105: Crash and Burn

Unpacking the Toolbox is a production of Shondaland Audio in partnership with Higheartradios.

Katie, I am so full and I'm so sorry.

Oh no, I love it.

My son's school this morning has something called the Feast, where every single parent brings in a dish, right, and then the kids all sit at long tables. I'm basically we go around and serve the children and they practice saying like yes please or no thank you?

Oh nice?

Okay, So the food is like all for the kids, and I was like, whatever, it's like eleven, am I fucking made a plate? You stuffing sweet potato pie, whipped cream, corn soufle a, green bean soufle a? Is it a sou fle corn? No?

No?

And one of the kids thought it would be delicious if the corn bread soufle thing had colored sprinkles. All yeah, I'll eat that too. I mean, what am I thinking? It is a Friday, We've got work to do, We've got a podcast to record. And I was like, well, I got that on lock. It was not bad, but I definitely feel very tight in my pants.

What did you make?

What did I lie to everybody?

You picked that ship up at Bristol Farms.

It is way too expensive. I ordered. I signed up well Fristle. Everyone just thinks we're gonna bring shabby pretzel Yeah, and we did that last year and Adam was like, I'm not bringing shabby pretzels. That's like hundreds and hundreds of dollars. Like, we're not doing that. And so I ordered all those caesar salad. My son loves caesar salads, and no one had signed her salads because salad's so dumb. But I picked up. I just literally got caesar salad mixing bags, dumped it into bullet.

But then I like.

What did you make? And I was like, well, I made the caesar salad, but I made the dressing from scratch, and I grew the lettuce in my yard. You're such a liar.

Oh my god. You know there are a bunch of Scandal fans and they're gonna be like that bitch live.

She'd be like, oh my god, that's the mom who has it all. She's got the Scandal rewatch podcast, she's got Katie's crib, she's an acting career, and she fucking grows lettuce and looks amazing. And I was like, and don't you fucking forget it?

Oh my god. But when they hear this podcast again.

Then I will I'm gonna come over my house for replate it, and they're gonna be like, where are your raised farmer's boxes in your yard when you cultivate a full garden? And I'm like, I don't. I don't know how to make a goddamn thing. Speaking of which, can we just talk about and then we should we'll do an intro, But can you tell all of our listeners what lunch you packed every day at Scandal for like a lot of time?

Yeah, yeah, yeah, I think we We mentioned it a little bit in one of the one of the episodes. It was I'm obsessed with canned beats, canned beats and green beans and I put I mean, I put like a can of each in you know, a tupperware thing, and then put oil and vinegar. And that's like I was having beats earlier today, Like this morning, I had breakfast and I had it.

Is your poop just like red?

No, because our toilets are black, you know what.

Toilet? What's going on?

I can so part of me is like am I dye? Like? Is there blood in the blood? I know I can. We got black toilets.

I mean see, like a black toilet is fucking like, I get it. A black toilet is there's something that feels naughty and sexy about it. I like it. But I also take I take a big responsibility in like taking a poop and then looking at it to see how I'm doing, Like have I had enough greens like.

You're supposed to? Yes to be.

In the olden days, there was like.

Poop the mater poop meter no yes.

Kings and ship In England, there was someone's job who the king would take a dumpch in the bidet next in their royal apartment or whatever, and then someone a doctor would check the duty and make sure that their digestion was Like.

Yeah as well, I bet they didn't have black toilets back then. They didn't have well, they didn't have anything that holes in the ground. Uns.

You were the king, I think you were pooping in like a like a like a rolling throne. So weird, I really think so a throne thing like a wooden throw. I can't believe you've never eating beets and pooped in a toilet to sea.

Yeah, my toilet paper isn't black. So that's you know, I'm stucking guys.

This is the greatest podcast episode anyone has ever been interested in. And it all started with beets. Giermo used to bring his salads and also talking about me not growing shit and not being great in the kitchen. Darby would make the most incredible salads. Yes, at Scandal with shit. She actually grew.

With cump quats. Was the first time that I was like, you could put cump quats in salad, and now I'm obsessed with cumpquats. But she grew all that stuff. Yeah, she grew kump quats.

She was unbelievable. And she would have like half a lemon in one of those lemon baggies that would you squeeze it it catches the seeds, yeah yeah. And then she would have like some cut up tofu and just like deliciousness. And I'm like, if I had Darby like cooking for me, I would eat like that all the time.

Oh hell yeah. And she loves it too. She's so good at it.

She's good at it, which is funny because I think we haven't gotten there yet. But when we get into the flashback episodes, when Abby you see her in the past when she was sort of like a Susie homemaker, like baking and stuff like that. Darby actually has a quality of that.

Oh.

Absolutely, she's a very good cook. She's a very good baker. She's very comfortable in a kitchen like I would be. That is not my thing.

During the pandemic, she did a bunch of videos of her teaching how to cut grapefruits up, like in different different ways, different creative ways to cut grapefruit. And it was the most mesmerizing thing I'd ever seen.

