August 3, 2023 • 54 mins
Both Katie and Guillermo can’t wait to jump into this legendary episode with one of their favorite directors from the Scandal family, Allison Liddi-Brown. And Allison comes ready to share some of the best behind-the-scene secrets that Katie and Guillermo have ever heard. Then, they all discuss the incredible significance of this episode, not only for the OPA team, but for the cast and crew working on the show.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
This episode was recorded prior to the SAG after strike.
Speaker 2 (00:04):
Unpacking the Toolbox is a production of Shondaland Audio in
partnership with iHeartRadio.
Speaker 3 (00:23):
Is the stand watch.
Speaker 1 (00:29):
Yazi Katie.
Speaker 3 (00:36):
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,
(01:03):
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.
Speaker 1 (01:16):
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.
Speaker 3 (01:34):
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.
Speaker 1 (01:46):
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.
Speaker 3 (01:53):
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.
Speaker 1 (02:14):
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
(02:35):
shit man, especially me. I was like I was a
mess shooting this episode. I mean a literal a mess.
Speaker 3 (02:41):
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.
Speaker 4 (02:48):
Yeah, today's guest is the.
Speaker 3 (02:50):
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
(03:11):
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.
Speaker 1 (03:19):
Oh, starting to share this out.
Speaker 3 (03:22):
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?
Speaker 1 (03:30):
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.
Speaker 4 (03:50):
It was so sometimes listeners.
Speaker 3 (03:53):
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
(04:15):
in episode two eighteen.
Speaker 4 (04:16):
That I can't remember anymore.
Speaker 1 (04:17):
I can't remember.
Speaker 3 (04:18):
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.
Speaker 1 (04:28):
I believe, so yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, I think it
was too Yeah. And they set up a big table. Yeah.
Speaker 3 (04:35):
That room was just like completely it was almost like
sacred or something.
Speaker 4 (04:43):
Yeah, it felt like we all went to church or
some shit.
Speaker 1 (04:46):
Yes, yes, like.
Speaker 4 (04:47):
It felt spiritual. The room felt changed.
Speaker 3 (04:49):
We all felt changed at the table read of this episode.
Speaker 1 (04:52):
I think we all knew. You could feel how special
the episode was and how different from all the others
it was palpable.
Speaker 5 (05:00):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (05:00):
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.
Speaker 4 (05:20):
Like really go there there.
Speaker 5 (05:21):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (05:22):
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.
Speaker 1 (05:29):
Right Ooh, I like that Katie.
Speaker 4 (05:31):
But I haven't seen her in one hundred years.
Speaker 3 (05:34):
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,
(05:56):
I have no idea. We'll have to ask her when
she comes on because it's been forever.
Speaker 1 (05:59):
I think he might have done Station nineteen.
Speaker 4 (06:01):
Also, oh, maybe she did Station nineteen.
Speaker 5 (06:05):
Oh.
Speaker 1 (06:06):
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.
Speaker 3 (06:12):
The question is, when you watch this episode back, are
you proud of your work?
Speaker 1 (06:16):
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.
Speaker 4 (06:34):
I was like, it was a hysterical cry.
Speaker 1 (06:37):
Yes, we both were, Yeah, yeah, it's we both were.
Speaker 3 (06:41):
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.
Speaker 4 (06:58):
It is. It is the worst. It is fucking worst.
Speaker 1 (07:03):
And the Wig progression brilliant, brilliant. Really, the Wig and
Beard progression.
Speaker 4 (07:11):
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?
Speaker 1 (07:18):
What is the lot in Burbank? Like here where Ellen shoots.
There was like sound stages there and we shot there.
Speaker 4 (07:26):
Yeah, and it was like a there's a hole there,
there's a hole.
Speaker 1 (07:29):
Yeah, there's a hole there, y'all.
Speaker 3 (07:31):
I've I never did anything surrounding or in the hole,
so I have no clue what we're talking about.
Speaker 1 (07:36):
Now. What I heard that ain't what I heard.
Speaker 3 (07:39):
Katie I've never been around it.
Speaker 1 (07:45):
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.
Speaker 4 (08:00):
Were you scared in there?
Speaker 1 (08:01):
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.
Speaker 4 (08:17):
What are you doing out there? Just like dancing around?
Speaker 1 (08:20):
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.
Speaker 4 (08:30):
Funny gebo, where's your wife and family? Do you have one? Maybe?
Speaker 1 (08:36):
Maybe I don't know. Yeah, it was stupid.
Speaker 4 (08:38):
It's so stupid, this fucking episode.
Speaker 3 (08:40):
I can't be acting on everyone's Oh everyone gets their moment.
Speaker 1 (08:46):
Yo even fits in Olivia like there their ship in
this episode is.
Speaker 3 (08:52):
Freaking He's still in the hospital bed right, and like
she doesn't trust him, she doesn't know what's going on.
Speaker 4 (08:57):
Yes, she's like, uh uh yeah, I.
Speaker 1 (09:01):
Don't believe you.
Speaker 4 (09:03):
I don't believe ye. I mean unbelievable.
Speaker 3 (09:06):
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?
Speaker 4 (09:19):
Or did you already look this up?
Speaker 1 (09:20):
Oh, she's done a bunch of stuff. Yeah, lizanas yeah, yeah, yeah,
let me.
Speaker 4 (09:24):
Se Oh my god. Also she's fucking gorgeous. What just
came up? Wait? Okay.
Speaker 3 (09:29):
So she made her directorial debut on the first season
of the Nickelodeon series The Secret World of Alex Mack.
Speaker 1 (09:34):
That's it, That's it, which I love.
Speaker 3 (09:37):
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.
Speaker 4 (09:45):
Hills nine o two one of them.
Speaker 3 (09:47):
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.
Speaker 4 (10:01):
Ever gossip Girl.
Speaker 3 (10:03):
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
(10:26):
one the.
Speaker 4 (10:28):
Alice.
Speaker 1 (10:31):
Yes, you guys, Alison, what is happening right now? You
look exactly the same as you did ten years ago? Whatever,
what is happening?
Speaker 3 (10:45):
We're just looking at your wiki, wiki, wiki page, and.
Speaker 4 (10:48):
How look at this? Look at this? This is you,
this is Look at how gorgeous.
Speaker 1 (10:54):
You have not age.
Speaker 3 (10:56):
I'm showing a picture of her her winning a very fancy,
sexy ward.
Speaker 5 (11:00):
Thank you.
Speaker 3 (11:01):
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.
Speaker 4 (11:15):
There's always a.
Speaker 5 (11:18):
Look at me, look at that coat?
Speaker 1 (11:20):
Yeah yeah, but you were always comfortable, like looking good
and fly, but comfortable.
Speaker 4 (11:25):
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.
Speaker 5 (11:31):
I had to make sure I could get on the ground.
Speaker 1 (11:33):
Yes, be with you.
Speaker 4 (11:35):
Yeah, I miss you.
Speaker 3 (11:36):
We miss Alison Liddy Brown. Thank you for being here.
Speaker 5 (11:41):
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.
Speaker 1 (11:54):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, but how does it feel to direct?
