Welcome!

Hello, everyone!  Welcoming all existing and new Gladiators!

I have to admit that I didn't start watching Scandal in real time.  The promos didn't entice me enough to do so.  That coupled with the facts that Grey's Anatomy hasn't been GENIUS since the first two seasons (I still watch it) and that the saga of Addison's love life was too dramatic made me hesitant.  I love Shonda Rhimes and think that when she doesn't let the audience dictate what she writes, she writes brilliantly (ghost sex aside).  I think she's bold (at least at the beginning of her shows) and I love that she loves TV characters (wait, they're not real?!?!?!) that are FLAWED.  Her characters are always human, always flawed, and live in a town called Shades of Grey (no, not with the erotica books, and yes, maybe a pun on Meredith Grey, I'm not a huge pun person, cut me some slack).

At times, I can be a huge procrastinator.  When that happens, I give TV shows that I'm vaguely interested a try and if I like them enough, most of the time I watch all of the episodes in just a few days.  I'm happy to say that Scandal was one of these instances.  The first few episodes were interesting enough for me to keep watching but I wasn't HOOKEDOBSESSEDOVERACLIFF until 1.06 "The Trail."  I saw that episode (more than a few times) and was just like "Damn...I need to know what happens with these two characters."

I started following the cast on Twitter and was amazed by how involved they were with their fans.  I think the live tweeting on Thursday nights (for both coasts, how sweet!) is AWESOME.  I love how Shonda and Betsy (yeah, we're on first name basises (bases?), WHAT?) talk about how they're the nicest cast ever and love each other.  I love how sweet Katie Lowes seems to be, how Darby Stanchfield embraces how nobody likes Abby (myself included), how Oprah started watching Scandal BECAUSE OF THE TWITTER HYPE, how Josh Malina isn't afraid to make controversional jokes, how Columbus Short admits that he almost turned down the best job ever because he didn't want to do TV, how now I couldn't care less that Tony Goldwyn had Patrick Swayze killed in Ghost, how I loved Kerry Washington back in Save the Last Dance and she's now finally getting her due as an actress, etc., etc., etc.  Oh yeah, and have I mentioned that I love #Olitz?

I created a Twitter account (@scandalUS), a Google account (scandalUS1@gmail.com) and now this blog because what I love the most about Scandal is the community it's created.  I love that there are other Gladiators who are insomniacs and who discuss Scandal with me during ungodly hours, who blog and tweet when they probably shouldn't at work, who are live tweeting episodes during the week and then staying up until the early hours of the morning discussing, who laugh yet understand when I tweet about having bought a NAVY sweatshirt, who bond with complete strangers, who are just as crazy as me about this TV show.  I love it.  Tweet me, email me, comment here and know that I will read every single one.  If you want to talk about the show (or why you love it or why I love it) know that you will always have a friend in me (oh heyyyy Randy Newman, <3 you, Toy Story trilogy).

Through the process of this social networking and finally getting my Scandal thoughts out there, even if just a stream of conscioussness, I will discover new reasons as to why I love Scandal.  Right now I can say that I love Scandal and its characters and am obsessed and relate to Olivia because I love like Fitz and Olivia.  Making someone else happy makes me happy, putting someone else first is just a given, hurting someone else like hell happens when you care about someone else that much.  I like to help fix people (and myself).  I used to believe that everything could be fixed one way or another but now I'm not so sure.  I believe in innocent, all-consuming, makes you want to die half the time, makes you want to cry, makes you the happiest you've ever been half the time, can't imagine yourself with anyone else love.  I believe in the pain that comes with it.  I believe that love with no boundaries exists.  I know what it's like to always have someone in the back of your mind.  To not be able to sleep, not be able to eat, to have no objectivity because you're so consumed by something that seems like it's the most important thing in the world at the time but in reality it's extremely minor.  And repeat.

I look forward to discussing Scandal with anyone and everyone who is willing.  Most importantly, I look forward to learning from each other.  I'm a big believer in the idea that you can learn something from everyone.  Well?  Let's get to it!