What A SCANDAL!!!!!

I hope we're all watching the ABC drama, "Scandal".  It stars Bronx-native, Kerry Washington and a strong supporting cast including the very cute Columbus Short.  This political drama is written and produced by the prolific Shonda Rhimes of Grey's Anatomy and Private Practice.  As happy as I am for her success, I've been a little disappointed by her shows' black female characters.  They tend to be accomplished and  polished but without any life balance.  Meaning: no man or long term romantic relationships or marriage.  Or they're just plain non-existent like on than silly medical drama in Latin America that was short lived and I can't even remember the name of that had no black female character.  It always feels like her black female characters never seem to have any inner life worth showing on tv:  family connections, lovers or even "viable" lovers.  They seem to just simply support the lives of their White BFF.  It was just sad when Audra McDonald's character on Private Practice was wooed by a dying older white guy with terminal cancer and a white paraplegic researcher.  Like really.  I mean a healthy man of any race is a good start, but I was always curious as to why she never paired her with a hot brother on her level with a good heart.  Was that too much to ask for?


But I digress.  On the new tv drama, "Scandal" all that I felt was lacking in the development of her black female characters gets some redemption in this tight political thriller.  The lead character, Olivia Pope, is a serious political DC power broker with sharp instincts, extreme confidence and a tender heart.  She's strong but not too much so that we don't see a human being with needs and tenderness.  Kerry Washington's portrayal is so dead on with her expressive doe eyes and flawless skin, you believe her every line revealing Olivia Pope's strength and vulnerability.  In the story, Olivia Pope ended an affair with the current President and left the White House to start her own PR firm or otherwise known, crisis managment team.  I've enjoyed the way Ms. Rhimes has allowed the history of the main characters to unfold with their relationship to Olivia, including the passionate affair between Olivia and The President that she's still trying to pour water on to put out the obvious fire that still smolders between them.


It was interesting how the network handled the episode that showed the build-up and consummation of their illicit romance.  ABC had actually had a parental warning about the show having "a sexual nature" and for "mature audience" and "parental discretion is advised".  Blah, blah, blah...  I was expecting something really shocking, maybe even partial nudity like they gave us with NYPD Blue, but it was just a steamy scene but nothing that needed a parental advisory.  I believe it could only have been that it was an interracial love scene that ABC felt the need to prepare the audience for what they were about to see.  Our history is full of similar stories that mix race, sex  and politics.  Just think Thomas Jefferson or Strom Thurmond, and all the others who've fathered many mixed children and then donated guilt money to HBCU's so their progeny would have a decent shot at life.  Most of these herstories involve violence - as in rape, abuse and exploitation since African women came to the shores of North America.  But this wasn't the exploitive relationship we've seen before.  She's an accomplished "fixer" saving his campaign and while working so closely together they fell for each other.  Her character pauses and really contemplates what she's about to do before heading to his hotel room and goes in eyes wide open.  She made a conscious decision to sleep with him while standing on her feet.  She is not a victim. 


But what I really appreciate most are the writer's crafty plot twists that kept me on the edge of my sofa dying to see the next episode.  And the character development is the best you'll see on network tv.  The writers are teasing out the critical facts about the supporting cast nice and slowly and the personal histories of Olivia's team while we gradually see Olivia Pope as a flawed, complex woman who hides behind her job while she heals her heart and let's go of a man she can never ever have.  Also, the honest quality of the writing hits a nerve of authenticity that's rare on tv.  There was a powerful scene in the season finale that includes the confrontation of the First Lady and her husband's former mistress, Olivia, and the dialogue was something I didn't really expect from network tv.  Let's just say it was very raw and something I'd imagine a real power wife would actually say to the mistress.  If you didn't watch it, you owe it to yourself to watch it OnDemand.  So it's essentially a sad love story in the middle of this political thriller with murder, pregnant White House interns, hitmen, political maneuverings and tightly guarded secrets. 


What I'm curious about though is how will mainstream America respond to this story.  Will America be able to handle a story with a strong female lead that is Black and romantically pursued by the very married President who is White...and Republican?  That's a lot for America to handle all in 60 minutes once a week.  But I'm hoping black folks and the rest of America will tune in to watch some very good writing and characters we've never seen before and consider how likely these situations are to actually happen.  I mean the lead character is based on the very real Judy Smith, a DC power player who also worked in George Bush's White House.  And you know there were rumors that Bill had a child of color back in Arkansas.  Who knows?  But a well done dramatic television show with a powerful Black female lead that is in control and handling her business is something to watch no matter how you feel about left/right politics, swirling or how likely the story is to actually happen.