306: Icarus w/ RuPaul's Drag Race Winner, Symone

Unpacking the Toolbox is a production of Shondaland Audio in partnership with Iheartradiots and Katie.

Gee, you know what I want to do right now? Listen to some fan mail I D two. Let's listen to this.

Hi guys, it's Monica from Mexico. I have a question for you, guys, if you were to play any other character from Sandel, who would you be?

And why?

I love you guys?

Oh so nice, Viva Mexico. I want to go there right now. Who would you I.

Would want to play Cyrus?

Oh my god, I was going to say you were.

Cyrus is the jam. That role is fucking It's got everything, the media role.

He's Iago, he's two faced, he gets to be and also he always redeems himself. He gets to be so awful and dark and then he's all up and down and like all around.

So juicy Cyrus, Juicy Cyrus. We are so lucky today that we have a huge gladiator but also an incredible talent studying humans. Have you guys ever met before?

Oh? Yeah, well me and Simone. Simone and I did the movie Bros.

Together.

Yeah, and IM.

One day we were coming back to the hotel and I was like, I'm trying. I had to gather myself because I was trying not to freak out because I was like, I knew exactly who you were, and I couldn't, like, I felt like I couldn't be a professional.

You know, I'm trying to be professional.

When Clara's probably how Giermo was.

Just exactly I was feeling the same thing about her.

Yo.

But obviously we've we've we've you know, we've let the cat out of the bag our guests today. Sorry, I got I got four words for y'all. You're a Lenna baby. We have Simone.

Simone is the winner of season thirteen of RuPaul's Drag Race and an amazing person, performer, artist.

Thank you.

We love you so much.

I love you.

We have the winner baby.

And a fellow Madonna fan, and I think she's your But that's why I'm wearing this Madame x suirt just for you.

We're friends. I call her Donna because we're friends, you know.

Are you kidding me?

Wait? Hold on, go back. This is really important content for us. We spent a lot of time on this podcast talking about Madonna. How did you meet Madonna real?

When she was doing the Madam X era.

She was seeing the visuals the film for it, you know, yeah, and she was doing an event in New York and she needed a draft. She wanted to dract Meen to host the event, and so her uh when people ended up actually working he works for her. Now, Jordan's shut out.

Hey in shapes, Hey Jordan.

Yeah.

He reached out and was like, hey, Madonna is interested. Would you fly out? And I was like, of course, you know, like most part, I think we had like two days she told us like two days before something like that. It was very short amount of time. So I had to get looks together, get hair together, all.

And and you're on the I think the the Madam X Tour, which it's it's sort of a rockumentary. Yes, it's on Paramount, I believe, right, is it on Paramount? And you and Simone and Aquaria I think it's Aquaria right, Aquaria, U do the Q and A. So they're they're fielding questions from the audience for Madonna Donald and they're.

Going, I think at one point you say bitch. You even called her bitch.

I mean in a loving way, but I was like, it's dying inside and that day that you filmed that, I was in New York City shooting Law and Order Organized crime, and I was shooting that day but at night, late at night, and I walked. I was staying near the Edison Hotel where you guys shot that, and I stood outside with all the fans in the rain like this, waiting to see Madonna and you were inside like chilling with her, like drinking martinis.

I know what the fuck?

This was before you two had worked together, so you didn't have the number.

To Yeah, this is like a year before to the point, because we shot Bros. In October too, didn't we? So I think that was the year. It was the year after, Yeah, like literally a year.

Yeah, and they're crazy.

But listen, bone, yes, tell us. How did you stumble upon Oh my God scandal? Where and when and how did it start?

Okay? So I'm og. I've been there since one.

Day, one moment, and I remember watching the trailer on ABC. And I'm a drama person. I love drama. I love soap operas, and I love all I love when everything is just over dramatic and everything.

It's just it's just my much.

And so I remember watching the trailer and be like, I'm intrigued. I don't know what it's about necessarily, but I'm intrigued, and so I watched it and I was immediately obsessed with it. I love when you have to watch every episode to understand what's going on. In every episode, a piece of the puzzle comes together, but you're still like, what's happening, and you don't know what's happening until literally the last thirty minutes of the last episode of the season.

So I don't know.

I was just really was just called to it. And of course Carrie Washington, I was always a fan of her.

Were you like an appointment viewer where you were like tuning in every Thursday night and like on Twitter or you were watching later?

That's what I was in.

This was high school for me, I think eleventh grade when it came out.

You're so, yeah, yeah, I grew up.

