ABC’s Scandal is having a pretty incredible run. The ratings in its first season were solid, but not spectacular. The second season saw those ratings rise significantly. The season finale had 25% more viewers than the series premiere did. That might not sound like a great deal on paper, but considering how many viewers shows generally lose from the premiere, it is pretty impressive.

I think Scandal succeeds in spite of Olivia/Fitz, not because of them. There are many great relationship dynamics on the show that far outstrip the primary one. I would much rather focus on those.

David and Abby: I have been a big fan of both Josh Malina and Darby Stanchfield since Sportsnight and Jericho respectively, and I absolutely love their characters’ pairing. David’s storyline in particular was excellent last season; his spiral and eventual betrayal of Pope & Associates was a roller coaster of an arc, and their relationship was a central to the “fun.” Considering the amount of (generally misplaced) distrust between the two, I began to wonder if what they had could ever be saved. Fortunately, Abby’s “pervy sexting” saved the day.

Fitz and Millie: The next two are obviously deeply entwined with Olivia/Fitz, but are both considerably more interesting. The President and the First Lady are awesome together; the aforementioned booziness last week serves again as a case in point. Their moment together in this episode, as Millie went from a beautiful evolution of shock, hope, suspicion, realization and anger was easily the best piece of acting all night.

Olivia and Jake: If there was ever proof that relationships with Olivia can be broken and dangerous without being emotionally manipulative and abusive, it is Jake Ballard. I doubt Olivia will ever be able to truly trust someone else, which helps Jake’s case – their relationship started with a massive lie and betrayal. Whereas Fitz has done very little to redeem his transgressions, Jake seems to want to protect Olivia. I don’t mean to define Olivia by talking about Jake’s protective nature, but I think that instinct is preferable to Fitz’s desire to control and, perhaps even own.

I like Scandal; hell, because of our access to screeners and the show’s midseason premiere status, I’ve liked it a great deal longer than most. While the show – and perhaps more importantly the marketing – unfortunately focuses on Fitz and Olivia, Scandal has so much more going for it.

Note: Many would argue that Cyrus and James belong here, and for the most part I’d agree — individually they are both great characters. But while the writers are thankfully ignoring the trials and tribulations the couple went through last year – including the use of an adoption as bribery – I’m less able to. The Cyrus and James of this season is much better than last, but I need more than just a couple of episodes to believe.

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I screened The Fifth Estate earlier this week (you can find that review elsewhere on the site), and thus spent a great deal of time discussing the role of Wikileaks and Julian Assange in the role of geopolitics. My review didn’t get into my view; I did a pretty good job, I think, talking about the movie and not the subject. I thought I was done questioning whether or not we should live in a world were it is OK for some secrets to exist. Then tonight’s Scandal came along.

I have been a fan of Shondaland’s latest show longer than most of its current watchers had even seen the first episode (I guess that’s cheating, as I saw the first episode months before it premiered). Despite me still having some issues with the show – particularly the Fitz/Olivia relationship that has become its core – I am still as much of a fan as I ever was. At its roots, Scandal is a procedural; one that is obviously different from your run of the mill cop or lawyer show. The cases that Pope & Associates take transcend crime and are much more personal and they are generally “bigger.”

The situation surrounding tonight’s client fit that criteria from the start. Taking a bomb into a senator’s office on Capitol Hill – while hopefully completely improbable – is something you are not going to find on Law and Order: SVU any time soon. But the story’s resolution is when showrunner Shonda Rhimes kicked the story into overdrive. Is a mother’s memory of her son worth risking the lives of 57 men and women who have put their lives on the line for this country? Whereas The Fifth Estate wimped out and did not give an answer, Scandal did.

I am impressed by that. I am impressed by the fact that Scandal didn’t find a happy way out of reading the mother in on her son’s heroism. I am impressed by the fact that the story turned as dark as it did when the mother could not live with the “truth” that her country needed her to believe. Scandal has become an incredibly popular show in the past year, primarily – in this guy’s opinion – because the show does not stop to take a breath. It plows forward from one storyline to the next with the speed of a horse and the nimbleness of a ballerina, with dialogue moving so quickly even Aaron Sorkin has to rewind to catch every nuance. It also has to do with the downright incredible performances that the actors on this show give – Bellamy Young’s drunken Mellie this week is a perfect example of this.

