R.I.P. Harrison Wright

Awww, say it ain't so?!? Columbus Short who plays the widely popular Gladiator in a Suit, Harrison Wright on ABC's "Scandal" is out for season four. Short's real life scandal's have spilled over into his professional life. The powers that be (aka Shonda Rhimes and ABC exec's) have given Short the heave ho. I cannot say I didn't see it coming. His personal life is messy. There have been arrests for a bar fight, the divorce drama, and just moments before the season three finale, there was the murder-suicide knife threatening of his wife. That was just too much. I loved Short's character for his stylish suits, amazing one liners and the fact that he held Olivia Pope to task. Now, who's going to give the "Gladiators in suits" speeches? 

What I have noticed is that Black males do not fair well on Shonda Rhimes' shows. Could be a coincidence or not. There are never an abundance of Black actors on her shows but lead male characters who just happen to be Black are few and far between. I am truly sad to see Short go. He was one of my faves. I do think this will be the catalyst to get Liv back to OPA and fixing things. I think she is going to flip out when she learns that her Dad was the puppet master who killed Harrison, Lil Jerry and Adnan. Oh and that he has her Mom locked in the hole. Dysfunctional family is dysfunctional. Sad about Short's firing. But, I will be tuned in early for the premier of season four of "Scandal." We had three good seasons of Mr. Gingham himself, Harrison Wright. R.I.P. Brolivia Pope, us Gladiators will miss you. 

Trying to Cope Without Pope

Where oh where has my "Scandal" gone? It's been far too long since I've gotten my Gladiator fix. The show has been on winter break for 2 whole months. That is insane especially since the show still won't be back for another two weeks. Why does ABC and Shonda Rhimes continue to do this to us? Why Lawd?!? It feels like...

...since we last left Liv and Fitz and Harrison and Huck and the gang. I need to know what's going to happen with Momma Pope and Daddy Senator Byron Douglas and VP Sally the murderer and Baby Huck. There is just so many questions that need answering. The season is also being shortened by FOUR episodes presumably because of Kerry Washington's real life pregnancy. I am sad because of that. Hopefully, next season, it will be a full season without a huge break. That would be awesome since it has never had one before. Gladiators, it is almost time for the final 8 episodes of the season. Let's get ready for February 27th and the return of OPA!!

It's Halloween!

Happy Halloween folks!! And, happy "Scandal" Thursday to me. The weather is supposed to get awful tonight. So, my plans include watching "It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown" followed by "Grey's Anatomy" and of course "Scandal." Dinner will be wine, baked salmon and glazed carrots. Kettle corn popcorn will be dessert. I have seem some awesome costumes this year.  People are seriously creative. I don't think I could ever pull off anything as elaborate as the ones I've seen. The pic below explains my thoughts about Halloween this year. Happy trick or treating tonight, folks!!

#31WriteNow: "Scandal" Saturday

The best show of the last two seasons is by far "Scandal." If you've been living under a rock, you should catch up here or here or here.  Shonda Rhimes is a genius. There is no better show on tv than "Scandal." If you haven't seen it, why not? What's wrong with you? You are missing out on everything!! I need you to get to know the greatness that is Olivia Pope and Harrison Wright. They are OPA and Gladiators in suits. If you are late to jump on this train, do not fret. BET can help you out. Tune in tomorrow for the second half of season 2. It's the best episodes ever. 

BET made a huge move by getting the syndication rights to "Scandal." Last Saturday, there was an all day marathon on the network. BET showed all off season one and half of season two. I watched it as if I had never seen it before. I loved that BET ended the marathon at the most pivotal point. "Who is Quinn?" was the ending of season one. Rhimes has a way of writing great cliffhangers for her shows. Another doozy was the whole "Who Shot Fitz?" BET will finish off the season 2 marathon today. It starts at 7 am and will end at 9pm.  It's great for new viewers. It's even better for us die hard Gladiators as a refresher course. All this does is make me wish it was October 3rd. I have so many questions about season 3. Especially about the finale. "Scandal" is a greatly written and greatly acted show. It's just too good. If you are looking for a great way to spend your Saturday, turn to BET and catch up on "Scandal." You'll thank me later. 

A Scandalous Affair

If you've been following my blog, then you should already know how I feel about "Scandal." I am a proud Gladiator. The show is golden. The acting is superb. The writing immaculate. And the way the scenes unfold on screen always leave me wanting more and more. I am never disappointed. I have watched the most ridiculous conversation week by week spawned from the show. On Twitter and Facebook, people are upset with others who like the Olivia/Fits extramarital affair. These judgy folks have decided that those of us who like the relationship are championing the relationship. As if we aren't intelligent enough to decipher real life and tv. "Oh I can't believe that y'all are so into this relationship. It makes me sick. You guys should be ashamed." Well, excuse the hell out of me for being entertained by a show who's whole premise is to entertain.