I love it.

I love it.

Those are such impressionable, are they really are? Right? That's very impressionable.

The Scandal is like my top five show.

Like it's like when I have a top five shoulders and shows, I go back and just watched, and you know, I'll pick a season and just hit it, and so like it's it's a top five show for me because it's informed.

What are some of your favorite Like do you have any favorite storylines or scenes or things that you were just like or fashion moments, I mean anything. I mean we should probably ask all those things.

The fashion I really enjoy from like season season four on I.

Like, okay, let me let me break it down. So I like season four.

I I like when Olivia has like this this it's that season, right, It's it's the season four last.

Season she has the hair straight or curly curly hair, straight curly hair, but she has the curly hair.

I like that season.

But also like when she's command in season seven and she has like it's all very like straight line, very business. Everything is very sharp. Yes there's color, but it's all very business and she's very commanding of what's going on. Like I think that's my favorite iteration of her. I also like her in season three because I think she's Is she pregnant at that point?

I think in that yes, Oh my god.

We just did an episode yesterday and we were talking about how she was pregnant and Jake Scott Foley was shooting this episode with her and they had to work. They had to do a sex scene and they had to figure out how to shoot it because she was eight months pregnant. My season three, you I can't believe you know that, like you are freaking supervandage.

Oh yeah, because I remember because she was always she's always in her her fashions, which it was kind of it was either black dark or it was kind of a little bit oversized, but still like she still had a shape.

Yeah, it was very interesting.

Wriginale did it that season, but I was like, oh, she's pregnant, you know. And I remember one of my favorite scenes season three when she's talking to Andrew and Fitz finds out that they're having Andrew and Milly are having an affair and she has to come into the room and tail him. Basically, you either you choose power or you choose love.

And I remember she said, my god.

She comes in with the I think it's is it is it? I don't know, but she comes.

In with the back probably yes, she sets the bag down, she has her gloves, and she does her home monologue.

That it's when I I go on YouTube and watch it.

It's one of my favorite scenes.

I love that.

I love that I love it, yo, But also, I mean, you had some amazing looks, Drag.

You have to check it out. Katie.

She had this one look where she has a it's like a do you have a dog, but the do Rag has like a long ass train that goes all the way down the runway.

And it was so beautiful.

It's my favorite three so dopey.

I freaking loved it.

My favorite look it was the train. It was the was it was trains runway And I was like, how can you do it? Because you know everyone's gonna do like a long gown something. I was like, I want to do something that's memorable, you know. And I was like, why didn't Rag?

You know? And that's my favorite.

That was groundbreaking.

No one had ever done anything like that before, you know what I mean, you like turned the the streets into the freaking runway.

Dope.

It's so right. I'm looking at it right now. Yes, yes, my gosh, Simone, Wow wow wow wow wow wow. Are you team fits or team that's.

A good question.

This is hard, you know what I mean.

iMore, I go back and forth, back and.

Forth because it's also season to season two. Yes, the season four is My face is my personal favorite season, and that's usually where I start if I'm restarting.

Oh my god, I love it.

Is it your favorite gear mode? I haven't gotten that far yet rewatching, so I don't even remember kind of I went into some I mean, I don't remember what happened for but why.

So much was happening that season.

That's the season after fits Sun Dies spoiler alert if you didn't know so off of them coming back to the island, Fitz is Mellie's a mess. Fitz has had to run kind of run the country on his own. You know, like he hasn't had any right.

Is he just like completely an alcoholic since his sundight or no, that's something.

Else he was.

It was like they would do flashbacks like he was drinking bad at first and then he like had to get it together. I think the alcoholic moment was but he didn't have an alcoholic woman.

You're right.

Then Olivia gets gets taken by the vice president.

She's on the auction block, that one that happens.

That's the episode where she's running.

So she's running the she's running.

Yes, Oh she looks so so.

I mean, it's just a great season.

It's a great, she's she had to recordile, like Fits had to reconcile being like the president, but also on love and like what he the decision he made it like and then she's coming after her dad the whole time, like you guys are trying to take command down the whole time, and like it's just such a great season. It's it's a beautiful season. Oh wait, I didn't answer your question. I think I landed on Team Fits. I think by the end of it, I land on Team Fits.

I was back on Fit side. So I go. I go back and forth.

The first two first three seasons, I was team Fits.

You know, it's hard.

What made you land ultimately on Team Fits? Like do you remember?

I like their love story. I enjoy it. I mean it's awful.

