If you don’t follow me on Facebook or you aren’t a real-life friend, you may have wondered where I went? What happened? Did I drop off the face of the earth this summer? No. Summer has been fun and busy…and fun. However, my free time has been dedicated {I’m ashamed to say} to watching Scandal. Here are my observations. The first set will NOT spoil anything from the show. Even after one episode, you can probably relate… I’ll warn you when to stop reading if you have not caught up yet and finished Season 3.

• I apparently {very easily} succumb to peer pressure. This all started because a group of my pool mom friends watch Scandal. And every day at swim team practice I’d be asked again, “Do you watch Scandal?” Followed by, “You have to start watching!” And once they decided to make it a social gathering this fall for Season 4, I just couldn’t be left out.
• I’m apparently a bad influence on others. And many of my friends succumb to peer pressure. See above. I’m now responsible for at least 3-4 people starting this show recently. Husbands, children and co-workers, I’m sorry. You will be neglected by the Scandal-watcher for weeks until the person is caught up. It’s an addiction.
• I didn’t realize how easy it was to sit with headphones on and ignore your children. I was complaining that we only had Netflix on one TV and time was limited. But then another mom said she just watched it on the Netflix app on her iPad with headphones…well, that sealed the deal for me. I may have bitched and moaned about rainy, cool summer days before…but now? NOW it meant the kids could watch a movie and I could sit and watch Scandal with my headphones.
• Netflix is super addicting. And Scandal cliffhangers don’t help. You are so very tired, it’s late, and the show only has 5 more minutes. You are so close to bed. And then BAM! A shocking ending. A WTF? The credits role and suddenly (on the app) the screen is counting down to the next episode. In 3, 2, 1…you just have to watch the beginning to see what happens next. And then your hours of sleep dwindle again because you are hooked on the next episode and the cycle continues.
• Netflix is bad for your health. I have heard that binge-watching TV is proven to be bad for you. Yep, I agree. The past two weeks have killed my health. I’ve skipped exercise classes, stayed up way too late, lessened communication, etc. all to watch and see if Liv and the Pres were on or off-again.
• I can almost hear the music start BEFORE it really happens when Liv and the Pres are on the phone. I don’t believe it’s played in any other scenes.
• Never in my life have I seen wine glasses with such long stems.
• And I thought I really liked red wine. But WOW, Liv really likes wine. Have you ever chugged a glass (and every episode) like that?
• In fact, the characters are always drinking. And I’ve yet to see it be anything other than alcohol or coffee. And food is a very rare occurrence.
• I will always love Scott Foley. He had me at Felicity.
• I cannot see Huck in any episode without waiting for him to call someone “Blanca”.
• Abby and Quinn got all-dolled-up after Season 1. Did they replace the original hair/makeup person?

OK – If you have NOT completed Season 3. Read no further.

I loved Season 1. And even Season 2. But Season 3? Really? Shit got weird. As in, has-the-show-jumped-the-shark type of weird. Too many coincidences. Too many people inter-twined together. Too many lies and back-stabbing. Too many murderers. Too many dead relatives. Too much B-613. I liked the episodes that were centered around “normal” {yes, that’s a stretch} problems that needed fixed. The re-election focus was boring to me. And the everyone sleeping with everyone and everyone murdering everyone was blah. The torture got a little gruesome. And who chews off their own wrists?!?! Yuck.

But I plowed through. I finished it. I didn’t HATE it. And I will continue to watch it. Refer back to bullet point #1. It all comes down to the fact that I don’t like to be left out of social circles. So Scandal wins! For fall mid-week mommy time. And I’m still rooting for Vermont – mayor and jam and all.

What do you love/hate about Scandal?

What other shows do you look forward to returning this fall?

Do you binge-watch on Netflix? What?