A thriller where the suits are white, the secrets are black, and the moral boundaries are gray — and where one woman keeps the political establishment of Washington in check while trying not to drown in her own secrets.
ABC launched "Scandal" in spring 2012 — a political thriller by Shonda Rhimes that made Kerry Washington a star and popularized the term "gladiator in a suit." The premiere on April 5 opens the story of Olivia Pope — a former White House staffer who creates a crisis management agency specializing in "polishing" the problems of high-profile clients before they become public knowledge.
The series moves at a fast pace: there’s no time for reflection — each episode presents a new crisis, from blackmail to murder, from election rigging to personal betrayals. The tone is tense and glamorous: Olivia in white suits, President Fitzgerald Grant (Tony Goldwyn) caught in the web of politics and passion, and the "gladiators" — Huck, Abby, Quinn — living in constant stress. The format of 124 episodes shows the evolution from "fixer" to player in presidential games.
If you watched "House of Cards" and appreciated the intrigue, or "Grey's Anatomy" for its melodrama — "Scandal" offers a hybrid: politics with tears and kisses in the White House. For comparison with other "powerful" women, watch "Killing Eve" or "Big Little Lies."
7 seasons, finale on April 19, 2018.
The character Olivia Pope is inspired by real crisis manager Judy Smith, but the plots are fictional.
No, the series is finished, but there is a spin-off podcast and discussions of a reunion.
A hacker and former CIA agent, a member of Olivia's team, played by Guillermo Diaz.
Yes, the series is gripping but requires attention to the details of political intrigue.