Kerry Washington Says Olivia Pope Was Initially "Raceless" On 'Scandal'

A lot has changed since the first season of ABC’s “Scandal” which first premiered back in 2012. Characters have died and evolved, relationships have ended, the format of the series has shifted drastically, and most importantly, Olivia Pope is not the same woman we first met. Now in its sixth season, the Washington, D.C.-based drama has found its footing once again after a rocky past couple of seasons. One thing that has changed considerably over the past few years is the way that “Scandal” addresses Olivia Pope’s identity as a Black woman. During the first season, Olivia Pope’s Blackness was nearly ignored.

In a recent interview with “Glamour,” the series’ star Kerry Washington spoke out about how “Scandal’s” stance on race has evolved and gotten stronger over time. Washington said, “In the first season it was as if Olivia Pope was raceless. There was no denying that Olivia was a Black woman, because I’m a Black woman, playing her in badass white trench coats that call to attention the fact that I’m not looking like anybody else on television. But we didn’t talk about her identity as a Black person.”

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"Heavy Is the Head" - Recapping 'Scandal' Season 5, Episode 1

Note: if you haven't watched the episode, you may want to skip this recap.

In the beginning, I was a huge advocate for Fitz and Olivia’s tawdry affair on “Scandal”. I lived for the longing, the drama and the stolen moments. However, by the third season I’d had enough. Olitz had taken what it means to be on-again, off-again to a whole new level, which is why I rolled my eyes at the end of last season when Liv chose Fitz, over her sanity and well being.

The episode opens with former Vice President Sally Langston Donald Trumping on her “news show”, “The Liberty Report”. She’s terribly annoyed that the White House is hosting a state dinner for the royal family of Caledonia. She’s seems especially pressed about the number of wine options being offered. As irritating as Sally is, she throws epic shade. She called the dinner Fitz’s opportunity to “bathe in his filthy glory.” Sally may know more than she is letting on.

In the White House, Liv and Fitz are tearing up some sheets. It appears that the moment Fitz put Mellie out, Liv moved in. The duo are super cute and whatever, but I still can’t get past all that has happen. Anyway, they arise from their romp to get ready for the state dinner with the Royals. Liv may be in Fitz’s bed, but their relationship is still on the down low. Fitz is talking a big game about making their relationship public, but Liv is having none of it. (That would be a mess that even she couldn’t fix.) They make their way down to the dinner separately.

Meanwhile, it looks like Mellie’s invite for the state dinner was lost in the mail because Mama was not invited. Apparently the press and public are supposed to believe she has the flu.

At the state dinner, Abby is aware that Mellie has been officially barred from the White House. Therefore, she cozies up to her BFF to ask about the status of Olitz. Liv shrugs off Abby’s prying, claiming Fitz hasn’t called her. Um, ok girl. (Just so you know, it’s never a good sign when you can’t even tell your bestie about your relationship.) A few tables over, Fitz is chatting with the Queen of Caledonia; he really wants a naval base in Caledonia.

Liv and Abby take a bathroom break to powder their noses. Abby asks about the Olitz situation again and Liv brushes her off. Abby confesses that she’s on edge at work because in Cyrus’ absence she feels she has no footing at the White House. It looks like she and Lizzie (Fitz’s new Chief of Staff) aren’t playing nice. The ladies get to gossiping about Civil Right Lawyer turned royalty, Princess Emily of Caledonia and her posh life. Turns out, Princess Em is in the bathroom listening to all of this.

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'Scandal' Winter Finale Recap: "Where the Sun Don’t Shine"

Jake and Fitz are still at each other’s throats and Papa Pope is in the wind. Fitz has sent all of his man power after Rowan, but to no avail. Instead of finding Big Pappa, they find Olivia’s Mama who Rowan had said he killed. (We all know that he didn't kill her, apparently he's obsessed with her, visiting her every day.)

Mama Pope seems crazed and deranged as usual. Either she’s lost her mind from living in that death hole for so long, or she actually doesn't think that Liv is on to her and her conniving ways. But oh, Olivia is most certainly on. She orders her boys to charge her mother with murder, terrorism and treason, and then she tells them to hunt down her father and kill him. Clearly someone is not trying to play nicely with her makers.

