"They are taking characters and roles and positions and conventions that you're used to on the show and getting rid of them," the actor tells THR about the season finale.

Unlike that other devastating Shondaland exit that launched a thousand angry tweets, Jake (Scott Foley) didn't actually die on Scandal. Despite being stabbed over and over and over again by Rowan's newest B613 lapdog, Russell (Brian White), Jake somehow survived the brutal attack thanks to Olivia (Kerry Washington) and a very sketchy private doc.

So what happens now between Jake and Olivia?

"It confirms her feelings for him. I think she cares very deeply about him," Foley tells The Hollywood Reporter. "There's always going to be a question as to who is right for her."

That burning question is once again relevant now that Olivia knows her latest boy toy is the same man that stabbed Jake. The bloody attack, which occurred just a week before McDreamy's heartbreaking goodbye on Grey's Anatomy, sent fans into a panic over whether or not Olivia's on-and-off beau was gone for good. "I wasn’t expecting that sort of reaction," says Foley. "To see… the outpouring of hope that people had, not wanting Jake to die, was really flattering and a great feeling for me. I've got kids, I've got a family. I don’t want to go anywhere. I was pleasantly surprised."

That's because not so long ago fans of the hit ABC drama were hoping that the former member of B613 would get stabbed and left for dead. When Foley first joined the show midway through season two, fans were not exactly eager to picture Olivia sharing her red wine and popcorn with anyone but the president (Tony Goldwyn). "There have been a lot of people coming to Team Jake in the past couple seasons, where it really began [as] Team Hate," says Foley. "Jake will do whatever Liv wants and there's something refreshing about that. But he also is a bit of a badass, which can be sexy. He can be sweet and romantic and I think [the writers have] done a great job creating this character with a bunch of layers that have made him interesting."

But should fans still worry about Jake's future? When asked about the upcoming season finale, Foley teases that there are major changes ahead for Olivia, her gladiators and the rest of the show's major players.

"These last couple episodes are a real great transition for the show toward season five. They are taking characters and roles and positions and conventions that you're used to on the show and getting rid of them, flipping them upside down, doing things you wouldn’t expect. You're going to see relationships and people and jobs and everything sort of spun on its head, and I think because of that, they've opened this fantastic new window to the show where they can really do more with the characters."

Scandal airs Thursdays at 9 p.m. on ABC.