219: Seven Fifty-Two w/ Allison Liddi-Brown

This episode was recorded prior to the SAG after strike.

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

Is the stand watch.

Yazi Katie.

This episode today is literally, ugh, most people's when I look up Scandal, this one is. If it's not everyone's number one favorite, it's a close second to the Trail. It's one or the other. This is my personal favorite episode that Scandal ever made. Same it is is so special, it is so beautiful. It should have been nominated and won every single award that television can provide. Gama Diez's work, and it is so stupid. It's so stupid what you did in this fucking show, you dumb.

Listen everyone though, everyone, Oh, all the gladiators talking to Huck while he's going through his you knowugh, his his you know, reciting those numbers that are so significant, Like you guys' work was so so beautiful it was.

It's such an episode will stand the test of time, because my god, it is like one of the best episodes of television. And we had to bring on a guest today that I have not seen in a very long time.

No I since she directed us the last episode she directed us. I mean she did a few after this episode and that's the last time I saw her.

And we had to bring her on as a special special guest because this episode she was one of the I guess, integral parts to making the episode as special as it could have been. This episode was such a collaboration between Giermo and Hawk and the writer and this fucking amazing.

Director director who is fun as fuck. Also, like she's such a down girl, like fuck h just happy, like just brought joy to the set every single day, even with this you know, the subject matter in this episode, which is is super downer, but she was just a light man and she she guided us through this heavy shit man, especially me. I was like I was a mess shooting this episode. I mean a literal a mess.

I can't even imagine the depths of despair and the places in your brain and heart that you had to go to to shoot this episode.

Yeah, today's guest is the.

One and only Lady Brown. She directed the episode IDLED seven fifty two, which is episode two nineteen, and I we are forever in her debt because again, like she just led us and we had no time. We got this script at like in the later part of the afternoon. I sort of vaguely remember, and we were literally on set at six o'clock in the morning already making.

Oh, starting to share this out.

Yeah, so I don't know what her prep time was. I can't wait to ask her here, Mo, Like, you didn't know leading into seven to fifty two that this was coming down the pike for you, did you know?

Not at all? There was like rumblings, like writers would be like, Oh, there's something really good coming up for you. There's there's a really good script coming up. So that's that was the extent of what I knew about this episode. And I do remember we had that table read, remember, and it was such an emotional table reader. Yes, it wasn't a court room.

It was so sometimes listeners.

Normally we would always do the Scandal table reads in a big like conference room on the stages on Sunset Gower, which is the lot we shot on for all seven seasons. But once in a while we would be shooting an episode that, like on table read day, we wouldn't be at the stages, and this was one of those where we were actually shooting in a courtroom for whatever happened in episode two eighteen.

That I can't remember anymore.

I can't remember.

And so they set up the table read where we were in this sort of like ominous, huge courtroom that you could was it also on a sound stage somewhere.

I believe, so yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, I think it was too Yeah. And they set up a big table. Yeah.

That room was just like completely it was almost like sacred or something.

Yeah, it felt like we all went to church or some shit.

Yes, yes, like.

It felt spiritual. The room felt changed.

We all felt changed at the table read of this episode.

I think we all knew. You could feel how special the episode was and how different from all the others it was palpable.

Yeah.

I remember having a hard time having a hard time getting through reading the lines because I was getting emotional as I was reading it, and I had never read it before, you know what I mean? Who And then as an actor, you're like, I gotta fucking learn, like monologue after monologue and.

Like really go there there.

Yeah.

Oh, by the way, I was thinking, we should not have Alison Liddy Brown unless you want to read the synopsis and scandal pace. Maybe she should give us a directing note.

Right Ooh, I like that Katie.

But I haven't seen her in one hundred years.

Like, I don't know what the last episode she directed of Scandal was, but she directed a bunch. She was a real fan favorite amongst the crew, amongst the cast, amongst the writers. She just got it. She's got a fucking cool vibe. The crew loves her. She's great at giving direction to actors, and she's just like a one of a kind. I think she directs it at Gray's Anatomy. Still, I have no idea. We'll have to ask her when she comes on because it's been forever.

I think he might have done Station nineteen.

Also, oh, maybe she did Station nineteen.

Oh.

She's a gem, man, She's a gem. Like you said, she's one of those directors that they just kept asking back. Yeah, because everyone loved her so much.

The question is, when you watch this episode back, are you proud of your work?

Oh? My god, so so proud. And I texted Katie last night or I video messaged her saying hey, and I was sobbing. Mike was in the living room and he he was like really and he left the room like he was so mad because he was crying he was like, really, I can't do this right now, like it's eight in the morning.

