Is it September yet? With six months standing between now and the season five premiere of Dexter, I tried to pry some serious scoop out of Michael C. Hall, Julie Benz, Jennifer Carpenter and the rest of the gang—begging didn’t work, and neither did bribing!—and while they were tightlipped, I did manage to learn a thing or two about what’s to come while moderating the show panel at Paley Fest Thursday night. We also learned how Michael’s health is now, and watched him and his real-life wife Jennifer answer a question about their marriage for the first time. Spoiler Alert! If you have still haven’t seen the Dexter season four finale, please look no further. All of what you’ll see after the jump will definitely ruin it for you. Here are the highlights you Dexter fans need to know …

After the jump, read some of the spoilery deets that were discussed last night (courtesy of E!) and see a bunch of really fun photos of the individual castmembers in attendance last night …

1. When I asked if anyone in the audience hadn’t seen the season four finale, in which–again, not kidding about the Spoiler Alert here!–Rita was killed at the hands of Trinity, Miss Julie Benz was the first to jokingly raise her hand. Still, she says she’s come to terms with what happened and “I don’t think much about it any more.”

2. There will be no time jumping, as some fans have speculated. In fact, executive producer Sara Colleton promises we’ll “be able to grieve” the tragic loss of Rita, and see how Dexter responds to his world being turned upside-down. “I look forward to the comedy that will come along with that, because Dexter has never been pitied before,” said Michael C. Hall.

3. We’ll “discover that it changes things” between Dex and Deb now that she knows the Ice Truck Killer (Bryan Moser) was his real brother. “That’s a lot for her to take in,” Michael explains. “It’s a lot for her to deny.”

4. Michael, who announced his battle with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma in January, looked healthy and happy, and told the audience that he’s doing well. “I’m great on the health front.” In fact, he says he just had a treatment last night (pretty incredible he made it to the event) and only has one treatment left, but says he is already cancer free. Huge round of applause for that. Michael also received a standing ovation–of every single person in the audience–when he came out on stage, which I’ve never seen in the many years covering the Paley Fest. Earlier on the press line, Michael’s wife Jennifer told me that his Golden Globe win (amid all the frightening news in January) was “the best night of my life.”

5. When a fan in the audience addressed the “elephant in the room,” and asked Michael and Jennifer what it’s like to be married in real life while playing brother and sister on Dexter, Jennifer told Michael “You answer,” but then cut him off with a “keep it short” as he started to answer, “Well, we met at work…” Then she quickly told him “that’s enough” so he laughed and stopped talking. “That’s basically us right there,” he said, as everyone laughed. It was pretty cute, and I can tell you that backstage these two seem very happy, walking around hand in hand and smiling. She’s obviously a huge support to him and vice versa.

6. Ick factor alert! Sara took the focus off the awkward Michael-Jennifer real-life couple Q by pronouncing that Deb and Dex aren’t blood related, so a coupling isn’t out of the question. Say wha?!? Here’s hoping they never go there. Sorry, Dex, but Deb already did the whole serial killer romance thing and it didn’t work out so well!

7. According to departing show runner Clyde Phillips, the writers had Trinity kill Rita in the bathtub (instead of having her jump off the building, which seemed to better fit his pattern of kills) to bring the season full circle. “We wanted to end the season in Dexter’s house, where it started,” Clyde said, adding that they also wanted to return to the iconic image of the baby covered in you-know-what (I can’t say it), as Dexter was as a child.

8. Dexter will have to come to terms with what Rita’s death means for both his stepchildren, Cody and Astor, and their infant son, Harrison. “When they first told me I was getting killed off,” said Julie, “I thought, ‘What about the baby!?’ I forgot it was a TV baby and not real.”

9. Are newlyweds Bautista and Laguerta already done for? Not yet, but Lauren Velez is hoping “for this huge wrench to be thrown in the works.” Why?!

10. Desmond Harrington wants Quinn to hook up with…Masuka (C.S. Lee)?! Just jokes, but of a possible relationship with Deb, he told us: “They’re both wounded people and they definitely have a chemistry.”