You directed one of the most like loved episodes of Scandal.
Speaker 4 (12:04):
When we do a deep dive.
Speaker 1 (12:07):
About that, it's her favorite episode.
Speaker 3 (12:08):
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.
Speaker 4 (12:24):
And I like.
Speaker 3 (12:27):
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.
Speaker 4 (12:39):
The shit out of it.
Speaker 5 (12:40):
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.
Speaker 6 (12:50):
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.
Speaker 1 (13:02):
Wow.
Speaker 4 (13:04):
From an editing standpoint, I thought about.
Speaker 1 (13:07):
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?
Speaker 5 (13:21):
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
put that on. Wait, that's not her name. So people
(13:44):
don't know that, and they should understand that the creative
process with the director is I have to it's like
I'm a little circus. I go from one to another
to another, and sometimes the vibe is so perfect. It
really is. And with with you, guys, it really was
just I mean from the beginning, like do your people
(14:05):
know that? Carrie Washington and I was lucky enough to
do episode three of season one. Hell have no Fury,
I think is what it was called. She started every episode,
all of us together in that okay.
Speaker 4 (14:20):
This yet, I'm so glad you're bringing this.
Speaker 1 (14:22):
I know you're the first.
Speaker 5 (14:25):
How would she do it? Let's all do it right now,
if you're near a table, ready and go.
Speaker 7 (14:34):
Yes, That's how we would start. So the blood was flowing,
the creativity was flowing, the trust was flowing.
Speaker 5 (14:41):
And that's why that show's amazing. It's because of that.
Speaker 4 (14:45):
I totally.
Speaker 3 (14:48):
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
(15:11):
the work everybody were Yeah.
Speaker 7 (15:14):
Yes, everybody. Everybody gravitated toward it.
Speaker 5 (15:18):
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
on how you see it. And then I put together
(15:39):
a DC, a director's cut, and I get four days
in which to do that, unless there's some kind of
problem with air dates, and then they can peel it back.
But this is for the union. This is what the
union has given us. So I did get to sit
with Matt Ramsey, who is a blast in the editing room. Also,
he loves my shit, so that's why I also, I
(16:02):
can't believe you did this. I'm like, I know, right,
so it makes me happy this script.
Speaker 3 (16:08):
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
made of you is practically impossible. Like I'm just like
being a director that thank you for saying it's impossible
(16:30):
to be a true episodic director and just in from
show to show and rally all these egos and personalities
and different job titles for better or for worse and
keep them on task and make an artistic, wonderful project
and make the hours and make the days and make
this the turnarounds is so insane and stressful.
Speaker 1 (16:57):
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.
Speaker 4 (17:12):
You're the guest.
Speaker 3 (17:13):
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.
Speaker 4 (17:35):
It's weird, no joke, it's.
Speaker 5 (17:38):
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.
Speaker 3 (17:45):
Yes makers she's seeing sneakers.
Speaker 5 (17:50):
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,
(18:11):
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.
Speaker 4 (18:21):
That you can feel it. That's the we really really
fear it fail.
Speaker 1 (18:26):
Oh I'm glad Alison, you you were. You guided us
so beautifully.
Speaker 3 (18:31):
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.
Speaker 5 (18:55):
Oh my god. He has such a strong.
Speaker 4 (18:57):
Every day the strongest.
Speaker 5 (18:59):
We can't do that anyway, test ever.
Speaker 4 (19:04):
So tell me about the direction Friday lights.
Speaker 5 (19:06):
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.
Speaker 4 (19:24):
We read, no blocking.
Speaker 5 (19:27):
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
going to take you guys outside. Okay, great, you're gonna
(19:47):
grab those things and we're going to go outside to
the car. Very good, and then you're going to get
in the car, and that's what we're going to end it.
So that we would do what I would call like
a just a little skeleton blocking, and then the actors
would just go and then we put three cameras and
then I screamed things like crunch, you know, crash in,
get go to the mediums, go to the mediums. That
we go crash in and get to the to the
tight shocks. Then we flip the line. We do the
(20:09):
same thing, and we would be out in forty five minutes.
No way, And let me tell you something minute.
Speaker 4 (20:17):
Gee, have you ever watched Friday Night Lights?
Speaker 1 (20:19):
No, I've only seen the movie, and just start watching
the show.
Speaker 4 (20:23):
Oh oh yeah, it's so beautiful.
Speaker 5 (20:25):
I did seven episodes.
Speaker 1 (20:26):
God jamn, I'm gonna start watching it.
Speaker 4 (20:28):
Wow, Allison, Wait, how many did you do?
Speaker 6 (20:30):
Allison?
Speaker 1 (20:31):
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?
Speaker 4 (20:43):
Get them a lottery tickets, a baby.
Speaker 1 (20:47):
Seven seven.
Speaker 4 (20:51):
We will be.
Speaker 3 (20:52):
Back with more after the break.
Speaker 4 (20:58):
Everybody, We're gonna this real quick. At Scandal Pace.
Speaker 3 (21:01):
We're talking about episode two nineteen titled seven fifty two,
which aired on April twenty fifth in twenty.
Speaker 1 (21:06):
Thirteen, and it was written by Mark Fish and directed
by The Alison Lady Brown y'all.
Speaker 3 (21:13):
It was guest starring Scott Foley as Jake Ballard, George
Newburn as Charlie, Jesse, Cott Nicole as Kim, Joe Morton
as Mysterious.
Speaker 1 (21:20):
Man, Stony Westmoreland as Hal Rimbau, David Mounier as Crosby,
and Jordan Carretas as Hobby.
Speaker 3 (21:28):
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.
As we dive into hucks past, we learn all of
the terrible things he's done for b six thirteen, from
(21:48):
the start of his recruitment, all the way until he
was held in the hole, until he renounced his family.
Speaker 1 (21:52):
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.
Speaker 3 (22:04):
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.
Speaker 5 (22:20):
You're just a little too sincere.
Speaker 1 (22:23):
Take that out, fake it up, take it out a
little bit, fake it up.
Speaker 5 (22:25):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (22:25):
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.
Speaker 5 (22:43):
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
(23:04):
or one night?
Speaker 1 (23:05):
I feel like because I didn't, I feel like we
did two nights, but I don't quite remember.
Speaker 5 (23:10):
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
(23:32):
of that between Jouseka and then the little Boy Hobby
and all of that, that night was very special to me.
Speaker 1 (23:41):
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
(24:03):
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.
Speaker 5 (24:11):
That, It's be yeah.
Speaker 1 (24:14):
And I don't know if I could have done what
I did in this episode without you.
Speaker 5 (24:19):
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.
Speaker 3 (24:31):
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.
Speaker 4 (24:48):
Did you have any of that for seven fifty two?
Speaker 5 (24:52):
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.
Speaker 1 (25:10):
Met on set. Right, that's it?
Speaker 5 (25:13):
Yeah?
Speaker 1 (25:13):
Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 5 (25:14):
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.
Speaker 1 (25:21):
Oh shit.
Speaker 5 (25:22):
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,
(25:44):
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.
