“Scandal” will soon be fixing our Thursday nights again when it returns for Season 3 (October 3 can’t get here fast enough), but in the meantime, ABC has found a way to tide us over by releasing a gorgeous new set of promotional images featuring the highly photogenic cast. The actors each released their photos via Twitter in a hat tip to the fans who make the show one of the most social series on TV.

The theme of the photoshoot is “The storm is coming” — which explains the atmospheric rain and umbrellas — and after the truth about Olivia (Kerry Washington) and Fitz’s (Tony Goldwyn) affair was leaked in the Season 2 finale, our characters certainly need to prepare for a deluge of drama … they’re going to need all the shelter they can get.

Check out the new images of the cast below.

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  • Tony Goldwyn (President Fitzgerald Grant)

  • Bellamy Young (Mellie Grant)

  • Jeff Perry (Cyrus Beene)

  • Scott Foley (Jake Ballard)

  • Guillermo Diaz (Huck)

  • Darby Stanchfield (Abby Whelan)

  • Joshua Malina (David Rosen)

  • Columbus Short (Harrison Wright)

  • Katie Lowes (Quinn Perkins)

  • Kerry Washington (Olivia Pope)

Tony Goldwyn recently told HuffPost TV that when Season 3 begins, “all hell is breaking loose at the White House over this revelation, and Fitz is kind of trying to regain his center. I think he’s kind of the calm in the storm, in a way. He’s really determined to be a stabilizing force, if that’s even possible, because everyone is running around like chickens with their heads cut off. And Fitz is not having that. We’ll see him trying to think clear-headedly, even though that’s extremely difficult because he gets kind of buffeted at every turn.”

Creator Shonda Rhimes also shared this tease about the season opener: “We’re going to dive into a lot of things at the beginning of Season 3. The first episode, much like all of our other episodes, does that thing where you think the show is going to be about this and then they answer something very quickly and then they move onto something else.”

“Scandal” Season 3 premieres Thursday, October 3 at 10 p.m. ET on ABC. Follow the stars on Twitter for more “Scandal” goodies.

Related on HuffPost:

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  • TV Critics Picks: 2013-2014 TV Season

    <strong>HuffPost TV gathered 19 TV critics to share their picks for the following topics: <a href=”http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/08/26/best-new-tv-comedy-2013-critics-video_n_3813852.html” target=”_blank”>Best New Comedy</a>, <a href=”http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/08/27/best-new-tv-drama-2013-critics-video_n_3820528.html” target=”_blank”>Best New Drama</a>, <a href=”http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/08/28/favorite-tv-stars-2013-critics-video_n_3825994.html” target=”_blank”>Favorite New Stars</a>, <a href=”http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/08/29/returning-tv-shows-2013-critics-video_n_3833912.html” target=”_blank”>Returning Shows We Love</a> and <a href=”http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/08/30/worst-new-tv-show-2013-critics-video_n_3839731.html” target=”_blank”>Worst New Show</a> of the 2013-2014 TV season.

    <em>Watch the videos to see who picked what, then click through this gallery to find out when the shows premiere. </em></strong>

  • Worst New Show: “Super Fun Night”

    “Super Fun Night” premieres Wed., Oct. 2 at 9:30 p.m. ET on ABC.

  • Worst New Show: “Dads”

    “Dads” premieres Tues., Sept. 17 at 8 p.m. ET on Fox.

  • Worst New Show: “We Are Men”

    “We Are Men” premieres Mon., Sept. 30 at 8:30 p.m. ET on CBS.

  • Worst New Show: “Sean Saves the World”

    “Sean Saves the World” premieres Thurs., Oct. 3 at 9 p.m. ET on NBC.

  • Worst New Show: “Ironside”

    “Ironside” premieres Wed., Oct. 2 at 10 p.m. ET on NBC.

  • Worst New Show: “Welcome to the Family”

    “Welcome to the Family” premieres Thurs., Oct. 3 at 8:30 p.m. ET on NBC.

  • Worst New Show: “Reign”

    “Reign” premieres Thurs., Oct. 17 at 9 p.m. ET on The CW.

  • Worst New Show: “Back In the Game”

    “Back In the Game” premieres Wed., Sept. 25 at 8:30 p.m. ET on ABC.

  • Worst New Show: “Betrayal”

    “Betrayal” premieres Sun., Sept. 29 at 10 p.m. ET on ABC.

  • Favorite Returning Show: “Game of Thrones”

    “Game of Thrones” Season 4 premieres Spring 2014 on HBO.

  • Favorite Returning Show: “Scandal”

    “Scandal” Season 3 premieres Thurs., Oct. 3 at 10 p.m. ET on ABC.

  • Favorite Returning Show: “Parks and Recreation”

    “Parks and Recreation” one-hour Season 5 premiere airs Thurs., Sept. 26 at 8 p.m. ET on NBC.

  • Favorite Returning Show: “New Girl”

    “New Girl” Season 3 premieres Tues., Sept. 17 at 9 p.m. ET on Fox.

  • Favorite Returning Show: “The Walking Dead”

    “The Walking Dead” Season 4 premieres Sun., Oct. 13 at 9 p.m. ET on AMC.

