Professional fixer Olivia Pope will find herself on the other side of a major, well, Scandal when ABC's hit drama returns for Season 3 this fall.
In the season finale, Fitz (Tony Goldwyn) and Olivia (Kerry Washington) called it quits once again after learning of each other's misdeeds. (Remember when POTUS killed someone?) But in the closing moments of the episode, as Olivia went out for a run, she was bombarded by reporters trying to get an interview with the First Mistress. The question remains: Who leaked Olivia's name to the press?
"There's a lot to be dealt with there and in true Scandal style, whatever you think we're going to do, we're not going to do," says executive producer Shonda Rhimes, who notes that fans will be very surprised by the revelation of who leaked the news. "I'm pretty proud of the way we found our way out of it. At the end of last season, when we said that's going to happen, everyone was like, 'How are we going to get out of it?' and I was like, 'I have no idea!' I feel like the story continues at the same breakneck pace and we're going to have that same energy."
Coming off a strong and critically acclaimed second season — which earned both Washington and co-star Dan Bucatinsky Emmy nods — Washington herself worried how'd they top themselves. "We ended with such a bang and it was such a whirlwind of a season," she says. "I don't want to say I was worried, but I didn't know how we were going to do it. Then I found that out, and I was like, 'We're going to be fine.'"
It's easy to assume that OPA will step up to help their fearless leader during her time of need, but she's not necessarily going to become a client when the series returns. "Olivia has never wanted to involve them in any of her personal affairs unless she's had to and I think this is going to hold true," Rhimes says. "If you remember at the end of last season, Olivia firmly put that white hat back on her head and she's going to try to be a better person. So, perhaps she's not going to want their help."
Adds Washington: "When we pick back up, we're meeting her just minutes after the end of last season. So, she's got a lot on her plate because she's dealing with two bombs: One, that her name has been leaked, and the other that her father is in this car with her. They're both pretty extraordinary challenges."
Each Gladiator will handle the truth about Olivia very differently, notes Katie Lowes, who plays newest OPA member Quinn. "It's very complicated and human, as per usual," she says. "There's no black or white about it."
The news will also impact the White House, as Fitz is pressured to address the situation with the public. "It's extreme," says Goldwyn, who adds that Fitz will likely suspect Mellie (Bellamy Young) as he leak. "It's like a tsunami coming into the White House. Fitz pulls into himself and gets real practical about everything. He deals with it quite soberly with a pretty clear head while everyone is freaking out around him."
But co-star Darby Stanchfield says the leak will be the least of OPA's worries. "When Episode 301 airs, we have this big problem, but when the episode ends, you've got like five problems, in typical Scandal fashion," she says.
That's likely due to the reveal that B613 leader Rowan (Joe Morton) is actually Olivia's father, who showed up seconds after the press stormed her building. With the premiere picking up minutes later, executive producer Betsy Beers says the first two episodes are fraught with the father-daughter relationship. "It's the most challenging, moving, surprising dynamic for a family that I've really seen in a while," she says. "You will learn a lot. It's clearly unorthodox, but it really drives it in an incredibly intense, surprising direction."
Now we can announce that the wedding is scheduled to take place in early November. The pair discusses the excitement ahead.
TV Guide Magazine: So you're ready to make it official?
Boreanaz: I really thought a wedding might be the last thing we'd see. We're doing it while we're still hot.
TV Guide Magazine: Brennan has said that since she's not a virgin, she won't wear white.
Deschanel: I didn't even wear white at my own wedding. But it seems like Brennan's willing to go more traditional because it means so much to Booth. She still might walk down the aisle in a Nigerian dress.
TV Guide Magazine: Who might be the maid of honor and best man?
Deschanel: Angela, her best friend, of course.
Boreanaz: I talked to [executive producer] Hart Hanson, and I think it might be Booth's former priest friend [House of Lies' Mather Zickel], whom we're going to meet in the first episode. And Booth's son, Parker, should be there.
Deschanel: I'd also like to see Brennan's dad, brother and cousin [played by real-life sis Zooey Deschanel]. And Cyndi Lauper's psychic character should sing.
TV Guide Magazine: Any elements from your own weddings you'd like to incorporate?
Boreanaz: Candles. The power went out at my wedding.
Deschanel: Our friend married us, so that would be nice.
TV Guide Magazine: In non-wedding news, Brennan will be assigned to jury duty, right?
Deschanel: [Laughs] I think she'll be an excellent juror. I got called to jury duty once. The case was about a man who claimed he got warts from a colonoscopy. I wanted to serve, but the case was too long.
Boreanaz: I've never, and I don't want to.
TV Guide Magazine: And Booth and Brennan will be going under cover to a couple's retreat. Ever experience anything similar?
Deschanel: I went to a dude ranch when I was a little girl. Does that count?
Boreanaz: No! I've been away on weekend retreats of love with my wife where you examine your own personal relationship. They give you stuff when you go to sleep. They used to give you chocolates; now it's toys.
TV Guide Magazine: There's also a case coming up where body parts turn up in canned beef stew.
Boreanaz: [Laughs] I'm sure Emily [who is vegan] is going to love that one!
Deschanel: It had better be fake beef!
Boreanaz: I just hope I'm not directing that episode!