You could see your mind working, sitting at the desk,
and she looked behind her and they had put some
pictures I think, like frames of like Olivia's personal life.
(26:08):
She went and I could see on her face.
Speaker 4 (26:09):
I didn't like that.
Speaker 5 (26:10):
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?
Speaker 1 (26:21):
Did you say or did you just stay quiet?
Speaker 5 (26:23):
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.
Speaker 4 (26:37):
Wow, that was I can't believe that memory.
Speaker 3 (26:40):
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.
Speaker 5 (26:55):
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.
(27:17):
You know that's how I like to do it. I
give you a sort of an idea, but then if
it doesn't feel right, it's like a bad pair of shoes.
I'm not going to ask it a wear. We're going
to do it feels Hey, You're going to do it
feels true, right, That's what we're all going for, what
feels true. So I like it in there early. But
the problem is people think they're there for you to
(27:38):
ask answer questions. I'm sitting down and people.
Speaker 1 (27:41):
Are like, hey, Allison, non stop.
Speaker 5 (27:44):
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
(28:04):
there away from me and let me sit at his desk.
Speaker 4 (28:07):
Oh my god, like you have to teach you.
Speaker 1 (28:10):
I've directed seven fifty two. Leave me alone. Leave me alone.
Speaker 5 (28:15):
I know what I'm doing. I'm an out gay director
and so it's scared.
Speaker 1 (28:24):
And so it's just I was going to talk about this, yes, huge.
Speaker 4 (28:30):
I forgot about Jessica too.
Speaker 1 (28:33):
I have chill.
Speaker 6 (28:35):
I'm chilly.
Speaker 5 (28:36):
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,
(28:56):
creating art in a subway hole in the middle of
you know, fricking wherever North hollywo or wherever we were. Yeah,
and I hugged them both. We remember, I was hugging you,
and then I hugged her and we were just I
don't know if we took pictures. I wish we we did.
Speaker 1 (29:12):
Have a bunch of house and I'll send them to you.
I have a ton of pictures of us in the subway.
Speaker 5 (29:17):
Yeah, oh god, I just I remember that was being
very powerful.
Speaker 1 (29:22):
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.
Speaker 5 (29:40):
This is what a dream. Yes, imagine whispering to little
ten year old Germa.
Speaker 1 (29:45):
Listening to be fine, to.
Speaker 3 (29:49):
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.
Speaker 1 (30:05):
I mean, it was crazy, like.
Speaker 3 (30:09):
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.
Speaker 5 (30:32):
Isn't that something we made? Everybody's amazing.
Speaker 4 (30:36):
That's amazing and should be and it's just like, yeah.
Speaker 3 (30:42):
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.
Speaker 1 (30:55):
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
(31:18):
a guy that you have.
Speaker 4 (31:19):
Oh yeah, forget it.
Speaker 3 (31:20):
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.
Speaker 4 (31:30):
You're like one particular But you know what I love
so much about it?
Speaker 3 (31:34):
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
(31:56):
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?
Speaker 1 (32:05):
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
(32:28):
read and being like, oh my god, we have a
lot of work to do. But then we were thrust
into it and we just started to work and it
just felt right and all of that sort of fell away.
And having you there, you know, guiding me and being
so protective and loving and good and you knew what
I love about like directors that I love is directors
(32:49):
that know exactly what they want. And you always knew
exactly what you wanted. Of course you were open to,
you know, suggestions or if somebody didn't feel that was
right or whatever, but it just I felt again we
keep saying it, but I just felt super super safe
with you.
Speaker 5 (33:03):
And it was.
Speaker 3 (33:04):
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.
Speaker 5 (33:11):
Like so many and then wrap their live faces. You
know they weren't really dead.
Speaker 1 (33:17):
Emplastic, yes, yes, yeah, folding.
Speaker 5 (33:21):
Them up and then like hurry up and cut like.
Speaker 1 (33:25):
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,
(33:46):
they were leg down.
Speaker 5 (33:47):
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
(34:10):
to see the disassociation, the compartmentalization, like the heck Jekyl
and hide quality. This is stuff we don't talk about.
I'm telling you we really didn't have to because he
had this great way of having a good mood. This
is great. And then it went from the guy going yeah,
did you see that transition?
Speaker 1 (34:30):
That was such a beautiful transition was.
Speaker 3 (34:31):
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.
Speaker 5 (34:40):
There's gonna be a lot of blood.
Speaker 1 (34:41):
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.
Speaker 5 (34:47):
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.
Speaker 4 (35:00):
With plastic as dollies. That is so funny. That's really
really funny.
Speaker 5 (35:08):
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.
Speaker 1 (35:19):
We'll be right back, guys.
Speaker 3 (35:24):
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
(35:46):
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
it would almost felt like church or something. It was crazy, right, Yes,
And then I read the Quinn monologue and then Mary
Howard comes running up to me and says, you're gonna
(36:07):
be first up at six am.
Speaker 4 (36:08):
You think you can do it?
Speaker 5 (36:09):
Oh?
Speaker 1 (36:09):
Fuck? Of course, of course fuck.
Speaker 3 (36:12):
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
the worst part. Shonda Rhymes her dang self shows up
(36:39):
because she wants to watch the monologues and do never
on three of them, never onset because she's too busy
writing and she can't be on set.
Speaker 1 (36:49):
Yes, she can't every monologue.
Speaker 3 (36:51):
My monologue was first, then went Darby, then went Harrison
and you better be word perfect.
Speaker 4 (36:58):
And she's there watching and I am diarrhea nervous.
Speaker 8 (37:05):
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.
Speaker 3 (37:18):
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.
Speaker 1 (37:27):
Felt, right, you want to do it justice, like yeah.
Speaker 4 (37:30):
And then I was going to go first, and I
was like, why is this going first?
Speaker 3 (37:33):
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.
Speaker 5 (37:46):
She never was.
Speaker 4 (37:47):
I was terrified.
Speaker 5 (37:48):
Um believable.
Speaker 4 (37:50):
But you just said that.
Speaker 5 (37:52):
But now I have something to say about this, she said, God,
should I read it? I don't know. I do it?
Speaker 6 (37:58):
Do it?
Speaker 5 (37:59):
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.
Speaker 4 (38:19):
Okay, you're the best.
Speaker 5 (38:20):
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
(38:41):
tried fifty songs and then we landed on I can
see clearly now. I thought it was a brilliant turn. Also,
and I can show you this for real. I'm not lying. Also,
Katie Lowe's monologue was played in a wunner, I believe.
I remember you shot tons of setups, but as soon
as I saw that take, I thought, quote, I cannot
(39:03):
cut this up because it's perfect.
Speaker 1 (39:05):
Oh my god, I'm gonna cry.
Speaker 5 (39:07):
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.
Speaker 4 (39:13):
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.
Speaker 3 (39:26):
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.
Speaker 4 (39:37):
Like I was like, I can do this, but.
Speaker 3 (39:42):
I will never forget it. I will just it's like
of the seven years of scandal.
Speaker 1 (39:47):
You know, you have like your special.
Speaker 3 (39:51):
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.
