ABC/Eric McCandlessHe's ba-aaack and our hearts are melting.
Dan Bucatinsky is set to reprise the fan-favorite role of James in an upcoming episode of Scandal, E! News has exclusively learned. But wait, you must be saying, didn't James die in one of the series' most heartbreaking moments ever in season three?!
Sadly, James is not going to be revealed as a vampire, as we can reveal Bucatinsky will return via flashbacks in an episode focusing on Cyrus (Jeff Perry) that will air later this month.
But he's not the only familiar face returning in the episode as we can also exclusively reveal that Kate Burton will be back in (glorious) action as disgraced former VP Sally Langston. And yes, we are mostly excited about this because it gives us a legitimate reason to use the GIF below. Yum yum!
When we chatted with Bucatinsky after James' heartbreaking death, he told us how he'd love to return to the show. "I would be happy to haunt Cyrus as much as physically possible," Bucatinsky said. "He could use some haunting. He could be a little scared of something."
Since leaving fictional Washington, D.C. behind, Bucatinsky has starred alongside Tim Meadows as one of our favorite TV parental pairings on NBC's Marry Me. Oh, and he's also a co-creator and executive producer of Web Therapy along with Lisa Kudrow, as well as an EP on The Comeback.
But James and Sally aren't the first surprising returns to go down in season four as Scandal pulled a fast one on fans, bringing Henry Ian Cusick back as Olivia's former right-hand Gladiator Stephen Finch, who was revealed to be the highest bidder in the auction for Olivia. (Cusick exited the series after season one.)
Scandal airs Thursdays at 9 p.m. on ABC.