I was like mesmerizing. And her laugh breakdown videos, she's the most infectious.

I love her, Like when.

She's laughing and having like a mental breakdown thinking something so funny, I'm I.

Oh, it's the best.

You think it's because she's just so pretty. She's so beautiful.

That's that's part of it. But yeah, she's it's just so fun to watch her.

Yes, she's so magical. She's also red that has the most like she just looks like a unicorn talking about like people who we g and I have talked about on the podcast, like you can't hide from anywhere. I'm fine. I can't imagine walking through life as Darby with that fire engine. Yeah, she read.

Yeah, she's so good about going incognito though, you know what I mean because on a hat like as Yeah, like she's so good about it. She's so good.

About some very cool trench coat.

Yeah.

Today's episode of the Scandal Rewatch podcast we're talking about episode one oh five called Crash and Burn, which aired on April twenty six in twenty twelve. It was written by Mark Wilding and directed by Steve Robin Steve Robin. It was guest starring Brendon Hines as Gideon Wallace Bellamy Young his first lady, Melly Grant, Joshua Molina as David Rosen, Ram Beckel as Hank Tanner, and Darren Petty as Andrew Mackelson. Yes, up,

See, let's see what goes down.

Let me hear you do this, Okay, let's say synopsis. Olivia and her team helped defend the pilot of a commercial plane that crashed, killing all on board. When a Manda Tanner goes missing, Hawk must call upon his past to help find her fits ask the Vice president for help.

Very nice Yo, can I just say how special this episode is. I mean, there were so many emotions. I cried like a bunch of times watching this episode. And not only you know, because of the tragic stuff that happens in the episode and the things that the characters are going through and there's you know, the plane crash, and yes, but it was I was super emotional about it because it made me. It made me miss doing

God, what's such an ensemble? It almost play those that scene that opens this episode where we're all in Olivia's apartment and Amanda Tanner has been taken and every single one of us it's like music, Like you had said before on this podcast, like everyone's interjecting lines and we're all holding this ball up and keeping the scene going and like working together as a team, and you say, there's a guy watching you. Her trash was taken out,

It, That's how I would do it.

Yeah. I love hearing that. Gea, Like you watch these episodes and you're like, I mean, Huck has so much in this episode and we'll we'll get into that, but like I could see why you miss playing him, like he was so special.

Yeah, And you know, oftentimes, like you work on a project and you're like, fuck, I wish in the moment. I wish I was more in the moment and really enjoyed it we were doing because it was such a special like what do they say, lightning in a bottle? Like it so rare to have this experience. But for Scandal, I miss it, and I missed the people, and I

Yeah, I felt like we had such a gift like also knowing when it was the you know, Shonda let us know play in advance that it was ending, and I just feel like we all really got to like therapeutically like process. I felt like when it was over, we like, like you said, we just laid our head in the pillow and know that we all made the most and of this experience and didn't take it for granted.

And I didn't regret anything. I didn't regret not you know, not enjoying it or not.

Yeah, my god, me either. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, it was the fucking best.

Yeah.

So you know that she's gone missing. You know what's funny? Wow, I have a I feel like Roxanne Dawson was around in this episode.

I remember, I remember her. I feel like, well, we'll talk about it. But in the diner scene with Houck and Charlie, I remember Rocks and directing us in that scene. I don't remember Steve Robin. But then I remember Steve Robin directing me when I'm torturing Charlie weird, which is weird. I wonder if he wasn't a that which would happen sometimes.

Well, she was our producing director this season, so I don't know, but I remember coming on the plane crash. Harrison and Quinn are like walking down this like hill. We were at the Disney Ranch that day, like in Santa Clarita again, wearing fucking fall clothes, sweating ball sacks. Yes, and we come upon the set, which is so impressive. Like that's when I remember being like, my god, like

I don't remember, Katie, was that plane actually there was scgi'ed in? I couldn't remember, was there actually there? Wow? Yes, wow?

I think in my memory it.

Is right right right.

I think correct. I could be wrong, but like maybe at the Disney Ranch that's like in stock there.

Oh yeah yeah yeah yeah, kind of like at Universal Studios.

Yeah, like I think that might be like sets that are there. I have no idea. I have a memory of Roxanne saying to me and me being so upset, don't have your mouth a gape like that again when you come when you come upon the plane crash, because Quinn just does that all the time.

I love you when you had your mouth agape.

Thanks g Now I look back and I'm like, fuck, she was right. I should have taken that note. Quinn does that way too much and I need to grow up, Like yeah, but that's.

Her too, you know what I mean.

Yeah, I shouldn't have been doing it. I should have taken the note and I didn't, And I remember her giving me the note and me being like kind of upset and for once thinking like, first of all, I'd never been a series regular on the show before, so it had never occurred to me like, oh, like you should think about your character in relation to like all the other episodes and like the character you're building. I didn't. I was like from the Guest.

Star World like same.

