SEASON PREMIERE: This season of Scandal picks up two months after the events shown at the conclusion of last season’s cliffhanger, which had Olivia (Kerry Washington) closing her crisis-handling D.C. firm, putting an end to her presidential affair and her status as FRirst Mistress, and flying away with freelance hit man Jake (Scott Foley). Series creator Shonda Rhimes now owns the entire night on ABC, and this series now is positioned as the evening’s centerpiece – after Grey’s Anatomy, but before the new How to Get Away with Murder.