It's horrible, like the things that they did, Like, yeah, okay.

Great, they're both murderers, murders, you know.

He makes he sent people to war for love, like you know, all these things, but I enjoy the like all through it, he they still were able to find it, you know, like you see yours left on on the last episode, you're left wondering do they end up together or do they not?

You know, and it's kind of a fresh start.

They're both out of power, they're both just trying to figure it out, and now they can actually have a relationship that's not tainted by everyone around the.

Yes, oh my god, have you ever met Carrie?

I don't know if I want to have to make we have to make it happen here, I will freak sho.

We have to make it happen. You will be you will you know what it's well, you two, I'm sure both know how scary it is to like meet your mineles because it could always be like, oh no, they're meaning, or it was a terrible situation, or like wasn't great. I would bet money on that that has never happened with anyone who's met Carry Washington, because she's.

She just seems like such a sweet, genuine, the best person she.

Is and she takes it so seriously like she's just so like a great and so that neat. I mean, besides, I'm sure she's a huge I'm sure she.

Asked me.

She believe you've never I've never else scandal cant.

I don't think I've met anyone in the Scandal cast. I think besides Gearmo, you're the only one that I've met.

Yeah, I met you, So that's greatly annoyed.

Like Simon, what did you think of Quinn? Hawk? Were you just? Did you love us so much?

About you?

Guys? Okay, if we must, you know what I really enjoyed.

Can I be honest? And no one's gonna their feelings?

Great?

Okay, No, of course not Quinn. At first I was not featuring.

I really liked her because it was it was the goodie two shoes.

Of it all. I was just like, you know, whatever.

Annoying any annoying is the word, yes, annoying.

Around when you started training her, I was like, Okay, she's coming to her own, like when she really was coming into her own and like season three, season four, actually see again, you know when you brought everyone back together, And so I I enjoyed you from four on and gear Ma I was always because I like I like characters like Huck who are complicated, complex and like at first you meet them, you're like, oh, he's a weirdo, but you go through when you've seen all that he's

Now, oh yeah, that's why.

I can Yeah, can you even believe?

But also Quinn's fashion changed really fiercely to right, yes, and she started wearing three and four, she started wearing leather and high high boot leather boots.

And all that. Yeah, much more.

I had just squeezed myself into these horrible pencil skirts. Awful that I was finally like, yes, she's wearing fucking skinny jeans and boots and leather jackets and flannel because she's a baby hunt.

Baby shirts.

You wearing T shirts to write, like sexy T shirts and.

Way better all around, like all around betterny tails.

We'll be right back. Guys.

Were you shocked when Huck and Quinn got together?

Yeah?

I was like, what is this? Where are we going?

So?

Were we?

But we loved it because we we we I mean for you guys filming.

Oh, we're so in love. We came on the script and we were like, oh my god, this is intense. And then we because we'd been like dear close, soulmate friends for years at this point, and all of a sudden, now you have to like have dirty, dirty makeups them. But we started to like be like we need to be nasty like we were. We should not have sex scenes like fits and Olivia. It shouldn't be movie ish or like, this needs to be people who the threshold

Plus, we were so close at that point and we trusted each other and I think I remember telling Katie, Katie, do whatever you want, like let's just go for it, for it, and we just went for it, and we were just so comfortable and.

It was like, let me spit on you on her.

At one point the licking, I was like, the licking if that was was that a direction or is that y'all just like going That was in the script.

And by the way, then fans, for years we would take photos with fans and they'd always be like this is a pre code world. Obviously, they're like coming up and trying to like lick our face. Yeah, oh my god. I was like, this is so crazy, but I.

Remember that though.

It was so Yeah, it was such a visceral thing, and I remember being right, I think I did this. I was like, oh my because it was just so it was just so it was just so visceral.

I don't know, well, I lick her right, Hucklick's win in one in one episode and then Quinn does it tell later on when they're outside remember odds. Yeah, yeah, yeah, we were shooting that at the Hollywood Cemetery remember that kiddy.

Right, and Garaba loved it because his horror.

Yeah, walking around the model. Yes, this is my favorite day on set.

Do you ever You said you do still watch it now? It's just like a bat like you're just like, oh my god.

Like sometimes if I don't, especially if I have nothing else to watch, I'll be like, what because it's on Hulu now and so you can I'll just go and hit it.

I have my comfort shows like that too.

Yeah, because sometimes, especially when I was first rewatching it, there's lots of stuff that you miss watching because it was you would have a week, so you'd forget stuff, and so when you watch it back to back, you're like, oh, that's what was happening.