Liv isn’t the only one whose world is crumbling. Huck and Quinn go after Javi after he witnesses them kill Dan Kubiak. The boy is obviously traumatized, and Huck’s ex-wife is enraged that Huck has been in contact with the boy after she explicitly told him to leave them alone. It's not looking like Huck is ever going to have a relationship with his child; perhaps he should have listened to Liv when she tried to reason with him. (Shonda just let Huck be great.)

Back at 1600 Pennsylvania Fitz is trying to figure out what to do about Angola. He wants retaliate for the attack because doesn’t want to seem weak. However, Fitz really doesn't have the heart for a war.
After cleaning up the mess, Quinn tells Liv about the twisted triangle of Kubiak, Lizzie Bear and VP Andrew Nichols (I really miss Sally Langston, she was a terrifying delight). Liv has barely hung up the phone when Lizzie marches her self-righteous self into OPA to tell Liv she knows was Cyrus Beene bugging her phone, and not the virus that Liv told her it was. Ms. Girl is not happy that she's been lied to, and she basically lets a Liv know that she will destroying Cyrus.

Liv rushes off to the White House to tell Cyrus that ish is gonna hit the fan, but it's already much too late. Liv can barely finish her sentence when Abby rushes in saying The Times has been asking her about sexy pictures with Cyrus in them.

On the defensive, Liv briefs the President's inner circle about Cyrus and Male Escort Michael. She also lets it be known that VP Andrew is screwing Lizzie; tragically poor Mellie is caught surprise. (She really thought her and Blandrew had a sweet thing…smh.)

The press is having a field day, a Republic Chief of Staff is having a tawdry affair with a hooker “Chief of Staffs” one headline reads. At first the White House tries to stall, but then David Rosen gets wind of what's happening which means congressional hearing and resignations. (Why must David always be the white hat wearing tattle tell? He has got to start wearing more black.)

Basically all of this is unacceptable. We all know we can’t have Fitz in the White House without Cyrus, and I suppose Fitz realizes this as well because he tells Liv to fight for Cyrus. Liv’s big plan… “Pretty Woman: 2014 edition", she wants Michael and Cyrus to get married. (Basically Cyrus would “own” Michael as opposed to “renting” him. There are all types of gag orders, prenups and contracts at play.) Michael says yes (obviously he's set for life, the man gets something like a million a year for 3 years.) Cyrus however is not here for it. He calls it “cruel and unfair.” (I'm not sure why he's pissed at Michael, he knew he was for sale so what did he expect.)

Jake has finally been let out of his cage and he's in the streets trying to track down Rowan. He can't seem to figure out how their failed capture of commanded went wrong. But, Jake isn’t the only one on the hunt, someone is after him as well.

Jake figures out that Rowan is trying to tie up loose ends, which means that he’s killing everyone that was every involved in B613. Quinn, Huck and Charlie are all at risk. Quinn tries to be nice and warn Charlie, which results in a hot and heavy tumble in the sheets. (I really don’t see it for Charlie and Quinn is so disturbing.)

Scandal Season 4, Episode 8: Thou Shall Not Forsake Thy Father

I would like to start of by saying that by the end of this episode my stomach was bubbling in fear. I was NOT prepared for went down!!!

The episode picks up right where last week’s dropped off. Now that Tom has admitted that Rowan was the one who ordered him to kill Gerry; Olivia, Fitz and Jake are in a bunker somewhere in the depths of DC discussing strategy.

Unfortunately, because Jake and Fitz refuse to be adults we must contend with this long drawn out pissing contest. Jake is not happy. He tells Fitzy to call him Captain Ballard and he lets him know he won’t soon forget the poor treatment he received at his hand, especially since Fitz knew he had nothing to do with Gerry’s death. Jake is desperate to kill Rowan and he wants Liv to allow him to do it. Instead, Fitz and Liv are pushing to prosecute Rowan in a secret investigation and trial, which we all know isn’t going to work. Realizing that his freedom is tentative, especially because he’s stuck in a bunker, Jake finally let’s them know about the B613 files that he’s been holding on to.

Back above ground, Lizzie Bear has sought out Olivia and the Gladiators because she thinks her phone is being bugged. Though Liv doesn’t particularly care for Elizabeth, she respects her and agrees to take her on as a client. Huck tries to figure out whose been hacking Lizzie’s phone, while poor Quinn is bored to tears staking out Dan Kubiak.

Meanwhile, Vice President Andrew is nearly blown to bits upon leaving a speech condemning the West Angola liberation front. Though he isn’t hurt badly in the attack, Cyrus is distraught knowing that his relationship with Male Escort Michael may have led to the compromise in national safety. He looked like he was barely keeping it together.