I was like, oh, I just was treating each story like in it of itself, like I wasn't. Really I would never be like, oh, well, in the last episode, I had my mouth agate at Amanda Tanner's door, and then the first episode I had my mouth agate when I when Quinn was when Olivia was berating her on.

The prip her.

Now I'm like, shit, I had my mouth I Gabe way too much.

But also like, as an actor, you don't want to think about. You know what I mean. You're in the in the moment of the scene, so you're not you can't remember, you're not. I'm not thinking like, oh, I did this with my eyes in this scene, so I shouldn't do it in this one. And you know you shouldn't be thinking about that too much. But right, listen, you you felt like it was a thing. But watching the episode your mouth, you were like.

That's the full time Quinn has had a mouth.

The gate was very appropriate for me.

Well, thank you, since you are the best acting ever, I'll take that.

Yeah.

Then I wrote in my notes, we fucking meet Charlie.

Oh, yes, this is the introduction to Charlie. Yeah, like you see him.

Yes, you're eating the sandwich, which, by the way, do you remember that?

Listen, bitch, let me tell you something. I wrote a whole page on eating moments. It literally says eating moments, Katie. I'm not even kidding.

I wrote my first question, My first question is why huck Finn? Second question, what sandwich were you eating when you saw Charlie?

Don't get me started.

Do you remember what it was? I?

Yes, of course I do.

Okay, tell me about eating moments.

It was on Holy Toast and it was lettuce, tomato, and mustard, and it was a turkey sandwich. I'm pretty sure there was Swiss cheese on it as well. But the great thing about our props team was Jeff Props and George. I mean, we love them so much the best, but they when you would have an eating scene, they would go up to you the day before, or usually the day before a couple of days before that. They knew that scene was coming up, and they'd be like,

I was like, excuse me, dearmo you are it looked delicious.

And then for the Half Baked fans, I don't know if you can tell a little salute to Half Baked. They put Funnians on my plate, and Funnians is a big thing on Half Baked. When Kenny is going through the list of things and at the end someone says Funnians, don't forget the Funnians or some shit like that.

Did you on purpose pick Funians or did they just happen to put the Funians on there.

I remember us talking about it and saying how funny it would be if we put Funnians on the plate, because it was a little sort of wink to Half Baked.

Was George props or Jeff Props? Did they were? They like half Baked fans to know that.

Jeff was Yeah, but Jeff for sure, yeah, yeah, yeah, he's the best. But yes, And so eating is always you know, I think that certain actors are super scared or they're nervous when they have to eat in a scene, because you know, people don't want to eat and getting fat but well or Tony and Scott, I'm sure, but they never eat on the show. The only thing they ate was a Livia sorry, take that out.

No, keep it in, honey, keep it in.

But anyway, eating.

But then there are some actors who swear by it and think that it makes you the best actor ever. Like I think that I've heard for years that, like, if you go back into like all of Brad Pitt's performances, he's almost never doing an entrance without eating something. Really, he eats in most of the scenes. Yeah, because there are very few things that you can do as an actor where you can't fake it. You cannot fake eating eat you have to act.

People do it, but actors do it, and bad eating in a film or on a TV show is the worst. Fillmore girls, I love the show. The worst fucking eaters in the world. To go back and let's and Lauren Grandma, I love around And their coffee cups are like, you know, like there's nothing in them, Like it's the worst. They never take a bite. If they do. Oh, it's so any.

Actor is listening to this podcast. If you want to consider yourself legit, you gotta eat in the city because it also does make you a better actor. You can't fake well, you can fake eating, but you shouldn't smoking cigarettes.

Yeah, he can't fait, you can't face.

So like those are the moments where they're kind of like actor gifts. Also like acting with a baby, like you can't really really like you have to actually like be there because it truly is like you don't know what's going to happen. I remember my first like major family eating scene on this other show I was on my first series regular when I was twenty five. Laurie Metcalf, who's like everyone thinks she's an incredible actress, myself included.

Big bank where she's a great eater. They're always eating on that show, and she's.

An eater, and she's talking while she's eating, which is what Brad Pitt does too. He's talking with the full mouth he's talking with like wiping his mouth with the napkin. He's talking while he's taking SIPs of whatever drink is being served, and like that makes you good, I.

Think, Yeah, I agree.

Okay, So then you see Charlie, who was cast crazily when we see him for a blip while you're hacking to see that he was caught on a traffic cam. Yeah, it's the first time we're seeing this character, Charlie, who's played by fucking George Newborn, who's the dad from Father of the Bride.

Yeah, wait, he's the dad. He's the dad, or he's the groom. He's the groom, right, yeah, yeah, yeah, Now he's a dad. Now, he's a daddy.

Now he would get cast as the dad now, but at the time he was the groom.

Oh, George.

And he was also the boyfriend in Adventures and Babysiting.

Yes, yes, And George told me a story once I bet you were there that he was super close to getting the role of Marty McFly in Back to the Future.