Two CBS procedurals will revisit the darkest hours of their characters' lives this fall. In October, Criminal Minds will pay tribute to the murdered wife of Aaron Hotchner (Thomas Gibson). "In our 100th episode five years ago, Hotchner's wife, Haley, was murdered by Foyet [aka the Reaper] and then Hotchner beat Foyet to death," says executive producer Erica Messer. "So we're going to honor the longtime fans by clueing the audience in to where Hotchner has been emotionally these past five years." Both Meredith Monroe (Haley) and C. Thomas Howell (Foyet) are being invited back to shoot new scenes.
NCIS's Thanksgiving episode will address the sadness surrounding Leon Vance (Rocky Carroll), who is spending his first holiday season without his murdered spouse, Jackie. "We'll be casting the father of Vance's wife," says executive producer Gary Glasberg. "We think it will really have some resonance."
We grabbed your fan questions off Twitter and hit up Horowitz and Kitsis for a quick round of scoop, in which the producers had the option to answer, "Yes," "No" or "Can't Answer." Some of their answers, and possible non-answers, are pretty telling, so check them out below:
Will we find out why or how Peter Pan obtained the drawing of Henry?
Adam Horowitz: Yes.
Is your Rufio the same as Hook's version of Rufio?
Horowitz: Rufio belongs to another take on the Pan thing. We're not using that character that was created by another world, but we are making a loving nod towards a movie and a mythology that we enjoy. Hook was a movie that we saw when we were younger.
Kitsis: Everyone has great respect for that movie in the [writers'] room and you realize collectively everyone grew up loving that movie.
Horowitz: We wanted to give the fans a little nod to that. So, if you look closely, I think you might get a nice, fun nod.
Are we finally going to see how Regina (Lana Parrilla) adopted Henry (Jared Gilmore)?
Kitsis and Horowitz: Yes!
Will Regina get a love interest?
Horowitz: Yes.
Kitsis: Will she chose to love is another question.
Can the Charmings really trust their enemies?
Horowitz: Can't answer.
Will Ariel have a connection to our group?
Horowitz: Yes.
Will Emma (Jennifer Morrison) get magic lessons from Regina?
Horowitz: Can't answer.
Will there be a way to communicate between Neverland and Storybrooke?
Horowitz: Ooo!
Kitsis: Can't answer.
Horowitz: Good question, though!
Will there be a new mayor in Storybrooke?
Kitsis: I'm not sure that the municipality of Storybrooke is what is first and foremost on the minds of the citizens.
Horowitz: We've seen a lot of Twitter fire about maybe Belle (Emilie de Ravin) will be mayor. She's comptroller while everyone is gone. [Laughs]
Will we see Wendy Darling (Freya Tingley) again?
Kitsis: Perhaps.
Will we find out who wrote the fairy tale book?
Horowitz: Can't answer.
Might the group split up when they get to Neverland?
Horowitz and Kitsis: Can't answer.
Will Rumple (Robert Carlyle) revert to his old self physically in Neverland?
Kitsis: You never know with the Dark One.
Horowitz: Being in Neverland will have a profound effect on all the characters, including Rumple.
Will we actually see the Land of Oz this season?
Kitsis: Perhaps.
Horowitz: Let's talk about that question in December.
Kitsis: Not in the first pod of episodes.
Grey's Anatomy kicks off its momentous 10th season right where we left off: during a super-storm that may have claimed the life of the Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital's most beloved doctor, Richard Webber (James Pickens Jr.). Will he survive the electrocution that left him seemingly lifeless in the closing moments the Season 9 finale?
"No comment," spoilerphobe executive producer Shonda Rhimes says.
Mer/Der family dynamic: Even though Meredith was already a mother to Zola, things will be very different now that she's given birth. "They have a newborn, which is very different from adopting a 1-year-old child," Rhimes says. "It's a very different idea to have a newborn who only sleeps two hours at a time, wakes up to be fed, and Meredith has to figure out how to breastfeed and all those other things. Also, having two children is very different from having one." As for whether that means she'll take a step back from the hospital, "We'll see her deal with what that choice means," Rhimes says.
Arizona's infidelity: Callie and Arizona will have to face their issues head on, which treads on familiar territory for Callie, whom George (T.R. Knight) cheated on all those years ago. "It's not how she's handling it differently, but it's more, 'How does the fact that she's been cheated on before influence how she feels now? What is that going to mean for her?'" Rhimes ponders. "These characters have some very complex things to go through. I'm excited to see what this means for them."
Cristina and Owen's future: The duo called it quits once again, realizing that they will never be on the same page when it comes to wanting to have children. "We're going to watch them grapple with what it means to have broken up at the end of the season and what that means for their future," Rhimes says. "For both of them, the hard part is that they love each other. They want very, very different things, but they love each other. If only she'd want to have babies, or if only he'd give up wanting kids, they'd be fine."
The big 200: "It's going to be special," Rhimes says of the season's fourth episode. "We're not going to go over-the-top big and do anything crazy because the beauty of doing a 200th episode is that we've done this 199 times. I want to see people in formal wear because that's always fun for me. I also want to see a little romance. But I also really want to deal with the fact that, to me, the biggest thing about the 200th is realizing and seeing that our original interns have grown up and they are these very badass surgeons at this point. They are no longer fumbling and confused. They are the ones giving the order. The 200th is going to be a big deal and we're very excited about it."
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