Shonda Rhimes plans for "Grey's Anatomy" to run until Meredith's hair turns gray, but she has specific plans to wrap up Olivia Pope's story on "Scandal." The creator has confirmed the political drama starring Kerry Washington does have an end point.
Rhimes has discussed her possible end game with Washington, which could happen sooner than later. ABC recently renewed "Scandal" for a sixth season, but the founder of ShondaLand wouldn't say whether the new season would be the show's last.
"We know where it ends and when it ends," Rhimes said at the LA PaleyFest. "I've always had the end point in mind."
The 46-year-old writer-producer made a pact with her "Grey's" star Ellen Pompeo to keep doing the show as long as they both want to do it. Rhimes didn't make that pact with Washington, but the two have come to an understanding on how the show will end.
"Kerry and I have talked about the fact that the story has an end date. We've talked about it a long time and we both understand it," she said.
The idea of a creator bringing a show to a close on his or her own terms is a foreign concept nowadays on network television. Most series run until they lose their audience or become too expensive to produce. This spring, CBS granted the wish of "The Good Wife" creators Robert and Michelle King to complete their seven-year plan for Alicia Florrick (Julianna Margulies) in the way they always wanted. The series will air its finale on May 8.
As for the rest of "Scandal" season five, the ABC series will start to blur the lines between its fictional American politics and the very real circus happening in the U.S. presidential race. A character inspired by Donald Trump and his campaign will enter the race for the Republican candidacy against Susan Ross (Artemis Pebdani) and Mellie Grant (Bellamy Young).
"There will be a candidate who will emerge who has many qualities that Mr. Trump has. How could we resist that?," said Tony Goldwyn, who plays sitting president, Fitzgerald Grant. "Except I guarantee you there's no way he will be as outrageous as Trump is."
The new candidate will be someone that has already appeared on the show. He will also throw a wrench in the campaigns that Susan and Mellie planned on running.
"I think Susan nor Mellie is thrilled to see someone else in the race because they thought it was going to be a grudge match between the two of them and they'd each made strategies for that. So everyone's nonplussed," Young said. "And anyone that irreverent just really throws a kink in things but it's great fun to watch."
"Scandal" airs on Thursdays at 9 p.m. on ABC.
