Ive always had the end point in mind.. I'm happy that you have fallen in love with Fitz because that's the journey that Olivia went on. The latter event was a surprise to many, but it was unprecedented and something, thanks to Shonda Rhimes, that will forever go . Of course, this storyline instantly became a source of controversy among viewers, which is to be expected when such an important and highly sensitive topic is addressed. But the dream may have been better than the reality if Thursday's midseason finale his any indication. So he inappropriately rushed things by moving her into the White House when they just needed time. People have very strong and justifiable views on both sides of the question. Olivia calls Fitz an ineffectual president and believes the White House is a cage. He cannot reject her no matter what. 2023 BDG Media, Inc. All rights reserved. Plus: Will the ABC political fixer drama soon come to an end? Viewers veto judges' votes on dj vu-inducing top 12 'American Idol' episode, Ashley Judd reflects on mom Naomi's 'irreplaceable loss' a year after the country star's death, Michael J. But he did so kind of from the right place; he was trying to take control of the situation. But hold on! but the couch is an inanimate object its a nice couch, and the couch isnt going to make a lot of demands on Olivia. Fitz may grow through the experience; I have no idea what Shonda has in mind. Fitz may grow through the experience; I have no idea what Shonda has in mind. The Existential Yearning Of Are You There God? She fell in love, got the fantasy and she discovered the fantasy was not real. It just happened. TGIT returns Feb. 11 on ABC. Youre the biggest bitch I know, Liv muses, dont tell me you cant do this. At last, Mellie triumphantly runs out the clock on the bill, even earning a handshake (which she rejects) from cranky Senator Moskowitz. Subscribe for full access to The Hollywood Reporter. Unmistakably, we see Olivia upset after the abortion; rooting around in her cavernous White House closet for the moonshine bequeathed to her by her predecessor, the former First Lady (who spent the entire episode filibustering in opposition of a Congressional budget that would've stripped Planned Parenthood of its funding, because its apparently time to get serious about planting the narrative seeds of Olivia running Mellies inevitable presidential campaign). To revisit this article, select My Account, thenView saved stories. Bellamy Young mentioned Mama Pope, while Tony Goldwyn gave his vote to Mellie Grant. Though Fitz and Olivia are done for the time being, Rhimes stressed that Scandal is more than just the Olitz relationship. She then heads back to the White House and makes a beeline for Mellies booze stash, which sets up an epic Olitz brawlfor the ages. And maybe they're right. FATHER KNOWS BEST | Still shackled to a chair, an increasingly desperate Rowan decides to play mind games with his captor/potential executioner, Huck. People have very strong and justifiable views on both sides of the question. To revisit this article, visit My Profile, thenView saved stories. I was 20, and had only a negligible amount of life experience and practically no experience as a genuinely independent woman who had any real grasp on how to steer her life in an empowered, decisive, custom-fitted way. shut down the government! Is this breakup something that Olivia and Fitz can come back from? Olivias been on a journey since we started. "I'm just writing what comes out. Do we need to know that a woman is scarred and traumatized and genuinely f*cking upset about her abortion in order for us the faceless, judging public to not hate her for it (and we still might anyway)? Fox says life with Parkinson's is 'getting harder': "I'm not gonna be 80', Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson celebrate 35 years of marriage with cake, Chris Pratt talks Marvel audition fails: 'I was never gonna audition for Marvel again'. Brief and devoid of dialogue as it was, Scandals presentation of Olivias abortion was my favorite of any Ive seen in TV or movies. For a show that has definitely had its groundbreaking moments, Scandal is definitely delivering on the Season 5 midseason finale. If you think the debates youve seen in the real world are fun star Kerry Washington teased coyly. So, will he? and part two is the colossal lie and betrayal and withholding of that terrible truth that Olivia didn't tell . Scandal is known for making bold political statements, and this year's midseason finale proved to be no exception when Olivia decided to have an abortion on Scandal , right in front of an audience who didn't even know that she was pregnant in the first place. He's a Republican but we've never asked that question [on the show]. During a recent chat with Entertainment Weekly, Tony Goldwyn (who plays President Grant) said that Fitz would be positively devastated if he ever discovered what Olivia did. Really?! Adding fuel to the fire that Olivia and Fitz really werent truly ready to be together in such a high-pressure fashion was the fact that Olivia was pregnant and opted to have an abortion unbeknownst to Fitz. The finale also left viewers to decide if Olivia and Fitz (Tony Goldwyn) got their happy ending and life of jam-making in Vermont. Sign up for THR news straight to your inbox every day, Inside the business of TV with breaking news, expert analysis and showrunner