Jasmine were having a baby, they thought: “Nope. Not gonna happen.” Their big hope: “Our baby’s going to sleep a lot.”

ABORTION ISSUE | “This one was a particularly difficult one,” Katims said of the choice to have Drew’s girlfriend Amy terminate her pregnancy. “It’s a tricky subject matter, but I felt in my gut that it was a story I wanted to tell. We set out in a way to make sure we were accurate, but to also be very sensitive. I didn’t want to politicize it… We wanted to get underneath the story and tell them in a way that we feel is as real as possible.” The showrunner went on to reveal that he “was blown away by Miles [Heizer's] performance in particular.”

TEXAS FOREVER | Will we ever see more Friday Night Lights vets come through Parenthood? Katims hopes so. “I have loved bringing these actors on,” he shared. “The process would start with a character that we come up with, and then [one of the writers] suggesting” an FNL alum.

A TIME FOR PRIDE | Fielding a fan Q about when/if a gay character would be introduced, Katims said candidly, “It is something I would love to find a way to do. The “tricky part,” he explained, is that a majority of the characters are established already, so an organic genesis for that storyline needs to exist. Fun fact: Whitman admitted to trying to get the show to make Amber gay a few seasons back, but it never stuck.

CHATTY CAST-Y | Love it or hate it, the cast of Parenthood is notorious for talking over each other in scenes — but why? Detailed Katims: “I’d just done Friday Night Lights and I wanted to bring some of that style to Parenthood…. We shoot with three cameras, both sides of the scene at once, which allows the actors to react to each other and exist in the moment — and what happens in those real moments would never have otherwise been discovered. So many of the greatest moments of the show have come from that process… The actors are now so in-tune and know how to do it that I think it elevates the scene and makes it seems much more lifelike.”

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The producers and cast of The CW’s Arrow held court at PaleyFest 2013 on Saturday night to reflect on the freshman hit’s recent reveals as well as tease what’s to come in the final third of the season.

For starters, Tommy now knowing his BFF’s vigiliante secret “changes everything,” series lead Stephen Amell told moderator/DC Comics god Geoff Johns. “He saw me in the pilot kill three guys. And Tommy’s a good guy, he doesn’t want to have to reconcile that his friend would do that.” Plus, having Tommy in the know creates too thin of a “buffer” between Ollie’s worlds. “[Tommy] could just roll over in bed and say [to Laurel], ‘Oliver is the vigilante’ — and I don’t want that!”

RELATED | The CW Orders Early Renewals for Arrow, Supernatural and Vampire Diaries

As for the bombshell Dinah Lance dropped on daughter Laurel’s literal doorstep — that Sara is alive — executive producer Greg Berlanti’s intention was to start paying off notions set up in the pilot, and the sooner the better. “If we hadn’t planted [that] flag in the ground now, by the time you do, the audience wants to pay attention to other storylines.”

And Laurel’s reaction? “As if she didn’t have it hard enough!” Katie Cassidy joked. But seriously, following the initial shock, “She kind of gets sucked in by her mother a bit…. Her mother also has a lot more information than you necessarily think.”

RELATED | The CW Sets Finale Dates: Which Show Is Done First?

Other topics touched on during the PaleyFest Q&A:

MOIRA VS. MALCOLM | Oliver’s mother, said Susanna Thompson, “is once again between a rock and a hard place,” charged by Malcolm to track down the person who ordered the hit on him — aka her! “Shes making another deal with this particular devil,” all of which she does “for her family.” Shedding a sliver of light on the elder Merlyn’s motivations, EP Andrew Kreisberg said, “In a way, Malcolm is ‘evil Bruce Wayne.’ We talk about that moment in Batman Begins when Bruce goes through the training with Ra’s Al Ghul, and then is told to execute a criminal. In the movie, Bruce doesn’t do it; in our minds, Malcolm did.” Coming up, “You find out a lot more about Malcolm and what’s driving him, and about the very scary-sounding Undertaking.”

WHEN WILL THE CANARY SING? | Noting that it took Oliver five years to turn himself from bad boy billionaire into a killing machine, Guggenheim stressed that Laurel’s corresponding conversion to Black Canary “has to be earned, it has to be real.” (Same goes for Roy Harper/Speedy.) “The inciting incidents have to have dramatic reality to them,” he stressed. “We don’t want to disservice Laurel or Oliver by saying she could have a bad day, put on fishnets and start killing people.”

LOVIN’ DEATHSTROKE | The producers love visiting the island via flashback and hope to have Slade Wilson back as much as Manu Bennett’s schedule permits. But in addition to he and Oliver as a dingy, dynamic duo, “an unexpected third element” will soon be injected into their existence.

RELATED | Arrow‘s Felicity on Being Oliver’s Wingman, Her DC Wiki Page and More

A FELICITOUS MOMENT | Everyone credited Emily Bett Rickards with turning the (almost-)randomly named Felicity Smoake into a fan fave. Warner Bros. TV boss Peter Roth reportedly called the producers to remark, “I love the blonde IT girl!,” while Amell noted to his bosses, “I don’t think my character had cracked a smile” before he first met the computer wonk. David Ramsey, who plays Diggle, welcomes the new blood into the Arrowcave, quipping, “How many sit-ups can I watch this guy do?!”

