Scandal

:

Season 1
  • Network: ABC
  • Series Premiere Date: Apr 5, 2012
Season #: 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1
Metascore
64

Generally favorable reviews - based on 29 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 18 out of 29
  2. Mixed: 10 out of 29
  3. Negative: 1 out of 29
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Critic Reviews

  1. New York Magazine (Vulture)
    Reviewed by: Matt Zoller Seitz
    Apr 9, 2012
    60
    It's the new Revenge, but so much goofier and more shameless that it makes Revenge look comparatively measured.
  2. New York Daily News
    Reviewed by: David Hinckley
    Apr 5, 2012
    60
    If Olivia can keep her edge, if Rhimes can keep the stories as strong as the soap, and if we start feeling we don't know exactly what to expect, "Scandal" could become a habit worth forming.
  3. PopMatters
    Reviewed by: Cynthia Fuchs
    Apr 5, 2012
    60
    The show's formula looks to be this: the silly plots swirl, the brokers scheme, and the minions toil, but in each episode, Liv finds a moment to chat with one of these wise, powerful, and inevitably troubled women. In these moments, Scandal is slightly less tabloidy and soapy, and slightly more beguiling.
  5. Denver Post
    Reviewed by: Joanne Ostrow
    Apr 3, 2012
    60
    While the characters are slight and the dialog is silly, there's a story there somewhere.
  6. Philadelphia Daily News
    Reviewed by: Ellen Gray
    Apr 2, 2012
    60
    The show's set in Washington, where the crises that need managing are unending, so there's bound to be material, some of it all too familiar.
  7. Uncle Barky
    Reviewed by: Ed Bark
    Apr 5, 2012
    58
    Over the top? Yeah. Closer to the truth of the matter? That, too.
  8. Entertainment Weekly
    Reviewed by: Ken Tucker
    Apr 2, 2012
    58
    At once cynical and softhearted, Scandal is a nighttime soap less believable than Private Practice. Good acting, though.
  9. Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
    Reviewed by: Rob Owen
    Apr 5, 2012
    50
    If only what's new about Scandal was supported by something better than blah writing, ludicrous situations and cardboard characters.
  10. Salon
    Reviewed by: Willa Paskin
    Apr 5, 2012
    50
    The banging-the-president plot may outdo "Grey's" and "Private Practice's" in sheer headline-grabbing, gonzo boldness, but it's still ill-advised. The chief executive needs to button up, and even Shonda Rhimes can't make a TV show escapist and over the top enough to obviate that--though, it sure should be interesting to watch her try.
  11. San Francisco Chronicle
    Reviewed by: David Wiegand
    Apr 3, 2012
    50
    To enjoy the show, though, you really have to suspend disbelief at many points, just as you do with "Grey's." There are moments when the frenetic drive for cleverness prompts some rather silly decisions about plot points.

Awards & Rankings

74
#74 Best TV Season of 2012
13
#13 Most Discussed TV Season of 2012
3
#3 Most Shared TV Season of 2012

User Reviews

All reviews »
User Score
7.1

Generally favorable reviews- based on 205 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 148 out of 205
  2. Mixed: 15 out of 205
  3. Negative: 42 out of 205
  1. mrose2012
    Dec 28, 2012
    10
    I discovered Scandal really late. I am not a fan of Private Practice or Greys so I avoided this show but I am now hooked,. Scandal is smart,I discovered Scandal really late. I am not a fan of Private Practice or Greys so I avoided this show but I am now hooked,. Scandal is smart, fast and sexy. Its like a romance ,mystery , crime novel wrapped up in a nice package . I love it… Full Review »
  2. retiredat56
    Jun 12, 2012
    7
    This show started with a group of highly unlikely characters, believing unlikely things uttering an unlikely dialogue. Initially we got onlyThis show started with a group of highly unlikely characters, believing unlikely things uttering an unlikely dialogue. Initially we got only glimpses of characters. As the show has moved on, we start to get to know the characters much better, they have better dialogue and their actions make more sense. My primary objection initially was that the main character is described by her colleagues with awe yet she never inspires awe. She is still not an awesomely inspiring person but she does come across as highly competent at what she does. The show has improved significantly after its pilot. So I watched it some more and it has started to grow on me.… Full Review »
  3. EludiumQ36
    Apr 6, 2012
    2
    This show had a lot of promise and decent production values but the writing and acting are simply horrible, on the caliber of high school. TheThis show had a lot of promise and decent production values but the writing and acting are simply horrible, on the caliber of high school. The characters are unimaginative stereotypes which allows you to know what's going to happen in every scene without any effort. After slogging through this premiere ep I couldn't delete it fast enough and to unschedule all future recordings of it - this show needs to be cancelled asap.… Full Review »
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