While Kerry Washington admits '[the parallels] are crazy and a little frightening,' Tony Goldwyn insists that the show 'is not a political commentary.'
- Jan 27, 2017
AceShowbiz - The theme of "Scandal" season 6 is so close to reality. In the season premiere, [SPOILER ALERT!] Democratic candidate Frankie Vargas (Ricardo Chavira) defeated Republican first lady Mellie Grant (Bellamy Young). But the chain of command is soon put in question after Vargas was shot multiple times, leading to his demise.
The current President Fitzgerald Grant (Tony Goldwyn) had to pick between his former chief of staff-turned-Vargas' VP pick Cyrus (Jeff Perry) and his ex-wife. He decided to back Cyrus, but Olivia (Kerry Washington) suspects that Cyrus was behind Vargas' assassination. However, the true president will be determined by the results of the electoral college vote, which is similar to the recent political situation that determined Donald Trump's victory.
Speaking to the The Hollywood Reporter before the episode aired, Washington said, "[The parallels] are crazy and a little frightening. I emailed Shonda immediately [after the election] and a lot of us were concerned with what happens in the premiere and not having people think that that's something that we want to happen, obviously."
It should be noted that the episode was filmed months before the presidential election and before Washington's maternity leave at the end of September. Goldwyn added, " 'Scandal' is its own universe; it's an alternate universe and is not a political commentary; it provides a cathartic counterpoint for people."
Though the show often features timely subjects, the actor insisted, "Shonda [Rhimes] is not interested in making a commentary in the same way she deals with diversity; she chooses to tell stories about the way the world is. So there's no polemic going on; it's not like we foresee this happening and so it does. We could never have predicted the results of this election - or how it played out with the focus on the electoral college."
On how the electoral college will play part in the season moving forward, Goldwyn said, "The electoral college is an ongoing issue but as things develop, each episode focuses on one character's perspective. It doesn't get that focused on the machinery of the politics. It's more about how we got here; it focuses more on the characters than the real-world similarities."
As seen in a preview for the next episode, a strong-willed Olivia will not let Cyrus become the president that easily. She's determined to put him into prison and help Mellie become the new POTUS. "I think she sees another opportunity to change and fix and help her country in the light of this tragedy," Washington told EW about how her character saw the situation. "It may be that that serving and helping and fixing is also aligned with some of her agenda, but I think she really is trying to think about what's best for the country."
"Scandal" returns with the new episode titled "Hardball" on Thursday, February 2 at 9/8c on ABC. According to the official synopsis, "After a tight race and shocking conclusion to the election, flashbacks reveal what happened on the campaign trail and just how far Olivia was willing to go to win. Meanwhile, Fitz and Abby are faced with an unprecedented national crisis, and the gladiators are determined to get answers."
