• A — Albatross

  The code-name for the mole responsible for leaking government secrets who tried to kill Olivia Pope (Kerry Washington). The culprit? The vice president's former (and still bitter) chief of staff Billy Chambers (Matt Letscher). For more, watch season two's penultimate episode "Any Questions?"

• B — B613:

  The top-secret CIA-funded government organization that is headed by Rowan Pope (Joe Morton). Current/former members include Jake (Scott Foley), Huck (Guillermo Diaz) and Charlie (George Newbern). For more, watch season two's "Spies Like Us."

• C — Cyrus

  Cyrus (Jeff Perry) is President Fitzgerald Grant's chief of staff. He's married to James (Dan Bucatinsky) and adopted a daughter. But don't let this family man throw you off; he'll just as easily hire an assassin to kill a former White House intern and dumped her body in a lake. For more: Watch the season one finale, "Grant for the People."

• D — Defiance

  The Ohio precinct where Olivia, Cyrus (Jeff Perry), Verna (Debra Mooney), Mellie (Bellamy Young) and Hollis (Gregg Henry) had the election rigged that propelled Fitz to the presidency in an election that likely could have gone to Gov. Samuel Reston (Tom Amandes). For more, watch season two's "A Criminal, a Whore and a Liar."

• E — Edison

  Edison (Norm Lewis), the senator whose marriage proposal Olivia rejected. Sorry, pal!

• F — Fitz

  The Republican president of the United States. He's married with three children — Jerry, Karen and newborn Teddy — with first lady Mellie Grant. Theirs is a political marriage of convenience. During Fitz's (Tony Goldwyn) run for president, he fell in love with Olivia, whom Cyrus — her old mentor — brought in to help liven up his candidacy. For the origins of their relationship, see season one's flashback episode "The Trail."

• G — Gladiator

  The dedicated staff of Olivia Pope & Associates aren't lawyers, they're "Gladiators," a term Harrison (Columbus Short) uses in the series premiere to recruit Quinn (Katie Lowes). It's now a term for die-hard Scandal fans, as is "It's Handled," a phrase Olivia frequently uses. 

• H — Harrison

  Harrison (Columbus Short) is one of Olivia's most loyal Gladiators, he's a former car salesman who served time for insider trading before Olivia was brought in to "fix" his sentence. Not much is known about his history but he remains one of the most loyal of Olivia's Gladiators. He's a smooth talker who uses that skill wisely.

• I — Infidelity

  Infidelity is a frequent theme on Scandal considering Fitz has repeatedly cheated on Mellie (with Olivia and former intern Amanda Tanner) and season one regular Stephen (Henry Ian Cusick) also was unfaithful to his fiancée, among others. 

• J — Jake

  Jake (Scott Foley) is a former military buddy of the president's who was first brought in to spy on Olivia. Ultimately, he falls for her and is later revealed to be working for B613. As of the season two finale, he's serving time in the hole — but he'll be back, considering Foley was promoted to series regular for season three.

• K — Kids

  Kids: How Olivia "fixed" the Amanda Tanner situation. When Billy (Matt Letscher) releases a sex tape he claims features Fitz with Amanda, Mellie (Bellamy Young) confesses to being the woman on the tape and tells the press — with Olivia's help — that she's pregnant, thus averting a major crisis. For more, watch the season one finale "Grant: For the People."

• L — Love interests

  Abby (Darby Stanchfield) and David (Josh Malina) continue to be an on-again, off-again pairing. When they initially started working together to find out what happened in Defiance, Ohio, where the election was essentially stolen. After Harrison breaks them up — at Olivia's request — they find their way back to one another. That is until Abby swipes the Cytron card that proves David was right. This must-see scene for the duo comes in season two's "Blown Away." Who could have guessed Abby was a slapper?!

• M — Mellie

  First lady Mellie Grant (Bellamy Young) has political aspirations of her own and always has a motive of her own. In the past, she's gone as far as to hire her own "fixer" (played by John Barrowman) after she leaks that Fitz had an affair. For more, watch season two's penultimate episode "Any Questions?"