11. If Julie’s stint on Desperate Housewives and her new ABC pilot No Ordinary Family don’t pan out, she told me she’s destined to be a popstar! Don’t act like you don’t remember her breathtaking rendition of Karma Chameleon in the minivan last season! “That was the most mortifying moment of my life,” she joked.

12. Dexter won’t automatically be cleared of all wrongdoing in Rita’s death. In fact, MCH told me “he’s in hot water”—no pun intended. How will he explain all that blood and Rita missing, when he can’t tell the force that he knew Arthur Mitchell? Will Battista remember Mitchell being at the station visiting Dexter? All questions to come.

13. The showrunners wouldn’t give me a definitive answer on whether or not there would be a new big bad in season five, but Sara did hint towards a no, saying the focus will really be turned back onto Dexter and his internal struggle with everything going on—something the series has never done before.

14. Can Dexter ever have any sense of normalcy and suppress his inner demons? For the time being, “the Dark Passenger is definitely back.” Waaah!

Firstly … I love these photos. It’s so great to see everyone together again, lookin’ happy and well. And OMG, I cannot WAIT ’til September. I really wanted to attend last night’s event but it’s really geared towards Paley Center members and it really isn’t cost effective to pay a yearly membership just to attend one event every 3 years. Still, it would’ve been nice to be there in person :) I’m excited for more Dexter … but we have a loooooong time to wait. I gotta say, tho, this little update is the perfect snack to help tide me over ’til the show returns this Fall.

[Photo credit: Wireimage; Source]

They look so happy, so in love. I love these photos. As you may recall, MCH announced a couple of weeks ago that he is successfully battling cancer but you wouldn’t know it by looking at the smile on his face. I wish nothing but the best for MCH and Jenny C. May they live long and very happy lives together!!

[Photo credit: Bauer-Griffin]

The Screen Actors Guild Awards are voted on by members of the Screen Actors Guild so, essentially, the actors themselves decide who gave the most award-winning performances of the year. Except for the Academy Awards, I believe the SAG Award is the most coveted by actors because they are given by the actors themselves. Quentin Tarantino’s Inglourious Basterds took home the top award last night for the Best Ensemble Performance Award (Film) while Glee took home the award for Best Ensemble Performance Award (Television Comedy) and Mad Men took home the award for Best Ensemble Performance Award (Television Drama). After the jump, check out some photos from the show itself and find out who else took home trophies from the 16th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards last night …

Quentin Tarantino’s bloody World War Two revenge flick “Inglourious Basterds” won the top honor at the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Awards Saturday, a key indicator of possible Oscars contenders. After being overlooked in favor of science fiction epic “Avatar” at last week’s Golden Globes, “Inglourious Basterds” revitalized its Oscar hopes by scooping the best ensemble performance award. The SAG Awards are seen as a bellwether of likely winners at the Academy Awards, which take place this year on March 7. For the past two years, the winner of the SAG Awards best ensemble statuette has gone on to win best picture at the Oscars, with “Slumdog Millionaire” triumphing in 2009 and “No Country For Old Men” prevailing in 2008. Actor Eli Roth accepted the award Saturday on behalf of the “Inglorious Basterds” cast, which included Brad Pitt who was nowhere to be seen Saturday. Roth paid tribute to “Pulp Fiction” director Tarantino in his acceptance speech. “Quentin your belief in us lets us rise to the occasion and brings out the best in all of us, it was an honor to be a part of this,” Roth said. Other films nominated in the category included “An Education,” “The Hurt Locker,” “Nine,” and “Precious.” Top individual acting honors were won by Hollywood veteran Jeff Bridges and Sandra Bullock in a repeat of last week’s Golden Globe Awards. The wins cement Bridges’s and Bullock’s status as Oscars front-runners. Bridges, 60, won for his portrayal of a washed up country singer battling to rebuild his career in the drama “Crazy Heart.” “This means so much to be acknowledged by my acting family,” Bridges said. “It’s like a big family, playing advanced version of pretend. I love being an actor, pretending to be other folks.” Bridges beat out competition from George Clooney for “Up in the Air,” Colin Firth for “A Single Man,” Morgan Freeman for “Invictus” and Jeremy Renner for Iraq war drama “The Hurt Locker.” Bullock triumphed for her portrayal of Leigh Anne Tuohy in “The Blind Side,” the true story of how the southern housewife took in homeless black teen Michael Oher, who went on to become an American football star. “If this were only not televised so I could use the appropriate words I’m feeling right now,” Bullock, 45, said in her acceptance speech, which included a heartfelt tribute to her husband of five years Jesse James. “You get dressed up in monkey suits and sit at tables with people you don’t know,” Bullock said. “I love you so much and you’re really hot and I want you so much” … In the supporting actor categories, Austria’s Christoph Waltz followed up his success at the Golden Globes to underscore his status as Oscars favorite. Waltz won for his performance as a deranged Nazi officer in “Inglourious Basterds” … The best supporting actress award was also a repeat of the Golden Globes, with Mo’nique taking home the statuette for her performance as an abusive parent in the gritty drama “Precious.”

