Scandal is wild and addictive. And it's so easy to be dazzled by the sex, political wrangling, high-speed dialogue, and flashy camera work that you can sometimes forget it's a blistering satire of the Republican Party.
That's right. Shonda Rhimes' main target isn't DC's back stabbing and bitchery--it's GOP hypocrisy, venality, and corruption.
The handsome President got into office via blatant fraud. His chief of staff has been involved in murder, and so have many other people connected to his administration.
His former Veep killed her philandering husband and now has a talk show where she channels the Church Lady--in a nicer suit.
This season, the satire has been up front and very personal. Blowhard Hollis Doyle who's been running for the Presidency is pure Donald Trump in his boorish sexism and xenophobia--though he's more folksy and unctuous.
And the season's final episode included this priceless mini-tirade by the former chair of the Republican National Committee who's now the Vice President's chief of staff:
"I'm a Republican. I don't believe in free college. I don't believe in free. I don't believe in college. Everything should have a price, especially education--which is worthless."
Delivered with cold fury by actress Portia di Rossi, the words are like a chisel chopping into a block of ice.
If that attitude doesn't perfectly sum up the kind of cruel Alice in Wonderland BS you hear from Republican state legislators and even members of Congress, what does?
Lev Raphael is the author of The Vampyre of Gotham and 24 other books in genres from mystery to memoir that you can find on Amazon.