Scandal Season 4 Spoilers: How Much Time Passes After Season 3 Finale?

Scandal ended its Season 3 finale with Olivia Pope on a plane with Jake headed for who knows where. It's extremely unlikely the show would completely drop Olivia as the fixer and the main character, so the real question is when and how she will return to the action in Washington, D.C.

Thanks to the "Ask Ausiello" column at E! Online, we at least know when. "The Season 4 premiere, airing Thursday, Sept. 25 (now at 9/8c, remember!), will pick up 'about two-and-a-half months later,' Shonda Rhimes tells us - effectively spanning the time from Election Day to Fitz's second inauguration."

It's still unclear how or why Olivia leaves her hopefully happy life with Jake to return to the chaos and misery of her old life, but we'll likely find out sooner rather than later.

In other news, troubled actor Columbus Short recently made his first public comments about his departure from the show back in April. And based on his words, it seems the network was the driving force behind his exit rather than Rhimes, the series creator.

"They did not throw me to the curb like trash. That's my family," the man who played Harrison Wright told Access Hollywood. "They knew that I was going through a tough season and they rallied around me and wrapped their arms around me, from Shonda to the craft service man. We're a family.

"I think, at a certain point, when you're [hearing] a barrage of stories after stories, ABC justifiably would want to distance themselves. They did the right thing."

The news came after a troubling few weeks for Short, who was accused of threatening his wife, Tanee Short. The actor was also arrested recently for public intoxication in Dallas.

What do you think will happen in the Season 4 premiere of Scandal? Let us know in the comments below.