Scandal: Everything We Know About This Season

Updated on Sep 23, 2015 at 6:10 PM

Olivia Pope and her crew are returning for season five of Scandal this week, but we know precious little about the upcoming stories on the show. Will Olivia and Fitz Grant finally get their fairy-tale ending (at least for a while)? What kind of havoc will Rowan Pope dredge up this season? What will become of Jake Ballard, and what's in store for poor Mellie Grant? Creator Shonda Rhimes has remained pretty tight-lipped on what we can expect, but we do have a trailer and we know a few spoilers.

The Premiere Date

Season five is set to premiere on Sept. 24 at 9 p.m. on ABC.

Things Will Pick Up Right Where They Left Off

"That season finale pulled the rug out from under everyone," Bellamy Young told TVLine. "I think everybody was pretty happy that we were starting back immediately after and getting to go into those moments." Sounds like the season premiere won't begin with a time jump!

There Will Be a New Gladiator

Not only is a new gladiator coming to the team, but it's someone we've already met! Unfortunately, that's all we know about the new addition. Thankfully, the show will have a renewed focus on Olivia's team, à la the first season.

Get Ready For More of Portia de Rossi and Cornelius Smith Jr.

Portia de Rossi and Cornelius Smith Jr., who plays activist Marcus Walker, have both been promoted from recurring characters to series regulars. While you may be tempted to put two and two together, it hasn't been confirmed that either character will be the new gladiator. (Though we can hope!)

Mia Maestro Has Joined the Cast

Could the new gladiator be the Strain star Mia Maestro? Maestro joined season five as a recurring character, but nothing is known about her character yet.

Mellie Is a Mess

While season four ends with Mellie getting her Senate seat, she also gets ousted from the White House by Fitz. Actress Bellamy Young said that Mellie "starts out in a world of hurt" this season, but that she will be "less self-indulgent" about processing her new grief than she was when Jerry Jr. died.

We'll See More of Quinn and Huck's Relationship

According to Katie Lowes, Quinn's romance with Huck will finally get more screen time. "She's in a really huge pickle," Lowes told TVLine this Summer. "It's really a conflicting emotion of 'Do you kill your best friend/mentor/sexual lover/all the different various relationships we've been to each other [and] the man you lick every once in awhile for kicks?' The truth is, he killed a busload of innocent American people and chopped a lot of their heads off for fun, so Huck's crossed a major line. Quinn has crossed lines but not that bad."