But it is also successful because it is smart. There are a lot of smart shows on television, but few of them rise to the levels of popularity that Scandal has. Rhimes has found an incredible way to deliver honest, thought-provoking content in a package that feels like a rollercoaster. Sometimes you are enjoying the ride too much to realize what the hell just happened. This week she created a story that made me think more definitively about government secrets than a major motion picture about the subject did, and that is pretty damn impressive.

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What can Shonda Rhimes do to make women HATE Fitz? How much worse can his character become before we/Olivia finally dislike him?

I’m not going to lie. I hated last season’s adultery, but I loved Scandal‘s season one Fitz. Who didn’t like his abtacular abs, his bedroom eyes and his Olivia passion? THEN, season two rolled around. Within a few episodes I watched him assault his mistress multiple times, STALK and kidnap her, KILL an old lady with CANCER!!! (An OLD LADY!!! WITH CANCER!!!) and make bad decisions while drinking. Despite all that, I bet viewers still like him.

Honestly, I still find him incredibly hot. Tony Goldwyn does an excellent job. I melt when I see his puppy dog eyes and can almost (ALMOST) excuse him anything. After all, Verna was a major w-i-t-c-h in her final hours. And, Olivia’s awesome. Who wouldn’t want to stalk her? But, then I realized that’s why Rihanna forgave Chris Brown and why women forgive their abusers — because Fitz is THAT guy.

You know who I’m talking about. He’s the high school quarterback, the slacker dreamer and the unemployed actor. He’s the good-looking guy who never accomplishes anything for himself, but he’s just SO NICE you see your desires reflected in him. The quarterback WANTS to go to an Ivy League school, so you help him study for the SAT and write his essay. The actor WANTS to star in a show, so you pull down acting listings and send his head shots out. He’s the guy who doesn’t seem like a user, because he’s just SO pretty and helpless.

Let’s be honest, Fitz is a BAD president. In season one, we never saw him accomplish anything without Olivia, Mellie or Cyrus’ assistance. This season, he makes decisions on his own, but they’re consistently BAD. WHY did Olivia, Mellie and Cyrus back him to the White House? Because he’s THAT guy. Mellie saw a guy with political pedigree. Cyrus saw a guy with height and looks that he lacked. Verna saw her old friend’s son. Olivia saw a guy with a similar twisted relationship outlook. But, none of them ever SAW Fitz. He rarely made GOOD decisions on his own on the campaign trail; but, people overlooked it because they wanted to make him happy.

Admit it, true believers. Fitz is THAT guy. He’s Chris Brown. He’s Joey Buttafuoco. He’s the guy who makes you do things you’d never do because he’s HOT and makes you feel good. You do what he wants while sheltering him from it. Come on, Mellie willingly twists the law to keep Fitz in office (forging his signature, having ‘America’s Baby’ and letting him maintain MULTIPLE affairs). Olivia consistently overlooks his multiple assault attempts because she “loves” him (even though they’ve rarely interacted WITHOUT sex).

You know Fitz is THAT guy because he alternates in idolizing people in his life, then throwing them away when they don’t live up to that ideal (even when they committed the crime to help HIM). Have you noticed that everyone in Fitz’s life has an unhealthy attachment with him? Cyrus puts his marriage in jeopardy. Mellie’s straight up crazy to please him. And, Olivia gets blinders (i.e. not realizing he had an affair with the intern).

However, because Fitz is THAT guy, no doubt viewers are willing to forgive him. Shonda Rhimes did a lot over this season to slowly rip away Fitz’s THAT nice guy facade. But, will those of us who love Tony Goldwyn’s looks notice? Think about it, Fitz never really APOLOGIZED for any of his behavior (kidnapping Olivia, pushing her against a tree or attacking her on the elevator). Loving someone isn’t an excuse for hurting/stalking them. So, what does Shonda have to do to make us hate him? Show him killing puppies and drowning kittens?

