When ABC's Scandal closes its third chapter Thursday, the fast-paced political drama will have to trump the father of all season finales.
During the closing moments of the Shonda Rhimes and Betsy Beers'D.C. fixer series' second season finale, Rowan (Joe Morton) -- then Command of black ops group B613 -- was revealed to be the father Gladiator extraordinaire Olivia Pope (Kerry Washington).
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This season, President Fitzgerald Grant's (Tony Goldwyn) re-election campaign is hanging by a thread. Vice president and Fitz's chief opposition Sally Langston (Kate Burton) has become a serious threat -- and has taken the lead in the polls. Plus there happens to be a literal ticking bomb hidden under a church where Sally -- as well as Andrew (Jon Tenney), Fitz's running mate -- are among the dignitaries gathered for a funeral for a beloved senator that Marie Wallace (aka Maya Pope/Mama Pope, played by Khandi Alexander) killed in bid to assassinate the president. Of course, Olivia and the rest of OPA -- as well as Jake (Scott Foley) and what's left of B613 -- are working overtime to ensure that Fitz not only survives but comes out on top when all the votes are counted.
With so much going on, the season finale promises to be explosive as the previews illustrate the bomb does indeed go off. So what kind of final moment might that set up for season three?
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"This final moment will be divisive. Some people will think, 'Thank God, yes, that's exactly what we wanted to see happen.' Other people will be up in arms," Foley tells The Hollywood Reporter of the final scene. "Twitter will explode. Explode! Last season it was the "dad" moment. This season, it's not so much an, Oh my God!' -- you're either going to love it or you're going to be up in arms. And I have a feeling there's going to be more people up in arms."
Washington, meanwhile, described the closing moments of the season as "very shocking."
"The final shot of the episode is not anything I could have imagined weeks before -- or the episode before," she tells THR.
What do you think will happen? Sound off in the comments below and come back to THR's The Live Feed for more from Washington and Foley in the days leading up to Thursday's Scandal season finale.
Email: Lesley.Goldberg@THR.com
Twitter: @Snoodit
