Fans of "Scandal" last saw her get on a plane with her lover, so where is she?
"I can tell you, you will know where the plane is going in the very first episode," said Washington.
And that's all the specifics the actress who plays Olivia Pope would give "Good Morning America" host Robin Roberts this week about the Thursday premiere of the ABC show, now in its fourth season.
Washington is willing to talk in more general terms. "We get to see Olivia be really triggered by the pain of her past, so she's trying to heal from that and become somebody new and press the re-set button."
The same might be said of "Scandal" itself which moves an hour earlier on Thursday nights to 9 p.m. "My impression is that it's a really good thing to pull up to 9 o'clock because it just gives us a bigger audience," said "Scandal" actor Tony Goldwyn.
The success of "Scandal" has even led to a new clothing line so now millions of fans can dress like their favorite character without going broke - and the fictional show has given the star a chance to address very real issues.
All of this is made possible by one woman, a television trail-blazer who controls every show on ABC Thursday nights this fall. Shonda Rimes, who created the show, crafts each episode according to her own perspective.
"I think it's wonderful that television is looking like the world outside, said Rimes."