An Old Enemy Returned To 'Scandal'

Just when things were winding down for Season 6 of Scandal, Jake had to go and learn that Ruland and Peus weren't the only big bads going after the White House. In fact, it turns out that there's someone above them who was really pulling all the strings and it was none other than Maya Pope. And now that Olivia Pope's mom returned to Scandal, there's no telling what else she has planned to take down the White House. If any of you have forgotten, she's basically the most formidable character of all, and now that she suddenly has all of this power, she's more dangerous than ever.

Throughout Season 6, as Peus and Ruland carried out their plan to take over the White House while controlling Olivia, Rowan, and pretty much everyone else in their inner circle, viewers couldn't help but look to Peus and Ruland as the main villains. But in a way, they were just a couple of other cogs being controlled in the name of the bigger picture.

On Thursday's episode of Scandal, when Jake took Ruland's DNA to be tested and came back with the news that he'd found a cell phone in her apartment with some telltale texts on it, it was clear that the two antagonists of the season hadn't been working alone in their efforts.

The texts on Ruland's previously wiped cell phone said something about her debt still not being paid and now we know that the texts had to have come from Olivia's mom since she's clearly the one in charge of the entire operation. And after being foiled in her efforts to take the White House and gain complete control, she's obviously not going to be backing down anytime soon.

In the promo for the Season 6 finale, Maya is shown with a possible plan to assassinate Mellie now. The inauguration is likely the next big event, but if Maya is dead set on keeping Mellie out of office, she's likely cooking up a scheme to get her way. This is the same mother who, by comparison, made Rowan look like the good parent for Olivia. So yeah, she's not exactly someone to mess with, especially when you've already killed her most skilled henchmen.

Obviously the show has saved the best for last though, since the Season 6 finale of Scandal is going to be two hours long and will probably have the final showdown with Olivia's mom and literally everyone else who is determined to stop her once and for all. At the very least, they now know who they're dealing with, but even if they get her locked away in the cell below the White House, Mama Pope can always find a way to get what she wants.