interviews. Fitz overreached a bit by moving her into the White House prematurely. However it looks like, if it brings sheer joy and peace, I'm in.". I wonder how my own actions and feelings about my abortion mightve been changed had my brain walked into that experience with a different set of expectations. That's where she's coming from as a dramatist. But none of that happened, and thats amazing. It just means that Olivia does not know who she is yet. How cool would it be if this one scene set a new precedent for how a woman's right to choose translates into television? I think Fitz and Olivia really love each other. is waiting with an apology (You were right, Lazarus wasnt you). (Laughs.). Making a splash: A deep dive into the live-action. Thats what I knew to do. Why do you think more shows dont go there? I didnt think Fitz could necessarily recover from the revelation that Olivia had been the one who saved her dad and yet Fitz did, albeit in such a dysfunctional way and making a grab at her and putting her in the White House. Glamour may earn a portion of sales from products that are purchased through our site as part of our Affiliate Partnerships with retailers. "I literally ask the question because a woman made a choice about her body. By subscribing to this BDG newsletter, you agree to our. 'First Republic has lots of knowledge about its customers and has been a profitable bank for its entire history - but its business model is not stable. I want her to fully be on her journey. In truth, executive producer Shonda Rhimes has not made a decision whether Fitz will discover the truth. Its a really interesting choice [for them to break up]. Fitz finally found out about Olivia's abortion. ), and savors a glass of wine. I somehow feel as though his reaction wouldn't be all that understanding. "I think in a way, Huck has grown and is trying to become a better man, but who knows?" Olivia Pope Had An Abortion On 'Scandal' & It Was A Brave Olivia did not fall apart last night. By I don't have an attachment to what it looks like. Will Olivia Tell Fitz About Her Abortion? 'Scandal' May Bring This Greys Anatomy explored the subject when Sandra Ohs Cristina Yang has an abortion in season eight because she and then-husband, Owen (Kevin McKidd), did not agree on having children. Unfortunately, their relationship could not stand the public pressure, eventually leading to Olivias shocking holiday plans: getting an abortion and moving out of the White House. In the first teaser, released Thursday by ABC, Olivia tells presidential hopeful Mellie . "I will put that on my list!" Olivia misses an important dinner and goes to get an abortion. We talk about it a lot.. Sign up for THR news straight to your inbox every day, Inside the business of TV with breaking news, expert analysis and showrunner interviews. That does not mean she does not love Fitz, and it does not mean that Fitz is not worthy of love. We were all shocked, honestly, at how dark the writers went. It was as if she didnt connect with it at all. (Also, there are a lot of spoilers below, but this is not your first day on the Internet, so you should know that by now.). What the Fans Want v. What Shonda Wants: During the audience Q&A, a fan asked Shonda if she feels obligated to write for what the fans want or what she wants. Olivia believes Fitz is talking about Jake, but the president is talking about a womans right to choose. Read More: How Shonda Rhimes Is Changing the Dialogue About Abortion on TV, It all set the stage for the most epic fight Scandal has yet to feature between the couple that has long been considered end game. This is a very difficult job hes got and its very lonely at the top. The now-former couple agrees that they rushed into things and weren't ready ("we tried," they say) and that they were "broken" going into this. Additionally, the poll found that six of 10 moderate and liberal Republicans supporting the right to choose. Mellie was miserable in that role. 2 days ago, by Chandler Plante She looks happy or freed with a glass of wine, new couch and a Christmas tree, while Fitz is left almost heartbroken. Show of hands if you saw THATScandal twist coming. Oscar winning director Roman Polanski poses with his 1977 teenage rape Not once did Olivia say she was pregnant, and we had no idea what she was doing at the clinic until she laid down on the table. shows up to surprise a lonely Quinn, while Olivia (back in her own apartment) welcomes the return of her couch (! How do you think Fitz, who recently lost his son, would feel about Olivia's abortion? Id say 90 percent. But he did so kind of from the right place; he was trying to take control of the situation. Added Rhimes: "I think everybody is evolving this season. In possibly related news, a familiar face returns during Thursdays episode, which screened ahead of the panel, that will surely raise some eyebrows. A) I don't know, and B) I couldn't tell you. Jerry Springer hinted at his ailing health in his last-ever Australian TV interview before dying from pancreatic cancer at the age of 79 last Thursday. Here's everything that happened: Huck's Family Drama: The audience previewed Thursday night's episode, in which Huck must deal with the emotional fallout of not being in his son's life. What was the table read like when the cast got this script? Will Fitz start dating? So why can't we have more abortion storylines storyblips might be a more