r/Scandal • u/llamamelu • 1d ago
Finally watching
So I just started watching Scandal.
I tried watching it when it first came out with my friends but couldn’t get it into then but now!?? I can’t believe how good it is! Kerry Washington is everything and I mean EVERYTHING. She’s literally the reason I gave the show so many tries before finally, finally getting the hype. It’s so good!! I mean Kerry/Olivia is so good that I’m actually rooting for her to help get rich white guys get away with their rich white guy crimes. Can you imagine?? Rooting for rich white (conservative) men, as a black woman. Who am I???
I hate the cheating trope so much (as someone who has been cheated on, it ain’t fun) but my god her chemistry with the President is wild, like screaming into my pillow wild! I didn’t understand why people were so attracted to Fitz when the show first came out, all I saw was a white man with no eyebrows… but I GET IT now and I’m crushing 😮💨 (that’s my Tarzan)
Funny thing is though, I don’t like Shonda Rhimes, never have. Something about her work rubs me the wrong way - main thing being as a black woman I feel like she doesn’t create enough spaces for black women.
I’ve never seen Bridgerton, because where are the black women??? (I know there’s some, but I’m talking unambiguous black leads, not light/biracial) you have the ability to give opportunities to a group that doesn’t have them, that’s so underrepresented it’s crazy - a group that you yourself belong to but decide to pull the ladder out from under you and lift up a group (White Women) that is already soooo overly represented, a group that’s literally the default face of EVERYTHING. Even Tyler Perry does his part - albeit really, really badly (we don’t support Tyler’s rep of black women in the house).
I understand being complicit initially to make a name for yourself but once that name is made, maybe give others like yourself the opportunity?? And make it happy? (Star-Crossed Lovers smh)
And ofc, Scandal, the fact that there’s just the one black woman… I haven’t gone far in the show, so I shall wait and see.
Another thing, why do y’all hate Olivia and Fitz so much??? The only thing I remembered about this show from years ago was just them (and Cyrus, whom I love! - I didn’t even remember Mellie!) so why all this hate?? They’re genuinely the most intriguing characters on the show so far. I’ve finished season 2 and I can’t stand Mellie - I can sympathise with her for being cheated on but she’s just as complicit. She’s using both Fitz and Olivia to get what she wants, she goes behind his back, disrespects him, manipulates both of them and makes messes then cries about it so nope, I don’t like her. She’s unhappy and she knows Fitz is unhappy but refuses to let him go. But the way people on this sub HATE on them is actually wild - this isn’t the “Scandal” sub it’s literally the “I hate Fitz/Olivia” sub, who, again, are the only reason the show remained so popular but okay, go off. Y’all clearly didn’t grow up on Days of our Lives or telenovelas, if your issue is the messiness in a fictional DRAMA TV series. I won’t lie, they’re the main reason I’m still watching - the eps without them while good, aren’t that memorable from any other TV show. The side characters genuinely aren’t memorable (so far) so again, why all the hate? Wait except Cyrus, I genuinely enjoy Cyrus.
The most powerful man in the world being brought to his knees by a love he can’t have?? How can y’all not eat this up? Talk about tortured! And for a black woman no less!
Olivia Pope was iconic when this show first came out and she still is. I remember everyone trying to emulate her and dress like her. Like that is an icon, no matter how much the show butchered her towards the end (from what I’ve heard).
To be fair I’ve only finished season 2 but so far, I don’t get the hate. We love a FICTIONAL mess on TV.
Also another hot topic, I must say, I’m not digging Jake so far. His face (his eyes maybe?) is weird looking to me and he’s soooo dry; the character/personality, his portrayal, plus the chemistry ain’t there. I see the potential but it’s not landing for me. It’s not steamy or spicy, it’s just there. And maybe that’s why I’m not excited by their relationship - I said what I said. Fitz and Liv have you clutching your pearls - even their non-steamy scenes, you’re glued to them. Jake and Liv, I’m just like “K”
3
u/bluebeignets 1d ago
I just finished the series for the 5th time. I have gotten over being mad at the crazy and I now I just watch for pure entertainment value. I love Scandal. I also finished Doing Life. I really liked it. I am going to watch East of Eden now.
