<Tr> <Td_colspan="2"> ← Previous Season 6 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td_colspan="2"> List of Scandal episodes </Td> </Tr> <P> The seventh and final season of the American television drama series Scandal was ordered on February 10, 2017 by ABC . It was later announced that the seventh season would be the final season for Scandal . The season began airing on October 5, 2017, and consisted of 18 episodes, adding the total episode count of the show to 124 episodes . Cast member George Newbern was upgraded to a series regular after being a recurring cast member for the past six seasons . The season will be produced by ABC Studios, in association with ShondaLand Production Company; the showrunner being Shonda Rhimes . </P> <P> The season focuses on the new direction of Olivia Pope's crisis management firm, which is now headlined by Quinn Perkins, as well as staff at the White House in Washington, D.C. Season seven will have twelve series regulars, all returning from the previous season, out of which six are part of the original cast of eight regulars from the first season . The season aired on Thursday nights at 9: 00 pm until episode 15, where it aired in its original timeslot, Thursday 10: 00 pm . </P>

When does the final season of scandal start