Do you remember when Scandal was a political thriller about deep-state conspiracies, shady black ops organizations, and a morally ambiguous bad-ass who would do anything to get the job done?
How about when How to Get Away with Murder was a sexy soap opera about lawyers backstabbing one another while trying to bury the bodies of the folks they had to kill? I certainly do… but I’m not sure anyone at Shondaland does. Because the thought of mixing Olivia Pope of Scandal and Viola Davis of HTGAWM, if we’re being honest, is a pretty bad idea. But TGIT went there, and the results were somehow even more awkward and disappointing than imagined.
On paper, sure, these two Thursday night staples have a lot in common. They both boast diverse ensembles of stunningly gorgeous individuals, most of whom can launch into a monologue at the drop of a hat. They both broke new ground for sex on basic cable, with scenes so steamy that they enraged parent groups. And both series know how to close an episode with a cliffhanger. They are melodramas, through and through, and while this critic got tired of Scandal about three seasons ago, their place in the Golden Age of Television are unmistakable.
But this Scandal/ How to Get Away with Murder crossover felt like a bizarre, “very special episode” from a completely different set of series. This was an episode devoted to the (very serious) topic of mass incarceration, which saw Annalise going to the Supreme Court to plead her case, under the tutelage of Olivia Pope. This subplot played like Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, with Annalise having heartfelt confrontations with her dementia-plagued mother (Cicely Tyson), receiving pep talks from Olivia, and ultimately delivering a heartfelt speech to the Supreme Court justices.
And, as a standalone episode, or even a TV-movie, it’s mildly entertaining. All three of the main actresses involved – Davis, Washington, and Tyson – are immensely talented, and the episode has a handful of sweet moments. But put the episode back into the overall context of the series, and it becomes a bizarre head-scratcher. Whenever a subplot from previous episodes is mentioned, like Simon’s coma or Wes’ murder, the tone is instantly destroyed and feels laughable. These shows aren’t Frank Capra movies; they shouldn’t act like one.
Speaking of those subplots: every time they were occasionally mentioned during the episode, they took such bizarre, out-of-left-field turns that didn’t feel organic or totally thought through. For example, Michaela makes a bizarre choice regarding her relationship with Asher that felt inserted into the series just to make drama. Isaac, meanwhile, who provided some of the better dramatic moments this season, was unceremoniously shoved to the sidelines off screen. With only two weeks until the finale, these developments just feel like a cheap way to wrap up loose ends before what will likely be a twisty final episode.
Crossovers rarely work out well, but the Scandal/How to Get Away with Murder crossover just felt especially lazy. Don’t get me wrong: seeing Viola Davis, Kerry Washington, and Cicely Tyson share the screen was a thrill. They are three remarkable actors, all delivering blockbuster performances. But – how about we just write an original story for them all? Because when their union causes the story to suffer, no one –on screen or in the audience – wins.
