Scandal @ PaleyFest: Cast Talks Huck's Fate, 100th 'What If' Episode and More
The stars of Scandal — including one whose character was last seen bleeding out on the floor of a motel room — assembled at PaleyFest on Sunday to discuss the ABC drama’s storied history… and its upcoming 100th episode.
RELATEDGrey’s Anatomy, Scandal and HTGAWM Renewed for 2017-18 Season
Let’s start by addressing the hemorrhaging elephant in the room: Yes, actor Guillermo Diaz was present at the panel — and received, arguably, the loudest applause — but if you were hoping for a confirmation on Huck’s fate, I’ve got some disappointing news: Diaz’s lips are sealed.
“There’s been so much love for Huck, for this character that I’ve been so lucky to play for this long,” Diaz said of life after Huck’s surprise run-in with Meg. “My social media’s just non-stop. It feels really good.”
George Newbern also couldn’t say much about Charlie and Quinn’s nuptials — or lack thereof — though he did confirm that they’re looking for some sort of “normalcy” in their lives. (Yeah, good luck with that.)
RELATEDScandal Recap: OPA’s Mole Revealed! Plus, Is Huck Really Dead?
The topic of the Shadowy Organization™ also came up, though Joe Morton remained similarly coy about what the future holds for Rowan. “He says something to Olivia like, ‘I’m not the predator, I’m just very smart prey,'” Morton recalled. “He’s always looking for the escape.”
(Fun fact: Jeff Perry said that his daughter landed the role of the Shadowy Organization™’s mysterious leader after series creator Shonda Rhimes saw them in a play together.)
The cast is also pumped for the 100th episode, an hour that explores what might have happened “if things had not gone the way they went,” Goldwyn teased. But the big “what if” episode — territory previously explored by Rhimes on Grey’s Anatomy — is more than “just a standalone [episode.]”
“It actually informs your understanding of all of us when you get back to … our normal schedule,” Goldwyn explained.
Josh Malina promised “some fantasy fulfillment” and “some dread fulfillment,” while Katie Lowes assured fans that they’ll see “the OG Gladiator inside track. [It’s] such a gift that the Scandal writers gave to us and, in turn, to the fans.”
On a more poetic note, Darby Stanchfield called the episode “oxygen to this fire. You laugh because you need to. The audience will feel that too, this sort of respite 100th episode in the midst [of so much chaos].”
But no one on the panel got more poetic than Cornelius Smith, Jr., who teased, “In the next coming episodes, there will be more crumbs [added] to the beautiful pie that could or could not be Mellie and Marcus.” (Why am I suddenly really hungry?)
RELATEDScandal: Who Killed Frankie?
And if you’re dreading the series’ inevitable end, perhaps these words from Morton will ease your troubled mind: “I think it goes as long as [the fans] want it to go.”
Your thoughts on the future of Scandal? Drop ’em in a comment below.
Launch Gallery: <i>Scandal</i> Season 6 Photos
Related stories
Imaginary Mary: How Mary's CGI Friend Came to Life (And Got a Lot Cuter)
Dancing With the Stars: Who Was the First Couple Booted From Season 24?
Grey's Anatomy: Matthew Morrison Checks In as... Jo's Husband?!
Get more from TVLine: Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Newsletter
