ABC/Craig SjodinTGIT.
After a torturous summer spent wondering where the huck Olivia (Kerry Washington) and Jake (Scott Foley) jetted off to in the season three finale, Scandal, an addictive drug disguised as a TV show, is finally back in our lives, taking the middle slot in in ABC's Shonday (Sorry Thursday, you've been replaced!) block of programming along with Grey's Anatomy and How to Get Away With Murder.
Here are 13 things you absolutely, positively need to know before pouring yourself a big glass of red wine (or apple juice, for those under 21!) and settling in on your couch in your finest white cashmere clothing (or grease-stained sweats, we won't judge!) for Scandal's fourth season...
1. Following Columbus Short's very public exit from the series, his character Harrison will be the first original Gladiator to bite the dust, and his death will not be dealt with lightly. "I think the key with every character's exit on all of our shows is the writers try to find the most appropriate and interesting and phenomenal way of exiting the character," executive producer Betsy Beers tells us. "I think, as a fan, they found an amazing explosive and dramatic way for him to exit."
2. Prepare to see the OPA Gladiators in mourning after the death of Harrison. "We deal with it," Darby Stanchfield says. "I don't think it's dealt with in one episode. It's good." Fellow Gladiator Giullermo Diaz adds, "Nobody can really believe it happened. And Huck kind of hides his feelings and doesn't show too much emotion, but I'm sure it's all going to come out at some point." Uh-oh, hide ALL of the drills.
3. Speaking of drills, expect to see more Huckleberry Quinn in season four, as Giullermo teases, "That sexual tension is still here between them, for sure." Hm...not sure how we feel about that. Moving on!
4. As for our favorite redhead, "Abby's very different," Darby previews. "She's very changed." And Olivia's disappearing act will weigh most heavily on Abby, as she adds, "She took that quite hard."
5. Portia de Rossi is set to shake things up in a major way as…well, she's not even allowed to say who she is playing! I can say that she's very powerful and she's a power player in D.C.," the guest star spills. However, we do know one little nugget of info about her character: she's a Republican!
6. Borrowing Olivia's white hat this season? Fitz (Tony Goldwyn) and Cyrus (Jeff Perry), who are both still reeling from major losses in their personal lives. (RIP, Jerry and James!) They "are kind of both in their own ways actually intent on not just putting out fires, but leaving behind a better country," Jeff Perry says of the duo's plans now that Fitz has been re-elected. "So they are incredibly focused on political change…they actually make some headway, it's cool."
7. Expect First Lady Mellie (Bellamy Young) to surprise you in the premiere with the way she's grieved the loss of her son, as Bellamy Young previews, "Where Mellie is physically and emotionally and mentally is uncharted territory. " (Fingers crossed for an appearance by Drunk Mellie!)
8. As for our heroine-in-white, who decided to leave on a jet with Jake at the end of the season? "You'll see where she went and you'll see her struggling with everything that's going on," Kerry Washington coyly previews of Olivia when we catch up with her in the premiere. Not much to go on, we know.
9. But Kerry felt so bad about not being able to give us some spoilers, that she did offer us up a headline: "We Found Out Where Olivia Pope Is and It's Crazier Than We Imagined."
10. Will she still be with Jake though?! Scott Foley wasn't spilling any major secrets, but pointed out that Jake was nowhere to be seen in that first preview, which featured Olivia enjoying a glass of vino on the beach. "I haven't seen me there in the promos!"
11. Aside from De Rossi, other newbies in season four include Private Practice's Brian Benben in a top-secret role and Lost alum Sonya Walger in a top-secret role. Sensing a theme here?