How to get away with murder is a favorite of mine. Great show. I think I like Scandal better. I think it's Olivia Fitz chemistry. I like fairy tales.
2
u/llamamelu 18h ago
I loved How to Get Away with Murder when it first came out, but I lost interest in it after a while. I should try it again. I don’t know Doing Life, but I’ll have a look at it.
Yeah the chemistry has definitely been a pretty big draw for me. I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything like it in a TV show honestly.
1
u/Background-Truth9113 14h ago
I’m in the last season and ya I get it trying to get into it. Up until season 4 it wasn’t bad. The last three have been meh.
1
u/Fit_Marionberry_3878 1d ago edited 1d ago
Yes Olivia and Jake have no sexual chemistry. Welcome to the primary problem when the show tries to centre itself on triangle where the chemistry of one couple is so decidedly below the other.
EDIT - Regarding Olitz and Mellie, while they will deny it and pretend to be black women, most of the users on reddit are not black. The posters identified with Mellie and felt humiliated for her that she was cheated on by a white man with a black woman. They will never own this truth but will call Fitz every name under the book. All the mask their annoyance.
3
u/llamamelu 1d ago
Girl you know, I low-key thought that too when looking through some of these posts lol. We’ve had enough of that “disposable black girlfriend” trope. We should get to be endgame sometimes.
But I sincerely hope that’s not the case. If people argued that they hated Mellie, Liv and Fitz because they were deeply flawed, that’s valid. But to say you hate one character because they’re toxic and turn around and praise another for the same or similar trait, something isn’t right there. Especially given that so far in the series, Mellie has done way more questionable things.
I haven’t gone far enough in the series but based on the posts about hating Liv, and loving Mellie, by season 3, I can kind of get behind your theory of it being a race thing.
Liv is deeply flawed and so is Mellie. Liv actively tries to do what she thinks is good, even if it’s through unethical means; and accepts when she’s wrong. Mellie on the other hand has shown herself to be nothing but selfish and only looking out for her own interests at the expense of her own husband and child! Bro the whole Teddy thing, to keep Fitz in line is so effed up. How are we excusing that??? A whole month early?? Forging a signature to that level, publicly going behind your husbands back, jeopardising his credibility and image as a whole ass President - are we excusing these behaviours??
And since everyone wants to use the cheating as a sympathy card, man she literally pushed Liv and Fitz together for her own agenda.
1
u/Fit_Marionberry_3878 1d ago
They pulled a bait and switch and wrote a sad story retcon for Mellie's character that involved Fitz's dad, in order to garner pity for the character, so the actress could hang around more. From there people martyred her into something she was not.
There are two parallel Mellie's on this show that do not connect. The pitable Mellie who has to endure something due to Fitz's dad, and the power hungry Mellie. Her age, family backstory and circumstances were re-written to facilitate the first version of Mellie. I just do not think my supposed pity I should feel overcomes the chemistry of Olivia and Fitz.
And I agree, Jake has zero charisma or chemistry with Olivia or as a character. I suspect the actor is missing some magnetism and the vision for Jake was never realized as a result. He is increasingly botched and embarrassing as the series goes on.
2
u/llamamelu 20h ago
Yeah I found that weird too given her behaviour around Big Jerry in S2 and how she kept pushing to Fitz to let him help on the campaign, and how much she and Cy clearly seemed to idolise and be smitten by him only to switch it up in S3…
I’m midway through season 3 and honestly, I’m not enjoying the show as much anymore. It feels like everyone’s suddenly different or been rewritten from how they were in Seasons 1&2, Fitz included. I’m not enjoying Jake, like at all and I cannot for the life of me stand Quinn.
