Scandal

:

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

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  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, fast and sexy. Its like a romance ,mystery , crime novel wrapped up in a nice package . I love it
  2. sandy514
    Apr 29, 2012
    10
    This show is very refreshing when I think about the summer reruns and these crazy reality show .Think god there is some good writers still out there. Love this writers let your pen keep going don't let negative out weigh the positive. Can't wait to see more of you and you actor (Washington) she is is very refreshing.
  3. Savvy_esq
    May 13, 2012
    9
    Great show! I don't know what some people are watching to give it a 5.6?? Absurd. Excellent drama and writing. Some of the characters are underdeveloped, but it was just enough to want to know more!! My only criticism is the guy who plays Huck... I believe his character is supposed to be kind of "off." But his acting still isn't good to me. But pleeeeease give me more!! I haven't been thisGreat show! I don't know what some people are watching to give it a 5.6?? Absurd. Excellent drama and writing. Some of the characters are underdeveloped, but it was just enough to want to know more!! My only criticism is the guy who plays Huck... I believe his character is supposed to be kind of "off." But his acting still isn't good to me. But pleeeeease give me more!! I haven't been this excited to watch TV since 24 was on.… Expand
  4. Heyitscarlos
    Nov 12, 2012
    9
    I am a big fan of this show Kerry Washington nails her performance she is magnificent. I have no problem with the plot. I think the way it was set up adds interest to the show.
  5. Vitivillain
    Apr 24, 2012
    10
    Characters and plot leave a lot to be desired but I find the show strangely satisfying. suspend belief for an hour and you get a fast paced show with some interesting plots. though those plots do have holes.
  6. Bruce722
    Apr 7, 2014
    8
    Season 1 is relatively short but the acting and dialogue make this show worth watching. Kerry Washington is gold and the rest of the cast delivers as well.
  7. kaisza
    May 8, 2012
    10
    Love this show. It is smart and has potential. Characters are interesting and somehow entertaining. However, Kery Washington could do better (too many unnecessary funny faces). It's also good to see Guillermo Diaz and Henry Ian Cusick in other interesting roles !
  8. emperorpenguin
    Oct 8, 2014
    9
    There are so many mysteries and secrets that make this show really addictive. The first season is a little bit too procedural for me, but still a great way to start a show. I think the first season is just an introduction of what's coming next (which will get even better). Acting-wise, sometimes i find the actors overact the scene (i think it's because of the fast-paced things of thisThere are so many mysteries and secrets that make this show really addictive. The first season is a little bit too procedural for me, but still a great way to start a show. I think the first season is just an introduction of what's coming next (which will get even better). Acting-wise, sometimes i find the actors overact the scene (i think it's because of the fast-paced things of this show), this makes the acting a bit unnatural for me. Overall, this show is really really addictive. If it's not really your cup of tea, just give it a little time. It works for me.… Expand
  9. dante_finn
    Nov 21, 2012
    7
    An entertaining minefield of political mishaps and steamy campaigns
  10. endaugust
    Feb 17, 2013
    9
    I hated "Grey's Anatomy". I didn't care for "Scandal" when the first season started. The dialogues were (are?) quite heavy-handed and written. But I stuck with it b/c of the fascinating milieu. Now the show is a must for me every week. It gets more and more intense. Aside from being topical and political, it's also quite psychological and scandalously delicious!
  11. Jlazo19
    Feb 2, 2013
    10
    I love the show, the plot, and the dialogue. The characters are somewhat relatable-not in the professional aspect but in the basic things we crave: loyalty, love, and respect. The acting is fantastic and the show makes me question how things really happen in the White House. I look forward to the show each week and my newsfeed on Facebook every Thursday is filled with other excited Scandal fans.
  12. mmh35
    Feb 8, 2013
    9
    When I first got into Scandal during it's first season I found myself liking my first political drama. While I know some view the show as ridiculous,; for the first time in a long time I can't wait to see what happens next. While it takes most network shows a while to have a big reveal it takes this show only a matter of a couple episodes to do so. I like that. I'm never bored with thisWhen I first got into Scandal during it's first season I found myself liking my first political drama. While I know some view the show as ridiculous,; for the first time in a long time I can't wait to see what happens next. While it takes most network shows a while to have a big reveal it takes this show only a matter of a couple episodes to do so. I like that. I'm never bored with this show. As for the cast, it's a wonderful ensemble. Kerry Washington is such a powerhouse; and I can't remember the last time I loved a TV couple as much as I love Fitz and Olivia.… Expand
  13. lajor
    Jun 19, 2013
    8
    This show is the best of it's genre of the moment. Scandal is intriguing, the love between Olivia (Kerry W.) and Fitz (Tony G.) is intense and you just get them and want to see them again and again. Frankly this show is a great show that you should definitely check out and I can assure you, you will get hook to it and will start dreaming about it. I didn't give it a 10 because I thinkThis show is the best of it's genre of the moment. Scandal is intriguing, the love between Olivia (Kerry W.) and Fitz (Tony G.) is intense and you just get them and want to see them again and again. Frankly this show is a great show that you should definitely check out and I can assure you, you will get hook to it and will start dreaming about it. I didn't give it a 10 because I think Shonda Rhimes can still take the show to a all new level.… Expand
