'Scandal' Fans Disappointed & Confused at How Series Finale Was Handled
"Scandal" went "Over a Cliff" with its April 19 series finale, and Gladiators still have so many questions. For one, did Olivia Pope (Kerry Washington) become president or not?
SPOILER ALERT
While some fans were pleased with the Season 7 finale, or at least certain scenes (Papa Pope!), there were many frustrations with the hour episode. The fact that it was only one hour was one complaint. The fact that David Rosen died and Cyrus did not was another.
David ultimately died for nothing. It was especially upsetting to see David make the stupid decision to trust Cyrus. Of course Cyrus was going to poison his drink! Jake went to jail, but Olivia and team were spared. Olivia and Fitz had a little end scene meeting, but it wasn't shown if they ended up together or not. The final scene with the portrait also confused fans -- was that a flash-forward of Olivia as president or what?
As The Hollywood Reporter noted, Shonda Rhimes will not be answering these questions any time soon:
"So post-B613, did Olivia wind up with her fairy tale ending with Fitz and a lifetime of making jam in Vermont? The end of the series featured Olivia's portrait in the National Portrait Gallery — leaving viewers to decide for themselves if Olivia would wind up becoming president or was rewarded for her role in cleaning up D.C.'s corruption and becoming the ultimate fixer. (A nice touch: Rhimes' daughter, Harper, was the young girl left looking up at the portrait, which said "We the People" along its side.)
As Rhimes warned, the finale also left that and a few other storylines open for viewers to interpret on their own as Scandal jumped forward following the conclusion of the B613 trial. Rhimes and producers have no immediate plans of discussing how the series ultimately ended and intentionally wanted to leave the audience to determine the show's ultimate takeaway about politics in D.C."
Fan reactions were all over the map, but there was a general sense of the finale being anticlimactic:
I have to say guys, I'm disappointed. The entire hour felt rushed. True Gladiators deserved two hours and more content. #ScandalFinale
— Nikki V (@NVme_6) April 20, 2018
#ScandalFinale was horrible. Shonda threw this shit together like it was a college paper due at midnight that was started at 11:35pm.
— 'Keish•ish (@Keishish) April 20, 2018
the first black female lead on a network television ending her run by walking by the first national museum dedicated to the contributions of african-americans ????????????????????????♀️ #scandal#scandalfinale
— jess (@tv_jessica_) April 20, 2018
I'm sorry but this is a terrible ending. Why did Cyrus get away with all of this shit? #ScandalFinale
— 'Keish•ish (@Keishish) April 20, 2018
Sooo basically David died for no reason...... #ScandalFinalepic.twitter.com/c43MarOM4z
— Malik Ray☀️ (@malikrayl) April 20, 2018
All this time and you do me like this SHONDA!!! Really!? #Olitz ain't get no real ending together in Vermont just a "hi"". If this ain't a bitch!!! #ScandalFinalepic.twitter.com/ZVT5UxBmqj
— Victoria (@VictorBeQueen) April 20, 2018
#ScandalFinale There must be a reboot or something coming. That finale just doesn't seem final. pic.twitter.com/keiW0yWuG9
— VerySpecialLadee (@TheWaxxShop) April 20, 2018
Sooooo Cyrus get to live his life with no consequences of his actions for the last 7 years??? Maaaaaaan #ScandalFinalepic.twitter.com/Pnaz0Zj0oC
— Nikki Nicole (@nicoleraychelle) April 20, 2018
IT ENDED LIKE THAT?!!!!! GIMME MY YEARS BACK SHONDA!!!!! #ScandalFinalepic.twitter.com/HpKpf69V22
— Yolanda (@LadyMockingjay) April 20, 2018
That was it?!?!? Throw the whole series away #ScandalFinalepic.twitter.com/zfwmdVYMS2
— Natalie (@natty_web) April 20, 2018
Well that was disappointing #ScandalFinalepic.twitter.com/csPaSvWCzY
— Aisha (@4evaabarbz) April 20, 2018
I waited all day for that ???? & all I got was unanswered questions
Will Liv and Fitz make jam in Vermont?
Will Marcus be the next first husband?
Will Jake die in jail?
