Question: This question has been eating away at me for months and I’m hoping you can help me out. I’ve always enjoyed spoilers. I’m the impatient type, and summer is usually the worst stretch of time for me. TVGuide.com is obviously known for giving out little tidbits here and there about certain shows, but why aren’t we “allowed” to know specific details? I’ll use “CSI” as an example, or more to the point, Jorja Fox. She will either be back or she won’t, and we already know that at least one reporter knows the truth, so why can’t we be in on the secret? I guess my question is: Where’s the line? What’s the difference between a spoiler and knowing who will be back for what episodes? Does this depend on what the reporter is willing to divulge? And what would happen if they did, against the producers’ or writers’ wishes? Some part of me admires the fact that reporters are willing to keep a secret, but the much more selfish side doesn’t quite understand why they would when it is their job to keep us informed! – Sharon

Matt Roush: You’re really barking up the wrong tree here. I don’t necessarily mind spoilers, in moderation, but there are certain things that really ought not to be leaked, and a major plot angle like the fate of Sara after the cliff-hanger may be one of them. (The twist at the end of “Lost” last season is another, and I’m glad that, despite the odds, I was able to stay in the dark until I watched the actual episode.) Given that the character’s future is tied up with what no doubt are complex contract negotiations, it’s pretty amazing if it hasn’t been leaked already. I honestly think we are sometimes too much in the loop when it comes to the machinations of many TV shows. If you know an actor is only going to do X number of episodes, that already takes some of the fun out of wondering where his or her character’s particular story arc might be headed. But in the case of Sara, Jorja Fox and “CSI”, the producers seem to want to keep all of this as under wraps as possible, and while I’m aware there are reporters in my own midst who know more than I do, I’m glad they’re not telling me or anyone else just yet. We’re not talking government secrets here, we’re talking about a popular TV show that may want to save some of its surprises for the time an episode actually airs. If we’re doing our jobs right, we’ll be prepared to report that story to its fullest when the time comes. And if that means playing ball with the producers at times and agreeing not to leak something we may already have confirmed, why is that a crime? It’s not our job to ruin the TV-watching experience for everyone. Going back many years, if anyone had blown for me the fact that Henry Blake wouldn’t make it back home on “M*A*S*H”, or that Rosalind Shays would fall down the elevator shaft on “L.A. Law” or that Andy Sipowicz’s son would be killed in an off-duty incident on “NYPD Blue”, I don’t think I would have ever forgiven them.