I was like, it was a hysterical cry.

Yes, we both were, Yeah, yeah, it's we both were.

It's the most painful fucking episode for those you listening, Like when Huck goes into the hole and they are forcing you over and over again do you have a wife and family and you're like no, yes, yes, yes, until they beat it out of him and he's been in the hole for a million months, until he finally says, no.

It is. It is the worst. It is fucking worst.

And the Wig progression brilliant, brilliant. Really, the Wig and Beard progression.

Is just go down into a real hole. What did they make? What was that constructed out of? Did they in the ground? What the fuck was that?

What is the lot in Burbank? Like here where Ellen shoots. There was like sound stages there and we shot there.

Yeah, and it was like a there's a hole there, there's a hole.

Yeah, there's a hole there, y'all.

I've I never did anything surrounding or in the hole, so I have no clue what we're talking about.

Now. What I heard that ain't what I heard.

Katie I've never been around it.

It was like to a two level thing, so they could shoot from above obviously when you see me down in the hole and then there were no walls around the hole. I was just in this you know, in in in this space that they created to look like a you know, like a tight hole.

Were you scared in there?

No? No, because there were no walls so I didn't feel cluster. You don't hear anything? Yeah, no, no, no, no, Oh, that's good fun fact. There's there's some fun like blooper stuff on on the DVDs of me and the hole and uh.

What are you doing out there? Just like dancing around?

Yeah? No, I think when they're asking me about my family, I start saying some stupid shit like maybe I don't know, like something like that. It's just goofy. I start to get goofy, and they put it in this.

Funny gebo, where's your wife and family? Do you have one? Maybe?

Maybe I don't know. Yeah, it was stupid.

It's so stupid, this fucking episode.

I can't be acting on everyone's Oh everyone gets their moment.

Yo even fits in Olivia like there their ship in this episode is.

Freaking He's still in the hospital bed right, and like she doesn't trust him, she doesn't know what's going on.

Yes, she's like, uh uh yeah, I.

Don't believe you.

I don't believe ye. I mean unbelievable.

We should look up wait, I'm gonna IMDb real quick so that the listeners know the genius with which we are about to be blessed is what Allison Lyddy Brown else has done?

Or did you already look this up?

Oh, she's done a bunch of stuff. Yeah, lizanas yeah, yeah, yeah, let me.

Se Oh my god. Also she's fucking gorgeous. What just came up? Wait? Okay.

So she made her directorial debut on the first season of the Nickelodeon series The Secret World of Alex Mack.

That's it, That's it, which I love.

She then went on to direct episodes for a number of notable television series, namely The Mystery Files of Shelby Wu Xena Warrior, Princess Beverly.

Hills nine o two one of them.

Gotta ask her about that Star Trek Voyager Evan Stevens CSI Crime Scene Investigation CSA, every CSI under the Sun, Chock Gray's anatomy. Oh, she directed A Bunch of Friday Night Lights which is oh beautiful, directed shows.

Ever gossip Girl.

In twenty ten, she won the Director's Guild of America's Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Children's Programming for directing the original movie Princess Protection Program starring Selena Gomez and Demi Lovado with my neighbor and I want to ask her about working with them anyway, she's here and we don't want to waste her time. But drum roll, please one the.

Alice.

Yes, you guys, Alison, what is happening right now? You look exactly the same as you did ten years ago? Whatever, what is happening?

We're just looking at your wiki, wiki, wiki page, and.

How look at this? Look at this? This is you, this is Look at how gorgeous.

You have not age.

I'm showing a picture of her her winning a very fancy, sexy ward.

Thank you.

Oh wait, I feel like this is you directing? Oh no, this is you directing Gray's Anatomy. Yeah, look at that fucking coat. Alison Liddy Brown always has fashion, cool glasses, a cool director style.

There's always a.

Look at me, look at that coat?

Yeah yeah, but you were always comfortable, like looking good and fly, but comfortable.

Got to be comfortable, right, Yeah, Well she's not an idiot. She's like like, I could get on the floor with you, guys.

I had to make sure I could get on the ground.

Yes, be with you.

Yeah, I miss you.

We miss Alison Liddy Brown. Thank you for being here.

Well, thank you for asking me to be here. This is my pleasure, you guys. I mean some shows I've worked on, you know, I look back on them and I think, oh, but this show nothing but good vibes. I mean from the beginning.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, but how does it feel to direct? You directed one of the most like loved episodes of Scandal.

When we do a deep dive.

About that, it's her favorite episode.

