Shonda Rhimes Explains Why a Beloved Character Returned to Save Olivia Pope on 'Scandal'

The current twists and turns that Shonda Rhimes has crafted for Scandal is leaving fans on the edge of their seats and Thursday night's episode brought back an old favorite. We last saw Stephen Finch (played by Henry Ian Cusick) at the end of the first season, and when he was last mentioned he had supposedly had left the business in favor of a normal life. It was a brilliant move to bring the character back to save Olivia Pope from what appeared to be inevitable death. She was being sold on the black market and Finch was supposedly buying her on behalf of a Russian group. The few short minutes between Kerry Washington and Cusick were nostalgic and Rhimes has weighed in on why she chose to have this man save her.

In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Rhimes explained, "It had been our solution in this story because of the idea that we knew that he had never gone and been normal and because we knew he had been our idea of redemption. It was the only sensible solution when you think about Olivia's life, where she's gone and where she's been. Nostalgically for her, I think she believes that he's safety and home, whether it's true or not. If you think about the fact that she has no family — her mother basically let her go and her father basically told her she didn't exist anymore for him — Stephen was the last of the Gladiators who had no beef with her in any way, shape or form. She hadn't abandoned him. There was no baggage there, so that was why."

As for whether or not Finch could return in the future, Rhimes is playing coy. Although the reality is that Cusick is now starring on the CW's The 100 so even if an offered existed, his availability might be an issue. What are your thoughts on him being the one to rescue Olivia? Isn't it almost better this way? If POTUS had saved her or even Jake, then she likely would have felt like she owed them her loyalty. Instead Finch did it for the right reason and without any ulterior motive.

What are your thoughts on the last few episodes of Scandal? The show has obviously taken a detour from its usual D.C. drama, have you liked the latest twists? Tell us your thoughts in the comments below!

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Shonda Rhimes, Kerry Washington