“I don’t feel like we’re making adultery acceptable. We weren’t setting out to make adultery OK. To me it’s not about adultery or not adultery. We’re telling the story of these two characters who very specifically have this kind of relationship […] we tell all sides. So while there are times when you’re like, ‘Fitz (Tony Goldwyn) and Liv are wonderful and I want them to be together,’ there are also times you think, ‘Fitz is scum and he shouldn’t be cheating on his wife.’ And there are times you think, ‘Olivia should go off and find herself somebody who’s single.’ I like the fact that everybody feels this big debate. That’s fantastic, because that’s the point. We’re not giving a judgement on it one way or the other.”

Showrunner Shonda Rhimes responding to what she likely perceived as a less than flattering comparison made between her show and another ABC drama, Betrayal. 

You see, what had happen was… the executive producer of that show, David Zabel, made public comments about the handling of adultery on TV, especially when its a show with a female protagonist. His show, Betrayal, like Scandal, also features a plotline that centers on a married woman’s *romanticized* affair with someone else’s husband. Zabel shared that he felt it’s “a challenge” to make your female protagonist a cheater, but added, “They’ve overcome it on Scandal. They’ve overcome it pretty well, as far as I understand.“

Prompting Shonda’s response above…

I’ll have to think about what he means when he says that it’s a challenge to make the female protagonist on a show a cheater.

By the way, while she wouldn’t give anything away on the upcoming 3rd season, Rhimes, when asked by TV Line about whether the relationship between Fitz and Olivia would continue into next season, replied, after dancing around the question a little bit, by stating “it’s not finished.“

So there you go Scandal fanatics! More close-up shots of a brooding, bratty Tony Goldwyn, as well as Kerry Washington’s pouty, quivering lips, and extended stares across rooms, with accompanying soundtrack.

I should also mention that Lisa Kudrow has been cast in a secret recurring role, debuting during the upcoming season.

Thoughts on Shonda Rhimes’ response??

This all reminded me of a related image that was sent to me several months ago, that I thought was hilarious, and so shared on the S&A Facebook fan page. It generated quite a reaction from readers – a lot of it combative, between those who felt it reflected truth, and those who didn’t.

The image is embedded below for those who don’t follow us on Facebook, so you can see what caused the ruckus.