5 Reasons to Be Excited for the Return of Scandal

It's the moment we've all been waiting for! The Season 2 premiere of Scandal on Thursday will answer the question that has kept fans guessing all summer: Who is Quinn Perkins?

Naturally, that won't be the only big reveal when Olivia Pope (Kerry Washington) and her associates return. At the end of Season 1, Olivia promised First Lady Mellie (Bellamy Young) that she'd stay away from her husband Fitz (Tony Goldwyn), much to Scandal 'shippers' frustrations. And yet, Thursday's premiere may make those same people smile.

Scandal Exclusive: Check out the "dirty" Season 2 poster

To get the scoop on the new season and what else fans can be excited for, TVGuide.com tracked down the cast and executive producer Shonda Rhimes for intel:

1. We get to find out who Quinn Perkins is! "I have spent the entire summer being asked by my family members and by complete strangers on the street," Katie Lowes says with a laugh. "'Who is Quinn Perkins?' is the question of my life. All I can say is it's not one thing that people have speculated." Regardless of her identity, dealing with Olivia will never be the same. "We start to see that their relationship drastically changes from last season," Lowes adds.

2. We get to keep rooting for Olivia and Fitz! Just because Olivia promised she'd stay away from the President doesn't mean that's the case. "Those two people are never going to be very far from one another if they can help it," Rhimes says. Washington adds that Olivia will be attempting to stay strong. "When we meet Olivia in the season premiere, she's a woman of her word and she's keeping her commitment to what she said she wouldn't do," she says. "You will see Olivia negotiate her relationship at the beginning of the season and how she's dealing with it."

Who is Quinn Perkins and 5 more things to know about the Scandal premiere

3. We get to see inner turmoil at Pope & Associates! Not everyone will be happy that Olivia is going to bat for Quinn, who has been in their midst this whole year under an assumed name. "Abby deals with the world in a very black and white sense, so she's going to have a very strong opinion with what's happening," Darby Stanfield says. In fact, Quinngate could end up being Olivia's undoing. "I think Olivia's coming off the rails," Columbus Short says. "I think Harrison sees it's the first time in his whole time working there that he sees something is really, really wrong. In the first episode, you see him and Abby questioning the establishment."

4. We get to learn more about Pope & Associates! While Rhimes recently teased they'd have another flashback episode, a la last year's campaign-centric outing, we'll learn even more about those who comprise P&A through multiple mini-flashbacks scattered throughout the season. "It's full of flashbacks, and not just flashbacks to years ago, but recent flashbacks that give you information on stuff that's happening now," Guillermo Diaz teases, adding that more of why Huck is so loyal to Olivia also will be revealed. 

Scandal's Shonda Rhimes on Season 2's big mystery: Who is Quinn Perkins?

5. We'll get even more scandal this year! After the question of who Quinn Perkins is gets answered, it becomes a why (as in why this identity was assumed), but that's really the least of Pope & Associates' worries this year. "Once again, like last season, there's this little ball that's rolling downhill that you think means one thing that begins to mean something quite different," Rhimes says. "It all comes together in a very interesting way. I don't want to say that it's connected to the Quinn thing, but it springs from it in a weird way." Washington adds that Olivia will be a part of the "major, even more complicated troubles" that are brewing. 

Who do you think Quinn Perkins is? Find out when  Scandal returns Thursday at 10/9c on ABC.

Check out the very first official Scandal podcast with Rhimes and executive producer Betsy Beers here, where they discuss  the Quinn Perkins mystery and the Fitz and Olivia relationship.