Everyone secretly loves star-crossed lovers, or a “Will they or won’t they?” dynamic. The undeniable push and pull and uncertainty does have a certain level of draw to it. Which is likely why viewers and lovers of Shondaland’sScandal have always had eyes for Olivia Pope and Fitzgerald Grant, played by Kerry Washington and Tony Goldwyn, respectively. The fictional pairing is so beloved they were ranked by Harper’s Bazaar as the number one TV couple with the “Best Onscreen Chemistry.”
Oliva and Fitz, affectionately known as “Olitz” by fans, definitely do not always behave…well…good. There is corruption, there is infidelity, there are fictitious war crimes, and yet, viewers could not help but root for them. ScreenRant ranked them the best couple of the series overall saying, “While timing may never have been their strong suit, from the moment Fitz and Olivia first met, it was clear that there would never, ever really be anyone else for either of them.”
Development for Scandal started in early 2011 by Shonda Rhimes, loosely based on Judy Smith, the press aide for President George H. W. Bush. Judy Smith would also serve as a co-executive producer on the show. Washington beat out actresses Gabrielle Union and Taraji P. Henson for the role of Olivia Pope, and was the first Black woman to headline a US network television drama series in nearly 40 years upon her casting. Goldwyn was cast as President Fitzgerald Grant shortly after.
Scandalis a political thriller and gripping drama that follows Olivia Pope, a former White House Communications Director who runs a Washington, D.C. crisis management firm called Olivia Pope & Associates. Alongside her fiercely loyal team of misfits and other political sharks, she protects the secrets and reputations of the United States’ elite while navigating a highly emotional, at times volatile, forbidden love affair with the President, Fitzgerald Grant.
Scandal ran from 2012 to 2018 on ABC and was extremely popular among viewers. Scandal was also very popular on social media, with Nielsen Social ranking it as the most popular with Twitter users at the time. The series won two Primetime Emmy Awards, two TV Guide Awards, and a Peabody, among other accolades.
All of that being said, the thing most fans took away from Scandal was the magnetism between Olivia and Fitz. A couple who stays with you, long after the credits have rolled and the finale has played.
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