Looks like luck is on Mellie's (Bellamy Young) side when "Scandal" season 5 returns this week.
After Olivia (Kerry Washington) publicly announced that she and the US president Fitz Grant (Tony Goldwyn) are having an affair right before the president and the First Lady was about to showcase a united front despite their failing relationship, things are starting to look bad for the former White House crisis manager. Mellie will use this opportunity to get what she wants from the president for her own political ambition.
The promo trailer for the episode titled "Dog-Whistle Politics" shows Mellie talking to her new ally Cyrus (Jeff Perry), who seems to be encouraging her to use Fitz's current vulnerability to ask for her new demands so she can help him look good in public despite the scandal. But could the president give her what she wants if it involves the seat in the POTUS office?
Meanwhile, Olivia will also have to deal with the ire of her best friend Abby (Darby Stanchfield) when the latter finds out that Olivia kept the affair hidden even from her.
In an interview with Variety to talk about the affair, the actress who portrays the role of the White House press secretary Stanchfield shared that Olivia will have newfound respect for her friend since she will single-handedly take care of the growing media crisis between her and Fitz even if the US president does not entirely trust her.
"Olivia is the Fitz whisperer. She really is the one that he trusts and confides in the most. Everybody else, aside from her, really, they don't have the president's trust or ear quite like Olivia. Olivia can see how Abby is fixing it, and the president can't. He tends to be a little near-sided about situations ... They help each other. Olivia and Abby continue to help each other moving forward in the series," the actress shared.
"Scandal" season 5 episode 4 is slated to air on Thursday, Oct. 15 on ABC.