Seven fifty two, which is the episode we're talking about today. Yes, when I go deep and I like look on the internet of everyone's favorite Scandal episodes of all time, it's either and it's split perfectly seven fifty two or the Trail.

And I like.

Seven fifty two is my personal favorite Scanned episode of all time. It's gier MOA's favorite. It's Vince, our producer's favorite. It's one of Shonda Rhime's favorite and you directed.

The shit out of it.

Yeah, well that's very nice of you guys, But you guys acted the shit out of it. And the writer was amazing. I mean that he you know. I called the.

Uh fantastic editor Matt Ramsey because he edited it, and I called him yesterday and I was like, dude, I just rewatched this fucking great.

Wow.

From an editing standpoint, I thought about.

That, Oh I did. Yeah, the transitions, the transition transitions, Allison, how how like involved were you with the editing? Are you there with him or does he do a pass and then you sort of give notes or how does it work?

Sure? And a lot of people probably don't know this, but you know, episodic directors, we are mostly journey people. We come in I do you know, nine different shows a year. That's how I used to do it. And some people think, oh, you're the only director. Are you direct scandal? I'm like, no, no, no, I've directed a few scandal. I don't want to think you know, they

This yet, I'm so glad you're bringing this.

I know you're the first.

How would she do it? Let's all do it right now, if you're near a table, ready and go.

Yes, That's how we would start. So the blood was flowing, the creativity was flowing, the trust was flowing.

And that's why that show's amazing. It's because of that.

I totally.

You guys, for Kerry Washington started this tradition. I want to say, I don't. I might have been episode three, it might have been the first episode you ever directed. But every single episode she would gather the hire crew and cast on day one, scream the episode number and tell everyone to bang on any fucking our surface that you could find and yelp and scream and gather like the work everybody were Yeah.

Yes, everybody. Everybody gravitated toward it.

And I think that's what made because as I'm watching it and I said to Matt Ramsey, I'm like, dude, this happened ten years ago. What do you remember. To go back to your question, Girma, I get four days, The editor gets four days. So the editor puts together what we call either an assemble or a cut, depending

Do you have any idea I know that like, first of all, being like the episodic director that you are, which honestly now I didn't know before Scandal because I didn't work very much. How the ask that is being

To have answers for every department's question. It's like that was my biggest thing, Like I just directed something and it just everyone comes to you right for with questions and you have to you have to be confident in it and have answers. And that's like, oh my god.

You're the guest.

You have to have answers to all these departments who they are there all the time. Yeah, all actually might know better than you in some regard because you are the guest. But you also have to walk this fine line of like, but I'm the director and I make the final say, but also I'm in collaboration with you because this is your permanent home and not my permanent home.

It's weird, no joke, it's.

No joke, and it is It's kind of one of the weirdest jobs I've ever heard of. But I actually picked this job because I could wear these.

Yes makers she's seeing sneakers.

I had to sit back and think to myself, what job can I wear whatever I want? Because really, clothes are important to me and feel good, Like how do I feel good in my body and in my clothing and in and in? You know, Carrie Washington said to me, I can't imagine you do doing any other job, you know, like you just like you just And I remember thinking, you're right, I would if you ask me what other job could you do? I don't know what it would be because I love it and I love it because I love actors.

That you can feel it. That's the we really really fear it fail.

Oh I'm glad Alison, you you were. You guided us so beautifully.

Wait wait before we dive into scandal, because I'm a fan and Garmu does this all the time. What was it like directing Friday Night Lights? Because that's one of my all time favorite shows, and I think the pilot to Friday Night Lights honestly top five pilots of television. Gray's Anatomy, Friday Night lights, those fucking pilots. I'm in preschool with Scott Porter. I see him every day.

Oh my god. He has such a strong.

Every day the strongest.

We can't do that anyway, test ever.

So tell me about the direction Friday lights.

Real quick, Okay, real quick. We use three cameras all the time. It was sixteen millimeter film. It was so beautiful. The DP his name is David Boyd. He's a genius. He would put park Hams outside of a real location. And we did not use sets. There were no sets.

We read, no blocking.

No. Well, here's what we would do. I would walk into uh, you know, Tammy Taylor's house and I'd say, okay, guys, what do you need? And he would say I want to be making bacon and I need this, And Julie would come in and go, I need my backpack and my books. All right, you're going to come in from there. Yes, you're going to come in from there. Yes, you're gonna come from there. Yes, there is a point where I'm

Gee, have you ever watched Friday Night Lights?

No, I've only seen the movie, and just start watching the show.

Oh oh yeah, it's so beautiful.

I did seven episodes.

God jamn, I'm gonna start watching it.

