SCANDAL Pace (S2 News): Scandal cast attends 2012 PaleyFest: Fall TV Preview Party panels

September 12, 2012 –The cast of ABC’s ‘SCANDAL’ participated in the 2012 PaleyFest: Fall TV Preview Party event at the Paley Center for Media in Beverly Hills, Calif. Which included an exclusive screening of the premiere episode of the series’ sophomore season, followed by a panel discussion with members of the cast, series creator and executive producer Shonda Rhimes and executive producer Betsy Beers.  Through a partnership with Livestream, fans nationwide were able to watch the post-screening panel discussion live online.  TV Guide Magazine’s President/Editor-in-Chief, Debra Birnbaum served as the panel moderator.

If you didn’t have a chance to catch the Livestream, no need to fret.  TV Guide’s Natalie Abrams offers a great review on the juicy tidbits the cast and producers were willing to offer.

In addition to the write up, check out photos of the cast from the red carpet and from inside the Paley Center panel discussion below.

ABC’s ‘Scandal’ returns Thursday, September 27^th at 10/9c.  Be sure to check your local listings.

 

Who Is Quinn Perkins and 5 More Things to Know About the Premiere

(courtesy of Natalie Abrams, TV Guide Magazine)

Who is Quinn Perkins? It’s the question that has plagued fans all summer long and it will finally be answered during Scandal’s Season 2 premiere (Thursday, Sept. 27 at 10/9c on ABC.)

But on Tuesday night, lucky fans in attendance of ABC’s PaleyFest fall TV preview panel, moderated by TV Guide Magazine’s Debra Birnbaum, got a chance to watch the season premiere — and knowing how tight-lipped executive producer Shonda Rhimes can be, each of them is now being watched by Scandal’s secret service.

Below, Rhimes and the cast whet your appetites for the second season, which will bring the Quinn Perkins (Katie Lowes) — if we should even really call her that! — mystery to a head, leaving Pope & Associates in disarray. Plus: Find out what’s in store for Olivia (Kerry Washington) and Fitz (Tony Goldwyn)… and Mellie (Bellamy Young).

1. Who is Quinn Perkins? The premiere offers answers about who she is, but it’s the why that will become this season’s big mystery. One of the more crazy theories the cast has heard? She’s the love child of Cyrus (Jeff Perry). (Spoiler alert: She’s not.) Regardless, Rhimes went back and forth on the question while mapping out the season. “Sometimes I knew and sometimes I didn’t,” she said. “It changed over time; it evolved. The writers and I really worked hard to find something that we felt was compelling.” Added Lowes: “I was so happy to get that script. I didn’t leave the location I was in for 24 hours re-reading it over and over and over again.”

2. Pope & Associates divided: Just because Quinn’s identity will be revealed does not mean she’s welcome at Pope & Associates. In fact, her presence could be what actually causes the tension. “Olivia Pope tells everyone what to do and everyone at Pope & Associates does it,” Rhimes notes. “I think that’s no longer true now. There’s a hole left by Stephen [Henry Ian Cusick], [who was] a translator for Olivia to everybody else, and while there are some people who have blind loyalty, some people are not going to take it so well.” Darby Stanchfield quickly chimed in: “Two words for you: office politics.”

3. Olivia and Fitz… reunited? Olivia will be attempting to stick to her word by staying away from the president, but that won’t be easy. “I think it’s a very fraught relationship,” Rhimes said, noting that the pair shares a scene in the premiere. “They love each other, but they can’t be together!” she said. “I feel like that couple, they clearly have this relationship that is very permanent, that’s not going to go anywhere, and yet the obstacles that keep them apart are huge and fairly insurmountable. Mellie is pregnant and there’s a lot going on.”

4. David (Joshua Malina) vs. Olivia: The two white hats will go toe-to-toe in the premiere (which happens to be called “White Hat’s Off”), but a line will be crossed. Still, Rhimes promised their banter will continue. “I think that adversarial relationship will always be there between them; this might heighten it a bit,” she said.

5. Mellie has feelings too! Olivia may have handed the reins back to Mellie, but POTUS and FLOTUS are not suddenly on the same page. “She’s every man’s dream bride,” Goldwyn jokingly said of the strong-willed, manipulative First Lady. On the other hand, Rhimes noted that deep down, Mellie isn’t necessarily the enemy. “I have a lot of compassion for Mellie, because I feel like she’s in a terrible position and she might seem like a villain, but when you look at the story from her side… you fully get how she feels,” she said. Young added: “It’s always written with a pain underneath. It’s hard when you love someone and you’re married to them and they meet the love of their life subsequently.” When you look at it that way, ouch!

6. Scandal’s fate: As of now, the second season will consist of 13 episodes. Rhimes has noted previously — and echoed during the panel — that the show “works best in high-burst doses,” rather than trying to stretch things out. However, they’re still hoping to get a full 22-episode season, which would see one bigger (and several smaller) scandals in the first half and some new ones during the second half should the show be granted more episodes. What you can definitely look forward to in the first 13 episodes is another flashback episode, similar to last year’s election-centric outing. (Though look for some mini-flashbacks as well in the premiere.)

Stay tuned for much more Scandal scoop as the countdown to Quinngate continues!

From the red carpet at PaleyFest 2012: (all images courtesy of The Paley Center for Media)

Darby Stanchfield, “AbbyWhelan”

Columbus Short, “Harrison Wright” and Debra Birnbaum. President/Editor-in-Chief of TV Guide Magazine

Darby Stanchfield, “Abby Whelan”

Columbus Short, “Harrison Wright”

Katie Lowes, “Quinn Perkins”…or is she?

Darby Stanchfield, “Abby Whelan”

Kerry Washington, “Olivia Pope”

Kerry Washington, “Olivia Pope”

Tony Goldwyn, “President Fitzgerald ‘Fitz’ Grant III”

Kerry Washington, “Olivia Pope” & Tony Goldwyn, “President Fitzgerald “Fitz” Grant III”

Kerry Washington, “Olivia Pope” & Tony Goldwyn, “President Fitzgerald “Fitz” Grant III”

Shonda Rhimes, Series Creator/Executive Producer

Betsy Beers, Executive Producer

Jeff Perry, “Cyrus Beene”

Katie Lowes, “Quinn Perkins”…or is she?

Bellamy Young, “Mellie Grant” & Debra Birnbaum, President/Editor-in-Chief of TV Guide Magazine

Bellamy Young, “Mellie Grant”

Bellamy Young, “Mellie Grant”

The cast of ABC’s Scandal (from L to R):
Bellamy Young
Jeff Perry
Tony Goldwyn
Kerry Washington
Debra Birnbaum (TV Guide Magazine)
Katie Lowes
Columbus Short
Darby Stanchfield
Guillermo Diaz

Inside the 2012 PaleyFest: Fall TV Preview Party Scandal Panel: (all images courtesy of The Paley Center for Media)

Jeff Perry & Tony Goldwyn

Kerry Washington & Katie Lowes

Kerry Washington & Katie Lowes

Guillermo Diaz

Jeff Perry & Tony Goldwyn

Tony Goldwyn & Kerry Washington

The cast of ABC’s Scandal (from L to R)
Bellamy Young
Jeff Perry
Tony Goldwyn
Kerry Washington
Katie Lowes
Columbus Short
Darby Stanchfield
Guillermo Diaz
Betsy Beers (Executive Producer)
Shonda Rhimes (Series Creator/Executive Producer)
Debra Birnbaum (Panel Moderator, TV Guide Magazine)

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