Michael C. Hall took home an award for his work on Dexter, Tina Fey won for 30 Rock, Drew Barrymore won for her work on Grey Gardens and, as I mentioned above, Glee took home the TV ensemble award last night. I truly hope these SAG Award winners do foreshadow what will happen at the Academy Awards this year. Inglorious Basterds is a much more deserving film of the Best Picture award and I would be quite happy if that film won the Oscar this year. Click HERE to see the full list of Screen Actors Guild Award winners last night and find out if your faves took home awards last night.

[Photo credit: Wireimage; Source]

Skarsgard, 33, who plays brooding vampire Eric Northman on the HBO hit series True Blood, will begin shooting season three along with the rest of the cast later this month. The actor told RadarOnline.com that fans can expect a lot more from Eric this time around. “There’s a lot of nudity,” he said. “As far as Eric goes, there’s going to be a lot violence and a lot of sex — with women and men! So it should be interesting.” At 6-foot-four, Alexander’s model good looks are just as striking in person as they are on the small screen. Last season, he had to get up close and personal with True Blood co-star Anna Paquin — who in real life is engaged to co-star Stephen Moyer. But Skarsgard says there’s no tension on set. “No. I mean, I can’t wait to get back to my L.A. family,” he said referring to the True Blood cast. “I love Stephen, we’re friends and I love Anna. They’re great together. I actually think it makes things easier that way.” So there were absolutely no sparks flying between Skarsgard and Paquin during last season’s steamy love scenes? “Not at all,” he said. “Anna and I are completely platonic, and Stephen knows that.”

“A lot of nudity” — yeah, that is *just* what I was hopin’ to hear ;) I love Skarsgård and I’m always glad to see him out and about at these types of events … he seems like such a nice, approachable guy. As far as the other guests, well, it looks like GQ took grain pains to ensure that their event was a classy affair (Levi Johnston’s attendance notwithstanding). I’m all for celebrating Men of any Year no matter the occasion … especially hotties like these :)

[Photo credit: Wireimage; Source]

While there were a lot of pretty people on the red carpet (Alyson Hannigan looked amazing, as did Drew Barrymore) the real focus of the night was on who won what for which TV show. After the jump, check out some photos from the Emmy telecast itself, see some photos of the Emmy winners in the press room and find out who took home those coveted trophies at last night’s Emmy Awards …

After starting with 16 nominations, “Mad Men” won just three Emmy Awards at the 61st Primetime Emmy Awards on Sunday night — but one of them was the big one, best drama series. The AMC show about ad agency executives in early 1960s Manhattan often competed against itself, particularly in the category of episode writing, where it had four of the five possible nominations. “Mad Men” also won best drama last year. “30 Rock” won best comedy at Sunday’s awards. The show won five Emmys overall. “We want to thank our friends at NBC … for keeping us on the air, even though we are so much more expensive than a talk show,” said star Tina Fey in accepting the honor. Glenn Close won best actress in a drama for her performance in “Damages,” but she turned her speech into praise for her colleagues. “I want to salute what I call my ‘category sisters,’ ” she said. “I respect you, and I’m inspired by your talent.” She also paid tribute to the show’s writers. Bryan Cranston of AMC’s “Breaking Bad” won his second straight Emmy as best actor in a drama. “I don’t know what I’m doing up here,” he said. “I feel like Cinderfella. … I stand here a humbled man.” Alec Baldwin won best actor in a comedy series for his performance in “30 Rock.” Toni Collette (“The United States of Tara”) won best actress in a comedy. Collette’s win was a mild surprise, as Tina Fey, of “30 Rock,” was considered a heavy favorite.

