Scandal: Discussion Thread

[Angela]

Maybe contrived is the better word for what I wanted to put forth.

This is a prime time soap opera and melodrama be it's middle name. There was always something huge happening last season. I loved last season. For me it was too much drama in a really fun, good way.

Because their are less explosions, this season is just making me notice how much of a soap opera this is IN both the good and the bad ways that encompasses. It feels like they poorly pasted things together in quite a few areas.

I still enjoy the show. It's the only show I make a real effort to sit down and watch without interruptions during the week.

Scandal got a lot of pre-noms in the PCAs:

Kerry and Bellamy for Favorite Actress in a Drama. Tony and Scott for Favorite Actor in a Drama. O/F for Favorite Television Pairing. Scandal for Favorite TV Show, Drama, etc.

Voting Link: http://vote.peopleschoice.com/#!/home/all

TV Guide did their weekly piece on Mellie: Mellie's 14 stages of grief...

#14: LET IT BURN.

http://www.tvguide.com/News/Scandal-Mellie-Stages-of-Grief-1088291.aspx

[Skin]

Seeing it displayed like this, just annoys me to no end. It's obnoxious and almost insulting. She's all over the place and she's being used as comedic fodder mostly. So I don't know if it's that I am annoyed grief is being used as a comedic tool, or if I am just annoyed that she is expressing her grief in this way. It just feels so inappropriate in so many ways, and someone of her stature shouldn't be acting like this. Every time I see her acting like this, it just bugs me even more. Walking around the white house in pajamas, not showering for months, eating Cheetos in the cemetery, seriously?

[Angela]

I'm loving the Mellie thread of storyline. Is it realistic that a first lady could get away with this type of style issues (read: she is walking around the White House every day and going to her sons grave everyday in a robe and pajamas)? No, it is not BUT almost everything in terms of storyline on Scandal is not realistic. The emotional aspect of it is IMO on point though and BY is really playing it on point. It's a dark humor that I absolutely love and that is absolutely Mellie.

I also don't think Mellie hasn't showered for months. I think she just doesn't shower regularly. Fitz needs to stop sniffing her because she sure ain't sniffing him. IJS.

Re: FItz rant. I would have been okay with it if he didn't do it as a reaction to anybody not pouring admiration for his Olivia. No, I wouldn't have been totally fine with it. The cry-baby part was just...dumb. One, she probably hasn't cried in front of him much, two, at least she's crying about a dead child, not because her slam-buddy isn't returning her calls.

[Skin]

So done with Papa Pope.

Mellie is finally getting herself together.

Next week looks interesting, it's interesting that they only show one scene for the next coming attractions.

[Angela]

Papa Pope is smooth as butter. I knew he was lying and I was like "he has a point. I mean ... maybe it did happen like that." Then when I really thought about what he said, it's stupid that Olivia is buying this. Jake is such a lunatic he risked screwing both Fitz AND HIMSELF out of Olivia's golden valley?

Mellie's reaction to Fitz revelation was shocking and disturbing. I can't say it enough, BY really does an amazing job with this character. Once I recovered from my shock, I thought it was actually a really good writing decision. THIS IS MELLIE. This is how Mrs. Grant is able to move ahead after getting hit by a semi-truck. She makes a monument to the event and does everything she can to honor that monument. To give the event purpose. She essentially buries herself alive in time to be able to proceed. It's weird but it's Mellie.

I hope this burial is little more momentary than her last. I hope Shonda doesn't skip over the fact that the true cross that Jerry died on was the one Fitz placed on Olivia's golden valley. I want Mellie to take a minute and really think about this in the not too distant future. Then I want her to f--k Fitz up so bad that that he finds himself buried deeper than Jerry.

I truly believe the main thing - maybe the only thing - Fitz feels any real passion about is what Olivia is doing or not doing with him. Not even the loss of his son made a dent in that. He reminds me of a soap opera character that may have had potential that become one dimensional and basically useless due to the "super couple" curse.

This rest of the storylines this episode seemed aimless ... as usual.

[Skin]

Shonda has said, this season is supposed to be Abby's season, but I don't see it.

[Angela]

TBH, I didn't even know there was a red head chick name Abby on the show last season so there's definitely an effort being put forth to at least make sure we know there's a red head chick name Abby on the show

[Soaplovers]

I'm wondering if it is a slow burn. I did hear that they cast someone to play a character from her past so perhaps we will see more focus on her.

[Angela]

So much more meaning because it's Scandal, lol

Reading that old Season 4 preview now re:Abby: http://www.tvguide.com/News/Scandal-Shonda-Rhimes-Season4-Spoilers-1084441.aspx

This is a pretty spot on review of the season so far: http://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2014/10/scandal-still-grieving/381899/

I'm interested to see how they'll play the Fitz suicide attempt in flashbacks if they play it at all. It'll probably be a one-dimensional dissection at least where POTUS is concerned but I'll be wondering until they play it.

The synopsis for next Thursday seems like it could allow a introspective episode of sorts for some of the characters, well for Olivia and Mellie, but maybe they'll throw Fitz in too.

[Skin]

I agree that this seasons has felt a bit lackluster, and also that it's lapsing into poor habits. Papa Pope being the most egregious and contrived to move plot forward. The character feels a bit unrealistic for so many different reasons.

[Soaplovers]

I think the fallout from the season 3 events needed to.be played...but what they should be doing is setting up the next arc t the same time. I know Shonda hates the shows being labeled a soap..but they are. What she needs to do is employ a soap writer to help structure the arcs, pace them correctly, etc.