Wow, Allison, Wait, how many did you do?

Allison?

Ten? Seven, seven, And the number seven keeps coming up and then seven fifty two, seven fifty two and five plus two is seven? What the fuck? You guys?

Get them a lottery tickets, a baby.

Seven seven.

We will be.

Back with more after the break.

Everybody, We're gonna this real quick. At Scandal Pace.

We're talking about episode two nineteen titled seven fifty two, which aired on April twenty fifth in twenty.

Thirteen, and it was written by Mark Fish and directed by The Alison Lady Brown y'all.

It was guest starring Scott Foley as Jake Ballard, George Newburn as Charlie, Jesse, Cott Nicole as Kim, Joe Morton as Mysterious.

Man, Stony Westmoreland as Hal Rimbau, David Mounier as Crosby, and Jordan Carretas as Hobby.

And the synopsis if you don't know, do yourself a favor and watch this episode multiple times because it it will stand the test of time in my opinion. Okay Hawks break down after being held in a trunk Sparks. The OPA's team attempts at pulling him back from the brink by sharing their very personal experiences working for Olivia.

Meanwhile, in the present Fifthen Olivia finally air their grievances about defiance before giving into love, albeit for a brief moment, Jake Ballad wants off of the case with Olivia, but the mystery Man has other plans.

And finally, as Olivia returns from the hospital, she's able to snap Huck out of his trance as we learn what seven point fifty two actually means. Oh yay, you notes maybe just less sincere.

You're just a little too sincere.

Take that out, fake it up, take it out a little bit, fake it up.

Yeah.

Yeah, Alison, when you were watching back this episode, do you have any favorite memories of shooting any certain scenes that you were like, oh my god, that that was a huge scene for me, or scenes that were really hard, or scenes that something like that.

Well, I think everything on the platform was amazing to me, everything on the subway platform. So the teaser just incredible, all of it. And I remember being like, I think it was lated night. It was definitely late at night, and I was wondering, did we do it two nights or one night?

I feel like because I didn't, I feel like we did two nights, but I don't quite remember.

Nights too, like at six hour chunks or something like that. Yeah, but I remember that being incredible to me. Between Germo and I and just our discussions and working toward his pain, which was so beautifully evident and so well crafted. I mean, come on, I just did so great and just all of that between Jouseka and then the little Boy Hobby and all of that, that night was very special to me.

I remember at one point, I don't know if you remember, but you sat with me on the couch outside of Huck's room. And it might have been when we were doing the ending scenes where uh where Carrie ends up coming in and out of you know, his trance that he's in. But you sat with me and held my hand and rubbed my hand for like twenty minutes and just talking to me and taking care of and I was like, it was so special and I'll never ever forget that. I don't know if you do you remember.

That, It's be yeah.

And I don't know if I could have done what I did in this episode without you.

It's the truth, Well I believe you could. But anyway, I'm glad I was there to be a conduit, because that's all I am. I'm there to just to guide and to try to get to the truth.

By the way, the other craziness that was asked, I think of directors on Scandal, was that you weren't given a script until Yes, Like on other shows, you might be giving a script far in advance that you could really prep your shot list or make decisions on what a still shot would be, or who's having the focus or whatever.

Did you have any of that for seven fifty two?

Well, here's what's great. Because of Friday night Lights. That trained me to be unafraid of anything that wasn't planned. It trained me to be fearless and to rely on actors.

Met on set. Right, that's it?

Yeah?

Yeah, yeah.

Also, and I think I can say this, and if I can't, you guys you get it out. But they hadn't shot Olivia's office yet.

Oh shit.

So I'm in there and I'm like looking at you. I'm looking at your I'm looking at what's going to be your office, I'm looking at what your So I'm just like making notes and what looks cool and what I could use. And I hear something in Olivia's office. I'm in the back and I look like this. It's Shonda Rhymes. She's all alone and she's moving in Olivia's office, like scanning the room out of here and I'm in the back over there, and I'm like, I should I say hi? But she was in the think of that.

I didn't like that.

She didn't want that, but I don't. I don't remember if she took them down, or if she made a note or somebody came in. I really don't know how it happened, but I do know that all those things got Did you ever say?

Did you say or did you just stay quiet?

I think I think it was quiet, and then something did shift or something I was like hey, Like in the back, lind I never say hello, how are you today? So far away? But that I'll never forget that.

Wow, that was I can't believe that memory.

Like being the first person to direct in Olivia Pope's arm this and like Shonda was probably sitting in there thinking about like how does she talk in here? What are the scenes that happen? What does she want in here? Like way she how does your brain work in here? Like oh my god, and it was just.

