SPOILERS!

Latest from TV Guide's Ausiello:

Question: I've been in London for four weeks and have dropped your name multiple times to Brits obsessed with Lost. Surely, recruiting overseas Ausholes earns the name of the person on the freighter! — Elizabeth
Ausiello: Actually, it earns you something even better: some exclusive casting prattle! I have it on good authority that Nestor Carbonell has inked a deal to reprise his role as ageless island dweller Richard in at least one of this season's final five episodes. In confirming the news, exec producer Carlton Cuse (i.e., the good authority I spoke of earlier) described the former Cane thesp as "a tremendous actor" whose "return will lead to some very interesting revelations."

Question: In last week's Ask Ausiello, you mentioned that "nearly everyone" was onboard for next season except Kristen Kreuk and Michael Rosenbaum. Is Allison Mack included in that "nearly everyone"? — Donny
Ausiello: Yes, the A Mackster has already re-upped for next season. I hear that keeping Chloe around was a top priority for producers given the uncertainty surrounding Kreuk and Rosenbaum's future involvement. Speaking of which, exec producer Al Gough gave TV Guide's Rich Sands an update on the duo's contract talks. "Kristin will be back for a portion of the season — likely the first third," he said, "and Michael… quite frankly, those negotiations are just getting started. So there's no word one way or the other whether he'll be back next year or not." According to my moles (but unconfirmed by Gough), best-case scenario, Rosenbaum will be in 18 episodes. Second-best-case scenario, he'll do 11. Worst-case scenario, he'll no longer have any use for this.

Question: Got any Smallville scoop? — Miranda
Ausiello: In light of news that Lana will be MIA for most of next season, click on this link and ask yourselves, "Is this Clark's next major love interest?"

Question: I need to know who is on that boat on Lost! — Kelly
Ausiello: Well, Kelly, there’s Sayid and Desmonds (1996 and 2004 editions) and the corpse of Fisher Stevens and some guy named Keamey… and I know that’s not who you mean, but the identity of Ben’s boat buddy is one scoop that Team Darlton is not letting slip, at least not until tomorrow night. In the meantime, try this Lost head-scratcher on for size: I have it on good authority that an upcoming, post-strike episode features both a pair of Arabic-speaking, horseback-riding Bedouins and a luxury doorman of British extraction. Without knowing whether it’s a flashback or flash-forward, whose episode could that be? I had an extra bowl of crazy this morning, so I’m going with a consciousness-imploding guess: Charles Widmore, who is: A) a shadowy figure who has been coming into focus in recent weeks, B) a rich British dude and C) perhaps interested in those polar bear skeletons Charlotte found in the deserts of Tunisia, no? Any more sane guesses? Post 'em here!

Question: I don't know if I can wait until April/May for more Bones! Any scoop? — A. Boyd
Ausiello: Ryan O'Neal is returning for one of the two post-strike episodes. That's all I got.

Question: Any Lost news? — Franci

Ausiello: You know that series-regular death I alluded to a few weeks back? Well, tomorrow night's the night! But riddle me this, Lost fans: When is a death not a death, but a brand-new mystery all its own? Meanwhile, I was going to close this week's column by revealing the identity of the remaining members of Lost's super-cool clique, the Oceanic Six, but most of you seem to have it already figured out: *o* *a* *** **e **l* **** *i***.