Especially in season six.

When I first watched it, it made no sense to me. I couldn't understand what was going on. But now I was like, oh, it's such a smart.

Season, Simon.

That was our our deal while we were shooting the show, because we were so in it. We were shooting episode to episode, you know, every week, and we didn't have time to really We would watch the episodes, but we were live tweeting, so we couldn't really pay attention. So until Katie and I started watching rewatching it again now for the podcast, and we're like, oh my god, this show is amazing.

It is so good. I can't like.

The writing is insane, especially for I think back like when it was coming out.

It was another reason why it was so ground bager.

It is because of the writing and like I have the love scenes, the action scenes, the plots, and like things were harken back to things that happen, like episodes ago that you had to remember and.

Be like oh that and the flashbacks and like all that. It's just so good. It's just so good and it.

Still hits me, hits for us too.

Is there an episode?

Is there like a favorite scene or episode or season or all of the above.

That you guys, I'm so into what's going on right now, like I, I mean, I have such a special place in my heart for the end because we got to shoot like the second to last episode in actually Washington, DC. I have such close memories to us, like we ran around in like escalade trucks, we all like toward all the monuments at night, like I you know, somebody's being wrapped up in those sort of memories. What about you g for me?

Seven fifty two of course, got that episode where we see Hawk's backstory.

And flashes back. Yeah yeah yeah.

And also and also Yolo where i Hu pulls Quinn's teeth out.

Oh I love that dark Ship.

You haven't gotten there yet either, but remember there's an episode with the water You're like in the right and they're like the whole.

Oh that's when that's when when she flats read what's the name?

Oh y yabby abby yeah?

Or read yeah, yeah, oh god that was.

That was oh ship.

That's sometimes that's the episode I can watch too, I'll watch that one.

Like Solo, that was a hard episode.

Gee, I think that might be up there for you when we get there. When we watched it.

Yeah, I was wet that whole episode, whether I was inside or outside. You had to soak me with water every single day and it was nightmare.

How long did that take to film? Like your part?

We I mean we shoot the We shot the shows in like eight to ten days, right, Katie.

Yeah, eight to ten days per episode.

And then it depended on hours, right, we'd shoot what eighteen to maybe sixteen hours sometimes.

I'd say a short day was fourteen hours a day. And then the longest day we ever had I think it was like twenty one go wow. Yeah, it was a beast the show. And like Simone, you are the greatest or being a gladiator since day one, I don't think we've had like an O G gladiator.

We have it not a celebrity one. Yeah.

Yeah.

And and we we need to plan on bringing you on when because we're having carry back on so we should plan on bring Yeah.

I will clear, We'll figure it out.

Yes, I will.

Figure out if we could have you on and just do like a quick like ten minute like make all of our dreams come true? Love?

Yes, oh my god, real quick, what do you have coming up? Like? What what can we see you in next?

Tell us what you're coming up in?

Gladly? I okay.

So we are actually in pre production for our show avalon TV, which you can find on persons please nice, and we're doing season two so we're gonna start filming that really soon and that should come out probably a little bit later this year.

So be on thee. Where can we see that, Simone? Where can we see it?

Presents? Plus? Yeah?

Right on? Yeah?

Or season one is already up, so if you want to watch and and gg Good is in it?

Right in it? Yeah? Yeah, yeah, yeah, my.

Whole house is in it. And our friend Riley's in it as well.

Yeah amazing, how yeah, so cool.

Thank you so much for giving us some.

Of your time much so much.

Oh my god, it means so so much to Yes, thank you for being on and thank you for watching the show.

Yes, we love you.

I love you.

Could Simone be any cooler?

I don't think that's possible.

No, And you are such a fan. See I've never watched that show, am I an I'm a loser.

I'm you should know you're not a loser. It took me a while to get into Drag Race. I didn't watch it for a long time, and then I started watching season six, and then I was hooked.

Five hundred.

Oh my god, they're like season fifteen. I think fourteen or fifteen. Yeah, but Simone was the winner of her season. I think it was like, what was her season? I think it was like twelve or thirteen. I might be mistaken, but and that's what I mean.

I just feel so honored that she like knew anything, you know, like that she was a Scandal fan, and like it was so more like, oh yeah, she knows more about the episodes that we did buy a lot.

Yes, yes, I definitely want to have her back on me too.

Me too.