Screen tested against Michael fucking Jazz, they flew him out. He was going to Northwestern at the time. He was a drama major. He was auditioning and the he flew him in and he screen tested against Michael J.

Fox. How amazing is that?

Can you imagine that?

Yeah?

I mean anyway, I just think the casting choice on.

That oh so good.

And he did not know, none of us knew. The writers are that that Charlie would be what Charlie became.

But I love that they cast against type, you know what I mean. They didn't cast like some sort of goon looking guy that you're like, oh, he's a bad guy, bad guy. It looks like the loveliest, like kindest, just a da next door. Yeah yeah, yeah, yeah.

Eighty sitcom dad you've ever seen in your light nineties Like he's just so like, I mean, he's from Arkansas? Is he go get a snack and we'll be right back.

Can I just say really quickly? I love in this scene is one of the first times, maybe it's this second or third time that we've seen it on in the first season, but that that Mike Huck's computer becomes the camera. So they would take away my computer, like this is us on set getting ready to shoot the scene, and they would put a camera right in dead in my face and I would have to look into the camera and pretend and that was so much fun. I love doing that.

They would call it Huck Cam.

It was called cam yeah, yeah, yeah yeah.

So then later on in post they would superimpose like the green like numbers and like computer typing letters going over Giirmo's face. But I had to be in Huck camp all the time too, like just kind of crouched down next to you, and we're both looking like dead into the camera as you're like fakely pretending to hit keys and Hucks.

I feel like we all loved being in Huck's office. It was such a special set, right, It was so unique and industrial and and just a lot of wires and growing things. He had fucking grow a grow house, the little grow house in the back. Yeah, towards like season three or four or something, they added that, like did they ever know?

I mean, I felt like there were all these fucking plants hanging where you were just like I know they weren't weed, but I used to be.

Like, this is on track, right, Yeah, Tuck's.

Little dark hydroponic Is that the word?

I think? So?

Yeah, because hydroponics sounds.

Right to me.

Then we see Harrison is everyone's trying to listen to this black box recording from the plane crash to figure out who is truly at fault for the plane crashing. Is it the pilot? You know, Darren Petty who who played the husband of the pilot so well, hires Olivia Pope to sort of represent the pilot of the plane that she was not at fault. And everyone's listening to the black box and we see Harrison doing like the most amazing like that. He's so musical and he's like

Yeah yeah, like that's so crazy.

Yeah why did she never visit? Set right between the whole thing of like listening to the black box over and over again, figuring it out, and then doesn't Harrison look at us. We're at the coffee station and he shouts like it wasn't the plane, It wasn't it, And his eyes are all red and you could tell you know, I feel like Harrison had red makeup put on his eyes, plus his eyes looked insane. It was like, yeah, he hadn't slept because he's just like listening and listening and

So good? So good? The yeah, yeah, the one that was hung over.

Yes, it was so good.

She played Carly Reston and her name her her actually actress's name is Amanda Fuller.

And did you fucking google?

I sure did, Katie, because because of what you were just saying, she's so good that I was like, we have to give this actor a shout out. Her name is Amanda Fuller, and she's yeah, she's been in a ton of stuff. She was in a Grayze episode. She played Britney Murphy. In a TV movie about Britney Murphy. Remember the amazing Brittany Murphy.

She fucking killed.

That, but that this actress fucking just brought it.

No, she was unbelievable. She's hysterical crying, she's funny at the top, just open the door and be like what And she has to go into this whole thing where she realized she just missed death.

Darby is so good in this scene too, because you could see how cold she is and she's like, she doesn't know how to deal with someone being emotional. So she pushes the tissue box forward, yes, and then she keeps crying and then she pushes it forward again, Like.

Oh my god, that's so classic.

Yeah, she's not comforting at all. Yeah.

Was that written in the stage directions? Or is that Darby just making genius acting choices.

I want to say it was Darby making genius acting choices.

I want to say that too.

So so good, Like she did not know how to comfort this what the character did not know how to comfort someone that's breaking down like that? It was just so fun to watch to watch her work.

We're back in the OPA office, comes in and says and screams Amanda Tanner is dead.

Oh god, I remember getting chills doing that scene. Oh, that was one of my favorite. You know how you have scenes that it just feels so good to do and they stick with you. I just remember that moment.

What were our lines leading up to it? We were all like, I just remember, we're running around in a fury, and lady is giving up fucking orders, like you go this, and you go this, and you go this and and and then you're just like you yell, which Huck never does.

Yeah, everyone's caught up because I don't know if we mentioned it, but a plane and a plane crashes in the episode and it kills one hundred and twenty people. And then Olivia now represents the pilot's union and she expects the airline is gonna blame Laurie the pilot, which they do.

I thought we were all like running around talking about like how to find Amanda or something, and then you just come to Amanda Tanner's dead.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, it was. It was. It was something like that.

Yeah, you record, stop the whole scene and Olivia looks at you.

And she's like, are you sure. I just shake my head yes.

And then oh and then that's my favorite fucking Carry Washington moment acting.

I wrote that.

