After giving viewers some time to catch their breath, Shonda Rhimes’ “TGIT” lineup returns to ABC on Thursday, January 29.
It’s going to be tough to top the first half of the season, which featured Smelly Melly, orgasmic theft, sex moves that make your eyes water and the mother of all cliffhangers – Olivia Pope’s disappearance.
“We’re going to pick up right where we left off,” says “Scandal’s” Scott Foley, who plays Jack Ballard. “It’s going to be shocking.”
TheWrap spoke to the stars of the uber-popular ShondaLand shows to get a sneak peek of TGIT’s (Thank God It’s Thursday) twists and turns.
1. Olivia, Jake and Fitz.
There was a lot happening on the Pope front in the first half of the season. After Olivia returned to Washington from an island vacation, she learned of the murder of her friend Harrison
“When we come back, you’re going to see the repercussions of who took Olivia,” said Foley. “You’re going to see Jake fully myopic on trying to find her character.”
While the stars of the show remained tight-lipped about the specifics, Foley says this season will be a big one for Jake.
“In looking for Olivia, in trying to find her, there’s a real ah ha moment that comes to Jake,” said Foley. “It has to do with a figure in his past that we’ve met. Jake goes to see that person to try and find Olivia.”
Olivia’s disappearance will also test the commander-in-chief’s ability to do his job.
2. Huck and Quinn up the ante
Expect a lot more Huck-Quinn drama this season. The hacking duo use their computer skills to try and find Olivia. But, will their on-again-off-again relationship steam up the small screen?
“There’s going to be a lot more sexy leather jackets and maybe some more butt-kicking,” said Katie Lowes, who plays Quinn. Lowes said this season will be a doozy. “It’s going to be one of the more shocking seasons that I think we’ve ever done.”
Co-star Foley added: “It will make the audience question what they knew about Quinn and Huck.”
3. Friendships unravel on “How to Get Away with Murder”
Even after death, Annalise Keating’s two-timing husband continues to cause grief. After killing Sam (Tom Verica), Keating’s gang of law students will now have to deal with the aftermath.
“There are enemies made,” Jack Falahee, who plays Connor Walsh, told TheWrap. “It’s all about how tenuous these relationships become and how to maintain the charade of everyday life while harboring massive secrets. Individually, everyone is going to go through something significant.”
4. Laurel puts the pressure on Frank
After a steamy sex scene on Keating’s porch, Laurel now has to decide whether she wants Frank or her longtime boyfriend, Todd. Making matters even more complicated, Frank is a taken man, a fact that doesn’t sit well with Laurel.
“He has a girlfriend and Laurel sort of confronts him about that,” said the actress who plays Laurel, Karla Souza. “Laurel has grown up a lot since we first saw her in the beginning of the season. She has emotions but they don’t direct her decision-making. She’s very good at planning how to get away with this and how to keep them all intact.”
5. More sex scenes.
Connor and Oliver’s graphic sex scenes had everyone talking this season. Connor’s legendary moves even had his partner’s “eyes water” with pleasure. Falahee, who plays Connor on the show, won’t say what that move involves (“that’s like my ace in the pocket. I can’t really reveal that”), but he did tell us fans should expect plenty more bedroom antics.
“The LGBTQ community has been very vocal and very positive,” said Falahee. “I think people are happy to see a character that isn’t as much of a caricature. He’s a real person. I think that’s what viewers are latching onto and find so refreshing.”
Falahee’s sex scenes weren’t everyone’s cup of tea, however. One Twitter user complained to Rhimes that her “gay scenes” were “too much.” Rhimes quickly shot back, “There are no GAY scenes. There are scenes with people in them.”
One more thing to look out for: Some big-name guest stars, including Marcia Gay Harden and Cicely Tyson.
ABC has not revealed any details on either character. Tyson is set to appear in one episode, while Harden signed up for a recurring role.
6.
The Oscar winner, who joined “Grey’s Anatomy” last season following the departure of actress Sanrda Oh, is returning to her role as Dr. Nicole Herman. Davis was so excited to join ShondaLand, she accepted the part without reading a single page from her script. That move paid off big time.
“I’ve been having a lot of fun with it,” Davis told TheWrap. “I’m really fussy about what I do. I’ve never taken a part without reading it beforehand but I did on this show. I was convinced [to join the cast] on Friday and started work on a Monday, not knowing what I was going to say or do or anything.”
In the beginning of the season, Davis’ character finds out she has advanced brain cancer.
The actress wouldn’t say whether or when her character might be written off this season, but considering her tumor is inoperable it’s likely this is her first and last season on the show.
Either way, she’s already delivered one of the best lines on TV.
When Arizona (Jessica Capshaw) meddles in Dr. Herman’s affairs, literally, Herman tells her to back off. “I don’t know how many orgasms I have left in my life, but it may be fewer than flavors of ice cream, so I can’t spare any,” she tells her. “Stop stealing my orgasms!”
“People seem to be really liking the show and following it closely. It’s amazing,” said Davis. “[Dr. Herman] immediately resigns herself to the fact that she has cancer and just gets down to business. She has a lot of stuff she still has to do before that happens.”
Watch some of
“TGIT” premieres Thursday night at 8 p.m on ABC.
The casts and crews of ABC’s “TGIT” lineup will be live tweeting their shows Thursday night. From the staff at Shondaland Productions to network stars, producers and writers, follow these Twitter handles to join in the fun or subscribe to TheWrap’s Shondaland Twitter list:
#ShondaLandTV
Shonda Rhimes (@ShondaRhimes)
Betsy Beers (@BeersBetsy)
Pete Nowalk (@PeteNowa)
Bill D’Elia (@billdelia)
William Harper (@wbharp)
Stacy McKee (@stacysmckee16)
Zoanne Clack (@zoanneclack)
Tom Verica (@TomVerica)
Shondaland Productions (@ShondalandTV)
Grey’s Anatomy (@GreysABC)
Camilla Luddington (@camilluddington)
Caterina Scorsone (@caterinatweets)
Debbie Allen (@msdebbieallen)
Ellen Pompeo (@EllenPompeo)
Jason George (@JasonWGeorge)
Jerrika Hinton (@hellojerrika)
Jessica Capshaw (@JessicaCapshaw)
Jesse Williams (@iJesseWilliams)
Kelly McCreary (@KMcCrearyNYC)
Kevin McKidd (@TheRealKMcKidd)
Patrick Dempsey (@PatrickDempsey)
Sara Ramirez (@SaraRamirez)
Sarah Drew (@SarahDrewGreys)
Scandal (@ScandalABC)
Bellamy Young (@BellamyYoung)
Darby Stanchfield (@DarbySOfficial)
George Newbern (@GeorgeNewbern)
Guillermo Diaz (@guillermodiazyo)
Jeff Perry (@JScandalP)
Joe Morton (@JoeTHEMorton)
Jon Tenney (@JonTenney)
Josh Malina (@JoshMalina)
Katie Lowes (@KatieQLowes)
Kerry Washington (@KerryWashington)
Scott Foley (@ScottKFoley)
Tony Goldwyn (@TonyGoldwyn)
Portia de Rossi (@portiaderossi)
How to Get Away with Murder (@HowtoGetAwayABC)
Aja Naomi King (@ajanaomi_king)
Charlie Weber (@TheCharlieWeber)
Jack Falahee (@RestingPlatypus)
Karla Souza (@KarlaSouza7)
Katie Findlay (@katedangerfield)
Liza Weil (@liza_weil)
Matt McGorry (@MattMcGorry)
Viola Davis (@ViolaDavis)
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