Okay, let's get into this episode breakdown. Yes, we're talking about episode three oh six called Icarus. It aired on November seventh in twenty thirteen.

And it was written by Peter Noah and directed by Julie Ann Robinson.

Who I love and I'm working with right now. Julianne Robinson is directing The Hunting Wives, which is the show I'm working on right now. No way, yes, uh.

Yes, that's awesome. I feel like she directed me in Weeds. She directed a couple of episodes of Weeds.

Yeah, she's like been around the bush. She's just so great and knows everything and she's awesome. Okay. Guest starring the Go Could this girl be any gorgeous? Yara Shahidi as young Olivia Pope, Candy Alexander as Mile lou Is. Another stunner, Lisa Kudrow another stunner as Congresswoman Josie Marcus, Jack Coleman is Daniel Douglas Langston.

Paul Adelstein as Leo Bergen. Another stunner, Sally Pressman as Candice Marcus, Sharmila Davarr as Lauren Wellman, and Cameron Watson as Reverend Coles.

Okay, this episode is a beast, so listen up to this scandal pay synopsis. Olivia presses Fits for information on Operation Remington. Convinced that Fits was responsible for the plane crash that killed her mother because of his refusal to even talk about it, Olivia decides that the OPA team will back Congresswoman Josie Marcus on her presidential campaign.

Meanwhile, Sally Langston begins her campaign behind Fitz's back. But Cyrus is one step ahead of the whole time.

Okay, this episode was crazy. Did you do your notes about it?

I sure did, Yeah, I hear yours. Can we get props to the person that taught us this gem of a thing? Is Sanna Simone? Oh yeah, yes, yes. When we did the New Girl podcast, she did it for well, she did the Scandal podcast. She did it for us. Yes, and I just fell in love with it.

It's so much love to do.

It's fucking hilarious. I can't wait to hear what you say. Okay, Scandal pays tell us about episode three oh six Icarus.

Ge here we go, y'all.

Y'are Shahidi, Candy, Alexander. I am loving that they are the first thing we see. And that song so familiar, so good, a blast from the past. This is gonna be good. Cut to live in thought, distraught, still looking hot? Oh hell yeah, there she is, she got this getting thee to the White House. Sally and Leo. Leo and Sally, it don't really matter. They're one and the same, always plotting.

Ooh.

Miss Olivia's pressing fits about Operation Redmington. She needs to know everything, but he's not having it. He shut that sitch down, so live is out? Oh damn, here we go. Wait a minute, did Smelly just call Liblehore? Yes, yes she did not the first won't be the last? Shady ah shit, sexy heels and a gun Katie so hot? Wait for it? So no one tonj in life us gunn be this way.

Jobs they Yes.

The Lisa Kudro appeals on our show, so honored. No trace of phoebe here and Josie and we're loving it. And that pie cherry rubarb brasberry.

What is it? I'm so hungry. Martin and Perry are up?

People, Actors, get your notebooks out acting classes in session. Who's this hotty with Jake Funny? She looks a lot like Marika.

Oh my god, Gee, you gotta publish this fucking poem when with this episode comes out? This is unbelievable.

Who's the hotty with Jake Funny? She looks a lot like Marika? Coincidence, I think not. Meanwhile, Josie is not going negative with her campaign.

She's just not. This episode is very Collagy jump jump jump into and fro. But it works. It always works on Scandal. Not Joe with the tight fro and mustache.

Yes, he's got bad news bears for baby live so sad well, nothing a big old glass of veno can't cure for growing Olivia. And now she can ask one question, only one, getting deep. Leave the past there, he says, leave it there? Why do I so love James? Inside bickering it's the best oive Harrison is stressing about a NATSIALI. Oh shit, Josie went off on Live, but I like it and I think Live does too. Yo, I am

Oh? Man, I love Quinn Huck.

She wants to know B six thirteen if B six thirteen screws you up forever. But now's not a good time, man, is it ever? Oh James, he was not ready for Josie. Okay, so don't mess with this queen. She is a woman here her roar and.

All of that.

And also watching Jake do push ups makes everything okay for now till his hot lady friend gets stuffed out.

Ouch.

That was a close call. Now the business of Harrison and Cyrus. These two are magic together. But hell nah, Sia is getting not a whole new visa. What the what some epic music and living fits now I'm hearing. I'm here for it, all of it. Wow, this scene is intense. I need to drink the end. Oh my god, that was a.

Lot fucking believable.

And that's our episode. Folks, have a good one. We'll see you next time.