That's why I didn't want to interrupt it with a dumb hello. I just want I could see. It's sort of like when I get to a set early, and I really like doing that because I'm alone and I can move around. Does this feel right? Does this feel right? Because I'm going to make suggestions to you guys, but you can say, oh, I don't know, I don't know if that's right. Let me try what you said, Alison.

Are like, hey, Allison, non stop.

People don't give me the thing that Shonda got from me, which I understand in the person let her be in the freaking zone. And I've had to now that i'm older, I've had to say excuse me nice when you see me here early, I'm working right now, so I know you want me to answer which pillow And I'm not going to do that right now. So you go over there away from me and let me sit at his desk.

Oh my god, like you have to teach you.

I've directed seven fifty two. Leave me alone. Leave me alone.

I know what I'm doing. I'm an out gay director and so it's scared.

And so it's just I was going to talk about this, yes, huge.

I forgot about Jessica too.

I have chill.

I'm chilly.

And when you and I we were there and we were working and there's this stuff. We're in Hollywood and there's tons of people around and I'm telling them all what to do, and he's over there doing all the feeling, and she's over there and we're all great. And I thought, that's shondaland right there, all these little misfits coming together, creating art in a subway hole in the middle of you know, fricking wherever North hollywo or wherever we were. Yeah,

Have a bunch of house and I'll send them to you. I have a ton of pictures of us in the subway.

Yeah, oh god, I just I remember that was being very powerful.

There was there was an unspoken like bomb there between especially with you and I, and then of course whenever we were we worked with Jessica. But just knowing that we were, you know, these queer artists doing this amazing work, it just felt so special and so so rare, right, And I was like, oh man.

This is what a dream. Yes, imagine whispering to little ten year old Germa.

Listening to be fine, to.

Be an artist, got TV and like and they're going to give you all. And it's not like some indie indie thing, you know what I mean. It's like, this is like, like you said, there's a lot of people listening to you and supporting you and spending a shitload of money on this. Like I think our budget was like two million an episode or something.

I mean, it was crazy, like.

Everybody was watching it. I mean, by the time seven fifty two air, this is episode two nineteen, so all first season Scandal was not on people's radar, but by episode two nineteen, this show was on people's radar. So the stuff you three made and created in this episode was huge and made it into the everybody's living room.

Isn't that something we made? Everybody's amazing.

That's amazing and should be and it's just like, yeah.

I'm so glad you brought that up. Wow, Giermo, what stood out do you when you watched the episode back? Same question, like, do you have specific memories that you can't let go like that or just oh my god, right there, Well.

Let's just get it out now. Like one of the most traumatizing things about shooting this episode is having to shave my beard, to shave my scruff. I had to be clean shaven for the majority of this episode, and that is always work you no, because you know that covers you know, your double chin or whatever flaws as a guy that you have.

Oh yeah, forget it.

If I could have a full fucking beard, I would if I could hear the bearded lady to take away this full moon of a face, So do it in one second.

You're like one particular But you know what I love so much about it?

Though, is you're acting in this episode when you are shaved and you are so happy, like we never we've never seen Huck like that before, and it's so rare in the whole seven years that we see you like like bounding down the stairs and like making out with Jessika and like meeting your son and like you're just so happy and full, and like did you work on that? Did you know you wanted to be so juxtaposit Like how did you know?

We had no time? Aliston? You know, we had no I had no time to even think about it, which I cherished, probably why it was so great exactly. I love that because then I get it. You sometimes is a crazy artist that we are, you getting your head and you overthink shit and you're like and then it just yeah, but we had no time. I remember feeling super anxious when I read the episode at the table read and being like, oh my god, we have a

And it was.

Godes doing all that, which Alison brought out. But it's like, you can't believe how many fucking people you tortured and murdered and.

Like so many and then wrap their live faces. You know they weren't really dead.

Emplastic, yes, yes, yeah, folding.

Them up and then like hurry up and cut like.

Breathing. H But how hilarious that all these actors that they cast that you. I'm sure you chose them right, I'm sure they came to you with pictures and then all of a sudden they're like, take off all your clothes, get into these skin colored like bi yeah, we're gonna cut your toe off. Yeah, but they were all game, they were leg down.

But you brought up something so great, the juxtaposition. And again I go back to the writing. You know that that marked it so well with you know, and and and the acting, the screaming when you were in such a good mood because you knew that your your wife had was pregnant, pregnant, and you said, I'm in a good mood today, and just the way like yes, magic to see the disassociation, the compartmentalization, like the heck Jekyl and hide quality. This is stuff we don't talk about.

