ABC/Craig SjodinThings aren't exactly great in Huckleberry Quinn land. The relationship between Scandal favorites Quinn (Katie Lowes) and Huck (Guillermo Diaz) took a very dark turn in the first part of the ABC show's winter finale. Yes, we're talking about that torture scene.
"Well, the first time we read it was at the table read and me and Katie were sitting next to each other," Diaz told E! News. "I just remember both of us getting really emotional. I mean, there Huck is torturing someone who is in the family. He's never tortured someone who he loves before. It was weird, it was exhilarating, it was scary...but me and Katie feel really comfortable with each other so we felt good being able to be really close up with each other and touching each other...It was really fun and intense to shoot."
And it's safe to say things will never be the same for the up-and-coming dynamic duo.
We want to start out with that lick and the torture scene. What was filming that like?
Katie: Yeah, actually what's weird is it kind of felt like the lick was less—It's so funny, it's weird, but Guillermo and I are fortunately close in real life and, I mean, I can't think on my hand how many friends have licked my face, but it oddly that part—it was a mixture of a lot of things, and at the end of the day, I think that Guillermo and I just really, really trust each other. And as intense and crazy as things got, in between every take he was constantly like "Are you OK? Is this too much? Is that too much?" I think that we really went for it. I think that our closeness and our friendship maybe probably allowed us to do those things.
What's surprised you most about your storyline?
Katie: For me it's that he tortured her at all! I, and maybe Guillermo you feel the same way, but the table read previous to this one ended with Quinn walking into her apartment and there being a toolbox out on a tarp. For a week before we read the next script, I could barely sleep at night. I was thinking to myself, "There's no way. There's just no way. He's going to threaten her and maybe he's going to show her a couple tools and scare the crap out of her, but he's not actually going to go through with it"—
Guillermo: Right, we didn't think it was going to get to this, like go this far: Him pulling a tooth out.
Katie: Right. It's such a testament to Shonda Rhimes in that however far you think is too far, she will always go further. Or whatever you think is going to happen, is never what happens. We all were convinced—even everyone in the makeup and hair trailer—we were like, "There's no way he's going to torture you. You're going to be fine." But cue the next table read and I am just picking my jaw up off the ground. [Laughs.]
Do you think your characters are changed forever? Is there any going back from this?
Guillermo: I think they're definitely going to come back from it, I don't know how, but I think they're both tortured and they're both jaded now, but they're still part of the same dysfunctional family. They're both kind of coming from the same world somewhat. Quinn tortured someone a little bit for that Cytron card. I just can't wait to see how Shonda is going to try and make it work. I don't think they're going anywhere. I think they're going to stay in each other's lives and somehow, as crazy as it sounds, I think they're going to get past it.
Katie: Oh my god.
Guillermo: They have to.
Katie: My fingers and toes are crossed for that—if Quinn has fingers and toes—but I do think Quinn will forever be changed from the experience. I do. I do think she'll be forever changed and I don't know what Huckleberry Quinn's relationship will look like in the future. I feel like the fans on Twitter who just root for them. We have so many amazing fans on twitter who are just devastated that they can't ship Huckleberry Quinn's names together anymore. They're just absolutely devastated by it. I feel for them and I hold out hope, but I don't know. I don't know what's going to happen.
What kind of reactions have you guys gotten?
Katie: What kind have you gotten, G?
Guillermo: I've gotten a lot of people saying, "That's what she gets! He warned her. He should've killed her!" It's been kind of brutal.
Katie: Yeah.
Guillermo: Then there are some people tweeting that they can't see Huck in the same way and they used to like him and now they don't anymore. And it was way too much, they went too far, he's crazy.
Katie: I have the same. I have a lot of "Noooo! How could this happen?" to "That's what you deserve, you're a betrayer." I kind of feel like that's right where you want to be, the worst thing would be to be ignorable.
Guillermo: Exactly, yeah.
Katie: You want people to have strong opinions.
Can you guys fill in the blank here? The winter finale will leave fans _________.
Guillermo: Will leave fans on the floor.
Katie: I mean it's hard, there's not one word to describe it. It will leave fans speechless.
Guillermo: Wanting more.
We were kind of bummed to hear the episode order was cut, but for good reason we're hearing.
Guillermo: Yeah, I think it's just going to make each of the episodes we have left to do that much better because we don't have that many. I think Shonda's just going to concentrate on making them the best that they can be, you know what I mean? So, it's a good thing.
Katie: Yeah, they're going to be so jam-packed now. It's going to be pedal to the metal for 8 episodes of total OMG insane crazy moments that the fans really love. I think in the end it will make the quality of the work really great.
What's been the most fun?
Katie: I feel so lucky. I mean, I think the torture scenes were just—I don't think I've ever been that challenged before in my professionally short career. I emailed Shonda right after I saw the episode for the opportunity to get to go there. I have to say, I have a lot of fun filming with George Newbern, who plays Charlie. I think their relationship is just the oddest. It's really offbeat and Charlie as a character who says the most—everything he says is so creepy and scary and kind of like thrown away. I really, really enjoy working with him. I feel really lucky. A lot of my stuff right now is with George and Guillermo. Hello, it's like Christmas Day!
Guillermo: For me, I think one of the most exciting things for me was when we were taking the chip out of Maya Pope, Olivia's mother. I wasn't expecting that type of scene to happen in our show. It was such an action-movie spy moment and it came off so great in the episode. I thought it was really cool.
We read Shonda has been thinking about a B613 spinoff. So maybe we'd see more of that.
Guillermo: I will do whatever Shonda asks of me.
Katie: Same here. Any day, any time, any place.
Guillermo: Totally. Whatever she wants me to wear. Whatever!
Scandal's midseason finale airs Thursday, Dec. 12, at 10 p.m. on ABC. Season three continues on Thursday, Feb. 27.