Despite their last terrifying encounter, Papa Pope is still trying to force Olivia to have a relationship with him. He tells her, “I will always be there waiting for you.” (Quite honestly, I don’t know why she picked up the phone in the first place, especially since he began referring to her vagina as a “spoil” YUCK.)

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xoxox Chocolate Girl in the City xoxoxo

'Scandal' Season 4, Episode 7 Recap: Yahtzee!

Ever since Liv told him that there was “hope”, Fitz has been trying to get back into her good favor. He’s taken to calling her again in the late hours of the night, serving her with his best dirty talk. Olivia isn’t having it AT ALL, she doesn’t want to speak with Fitz about anything other than Jake’s well-being. Until, Fitz can give her further information, there will be no hope at all. (Of course, Fitz is sloppy and about as discreet as a neon sign, so Mellie catches him on the phone with Liv.)
After discovering, that someone has been following Liv, Quinn goes to confront, Jeremy Winslow, the husband of her friend Catherine who is currently in jail after being framed for her daughter’s murder. Quinn doesn’t get much out of him, he simply warns her that no one can stop what’s coming. He subsequently shoots himself in the head.

It’s a new day, which means there is a new scandal in Washington. It seems that Virginia senator Lewis McDonald enjoys engaging in paraphilic infantilism; diaper included. He promptly resigns his seat, which leaves Fitz to endorse another candidate. Because she’s still outside of the president’s circle, Abby is blind sighted when she’s told at the press conference that the candidate is Charles “Chip” Putney. Chip is Abby’s ex-husband who liked to use her face as his own personal punching bag during their marriage. (I felt so terrible for Abby. I thought that with the information she gave Cyrus last week, he would have at least thrown her a bone every now and then.) The White House’s new “fixer, our favorite Leo Burgen, is backing Chip’s candidacy.

Meanwhile at OPA, Huck is still playing video games with his son. The boy invites him to an arcade to play in person. Olivia seems to be spiraling out of control, determined to get into super max prison, she’s frantically calling David Rosen who refuses to answer her phone calls.

At 1600 Pennsylvania, Abby enters the Oval Office to speak with Fitz only to see Chip standing there. She’s cool, calm and collected. Abby smiles at Chip and tells everyone that they used to be married. On the way back to her office she vomits on herself and calls Olivia to bring her another dress. Abby tries to convince Liv that it’s ok and that she can handle his presence once again in her life. Liv isn’t having it. She tells Abby it’s “NOT” ok and she’s determined that Chip will not win his seat on the senate.

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xoxoxo Chocolate Girl in the City xoxoxoxo

'Scandal' Season 4, Episode 6 Recap: "The Truth is Like the Sun, It’ll Always Come Out"

I knew this episode of "Scandal" was going to be epic when it opened with The Isley Brothers’ “Summer Breeze”. Let me tell ya’ll that it did not disappoint.

Olivia has gotten back into the habit of swimming. If you recall that’s how she coped when she and Fitz stopped speaking when he discovered her part in the election fraud. Jake’s fate is still undetermined and she’s having nightmares about him, Fitz and her daddy.

Liv and Abby have come to some sort of a truce after Abby arrives to Liv’s house and finds her in shambles over Jake’s MIA status. Pained to see Olivia in such a state, Abby puts on her big girl panties and goes to confront Fitz. She bursts in to the Oval Office and tells Fitz, “ I need to talk to you about Jake Ballard.” Fitz tries to intimidate her but then she says, “ I’m not asking the Commander in Chief. I’m asking the married man who use to sleep with my friend what exactly he has done with the man she is currently sleeping with.” #WHELP Fitz tries to play her by calling her Gabby but this is ABBY’S season and she’s coming for him Gladiator-style.

Despite all of the drama, Olivia’s personal life must be put on the backburner because there are things that need to be handled. Former President Edward Cooper has died and the man who was convicted of attempting to assassinate him wants desperately to clear his name. Now that Cooper is dead, the bullet still lodge in his head can be extracted for further examination. The convicted assassin is convinced the bullet will help clear his name.

