Why must The Mentalist bring back Cho's love interest Summer? I don't like her! — Ellen
ADAM: Don't worry, Ellen: Summer (guest star Samaire Armstrong) won't be back until around midseason. Before then, you'll get to see a whole new side of Cho when he becomes the leader of the CBI SWAT team! "Of all our guys, he's the one to go in first and kick in the door and to actually get physical with people," executive producer Bruno Heller tells us. But his promotion may come with a price. "When you have a hammer in your hand, every problem looks like a nail," Heller warns. "Being addicted to thrills is a very dangerous road to go down in the long run because you have to keep upping the ante."

 

Question: Anything about The Mentalist! —Sonia

Ausiello: Amanda Righetti’s real-life pregnancy (which, as we previously reported, will not be written into Van Pelt’s storyline) will create a vacancy on the show’s canvas this spring — one that may or may not be filled. "It’s hard to say how long [she'll be gone] because these things are not predictable,” admits exec producer Bruno Heller, adding, "We’re talking about [whether to bring in someone new] now. But we’re not going to replace her just to have another face in the room. It depends. If we come up with a good story, then yes. If not, no.” Heller goes on to say it’s unlikely her departure will be turned into a major plot point. "We’ll explain [her absence],” he explains. "But this is not the kind of show where we do elaborate, stunty exits… I think we will find something a little more normal for her absence and not [have] her in jail or on charged with murder or kidnapped or anything like that.”