Yeah, have the same days. When she marches out to the street to the Dan that's been fucking watching it, She's like, roll down your fucking window and she bailed on the windshield. Tell your guy that I know, I know.

Yeah, talk into your little microphone and your brants and you tell him that I know. Yeah.

When I see her do that scene, I feel like she is summoning her bronx, her like roots, like her bronx, Like this is how I talk to someone when I am like in my most power and I'm so pissed and I've been so wrunk as it's remarkable. And then she turns away from screaming at the two dudes in This is Dan, and the whole shot goes into slow mo.

And she she like rubs her arms, yes, which is so just that little moments.

Oh god, oh my god, It's unfucking believable. So we know she's dead, which is horrible and stupid. Ass. Quinn Pergin, Yeah, makes a promise, finds Amanda Tanner's dad, brings him to the office and said everything is going to be okay, I promise to which Olivia is like, Quinn, can I speak to you for a minute at the coffee station?

At the coffee station and.

Then I'm like yeah, what and she's like, we don't make promises. Yeah ever, and I'm like what are you talking about? And she's like, Amanda Tanner is dead? And I'm like, what did see? I was not mouth agape there. I gave you other options.

Nope, just real quickly. In this scene, we are introduced to uh to Hank Tanner. Hank Tanner, who is Amanda Tanner's dad, and it's played by Graham Beckel. Now let me tell you something. I went down a rabbit hole googling Homeboy because I was like, I do that with all the co stars because it's so fun to see what they've been in. So Graham Beckele was in fucking

Wow, I would have never known that.

How great is he in this episode? Like he's.

He's that heartbreaking, heartbreaking and what a hard yes, like let's come in, let's meet you, and let's have you be here on the worst day of your character's life, like raw, yes, seeing your daughter's fucking body Like this guy is he's just so vulnerable in this episode and he's so sad and to see this like grown masculine ass man like breaking down. He's he was again perfect fucking casting.

We'll get and we I was wondering, we'll get to it, but this episode, like you, I don't even have to say.

It, right, Oh, I remember it forever forever you and I I go yet.

I think that's why I cried so much watching the episode, because I was remembering that and oh it was just such a yeah, but we'll get to it.

Oh my god, Girma and I have well, you have to get there. We're gonna get to that scene really soon.

Yeah.

Okay, okay, okay, Olivia calls Fits, he didn't know, he didn't know that she's dead. Yes, they do like a split screen down the center with like you know where they split the screen in two and there's like a black bar between their phone call. And Olivia is the first person to tell Fits that Amanda Tanner is dead, and he's like, come, look me in the eye. You know I'm telling the truth. It's not something I would ever fucking do. And she says, yeah, but you let

Yeah, she said, he's a he's a pit bull. You let your you let your dog off the leash. Yeah. Oh it's such a great scene.

Yeah, it is such a fucking great scene.

I wrote, I wrote come on split screen in my notes, and then I wrote very Brian de Palma, because Brian de Palma does that a lot in his movies. He does split screen. Yeah, oh, such a powerful scene. Yeah.

Then I wrote, they do right by the pilot and they have an alibi that she wasn't drinking. Then we go into Olivia asks, oh, this was my title? Whoa g acting.

Whoa oh Man.

Which is basically for the scene where Olivia comes into your office and says, I need you to help me find the body. Yeah, and if you need me to come get you, you know, just call or something like that, and we're like, what what is this? What is happening?

These scenes with a Huck in Olivia were always so so special because there was just that unspoken like action with those two right. The room was so full of emotions and like just stuff when we would do those scenes, and it was so easy to play, but it was exhilarating to play these scenes with Carrie. It was so

But it's true they asked of you, Like what they asked of you was so fucking wild, and you went there so beautifully and I wrote, I wrote WHOA Gee's acting WHOA in that scene?

Not to get too deep, but a person like a person that's been through a lot of shit. I mean, we've all been through a lot of shit. But this is like a gift to be able to to, you know, slice yourself. Sally Field said this once in an interview. They were like, how do you prepare for those emotional scenes? And she said, I start symbolically sort of slicing myself open emotionally and opening up all those old wounds and

You can like go there and you feel like you're not allowed to do that in your day to day life. So to like get to be able, you know, some people would like scream at a steering wheel or like sob cry in a shower. Yeah, and most people probably don't even let themselves do that. And then it's so awesome when you're an actor that you get to just

It was also exciting and not knowing what was going to happen when I was doing the scene, like emotionally, do you know what I mean? That was so exciting to be like, this is so fucked up. I don't know exactly what's gonna happen, if I'm gonna cry or whatever, what I'm going to feel and.

Do anyway, Okay, Then I wrote, oh my god, he has Charlie on the tarp. Yes, red tool Huck gets his red toolbox, but eight thousand xlimation points and I wrote red toolbox multiple times.

This is the first time we see the toolbox, which is so funny because our podcast is called yeah, Unpacking the Toolbox.