Speaker 1 (40:05):
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.
Speaker 4 (40:22):
Josh Blena has it better than me, Joshina.
Speaker 1 (40:24):
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?
Speaker 3 (40:36):
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.
Speaker 4 (40:45):
You're so good at being right here right now.
Speaker 3 (40:47):
I'm just like, now, I've already figured out all my turns,
like what I'm doing.
Speaker 1 (40:52):
I'm also constantly diarrhea nervous. That's mostly why I'm holding the.
Speaker 4 (40:56):
Sides is I was very nervous.
Speaker 3 (41:01):
Can we all give it up to for the monologues?
I mean Garry's analogue to Hawk at the end.
Speaker 5 (41:07):
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.
Speaker 4 (41:29):
She sat up on that table.
Speaker 5 (41:32):
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.
(41:55):
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
of that. Yeah, but I wanted to ask you if
you remember, I think it was in the script there
was something about Carrie helping you up, touching you, and
then helping you up, and it was her touch that
had you stop.
Speaker 1 (42:16):
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.
Speaker 5 (42:28):
You, and that's why you stop.
Speaker 4 (42:31):
Broke in the bicycle.
Speaker 5 (42:33):
Contact and you can't lie about that stuff you can
feel and stuff.
Speaker 1 (42:38):
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
(43:04):
take on when you were covering Carrie ever she did,
I don't know, like maybe eight or more takes sobb
it like I couldn't, I couldn't stop crying. And then
of course when it turned on me, it was it
was I don't know, it was it was. I've never
experienced anything like that before where I was just so
raw in it.
Speaker 4 (43:24):
My god, when you say I think I used to
have a family.
Speaker 1 (43:28):
Yeah yeah, yeah, yeah, but I don't remember. I could
cry right now about.
Speaker 5 (43:33):
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.
Speaker 1 (43:51):
Yeah, yeah I connected to Hucks.
Speaker 3 (43:55):
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.
Speaker 4 (44:15):
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.
Speaker 3 (44:32):
Nineteen plus seven episodes to figure for us to realize
and learn what Mads.
Speaker 4 (44:39):
Hawk the huck we know, oh right, yeah, what happened
to him.
Speaker 3 (44:42):
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
to this person to make him who he is? And
(45:03):
seven fifty two is when we learn what was taken
from him and how and how brutal that was, and
just it's it's it's it and it answers every it makes.
Speaker 4 (45:14):
It's like, oh my god, that's why he is who
he is.
Speaker 5 (45:17):
It's just yeah, so good, it's so true, so good,
it's so How about the and also the locations?
Speaker 1 (45:26):
Yeahba, my wife.
Speaker 5 (45:28):
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.
Speaker 1 (45:42):
Yes, I can't.
Speaker 5 (45:45):
Woman.
Speaker 4 (45:46):
Wait which refrigerator? Wait, what are you talking about?
Speaker 5 (45:49):
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,
(46:10):
I'm not sure what. It was. All metal, metal top,
metal size, metal bottom. And that's where we killed the guy.
I don't know. He's probably the second or third guy
we killed. And at the last the last shot is
Garmo tiny tiny in the frame and this room where
(46:31):
you could stream all day.
Speaker 1 (46:35):
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.
Speaker 5 (46:53):
Famous hallway which I have seen really huge movies now
at least three times I.
Speaker 3 (46:58):
Would go to.
Speaker 7 (47:00):
That.
Speaker 5 (47:01):
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
(47:22):
we had to feel like if Huck did not do
this it wasn't about going back on tour. He looked
over and he saw Charlie with his hands get killed,
so you might as well do whatever and see what happens.
Speaker 1 (47:37):
Yes, that's about having always popula right.
Speaker 3 (47:42):
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?
Speaker 4 (47:55):
Yeah, let go and.
Speaker 3 (47:57):
Reports back to the mysterious man that is that he
killed dulls Oh yeah, right.
Speaker 1 (48:01):
And so basically Charlie like saves Huck in a way
like he saves his life totally. Yeah.
Speaker 3 (48:06):
Yeah, and then he has nowhere to go except be homeless,
which is the reason that you know Olivia picks him up.
Speaker 4 (48:13):
But oh god, this episode. Wait, Elson Lee Brown.
Speaker 3 (48:18):
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
hold in each other's life. Yes, another fun fact, Joshua
(48:39):
Fucking Molina has a credit in this episode despite not
appearing in it at all, which you know, classic Josh.
Speaker 4 (48:46):
Malina was so psyched to get paid and not work.
Speaker 5 (48:51):
Josh loved.
Speaker 3 (48:52):
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.
Speaker 4 (49:03):
I'm not this episode. He'd be like, yeah, like he's getting.
Speaker 1 (49:06):
Kay, don't gotta work. And now we do tweets at
a time Yo.
Speaker 3 (49:11):
Tweet, tweet, twee tweet two tweetweet tweets at the time
At Caspine fifteen. This aired on April twenty six, twenty thirteen.
Speaker 4 (49:20):
That's ten years ago. Tweeted.
Speaker 3 (49:22):
I know I'm late, but hashtag scandal was so good.
I like that, Olivia hashtag kW that's good.
Speaker 4 (49:28):
I loved it. You stood your ground okay yeah, and.
Speaker 1 (49:32):
Worldwide Boss Underscore four tweeted, so why were people saying
seven fifty two was how many people are killed last
night liars hashtag scandal.
Speaker 4 (49:42):
Oh that would have been good though.
Speaker 5 (49:44):
That's interesting.
Speaker 1 (49:46):
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.
Speaker 3 (49:57):
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.
Speaker 4 (50:06):
That would have been terrible. Oh God, that's been horrible.
Speaker 5 (50:09):
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.
Speaker 1 (50:25):
That was one of my favorite scenes. He walks into
his house and he sees Charlie holding Hobby holding that baby.
Speaker 4 (50:33):
The baby, It's that's one of my hobby favorite scenes.
Speaker 1 (50:37):
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.
Speaker 5 (50:48):
That's a great one.
Speaker 3 (50:49):
Brian Waller Scott at BK Prodigy tweeted, damn, I'm officially
hooked from this last episode.
Speaker 4 (50:55):
That was really sad hashtag scandal true.
Speaker 1 (50:59):
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?
Speaker 7 (51:10):
Yo?
Speaker 4 (51:12):
Yo, she ain't wrong, that's so true.
Speaker 3 (51:17):
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
(51:40):
a woman to put up with Fitz's shit.
Speaker 1 (51:43):
Not wrong, well, but yeah. Cynthia Spain tweeted, I know
I'm late, but scandal was so good.
Speaker 5 (51:49):
I liked that.
Speaker 1 (51:49):
Olivia Kerrie Washington, I loved it. You stood your ground.
Cool nice hell yeah right, Oh my.
Speaker 3 (51:55):
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
(52:16):
a huge monologue's like we'd love to get him or whatever.
And seven fifty two came and Gearmo and I were both.
Speaker 4 (52:21):
Like, al was of Liddy Brown?
Speaker 1 (52:22):
Yeah, yeah, we love you so much. You're so happy you.
