Scandalabandoned its original premise a few seasons in, and it didn’t seem like the same show by the time its final episode aired.Starring Kerry Washington as Olivia Pope,Scandalis one of Shonda Rhimes’ best TV shows. The political thriller centers around Pope as she and her team try to fix the scandals of Washington’s elite. Each Gladiator had a skill set that helped ensure their high-profile clients avoided scandals that would ruin their professional and personal lives.
During its run, it became apparent that the later seasons ofScandalhad a different tone from its first and second seasons. But the TV show still remained popular despite these changes. Washington is enchanting as Olivia, and so is the rest of the cast, who do an incredible job of capturing each intense moment in the series. The intricate storytelling featured inScandalsets it apart fromother political thrillers, but not every change made in Rhimes’ TV show worked.
Scandal Shifted Its Focus After Season 2
Any show that runs for several seasons needs to keep its premise intriguing to maintain audience interest. However, some changes to the original storyline of a series can be so much that they create some controversy, as was the case withScandal.Scandalseason 1 had a pretty straightforward plot. Olivia Pope & Associates dedicated their lives to ensuring their clients’ problems were fixed. This premise worked becausePope and her employees were complex characters with intriguing backstories.
However, afterScandalseason 2, it became obvious that the show was losing its essence. While the first and second seasons focused on Pope & Associates, the rest ofScandalcentered around different storylines. For instance, the show introduced Olivia’s father, who was the head of a secret government agency called B613.Scandal’s later seasons also put Olivia and Fitz’s relationship and White House politics at the forefront, and altogether abandoned Olivia’s crisis management firm. AsShonda Rhimes’ showwent on,it became a little bit darker and abandoned what made audiences like it in the first place.
Scandal Wasn’t As Interesting After It Abandoned Its Original Premise
Scandal Lost Its Spark
What madeScandalseasons 1 and 2 so good was Olivia and the Gladiators' dynamic. The way they fought the good fight and put on white hats was inspiring. But after the team started disbanding followingStephen’s departure from the show,Scandalfell apart. The show lost its heart and was instead a shadow of itself. Granted, the new storylines were interesting and enough to keep fans of the show engaged, especially because of Fitz and Olivia’s relationship,but the series became too dramatic.
Scandalseasons 1 and 2 had an identity, which was essentially Olivia Pope using her skills for good. The series’ later seasons seemed lost and tried to incorporate too many genres. Some storylines just didn’t seem to have a place in the show. Fortunately, fans of the series had a chance to see Olivia work her magic as she got Mellie elected as president later on in the series,but it just wasn’t the same as her running Washington’s most respected crisis management company.
Scandal Is Still Worth Watching Despite The Major Changes After Season 1
Scandal Is An Entertaining TV Show
Scandalhas all the markings of a great Shonda Rhimes TV show.It has a remarkable female lead, witty dialogue, and an intense love story. The series did change a lot after season 1, but some aspects of its storyline were intriguing. Particularly when it came to Fitz and Olivia’s will-they-won’t-they relationship. The couple held the show down until it eventually concluded, and seeing their dynamic and how they evolved both as partners and individuals is one ofScandal’s redeeming qualities.
Washington is incredible in every season ofScandal, and her portrayal of Olivia Pope is one of the highlights of the series.
It can be argued thatScandalseason 1 is when the Shonda Rhimes political thriller was at its best, but that doesn’t mean the show itself or its later seasons are not worth watching. The introduction of a secret government agency no one has ever heard of was interesting, and seeing its characters morph from good guys to people doing morally questionable things proved that they were capable of nuance. Washington is incredible in every season ofScandal, and her portrayal of Olivia Pope is one of the highlights of the series.
Cast
WHERE TO WATCH
Scandal centers on Olivia Pope, a crisis manager specializing in safeguarding the public images of influential clients by concealing secrets. Her team excels in solving high-profile problems, but struggles arise when dealing with their personal issues. Released in 2012, the series highlights the complexities of managing private and public lives.