Will Cyrus ever check on his daughter?#ScandalFinalepic.twitter.com/UkXE4Q61FS— DANi (@justDani___) April 20, 2018
So no Huck with his family? Mama Pope just doesn't exist? So many stories unfinished #ScandalFinalepic.twitter.com/ml2GZ6LoGs
— Anonymously D (@DeniseW02767859) April 20, 2018
I dunno this felt a tad bit anticlimactic I wanted Cyrus on the floor spitting up. #ScandalFinalepic.twitter.com/P1Gy8e3db3
— Brittney Cottrell (@starsandgoggles) April 20, 2018
LIV'S PORTRAIT OMG ????❤️❤️#SCANDALFINALE#SCANDALpic.twitter.com/Bw9z8ObMvo
— apollo✨ (@holinessss) April 20, 2018
Okay but was David's death really necessary #scandalfinale#TheFinaleScandal#tgitpic.twitter.com/680Af6Yc68
— D. Hazelwooden (@Dhzlwd_) April 20, 2018
Nothing but respect for MY president. #ScandalFinale#TheFinalScandalpic.twitter.com/2xPTL2cMPf
— Kimberly Eaton (@tweetdeguerre) April 20, 2018
Wait.... so Cyrus is just going to get a pass #TheFinalScandal#scandalfinalepic.twitter.com/tPiUZlcFvG
— Afiya (@empress901) April 20, 2018
Who else is extremely underwhelmed by this weak series finale? #ScandalFinale#TheFinaleScandal
— Ciara McGee (@ciaramichelle_2) April 20, 2018
I REFUSE to believe David Rosen was not smart enough to realize he shouldn't meet with Cyrus alone in the middle of the night hours after he had Jake try to kill him #ScandalFinale
— OhK (@kk_lah1) April 20, 2018
I swear Joe Morton could read an obituary and the corpse would give a standing ovation! #ScandalFinalepic.twitter.com/V49eACWzLT
— Ghetteaux Chic (@ToxicRocketeer) April 20, 2018
The ending of scandal has me like..that's it ? #ScandalFinalepic.twitter.com/8GwPvAoPYc
— Trice (@Triciejay) April 20, 2018
I love Shonda, but sis that was TRASH. You could've kept that #ScandalFinalepic.twitter.com/D3Fa0iWHsq
— ❣️Mae❣️ (@Prettyy_THICK) April 20, 2018
I love this show but the ending totally disappointed me! #ScandalFinale
???????????? pic.twitter.com/LTTHSGGHo2— Kᵰtrina Bill (@KatrinaBill) April 20, 2018
Only good thing about that #ScandalFinale is to see how outraged the rest of twitter is with that lame ass ending????
— Erin Taylor (@Erin_Taylor15) April 20, 2018
#ScandalFinale I need papa pope to get a spinoff. The End.
— Starlightsoglow (@Danigyrl083) April 20, 2018
┏┓
┃┃╱╲ in
┃╱╱╲╲ this
╱╱╭╮╲╲ house
▔▏┗┛▕▔ we believe
╱▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔╲
The #ScandalFinale
Shoulda been 2 hours
╱╱┏┳┓╭╮┏┳┓ ╲╲
▔▏┗┻┛┃┃┗┻┛▕▔— Ashley Bastock (@AshleyBastock42) April 20, 2018
david deserved better and cyrus deserved worse #ScandalFinale
— isabella potter (@isabellappotter) April 20, 2018
Was the finale great? No. Will I be rewatching the whole series tomorrow? Yes. #ScandalFinale
— Julia Hunter (@wineinmom) April 20, 2018
This has been my show since Day 1. Changed the game on so many frontiers, from introducing the world to a leading lady such as an Olivia Pope to episodes like The Lawnchair; or unforgettable speeches like "You. Are. A. Boy...". They did it all. It's handled. #ScandalFinale
— Uzo Aduba (@UzoAduba) April 20, 2018
Does the portrait mean Liv eventually became president? Either way, what a run. Olivia Pope and this iconic strut will be missed. #ScandalFinalepic.twitter.com/S3TIiDkLDS
— MG (@escapingtheloo) April 20, 2018
"Scandal" did have quite a run. It's the end of an era. Unless Shonda does give Papa Pope his own spinoff. Joe Morton deserves more Emmys!
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