Are folks really that dense? Seriously. If you cannot separate what's real from what's fake, you my dear, have a bigger issue. That is a personal problem. I suggest that you work that out within and stop projecting your issues on others. Are people so jaded that they can't differentiate between scripted tv and reality? It's almost as if these people don't understand that I can just simply enjoy the chemistry between Olivia and Fitz. Here's a clue: I can champion this fictitious relationship and be against adultery in real life. What I like to watch, hear or read does not equate my real life. They are all forms of entertainment. That is their only purpose: to entertain me. I watch shows like "Scandal" as a way to get out of my head for a little while. Adultery is wrong in real life. I'm more lenient of it on tv, in books and the like. That doesn't make me a bad person. It does make me a woman who can discern between what's real and what isn't. 

A friend on Facebook posted that "Olivia is going to have women thinking it's cute to sleep with another woman's husband." My response "If a tv character can weld that much power, then said woman has bigger problems." I'm sorry but that's just silly as hell. A scandalous woman is going to be just that because she chooses to be. A Jay-Z song has never prompted me to sell drugs, "50 Shades of Gray" does not make me want to dive into the BDSM lifestyle, nor has "The Wire" made me want to raise a son to be a corner boy. I'm smarter than that. People are who they are. They don't need validation from a fictional tv show. People who feel this way are doing entirely too much in my opinion. I like all of the characters in spite of their actions. I have the right to do so. If that makes me scandalous, I'll be that. Handle ya scandal people!

Let's Talk About...

the creative genius that is Shonda Rhimes! She is the creative force behind such hit shows as "Grey's Anatomy," "Private Practice," and the new "Scandal." I wanted to give her shows a chance because she was the only Black female who was a creator, executive producer, on tv. That alone was and still is a big deal. She lived up to all the hype surrounding her. She has the ability to spin a storyline arc that pulls you in. In one episode, she has so many things going on that you have to watch the next episode. She's just that good. 

I have been a fan of GA since the beginning. I've always liked medical dramas since "ER." The way Rhimes writes her characters is very intriguing. She writes these great, smart, flawed women. They are so real. I, mostly, love that about her female characters. She often makes them really weak and vulnerable when it comes to men, sex, and love. It infuriates me but I cannot stop watching. Her characters and their storyline are awesome. The finale made me cry from the opening scenes. Rhimes is excellent at writing a cliffhanger. She does this to me every season. And, every finale I say I'm done. But, of course, I'm not. I have to know what happens next. Rhimes knows this.


I've only seen PP a few times but it is pretty great too. Glad that she gave Taye Diggs a vehicle for his art. I like him. I do believe that her latest creation "Scandal" is on its way to being my fave. I've blogged about it here. The finales was last night and it was a doozy. I did not see all of those twists coming. I'm excited to see where she goes with it next season. Rhimes has introduced us to a new set of interesting characters. We don't know a lot about them yet. So, guess what? We'll be watching in the fall to find out more.

Rhimes deserves every accolade laid upon her. Her imagination os ridiculous to come up with all of the things she does for these shows. No storyline is repeated or something that has been done on another show before. Her ideas are always fresh and sometimes a little controversial. Remember this episode? She isn't afraid to take on the heavy. She is a woman with a plan. And I like that about her. So as long as she's writing for these characters, I'll probably be watching. As should you. I can't wait to see the season premieres of "Grey's Anatomy" and "Scandal" in the fall.

Review: "Scandal"

Shonda Rhimes has done it again. I'm claiming that her new show "Scandal" will be a hit and a fan favorite. It premiered last night. I am a fan. I was intrigued by the premise of the show because it's centered around a powerful Black woman. Her name is Olivia Pope and she is portrayed by Kerry Washington. The show is set in D.C. Pope is a lawyer who runs a "crisis management" firm. In essence, she and her people handle things.

The show also stars Columbus Short who I'm a fan of as well. The premiere was fast moving and interesting. I think it kept my attention because of the law and politics angle. Those are two arenas that I happen to love. In the midst of me loving the show, Rhimes does the one thing that I dislike about her shows. She takes a great strong, powerful woman and makes her incredibly weak behind a man. In this case, the man is the President of the U.S. I'm sure there is so much more to that story. I have to watch to see what develops there. The cast surrounding her are interesting but we didn't get to deep into them this episode. That is part of the appeal to get me to watch again.

You can catch "Scandal" on Thursdays at 9pm on ABC. It follows another Shonda Rhimes show that I love "Greys Anatomy." That's an awesome time slot for a new show. Rhimes is great at creating these characters that you instantly love. She got it right again with this show. Olivia Pope seems like she will be a wonderful character to get to know. It was everything I wanted it to be. A greatly written, wonderfully acted show. It has two lead Black actors which is very rare on network tv. I will continue to support. Hope others do as well. I have a feeling that this is a show that will be a ratings king. Get into it.