[TV Talk] Scandal

Let me tell you a show you should probably watch. People told me for two years that I should be watching this show, and it took me until about mid-September to sit down with Netflix and start from the beginning. "Scandal" is amazing. A solid three seasons on Netflix, and the quality did not waver nor did characters or stories take any stupid turn. I rarely dedicate time to hour-long shows in the U.S. anymore since I watch so many sitcoms, and it's hard for me to be patient through that long of season. However, "Scandal" flew by in a week! It's just so good, and even the most annoying character is, in comparison to other annoying characters on shows, not that bad.

Okay, so summary. Olivia Pope (Kerry Washington, who is. stunning.) runs Pope & Associates, an investigative organization that basically deals with crises on a larger scale. Pope went to law school, and she also formerly worked for the Grant campaign while he was running for president. The team is compromised of individuals who, for whatever reason, essentially owe (or feel they owe) Pope their lives, and they are fiercely loyal to her decisions. Season 1 included Abby Whelan, an investigator who came to work for Pope after she helped her escape an an abusive marriage, Harrison Ford, a litigator who Pope saved from life in jail for insider trading, Huck, the tech guy who Pope helped out of homelessness and a former life as an assassin, Stephen Finch, a litigator who works for Pope after a nervous breakdown in his former office, and, the newest addition at the beginning of the show, Quinn Perkins. They handle all sorts of cases, and are seen as the ones to go to when all seems lost. They handle the President's sex scandal, murders, and more.

Additionally, through Pope, they are tied pretty closely with the White House. There's the Republican president, Fitz Grant, who is in love with Pope, his wife, Mellie Grant, who plays the party of First Lady to a frighteningly dedicated degree, and chief-of-staff, Cyrus Beene, who is also an old mentor to Pope. There are a lot of other recurring and later main characters in and out of the White House side, but the main tie is that Pope and Grant carry on an affair and are deeply in love for the duration of the show.

This show is incredible, though. Shonda is a genius, and the way the cases are laid out and handled are incredibly interesting. The underlying, season long story lines are done extremely well, and the secondary characters are just as lively as the primary ones (James Novak, anyone?). I can't decide if the political play is more insane here or in "House of Cards." My favorite character, besides Pope, is probably Cyrus despite the craziness he goes through. Bottom Line: You've got to watch this!