That was such a beautiful transition was.

Amazing, And then she says, she's like, you know, there's gonna be a lot of blood and all this they're gay, like good, I got this, daddy.

There's gonna be a lot of blood.

Do you remember the baby? The baby? Didn't they smother it in like jelly, like grape jelly and like cream cheese or whatever the.

Fuck it was. We used cream cheese and strawberry jam. My god, but it was when we could use real babies. During COVID, none of us could use real babies. So you'll see all these all these TV shows.

With plastic as dollies. That is so funny. That's really really funny.

I thought, oh my god, it's a real baby. It's a really good baby. And we shot the fingers and as shown so beautiful.

We'll be right back, guys.

I want to add one quick thing about my memory of this episode, even though it is not about Quinn. And that's okay, I like to say, and I bow down to both of you and all the work you did in my personal favorite Scandal episode of all time. But I remember doing the table read in this courtroom set you mean on location, Yes, in a courtroom that's where this episode was red was first read, Yes, and it was very spiritual and sacred, and it almost felt like we were I know it was a courtroom, but

You think you can do it?

Oh?

Fuck? Of course, of course fuck.

And of course I'm like, okay, okay, I got this, I got this, and that's it. Like I think we get out of there at like three four pm. From the table read by the time I get home and have some dinner. Maybe I start working on this shit around seven pm. And I'm in the makeup chair at like five or something, and I've got it. But here's

Yes, she can't every monologue.

My monologue was first, then went Darby, then went Harrison and you better be word perfect.

And she's there watching and I am diarrhea nervous.

I mean I am talking like, yeah, I am unwell, like they to jump here a whole other level of like was already stressed because I was given no time.

I was already stressed because you know, I was so excited to get a monologue that I loved and like you said, the writing was so brilliant and this was such a special episode and so I.

Felt, right, you want to do it justice, like yeah.

And then I was going to go first, and I was like, why is this going first?

But okay, I'm the baby of the show, and a lot of times that's what happens, and that's fine, right, and I better show the fuck up. But then for the Queen herself to be there watching when.

She never was.

I was terrified.

Um believable.

But you just said that.

But now I have something to say about this, she said, God, should I read it? I don't know. I do it?

Do it?

Okay? Wait, hold on everyone, hold on. Okay, okay, this is what he says. So I call him and I say, hey, I'm doing this thing. Do you have any good memories like what happened in that editing room? Did we talk about this? We talk about that? Do we switch anything around? Did we move anything? I said, it's been thirteen or ten years and had the choice of music. I asked them about all that stuff.

Okay, you're the best.

So here's what he says. Hello, I remember one thing, which was the montage of Huck killing set to a song I can see clearly now. Originally it was supposed to be my showy a Moore, but Stevie Wonder and is a state wouldn't let us do it because of all the blood and violence, oh Shada, and I probably tried fifty songs and then we landed on I can see clearly now. I thought it was a brilliant turn. Also,

Oh my god, I'm gonna cry.

I also remember that you shot out of it. I'm just gonna go on. And it was a joy to edit for you, as.

It always is. That I miss you, Okay, I love that so much. So thank you reaching out to him. Thank you for reading that.

And I am so proud of that monologue and my diary because I do I do remember it being a wonner and I couldn't mess up the word, you know what I mean.

Like I was like, I can do this, but.

I will never forget it. I will just it's like of the seven years of scandal.

You know, you have like your special.

Memories that are like imprinted in like the deepest parts of your brain, and that scene and that whole story leading up to it, it is like one of them for me. So thank you for helping me through that.

Yeah, and I think one of the reasons that they chose you to to go first is because y'all, Katie will no memorize her lines and memorize mine, know when Olivia should come in with a certain line, like you are the most I don't know how your brain works.

Josh Blena has it better than me, Joshina.

Katie would recite soliloquies from Shakespeare while we were like, I'm waiting to shoot, and I'd be like, I don't remember what I have to say when we're about to shoot right now? How the fuss do you remember Ophelia's monologue?

But that's why you're a better actor than me, because you are so present and I am so stuck in being right and correct.

You're so good at being right here right now.

I'm just like, now, I've already figured out all my turns, like what I'm doing.

I'm also constantly diarrhea nervous. That's mostly why I'm holding the.

Sides is I was very nervous.

Can we all give it up to for the monologues? I mean Garry's analogue to Hawk at the end.

I mean I was hoping, Germo, you would remember something about this, like the way everybody sat like it was all very deliberate. When Katie came to sit, she sat next to you like equals. They were like that, You were like this. When Darby came in, her character is very flinty, and you know, I don't feel anything anymore.

