‘Scandal’ Season Finale Preview: 5 Things We Know (VIDEO)

You didn’t really think the road to the White House was suddenly going to be easy for President-elect Mellie Grant (Bellamy Young) on ABC’s Scandal now that Maya Lewis (Khandi Alexander) made a return in last week’s episode, did you?

We know Olivia (Kerry Washington) has some screwed-up parents, with a father (Joe Morton) who killed the former President-elect Francisco Vargas earlier this season and a mother who has proved time and time again that she is simply bat-s**t crazy. But as almost everyone is working together to try to get Mellie to her inauguration safe and sound, Maya and other forces are still on the loose and are a threat to pull out all the stops to make sure it never happens.

To get a peek into what we might see in Thursday’s two-hour Season 6 finale, Bellamy Young hopped on the phone with TV Insider to tease what we’ll see and how Mellie is truly feeling on her big day as she becomes the first female POTUS, as well as whether or not there’s a future for Mellie and Marcus (Cornelius Smith, Jr.). Here are five things we found out:

1. It’s life or death for Mellie: The inauguration ranks up there as one of the most important days in Mellie Grant’s life, but how is she feeling as we start the finale? “I think she’s absolutely terrified,” Young said. “Her life is on the line, and the smart money says to have a closed-door inauguration in the Oval Office where no one can see if she’ll definitely get to become President. But, as she’s gotten closer and closer to her dream of becoming President, I think it has really burned away a lot of this frivolity about her notion of this dream, and I think she knows that it is not just her dream anymore. It’s a dream that belongs to everyone, and that she is a vessel on a larger mission…She’s willing to give her life because she thinks and knows in her heart that America needs this moment.” (Sounds pretty presidential to me!)
2. Mellie leans on someone unexpected: The soon-to-be-POTUS has come a long way with Olivia, but who does she lean on as she has to decide what to do for the inauguration? “That the person who actually knows her the best and is the only other person that has been in the situation she’s in is her ex-husband,” Young explained about Mellie and Fitz (Tony Goldwyn). “You don’t have to stay in love with someone forever, but I don’t think the connection ever dies. For them to get to be allies, hopefully, in this regard is a beautiful new chapter for them in my eyes. I don’t know what’s going to happen, but I just think how special.”
3. There’s something about Quinn: The new OPA (QPA?) head (Katie Lowes) is between a rock and a hard place now as she prepares to marry Charlie (George Newbern, who will be a full-time series regular for the final Scandal season) and, this being Scandal, things won’t be easy. Overall, Young said she’s loved where the journey of each character has gone this season on the show, but Lowes’ character seems to be a standout. “Some of it was hilarious, and some of it was terrifying, and some of it was so moving. I love Quinn. I love where Quinn is going in particular. It just has my heart!”
4. History that (hopefully) will be made: While we’ll have to wait to see if Mellie’s inauguration happens, Young said that the fact that this is the first female POTUS will be punctuated in the finale. “It is absolutely fundamental to this episode. Mellie is not just another President,” Young said. “It’s a very big departure for this country, and it’s a very important milestone not just for women but for all Americans. We hope to convey that over the course of the episode because it’s definitely what fuels Mellie’s courage. Not herself and not her dreams, but the fact that this is something for all America. This is a moment in history. This is a big deal.”
5. Marcus, Marcus, Marcus: It’s been awhile since we’ve seen that spark ignite once again between Mellie and her press secretary, Marcus. Young seems to share fans’ feelings about this being something special that we can all hope will see more air time. “I really love it,” the actress admitted. “I really think it is so unexpected that they really see each other. They really get each other, and they really help each other grow in the most organic way into their higher, best selves. I would lament if either one of them loses that. I don’t know how it will work out romantically, but they certainly have a lot of chemistry, too. I am definitely interested to see where that goes.”

Here’s a peek at the Scandal Season 6 finale:

Scandal, Thursdays, 9/8c, ABC. Season 6 finale May 18.