  14. sdhanani3
    Jun 29, 2013
    7
    Scandal is a political drama that has Olivia Pope as the protagonist. She is literally superwoman, which wins a viewer almost immediately because she isn't just a damsel, or a confused girl, or a trusty sidekick. She is the fixer. Kerry Washington plays the part so well and viewers become entangled in the web of political secrets and conspiracy. There is a love story in the background butScandal is a political drama that has Olivia Pope as the protagonist. She is literally superwoman, which wins a viewer almost immediately because she isn't just a damsel, or a confused girl, or a trusty sidekick. She is the fixer. Kerry Washington plays the part so well and viewers become entangled in the web of political secrets and conspiracy. There is a love story in the background but that gets old really quickly, and unfortunately it is a major part of the plot lines. Otherwise, its a great show with extremely memorable characters.… Expand
  15. bigweezey
    Jul 12, 2013
    10
    This is the best show on television right now and I have watched a lot of shows recently. Kerry Washington does a really good job of taking the seriousness of this show and mixing it with pleasure. The acting and writing for this show is extraordinary. It is a show that you have got to keep up with because it is a fast-paced show dealing with the white house and other things around that. IThis is the best show on television right now and I have watched a lot of shows recently. Kerry Washington does a really good job of taking the seriousness of this show and mixing it with pleasure. The acting and writing for this show is extraordinary. It is a show that you have got to keep up with because it is a fast-paced show dealing with the white house and other things around that. I hope this show stays on for many more seasons to come.… Expand
  16. albuddha
    Nov 12, 2013
    8
    Decent show. Olivia's dad intriguing, cy is fun. smart writing. interesting enough to continue forward, prefer back to back episodes to get deeper. the photo click scene changes get annoying! love the assassin. decent tv
  17. PipePVelasco
    Oct 27, 2013
    10
    Amazing. Since the beginning of the show in the trailer. Shonda Rhimes carry us to DC. Shonda Rhimes give us material every week in order to put us addictively fans of the show. Kerry Washington makes a perfect work in the pilot. And Bellamy Young, Jeff Perry and Guillermo Diaz make notable works. It's so twisty, and well written show. 10 of 10. Excellent. The new hit.
  18. raviopatra
    Nov 17, 2013
    7
    The first season is a little bit shaky. Understandable, since the plot is quite complicated. The show's got potential, big ones, and Shonda Rhimes is usually the person to trust when it comes to good drama. Apparently, she's not only good at medical shows, but also political ones.
  19. OSU07
    Apr 29, 2014
    10
    I love this show! Every week i can't wait to see what's gonna happen next, always keeps you guessing and surprised at just how scandalous and juicy the story can get!
  20. marievanden
    May 10, 2014
    9
    I have already seen the first season and I really love it. It's an American political thriller serie, but love is also part of the story. It's about Olivia Pope and her associates who protect and defend the nation's elite. They are always trying to solve important people's reputation. There is a lot of plot and you always want to know what's happening after, so you can't stop watching.
  21. darianstier
    Oct 13, 2014
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Scandal is a political thriller that premiered on April 5, 2012 and continues its fourth season as of September 25, 2014. This show uncovers the scandals going on in the government to the highest authority. The main character Olivia Pope is an independent African American woman who is hard working as well as hard headed, striving for success and always going with her gut feeling. She’s truly inspiring. Olivia is a former white house staff member living in Washington D.C. who worked on the presidential campaign. She works with a group of associates that help her to “fix problems.” These problems include getting people out of situations to where they might be charged with murder or assault. Olivia Pope and Associates (OPA) consists of Olivia, Harrison, Abby, Huck, and Stephen. Pope and Associates can also be described as a crisis management team. They’re “gladiators in suits,” which is said frequently throughout the series. The show’s characters all talk at a very fast pace and makes you interested because they know exactly what they’re talking about down the smallest detail. Some people can’t keep up with the pace, but I don’t think it would be the same if they were any different. I think very highly of this show, coming from a person who isn’t very interested in politics but can watch this show for hours on end.
    The season starts by introducing us to Quinn Perkins. Harrison walks up to Quinn in a bar, and begins making conversation. Quinn, thinking this is a blind date, declines Harrison and begins to walk away. Harrison states that this is an interview and she should really stay. As soon as he tells her who he works for, it quickly grabs her attention. She knew exactly who Olivia Pope is and what she does. Quinn is baffled, but quickly accepts his offer and becomes a part of OPA. Shortly into the season, Stephen leaves OPA to further his career elsewhere. The thing about OPA is that it’s not a law firm, or people working for the common good; they’re all people who have problems themselves that need or have needed fixing. Olivia has pulled them all out of their bad situations. They owe their lives to Olivia. She is their savior; not many of us have someone that we owe everything to. They will do anything with no questions asked. Olivia still does small work for the white house because she still has many connections; including a very close friend Cyrus Beene, who is the president’s chief of staff. Quinn is trying to piece together why she is at OPA and finds herself in a tragic situation.