Personally, I love this new side of Fitz. Keeping him as the torn good boy just didn’t add up. Fitz is toxic. But, like most toxic relationships with THAT guy, it’s difficult to get over. So, Shonda’s on the right track. Goldwyn and Washington have intense heat. Even their angry server room sex is hotter than the sun. I love watching Olivia war with her desire for Fitz and her desire to contain his decisions. I effing enjoy Scandal season two as much as Scandal season one (keep up the good work, Shonda!). The last time I questioned Fitz, people tweeted me down. Ivey received similar treatment when he wrote on it a couple weeks later. But, I wonder if they’ve changed their minds. So, I have to ask all the women who believed in FOlivia forever, do you still -ship for it? If so, why?

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Whew, the past two weeks have been rather busy for me, but rest assured, I’m back with a new installment of Clacking in Color in addition to some good news! During those two eventful weeks, I discovered a new television show, one to fill the void left by Desperate Housewives — ABC’s hit primetime drama Scandal! Now, I bet I know what you’re thinking: Really, Jaylen? That show is now in its second season! Well, pipe down. I know that. However, I had a little preconceived hostility before hopping on board.

You see, the reason why I never was so gung-ho about giving Scandal a try was because I kind of saw it as the reason why one of my favorite TV shows was canceled. It’s no secret that Shonda Rhimes is a powerhouse screenwriter and producer. As an African-American writer, I respect her drive. She’s a strong sistah’. However, it can be pretty tough work balancing three different TV shows — Grey’s Anatomy, Private Practice and Scandal … at least that’s my opinion. Now, I may be wrong, but the way I saw it was that Scandal had a little something to do with Private Practice ending.

Alright, Scandal lovers, put your weapons down and go with me on this. I always felt as though Private Practice was the bald-headed stepchild of the three programs that Rhimes created, and I believe that the more that she invested into Scandal, the less attention she gave to Private Practice. If anyone remembers correctly, Private Practice, a sunny spin-off of Grey’s Anatomy, used to air right after Grey’s went off. Once Scandal arrived on the scene, the show was booted to Tuesdays to make way for the new program. That ain’t right, folks. It ain’t right at all.

While I’m happy to know that Scandal is gaining a loyal fan following — something that makes me smile knowing that Kerry Washington, a beautiful and talented African-American woman is the lead — it still doesn’t erase the fact that it could have been the reason why one of my favorite shows is no longer with us. Ladies and gentlemen, I loved Private Practice. As a matter of fact, the very first Clacking in Color was about Audra McDonald, one of the show’s actresses. Scandal is the culprit here … and that, my friends, is the reason why I refused to give it a try. However, now I’ve seen the light … and I’m starting to go a little blind.

I’m not going to sit here and say that Scandal is the best thing on television right now, but I am enjoying it … even if the characters talk too damn fast. My question is why in the world it took so long to get on the air. I recently wrote about how the current TV season boasts a few more racially diverse faces, but I do believe that Scandal is the only primetime drama to feature a Black woman as the lead. What gives?

If Facebook and Twitter is any indication, viewers can’t seem to get enough of the program. I can’t tell you how many times I see statuses and updates about the show which means that a lot of people are watching. Perhaps it also means that we’ll soon see more minorities featured as the leads in their own respective shows. One can only hope.

When the series finale of Private Practice aired last month, I was pretty upset. However, all good things come to an end, right? I’ll admit that I was kind of worried about finding a new TV show to follow, but it helps to know that Scandal is on the air. I’ll admit that it hasn’t hooked me like Desperate Housewives did, but I am willing to give it a try. Surprisingly, in an ironic twist of fate, it is kind of filling the void left by Private Practice. Hmph.

Hmph. Now ain’t that scandalous!

Do you enjoy reading Clacking in Color? Jaylen sure as hell hopes so. Keep up with his opinions and ponderings by following him on Twitter @thesuperflynerd!

