ABC’s ‘Scandal’ season 3 spoilers: ‘Major Crimes,’ ‘The Closer’ actor to romance Mellie

Great news for Mellie on “Scandal” from here on out: She will not have to solely rely on Fitz anymore for hopes of getting some romance in her life.

Previously, we reported that the show was casting a man named Andrew, a forty-something man who has a ton of charisma. (You would have to, if you are going to be brave enough to take a romantic interest in the First Lady.) Now, TVLine is reporting that this role is going to none other than Jon Tenney, who ironically plays a character in Fritz on the TNT series “Major Crimes” and, before that, “The Closer.”

This is a role that will first turn up in the final eight episodes of the season, which are going to start airing come late February. As you probably heard earlier this week, the episode order was cut down from 22 to 18 for the season presumably to accommodate the pregnancy of series star Kerry Washington. This could allow for an opportunity for the show to actually tell a much tighter and more interesting story, and having an actor like Tenney at the center of this could create for a number of more interesting scenarios. While it’s pretty clear that Fitz has been able to handle having an affair of his own, how would he suddenly react if he were to realize that his own wife was starting to develop feelings for another man? Would he panic? He’s always known somewhere in the back of his mind that if things started to go south, he would have Bellamy Young’s character to fall back on. That may not be the case anymore.

Do you like the casting here, and do you think that Mellie could actually have a romance here? Share some of your thoughts below! Also, click here if you want to see a video preview for next week’s “Scandal” midseason finale that promises a ton of drama coming at you in all directions.

Photo: ABC