Today is the day that Scandal comes back on the air for season 4 and I’ve been waiting for it. I want to know where Jake and Olivia went. I want to see if Fitz and Mellie’s relationship has changed for good after the death of their son and the information about Fitz’s father raping Mellie coming to light. I want to know what kind of evil deeds Cyrus is going to pull. I want to know if the disgusting relationship between Huck and Quinn is over. Most importantly, I need to know if Olivia Pope and Associates will be remain after Olivia’s departure.
I’ve been sucked into a show that focuses on politics and crisis management and haven’t been able to turn away every Thursday. Scandal is like a roller coaster because it’s continually filled with twists and turns. It’s a show that’s become an event because with all of the potential spoilers packed into every episode, I feel obligated to watch it live. The cast gets involved by live-tweeting every episode, adding to audience participation.
Since I do follow the cast on Twitter and have friends on Facebook who are just as obsessed with the show, I have to watch it live or avoid social media. I hate spoilers when it comes to Scandal because they’re always topping themselves, every single episode. It’s probably impossible to guess where the show is going to end at the season finale. This is why I don’t read what people think is going to happen. With the season premiere this week, I haven’t read any articles about it or watched any promotional interviews with the cast or creator, Shonda Rhimes. This is one show that I actually will bury my head in the sand for because I want to feel the shock when something crazy happens and yell at my TV.
Some people might compare Scandal to a soap opera with all of the romantic entanglements, poisonings, fashion statements, and political intrigue and I wouldn’t necessarily disagree. Those points are some of the things that make the show so watchable. It’s like it combines a workplace drama with a political thriller and throws in a soap opera, all while continually jumping the shark every week. The fast pace is refreshing in comparison to many other shows on television which can take years to finish a plot line. It’s almost like watching the guilty pleasure that is reality television, but it’s a legitimate show.
What makes the show even better is the way it makes a statement about society. Shonda Rhimes has proven that a black female can be the lead in a successful show. In a country where interracial and gay relationships are still looked down on in certain places, Olivia has romantic relationships with white men and gay marriage is addressed through the characters of Cyrus and James. For this type of show to be on ABC during primeime is a major statement on the social issues that are becoming more acceptable in America.
It doesn’t hurt that I have a total girl crush on Kerry Washington as Olivia Pope now. She does crisis management in the traditionally male-dominated world of politics and doesn’t have to compromise her femininity. She wears fabulous outfits and carries designer handbags and doesn’t have to behave like a man to get ahead in her career, which is too often what is portrayed on television. This is not to say that women can’t have masculine qualities because every person has both feminine and masculine attributes. However, I think Scandal can be a great role model for women in terms of Olivia’s career. It shows a world in which it is acceptable for a woman to be a boss.
Personally, I’m obsessed with the way Olivia Pope handles things because no matter what, she gets things done. Olivia Pope and Associates is like a Type-A personality’s wet dream. There’s just something so satisfying about seeing things being completed in creative ways. As someone with experience in management, even though I wasn’t protecting the President from a mistress or his traitorous Vice President, I still feel like I can relate. As a woman in the workforce, I understand the lack of respect that can come from being a woman in a leadership position. Seeing Olivia Pope command respect in order to protect her clients and get shit done is inspiring and rewarding to me.
Tonight is the night that I can get my Scandal fix when it returns to ABC at 9PM/8CST.