Speaker 3 (52:26):
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.
Speaker 1 (52:41):
Yeah, I would a treat you've given to the listeners
with the stories and you know, so good, so.
Speaker 3 (52:47):
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.
Speaker 1 (52:59):
Is YO, that shit is not easy.
Speaker 5 (53:03):
What did you direct?
Speaker 1 (53:04):
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
(53:25):
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.
Speaker 3 (53:34):
Yeah, Yeah, Alison Laddy Brown, you are one of a kind,
gem of an artist, leader, human director.
Speaker 4 (53:42):
I can't wait for the day when I get to
work with you again and you give me to.
Speaker 1 (53:49):
You guys like we'll always have seven fifty two.
Speaker 5 (53:52):
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.
Speaker 1 (54:03):
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.
Speaker 3 (54:19):
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.
This episode was recorded prior to the SAG after strike.
Speaker 2 (00:04):
Unpacking the Toolbox is a production of Shondaland Audio in
partnership with iHeartRadio.
Speaker 3 (00:23):
Is the stand watch.
Speaker 1 (00:29):
Yazi Katie.
Speaker 3 (00:36):
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,
(01:03):
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.
Speaker 1 (01:16):
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.
Speaker 3 (01:34):
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.
Speaker 1 (01:46):
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.
Speaker 3 (01:53):
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.
Speaker 1 (02:14):
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
(02:35):
shit man, especially me. I was like I was a
mess shooting this episode. I mean a literal a mess.
Speaker 3 (02:41):
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.
Speaker 4 (02:48):
Yeah, today's guest is the.
Speaker 3 (02:50):
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
(03:11):
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.
Speaker 1 (03:19):
Oh, starting to share this out.
Speaker 3 (03:22):
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?
Speaker 1 (03:30):
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.
Speaker 4 (03:50):
It was so sometimes listeners.
Speaker 3 (03:53):
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
(04:15):
in episode two eighteen.
Speaker 4 (04:16):
That I can't remember anymore.
Speaker 1 (04:17):
I can't remember.
Speaker 3 (04:18):
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.
Speaker 1 (04:28):
I believe, so yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, I think it
was too Yeah. And they set up a big table. Yeah.
Speaker 3 (04:35):
That room was just like completely it was almost like
sacred or something.
Speaker 4 (04:43):
Yeah, it felt like we all went to church or
some shit.
Speaker 1 (04:46):
Yes, yes, like.
Speaker 4 (04:47):
It felt spiritual. The room felt changed.
Speaker 3 (04:49):
We all felt changed at the table read of this episode.
Speaker 1 (04:52):
I think we all knew. You could feel how special
the episode was and how different from all the others
it was palpable.
Speaker 5 (05:00):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (05:00):
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.
Speaker 4 (05:20):
Like really go there there.
Speaker 5 (05:21):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (05:22):
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.
Speaker 1 (05:29):
Right Ooh, I like that Katie.
Speaker 4 (05:31):
But I haven't seen her in one hundred years.
Speaker 3 (05:34):
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,
(05:56):
I have no idea. We'll have to ask her when
she comes on because it's been forever.
Speaker 1 (05:59):
I think he might have done Station nineteen.
Speaker 4 (06:01):
Also, oh, maybe she did Station nineteen.
Speaker 5 (06:05):
Oh.
Speaker 1 (06:06):
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.
Speaker 3 (06:12):
The question is, when you watch this episode back, are
you proud of your work?
Speaker 1 (06:16):
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.
Speaker 4 (06:34):
I was like, it was a hysterical cry.
Speaker 1 (06:37):
Yes, we both were, Yeah, yeah, it's we both were.
Speaker 3 (06:41):
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.
Speaker 4 (06:58):
It is. It is the worst. It is fucking worst.
Speaker 1 (07:03):
And the Wig progression brilliant, brilliant. Really, the Wig and
Beard progression.
Speaker 4 (07:11):
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?
Speaker 1 (07:18):
What is the lot in Burbank? Like here where Ellen shoots.
There was like sound stages there and we shot there.
Speaker 4 (07:26):
Yeah, and it was like a there's a hole there,
there's a hole.
Speaker 1 (07:29):
Yeah, there's a hole there, y'all.
Speaker 3 (07:31):
I've I never did anything surrounding or in the hole,
so I have no clue what we're talking about.
Speaker 1 (07:36):
Now. What I heard that ain't what I heard.
Speaker 3 (07:39):
Katie I've never been around it.
Speaker 1 (07:45):
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.
Speaker 4 (08:00):
Were you scared in there?
Speaker 1 (08:01):
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.
Speaker 4 (08:17):
What are you doing out there? Just like dancing around?
Speaker 1 (08:20):
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.
Speaker 4 (08:30):
Funny gebo, where's your wife and family? Do you have one? Maybe?
Speaker 1 (08:36):
Maybe I don't know. Yeah, it was stupid.
Speaker 4 (08:38):
It's so stupid, this fucking episode.
Speaker 3 (08:40):
I can't be acting on everyone's Oh everyone gets their moment.
Speaker 1 (08:46):
Yo even fits in Olivia like there their ship in
this episode is.
Speaker 3 (08:52):
Freaking He's still in the hospital bed right, and like
she doesn't trust him, she doesn't know what's going on.
Speaker 4 (08:57):
Yes, she's like, uh uh yeah, I.
Speaker 1 (09:01):
Don't believe you.
Speaker 4 (09:03):
I don't believe ye. I mean unbelievable.
Speaker 3 (09:06):
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?
Speaker 4 (09:19):
Or did you already look this up?
Speaker 1 (09:20):
Oh, she's done a bunch of stuff. Yeah, lizanas yeah, yeah, yeah,
let me.
Speaker 4 (09:24):
Se Oh my god. Also she's fucking gorgeous. What just
came up? Wait? Okay.
Speaker 3 (09:29):
So she made her directorial debut on the first season
of the Nickelodeon series The Secret World of Alex Mack.
Speaker 1 (09:34):
That's it, That's it, which I love.
Speaker 3 (09:37):
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.
Speaker 4 (09:45):
Hills nine o two one of them.
Speaker 3 (09:47):
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.
Speaker 4 (10:01):
Ever gossip Girl.
Speaker 3 (10:03):
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
(10:26):
one the.
Speaker 4 (10:28):
Alice.
Speaker 1 (10:31):
Yes, you guys, Alison, what is happening right now? You
look exactly the same as you did ten years ago? Whatever,
what is happening?
Speaker 3 (10:45):
We're just looking at your wiki, wiki, wiki page, and.
Speaker 4 (10:48):
How look at this? Look at this? This is you,
this is Look at how gorgeous.
Speaker 1 (10:54):
You have not age.
Speaker 3 (10:56):
I'm showing a picture of her her winning a very fancy,
sexy ward.
Speaker 5 (11:00):
Thank you.
Speaker 3 (11:01):
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.
Speaker 4 (11:15):
There's always a.
Speaker 5 (11:18):
Look at me, look at that coat?
