Scandal
Scandal
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Scandal

"Dirty little secrets always come out."

7.2
Yr 2012
Status Ended
Drama
Your Verdict

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Series Brief

Overview

Everyone has secrets and Olivia Pope has dedicated her life to protecting and defending the public images of the elite by keeping those secrets under wraps. Pope and her team are at the top of their game when it comes to getting the job done for their clients, but it becomes apparent that these "gladiators in suits," who specialize in fixing the lives of other people, have trouble fixing those closest at hand -- their own.

Critical Reception

What critics are saying

Score 65 /100

Critical reception of Scandal is defined by a deep divide between its cultural impact and its narrative quality. Critics widely acknowledge that the series was a groundbreaking force in network television for centering a Black female protagonist, a rarity in 2012 that helped reshape the industry's landscape. Many reviewers praise the show's high-octane energy and addictive, fast-paced nature, which manages to succeed despite its reliance on absurdity.

Conversely, skeptics frequently criticize the show for its over-the-top, at times "ludicrous" plotting and reliance on melodramatic tropes. While some find the "nuttiness" entertaining, others view the series as a shallow interpretation of Washington politics. Frequent concerns are also raised regarding the show's murky ethical center, as the characters often operate by breaking the law to achieve their objectives.

“The plotting is over-the-top and the twists are sometimes ludicrous, but somehow it all works.”

“When the show premiered in 2012, it had been decades since network TV presented a drama starring a black woman. Scandal reshaped the landscape.”

“Scandal is about as realistic as Mamie Eisenhower Witch Hunter but it has so much headlong energy, you may not care.”

“The ethics demonstrated on Scandal are murky.”

Transmission Paths

Where to Watch

Netflix
US
Hulu
US
Netflix Standard with Ads
US
Show 1 more
Disney Plus
CA • UK
Why fans love it

Washington DC serves as an intense backdrop for this political drama. The series centers on Olivia Pope, a strategist who manages the reputations of the city’s most guarded figures. Kerry Washington leads an ensemble portraying a team of fixers who operate with ruthless efficiency while constantly navigating the blurred lines between personal loyalties and professional obligations.

A central tension exists between the high-stakes work done for clients and the wreckage left behind in the staff's private lives. These characters spend their days polishing the public images of the American elite, only to find their own choices unraveling in the process. The show portrays a version of the capital where power is a currency, and the effort required to maintain a pristine exterior often comes at too steep a price.

Featured Players

Cast

Credited 75
Regulars 11
Longest run 124 eps
Kerry Washington
Kerry Washington
as Olivia Pope
124 episodes
Henry Ian Cusick
Henry Ian Cusick
as Stephen Finch
8 episodes
Columbus Short
Columbus Short
as Harrison Wright
47 episodes
Darby Stanchfield
Darby Stanchfield
as Abby Whelan
124 episodes
Katie Lowes
Katie Lowes
as Quinn Perkins
124 episodes
Guillermo Díaz
Guillermo Díaz
as Huck
124 episodes
Jeff Perry
Jeff Perry
as Cyrus Beene
124 episodes
Tony Goldwyn
Tony Goldwyn
as President Fitzgerald Grant
124 episodes
Show 67 more
Joshua Malina as David Rosen 124 episodes Bellamy Young as Mellie Grant 124 episodes George Newbern as Charlie 69 episodes Scott Foley as Jake Ballard 104 episodes Portia De Rossi as Elizabeth North 49 episodes Cornelius Smith, Jr. as Marcus Walker 57 episodes Joe Morton as Eli 'Rowan' Pope 88 episodes Norm Lewis as Edison Davis 16 episodes Jay Hernandez as Curtis Pryce 7 episodes Michael O'Neill as Lonnie Mencken 5 episodes Samantha Sloyan as Jeannine Locke 8 episodes Artemis Pebdani as Susan Ross 19 episodes Asante Jones as Reporter Martin 11 episodes Whitney Hice as Hannah 10 episodes Kimrie Lewis as Ashley Davidson 24 episodes Erica Shaffer as Reporter Julia 38 episodes Liza Weil as Amanda Tanner 6 episodes Brendan Hines as Gideon Wallace 6 episodes Wendy Davis as Kimberly Mitchell 5 episodes Debra Mooney as Verna Thornton 11 episodes Susan Pourfar as Becky Flynn 8 episodes Virginia Louise Smith as Secretary of State 5 episodes Joe Holt as Defense Secretary 8 episodes Matt Letscher as Billy Chambers 8 episodes Kate McGregor-Stewart as Mary 6 episodes Stoney Westmoreland as Hal Rimbeau 8 episodes Jack Coleman as Daniel Douglas Langston 6 episodes Dan Bucatinsky as James Novak 29 episodes Gregg Henry as Hollis Doyle 23 episodes Dylan Minnette as Jerry Grant Jr. 6 episodes Mackenzie Astin as Noah Baker 11 episodes Sharmila Devar as Lauren Wellman 15 episodes Molly Baker as Rachel Moss 20 episodes Tom Amandes as Samuel Reston 7 episodes Nazanin Boniadi as Adnan Salif 7 episodes Vanya Asher as Ethan 17 episodes Kristin Carey as Brooke Foster 8 episodes Kate Burton as Sally Langston 42 episodes Khandi Alexander as Maya Lewis 20 episodes Brian Letscher as Tom Larsen 34 episodes Jasika Nicole as Kim Muñoz 7 episodes Paul Adelstein as Leo Bergen 18 episodes Jon Tenney as Andrew Nichols 15 episodes Eben Ham as Tanner Shaw 18 episodes Keith Sellon-Wright as Garrett Cole 6 episodes Jay Jackson as Mike Waters 27 episodes Reece Rios as Reporter Peter 24 episodes Dinora Walcott as Reporter Carol 19 episodes Laila Ayad as Charlotte Reid 17 episodes Matthew Del Negro as Michael Ambruso 16 episodes Ricardo Chavira as Francisco Vargas 15 episodes Amrapali Ambegaokar as Reporter Jessica 15 episodes Zoe Perry as Samantha Ruland 9 episodes Tessie Santiago as Luna Vargas 9 episodes Stefanie Black as Holly 7 episodes Chelsea Kurtz as Jennifer Fields 8 episodes Nancy Stafford as BNC Anchor 8 episodes David Warshofsky as Theodore Peus 7 episodes Jaden Betts as Javi 7 episodes Mel Fair as Reporter 7 episodes Barry W. Levy as Secret Service Agent Jim 7 episodes Luis Alberto Aracena as Secret Service Agent 7 episodes Brian J. White as Franklin Russell 6 episodes Kevin Ashworth as Reporter Bill 6 episodes Chris Wolfe as Reporter Jim 6 episodes Tina Lifford as CIA Director Lowry 6 episodes Amol Shah as Reporter Lang 6 episodes
Signal Match

Similarity

Where Scandal overlaps with other shows, and exactly what they have in common.

Keyword Cloud

Keywords

washington dc, usa the white house politics fixer
Technical Sheet

Details

First Aired
April 05, 2012
Status
Ended
Origin
US
TMDB Votes
592