Yes, Unpacking the toolbox. Baby, did you ever know that this was going to be his thing?

No? Not at all, not at all. I knew when we you know, when we got the episode at the table reader the day before or whatever. But before that, no, I had no idea. But again, I freaking loved it. I was like, God, he's gonna fucking torture someone with all these tools in his toolbox.

How did you make George Newborn feel safe? Because I didn't know him very well, but I remember him being like, I can't believe I'm doing this job. I have one scene, you know where I have like talking with Germo Diaz in a diner and then I'm like naked. He was like in a duct tape underwear on a tarp where I just have to scream a lot. And I was like, yeah, Like, I don't know for like an older dude who has a very successful career, like, I don't know what you

I think we were both nervous. I was super nervous, but an excited nervous, you know what I mean, because the scene was so good. But I think thing with me and George, we as people and as the characters, we clicked right away, like it felt right, you know how sometimes that happens on a movie or a TV show where you're like, oh, this just and and I think that was the case with all the regulars on Scandal. Something about this cast just it was just right. It

You well, the three of us two were together a lot over the seven years.

Yea.

And you what's so funny about you two seeing you do these scenes with him? You're both two of the funniest dudes, I know, two of the most sweetest in your hearts like people, I know, like like really genuinely like want good things for people. And then to just watch this episode and see him fucking screaming his head off while you're doing yeah for buying fucking things to him, like I can't.

He's drilling holes into him.

Yeah, it's horrible. Is that what you were doing. It was drilling holes.

Yeah, yeah, he's he's drilling holes in his body.

Yeah, Oh my god, are you fucking kidding me? That's disgusting all because he won't tell you where the Amanitanna body.

Yes, I'm just asking where her body is and he won't tell me. But look in my notes, I wrote to film this was frightening, exhilarating, anxiety inducing. I also wrote it felt like it felt like an orgasm. I was in a trance doing doing the scene shit, And then I wrote, if it's like chanting, you know when you chant and you just get in the sort of trance seeing the words that Sean Shonda wrote and that the Scandal writers wrote, feels like chanting because it's again,

Yeah, that aha moment or whatever. That like you're in the flow, Like you're in that human heightened high vibrational flow where you're like, yes, there is no time, there is no then or future. You're just like really heightened connective tissue right then and there. But I think that makes a lot of sense, the transpart, because I do think sometimes, Huck, the way you'll you sound when you're like doing some of those scenes is you're like it

First, all yes, yes.

All in the White House he's trying to pass the Dream Act, which is similar to like dhaka, isn't.

It Yes, yes, yes, yes, yeah yeah.

Fits wants and knows that this is the right thing to do to be passed, and Sally Langston is holding up all the votes and not letting it happen, and Fitz has the most like amazing monologue to her about like hah yeah, yeah, fuck you, you're gonna put the Dream Act through? Yes, And Sally Langston is so wonderful and fans must have gone so crazy because that's Merit Gray's mom from Grey's Anatomy.

Yes, Kate, well, listen, can we talk about Kate Burton. What a fucking dope person she is? She is like, oh so lovely, so kind, so loving, the nicest freaking person. And I love seeing really kind, like nice, genuinely happy people play these asshole characters. She does it so so well. Also, Kate Burton, which again I went on a googling thing and I knew this already, But Kate Burton is the daughter of Richard Burton, who used to be married to

And I just think it was amazing that on Scandal we had our president and vice president were Hollywood royalty, because we had Tony Goldwyn of Goldwyn Metro Mayer and his whole dynasty of like MGM. And then we had Sally Langston played by Kate Burton, who's Richard Burton's daughter. Like we had like two Hollywood lineage of like I mean, they have debt, their their their Hollywood royalty.

It's in their blood.

Yeah, their blood. It's why they can walk around and sort of be like I'm the president and I'm vice president or whatever. But my god, Sally Langston again, in this episode, you get your first glims at Sally Langston. You get your first glims at Charlie. Two people who were with us till the end, yes, and who were in countless eight billion episodes and were such genuses on the show.

Yes.

And then we pull I remember this like it was yesterday, We pull Amanda Tanner out of the Potomac.

Yes, I remem we shot it in Long Beach. Do you remember that? Wasn't it Long Beach?

We shot it in Long Beach and I was so nervous because Scandal ABC or something was like making me go around at the same time and like interviewing you people.

I remember that and we were pissed. You were kind of pissed because it's such an emotional, you know.

Scene, and like, yeah, I was like, oh my god, I'm watching Amanda Tanner being pulled out of the Potomac and instead I'm going around. They've asked me to go around with my cell phone and being like, what do you like about Scandal? And like, obviously that shit is important because the show was in no way shape form a hit in season one and we were doing whatever we could on the social media fucking channels to get anyone to watch our show.

I feel like that was the hardest thing on the show, was navigating doing press stuff and being able to stay focused on our work on the show, you know what I mean, because that would get thrown at us all the time, where it was like they would come on set and we have to do epks, which is a electronic press kit and you do all these interviews, but that would happen all the time.