Meanwhile, Cyrus is apparently getting it REAL good. Mr. Beene is over here trying to play Richard Gere in Pretty Woman. Male Escort Michael has got him so worked up that he’s offering to put him up in an apartment and open bank accounts. Cyrus is even late for work letting himself be all vulnerable and exposed. I’m not here for this Mr. Beene! He knows good and well that Fitz can’t run the country without him. I’m going to need him to pull it together.

While Cyrus is off tickling his fancy, the Gladiators are working two cases… (well Olivia and Quinn are working, Huck is obsessively playing a video game.) Though Olivia’s friend’s murder case isn’t at the forefront, Huck and Quinn have discovered that the swallowed key goes to a locker. They just have to figure out what locker it is. Liv has also decided to take the convicted assassin case, in an attempt to establish the man’s innocence. The Gladiators figure out that in order to get the bullet, they most get the attorney general to charge the attempted assassin with murder.

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xoxoxo Chocolate Girl in the City xoxoxoxo

'Scandal' Season 4, Episode 5 Recap: A Tad Lackluster, Especially in Comparison to Last Week’s

Olivia is back on her friend Catherine’s case. If you recall she is the one who is being accused of murdering her daughter. (She was also caught having sex with her daughter’s boyfriend). Catherine is rotting away in jail claiming that she’s done nothing wrong, while the Gladiators (which now seems to be just Olivia and Quinn with Huck working part-time hours) dig for more leads.

As they search for more clues, the team discovers that Caitlyn’s father may have had something to do the murder. He’s hired some shady ex-cop to work at his company and Quinn and Huck find surveillance photo of the daughter’s best friend Faith being assaulted by the man.

While Quinn and Olivia are working, Huck apparently doesn’t have time for OPA at. He’s desperately trying to reconnect with his wife and son; which really means he’s stalking and spying on them. Though he tries telling his wife the truth that he was trapped in B6-13, she’s not trying to hear it and she attempts to have him committed. I felt back for Huck he was really excited to see his son, but he can’t really think that his wife would allow him anywhere near the boy. (We all know that Huck isn’t the most mentally sound.)

While Huck is slacking on the job, Liv is lounging around at stakeouts with her silk suits on. Even Quinn is alarmed by her presence. Perhaps in the aftermath of Harrison’s death and Abby’s exit, Liv is trying to open up to the people she loves and trusts. In a rather vulnerable and un-Olivia Pope-like fashion she candidly tells Quinn. “My boyfriend is avoiding me.” I was as shocked and appalled as Quinn was to hear those words. (Since when did Jake become Olivia’s man? Was it because he went to Sunday dinner at her daddy’s house? Did I miss something?) Bottom-line is, Jake isn’t answering his phone and for once Ms. Pope is noticing.

'Scandal' Season 4, Episode 4 Recap: The Show That We Once Worshiped Has Returned!

Shonda has given us our "Scandal" back! She’d been giving us "Scandal Lite" for the past few weeks, but it was all building up to something. After last night not only has the Scandal that we worship returned, but Ms. Olivia Pope herself has finally shown up!

The show opens with Jake in some back alleyway looking real shiftless and suspicious. If you recall, the last time Jake was roaming around in the dark he ended up murdering James. Anyway, I was correct, the man was up to no good because he promptly blows up a car.

Shortly thereafter, he shows up at Liv’s and for once she seems to be paying him some mind. She attempts for genuine and normal conversation. (Girl what?! I thought you and Jake had an understanding and “talking” had nothing to do with it.) Jake’s zoned out anyway, he’s completely consumed with this whole Rowan situation. Of course when he finally decides to come clean to Olivia about her father’s involvement in Gerry and Harrison’s deaths, she has not one second for him and rushes out of the house on assignment.

Liv’s mysterious phone call turns out to be Karen Grant, the President’s daughter. Ya’ll she is both drunk and high, laid out in some frat house bedroom in her drawers. Quinn is not amused. (Karen is such a cliché, but I will give the girl some credit, she was able to slip her secret service detail.) Anyway Liv slips into fixer mode and gets the girl out of the party unnoticed, disturbing poor Cyrus from twenty- five hundred dollar Male Escort Michael in the process. (It was rather dope when Huck shut down all of the cell service in the party so no one could video Karen’s walk of shame.) Now of course this isn’t the end of this saga, because that really wouldn’t be much of a scandal.