accurate descriptor on TV? Hes going to be very lonely. During Thursday's season finale, President Fitzgerald Grant ( Tony Goldwyn) found out that his former flame Olivia Pope (Kerry Washington) had a Christmastime abortion. Dan Lauria (Jack Arnold), Alley Mills (Norma Arnold), Jason Hervey (Wayne Arnold) and Olivia d'Abo (Karen Arnold) reunited at the Chiller Theatre Toy, Model & Film Expo held at the Parsippany . But there's going to be a tremendous backlash I'm not saying this out of any knowledge of the story, but about life when Olivia has to look in the mirror and realizes that she's pushed away everybody who is close to her life and the man she does love. I understand as a viewer but if I were her shrink, I would have a lot to say. "It's because of who Olivia is in the brains of these writers. But when the vote hits the floor, Mellie throws in a surprise filibuster she wants to protect Planned Parenthood which threatens to throw everyones holiday plans into disarray and (gasp!) My fingers are crossed. The episode ends with Olivia, bags packed, moving out of the White House and poised to celebrate Christmas with a big glass of red wine on a brand new couch in her apartment, alone. A woman made a choice about her body that she legally has the right to make. This episode was such a timely and important one for Planned Parenthood, and it isnt the first time a Shonda Rhimes series or Scandal itself has featured an abortion. My only responsibility is for the story. Well done, Shonda Rhimes! Roman Polanski, 89, and Samantha Geimer, 60, were seen beaming in a recent photo taken in Paris - 45 years after he raped her. Theres always been Mellie and/or Olivia as this other yin and yang. "It was the last shot of the night, and I had no idea she was going to show up," he said of the former First Lady and Secretary of State. She sat behind me, and I was like, 'Action!' After a tumultuous few seasons of back-and-forth, Fitz (Tony Goldwyn) and Olivia (Kerry Washington) seemed poised to find happiness. this link is to an external site that may or may not meet accessibility guidelines. The episode ends with Olivia, bags packed, moving out of the White House and poised to celebrate Christmas with a big glass of red wine on a brand new couch in her apartment, alone. But his feelings for Olivia defy logic. But that's not all we learned. I'm just telling a story that is there for me. Perhaps that Rhimes and co-producer Betsy Beers knows when and where the show will end. Will Abby Reveal Olivia's Abortion On 'Scandal'? She Protected - Romper She feels that Fitz moving her into the White House so suddenly (and without asking) was punishment for releasing . It's interesting to me that it's a romance, that her primary story is a romancethat's what you've seen. I think everything would lead us to believe that Fitz would be ethically pro-life, even if he has a progressive bend like George Bush Sr. But the bigger thing is not a political question; the bigger thing here is the emotional [impact]. Fitz tells Olivia that she never needed his approval. But on a show like this, it's difficult to know for sure if a secret is ever really buried for good, and this heated argument may be too tempting for Shonda Rhimes to resist. Making a splash: A deep dive into the live-action Little Mermaid with a new generation's Ariel. To me, her primary story has been discovery of herself. We know where it ends and when it ends, Rhimes said, though the question is when. Watching it tugged at some visceral memory of my own abortion; My body remembered what it felt like to be lying there, the feeling of the doctor's hands on me, and the grip of my own around the edges of the table. 2023 The Hollywood Reporter, LLC. From hair trends to relationship advice, our daily newsletter has everything you need to sound like a person whos on TikTok, even if you arent. It was as if she didn't connect with it at all. . For the time being, Scandal is heading into the height of election season, drawing many parallels to the real-life political landscape so much so, in fact, that Rhimes revealed theyve had to change dialogue in scripts that hit too close to home. Not only did Olivia and Fitz break up, but Olivia got an abortion. What was the table read like when the cast got this script? So guess whos waiting in the ladies room to give Mellie a surprise pep talk? I didn't think Fitz could necessarily recover from the revelation that Olivia had been the one who saved her dad and yet Fitz did, albeit in such a dysfunctional way and making a grab at her and putting her in the White House. Fitz may have been replaced by a couch (Laughs.) "Three highway patrol men came through and then nine secret service agents and then I saw Huma [Abedin, Clinton's aide], and I was like, 'I know her!' That's true. Olivia Pope Had An Abortion On 'Scandal' & It Was A Brave & Unprecedented Move Entertainment Olivia Pope Just Changed TV Forever by Nicole Pomarico November 19, 2015 For a show that has. The answer is YES, in capital letters. It uses medicine or surgery to remove the embryo or fetus and placenta from the uterus. But I do, and I think when people love each other as primally as these two people do, I think they can come back from anything. Jock Zonfrillo Dies: 'MasterChef Australia' Judge And Acclaimed, Damar Hamlin's Charity Sponsor, the Giving Back Fund, Embroiled, Even Without Barry, 'Barry' Is Delighted with Its Own