The Scandal season 4 finale picks up with right where we left off—with Papa Pope masquerading as a big-money donor who wants to support Mellie’s campaign. Mellie should have known something was amiss when he introduced himself as “Demascus Bainbridge.” I guess when creating an alias to use right before ruining someone’s life, you should have some fun with it.…

Before we head into the season 4 finale of Scandal, The Root sat down with Scandal writer Raamla Mohamed to talk about how she began her TV writing career, what it’s like working with Shonda Rhimes and her thoughts on the importance of diversity in TV writing. I was introduced to Mohamed by a mutual friend when I moved to Los Angeles from…

With only one episode left, last night’s Scandal loaded the bases and prepared to bring us home. “We Don’t Condone Rape!” During a photo op on a Navy ship, Vice President Susan Ross notices that a female ensign, Amy Martin, shows signs of sexual assault, so naturally, Susan takes Amy from the ship and straight to President…

Operation Save Jake JAKE IS ALIVE! Somehow, Russell stabbed Jake 22 times, but missed all his major organs. Nonetheless, Jake is barely hanging on, so B613 agent Charlie calls a Russian doctor to stitch Jake back together in an underground dungeon (because rogue B613 agents don’t qualify for Obamacare). However, the doctor won’t save Jake…

“Justice” is the buzzword for this week’s episode of Scandal, but the characters had puzzling ways of pursuing it. Here are five surprises from last night’s installment. 1. Papa Pope is back … and he’s playing stupid.  Last week Papa Pope used Olivia Pope’s new lover, Russell, to trick her into opening her door for him.…

In addition to monologues, mistresses and murder, Scandal’s stellar ability to pair a scene with the perfect song is also one of the show’s trademarks. Scandal’s DJs know that, much like the concept behind pairing certain foods with particular wines, pairing an excellent scene with just the right song will significantly enhance your viewing experience. As we…

This week’s Scandal episode introduced us to some new faces, brought back a familiar one and raised a number of questions. Olivia’s gut is back. Sort of? Olivia wakes up—flawless and without a head scarf (girl, please)—next to the sexy stranger she picked up at a bar a few episodes ago. Scandal’s DJ should have played “Brown Skin” by…

This week’s flashback-heavy Scandal episode, directed by the multitalented Regina King, took us on a journey deeper into Cyrus Beene’s past, starting at his first marriage … to a woman, through his second marriage to James Novak (may he rest in peace), all the way to his latest trip to the altar with Michael the sex worker. We also uncover…

This week’s episode of Scandal introduced us to different sides of Olivia Pope and friends. 1. Leo Bergen Has a Kinky Side Sue, a 26-year-old played by Lena Dunham, has written a tell-all memoir about her kinky sexcapades with 17 of D.C.’s power players—ambassadors, senators … and Abby’s boyfriend, Leo Bergen (or “the Dustbuster,” as he’s called in…

Every now and then, Scandal slows down long enough to let us catch our breath.   After the multiepisode hostage arc and last week’s emotionally draining Ferguson, Mo.-inspired episode, this week’s installment simply laid down bricks for plotlines that are likely going to carry us through the rest of the season.   Olivia slowly recovers…