*That pilot scene…
At the end of the first episode, Olivia and Fitz’s secret relationship is revealed, and it changes everything. That’s the moment we all realized that Olivia Pope has secrets, and the Amanda Tanner affair wasn’t the only scandal in D.C. This scene is also the first time fans experienced the electric chemistry of Olitz.
*The rose garden scene (season 2, episode 8)
I’m a hardcore Olitz shipper, so this scene was everything to me. In this moment, I realized how deep Olivia and Fitz’s love went. Olivia thought she was the one being controlled in their secret relationship, but she couldn’t be more wrong.
“You own me!” he cries in the scene. “You control me. I belong to you. You think I don’t want to be a better man? You think that I don’t want to dedicate myself to my marriage? You don’t think I want to be honorable? To be the man you voted for? I love you. I’m in love with you. You’re the love of my life. My every feeling is controlled by the look on your face. I can’t breathe without you. I can’t sleep without you. I wait for you, I watch for you. I exist for you.”
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*Mellie outs Fitz’s affair (season 2, episode 20)
Mellie Grant is a savage, and she proved that first-hand when she went public with Fitz’s affair ON NATIONAL TELEVISION. Everyone thought Mellie was bluffing, but the girl was not. When she looked over at Cyrus in the middle of her interview, that’s when everyone figured out that Mellie was truly calling the shots. Juxtaposing Mellie’s interview with Fitz and Olivia’s love scene after he chose her was brilliant.
*Drunk Mellie (season 3, episode 3)
The fact that Bellamy Young has not even been nominated for an Emmy remains a travesty. This scene is incredible from start to finish. Fitz thought she was pissed that Olivia didn’t die in the bombing, but Mellie was far from mad. Mellie’s monologue is epic and remains Bellamy’s best performance to date.
“If your whore had died today, brave and strong and protecting a congressman inside the Capitol with the nation watching–honey, the nails, the wood, the cross you would build and hammer her on. The worship you would feel for the rest of your days, down on your knees praying to Saint Olivia Pope. That would be, I’d lose our little war. I’d lose. I am spectacular, but I can’t compete with religious fervor. So no, I was not hoping that she would be blown up today. I am not miserable that she survived. I am celebrating because Olivia Pope still walks this earth! She’s still alive and as long as she’s still alive, well, she’s your flaw, your Achilles heel, which makes her my weapon. She’s the strings that if need be I will pull to make my puppet husband dance. So cheers baby, drink up! I live to fight another day.”
*Olivia brings Huck back from the brink (season 2, episode 19)
The entire “752” episode was marvelous from start to finish. The episode gave us devastating insight into Huck’s life, including the revelation that he has a family. Not only that, you learned just how important Olivia and Huck are to each other. Meredith Grey has Cristina Yang, and Olivia has Huck. Olivia pleaded with Huck to come back to her. She didn’t just save him. He saved her.
*Jerry Grant’s death (season 3, episode 18)
Jerry’s death was devastating and shocking. This was a classic Shonda Rhimes moment. You thought the show was going one way, and she decided to punch us all in the gut. Scandal hit a bit of a lull in season 3 after the terrific season 2 centering on Defiance, so this unexpected death was game-changing for the series.
*Tom’s “Helen of Troy” speech (season 4, episode 7)
I am obsessed with Tom. Always have been and always will be. This fantastic scene gave us a fresh perspective of Olivia and the impact that she has on the people around her, especially Fitz. Olivia truly is the Helen of Troy of Scandal. Brian Letscher was superb in this scene.
*Fitz gets shot (season 2, episode 7)
Talk about a game-changer. No one saw this coming. Fitz got shot on his way to his 50th birthday party. When he went down, you quickly realized no one was safe.
*Mellie’s “get over her” speech (season 2, episode 3)
Once again, Mellie for the win. In this moment, Mellie proved she wasn’t just going to be a supporting character in Fitz’s life. Fitz’s presidency wasn’t just about him. Mellie had her eyes on the Oval Office for herself, and she refused to let Fitz ruin it for her. “You see her again, I’ll blow you away,” she said. She made good on that promise later in the season. Bellamy’s slightly unhinged but controlled performance as she told Fitz about her political future was astounding.
*Harrison introduces Quinn to the world of Gladiators (season 1, episode 1)
Honestly, Harrison’s monologue was what initially got me hooked on the show. It was the moment I realized this wasn’t going to be another legal show. Scandal was going to be so much more than that. Columbus Short doesn’t get enough credit for his work.
*Fitz kills Verna (season 2, episode 13)
I know people hate Fitz because he killed Verna, but the blame needs to be spread to the 5 people that rigged his election. His reaction was propelled by the secret Olivia, Mellie, Cyrus, Hollis, and Verna kept from him. Everyone lied to him. Olivia lied to him. The one person he believed would never hurt him actually destroyed him. When he figured out that Olivia helped steal the election, something broke inside Fitz. But despite his devastation, he knew he had to protect her. He couldn’t let Verna go public. He protected himself and Olivia.
*Cyrus reveals he rigged the election (season 2, episode 13)
Every single Cyrus Beene monologue could have been on this list. Jeff Perry is just that good. Cyrus confessed to James that he rigged Fitz’s election, getting him as close to the White House as he’d ever get. Cyrus didn’t just strip off his clothes, he stripped down to reveal his true colors.
*Jake & Olivia’s dance (season 4, episode 9)
This was such a light-hearted and fun moment compared to the dark and often intense scenes on the show. Despite the back-stabbing and lies and power hungry people, the people of Scandal are normal. And sometimes you just have to dance it out.
*Stephen saves Olivia (season 4, episode 13)
I never saw this coming. Olivia was kidnapped in season 4, and Stephen was the one to come to her rescue. This scene was a great throwback to season 1. At the end of the day, Olivia will always have her Gladiators.
HollywoodLifers, what’s your favorite Scandal moment so far? Let me know!