(Spoiler alert: Please do not read this post if you’ve not watched Thursday’s episodes of “Grey’s Anatomy,” “Scandal,” “How to Get Away With Murder”)
Thursday night on ABC belonged to Shonda Rhimes as “Grey’s Anatomy,” “How to Get Away With Murder” and “Scandal” all boasted back-to-back season premieres.
For those wanting to see the acclaimed showrunner herself, Rhimes was a guest on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” later that night.
Grey’s Anatomy
Kicking off at 8 p.m. with the Patrick Dempsey-less Season 12 premiere, everything has changed on “Grey’s Anatomy” said Meredith (Ellen Pompeo) as she settles into life as a widow and mother-of-three a year after McDreamy’s death.
Following the heartache and tears of both characters and viewers alike last season, Rhimes has promised a more lighthearted year but some Twitter users still said they were “crying.”
While another Twitter user simply concluded “Tequila is awfully talkative.”
So excited for #GreysAnatomy
— 🙂 (@kaykilluah) September 25, 2015
https://twitter.com/PrincessProbz/status/647212423670276096
You go girl! Dr.Bailey for Chief 🙌 #GreysAnatomy @GreysABC #TeamBailey
— gianina thompson (@giaplusnina) September 25, 2015
https://twitter.com/joanna3899/status/647211181824868354
https://twitter.com/lexi4prez/status/647212363633033217
https://twitter.com/KMcCrearyNYC/status/647203288346136576
“Scandal”
Kerry Washington is back for Season 5 of “Scandal,” and while Olivia and Fitz (Tony Goldwyn) are still together, everything else is in a state of chaos. With an evil queen, a Princess Diana-like car crash and the expected dose of back-stabbings and espionage, returning viewers were not disappointed with the level of drama.
One Twitter user predicted that the new onscreen romance is “gonna be a bumpy ride to get where this relationship is destined to be,” while others speculated about the fate of Jake (Scott Foley), who met a bloody demise at the end of the last episode.
Not gonna be a fairytale …its gonna be a bumpy ride to get where this relationship is destined to be #Scandal #Olitz
— Mrs_Waters (@MsPurpleKissezz) September 25, 2015
https://twitter.com/MikLachelle/status/647227841751420928
Secrets are like water falls, they ultimately spill over cliffs of self-delusion. #Scandal
— Joe Morton (@JOEtheMORTON) September 25, 2015
Even while he's hollering at @kerrywashington you can still see the softness in his eyes, Excellent acting! @tonygoldwyn Aweeee #scandal
— TonyaTko 💙 (@TonyaTko) September 25, 2015
https://twitter.com/Luvvie/status/647226154194067456
Have we actually ever seen Fitz "run the country"? #Scandal
— Melissa Harris-Perry (@MHarrisPerry) September 25, 2015
@scottkfoley Jake went back to the island didn't he? #ScandaI
— Haley (Taylor’s Version) (@_HaleyH_) September 25, 2015
“How to Get Away With Murder”
Sophomore Shondaland show “How to Get Away With Murder” returned for Season 2 and the premiere immediately picked up where last year’s jaw-dropping finale left off with the identification of Rebecca’s killer.
Emmy winner — and history-making actress — Viola Davis leads a highly-acclaimed cast including Charlie Weber, Alfred Enoch, Jack Falahee, Aja Naomi King and Matt McGorry.
The strength of the hard-hitting roller coaster episode and the depth of talent from Davis was praised on social media, with one Twitter user describing it as “jaw-dropping, mind blown, speechless.”
“I love that Viola Davis is playing this strong, sexual character who crushes your soul and tosses her cookies around,” wrote another.
Jaw dropping, mind blown, speechless, heart flat lining..@violadavis I couldn't say just 4 words! #HTGAWM @MattMcGorry
— Gabrielle Hopper (@happybalancedg) September 25, 2015
I'm telling you most of your fave tv leading ladies are calling up their agents to beef up their scripts cuz Viola is NOT playing. #HTGAWM
— FilmFatale_NYC 🇭🇹 🇩🇴 🇺🇸 (@FilmFatale_NYC) September 25, 2015
That's how you do a season premiere!! Well done!! #DatMurda #HTGAWM
— Black Girl Nerds (@BlackGirlNerds) September 25, 2015
https://twitter.com/rodimusprime/status/647245227221221376
Holy F #HTGAWM
— Laverne Cox (@Lavernecox) September 25, 2015
https://twitter.com/youngsinick/status/647241920385818624
She quoted Tubman and y'all were crying, talmbout, "We need diversity!" Now it's, "She go both ways, why they messin' up the show?" #HTGAWM
— Phill Branch (@phillbranch) September 25, 2015