By everyone real quick won the episode? I mean who won the episode? In acting? Oh man, it's really like fraud, Like I think, Lisa Kudro.

You know what, I think you're right.

I think I honestly I got silent because I was like, I just watched this episode and the next one, and I'm like, yeah, I think you're right. Lisa Kudrou freaking killed it in this episode. Yeah.

She was so good. She had so many scenes. I mean, this episode is so much about you know, Olivia's like, fuck you, white House, I'm not working on Fitz's campaign and to get you back, I'm gonna run the campaign for Josie Marcus played by the amazing Lisa Kudro. And Lisa just has so many things about like what type of candidate she is and how she's so likeable, and how Live is like teaching her, how to toughen up

So much to do.

She's so strong in this episode and that scene with James Novak with Dan Bucatinski, Yo, she blew it.

Out of the water.

I felt so bad for James in that scene. But Yo, she needed to do that. That that she brought her, you know, beyond, it brought her up from where she was as a candidate.

Right.

They make a fake video of rest in sort of like making a campaign.

Commercial weak and yeah.

Yeah that Josie Marcus isn't tough enough to run the you know, run America. And she comes in and she's like, you're a sexist pig. You're all fucking sexist pigs, even you James Novak, who walked in here and said like, you know, thank you so much for having me over. She's like, I didn't invite you over.

Yeah, and this this picture of Tea is fake.

Yeah you wanted this. Like everything you're all doing is a bias. It's it's a whether it's a conscious or unconscious sexist feeling, like that's what's going on here. So she just fucking she really did.

She was And the great thing is that this is the first time we see Josie Marcus most.

Stuff, we've definitely seen her and it's so sad.

And then it gets juicier in episodes to come, like her storyline gets do you see her?

We will be back with more after the break the fashion moments, nothing stucky, did anything stick out for you?

Not really listen when whenever maa Ope is on screen, like her fit is always so so good, But you know we didn't we didn't see We see her at the top of the show, but then we don't really see her anymore.

Right in this episode.

We have to have a major silent moment for this is the episode where and I would love to know which writer in the Scandal Writer's room created this, but that Charlie in this episode calls Quinn.

Yes, which is what we end up naming our base. Shit, I don't remember that, Katie really.

Yeah, Wait, her name's Robin.

Does he call Huck Batman? Doesn't he call Hawk Batman?

So what is he's He doesn't call you batman? But because I'm your little.

Bitch, where's Batman at one of the episodes. I remember saying like, oh, what about Batman or something like that.

I thought, oh, maybe he maybe he did.

So who is he? What is Charlie? Is he Superman? Right? Like?

And a fun fact, George Newburn does the voice of Superman in the in the cartoon in the animated series.

Totally does. Yes, he totally, totally, totally does.

But I love that this is this is the first time he calls you, Robin.

Yeah, when we're in the We're in a shoot range and you know, Quinn is sucking it at shooting guns and nailing it in the target. And Charlie's also there, and he comes over and she's like, oh, fine, give me your advice. I mean, my acting was annoying, but not as annoying.

As Yo, did you actually get to shoot? Did you guys?

Go?

You?

You filmed it had a shooting range obviously, and we shot shot He was so scary.

The first time I've ever shot a gun.

Have you shot guns on I have shotguns on on other on other films and on Scandal?

Yeah yeah, I shotguns on Scandal.

I've never shot real. I mean, yeah, I shot real. We were a real shooting range. Wow, we had to really like shoot real bullets and there's real kickback and it's real freakin' loud. And I was not raised around guns. I'm so like squeamish around them. I don't I'm like completely freaked out.

But listen on Scandal, it was always it was always so thoughtful in those moments where we had a weapon that our our our props team was so great about making sure we knew that the gun was safe and how to hold it.

Yeah, and you know all that stuff.

So yeah, but like so scary and I had to protect there's nothing that is maybe my best acting then, wow, because didn't I look like a bad It wasn't afraid of guns?

Not according to that reviewer that we read that's coming up. Oh shit, Oh.

Yeah no, no, no, I I I did the best acting work of my life in that I looked like I was a fucking badass with a gun.

And basically Charlie is sort of getting you ready to come work for command, right, like he sort of six thirteen, Yeah, to come work for b six thirteen, which is yeah, yeah, it's so sad when it gets closer to that, and Quinn's like, what yeah, yeah, but we'll get there.

