Boy, that Shonda Rhimes seems to be dropping axes left and right these days.  First 'Grey's Anatomy' lost a few key cast members from their season finale, then 'Private Practice' faced a string of cuts going into its potentially final year, and now freshman hit 'Scandal' is losing one of its best members.  But, with the latest axing, might the door open for a recurring presence on 'Fringe's final season?

According to The Hollywood Reporter, former 'LOST' star Henry Ian Cusick will depart ABC's freshman drama 'Scandal,' in spite of having been a series regular for its first season.  Cusick played Stephen Finch, a charming ladies man who utilized his skills t as a member of Pope & Associates to obtain information for Kerry Washington's character Olivia Pope.

Reportedly, the split between Cusick and show-runner Shonda Rhimes was amicable, though in other news it's also been revealed that series star Joshua Malina (playing David Rosen) has been upped to a series regular for the drama's second outing.  "Olivia and David have amazing chemistry, and I love watching them together.  That's going to be something that's very enduring," Rhimes told the Reporter last month.

With Cusick now gone from the series, might that mean a return to 'Fringe' is possible?  Cusick guested on the cult sci-fi FOX hit for this past season's "Letters of Transit," as a member of the 2036 Fringe division that secretly fought back against their Observer overlords.  Cusick's character was last left frozen in Amber rather than deceased, so the door remains wide open for the character to appear across the show's final 13-episode season.

It's been a tough break for Shonda Rhimes' shows lately, but what say you?  Will you miss Cusick from 'Scandal,' or would you rather see him open to other projects like 'Fringe?'  Give us your thoughts in the comments below!

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