Scandal, while content to surprise its fans with twists and turns throughout every episode during the season, is of course known for pulling out all the stops during the finale. Which was exactly the case during the Season 6 finale, with near-uncountable twists setting up a final season that will start with Olivia Pope replacing her father as the head of B-613 and possessing the abilities of “the most powerful woman in the world.” Before that could happen though, a whole slew of insanity had to take place.
HERE WE GO! ARE YOU READY???#Scandal SEASON FINALE!!!
— Scandal (@ScandalABC) May 19, 2017
Including, but not limited to: Mellie participating in an inauguration even though she might get shot in the head at any moment, Mama Pope threatening to shoot someone at said inauguration, Papa Pope shooting her before she could take action, B-613 being reformed with secret funds from the White House that Fitz knows about but Mellie doesn’t, the 8,000th fight about moving to Vermont…
….deep breath…
….Fitz leaving the White House and Olivia chasing him across the lawn to give him a goodbye make out in front of the entire press contingent, Mellie rightfully extolling the difficulties of picking a dress for the Inaugural Ball, Lana Vargas being revealed as the leader of the entire plan to assassinate her husband and take the White House, Olivia and Jake killing Lana so Mellie could have a “clean” presidency, and then Cyrus being behind actually controlling Lana, all so Olivia and Cyrus could sit on the Lincoln Memorial steps and drink red wine as the most powerful people in DC and the world itself.
Oh and also Quinn/Robin is pregnant (allowing actress Katie Lowes, who is pregnant in real life, to act in the final season without hiding her stomach behind throw pillows and lamps) and is basically raising it with Abby and Charlie inside the offices of OPA.
So basically, a whole lot happened and that status quo has turned upside down for the next and last season of the hit TGIT drama. Fans, as they usually do during big moments, had a lot to say about the finale’s major reveals and surprises.
Even though Mellie probably wasn’t going to get assassinated, her inauguration was still a major point of stress (and also some jokes!).
#Scandal Mama Pope trying to assassinate Millie 🔫 https://t.co/q8OJgnlJ8M
— 👑RIA👑 (@CollegeSWAGG12) May 19, 2017
https://twitter.com/Becky8865/status/865387937801924615
https://twitter.com/selenabogava/status/865403197967355906
People also a lot of thoughts about Mama Pope’s (possibly annoying) behavior in that interrogation room.
#Scandal say tick tock one mo damn time pic.twitter.com/qqnQEzhuUk
— Pre Drafter – I'm tryna draw your house (@RedBrownAfro) May 19, 2017
Yes. Maya just said "So much for Black Girl Magic.” Because… Maya. #SCANDAL #TGIT
— shonda rhimes (@shondarhimes) May 19, 2017
Some people will her Mama Pope's monologue & think she's crazy while some of US … Well #ScandalFinale #Scandal pic.twitter.com/iukqmL8LiS
— AlottaWarmheart (@AlottaSweethart) May 19, 2017
Everyone knew not to mess with Olivia though, ever. No matter if you are her mother or her boyfriend.
Liv killed Andrew with a chair, slapped Abby 3 times in 20 seconds, and just strangled her own mother! Beware 👀 #Scandal
— Codesia James (@miss_coco14) May 19, 2017
He got in that bed though…#Scandal pic.twitter.com/92qcfAZcOX
— Drakaina (@TruBeautySpeaks) May 19, 2017
Of course, Scandal fans (or fans of any Shonda show) know not to breathe easily when there’s plenty of time left in the episode.
Y'all realize we still got 30 min to go & no one has died & everything is semi-happy. I'm worried. This ain't good in Shondaland! #scandal
— leg ryan (@foodhopeandlove) May 19, 2017
https://twitter.com/ChrisCrossPics/status/865394188673622017
Tony Goldwyn AKA President Fitz himself directed the episode himself, and not only did he give Olitz that beautifully shot moment on the lawn — especially the bird’s eye view of Olivia once the chopper took off — but he is also apparently terrible at remembering the actors in each scene he shot.
THE MUSIC …..
These two!!!!#Scandal pic.twitter.com/AtZ7zKk2nu— Scandal (@ScandalABC) May 19, 2017
Man #Scandal got me like this after that farewell pic.twitter.com/wa9ZPinG7k
— Pure Honey 🌹 (@beautilad) May 19, 2017
"The cameras." "I don't care." 😩😭 #Scandal #Olitz pic.twitter.com/mGcTw0h4Cl
— Andi (@thebananadome) May 19, 2017
Me: I love this scene. Have you seen it? Scott: Yes. I'm in this scene. Me: Oh right. Nice work. #Scandal #tgit
— Tony Goldwyn (@tonygoldwyn) May 19, 2017
But most fans focused in on the final scene, and how ruthless Olivia had to be to get what she wanted after all. Her father is retired, her mother gave her the final motivation to do it in the first place, she and Fitz have no promises to keep to each other anymore, and she knows everyone’s secret. Plus she just had two of the best possible lines in the history of Scandal. First there was the classic:
“How does it feel, to be the most powerful woman in the world?”
“Right. It feels right.”
Then, the ruthless but hilarious one:
“Raise your hand if you’ve ever killed a Vice President.”
It wouldn’t be a finale without a hilariously, yet vicious, Olivia Pope quote wasn’t included. Fans loved it all.
after that #scandal finale, i'm just lying in bed like pic.twitter.com/tIlak8kwx8
— me (@tv_jessica_) May 19, 2017
The original Deliverance conspirators are running D.C. buckle up the final season of @ScandalABC is going to be a bumpy ride #Scandal #TGIT
— Darrell Dass (@DarrellDass) May 19, 2017
https://twitter.com/EpiphanyXoXo/status/865404535665065984
That last episode should've been called #DarthPope Rises. #Scandal
— Aaron Goslee (@goslee_aaron) May 19, 2017
#Scandal is in a very good place right now. It's like the end of 4 again. We got a respawn w/ full lives. DO NOT WASTE IT. #Scandal
— trumpetnista (@trumpetnista) May 19, 2017
https://twitter.com/BrentleyBawn/status/865404816909979649
https://twitter.com/dreaasays/status/865404943804518400
I'd need this too after tonight's finale 😓 #scandal pic.twitter.com/50XQkBnU63
— Victoria Jordan (@VictoriaJordan_) May 19, 2017
HOOOOOOOOOOMYGOD SCANDAL IS A LOT THIS SEASON
— hours in silence stan account (@gracefromthe6) May 19, 2017
#Scandal "You can never take Command" Well Oliva did so I don't know what to tell you.
— MayaTomlinson ²⁸ (@MayaTomlinson13) May 19, 2017
https://twitter.com/carronJphillips/status/865408414905622529
https://twitter.com/xiangzhitan/status/865410175523471360
IS IT SEASON 7 YET!!!!!!???????!!!!??????#Scandal
— Amanda (@TheAmandaFlores) May 19, 2017
We, for one, can’t wait to see what the final season could possibly hold after all that. Power is a dangerous thing.