She sat up on that table.

She was a little above you. When Columbus came in, he also was above you. He was somewhere up high and he was basically was sitting, but he was above you that. When Carrie came in, she sat across from you, I to eye and it was so cool. How that, how just the positioning of the actors makes such a difference. Because I'm sitting there as a director, like, I'm going a bunch of monologues, How am I going to make these different? They mean by where they sit and all

Yes, the hat has me stopped saying seven to fifty two. Yeah, she's she's the only one that touches me out of all the all the Gladiators. Yeah yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, she touched.

You, and that's why you stop.

Broke in the bicycle.

Contact and you can't lie about that stuff you can feel and stuff.

Yeah, listen, it's honestly, it's it's rare. Like me and Katie talk about the tearstick all the time. You know what a tearstick is, Alison. Obviously, when an actor can't emotionally get there, you get a tearstick and you, you know, sort of conjures up tears because it's mental being blown into your eyes. But this is one of the few times that I was emotionally raw every single take, every take on when you were covering Carrie ever she did, I don't know, like maybe eight or more takes sobb

My god, when you say I think I used to have a family.

Yeah yeah, yeah, yeah, but I don't remember. I could cry right now about.

It, I know. So do you think it Do you think it was? Because it was so it just felt so real. His background just it felt so real. And do you think it touched something in you that that maybe yeah.

Yeah, yeah I connected to Hucks.

It's the saddest thing ever, those shots when you realize that seven fifty two is the fucking time and the fucking train where he sees her and him, and then I'm so angry that this is so emotional, but it's like and then the sun comes up to him and finally puts money in his cup, like and that is.

It's just like all so much and perfect and also we're seeing the making. It's so cool. I love when shows do this, but god, this one did it so well. But I love that it took.

Nineteen plus seven episodes to figure for us to realize and learn what Mads.

Hawk the huck we know, oh right, yeah, what happened to him.

It's like, we've spent so many hours with this character who's so fucked up, and we love that he's so fucked up, and he's so dark and he murders people and he has no issues with it, and he has a whiskey addiction, which is really just metaphor for hurting people. And why is he like this, and why is he's why is he like this? What could have possibly happened

It's like, oh my god, that's why he is who he is.

It's just yeah, so good, it's so true, so good, it's so How about the and also the locations?

Yeahba, my wife.

I was like, we see that that empty refrigerator, that huge, empty fucking refrigerator. That this woman who did the locations And why can't I think of her? She's Mary Howard's buddy.

Yes, I can't.

Woman.

Wait which refrigerator? Wait, what are you talking about?

It's an well you probably didn't know it was a refrigerator, but it's huge. It was a commercial refrigerator. Happens to be in my neighborhood weirdly in South pass Over here. I always see it. I always see the bill, like that's what we did. We did all that stuff on the east side because Mary Howard's brilliant about finding stuff and it was a really big commercial freezer or refrigerator, I'm not sure what. It was. All metal, metal top,

You do you remember that the other set, Allison, where it's the hallway where Huck is walking with Charlie and he's like, so, how do you feel it feels good? Right, and like, yeah, it feels really good. Oh, that's such a beautiful shot. That long, long, sort of amber lit hallway. Oh so good, very.

Famous hallway which I have seen really huge movies now at least three times I.

Would go to.

That.

I'm starting to be like that person shout that all the way, you know, so you're right, it was. It's spectacular. That whole complex, which is this weird it's in Arcadia, right, who's in Arcadia or something on the east side, and that ugly nondescript room which you're so smart. I love you in that scene when Charlie's there, did I guess we had to feel like if Huck did not do

Yes, that's about having always popula right.

Also, this is the episode where we learn right, like how Huck got to o p A yes, right, right, Like we learned in this episode that Charlie lets him go and says, right, isn't that what happens in here?

Yeah, let go and.

Reports back to the mysterious man that is that he killed dulls Oh yeah, right.

And so basically Charlie like saves Huck in a way like he saves his life totally. Yeah.

Yeah, and then he has nowhere to go except be homeless, which is the reason that you know Olivia picks him up.

But oh god, this episode. Wait, Elson Lee Brown.

I'm sure you have to go and you have like a life to lead, but wait, I just want to read you a couple of things, and we have to do a couple tweets of the time, and I just want to hear about what you're doing now, and then can we just hang out forever and ever and ever? Fun facts Olivia's speech to Huck mirrors one that fits gave to her a call back to the significance they

Malina was so psyched to get paid and not work.

Josh loved.

I used to get calls like, oh, you're not going to be in this episode because it's a flashback before like Quinn was even around, and I'd be so bummed because I just love to work so much, whereas Josh is the polar opposite because.