Okay. Some of my favorite lines from the episode of just like not you know, holy shit, Shonda Rhymes and these writers are fucking unbelievable womans was I love in the top of the episode when the whole thing is sort of switched and we realized that Melli has called Olivia to come to the White House because she truly believes that unless Olivia Pope runs FITs' campaign, there's no

Doesn't she say something like I practically wrapped your little horror in a tinfoil or something and handed her to you and you screwed it up or something like that.

Her lines are not to be believed, just not believed, not to be believed.

Yes, yes, I love when Okay, I love when Olivia has that speech when she's talking about the weather with Eli and she's like, my father is the thing that goes bump in the night.

I thought that was really cool.

How what do you think of your acting in this episode? This wasn't like.

A huge No, Huck was listened. Huck was brooding a lot. He's very crafty, huck, was it crafty a lot? Eating Mexican bowls? Remember, we'd get Mexican bowls on set and we'd all come to the where all our chairs were, where that, you know, with the cast waights before we shoot our scenes, and somebody would be like, Yo, there's Mexican bowls at Crafty and we'd get so excited.

Mexican bowl you mean you make it like a taco salad, Yes, yes, yes, where you like put a bunch of like chips down or tortilla, then you put ah ton of lettuce, you know, like the shredded iceberg, then a ton of ground beef, than a ton of cheat shredded cheese, then pico degayo, guacamole, and some like you know, some other kind of sauces. And that's your mouth.

It's what did you have you eaten anything? Today?

It's very early in the morning, you guys. It's nine thirty in the morning right now.

It's later for me because I'm on the East coast. But yes, I had two scrambled eggs and a piece of.

Toast, a wheat toast, a sour dough white.

I like, like the twenty one grain. Dave's Killer Bread. Hey, Dave's Killer Bread. If you want to do a collab a post, you want to sponsor this podcast.

I had an everything bagel with vegan cream cheese, onions and heirloom tomato and Tabasco sauce on top.

Wo And why do you do the vegan cream cheese because the regular cream cheese makes your stomach.

No, I'm just trying to be listen, I'm just trying

No.

to be healthier and eat more plant based And it was actually really good.

Bad. Yeah.

Is there something you watched that made you do that?

No?

No, I know there's some stuff on, like right on the streaming platforms about like.

Oh my god, there's a bunch of documentary shit.

You are what you eat, I mean more for I mean not not only for health reasons, but the study I read like that if every person on the planet had one meal a day that had no plant based i mean, no animal products in it, that we would completely reverse climate chain. Wow.

No way, Yeah, there's no way that that would happen in the Midwest and so many other parts of the country.

Way, there's no way. There's no way. It's a really good thing. Okay, it's called you are what you eat. Okay, what else we didn't eat? In the episode Eating, Olivia drank the shit out of the biggest goblet of red wine like I've ever seen. And do you remember what it was that she actually drank.

It was like her favorite grape juice, wasn't it.

She loved it and sometimes she loved it like it was like a Welch's grape juice, and she loved it so much. And sometimes when I'm watching her act as Olivia, I can tell that it's grape juice and not because she because she's kind of like doing like a thing with her mouth where you could tell she like, you know that it's really sweet and not like a kind of like a bitter why, you know, Like I feel

One need.

Unbelievable shame, shame, shave, shave well listen And in defense of background food, sometimes there will just be like they'll just sometimes props will say, hey, don't eat to the background. Like I've heard them be like, hey, try not to eat because they.

Don't have a lot of something like they're going to run out. Yes, we can still just make fun of you.

Yeah we can.

There are friends they don't exactly okay fun fact, aiming with one eye closed like Quinn does in the shooting range is a sure fireway to miss. Hey, that's not true. I'm working with guns right now on this show and they keep telling me to close one eye.

Really.

Yeah, I don't know why.

Yeah, I mean, I didn't know that that was a thing.

I'm going to ask and get back to you on that. But I'm pretty sure when I've been in the gun range a lot lately because again the show I'm on is called The Hunting Wives, so guns are in Baltimore and we we totally have one eye down on the thing. Really Uh oh okay, oh, what's that birdie bird.

Oh, I think it's a bird tweeter.

It's a tweeter bird.

It might be.

The time. Okay, this is at love. Hannah wrote hate Living Jake, but I kind of don't mind Huck and Jake except when they crushed Live's heart tonight. Hashtag scandal? Whoa do you think Huck and Jake could have ever been a thing?

Oh? Man, listen, here's hoping. How happy would I have been if that was a thing.

If they gave a love affair to between, created a love affair between Huck and Jake.

I'm here for it, all of it.

