Scandal's best gift to television is that Olivia Pope is not a role model

The A.V. Club

"It’s interesting to think about the metaphor for Olivia as a role model," says Ashley Ray-Harris of this week's episode. "It’s a clear reference to Scandal’s overall legacy and what the show has accomplished while on the air. Sure, it’s been great for representation, but is that really enough? In the end, Olivia isn’t a role model and she shouldn’t have to be. That’s Scandal’s best gift to television: it told the story of a messy, complicated black woman and it did it the way it wanted to, even if that didn’t always make sense." ALSO: Scandal cast members got emotional on Twitter on the last day of filming.