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I like Scandal. I like Scandal a lot actually. I have since day one. I think the show’s premise, the cast and the writing are particularly good. There’s something about the way the show is presented – specifically from a dialogue point of view – that’s reminiscent of the best of Aaron Sorkin and Amy Sherman-Palladino. Despite that love, there’s something that has bugged me about the show since early in the last season, something that I think is really beginning to drag the plot down.

Every once in a while, I have an opinion that is unpopular. By “every once in a while,” I mean quite damn often (I’m sure the editor of this post would agree with me … and the rest of my fellow Clackers as well). But I know fans of this show are particularly loyal, and particularly catty. So I know they’re not going to like what I say next.

I just don’t get what anyone sees in the relationship between Olivia Pope and President Fitzgerald Grant. In my opinion, their relationship is just wrong on so many levels. I don’t like the way it works, nor do I like the way it’s depicted. I especially don’t like the way how, every couple of episodes, the show focuses so much on their relationship that nearly everything — and every one — else takes a back seat. Less Huck, less Quinn … and, God-forbid, less Abby (what can I say? I have a thing for redheads).

My biggest problem is that I just don’t get how they’re supposed to click. Far be it from me to ever judge someone else’s relationship, but they are not the poster children for a healthy relationship. Fitz is the definition of unavailable; if the fact that he’s married isn’t enough – and it should be – his job will continue to be in the way as long as he works in the Oval Office. Plus, it isn’t like he treats her particularly well. Between his declaration of “war” last season, and his physicality in the infamous “tree” scene this season, he seems to be much more antagonistic than sweet.

That’s not saying that Olivia is a saint in the relationship either. She’s keeping a secret, and a massive one at that. The audience is slowly being clued into the fact that Fitz’s election was fixed, and that a cabal that included Olivia, Cyrus Beene, Hollis Doyle, Verna Thorton and the First Lady herself, Millie Grant, seem to be behind it. If Fitz is the most powerful man in the world, finding out that the two most important women in his life cheated to get him there is going to be a rather emasculating experience. I’m not looking forward to that particular reveal.

Don’t get me wrong; I don’t hate Fitz, nor do I hate Olivia. I’m continually blown away by Kerry Washington’s performance, and I think the world of Olivia; she’s got a heart the size of Montana. I love how she’s created a family out of strays, and how she — and the stories — shine when she’s working amongst that family — though that family has suffered greatly from the departure of Henry Ian Cusick’s Stephen Finich. I hate when she ignores them or forces them against each other like she’s done with Harrison and — to an extent — Huck. I guess Fitz is pretty swell too, but Millie and Cyrus are generally the best parts of any scenes in set in the White House.

Like I said, I don’t expect this to be a popular opinion, but I don’t really care. I like Scandal, but I really don’t like watching it when the focus is on this relationship that just doesn’t make a great deal of sense to me.

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Is Olivia “Sleeping with the Enemy”?

Come on now, if Grant weren’t hot and the president of the United States, would you see any of his recent actions as romantic? No. I thought not. He sends his bodyguards to kidnap Olivia WHILE she’s in the middle of a client crisis. He attempts to have sex with her in the middle of the woods WHILE THEY WATCH. (Even if they hadn’t turned their backs, Grant would’ve kept on going.) Grant destroys her ex-fiancee’s career for TALKING to her WHILE keeping tabs on her past relationships. THEN, he tricks her into dinner by renting out a restaurant with FAKE diners! That is NOT romantic! That is STALKING!

According to HealthyPlace.com, a stalker “want(s) what they want and they do not care if the victim does not want the same.” The stalker makes “obsessive calls” and “acts like a child. He’d rather have your love, but he’ll take your anger if there’s no alternative.” Sound familiar? Grant calls Olivia up, like a pizza, because he “wants” her. But, he forgets about her needs or her “white hat” job. And, even when he knows their confrontation will only end in anger, he STILL keeps kidnapping and calling her. Half the time I didn’t understand why Grant continued to call or push so strongly, considering they essentially yelled at each other EVERY SINGLE time. Only serial killers keep repeating the same pattern while expecting a different result. Am I calling Grant a serial killer? No. Am I calling him a serial stalker? Yes.