    As season two begins, OPA does their duty and works on getting Quinn get out of her situation. Shortly after, they start to find out who she really is. They realize that this is a bigger scandal than they thought, and goes up higher than they imagined. David Rogen, who is a U.S. attorney, finds evidence linking to voter tampering for the presidential election. David is the kind of guy who is always seeking justice, no matter what. As the president’s 50th birthday arises, they throw a huge party. Walking up the event, there is a shooting killing one and injuring few. Olivia comes back to the white house for the remaining time while they look for the shooter and while some are fighting for their lives. Secrets keep pouring out as we find out about Huck’s past along with Olivia being the president’s mistress. The twists and turns just don’t stop here, they uncover more and more every episode. At some points it’s completely jaw dropping.
    Season three starts by continuing the president’s mistress scandal. Olivia’s name is leaked to the media and her personal life soon becomes public. You see throughout the whole series so far that Olivia and the President can’t keep their hands off each other. Even though the president is married, he still can’t get over the fact that Olivia is the one for him. Personally, I love the romance conflicts and the emotional involvement because as much as she may not want to admit it, she loves the President. Season three also brings about a new government secret. We learn about B613, which is basically like the CIA but with super-spies who kill people to keep the government’s top secret information, a secret. The command of B613 turns out to be none other than Rowan (Olivia’s father). Here, we are introduced to Jake Ballard whom works for B613 and is under the orders of Rowan to keep her safe. Olivia’s mother has been out of the picture since she was young. Her father told her that she had died in a plane crash. Looking into it further, she discovers that her mother may not have died that day. There was another reason she was on that plane, and Olivia can’t let it go. She looks into it further, endangering herself as well as her team. Olivia works with Jake and others to try to take out B613 for good later in the season. This leads to many other conflicts including the death of a husband of a white house official.    … Expand
  22. goins1119
    Nov 16, 2014
    10
    Oh my goodness. I love this show. Olivia is in big trouble!! She has made her daddy made...lol. I have to admit that I am addicted to this show. This show keeps me on the edge of my seat..
  23. viny
    Jul 27, 2015
    10
    I just love it... The actors are amazng, the characters well developped. The further it goes with the other seasons, the more I fall in love with this TV show... Just PERFECT.
  24. gigi915
    May 17, 2012
    10
    I love the show, it's better than those so called reality shows full of dramas that we could do without. A lot of people on here are saying the hate the show, but then probably watch the bachelor or bachelorette which shows a man or woman kissing 15 women or men before he or she can makeup his or her mind. This a really good show!
  25. SunfulOne
    Jun 3, 2012
    10
    I don't get the negative reviews I'm seeing. This show is a great addition to Rhimes' portfolio of Grey's Anatomy and Private Practice. My entire circle of friends (ages 25-40) are addicted to this show. My only complaint being that the first season was too short. Revenge couldn't hold my attention, but Scandal sure does!
  26. 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 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 herThis 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.… Expand
  27. Tvwatcher31
    Apr 9, 2012
    10
    Fantastic television. Fun, sexy, and smart. Reminds of how Grey's Anatomy was in the beginning. Can't wait to see more. I have seen the first two episodes already and just keeps getting better. The cast is fantastic especially Jeff Perry, who plays Cyrus. Keep watching, I promise you won't be able to stop.
  28. muntingprinsipe
    Oct 19, 2013
    10
    I don't know why people keep on comparing this with Grey's anatomy. I don't know other people's standards but watching the first season, this is one hell lot of a TV show! Good casting, incredible acting, US-TV show standard twists and entertainingly addictive. This is even better than Suits!
  29. vhw
    Apr 7, 2012
    10
    The show was much better than I was anticipating it to be. Great performance by KW. The writing can be improved, and based on S.R's previous work, I'm hoping it will.
  30. Dobby
    Apr 2, 2012
    10
    I just watched the pilot episode and I'm really looking forward to this series. This is a political/legal drama, featuring a crisis management firm led by a former White House correspondent. While it's too early to predict whether the writers will be able to come up with enough interesting plots for every episode, the characters have such great chemistry, that viewers will be drawn in. II just watched the pilot episode and I'm really looking forward to this series. This is a political/legal drama, featuring a crisis management firm led by a former White House correspondent. While it's too early to predict whether the writers will be able to come up with enough interesting plots for every episode, the characters have such great chemistry, that viewers will be drawn in. I really loved the casting and was particularly impressed by the female lead (played by Washington). who really shines.… Expand
  31. TheQuietGamer
    Oct 8, 2016
    7
    Scandal gets off to a pretty good start. It's lead Kerry Washington is fantastic. Watching her maneuver her way through every situation with ease is a blast. You almost wonder why she has this team of people in the first place. She is the one coming up with everything after all. All they really do is fetch stuff.