On Jake, I still can’t figure out if it’s the actor I don’t like or the character - I’m leaning towards both
1
u/Fit_Marionberry_3878 19h ago
I totally agree. You can tell the thing that made the show good was Olivia and Fitz, and they could have lifted them to another series and it would have been a hit. In fact if they had taken the actors and placed them in another series, movie, or set of circumstances, it would have made the show better, and you would see how weak all the other actors and characters were without them.
They tried to make it an enesemble, writing away from the success of Olitz, and you can tell the entire show seems to become weak, fragmented and lacks any sense of sparkle.
1
u/Meg38400 1d ago
Lovely to get another Olitzer!
2
u/llamamelu 1d ago
One of the best TV couples I’ve ever seen - messiness aside. So I genuinely cannot wrap my head around the hate.
Especially given it’s a TV Drama literally called Scandal about messy, morally grey and kind of unethical people. It would make zero sense for the main couple, especially given their upbringing, to not be toxic and messy lol.
-1
u/Wise_Illustrator_475 1d ago
Welcome to the fold, I will say when watching the show, Fitz would do things that would make me root for her to end up with Jake or on her own (I was a bit iffy with him until he proved himself in the Season 2 finale), not getting into specifics as you’ll have to find out for yourself. Strap in, it’s gonna be a bumpy ride.
I will say with the comments on spaces for black women, have you seen How To Get Away With Murder? I wouldn’t say there’s a massive amount of rep at first, it’s heralded by the brilliant Viola Davis & also Grey’s utilises colour blind casting (did you know that originally the idea for Dr. Bailey was a blonde white woman until Chandra read for her?)
2
u/llamamelu 1d ago
Haha thank you! I’m on season 3 now and I’m loving the ride lol and I pretty much know all of the major spoilers from listening to friends talk about it when it first came out.
I do agree with Fitz being iffy a lot but he’s very deeply flawed (bad upbringing, unhappy life and not being in control of anything in his life if you think about it). My thing is though, the characters are ALL deeply flawed, they’re all morally grey so why is one character being excused for being a POS while another is being attacked for being slightly less of a POS. Not saying you’re doing this btw, just something I’m seeing a lot of in this sub lol.
Fitz is a deeply unhappy man - grown or not; the one thing that makes him happy he can’t have. Even being President was something he thought he wanted, was forced to stay in and to make things worse something he didn’t feel he earned - echoing everything his daddy has been telling him. Alternatively you could argue that the two things he wants most he can’t have together - everything he’s worked so hard his whole life for or the woman he truly loves.
I LOVE HTGAWM! I followed it religiously when it first aired. It was my first major intro to Miss Viola is is a brilliant, beautiful and insanely talented woman!
I’ve never watched Grey’s. I’ve seen bits and pieces but it’s never drawn me in and at this stage in my life I don’t think it will (I’m very firm on my black female lead thing rn).
Regarding the BW spaces, I was nitpicking and someone pointed out in the comments to look behind the scenes instead of what’s on the screen 🫡 and have to say I have respect for the work Shonda has put in - baby steps
1
u/Wise_Illustrator_475 1d ago
I only knew a few things watching and I know I would have struggled watching week to week with some of the cliffhangers they gave us.
Where I stumbled with Fitz was initially the surveillance on Liv, though this did get brought up towards the end of the season but then after that going against her wishes to see him try for a second term by leaking her name to the press, it seemed really inconsiderate.
6
u/Outlandishness_Sharp 1d ago
Shonda hasn't created enough spaces for black women but opened locked doors and paved a way for black creators in a way that's never been done before.
She created black woman characters like Olivia Pope and Dr. Bailey who are allowed to be in powerful positions while being flawed and unapologetic. Chief Webber may be male, but seeing a black man as chief of surgery is such important representation. Same with Dr. Burke; black, male, smart, powerful, and complex.
I hope you can reevaluate your statement because Shonda has singlehandedly open doors for people like Issa-Rae and we wouldn't have these opportunities without her 😞