• N — Numbers

  Numbers: 752 represents 7:52 a.m., the last time Huck (Guillermo Diaz) saw his wife, Kim (Jasika Nicole), and young son Javi. Olivia would see him at the subway station every morning and bring him coffee before ultimately plucking the wounded warrior off the street. Huck was eventually tortured by B613 to forget he had a family. However, after being water-boarded and locked in a box in a storage container, he snaps out of his PTSD when he realizes he may have had a family. For more, watch season two's heartbreaking "Seven Fifty-Two" hour.

• O — Olivia Pope

  The Olivia Pope (Kerry Washington) character is inspired by real-life crisis manager Judy Smith (whose clients have included Monica Lewinsky and Michael Vick). After EPs Shonda Rhimes and Betsy Beers met Smith, the idea for Scandal was born. Smith serves as a co-EP and technical adviser on the series. Washington regularly consults with Smith for Olivia's character development.

• P — Popcorn and wine

  Popcorn and wine is Olivia's regular dinner of champions. Seriously, have you seen her eat anything else? 

• Q — Quinn

  Quinn (Katie Lowes) is the newest Gladiator whose real identity — and reason she was recruited for OPA — was the biggest question coming out of season one. It turns out Quinn's real name is Lindsay Dwyer, and her late boyfriend Jesse (Lowes' real-life husband Adam Shapiro) worked for Cytron and helped rig the election in Fitz's favor. Olivia sent Huck to create a new identity for Lindsay after she was blamed for the explosion that killed Jesse and several others. The man responsible for the blast was Hollis Doyle, who wanted to cover-up the rigged election. She's currently learning Huck's tools of the trade and seems to have taken a keen interest in the drill.

• R — Re-election

  Re-election is likely on the menu for season three after Gov. Reston is revealed to be working with Billy and well aware of Defiance and the election rigging. It's Reston vs. Grant, Round 2. For more, watch the season two finale "White Hats Back On."

• S — Sally

  Sally Langston (Kate Burton) is the uber-conservative Bible-beating vice president, who wound up on the ticket after Olivia helped Fitz sell his marriage with Mellie to attract additional voters. For more, watch season one's "The Trail."

• T — Twitter

  Twitter is a must for Scandal viewers. The weekly #AskScandal live chat with the cast and creators started with star Washington, who had Rhimes send an email to the cast urging them to join the social networking site. The series has registered an insane amount of tweets per hour that has helped catch the interest of new Gladiators Oprah Winfrey, Lena Dunham and more.

• U — U.S. District Attorney

  David (Josh Malina) doesn't just get his old job back but instead gets his boss' gig as U.S. District Attorney when in the season two finale he gives the real Cytron card to Cyrus along with a tape of Billy confessing his role in Defiance.

• V — Verna

  Verna (Debra Mooney) is the Supreme Court justice was a member of Defiance and played a major role in rigging the election in Fitz's favor as well as helping Lindsay/Quinn escape life behind bars for her role in the deadly explosion she was framed for. Ultimately, after she was diagnosed with cancer, she vowed to come clean on her deathbed for her role in the election but Fitz suffocates her with a pillow. For more, watch season two's "Nobody Likes Babies." 

• W — White Hat

  White Hat is a term for justice that David and Olivia regularly use. In the season two finale, after David — a former rival of Olivia's — is revealed to have been working under cover to help OPA. After he steals the Cytron card and hands it over to Cyrus (who destroys it), David sends Olivia a real white hat to celebrate.

• X — 10 p.m.

   In Roman numerals, "X" stands for 10 — as in 10 p.m., the time Scandal airs Thursdays on ABC. (We know it's a stretch, but we defy you to try and find a better entry for "X," plus this gives us an opportunity to include the stunningly sad season three poster.)

• Y — “You Own Me” speech

  Fitz's You Own Me" speech: This clip says it all for "Olitz" 'shippers everywhere. 

• Z — Zoo

  Olivia and Cyrus typically meet for coffee and classified conversations in this area near the White House. In the second season finale, Olivia tells Cyrus that their "spot" used to be a zoo.

ad

{{ result.published_at | date: "%h %d, %Y" }}