Everybody makes mistakes, but when you’re one of the most powerful people in the world, some controversies require extra assistance. Lucky for them, Olivia Pope is here to help. And lucky for you, the highly sought-after political “fixer” is returning to Netflix in the US on June 17, so you can add all seven seasons of Scandal to your watch list. 

From creator Shonda Rhimes, the political drama follows Olivia (Kerry Washington), a former media consultant to the president who goes on to manage her own crisis-management firm, cleaning up the messiest scandals in the nation’s capital. Over the course of its run, Scandal became a sensation thanks to its jaw-dropping plotlines and its passionate and quick-witted lead, who protects the reputations of her powerful clients — while also keeping a few secrets of her own. 

When the series premiered in 2012, Washington made history as the first Black woman to headline a network TV drama since 1974, and fans were captivated by her portrayal of DC’s most coveted fixer. Olivia Pope is both deeply caring and strong-willed, and her metaphorical “white hat” appears to guide her work within DC’s halls of power. But her ambitions and personal alliances often take her into morally ambiguous territory within those spaces, making her a compelling, complex protagonist that viewers couldn’t get enough of during the show’s run.

As you prepare to dive into the world of Scandal, whether for the first time or refreshing for a rewatch, here’s everything you need to know about the series. 

ABC

Who’s in the cast of Scandal? 

• Kerry Washington (The Six Triple Eight, Little Fires Everywhere) as Olivia Pope
• Darby Stanchfield (Locke & Key, Mad Men) as Abby Whelan
• Katie Lowes (Inventing Anna, Super 8) as Quinn Perkins
• Guillermo Diaz (Weeds, Law & Order: Organized Crime) as Huck
• Tony Goldwyn (The Last Samurai, Law & Order) as President Fitzgerald “Fitz” Grant
• Bellamy Young (Scrubs, Prodigal Son) as First Lady Melody “Mellie” Grant
• Jeff Perry (Grey’s Anatomy, Nash Bridges) as Cyrus Beene
• Joshua Malina (Shameless, The Big Bang Theory) as David Rosen
• Scott Foley (The Unit, Whiskey Cavalier) as Jake Ballard
• Joe Morton (Zack Snyder’s Justice League, The Politician) as Rowan Pope

What happens in Scandal? 

From social media mishaps and rigged elections, to assassination attempts, there’s no shortage of scandal in Washington, DC. But Olivia Pope and her team of “Gladiators” at her crisis management firm, Olivia Pope & Associates (OPA), can right any wrong committed by their high-profile clients. Scandal follows the OPA team, whose staff includes a tight-knit crew of lawyers and a former hit man, as they cover up the indelicate affairs of the rich and powerful, while struggling to keep their own secrets under wraps. Political corruption and betrayal are at the heart of this twisty procedural, as Olivia navigates her clients and their crises while also concealing a scandal of her own — her romantic affair with President Fitzgerald Grant. 

Is Scandal based on a true story?

No, Scandal is a fictionalized series about people working overtime to clean up the messes of the DC elite. However, some of the cases featured on the show are inspired by real-life events, and Olivia is loosely based on real-life fixer Judy Smith, who also served as co-executive producer of Scandal. In the series, Olivia’s career trajectory is similar to Smith’s, who previously served as special assistant and deputy press secretary to President George H. W. Bush before opening her own crisis management firm, Smith & Company. 

Like Smith, Olivia and her associates begin every case by mapping out the crisis on a “murder board,” as they call it, to establish the facts, the key players, and the game plan. And both women enjoy winding down at the end of a busy day with a bowl of popcorn and a glass of wine — but that’s about where their similarities end. 

Where can I stream Scandal? 

You can watch Scandal on Netflix starting June 17.

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