Scandal S1-2

[pocochina]

I know at least a couple of you are on the fence about giving this show a shot and so I'm splitting this post up into the non-spoilery and the spoilery. But, long story short, yes, I can definitely recommend this show! It's got the right mix of fast-paced political thrills, soapy relationship drama, and sharply cynical characterization. The first

Comments

[abigail_n]

Glad you're enjoying this show, which I think has the potential to be one of the most interesting series around. I'm a little less fond of Olivia than you are - to me she's an almost Walter White-ish figure, someone who is convinced of her own goodness (or at least justification), and whose ability to work problems justifies, to herself and to the people caught up in her self-mythologizing, her choice not to look at the bigger disaster that her actions have created. Which, to me, is fantastic, since it's long past time that women and people of color got to play Walter White-type characters

[pocochina]

to me she's an almost Walter White-ish figure, someone who is convinced of her own goodness (or at least justification), and whose ability to work problems justifies, to herself and to the people caught up in her self-mythologizing, her choice not to look at the bigger disaster that her actions have created

That's a fair take on Olivia, definitely. The difference between her and Walt, to me, is that Walt didn't really have an underlying moral code (even a twisted one) besides his own ego. Liv can come across as someone who's blue-and-orange morality at her core, in that from time to time she really does put herself at risk for the sake of a principle greater than herself. That conflict of when she's doing that, when she's acting in her own self-interest, and when she's trying to "do the right thing" in a way most people would recognize is really interesting to me.

Cyrus nearly having James killed feels like something that shouldn't have been swept under the rug, for exampleOn reflection, I think I really like how this played out,

[pocochina]

I think you would really enjoy it! Liv is a fabulous anti-hero, and there aren't many (any other?) women of color in this kind of role, that's for sure. I think you'll really like Mellie, the First Lady, as well.

[rose_griffes]

Seconded that you'd probably like Olivia and Mellie both. There are things I wish the writers would do with Mellie that leave me a bit dissatisfied, but considering what her circumstances are, she manages to be utterly infuriating, and unfailingly relevant. (Also, apparently a lot of fans hate her, which makes me like her more. Spite-fangirling. ;-P )

[rose_griffes]

Watching this show has been such a weird experience for me, and I think it's because I had some expectations due to fannish osmosis. For example, I thought that Olivia was supposed to be... good? More good than not, at any rate, and at this point I'm sort of rooting for her to end up in jail. Maybe. (My feelings are complicated.) And that Fitz was a semi-decent man.

Instead Olivia and Fitz are a lot like Cathy and Heathcliff: moderately less toxic when completely separated from each other. Likely to destroy each other completely if they actually got together.

What I can say with certainty: I would never have guessed after the first two or three episodes that I would be rooting for David Rosen, and routinely horrified by Olivia's actions.

[pocochina]

Scandal fandom really does seem to have some rose-tinted glasses about Fitz and especially Olivia. Unsurprisingly, I like the characters they actually are a good deal better.

I thought she actually started out pretty fantastically compromised, though! Even in the pilot, when she threatens Paris Amanda so viciously because she knows on some level that the girl isn't lying and she's so deep in denial about Fitz.

[heavenly44]

As you can tell by my icon, I love this show and I love Olivia. I know she is not a moral character, but she is one of the first anti-heroes that I find myself consistently rooting for. I really like your take on the show and especcially Liv, Fitz and the gladiators.

[pocochina]

IT'S SO GREAT! I just adore Olivia. Even when she's wrong and I don't like what she's doing - which for the record, is usually the case - I am totally invested in and sympathetic to her POV. That's not an easy narrative feat, by any means, but I think the show makes it look easy by virtue of how much confidence it has in her ability to win access to our hearts and minds.

Fitz and the gladiators are super-interesting to me, so I'm glad that came across. Which I also think speaks really well of the show? Because Liv is a strong enough character that the show could totally put all its eggs in the protagonist basket and not really develop the rest of the ensemble, but instead that's what brings the show to the next level, that everyone has their reasons and so all of these characters make a ton of sense on their own terms.

[heavenly44]

Exactly. This is why I get a little protective of all the characters when they rip into them. They are all like a bunch of messed up folks. No one is wearing the white hate not even David Rosen (even if he tries really hard to keep it on). They all have their issues and watching them navigate this morally ambiguous world is so interesting. This is definitely not a case of Mr. Smith goes to washington. They've all been muddied by their past actions.

[myfriendamy]

The team's self-designation as "gladiators" is telling - gladiators were not just fighters, but captives.

oooh I really like that observation! I'm not really a fan of the show, I liked the first season well enough but the second season just sort of...I don't know felt too OTT to me as well as the fact that I couldn't get over what Olivia did to Abby and David. I don't need my characters to be perfect by any stretch, but that particular act of cruelty crossed a line for me! I just lost a lot of enjoyment in the show after that.

I found Fitz more compelling in season 1 as well, I don't know! I hear most people think season 2 is when the show really started to shine, but I guess it was the opposite for me. I ended up not finishing the season when it conflicted with Elementary and Hannibal.

But I take all your points as good ones, it helps to know what people see in the show, I just don't connect with it, I guess!

But I still love Kerry Washington! (lol she was the reason I watched in the first place!)

[pocochina]

AAAH ABBY AND DAVID I love that it went there and made her do something so terrible, but yeah, I see how that could be a bridge too far.