Can We Please Talk About Scandal?

Season 5 of Scandal just started last week and I’m literally dying over here, because how did I only discover this show a few weeks ago? What is wrong with me? How am I even functioning as an adult human? You guys. This show is everything.

Husband went out of town for a few days at the beginning of September and being the benevolent wife that I am, I decided not to watch any of our favorite shows without him. For a few years I’d heard all the fuss over Scandal so I finally decided it was the perfect time to check it out. In my naivety I thought, “Maybe I’ll watch one or two episodes before turning in early and catching up on sleep.” If you’ve seen the show you know it’s laughable that I was this casual I was about it.

You guys. I had no idea.

I completely underestimated the power of Netflix and good writing, because it pretty much goes without saying that I plowed through Season 1 in an embarrassing amount of time.  In my defense, the first season was only eight episodes long, so two days is a completely acceptable time frame in which to watch 8 hours of television. Oh, it’s not? Well whatever. I don’t even care.

IT’S SO FREAKING GOOD.

I mean “good” doesn’t even begin to cover it. Burritos are “good.” Manicures are “good.” Hair days can be “good.” Scandal is next level good.

During the first episode I was a little nonplussed at the idea of President Grant and Olivia Pope together. They seemed like an odd pairing. She’s so much younger! He had to be at least in his 50’s. How old is Olivia Pope anyway? You know what, it doesn’t matter. She’s so assertive and pretty! Somehow I felt she could do better than the President of the United States. Plus he was married (which still very much bothers me.)

I will admit that at first I didn’t think he was a very handsome leading man.

Then they kissed. 

Do you see that? The way he looks at her before he kisses her? That is the kind of look that lets a woman know she’s about to feel something. Go ahead and look at the pictures again. I’ll wait.

Now go ahead and take a cold shower. I’ll wait.

Their chemistry was so freaking white-hot that I went from “Meh” to “Schwing!” in a nanosecond. It’s the riveting, wanton type of chemistry that burns your eyes to watch. When  Fitz and Olivia make out, you will sit up straighter and suddenly look at your person from the other end of the couch with a little bit more intention. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.

On top of the chemistry, there are clever storylines. I always love it when there are at least 2-3 strong storylines within each episode of a show. Maybe I am easy to please, but Scandal has yet to disappoint. There’s always a new bad guy, or a good guy that’s behaving badly. There’s always a moral dilemma, a love triangle, and a murder to solve. Just when it’s all starting to blow your mind, the episode will end and you’ll be left hanging. You will be forced to do boring civilian tasks such as cook, clean, and feed your children, all while your mind is on a repeating loop of Fitz, Olivia, and Jake Ballard.

Oh wait- we didn’t talk about Jake Ballard? We’ll get back to him in a second, but I just have one thing to say about Scott Foley: MAMA LIKE.

We are currently at the beginning of Season 4 and I’m getting nervous because we are almost caught up and pretty soon we’ll have to wait an entire week for each episode. What kind of nonsense is that? One simply does not open the floodgates of Scandal and then promptly decrease it to a slow drip without serious withdrawls.

I’m also nervous because I’ve seen the previews for Season 5 and it looks like things are about to get pretty steamy again between Olivia and President Grant, but I have to admit, I’ve become a big fan of Jake Ballard in the meantime.

And it bears mentioning that his chemistry with Olivia is also more of fiery inferno than slow simmer. When they’re together it’s like “Fitz Schmitz. Who’s THIS guy?!”

I mean seriously, what’s the deal with this woman’s Mojo? I’d really like to know. I must be buying the wrong kind of shampoo or perfume or high heels.

The love triangle is in full effect, and I don’t know why, but I find myself really rooting for Jake Ballard to come out on top. (Pun intended.)

Maybe it’s because in college I was obsessed with a show called Felicity (because apparently I have a weakness for good chemistry and love triangles) and I still kind of think of Scott Foley as Noel. I’m afraid he will forever be burned into my psyche as the attractive, overlooked, good guy. The guy you root for. Except now he’s the slightly bad good buy. The badass good guy. The guy that will rescue you when you need it and then take you home and be all sorts of bad. IfyaknowwhatImean.

Last night we watched Jake confront Olivia’s father, which historically speaking, means he will most likely be turning up dead at any point. I really hope you hang in there, Jake Ballard. I’m totally rooting for you to stay alive and get the girl. And hey, if you don’t, I’m glad you had those three blissful months on that island with Olivia. No matter what happens we’ll always have the island.

Love triangles aside, the relationship that has me THE most confused is Huck and Quinn.

They’re both so damaged that I can’t decide if they’d be perfect or simply dangerous together. There is a dueling fierceness and tenderness between them that screams of sexual tension, but you never know which way it will turn.

Are they going to punch each other or bang one out? Or both? I get so nervous watching them that I can’t even deal.

And OMG, when he tortured her? It changed literally everything. The moment he licked her face right before pulling out her tooth, I knew she would either be murdering him or having sex with him very soon.

And then SHE licked HIS face a couple episodes later, by which point I was basically just shell-shocked. I mean, who does that?

Who licks a face?

What does it all mean?

I’m not at all sure what all the licking means but I’m pretty sure it means something because it was not long before they were basically eating each other’s faces.

I still don’t know how to feel about this, btw’s. Afraid? Pleased? Mad? If so, who am I mad at- Huck or Quinn? Nobody knows.

I’m telling you this show has it all. Good guys, bad guys, murders, scandals, heros, and clearly a lot of good (and strange) kissing. If you haven’t watched it yet, do yourself a solid and make a date with Netflix as soon as possible.

If you have been watching, then you already know what I’m going through and all I ask is that you send over a bottle of red wine and a bowl of popcorn for me.

* This is Day 5 of a 31 Day series on Keeping It Real. You can find all of the posts in this series here.  I hope you follow along and join the conversation! *