Dynasty and knots landing used soap writers and I think that is what is missing from the modern day prime time soaps..imho

[Angela]

I agree, IMO their has to be damage and recovery from season 3. Too much significant things happened. The pace is just too significant a change from season 3. Polar opposite.

I also agree with Skin, I love Papa Pope but the way they're manipulating the canvas to keep him viable is not good. If you wanted to keep him viable, you shouldn't have had him kill that kid. Maybe you also shouldn't have had Papa Pope found out in Episode one of this season. Get rid of him and give Mama Pope her moments in the sun.

If I remember correctly, also, Fitz was so obsessed that he barely blinked at Olivia sleeping with Jake last season BUT it's a big issue this season?

My understanding is that Scandal has a writer for each character. I like that idea a lot. I wouldn't want that to change. Not the best decision to have all the characters in a similar state - as that article points out all these characters are in some state of grief and they're almost all frozen in time in that grief. Scandal should be able to do 7-8 seasons, we're on Season 4 ... shake it up, show us a signs of how you gonna keep s--t stirring for 3-4 more seasons with these set of characters in their DC bubble. Their was great set up last season for things to blow in surprising "new" directions as the serial continued ... but, at least for the moment, Shonda-land is not living up to the set up of the potential. The storyline motion is almost non existent.

SR has an issue with the description soap opera ? These are soap operas, Scandal in particular is in the vein of Dallas and Dynasty. The only reason she should have an issue with it is because her shows and their actors have had to and will have to fight harder than other shows to get their due respect (Primetime Emmy's) due to that description [Exception: Viola Davis].

[Skin]

Pretty much everyone and their mother called Grey's Anatomy a "medical soap opera." So I don't see why Shondra would take issue with Scandal being a soap unless she isn't able to hide underneath another acclaimed series with a similar concept the way Grey's did with ER. Scandal doesn't really have that, and Dynasty and Dallas have depreciated fantastically in the last 20 or so years so trying to get that crowd to back it won't do much good. Overall the Emmy's just aren't interested in basic television anymore -- so Shondra needs to let that go.

As to Fitz and his anger at Jake, I think it's been shown multiple times that Fitz doesn't really care if Olivia has a boyfriend or not, we saw that with the Senator. I think what bothers him is that Olivia left him and went on a Honeymoon with Jake, after his son died and he "needed her." That is what's upsetting him. He was fine with Jake, because he didn't pose a threat earlier, before Jake took Olivia away from him.

The thing I liked about Scandal was that it moved so fast, and there were a bunch of plot twists and turns. The show seems too slow at times and I don't think the time jump has helped any. I'll also be honest and say I don't even feel like Harrison died. There's been so little fall out from that.

[Soaplovers]

If that's true, that sounds like how Y & R used to be structured back in the Bill Bell days. Each writer was assigned characters to write for (for instance, Kay Alden had Victor Newman.. which is why when she was head-writer.. he was featured as unstoppable,etc).

The problem I'm having with the show is that there are some great scenes, but no clear direction as to where the show will go. This is why I think the show needs a good soap writer to help with structuring the plotlines and pacing them.

I still think the fallout from season 3 has been played decently, but at the same time, we need an indication of the next story arc start to build as the fall out is felt.

I actually think Fitz and Olivia should kind of be in separate story orbits as well for awhile.. only interacting on occasion. Perhaps have both characters evolve and change for the better... so when they do interact again.. will the connection be there, will it be stronger, or will the connection be lost.. etc.

Plus, I'm still wondering why the show even cast Portia De Rossi when she's hardly been used.. you might as well of cast an unknown. If her character is suppose to be figuring into the thick of things, show us! At least when Lisa Kudrow was cast and was on for several episodes, she was used to great effect.. to the point where I was bummed when her stint was over.

[Angela]

Yeah, I think we definitely know these writers can write, the real issue here is with the person who chooses direction and pace. The head writer or show runner. The individual writers cannot write more than they are without more being on the table.

I'm only really feeling this direction and pace works for Mellie, and to a lesser degree Fitz. The things that were unburied, the things that were lost there... It's clear why they would be such a hot mess.

ITA with you on Fitz and Olivia. Olivia's mother killed the POTUS kid because of the existence of "Olitz," yet POTUS is all "I almost died without, you, Olivia. If I don't get this passed, my life has no meaning because I don't have Olivia and a family in Vermont." That's why I sneered at his reaction to Mellie's disturbing diatribe. POTUS made it abundantly care he NEEDS his wife not to have sex with another man although he claims to be "indifferent" to said wife. I was dumbfounded that they still had "Olitz" so fascinated with each other this season. Olivia still using Jake. Fitz's proclamations about Olivia in the face of the death of his child. Not a good move. IMO, after everything that happened last season the pairing needed a genuine time out for each character to process and grow. Their was perfect set up not to be where the plot and characters are right now. It's not a good look on either character. It's also a bad move for their pairing as well as the other primary pairings - J/O and M/F - here if their was any intention to move any of the pairings forward in a genuine matter. They can still produce the much needed GENUINE break from O/F, but will they? Fitz abuse of Jake should break the camels back. It also softens Jake which is where he and O/J are best at. Fitz and Mellie? I don't know if I would want the show to go there because - as much as l like soft Mellie - edgy Mellie is everything and the tension in this marriage as is IS brilliant. Do you risk changing these dynamics too much?

ETA:

The article with the review of episode 5 of Scandal says "the first four episodes." I'm confused only because Shonda was also discussing next Thursday's episode as it was 5. Did one of the first episodes have a Part 2?