The Ausiello Files: Scoop about Neil Patrick Harris' role on 'Glee'

Glee‘s Teacher Has a New Foe: Neil Patrick Harris
New details are leaking out about Neil Patrick Harris’ highly hyped-by-me May sweeps guest appearance on Glee, and I’m fairly certain Will Schuester isn’t going to like any of ’em. ”I’m playing an antagonist to Matthew Morrison’s character,” reveals Harris of his role as anti-arts crusader (and Will’s high school glee-club nemesis) Bryan Ryan. ”When they were growing up, there was a lot of animosity.”

According to a Glee insider, the episode (directed by Harris’ Dr. Horrible collaborator Joss Whedon) will feature flashback scenes that show the popular Bryan ”picking up all the girls and getting the solos” while geeky Will ”sits off in the sidelines.”

The stage for a present-day rematch is set when Harris’ character — now a board member at William McKinley High — announces his intent to cut the arts programs at the school. ”Show choir ruined his life, made him feel he could be a star, but all he could do is book Carnival cruises,” explains the source. ”Now he wants vengeance.” This being Glee, the rivals vent their frustrations through song — in this case, a rockin’ version of the classic Aerosmith power ballad ”Dream On.” But don’t call it a duet. Technically, says Harris, ”we sing at each other.”

But the drama doesn’t end there: Look for a twist ending that involves Will’s other enemy, Sue Sylvester (Jane Lynch), that’s too juicy to spoil.

SCOOPLETS

Dexter Wants to Make Dex Suffer
Now, this is just mean: Those grim reapers over at Dexter will force their now-widowed title character (Michael C. Hall) to endure all five stages of grief when the Showtime drama returns in the fall. That means picking up right where season 4 left off — with Dexter reeling from the shocking murder of Rita (Julie Benz). ”We need to see Dexter doing everything from grieving the loss to arranging a funeral,” explains executive producer Sara Colleton. ”It would be cheating the audience of their catharsis to not show how [the death] affects him, or to not see him dealing with the blowback of what he essentially caused.” But he may get a reprieve in another area: Colleton says it’s unlikely season 5 will find Dex facing off against a Trinity-esque villain. ”John Lithgow is a tough act to follow,” she concedes. ”If there was ever a year that we could take a step back from the big bad formula and go deeper into Dexter and his psychology, this would be that year.”

Is Greek Pulling a Lost?
Although ABC Family isn’t saying Greek‘s just-ordered fourth season (to air in late summer) will be the show’s last, ”that is our plan,” reveals series creator Patrick Sean Smith. ”We’re looking at it as an opportunity to wrap up the show and go out on top.”

Housewives Hunts for Edie 2.0
Desperate Housewives boss Marc Cherry confirms that he’s planning to add a new vixen to the cast to fill the void left by Nicollette Sheridan’s Edie-kind of. ”I don’t know if I’d use the word vixen,” he says. ”We hope to add a sexy troublemaker, but I’m not so sure it’ll be a woman.”

(Additional reporting by Carrie Bell)