Scandal TV Show Review

The Scandal TV show revolves around Olivia Pope.

Olivia Pope is the best and she slays dragons; not fire breathing dragons but people and corporations with power. She runs a crisis management firm and takes care of her clients' problems. She bases almost all of her business decisions on gut instinct because her gut is never wrong; except for when it applies to her own life.

Olivia Pope is beautiful, strong and determined to do the best she can. Not only does she fulfil her promises to her clients but she also does good by her team.

Those who work for Olivia know the hours are long, the pay isn't great and that things may not always be what they appear on the surface, but after all is said and done Olivia Pope has their back.

However, the viewer is left wondering what exactly is wrong with Olivia Pope and who will fix her, especially when her problems are kept so close to her chest.

Scandal first aired on ABC on the 5th of April 2012. It will have seven episodes in which to gather a following, in order for ABC to decide to extend the series further or to order a second season.

The Scandal TV show is really about Olivia Pope. She used to work for the President of the United States as a Communications Director. However, she steps out to create her own firm of lawyers in order to continue to clean up other people's messes.

The show starts with a young lawyer running into a bar. Quinn Perkins believes she's actually on a blind date. When she refuses to stay for the date, Harrison Wright has no choice but to tell her she's actually been hired to work with Olivia Pope. There's lots of fast talking and it's really confusing, but she follows him to Olivia's office because she wants to slay dragons.

Quinn is thrown in at the deep end and has to learn to swim. She meets Olivia's team of lawyers who all seem to have their own back stories, which will probably be unravelled further each week.

Olivia has just returned from negotiating with some mafia style Russian guys. She only paid them $3 million for the package, but they agreed on her price and left. Quinn is astounded when a foreign Ambassador shows up for the package, which is actually his formerly kidnapped baby. Olivia gets a cheque and congratulates her team.

The team of lawyers think that's it for the night and start to clean up when a war hero, called Sully, walks in with blood on his shirt and hands. He's come to Olivia and Associates for help, as the police think he killed his girlfriend, Paige. Before they take the case, they have to decide if they believe him.

Olivia has a process that determines which cases are taken. Sully tells them what happened and they try to decide amongst themselves if he's telling the truth. Most of the lawyers believe he's guilty, but Olivia overrules them as her 'gut' is telling her he's telling the truth.

Once they decide to take a case, Olivia tells the client the rules. In this case, Sully isn't allowed to contact anyone, has to remain in the office and do exactly as they say.

Sully is then given a warning that if he ever lies to them then all ties will be cut and he's on his own. He's not really in a position to argue and agrees to the terms. Olivia asks if there's anything else he wants to tell her but he declines.

Olivia negotiates for time to clear her clients name. Abby goes to the crime scene and takes pictures. Stephen goes to the coroners and gets more details on the death of Paige. Huck hacks into Paige's email. Harrison is left babysitting Quinn and Sully in the office.

The team quickly discover that Sully and Paige weren't really lovers. It's all a cover story as Sully is a war veteran. He needed a cover story to conceal the fact that he's gay. If it came out that he was gay, then his life would be over and all his future plans would crumble. Unfortunately, the only way to prove Sully didn't kill Paige is to confirm his alibi. Sully was with his boyfriend, at a local bar, when Paige was being killed.

Initially, Sully refuses to use the footage of him kissing his boyfriend, as his alibi. Olivia manages to convince him that he should live his life as himself, and not have to keep hiding his true feelings. Sully agrees and is cleared.

In the middle of the case, Stephen is encouraged to propose to his girlfriend and Olivia even goes so far as to give him ten rings from which to choose. Olivia is also there to hold his hand, when Stephen has a crisis moment and isn't sure if he can really go through with it.

Also, Olivia's previous role in the White House comes back to bite her in the ass. The President has asked for her help as an Aide has started rumors that they are sleeping together. Olivia's gut tells her that he is telling the truth and she takes steps to silence the potential scandal.

Olivia doesn't do any type of investigation, but instead takes the President's word for gospel. She confronts Amanda Tanner in the park. Amanda tries to tell Olivia that it's all true and that he even gave her his dog. However, Olivia steam roles over her and makes it clear that she is ruined in Washington. Amanda is threatened and has to quit her job and leave town.

Quinn is a witness to this conversation and it upsets her further when she finds out Amanda tried to kill herself, in order to get the Presidents attention. Olivia only believes Amanda's story when she hears that the President calls her Sweet Baby.

Olivia rushes off to the White House to confront the President, but he tries to seduce her instead. Olivia feels betrayed as she left the White House so he could try and improve his relationship with his wife. He defends himself saying he used Amanda Tanner as Olivia had left him.

Olivia is a woman scorned. She can't believe that he would compromise her 'gut feelings' by lying to her. She decides to take Amanda Tanner on as her client.

It's easy to see why the initial project was called Damage Control. I think that would have been a better name as most of these scandals will never see the light of day. Any scandals that do get out will be carefully managed by Olivia, and the effects will not be as severe. This has already been shown in the way she manipulated the media when Sully came out of the closest.

It's hard to tell what type of audience would most like the Scandal TV series.

It is very similar to Damages in a number of ways. Both TV shows revolve around a law firm, although the lawyers on Scandal think of themselves as more of a crisis management team.

There are strong female leads in the form of Kerry Washington, as Olivia Pope, and Glenn Close, as Patty Hewes. There was a new recruit in both shows.

In Damages, Ellen Parsons was recruited because she was related to a potential witness, but was unaware of the fact in the beginning.

In Scandal, new girl Quinn Perkins isn't recruited just because she wants to be as good as Olivia but instead because there's something wrong with her.

Olivia is attracted to people who need help. Patty was less forgiving of subordinates and focused on work one hundred percent, personal issues were parked at the door.

However, both of the female leads were strong in public but weak behind closed doors. Patty was extremely controlling of her family and failed to show her maternal side. Olivia loves the wrong man and refuses to date as she doesn't see herself as normal.

Damages tended to focus on one case for the majority of the season but I have a feeling that Scandal will have a new case each week, with the personal issues with the President hovering in the background. Also, Olivia will continue to help her team have normal lives.

This also brings us round to comparing the Scandal series with The Good Wife. Also a lawyer based show but The Good Wife has crisis management in the form of Eli Gold.

Each week is a new case in The Good Wife, but we find out a lot of personal information about each of the characters and their private lives.

The legal team is broken down in a similar manner and each of the Scandal team have to strong arm the appropriate law enforcement people to help them, much like Kalinda Sharma in The Good Wife.

I'm not a hundred percent sold on the Scandal TV show and not sure if it will be as good as other lawyer type shows.

Damages and The Good Wife were able to entice the viewer in from the beginning. Perhaps Scandal will be a slower burn. However, I have to admit that I am surprised that this is a Shonda Rhimes project, as it feels completey different from her normal writing style.

If Scandal does gain as strong a following as Damages and The Good Wife, then it could go for as long as 3 or 4 seasons.

Many viewers have already come out in support of Scandal and have added it to their regular viewing schedule. On this basis, the new Scandal TV show could be another major hit for ABC.