‘Scandal’ Spoilers: Mama Pope Returning In Season 4 Mid-Season Finale, Tony Goldwyn Dons Director’s Hat

Olivia Pope's mother Maya Pope is set to make an appearance again in "Scandal." In the Season 3 finale, "The Price of Free and Fair Elections," Rowan made it look like it is Mama Pope who is behind the murder of President's son. Fitz reinstated Rowan as the Command of B-613 and gave him the go ahead to kill Maya Pope. Later, Rowan informed Fitz that she has been killed. In the final few moments of the episode, it was revealed that it is Rowan who ordered Tom to kill Jerry. Also, Rowan has kept Maya Pope in an underground dungeon.

The Hollywood Reporter (THR) is reporting that Khandi Alexander is returning to reprise her role as Mama Pope in "Scandal" Season 4. She is going to make an appearance in the mid-season finale. According to THR, Tony Goldwyn, who plays President Fitz in the show, has directed this episode, which is titled "Where the Sun Don't Shine."

A couple of episodes back in "Scandal" Season 4, Tom gave a statement, saying that it is Jake Ballard who ordered him to kill President's son, Jerry. Jake was arrested and he was not given a chance to show his evidence against Rowan to the President. In the last episode, Rowan suffered a little set-back when Olivia was able to stop Fitz from handing Jake over to Rowan. However, Fitz's trust in Rowan remain in tact.

Speaking about why Fitz blindly trusts Rowan, Goldwyn said to THR, "In Fitz's view, he misjudged Rowan and he made him Command again. In the three-ish months since Jerry Jr.'s death, Rowan is someone who Fitz has come to realize -- even though he thinks he's an awful human being and has been a terrible person to Olivia -- the man knows his job."

Fitz trusts Rowan because he sees him as a professional, according to Goldwyn. Also, the actor said that Jake has lost the trust because "he failed with the Maya Pope thing, ran off with Olivia at Fitz's darkest moment and took advantage of that and manipulated her in Fitz's view." Goldwyn told THR that when evidence against Jake surfaces, Fitz's "complicated feelings about Olivia" and the "way Jake has failed him" have made him only trust Rowan.