Is Grant a Wuss?

Cyrus keeps calling Grant a “great man,” but so far I haven’t seen it this season. If he’s a great Conservative/moderate president, let’s see him exhort more of his ideas without his minders. I’ve watched Olivia go after her targets with laser sight determination. In comparison, Grant waffles on his decisions, relying on Olivia or Millie’s quick-wits to get him out of (or into) trouble. “Beltway Unbuckled” exemplifies that if Olivia and Millie weren’t women, they’d probably run the country overtly … as opposed to covertly. I can see how Grant fell in love with both women, but I can’t see how Olivia fell in love with him. In fact, last season, Olivia only fell in love with Grant because he loved her first and consistently pursued her. Last season, we saw more of Grant’s political brilliance by his vice presedential handling. But, we haven’t seen his political one-upmanship with other adversaries this season. Instead, we’ve watched him mope on the couch like a love-sick teenager, while relying on Olivia’s ideas to bolster his confidence. I’m wondering about Cyrus’s presidential devotion, considering Millie and Olivia are the brains behind the throne. So, let’s see more of the man that Cyrus follows and the brilliant man that Olivia loved/loves. Do I want him to one-up Olivia? Of course not. But, I’d like to see more of his political savvy when it comes to non-Olivia-related global (and internal) affairs.

The Final Verdict

So, what’s the verdict? Is President Grant the wussiest man alive or the biggest stalker ever? Honestly, I think he’s a bit of both. Does he truly love Olivia or does he stalk her out of boredom/distraction? Olivia barely saw hide or hair of Grant when he schtupped his intern. But, since Grant realized that having relationships with TWO White House staffers isn’t the best, it looks like he returned to the old stand by. This season, Olivia definitely received more booty calls from Grant than last season. Part of me wishes he’d reconcile with Millie, but I understand why he can’t. Despite her love for him and her intelligence, Millie’s the worst type of politician. She cares for power and will do anything to grab it, without having a compass to guide her. Did she want to go to war because she thought it was right or because the public wanted it? Did she throw her oar in with the family of the murdered college student out of kindness or for publicity? Clearly, the latter both times. Millie would become the type of president who might always appear decisive, but only makes a decision if it appears right to others, but not if she thinks it’s right. A brilliant politician that cares more for appearance than her country’s betterment is slightly scary. I suppose Millie’s lack of moral compass drives Grant away, while Olivia’s “white hat” fervor consistently draws him. But, I can see why he married Millie – if a beautiful, smart, politically ambitious woman falls in your path, you snap her up, even if her ideologies don’t fully align with yours. Because, honestly, what are the odds you’d find an obnoxiously attractive, hideously smart, politically ambitious person who’s ALSO incredibly, scarily moral? If Olivia Pope didn’t exist, I’d say pretty low.

All the same, Grant’s continued interest in Olivia is stalker-ish. Will her really give her up? And, what happens after that? Let’s say Olivia gave in. Let’s say Millie disappears, freeing up Grant to pursue Olivia. Wouldn’t he expect Olivia to abandon her job? Wouldn’t she start pushing for him to accomplish her agendas from the wings? Wouldn’t she get fed up with her seat at the “kiddie’s table”? YES! So, why is Grant so intent on recreating what already happened with his wife with Olivia? Don’t serial killers just keep repeating the same patterns with the expectation a different result will happen? Once again, I’m not calling Grant a serial killer, but his borderline obsessive behavior MONTHS/YEARS after the affair should’ve ended marks him as a stalker. Has Olivia ever contacted him and indicated her need to see him for anything other than political necessity? Part of me wants to call a politician who puts his groins/romantic notions before his career unrealistic; but, considering Clinton, Weiner, Thomas, Sanford, Gingrich, and Edwards, I have to state otherwise.

Don’t get me wrong. I love Grant, his relationship with Olivia and the TV show, Scandal. Scandal is so totally killing it this season with awesome plots. But, Cyrus is right. Grant is a ticking time bomb. Grant’s obsession with and attempts to contact Olivia have become EVEN more blatant. His recent actions this season, especially in “Hunting Season,” have seriously concerned me. So, is he the wussiest president or the biggest stalker ever? Or, is he a bit of both? If that’s the case, what does that mean for his administration, Olivia and Scandal’s second season? Sound off!

