Scandal

:

Season 4
  • Network: ABC
  • Series Premiere Date: Apr 5, 2012
Season #: 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1
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User Score
6.8

Generally favorable reviews- based on 32 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 20 out of 32
  2. Mixed: 5 out of 32
  3. Negative: 7 out of 32
  1. PipePVelasco
    Mar 22, 2015
    9
    I don't understand why people is mad about this season. The premiere returns the show to the basic, and that's what people were demanding.I don't understand why people is mad about this season. The premiere returns the show to the basic, and that's what people were demanding. It's a ver good episode. So touching and real in the first episodes. The performance of Bellamy Young is superb!! Whe really deserves more recognition. And the show is well structured until mid-season. The episode 10 is original. It, indeed, feels a little predictable, but the Kerry Washington's performance is probably one of the best ones she has had the entire show. The episodes 11 to 13 are really, really good. I only have one dislike, and it's about how Jake & Fitz are acting. The love of her life is kidnapped, but they are not in the limit. (It's a critic for the storyline) The episode 14 is risky, but it's definitely "the most powerful episode" of the season. And from the episode 15, the show feels not "like the beginning", it has just the case of the week, it's not bad, it's well for the fans to have a rest from a strong storyline, but the show needs another intrigue that led us to the season finale. I have trust in Shondaland, but the shows right know needs a fresh air, and new things, for carrying Scandal to another level, now that the B613 storyline is overused. (I have not critics about season 3, I really love it, but the show needs more).… Full Review »
  2. All_ButTrU4
    Jan 10, 2022
    8
    The premiere returns the show to the basic, and that's what people were demanding. It's a ver good episode. So touching and real in the firstThe premiere returns the show to the basic, and that's what people were demanding. It's a ver good episode. So touching and real in the first episodes. The performance of Bellamy Young is superb!! Whe really deserves more recognition. And the show is well structured until mid-season. The episode 10 is original. It, indeed, feels a little predictable, but the Kerry Washington's performance is probably one of the best ones she has had the entire show. The episodes 11 to 13 are really, really good. I only have one dislike, and it's about how Jake & Fitz are acting. The love of her life is kidnapped, but they are not in the limit. (It's a critic for the storyline) The episode 14 is risky, but it's definitely "the most powerful episode" of the season. And from the episode 15, the show feels not "like the beginning", it has just the case of the week, it's not bad, it's well for the fans to have a rest from a strong storyline, but the show needs another intrigue that led us to the season finale. I have trust in Shondaland, but the shows right know needs a fresh air, and new things, for carrying Scandal to another level, now that the B613 storyline is overused. (I have not critics about season 3, I really love it, but the show needs more)… Full Review »
  3. TheQuietGamer
    Jun 24, 2017
    6
    Olivia Pope returns for a fourth season of Scandal. Unfortunately the show struggles to justify why she should have come back at all. Yes,Olivia Pope returns for a fourth season of Scandal. Unfortunately the show struggles to justify why she should have come back at all. Yes, there were things left unfinished after season 3's conclusion. The primary one being that Olivia's father is still running around. Her efforts to defeat him are what get the majority of the attention this season. But before any of that even starts we must first watch her get into the swing of things upon her return. Her team is scattered and to reunite she has to put up with them being more whiny than ever. This is the first seven episodes, and it doesn't get much better from there.

    Aside from the events themselves not being very interesting, it's the characters that drag things down. We watch Fitz be a hypocrite, Abby act like a b*tch about everything, Huck make stupid decisions, and Olivia feel like an unnecessary side-character in her own show. The worst offense though has got to be the season's early portrayal of Mellie. The once strong character is pictured to be uncharacteristically weak and needy. It doesn't suit her well. The saving grace is Jake Ballard. He's the most interesting, compelling, and likable person onscreen. The guy who is constantly trying to do the right thing in a world comprised of totally selfish people. He's the reason the season has any legs to stand on at all.

    Olivia's back and forth conflict with her father has it's upward moments though. People get killed and seeing her face an opponent who is seemingly always two steps ahead is great. Near the end Mellie's character takes an interesting turn by making her own attempts at a real career in politics. The majority of the episodes are just filler though. 22 episodes was just way too many. The blank space is either used to tackle hot political and social topics, or to bore us to tears. Sometimes even both at the same time.

    Outside of a poignant episode about race relations and police brutality (which is hindered a bit in the end by an overly cartoonish racist cop rant), the majority of it's social commentary just isn't effective. It points out real problems, yeah. But it offers literally nothing about how to fix it. Instead it just says "hey, this is bad!" and then Olivia magically makes it all go away. That's not how it works and really just shows how implausible this whole show is. The way the show goes about fixing reality with fantasy is just too dumb. It helps nothing.

    Yeah, season 3 didn't have the happiest of endings. Still, I can't help but wonder if the show would not have benefited from concluding there. Or at the very least continued on with some new characters, allowing Olivia to ride off into the sunset with at least a little bit of a victory. Sometimes a dark ending is better than no ending at all. Season 4 still has it's moments, but darned if things just aren't so much more boring and ridiculous this time around. Enough so to really grind on my patience. I stuck around to the end though, so I'll give it some credit for that.

    6.9/10    … Full Review »
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