The thing that stuck me the most about the show was how much camaraderie was being tossed about … from everyone to everyone else. Heaps of praise was laid upon Neil Patrick Harris’s performance as Emmy host and the winners kept congratulating others … it was really nice to see. Here are a few photos of some of the winners hoisting up their Emmy trophies in the press room last night:

Much congrats goes out to all the winners … even if I don’t watch all of the shows that win, it’s clear that they are much beloved by viewers and Emmy voters and they are really deserving of their accolades. Click HERE for a list of last night’s 2009 Emmy Award winners.

[Photo credit: Wireimage; Source]

Truth be told, if I were standing that close to hottie Michael C. Hall, I might sweat thru my clothes too … but she’s married to him so that cannot be the reason. Fans of Dexter might know that this is TOTALLY something that Jennifer Carpenter’s Dexter character, Deb Morgan, might do if she were forced to appear in front of a galley of press folks (then she’d cuss up a swear-storm afterward) … perhaps Ms. Carpenter was just really in character at yesterday’s appearance? In any event, I love Dexter, I love Michael C. Hall and I love Jennifer Carpenter … pit stains and all.

PS: I’d like to dedicate THIS song to Jennifer Carpenter.

[Photo credit: X17]

They play brother and sister on “Dexter.” Now in real life, Michael C. Hall and Jennifer Carpenter are husband and wife. Hall’s spokesman, Craig Bankey, said on Friday that the couple eloped in California on New Year’s Eve. They’ll walk the red carpet together at the Golden Globe Awards on Sunday — the first time publicly acknowledging their relationship. Hall, 37, and Carpenter, 29, just finished the third season of “Dexter,” the Showtime series in which Hall plays the murderous title character. They’ve been quietly dating for about a year and a half. At their wedding, Carpenter’s grandfather’s wedding band was attached to her bouquet of white roses.

OMG, I love it! Despite the marginally creepy (yet fictional) notions of incest that the marriage of these actors who play television siblings stirs up, I am very happy for the both of them. I’m not at all surprised that they chose to be wed in secret (after all, their entire romantic relationship has pretty much stayed off the celebrity radar from the beginning) … but I am a bit shocked that they decided to get married so soon. Meh, if they’re ready for wedlock then I with them all the best. Congrats, again, and much love to the happy couple!!

[Photo credit: Wireimage; Source, thanks Jennifer]

From everything that I’ve seen from previews of Quarantine, it looks like Tarantino pretty much made an exact replica of the original Spanish film … which is good, in my opinion. I’ve seen [REC] and I loved every second of it … it’s reminiscent of Cloverfield, which I also loved immensely. If Quarantine can be as good as the Spanish original, then I think that US audiences are gonna eat it up. I love Jennifer Carpenter on Dexter so I’m excited to see her in this new film. Dania Ramirez bugs me TO DEATH on Heroes but it’s more the fault of her character rather than her own. As long as she’s not crying black tears and inadvertently killing everyone — and then whining about it afterward — in this new movie, I think I can be cool with her ;) Quarantine is in theaters now!

[Photo credit: Splash News]

The first time that we saw these two out in public together (ie. together together) was late last year when the couple were first spied out on a date together. While I *still* find it creepy that these on-screen sibs are dating in real life (because I have a problem separating reality from TV) I think they look good together. I understand, by way of a little bird in the know, that they are very happy together and I guess that is all that matters. New eps of Dexter premiere on Showtime on September 28 … so, woot!

[Photo credit: X17]

Wee!! I’m very excited that Dexter is coming back with new eps. This show has surpassed 24 as my favorite TV drama and I am very anxious to see where things will go in the next season — especially after watching the preview trailer for the new season which debuted at Comic Con in San Diego this weekend. After the jump, check out the trailer in full …