SPOILER ALERT: This story contains details of tonight’s episode of Scandal.
Season six of ABC’s Scandal returned tonight and picked up right where we left off from last. Season five ended with Mellie Grant (Bellamy Young) securing the a spot in the general election race up against Pennsylvania Governor Frankie Vargas (Ricardo Chavira).
The season opened on Election Day, where Mellie and campaign manager Olivia Pope (Kerry Washington) are awaiting the results of what seems to be a favored win for the Republican nominee.
However, in what is described as “one of the greatest setbacks in political history,” it was revealed that Varges, dubbed as “The Comeback King,” had won the election, thus becoming the 45th President of the United States. But, in a Shondaland-esque turn of events, President-elect Varges is fatally shot three times at the podium during his acceptance.
As his last major decision, President Fitz Grant (Tony Goldwyn) is tasked with selecting the next President, which can go to anyone of his choosing. Still feeling the guilt from his Presidency win through a fixed election, he chooses Vice-President elect Cyrus Beene (Jeff Perry), who is revealed at the end of the show as a prime suspect in the murder of Varges.
The Scandal-world elections comes six days after President Donald Trump’s inauguration, which delayed the show’s return for one week. This season was was shorten and pushed from fall to midseason to accommodate star Kerry Washington’s second pregnancy.