Misery, Malaysia's 'Abang Adik' Wins Udine Festival's Golden Mulberry, Editor's Choice: I Purchased This TikTok-Viral Walking Pad and I, TVLine is a part of Penske Media Corporation. I think he would have to because hes in love with her. 2023 Cond Nast. Please select the topics you're interested in: The Quick and Dirty Details of Scandal's Season Finale, Jada Pinkett Smith Says "Red Table Talk" Is Looking For a "New Home" After Cancellation, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau "Absolutely" Wants to Work With "GOT" Costar Gwendoline Christie Again, "Bel-Air"'s Creator, Showrunner Break Down the Bombshell Moments in Season 2's Emotional Finale, Jennifer Garner and Angourie Rice Search For Clues in Exclusive Clip From "The Last Thing He Told Me", 10 Books to Read After "The Summer I Turned Pretty", "Jury Duty"'s Judge Alan Barinholtz Is a "Nepo Dad": Meet His Famous Sons, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. Is there hope for them down the line or can they only work out once his presidency is over? Then I saw Hillary in this green [outfit]. But he is willing to sacrifice anything for her happiness. Her father has been saying that, and while he represents evil to a lot of you, he also represents truth., RELATED: The Most Shocking Twists on Scandal, What their future may hold, in other words, is up in the air as is the future of Scandal, as Rhimes reiterated her plans to keepthe political fixer drama as a contained story. And she didnt have an abortion because she was mad about all the outfits he kept trying to dress her up in, although undoubtedly all of that is interconnected. The Hollywood Reporter is a part of Penske Media Corporation. She never even casts a patented, subtext-laden, sideways, wincing look that at least lets the audience know that shes currently channeling all of her ~tragic abortion sadness~, even if shes stubbornly refusing to tell Fitz about it (which she never ends up doing). The episode was notable for featuring a scene in which Olivia Pope has an abortion, . The truth? What would have happened if Olivia had said to Fitz, Im pregnant? His face would have lit up in a smile and it would be the greatest joy in his life and hed have embraced her and said, Oh my God, were going to start a whole new life together, isnt that fantastic? She's like, "Hey, people, I'm putting this on television because this is what is happening in our lives." First Republic Bank's fate in limbo as US regulators consider bids ", The Moral Compass: Kerry Washington asked her cast mates which character on the show has their priorities straight, and Cornelius Smith, Jr. (who plays Marcus) immediately raised his hand with an enthusiastic, "I do!" Fitz blasts her as being more manipulative than Mellie. Sometimes its more difficult since the show is often from Olivias point of view so I do have to ask Shonda questions in terms of what she has in mind for Fitz. If you like TVLine, you'll LOVE our email news alerts! She has that thing where when you run away from a commitment or obligation, theres that initial sense of, Im free! 2 days ago. This episode was such a timely and important one for Planned Parenthood, and it isn't the first time a Shonda Rhimes series or Scandal itself has featured an abortion. It's not a paint by numbers. Fitz Asks Olivia To Forgive Abby - Scandal 6x09 - YouTube Fox Says Battle With Parkinsons Disease Keeps Getting Tougher: Im Not Going to Be 80, TV Premiere Dates 2022: The Complete Guide, Broadcast TV Unscripted Scorecard 2022: Whats New, Renewed and Canceled, TV Pilots 2022: The Complete Broadcast Guide, The Definitive Voice of Entertainment News. This is a very difficult job he's got and it's very lonely at the top. New Romance Brewing on Superman, Fox News 8 pm Viewership Down Sharply Since Tucker Carlson's Ouster, Stephen Amell Doesn't Think He's Done Playing Green Arrow. I think it would be, next to the death of his son, the most gutting news he could get and frankly I dont know how hed recover from that. So when I got pregnant, I did all of those things telling my boyfriend, considering what he wanted, breaking my own heart, letting myself take the blame for breaking his; letting my life fall apart a bit afterward because those were the lines on the page. None of this is to say that Olivia's abortion was cast in some casual, glowy, unwrinkled-white-hat light. I tried this thing, and it doesnt feel right, so Im out. It was her getting out, so she could move on, and try to find something else that might actually make her as happy as she knows she deserves to be. Im happy that you have fallen in love with Fitz, because that is the journey that Olivia went on. I thought that final scene with me and Kerry, as awful as it was, was very well-written. Olivia later goes to Fitz to bless Jake (Scott Foley) as Mellies pick for vice president on her Republican ticket. It just means that Olivia does not know who she is yet. ET on ABC. Truthfully, we got on a roller-coaster ever Thursday night with our emotions, so I'm good, thanks. The two trade barbs about their upbringing. He also noted that Fitz does not know about Olivia's abortion and if and when he finds out, he would . I think everything would lead us to believe that Fitz would be ethically pro-life, even if he has a progressive bend like George Bush Sr. But the bigger thing is not a political question; the bigger thing here is the emotional [impact]..