Emmy has Scandal-ously omitted the series from major consideration. Will a reinvigorated fifth season change that narrative?
Despite a handful of acting nominations, Scandal has never been a show Emmy voters have assembled around. Kerry Washington held a seat at the table in the Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series for two years but was left out last year. Dan Bucatinsky and Joe Morton each won Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series in consecutive years for their work. Other than that and two other guest acting nominations, the Emmys have failed to incorporate Scandal into other categories.
Rhimes has become a consequential voice in the entertainment industry, and because of this, Scandal is an important show, one that deserves the honor of being recognized with the Primetime Emmy Awards nominations.
Some argue its soapy nature and formal style prevent the show from being taken seriously, a view I would counter-argue as riddled in pretentious self-importance. To make the prospects for Shonda Rhimes’ political drama even more grim, the buzz surrounding Scandal has been overshadowed by the newest member to “Shondaland,” How to Get Away with Murder, starring Emmy-winner Viola Davis. The Emmys have proven time and time again that once a show loses buzz, it’s nearly impossible to make a sizable comeback. In the case of Scandal, it’s a shame, seeing as its fifth season was invigorating and enthralling in unprecedented ways thus far in the series’ run.
Read Ryan Showers’s impassioned Emmy argument for Scandal at AwardsDaily TV.