  • Favorite Returning Show: “Homeland”

    “Homeland” Season 3 premieres Sun., Sept. 29 at 9 p.m. ET on Showtime.

  • Favorite Returning Show: “Boardwalk Empire”

    “Boardwalk Empire” Season 4 premieres Sun., Sept. 8 at 9 p.m. ET on HBO.

  • Favorite Returning Show: “The Mindy Project”

    “The Mindy Project” Season 2 premieres Tues., Sept. 17 at 9:30 p.m. ET on Fox.

  • Favorite Returning Show: “Sons of Anarchy”

    “Sons of Anarchy” Season 6 premieres Tues., Sept. 10 at 10 p.m. ET on FX.

  • Favorite Returning Show: “Orphan Black”

    “Orphan Black” Season 2 premieres April 2014 on BBC America.

  • Favorite Returning Show: “The Good Wife”

    “The Good Wife” Season 5 premieres Sun., Sept. 29 at 9 p.m. ET on CBS.

  • Favorite Returning Show: “Arrow”

    “Arrow” Season 2 premieres Wed., Oct. 9 at 8 p.m. ET on The CW.

  • Favorite Returning Show: “Glee”

    “Glee” Season 5 premieres Thurs., Sept. 26 at 9 p.m. ET on Fox.

  • Favorite Returning Show: “American Horror Story: Coven”

    “American Horror Story: Coven” Season 3 premieres on FX.

  • Favorite Stars: Michael J. Fox & Betsy Brandt

    “The Michael J. Fox Show” premieres Thurs., Sept. 26 at 9 p.m. ET on NBC.

  • Favorite Star: Chelsea Peretti

    “Brooklyn Nine-Nine” premieres Tues., Sept. 17 at 8:30 p.m. ET on Fox.

  • Favorite Star: David Walton

    “About A Boy” premieres midseason 2014 on NBC.

  • Favorite Star: Stephen Merchant

    “Hello Ladies” premieres Sun., Sept. 29 at 10:30 p.m. ET on HBO.

  • Favorite Star: Dermot Mulroney

    “Crisis” premieres midseason 2014 on NBC.

  • Favorite Star: Dylan McDermott

    “Hostages” premieres Mon., Sept. 23 at 10 p.m. ET on CBS.

  • Favorite Star: Tom Mison

    “Sleepy Hollow” premieres Mon., Sept. 16 at 9 p.m. ET on Fox.

  • Favorite Star: Lizzy Caplan

    “Masters of Sex” premieres Sun., Sept. 29 at 10 p.m. ET on Showtime.

  • Favorite Stars: Sarah Michelle Gellar (left) & James Wolk (far right)

    “The Crazy Ones” premieres Thurs., Sept. 26 at 9 p.m. ET on CBS.

  • Favorite Star: Clark Gregg

    “Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.” premieres Tues., Sept. 24 at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.

  • Favorite Star: Anna Faris

    “Mom” premieres Mon., Sept. 23 at 9:30 p.m. ET on CBS.

  • Favorite Star: Parker Young

    “Enlisted” premieres Fri., Nov. 8 at 9:30 p.m. on Fox.

  • Best New Drama: “Masters of Sex”

    “Masters of Sex” premieres Sun., Sept. 29 at 10 p.m. ET on Showtime.

  • Best New Drama: “Reign”

    “Reign” premieres Thurs., Oct. 17 at 9 p.m. ET on The CW.

  • Best New Drama: “The Blacklist”

    “The Blacklist” premieres Mon., Sept. 23 at 10 p.m. ET on NBC.

  • Best New Drama: “Hostages”

    “Hostages” premieres Mon., Sept. 23 at 10 p.m. ET on CBS.

  • Best New Drama: “Sleepy Hollow”

    “Sleepy Hollow” premieres Mon., Sept. 16 at 9 p.m. ET on Fox.

  • Best New Drama: “Almost Human”

    “Almost Human” premieres Mon., Nov. 4 at 8 p.m. ET on Fox.

  • Best New Drama: “Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.”

    “Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.” premieres Tues., Sept. 24 at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.

  • Best New Comedy: “Brooklyn Nine-Nine”

    “Brooklyn Nine-Nine” premieres Tues., Sept. 17 at 8:30 p.m. ET on Fox.

  • Best New Comedy: “Enlisted”

    “Enlisted” premieres Fri., Nov. 8 at 9:30 p.m. on Fox.

  • Best New Comedy: “Hello Ladies”

    “Hello Ladies” premieres Sun., Sept. 29 at 10:30 p.m. ET on HBO.

  • Best New Comedy: “Mom”

    “Mom” premieres Mon., Sept. 23 at 9:30 p.m. ET on CBS.

  • Best New Comedy: “Trophy Wife”

    “Trophy Wife” premieres Tues., Sept. 24 at 9:30 p.m. ET on ABC.

  • Best New Comedy: “The Crazy Ones”

    “The Crazy Ones” premieres Thurs., Sept. 26 at 9 p.m. ET on CBS.

  • Best New Comedy: “About A Boy”

    “About A Boy” premieres midseason 2014 on NBC.