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xoxox Chocolate Girl in the City xoxoxox

'Scandal' Epsiode 403 Recap: David Rosen Finally Learns That in Order to Be a Real Winner, You Have to Be a Goon

It seems that despite all of backlash from the Republicans, David has been officially been named United States Attorney General. This concession from the Conservatives does not mean that they are willing to give up their right to bare arms. Not at all! Even with Fitz’s moving State of the Union address, David is not faring well on the gun control bill. That is until he decides to get a little dirty, and put some of the information Jake turned over to him to use. More on that later.

In other news, Cyrus has let Michael the Male Escort turn him out. This is extremely disturbing to me because even though I know Cyrus is heartbroken and lonely, he’s usually able to spot foolishness like this coming from a mile away. Not only did he let the man call him “sweet” but he also paid him $2500 + gratuity for his favors. (I guess to replace that dry lump in his throat with something more “satisfying”….ummm no comment.) That MBA/Business school line was for the birds. This smells like a setup from a mile away, and as much of a Monster as Cyrus can be, I really did not want to see him be the demise of the Grant Administration.

Poor Mellie seems to be doing better this week; she’s graduated from her robe to an oversized sweater. She also seems to be seeking out some way to contribute to society. It’s almost tragic really. Even before her son’s death, I think that Mellie was constantly trying to find her place, discovering how she would be useful as the First Lady. She takes the case of the “Killer Cliff Bride” using all of the resources at her disposal, only to humiliate herself and revert back into her depression. I’m going to really need Shonda to let Mellie have her due because this is getting sadder and sadder by the week.

Olivia once again finds herself trapped between two men. This time it’s Papa Pope and Jake. I really need Liv and Abby to make up because at the point when Liv is bringing her crazy daddy coffee, and doing Sunday Dinners at his house with Jake, her gut is really not working. Also, Jake has come to play. He knows all about Papa Pope’s role in Fitz’s son and Harrison’s death and he’s out for blood. Shit can and shall hit the fan I’m sure. A war is coming.

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xoxox Chocolate Girl in the City xoxoxoxo

'Scandal' - “The State of The Union” Recap (Season 4, Ep 2)

The Union is in a rather poor state if you ask me. Olivia is firmly back in Washington, and thankfully back to work. Most of last season we watched her sulk and mope over Fitz, while the Gladiators did her bidding, so I was thrilled to see Liv back in her element.... even if Cyrus had to blackmail her to do so.

This episode, her clients were James and Lisa Elliott; American heroes and the faces of gun control. And yet, as thrilled as I was to have a throwback to when Olivia actually “fixed” situations, the Elliott’s story wasn’t all that interesting. I was pleased when Olivia’s solution was for them to either stay miserable or get a divorce. Sometimes the answer is really that simple.

Quinn and Huck have reinstated themselves in Pope and Associates (wearing matching plaid shirts). However, their creepy and very twisted lusty affair is making it more and more difficult for them to work together. Quinn is desperate for Huck to acknowledge her existence, while Huck acts as if nothing has occurred between the two. After all, it’s Quinn’s nosiness and blanket disregard for boundaries that has destroyed their relationship.

Abby continues to muddle her way through the White House, while both Cyrus and Fitz resent the fact that she is not Olivia. (Fitz even thinks that her name is Gabby, which I suppose is better than Red.) Don’t get me wrong, I’m all for this season being the season of Abby but to be quite frank, she’s really not all that good at her new job. Olivia attempts to help her out on the sly, while David has to take control of his own confirmation as Attorney General because Abby gives up on him.

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xoxoxo Chocolate Girl in the City xoxoxox

"Randy, Red Superfreak and Julia" - 'Scandal' Season 4 Premiere Recap

Where on earth is Olivia Pope? That’s the question that we’ve been asking ourselves since we saw Olivia hop on the plane with Jake at the end of last season. As season four opens, we find a curly headed Olivia frolicking on some private island with Jake. She has not one care in the world, she’s not at all the Olivia that we know and love. In fact she’s Julia.

(For those of you who did not catch the reference, Julia Baker was the name of Diahann Carroll’s character in the television show Julia (1968-1971) Prior to Scandal’s start in 2012, Julia was the last primetime television drama with a Black female lead.)

Though Olivia and Jake have seemingly dropped off the face of the earth, someone has figured out where they are. Their red wine delivery brings with it the news of Harrison’s death. And just like that their island paradise bubble is popped.

I must say that I wasn’t too torn up about Harrison’s death. Columbus Short’s personal life aside, I was increasingly irritated by his lack of back-story and I couldn’t understand his unwavering loyalty.