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Way back in the early summer of 2011, when team CliqueClack first got our collective hands on the screeners for the upcoming new season, ABC’s Scandal quickly moved to the top of a very short list of shows I was looking forward to; the other two, for the record, were Smash and Don’t Trust the B—- in Apartment 23. Despite the fact that the show was held for mid-season with its small, seven-episode run, we were given the first three episodes. I would be fibbing if I said that I watched those episodes less than five times. The balance of the episodes aired in the late spring, solidifying Scandal as one of my favorite shows.

There was quite a bit to like, especially for me. My appreciation for Aaron Sorkin’s work is well-known – though most find it annoying – around the halls of CliqueClack HQ. I think there are quite a few similarities between his work and Scandal. Most obviously is the rapid-fire, whip-smart dialogue that permeates the show – Columbus Short is particularly good at delivering it. The political connection to The West Wing is probably a little too obvious, but the comparison between the strong “second-family” dynamic of the casts is much more solid.

The cast is particularly great. There are several standouts, including the lead Kerry Washington, but I am most a fan of Jeff Perry’s Cyrus Beene and Darby Stanchfield’s Abby Whelan. As the President’s Chief of Staff, Cyrus gets the bigger opportunity to interact with both “sets” of the cast. He had an incredibly good monologue in the first season that if you missed – or have forgotten – you should revisit it straightaway. Stanchfield brings such a unique energy to the Abby character; when you can make the “Paige is a whore!” bit as funny as it came across in the pilot, you’ve got skill – in the season two premiere, it’s the reaction to the line “On this desk” that wins the day.

I have some questions going into the second season. First, how will the departure of Henry Cusick’s Stephen Finch affect the show’s dynamic? He’s definitely missed in the first episode back. Washington’s Olivia Pope has a unique relationship with each of her team, but Stephen was the calming influence. As this is a team that faces a new crisis each week, a calming influence is nice to have around the office. The throwaway line that explained his departure was off-putting, and out-of-character for what we know about him.

Conversely, I am looking forward to the promotion of Josh Malina – a Sorkin vet – from recurring to regular status. His character had an interesting relationship with Pope in the first season: sometime reluctant ally, sometime stalwart foe. The premiere sees them on opposite sides, and the way things end between the two of them, they won’t be working together any time soon. But a full-time character that is a member of the US Attorney’s office is an indicator of the types of cases Pope & Associates will be working on this season.

Unlike most Scandal fans I know, my least favorite part of the show is the relationship between Pope and President Fitz Grant – and by extension, the relationship between he and the First Lady. I’ve heard tell that the two characters have great chemistry, but I don’t see it. Moreover I think that her feelings for the President – especially how they’ve physically manifested themselves on-screen – paint a weakness for the character that I don’t believe in. Despite the First Lady’s decision to stay in the White House – and seemingly removing Pope from the equation – at the end of last season, the relationship manages to persist. If you’re a Olivia and Fitz ‘shipper, take heart; if you’re like me, prepare to roll your eyes.

The biggest question the first season finale asked was “Who is Quinn Perkins?” Thankfully, the answer to that question is answer fairly quickly. Knowing who she actually is only leads to more – and much larger – questions that are left unanswered as the final credits rolled. The story of Quinn’s background is far from over, and will likely hang out in the background all season long.

The seven episodes of the first season of Scandal were a tight, well-integrated story. I’m a little worried about the transition from the first seasons contained-arc to a longer season, but Shonda Rhimes has some experience with this particular situation – Grey’s Anatomy’s first season was only nine episodes long. Where will Quinn’s storyline take Pope and Associates, how will the group continue to interact with the White House and what impact will Malina’s character’s promotion will have are all questions that will likely drive the ongoing storylines of the second season. If Scandal is able to retain the momentum it built in year one, we’re in for a heck of a ride.

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