"scandal" returns for a new season on Thursday, January 26 after being delayed for a week. Season 6 was slated to start last week, but because of the "20/20" special about the Trumps going to Washington, the series was delayed a week. ABC choose to do that so all of Shonda Rhimes' three shows could premiere with their new episodes on the same night. Therefore, even though this article is about "Scandal," "Grey's Anatomy" and "How to Get Away With Murder" are also returning on January 26 in their regular Thursday night time slots.
What to expect
Kerry Washington and several of the other stars of "Scandal" have been interviewed during the time "Scandal" has been off the air.
However, they all were sworn to secrecy and did not divulge any details about the upcoming season. They did advice fans to tune in because the upcoming season will be a fast-paced one with heavy story lines.
Washington indicated that the first five episode could be called "Find the Baby Bump." That's because Washington was expecting during the shooting of those episodes. The 39-year-old actress gave birth to her second child, Caleb Kelechi, on October 5, 2016. She and Nnamdi Asomugha, 35, also have a daughter named Isabelle Amarachi who was born in April 21, 2014. Washington was shooting episodes for "Scandal" both times she was pregnant.
'Find the Baby Bump'
Washington, who plays Olivia Pope, says she hid her growing belly behind tall potted plants, lamps, tables, and even her big purses.
She also wore oversize clothes. That's because Rhimes did not want the star's pregnancy to distract viewers. After all, there are so many other things happening on the series to keep viewers glued to their television screen for an entire hour.
As you view the first five episodes, see if Olivia Pope really does hide behind props to prevent viewers from seeing her growing belly.
Episodes 1 and 2
Episode 1 of Season 6 is titled "Survival of the Fittest." Viewers will find out within the first 10 minutes of the premiere whether Mellie Grant or Francisco Vargas won the election. Be prepared to be shocked by the results.
Episode 2 that will air next week is titled "Hardball." Flashbacks provide clues to what happened on the campaign trail to explain why the election results were so shocking.
Watch "Scandal" on ABC on Thursday nights at 9 p.m. The drama follows "Grey's Anatomy" and comes on before "How to Get Away with Murder." Feel free to watch all three, if you like.