    Mix in the compelling romance she has going with Tony Goldwin's character    Scandal gets off to a pretty good start. It's lead Kerry Washington is fantastic. Watching her maneuver her way through every situation with ease is a blast. You almost wonder why she has this team of people in the first place. She is the one coming up with everything after all. All they really do is fetch stuff.

    Mix in the compelling romance she has going with Tony Goldwin's character and you have a very interesting lady mixed up in some big things. It's a pretty entertaining ride. One rife with, well, scandal. Each episode comes with it's own mini crisis for Washington and crew to overcome with an overall grander plot slowly moving forward all season. It's the bigger overreaching plot that's the most interesting. The individual cases themselves are pretty decent, but not enough to keep you watching on your own.

    That's because there's kind of a goofy element to them. Despite the perhaps darker nature of the cases may have, there's a lighthearted tone to the way the show approaches them. It's kind of like How To Get Away With Murder-lite. It also emphasizes the first season's biggest issue; it fails to make a case for the majority of it's supporting cast.

    Washington, Goldwin, and the rest of the people in government are the interesting ones. The people Washington surrounds herself with in her office? Not so much. Like I said the kind of just fetch stuff and give Washington crap for doing her job. Questioning her every step of the way and whatnot. At best I didn't care about them. At worst I hated them (Darby Stanchfield is just awful). The only one that I had any sort of interest in (Guillermo Diaz) is barely given anything to do.

    So yeah, it's a pretty flawed first season. One that's still worth watching though. Washington is great and the overall bigger scandal and romance at the heart of the show is very entertaining. You have to suffer through some lackluster supporting cast and some meh individual cases to see it, but none of it is bad enough to make it not worth doing. Especially with the promise that season 2 will (hopefully) fix these issues and give us the very enticing political-thriller series it has the potential to be.

    7.5/10    … Expand
  32. Gladiator1
    Sep 25, 2020
    10
    This show is addictive.Kerry Washington is Olivia Pope.The storylines are right out of the headlines.

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

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
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
  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.
    Read full review
  2. Wall Street Journal
    Reviewed by: Nancy DeWolf Smith
    Apr 6, 2012
    70
    It's still a fun, fast ride, with lots of twists and turns, murder and menace, and after only a few episodes we know enough back story about most of the main characters to care what happens to them.
    Read full review
  3. Slate
    Reviewed by: Troy Patterson
    Apr 5, 2012
    70
    Rhimes hustles the audience into episodes in the middle of things. Pope and her colleagues speak at a clip suggesting years of study at the West Wing School of Elocution and Composition. In the rush, I scarcely had time to scoff at the over-the-top content of the pilot.
    Read full review
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