I'd be here for it to see.

Sarah cavill at Dragonfly seventy five cheated. There are actual human people that think Olivia Fits is over? Have you never watched a TV show before?

Gay?

Hashtag scandal, hashtag gladiator? Is she trying to Is she throw in some shade? Is she trying to be like you guys, it's just TV. Stop getting so worked up about Living Fits? Is that what she's trying to say?

I think she's trying to say, like, Olivia and Fits are over for right now? But like, come on, guys, we all know TV they're going to get back together. Also like both things, like have you never watched fucking TV before?

She's not wrong, She's not wrong, No.

She's at Corinne Stark seven fifty two tweeted, oh, seven fifty two at Tony Goldwyn, I loved the phone call last week, But can we expect any sexy olits on the horizon? Hashtag scandal for sure? We're so into these two.

Eric Stadius at Estadius tweeted, Olivia watches that one being poured into the glass like a serial killer hash Texican.

She's like, let me get that grape juice, keep pouring.

At Jennifer Pollock tweeted casual How Phoebe Buffet is running for president? Hashtag scale? I bet, yes, she's an amazing actress, but like.

She's so so.

Your Kana at Forever Gladiator tweeted, we all think Olivia's mom is still alive. That probably means she isn't hashtag scandal, hashtag expect the unexpected hashtag you're wrong, girl, she's alive.

At Watch with Poppy tweeted, okay, Gladiators, I'm working on a scandal theory. What if MoMA Pope turns out to be a bad guy. Didn't everyone think that right?

Listen Bella Dame Noir at Bella Dame Noir, tweeted at Kerry Washington. Does the cast your theorize in and speculate about future episodes as much as the Gladiat Gladiators do hashtag scandal. Yes, yes we do. Yes, yes we did.

One hundred This is the cutest picture of us. Love it at Gladiators for Life wrote the Gladiators are up and ready for hashtag scandal hashtag scandal Thursday. And it's a picture of Darby, Quinn, Harrison, and Hawk all with like gladiator bodies from like what the three hundred or Gladiator?

Maybe? Yeah, we look hard, look at the look at our bodies.

My body has never looked like that.

Oh my god, it's all them taco taco salads. Girl, keep the chips out.

It's all that real acting I'm doing when I eat, really eating the scenes.

Uh George Props at Baski Social Oh this is this George Props. Yeah, it's scandal props, tweeted at Scandal ABC. Uh, behind the scenes episode of three oh six Scandal prop quiz time? What book was Olivia reading in?

Fish bookback? I said, fish book get out of here? Book was here.

I don't know, Madie, I just tried to do this to my paper. I'm not even kidding.

I tried to enlarge a piece of actual like paper with my fingers, like do you want your iPhone to make get into a close up?

But I'm I think the human race is done?

Does tell right?

I'm so curious to see what it could be. My god, can you believe how cute YadA Shank's.

So cute and now she's like so beautiful, a lovely young lady.

I mean, she's gorgeous.

She's unbelievable. She's so gorgeous. At Scandalicious five tweeted aside from all the twisty and shady b six thirteen matter, this is a really beautiful family with pictures of Carrie, Candy Alexander and Joe Morton, and which is true?

So true?

What us? I mean? I feel like Joe Morton and Candy Alexander probably should have had real life babies together to just show human beings how gorgeous.

Just for that reason, they should have liked a baby or handsome.

Yes, and she's so beautiful.

What do you think? Gladiators? Email?

Us at ut T at Shondaland dot com, or leave us a voicemail at eight O five two nine eight one four seven four to share your thoughts about the show, about food, about life, but mostly about the show.

Okay, we loved this episode.

Thank you, Simo.

It's a classic. Thank you so much for us. What an honor, what a gift. We have to have you back on at next up we have episode three oh seven. Everything's coming up, Mellie, Yeah.

It is, and it's a little bit smelly.

Thank you guys so much for listening. We love you. Tell your friends, Hey, if you like the Scandal Rewatch podcast, tell a friend to subscribe to it.

Yes, we need you guys, listen. If you guys want to show this podcast to continue on, we need your help and we need your love. So please yeah, find another scandal obsessed friend or someone on social media and just send them a link to the podcast because it would help us a lot and we would love to keep doing this for you guys and for us child.

Bye folks, Adios.

Thank you guys for joining us on Unpacking the Toolbox. If you enjoyed the show, please subscribe, share with your friends right 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 ABC Signature, and you can follow along by rewatching Scandal on Hulu.

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