Speaker 1 (11:20):
Yeah yeah, but you were always comfortable, like looking good
and fly, but comfortable.
Speaker 4 (11:25):
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.
Speaker 5 (11:31):
I had to make sure I could get on the ground.
Speaker 1 (11:33):
Yes, be with you.
Speaker 4 (11:35):
Yeah, I miss you.
Speaker 3 (11:36):
We miss Alison Liddy Brown. Thank you for being here.
Speaker 5 (11:41):
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.
Speaker 1 (11:54):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, but how does it feel to direct?
You directed one of the most like loved episodes of Scandal.
Speaker 4 (12:04):
When we do a deep dive.
Speaker 1 (12:07):
About that, it's her favorite episode.
Speaker 3 (12:08):
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.
Speaker 4 (12:24):
And I like.
Speaker 3 (12:27):
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.
Speaker 4 (12:39):
The shit out of it.
Speaker 5 (12:40):
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.
Speaker 6 (12:50):
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.
Speaker 1 (13:02):
Wow.
Speaker 4 (13:04):
From an editing standpoint, I thought about.
Speaker 1 (13:07):
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?
Speaker 5 (13:21):
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
put that on. Wait, that's not her name. So people
(13:44):
don't know that, and they should understand that the creative
process with the director is I have to it's like
I'm a little circus. I go from one to another
to another, and sometimes the vibe is so perfect. It
really is. And with with you, guys, it really was
just I mean from the beginning, like do your people
(14:05):
know that? Carrie Washington and I was lucky enough to
do episode three of season one. Hell have no Fury,
I think is what it was called. She started every episode,
all of us together in that okay.
Speaker 4 (14:20):
This yet, I'm so glad you're bringing this.
Speaker 1 (14:22):
I know you're the first.
Speaker 5 (14:25):
How would she do it? Let's all do it right now,
if you're near a table, ready and go.
Speaker 7 (14:34):
Yes, That's how we would start. So the blood was flowing,
the creativity was flowing, the trust was flowing.
Speaker 5 (14:41):
And that's why that show's amazing. It's because of that.
Speaker 4 (14:45):
I totally.
Speaker 3 (14:48):
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
(15:11):
the work everybody were Yeah.
Speaker 7 (15:14):
Yes, everybody. Everybody gravitated toward it.
Speaker 5 (15:18):
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
on how you see it. And then I put together
(15:39):
a DC, a director's cut, and I get four days
in which to do that, unless there's some kind of
problem with air dates, and then they can peel it back.
But this is for the union. This is what the
union has given us. So I did get to sit
with Matt Ramsey, who is a blast in the editing room. Also,
he loves my shit, so that's why I also, I
(16:02):
can't believe you did this. I'm like, I know, right,
so it makes me happy this script.
Speaker 3 (16:08):
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
made of you is practically impossible. Like I'm just like
being a director that thank you for saying it's impossible
(16:30):
to be a true episodic director and just in from
show to show and rally all these egos and personalities
and different job titles for better or for worse and
keep them on task and make an artistic, wonderful project
and make the hours and make the days and make
this the turnarounds is so insane and stressful.
Speaker 1 (16:57):
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.
Speaker 4 (17:12):
You're the guest.
Speaker 3 (17:13):
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.
Speaker 4 (17:35):
It's weird, no joke, it's.
Speaker 5 (17:38):
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.
Speaker 3 (17:45):
Yes makers she's seeing sneakers.
Speaker 5 (17:50):
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,
(18:11):
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.
Speaker 4 (18:21):
That you can feel it. That's the we really really
fear it fail.
Speaker 1 (18:26):
Oh I'm glad Alison, you you were. You guided us
so beautifully.
Speaker 3 (18:31):
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.
Speaker 5 (18:55):
Oh my god. He has such a strong.
Speaker 4 (18:57):
Every day the strongest.
Speaker 5 (18:59):
We can't do that anyway, test ever.
Speaker 4 (19:04):
So tell me about the direction Friday lights.
Speaker 5 (19:06):
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.
Speaker 4 (19:24):
We read, no blocking.
Speaker 5 (19:27):
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
going to take you guys outside. Okay, great, you're gonna
(19:47):
grab those things and we're going to go outside to
the car. Very good, and then you're going to get
in the car, and that's what we're going to end it.
So that we would do what I would call like
a just a little skeleton blocking, and then the actors
would just go and then we put three cameras and
then I screamed things like crunch, you know, crash in,
get go to the mediums, go to the mediums. That
we go crash in and get to the to the
tight shocks. Then we flip the line. We do the
(20:09):
same thing, and we would be out in forty five minutes.
No way, And let me tell you something minute.
Speaker 4 (20:17):
Gee, have you ever watched Friday Night Lights?
Speaker 1 (20:19):
No, I've only seen the movie, and just start watching
the show.
Speaker 4 (20:23):
Oh oh yeah, it's so beautiful.
Speaker 5 (20:25):
I did seven episodes.
Speaker 1 (20:26):
God jamn, I'm gonna start watching it.
Speaker 4 (20:28):
Wow, Allison, Wait, how many did you do?
Speaker 6 (20:30):
Allison?
Speaker 1 (20:31):
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?
Speaker 4 (20:43):
Get them a lottery tickets, a baby.
Speaker 1 (20:47):
Seven seven.
Speaker 4 (20:51):
We will be.
Speaker 3 (20:52):
Back with more after the break.
Speaker 4 (20:58):
Everybody, We're gonna this real quick. At Scandal Pace.
Speaker 3 (21:01):
We're talking about episode two nineteen titled seven fifty two,
which aired on April twenty fifth in twenty.
Speaker 1 (21:06):
Thirteen, and it was written by Mark Fish and directed
by The Alison Lady Brown y'all.
Speaker 3 (21:13):
It was guest starring Scott Foley as Jake Ballard, George
Newburn as Charlie, Jesse, Cott Nicole as Kim, Joe Morton
as Mysterious.
Speaker 1 (21:20):
Man, Stony Westmoreland as Hal Rimbau, David Mounier as Crosby,
and Jordan Carretas as Hobby.
Speaker 3 (21:28):
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.
As we dive into hucks past, we learn all of
the terrible things he's done for b six thirteen, from
(21:48):
the start of his recruitment, all the way until he
was held in the hole, until he renounced his family.
Speaker 1 (21:52):
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.
Speaker 3 (22:04):
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.
Speaker 5 (22:20):
You're just a little too sincere.
Speaker 1 (22:23):
Take that out, fake it up, take it out a
little bit, fake it up.
Speaker 5 (22:25):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (22:25):
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.
Speaker 5 (22:43):
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
(23:04):
or one night?
Speaker 1 (23:05):
I feel like because I didn't, I feel like we
did two nights, but I don't quite remember.
Speaker 5 (23:10):
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
(23:32):
of that between Jouseka and then the little Boy Hobby
and all of that, that night was very special to me.
Speaker 1 (23:41):
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
(24:03):
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.
Speaker 5 (24:11):
That, It's be yeah.
Speaker 1 (24:14):
And I don't know if I could have done what
I did in this episode without you.
Speaker 5 (24:19):
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.
