Gladiators in Suits...

First "Crossroads", then "Grey's Anatomy" and "Private Practice"...Shonda Rhimes keeps finding the way to my heart. I can't stop watching "Grey's Anatomy", no matter how hard I try, and Addison Montgomery flawed as she may be, has become one of my favorite female television characters of all time. I thought that after the major flop that was "Off the Map" that maybe Rhimes had lost her touch, I mean, if you can't make a series starring Matt Saracen work, it might be time to hang it up. Enter..."Scandal".

"Scandal" is good. The kind of good that starts with one episode but ends up taking up half your day. If the "West Wing" got "Grey's Anatomy" pregnant..."Scandal" would be their very entertaining, very dramatic love child.  It has all of the standard Rhimes staples...fast talking characters, drama, and strong women but other than that, it's hard to explain. 

Kerry Washington is flawless as Olivia Pope; the kind of woman that you instantly fear and equally respect. She employs a group of people reminiscent of the Island of Misfit Toys. One is the victim of an abusive relationship and another used to kill people in his spare time...many of them are lawyers, but don't call them a law firm, they don't like that, they prefer "gladiators in suits". This is where it gets complicated. I don't actually know what they are, what they do, or who lets them get away with it, but it is damn fun to watch. The only thing viewers know for sure is that Pope is one of the good guys. She and her team help people that need it, and make doing the right thing a priority...they make mistakes, sometimes serious ones but their hearts are always firmly in the right place. 


Scandal was a midseason replacement much like Grey's Anatomy's so it's first season is short. All seven episodes are available on Hulu Plus, trust me it's worth the $7.99, because with a monthly subscription you also have access to every episode of Community, #jackpot. 

Catch up on season one of Scandal before season two starts on ABC in September and let me know what you think!