'Scandal' season 5 spoilers: Love for family triumphs over hate

Huck will come back a changed man when "Scandal" returns after the winter break.Facebook/ABC

Viewers will find a changed man in Huck (Guillermo Diaz) when the hit ABC series "Scandal" returns for the continuation of its fifth season.

Last winter finale, the former B613 agent could have killed Rowan (Joe Morton), but decided at the last minute that he did not want to. Huck kidnapped Olivia's (Kerry Washington) father without Jake's (Scott Foley) permission. They have been planning the move against their ex-commander for quite some time, but it was Huck who went ahead and decided he would rather do it on his own. Facing his most hated person in the world must have been agonizing for Huck, especially when Rowan started egging him to lose his temper.

Rowan taunted Huck about Javi (Jaden Betts), his son, and his wife Kim (Jasika Nicole), whom he had to leave in the course of his job in the B613. It was Rowan who discovered that he had been hiding a family from the organization, which was not allowed, according to the rules. Rowan asked Huck if he thought Javi missed him or the boy was happy that "his insane shell of a human father" was out of the picture again.

Rowan more than suggested that Kim had been a whore. He claimed that he had kept tabs on Huck's wife for a long time and observed a parade of men coming and going in her house. At this point, Huck was already livid with anger and he was ready to choke the life out of the older man. But at the last second, Huck walked away and sent Rowan free.

In an interview with TV Guide, Diaz explained what made his character change his mind in killing Rowan. He said that the moment was a pivotal moment for Huck, as his love for family triumphed over his hate for his former commander.

"For Huck, it was a little bit of a test for himself to see if he can do this. Can he be in the presence of this man who has ruined his life basically and not torture him or kill him? And he did it. Huck knows that that's what he needs to do and that's who he needs to be in order to be with his family again," he explained.

The actor also said that they still do not know that what would happen next to Rowan after their encounter. The last time viewers saw him was when Huck dropped him off at home and Jake showed up unexpectedly. Diaz said showrunner Shonda Rhimes has a lot of plans for "Scandal" and most of them are still under wraps.

"Scandal" season 5 returns after the winter break on Feb. 11.