Speaker 3 (24:31):
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.
Speaker 4 (24:48):
Did you have any of that for seven fifty two?
Speaker 5 (24:52):
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.
Speaker 1 (25:10):
Met on set. Right, that's it?
Speaker 5 (25:13):
Yeah?
Speaker 1 (25:13):
Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 5 (25:14):
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.
Speaker 1 (25:21):
Oh shit.
Speaker 5 (25:22):
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,
(25:44):
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.
You could see your mind working, sitting at the desk,
and she looked behind her and they had put some
pictures I think, like frames of like Olivia's personal life.
(26:08):
She went and I could see on her face.
Speaker 4 (26:09):
I didn't like that.
Speaker 5 (26:10):
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?
Speaker 1 (26:21):
Did you say or did you just stay quiet?
Speaker 5 (26:23):
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.
Speaker 4 (26:37):
Wow, that was I can't believe that memory.
Speaker 3 (26:40):
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.
Speaker 5 (26:55):
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.
(27:17):
You know that's how I like to do it. I
give you a sort of an idea, but then if
it doesn't feel right, it's like a bad pair of shoes.
I'm not going to ask it a wear. We're going
to do it feels Hey, You're going to do it
feels true, right, That's what we're all going for, what
feels true. So I like it in there early. But
the problem is people think they're there for you to
(27:38):
ask answer questions. I'm sitting down and people.
Speaker 1 (27:41):
Are like, hey, Allison, non stop.
Speaker 5 (27:44):
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
(28:04):
there away from me and let me sit at his desk.
Speaker 4 (28:07):
Oh my god, like you have to teach you.
Speaker 1 (28:10):
I've directed seven fifty two. Leave me alone. Leave me alone.
Speaker 5 (28:15):
I know what I'm doing. I'm an out gay director
and so it's scared.
Speaker 1 (28:24):
And so it's just I was going to talk about this, yes, huge.
Speaker 4 (28:30):
I forgot about Jessica too.
Speaker 1 (28:33):
I have chill.
Speaker 6 (28:35):
I'm chilly.
Speaker 5 (28:36):
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,
(28:56):
creating art in a subway hole in the middle of
you know, fricking wherever North hollywo or wherever we were. Yeah,
and I hugged them both. We remember, I was hugging you,
and then I hugged her and we were just I
don't know if we took pictures. I wish we we did.
Speaker 1 (29:12):
Have a bunch of house and I'll send them to you.
I have a ton of pictures of us in the subway.
Speaker 5 (29:17):
Yeah, oh god, I just I remember that was being
very powerful.
Speaker 1 (29:22):
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.
Speaker 5 (29:40):
This is what a dream. Yes, imagine whispering to little
ten year old Germa.
Speaker 1 (29:45):
Listening to be fine, to.
Speaker 3 (29:49):
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.
Speaker 1 (30:05):
I mean, it was crazy, like.
Speaker 3 (30:09):
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.
Speaker 5 (30:32):
Isn't that something we made? Everybody's amazing.
Speaker 4 (30:36):
That's amazing and should be and it's just like, yeah.
Speaker 3 (30:42):
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.
Speaker 1 (30:55):
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
(31:18):
a guy that you have.
Speaker 4 (31:19):
Oh yeah, forget it.
Speaker 3 (31:20):
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.
Speaker 4 (31:30):
You're like one particular But you know what I love
so much about it?
Speaker 3 (31:34):
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
(31:56):
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?
Speaker 1 (32:05):
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
(32:28):
read and being like, oh my god, we have a
lot of work to do. But then we were thrust
into it and we just started to work and it
just felt right and all of that sort of fell away.
And having you there, you know, guiding me and being
so protective and loving and good and you knew what
I love about like directors that I love is directors
(32:49):
that know exactly what they want. And you always knew
exactly what you wanted. Of course you were open to,
you know, suggestions or if somebody didn't feel that was
right or whatever, but it just I felt again we
keep saying it, but I just felt super super safe
with you.
Speaker 5 (33:03):
And it was.
Speaker 3 (33:04):
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.
Speaker 5 (33:11):
Like so many and then wrap their live faces. You
know they weren't really dead.
Speaker 1 (33:17):
Emplastic, yes, yes, yeah, folding.
Speaker 5 (33:21):
Them up and then like hurry up and cut like.
Speaker 1 (33:25):
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,
(33:46):
they were leg down.
Speaker 5 (33:47):
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
(34:10):
to see the disassociation, the compartmentalization, like the heck Jekyl
and hide quality. This is stuff we don't talk about.
I'm telling you we really didn't have to because he
had this great way of having a good mood. This
is great. And then it went from the guy going yeah,
did you see that transition?
Speaker 1 (34:30):
That was such a beautiful transition was.
Speaker 3 (34:31):
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.
Speaker 5 (34:40):
There's gonna be a lot of blood.
Speaker 1 (34:41):
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.
Speaker 5 (34:47):
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.
Speaker 4 (35:00):
With plastic as dollies. That is so funny. That's really
really funny.
Speaker 5 (35:08):
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.
Speaker 1 (35:19):
We'll be right back, guys.
Speaker 3 (35:24):
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
(35:46):
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
it would almost felt like church or something. It was crazy, right, Yes,
And then I read the Quinn monologue and then Mary
Howard comes running up to me and says, you're gonna
(36:07):
be first up at six am.
Speaker 4 (36:08):
You think you can do it?
Speaker 5 (36:09):
Oh?
Speaker 1 (36:09):
Fuck? Of course, of course fuck.
Speaker 3 (36:12):
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
the worst part. Shonda Rhymes her dang self shows up
(36:39):
because she wants to watch the monologues and do never
on three of them, never onset because she's too busy
writing and she can't be on set.
Speaker 1 (36:49):
Yes, she can't every monologue.
Speaker 3 (36:51):
My monologue was first, then went Darby, then went Harrison
and you better be word perfect.
Speaker 4 (36:58):
And she's there watching and I am diarrhea nervous.
Speaker 8 (37:05):
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.
Speaker 3 (37:18):
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.
Speaker 1 (37:27):
Felt, right, you want to do it justice, like yeah.
Speaker 4 (37:30):
And then I was going to go first, and I
was like, why is this going first?
Speaker 3 (37:33):
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.
Speaker 5 (37:46):
She never was.
Speaker 4 (37:47):
I was terrified.
Speaker 5 (37:48):
Um believable.
Speaker 4 (37:50):
But you just said that.
Speaker 5 (37:52):
But now I have something to say about this, she said, God,
should I read it? I don't know. I do it?
Speaker 6 (37:58):
Do it?
Speaker 5 (37:59):
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.
Speaker 4 (38:19):
Okay, you're the best.
Speaker 5 (38:20):
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
(38:41):
tried fifty songs and then we landed on I can
see clearly now. I thought it was a brilliant turn. Also,
and I can show you this for real. I'm not lying. Also,
Katie Lowe's monologue was played in a wunner, I believe.
I remember you shot tons of setups, but as soon
as I saw that take, I thought, quote, I cannot
(39:03):
cut this up because it's perfect.