But navigating that my first day, I remember it like, oh my god, Manda Tanner's being pulled out. We're all so upset. We didn't even know death was like a thing on the show. Really yeah, And I'm going around being like, can you tell us what you think about sill? And I'm like, oh my god, this is I actually have the video still in my phone and when we put out this episode, I'm gonna put that on so everyone can know what we're talking about.

Oh hell yeah.

And then we go to the morgue.

Oh man, Katie and that is me.

Me and Gearmo were like best friends for life.

After that we bonded. I feel like that was our first like bonding moment where we truly bonded as as you know, as Katie and Ghirmo. Like, I don't know what the fuck happened. Maybe it was because we were shooting the scene where you know, Amanda's dad is at the morgue and he has to identify her body, and it was already a super emotional, like somber ominous sort of feeling on set, and and somehow like what do you remember.

We talked about this on previous episodes, where like sometimes the tears are there and sometimes they're not, And this was one of these days where for some reason, like in the universe. Giermo and I were just like a well of emotion and tears and feelings. And we were standing at that window looking into the morgue at Amanda's body and I couldn't stop crying, and I and I'm just feeling the feelings of the show. And I had lost I was kept you know, things kept coming into

I remember you telling me that story.

Yeah, instead of running away from it, I was really singing into it, and I was really emotional. And it was one of these days where it's like we had the opportunity to really just like feel it and gear moment you use it, yeah right there with me. Yeah.

I remember me and you stepping like away from everyone. We were in the back of the set and we were talking about all this stuff and we couldn't stop crying. And I remember you telling me now that you guys all, I don't know if you still.

Do it go on a hip every year every year on her death. Yeah, every year on her death.

That day sticks so strongly in my memory, and it's so special. I do like, I've never had an experience like that with with someone. It was so special, It was so Katie and I wrote down no tearstick here. From what we talked about, we didn't need that. See, yeah, sometimes you need that tears.

We didn't need that mental blow. We didn't need it. We had tears for fucking days.

We'll be back soon, guys.

Oh, this part really quick. Olivia goes to touch Hawk at that same scene and you like quickly jerk yourself away, and we realize.

That recoil away. Yeah, that it has.

Taken a toll. It has you. You getting Charlie on the tarp took its toll. Yeah, I wrote, Amanda dead, were crying. We were crying so much when we shot that. Do you remember, Gearmo wrote.

I wrote, do you remember Katie? Oh my god, look, I said, I wrote, look Katie, exclamation point. Remember our special emotional time while filming at the Coroners. We couldn't stop crying. We truly bonded in this episode. No tearstick here, Oh my god?

Crazy Okay, Then Darren Petty crying for his wife. Finally they get to the bottom of it that like it was this poorror fucking lady's fault about the plane. She made it to her daughter's recital and she.

Decided to just duplicate them.

When the plane was broken and she sends it up the ladder and the plane was broken, but it was her fault for not filing it correctly. And she's there there, underpaid and overworked and normally her job used to be two people's jobs and she's amazing in that scene.

Can we just give a shout out to Leonora May is the actress who played that role. My god, yes, oh yes, I am going to make out with you again.

Okay must be known as the Scandal rewatch podcast where every fucking actor gets their fucking.

Sho fucking yes, Leonora May amazing in this.

Role and their respect. Lenora May was in and she was in.

An episode of Little House on the Prairie, which is one of my favorite shows ever that Brad Yukobean freaking worked on. Did you know this?

I didn't know. Brad Brad, who was one of our producers of Scandal, was one of the producers on Little House on a Prairie.

Yes, yes, he worked on Little House. Yep, but she did an episode. She did an episode of Gray's Lenora May. She's a very accomplished actor, and she was just wonderful in this fucking scene.

Yeah, she fucking demolished.

And also Harrison's Columbus reaction to her it was so great, so good, so real, so oh so organic, so so good.

It was so good. So we find that out, and Olivia's like, you know, lets the record be known that she was not drunk. She was an amazing pilot. The airplane says that they're at fall. Darren Petty, the actor who plays Andrew Mackelson, gets you know, his sort of do of like wiping his wife's name clean. Yes, and then the quick wrap up of the end of the episode is Tony calls in hallan Tom's so good, the two fucking amazing secret Service agents, and he's like, what do I need to do to get out of here?

No, I looked it up yesterday. I was like, which one is forty three?

Then it cuts to Quinn goes to Gideon's apartment. He owns up the door, She's crying in his arms, and where is Tony going.

To Olivia's apartment? Right?

Olivia's apartment and she's on the phone with Stephen as she opens the door. And he did fuck the lady in the morgue and did cheat on whatever her.

Name, Georgia, Georgia, yeah, Georgia.

And he says it's Amanda was pregnant, but it was not Fitz's baby.

And right there, Olivia opens the door and Tony's standing right there. So good, it's so good.

I mean, the episode is a banger, but this talk really quickly.

