Emmy Episodes: Scandal

It’s always my policy to watch every Emmy-nominated episode each year, which leads me to sample a handful of shows that I don’t tune in to on a regular basis. For the third year in a row, I’m making a special effort to spotlight each of those installments to offer my perspective on shows that I don’t review each week.

Scandal: Season 7, Episode 12 “Allow Me to Reintroduce Myself” (C-)

I used to get confused about whether I was watching this show or “How To Get Away with Murder” because of their similarities, and now I get to see both in one episode! While that’s hardly something I would wish for, I’m happy to report that this show is much better than the other, and it also provides an opportunity for Annalise Keating to be a slightly more believable character without everything else from her show serving as a distraction since this show is, by comparison, far more bearable. I’d say that’s a good thing for Viola Davis, who missed out on a fourth consecutive nomination for Best Lead Actress in a Drama Series but scored here instead for playing the same character on this crossover episode. What is clear is that Olivia’s people hate her just as much as Annalise’s did in the episode of that show that I just watched. I think diehard Shondaland fans were probably thrilled to see Olivia and Annalise go head-to-head while getting their hair done, though they were considerably chummier by episode’s end going into the second half of this crossover, which I definitely won’t be watching. Olivia got to be all about righteousness talking to Fitz, who inexplicably is now just chilling since his wife is the president. I’ve missed a lot since I stopped watching this now-ended show, and I’m perfectly fine not knowing everything. This show is still much too soapy for my liking without nearly the payoff that might make it worthwhile.