Mama's back in town.
As the final moments of last week's Scandal revealed, it was Olivia Pope's terrorist mother Maya (Khandi Alexander) who was really pulling Peus and the mystery woman's strings, puppeting them into stealing the presidency. And now that she's returned, getting her drink on, no one is safe—least of all Madame President-Elect Mellie Grant.
"You know, whatever fear lurks in your heart about Papa Pope, I think you should multiply it by infinity because Mama Pope is a real predator. That she is back in town and has Mellie in her sights is the most terrifying thing our writers could've thought of for me, personally," Bellamy Young told E! News ahead of the big two-hour season six finale. "I mean, for me, selfishly, nothing could make me happier because Khandi Alexander hung the moon and having her back gives me constant delight and there is particularly one monologue in the first hour of the finale that I am ripping out stitches to see. But yeah, Mama Pope is the real deal and it is terrifying. Terrifying."
That said, this is still Scandal and we've still got two hours to go. You know there are still plenty of twists and turns to come. "Oh, it's Scandal. Nothing it as it seems. No, no, no. You've just scratched the surface," Young teased. "That up and dirty martini is a little amuse bouche. There's a four-course meal!"
As Olivia (Kerry Washington) and the rest of the Gladiators spring into action to stop the first female president from being assassinated as she's sworn into office, Fitz (Tony Goldwyn) will be counting down his final moments in office. And, as Young teased when asked for three words to describe the finale, nothing will ever be the same. "Everything must change," she said, before admitting that Twitter's going to be full of a lot of a particular sort of emoji by the time the final credits roll on season six.
"Oh, gosh, I don't know," she said when asked to predict the hashtag fans will have trending. "How about just like a series of terrified cat emojis?! [Laughs]"
Goldwyn, who directed the second of tonight's two hours, admitted to E! News that, while we'll get some resolution tonight, things are going to get just a little bit insane. "I feel super thrilled to be [directing] the season finale, which is always exciting. This one is crazy," he teased. "It's all about the inauguration of Mellie and what's going to happen there. Things get out of control...We get some resolution about Olivia Pope and Fitz and what's going to happen there...You sort of check in with every character. Every person has their crisis and is launched into season seven in a really interesting way."
For more from Goldwyn, including the scoop on how Shonda Rhimes broke the news to the cast that season seven would be the final season, be sure to check out the video above!
Scandal's two-hour season finale airs Thursday, May 18 at 9 p.m. on ABC.