The moment with you and Gideon at the door, that was such a beautiful scene, Katie. Oh, you were so so good, Like all those emotions that you had throughout the episode that the audience has, like it was released through you in that scene and it was so good. I got it today.

Actually, I don't remember if I used a tearstick for that scene or not. I can't remember.

It doesn't matter because it was so good, and Gideon was so good.

He was really good, and I, you know, all I was thinking about was like, oh, fuck, here's where we go into the grilled cheese sex scene, which we're gonna get you in next episode.

Katie, I'm feeling like we should get into.

Tweet tet twetwe twet twet twet, tweet, tweet tweet.

Tweet, tweet, tweet, tweel the top tweetweeteetwo tweet.

Is there any Scandal tweets of the time that we should read that we feel like are hilarious? Need to be mentioned? This is great? Tiffany Carter at tiff d car Tom on April twenty eighth, twenty twelve, wrote fact Kerrie Washington first African American lead actress and network show since sixties. Wow major true ps hashtag major fashion on Scandal ABC. Yeah, guys, that shit was true. She at the time, Carrie was the first African American leading lady of a network drama in thirty seven years.

Wow.

The last drama was in nineteen sixty eight and it was Julia played by Diane Carroll. But like since Diane Carroll that had there had not been an African American leading lady of a drama in thirty seven years. How insane is that?

And that it was successful and that the show lasted so long. You know, it's such a such a wonderful thing.

It had to be successful. I mean the problem because sliding Doors. Had Scandal not been successful, there would have never been another black leading lady again, like for a long time, you know what I mean. They would have been like, well, clearly that didn't work, so we're not going to take that risk again, whoever the they is. But thank god everyone is amazing and watched the show because then after Carrie, it was like it opened up so many doors to like there being all different looking

Show, right, Jersey Fame, that's it. She says, Oh my god, Scandal ABC was straight crazy. Kerry Washington, you better act, you better act boo hashtag scandal.

Uh heck yeah, Lego, What the hell does that mean? Franklin, Oh, Lego, I'm an idiot, but you learn something new every day.

I think I think it's like that, right, I think it's like let's go or something like that.

Yeah, they wrote s B. Franklin wrote at Scandal ABC, uh heck yeah, leg go hashtag scan I'm ready to gladiate or whatever, which was Quinn's line hashtag Scandal quotes. L dave Net wrote, replying to Josh Molina, Josh Molina, you, sir, are the glue that holds Scandal ABC together. Also, you've left sticky fingerprints all over my TV. Please stop. Yeah, the person are they friends?

I don't know what you mean. Like when he put peanut butter on on Porsche de Rossies like car handle.

But fucking whipped cream and shaving cream all over my trailer doors, all over my car doors. Oh yeah, he put that shit over my car or handles.

We have to do a whole episode of the ship that Josh pulled. Josh, Yeah he did. What do you say well, he called me, changed his voice and left me a message on my voicemail saying he was a New York City police detective and that I was in big trouble. And Katie that whole day me being so anxious, I was an emotional mask because I was like, Oh my god, what have I done?

Molina got a voice changer on his phone that he could leave voicemails, and it didn't sound like him. He like me a voicemail that said, we've got your phone number and we heard some scoop on Scandal about someone's behavior. You need to call it back immediately. And I was shitting bricks because I was like, how did a reporter get my cell phone number?

Like, and I've never been on a show that's successful, and I don't know what to say, and am I supposed to call my back?

And I don't even have a publicist. We're gonna do when we have josh On, We're gonna go real hard.

We're gonna talk about all this stuff.

Hell yeah, praanking he did. Those are some tweets at the time. This has been such an amazing episode of Scandal Rewatch podcast because it ended up with tears and praise and Garmo Diez just doing the most incredible dramaturgical researcher work on every guest star on the Scandal show. And they are so appreciative, and I am so appreciative of the work you've done.

Oh please, oh my god, this is again. I can't I can't imagine doing this with anyone else but you, like, it's truly a gift that we get to do this.

You guys, please tell your friends that this is a fucking laugh. You feel all the feelings, all the Gladiators. You have a place to come now, Like Gladiators, where have you been? You've been up to listen to this podcast. Tell all your Gladiator friends rewatch the show. Next week we are going to be talking about episode one oh six, the Trail, which is literally one of the most famous Scandal episodes of all time.

Gus so good, so so good.

Make sure you subscribe. Tell your friends episode one o six the Trail is coming. And thank you so much for listening Yeah to the Scandal. We watch podcasts.

Thank you, Gladiators. We love you guys.

We love you guys so much.

Thank you guys for joining us on Unpacking the Toolbox. If you enjoyed the show, please subscribe, share with your friends, rate, or leave us a review.

Scandal is executive produced by Sandy Bailey, Alex Alcea, Lauren Homan, Tyler Klang, and Gabrielle Collins. Our producer and editor is Vince de Johnny, with music by Chad Fisher.

Scandal is a production of eight Signature and you can follow along by rewatching Scandal on Hulu.

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