EASTER EGG HUNT | Guggenheim said that nods to other DC properties/touchstones are typically “the very last thing we do” before locking in a script. Case in point: Naming Episode 6′s bankrobbers The Royal Flush Gang, or erecting a Big Belly Burger in town. Speaking of which….

ROAD TRIPS? | The city of Bludhaven — glimpsed last episode on a sign — will actually be visited this season, though Nightwing “will be out of town that week,” Kreisberg noted. As for other well-known DC Comics cities, he acknowledged, “There are two we will probably never go to — and you can probably figure out which those are.”

CLOTHED CALL | Berlanti said Arrow‘s cast came together more quickly than with any show he’s worked on, and that it was Amell’s “brilliant” audition — and not his abs — that cinched the gig.  “We did not see him without his shirt,” the EP shared. But once pilot footage started trickling in, Berlanti observed, “The stunt guy is really ripped! And [the director] said,’ No, that’s Stephen!’ And so the salmon ladder was born.”

WHO’S THE MYSTERY GUEST? | Asked by an audience member about the show’s knack for guest-casting genre TV faves like Torchwood‘s John Barrowman (Malcolm) and Fringe‘s Seth Gabel (soon to return as Vertigo), Kreisberg chose his words very carefully to tease, “There is an episode coming up with somebody who is one of the stars of a very popular genre show that you will all recognize and be happy that they’re on our show.” Guesses, anyone…?

The cast and crew of New Girl converged on the Saban Theatre in Los Angeles Monday night for PaleyFest 2013, and spilled scoop on Season 2′s remaining episodes, which will feature a road trip, a death, two key comebacks, flashbacks galore and… a possible cameo by Zooey Deschanel’s sister Emily?

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WINDY CITY FAREWELL | The death of Nick’s father finds the gang traveling to his native Chicago to hang with his family, including his mom (played by Emmy winner Margo Martindale). “It felt like a slightly different show for a week,” noted producer/director Jake Kasdan. “It felt like a pilot for a different show.” Spoiler alert: The Miller clan worships Nick and despises Jess, who for reasons that remain unclear dresses up like Elvis Presley in the episode.

ENCORES, ENCORES | Rob Reiner will reprise his role as Jess’ dad in Episode 24. Additionally, Dermot Mulroney pops up again as Jess’ ex Russell at a “very opportune moment” later this season, teased exec producer Brett Baer.

THE NAME GAME | Producers hinted that we may meet Schmidt’s mother next season. Also in the pipeline: Learning his real name.

REWIND | A flashback episode is currently in production, confirmed series creator Liz Meriwether. “It’s the story of how all of them lost their virginity,” she said, adding that Schmidt’s first time (with Nurse Jackie’s Merritt Wever) finds him getting “very overzealous with some lube.”

SISTER ACT | Deschanel revealed that her sister Emily nearly guest starred earlier this season as Jess’ carefree doppelganger Katie, but scheduling proved to be a problem. “She has no time because she has her own show,” she said. “And she also has a baby. It would be my greatest fantasy to have her on the show.”

Big chills are coming to the Big Easy.

American Horror Story creator Ryan Murphy revealed Friday evening on the final night of PaleyFest 2013 that the third installment of the FX frightfest would be subtitled Coven.

RELATED | American Horror Story Season 3: Ryan Murphy Teases Kathy Bates’ Turn as a ‘Bad, Bad Woman!’

He also confirmed that which was leaked last week, that the new season will film, in part, in New Orleans.

And while it’s obvious that witches figure into AHS: Coven, Murphy indicated that the show will once again conjure up a melange of scary themes. “It’s about a lot of things,” he said.

Turning to its genesis, he explained, “It’s a really cool story that we’ve been talking about for a couple of years actually, and this seemed the year to do it.”

As for the setting, Murphy reiterated that the narrative will take place in multiple cities, and that this marks the first year the show will go on the road and shoot on location. (The Harmon House and asylum interiors, he noted, were sets on a studio.)

When approaching Season 3, Murphy said, “The fun thing is researching what are the really haunted places in America, and we have a couple doozy locales.”

Asked about her role in Coven — which had previously been summed up as a “glamour cat” — threepeat cast member Jessica Lange said, “I don’t know what a ‘glamour cat’ is, but I am excited.”

RELATED | American Horror Story Season 3 Scoop: Evan Peters Will ‘Probably Be Playing a [Spoiler]‘

Other returning players include Lily Rabe, Sarah Paulson, Evan Peters, Frances Conroy and Taissa Farmiga, while Kathy Bates is the “new kid” on the block, playing what Murphy has called “a bad, bad woman,” someone “five times worse than [her] Misery character — which is why she liked it.”

Bates joined the PaleyFest panel toward the end, saying that she won’t have a bead on her character “until I’ve gotten in and walked around in her shoes yet, but I’m awfully excited.”

“I wanted to see a lot of scenes of Jessica Lange and Kathy Bates going at it,” Murphy said of Horror Story‘s latest great casting get, “so that’s what you’re going to see.”