'Scandal' season 6 release date, spoilers: tone of 'optimism'; Mellie is 'naive'

The fifth season of "Scandal" turned many heads as they threw out one explosive plot twist after another. Ecumenical News reports that the previous season's finale had Olivia pull off an unexpected maneuver as she made Jake the vice presidential candidate, which ended up being what Rowan wanted all along. However, Kerry Washington, who portrays the character, shares that Mellie is still "naive" unaware of everything else that is going on, and is only satisfied with Jake's turnabout, without realizing that everything is going according to her estranged father Rowan's plan.

According to Latin Times, ABC has already confirmed that they will air the sixth season soon but that fans will have to wait a little longer than the usual. They also report that Tony Goldwyn will definitely be staying for the new season, and that he will take on his own story arc. Christian Times reports that the fixer's job will most likely focus on the presidential elections at this point, since this is what forced the defining moment in the previous season's finale.

For those who missed the previous season, it is going to be available on Netflix this June 11, states Melty. The series may not return with its usual premiere around fall. Showrunner Shonda Rhimes, recently shared that she thought the abortion of Olivia mid-season would have gotten a stronger reaction than the one they got. This makes her believe that the story is actually headed somewhere more "optimistic." While this hospital definitely takes on a dark, brooding and intense tone for most of the series, there will be hope that they will experience less turmoil in the months ahead. It might just take a shorter turn of optimism, though, since it is already confirmed that Washington's pregnancy will cause them to only film 16 episodes instead of 22.