I'm not this episode. He'd be like, yeah, like he's getting.

Kay, don't gotta work. And now we do tweets at a time Yo.

Tweet, tweet, twee tweet two tweetweet tweets at the time At Caspine fifteen. This aired on April twenty six, twenty thirteen.

That's ten years ago. Tweeted.

I know I'm late, but hashtag scandal was so good. I like that, Olivia hashtag kW that's good.

I loved it. You stood your ground okay yeah, and.

Worldwide Boss Underscore four tweeted, so why were people saying seven fifty two was how many people are killed last night liars hashtag scandal.

Oh that would have been good though.

That's interesting.

I love in Abby's monologue that she says seven hundred and fifty two are probably the amount of things that you had to do for Olivia. I love that. I love that part of it. That's part of her monologue.

Me too, Oh, she's great at Michelle Kudso tweeted got a feeling Huck was ordered to kill his wife and child, Luno hashtag scandal.

That would have been terrible. Oh God, that's been horrible.

Right he did he told you to do it, didn't Charlie say you got to get rid of him. You got to get rid of He's like you said, I know, I know he goes you do it or I'm going to do it. Oh, she says to you in the backyard, which I got like, and then you I know, I know what to do.

That was one of my favorite scenes. He walks into his house and he sees Charlie holding Hobby holding that baby.

The baby, It's that's one of my hobby favorite scenes.

Favorite scenes. Okay you Ni Chris at Underscore Criss Cross tweeted, oh lord, how many of y'all going to tweet seven fifty two at seven fifty two hashtag scandal. I love that.

That's a great one.

Brian Waller Scott at BK Prodigy tweeted, damn, I'm officially hooked from this last episode.

That was really sad hashtag scandal true.

True at Jenna and Ge tweeted one thing about last night's hashtag scandal is how the hell was fits able to stay with live for so long? Doesn't he have a country to run?

Yo?

Yo, she ain't wrong, that's so true.

At Pope Grant, Oh, Pope Grant tweeted, bro Olivia, Pope's face here, So y'all let me go priceless flawless acting At Columbus short one hashtag scandal hashtag seven fifty two, Oh my god, Columbus shorts has at Lauren x Nicole tweeted seriously hashtag scandal. Olivia is way too strong of a woman to put up with Fitz's shit.

Not wrong, well, but yeah. Cynthia Spain tweeted, I know I'm late, but scandal was so good.

I liked that.

Olivia Kerrie Washington, I loved it. You stood your ground. Cool nice hell yeah right, Oh my.

Gosh tweets at the time. Next episode up is called a Woman's School. That's episode two twenty. I can't remember what it's about. I don't garma, I have no idea what it's about. Alison Liddy Brown. When we Germo and I went back to watch all the episodes and we wrote down like who would be our dream guests for each episode, you know, like depending on if Cyrus had a huge monologue's like we'd love to get him or whatever. And seven fifty two came and Gearmo and I were both.

Like, al was of Liddy Brown?

Yeah, yeah, we love you so much. You're so happy you.

Did this, and this episode would not I mean, Scandal would not have been scandal without you and all the thank you but truly, you are one of the greatest episodic directors and directors period. Nothing comes before that word.

Yeah, I would a treat you've given to the listeners with the stories and you know, so good, so.

Good, here's so effective on how it's shot and stuff like you really don't talk about that much. Oh oh good, like how it's shot and things like that at all, Like because we just act as, although Gamo.

Is YO, that shit is not easy.

What did you direct?

This indie film called Dear Luke Love Me. A friend of mine wrote this beautiful script and I directed it. Kia Kia, who was one of our ads on Scandal What. I hired her to be my first ad and she was amazing. But I listen, I realized how unprepared I was to direct. I mean, I did it, and I loved it. I loved working with the actors and working on the scenes and stuff. But all that technical stuff is still I still there's I have so much to learn, you know, but it was I want to do it again a long time.

Yeah, Yeah, Alison Laddy Brown, you are one of a kind, gem of an artist, leader, human director.

I can't wait for the day when I get to work with you again and you give me to.

You guys like we'll always have seven fifty two.

We can we just say that too, we always will. Touched me very deeply. Thank you, guys, thanks for having Thank you Allison Liddy Brown continued success.

Thank you, Thank you lah Lah bye guys, bye bye. 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. Unpacking the Toolbox is a production of Shondaland Audio in partnership with iHeartRadio. For more podcasts from Shondaland Audio, visit the iHeartRadio app or anywhere you subscribe to your favorite shows.