Speaker 1 (39:05):
Oh my god, I'm gonna cry.
Speaker 5 (39:07):
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.
Speaker 4 (39:13):
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.
Speaker 3 (39:26):
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.
Speaker 4 (39:37):
Like I was like, I can do this, but.
Speaker 3 (39:42):
I will never forget it. I will just it's like
of the seven years of scandal.
Speaker 1 (39:47):
You know, you have like your special.
Speaker 3 (39:51):
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.
Speaker 1 (40:05):
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.
Speaker 4 (40:22):
Josh Blena has it better than me, Joshina.
Speaker 1 (40:24):
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?
Speaker 3 (40:36):
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.
Speaker 4 (40:45):
You're so good at being right here right now.
Speaker 3 (40:47):
I'm just like, now, I've already figured out all my turns,
like what I'm doing.
Speaker 1 (40:52):
I'm also constantly diarrhea nervous. That's mostly why I'm holding the.
Speaker 4 (40:56):
Sides is I was very nervous.
Speaker 3 (41:01):
Can we all give it up to for the monologues?
I mean Garry's analogue to Hawk at the end.
Speaker 5 (41:07):
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.
Speaker 4 (41:29):
She sat up on that table.
Speaker 5 (41:32):
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.
(41:55):
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
of that. Yeah, but I wanted to ask you if
you remember, I think it was in the script there
was something about Carrie helping you up, touching you, and
then helping you up, and it was her touch that
had you stop.
Speaker 1 (42:16):
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.
Speaker 5 (42:28):
You, and that's why you stop.
Speaker 4 (42:31):
Broke in the bicycle.
Speaker 5 (42:33):
Contact and you can't lie about that stuff you can
feel and stuff.
Speaker 1 (42:38):
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
(43:04):
take on when you were covering Carrie ever she did,
I don't know, like maybe eight or more takes sobb
it like I couldn't, I couldn't stop crying. And then
of course when it turned on me, it was it
was I don't know, it was it was. I've never
experienced anything like that before where I was just so
raw in it.
Speaker 4 (43:24):
My god, when you say I think I used to
have a family.
Speaker 1 (43:28):
Yeah yeah, yeah, yeah, but I don't remember. I could
cry right now about.
Speaker 5 (43:33):
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.
Speaker 1 (43:51):
Yeah, yeah I connected to Hucks.
Speaker 3 (43:55):
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.
Speaker 4 (44:15):
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.
Speaker 3 (44:32):
Nineteen plus seven episodes to figure for us to realize
and learn what Mads.
Speaker 4 (44:39):
Hawk the huck we know, oh right, yeah, what happened
to him.
Speaker 3 (44:42):
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
to this person to make him who he is? And
(45:03):
seven fifty two is when we learn what was taken
from him and how and how brutal that was, and
just it's it's it's it and it answers every it makes.
Speaker 4 (45:14):
It's like, oh my god, that's why he is who
he is.
Speaker 5 (45:17):
It's just yeah, so good, it's so true, so good,
it's so How about the and also the locations?
Speaker 1 (45:26):
Yeahba, my wife.
Speaker 5 (45:28):
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.
Speaker 1 (45:42):
Yes, I can't.
Speaker 5 (45:45):
Woman.
Speaker 4 (45:46):
Wait which refrigerator? Wait, what are you talking about?
Speaker 5 (45:49):
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,
(46:10):
I'm not sure what. It was. All metal, metal top,
metal size, metal bottom. And that's where we killed the guy.
I don't know. He's probably the second or third guy
we killed. And at the last the last shot is
Garmo tiny tiny in the frame and this room where
(46:31):
you could stream all day.
Speaker 1 (46:35):
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.
Speaker 5 (46:53):
Famous hallway which I have seen really huge movies now
at least three times I.
Speaker 3 (46:58):
Would go to.
Speaker 7 (47:00):
That.
Speaker 5 (47:01):
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
(47:22):
we had to feel like if Huck did not do
this it wasn't about going back on tour. He looked
over and he saw Charlie with his hands get killed,
so you might as well do whatever and see what happens.
Speaker 1 (47:37):
Yes, that's about having always popula right.
Speaker 3 (47:42):
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?
Speaker 4 (47:55):
Yeah, let go and.
Speaker 3 (47:57):
Reports back to the mysterious man that is that he
killed dulls Oh yeah, right.
Speaker 1 (48:01):
And so basically Charlie like saves Huck in a way
like he saves his life totally. Yeah.
Speaker 3 (48:06):
Yeah, and then he has nowhere to go except be homeless,
which is the reason that you know Olivia picks him up.
Speaker 4 (48:13):
But oh god, this episode. Wait, Elson Lee Brown.
Speaker 3 (48:18):
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
hold in each other's life. Yes, another fun fact, Joshua
(48:39):
Fucking Molina has a credit in this episode despite not
appearing in it at all, which you know, classic Josh.
Speaker 4 (48:46):
Malina was so psyched to get paid and not work.
Speaker 5 (48:51):
Josh loved.
Speaker 3 (48:52):
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.
Speaker 4 (49:03):
I'm not this episode. He'd be like, yeah, like he's getting.
Speaker 1 (49:06):
Kay, don't gotta work. And now we do tweets at
a time Yo.
Speaker 3 (49:11):
Tweet, tweet, twee tweet two tweetweet tweets at the time
At Caspine fifteen. This aired on April twenty six, twenty thirteen.
Speaker 4 (49:20):
That's ten years ago. Tweeted.
Speaker 3 (49:22):
I know I'm late, but hashtag scandal was so good.
I like that, Olivia hashtag kW that's good.
Speaker 4 (49:28):
I loved it. You stood your ground okay yeah, and.
Speaker 1 (49:32):
Worldwide Boss Underscore four tweeted, so why were people saying
seven fifty two was how many people are killed last
night liars hashtag scandal.
Speaker 4 (49:42):
Oh that would have been good though.
Speaker 5 (49:44):
That's interesting.
Speaker 1 (49:46):
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.
Speaker 3 (49:57):
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.
Speaker 4 (50:06):
That would have been terrible. Oh God, that's been horrible.
Speaker 5 (50:09):
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.
Speaker 1 (50:25):
That was one of my favorite scenes. He walks into
his house and he sees Charlie holding Hobby holding that baby.
Speaker 4 (50:33):
The baby, It's that's one of my hobby favorite scenes.
Speaker 1 (50:37):
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.
Speaker 5 (50:48):
That's a great one.
Speaker 3 (50:49):
Brian Waller Scott at BK Prodigy tweeted, damn, I'm officially
hooked from this last episode.
Speaker 4 (50:55):
That was really sad hashtag scandal true.
Speaker 1 (50:59):
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?
Speaker 7 (51:10):
Yo?
Speaker 4 (51:12):
Yo, she ain't wrong, that's so true.
Speaker 3 (51:17):
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
(51:40):
a woman to put up with Fitz's shit.
Speaker 1 (51:43):
Not wrong, well, but yeah. Cynthia Spain tweeted, I know
I'm late, but scandal was so good.
Speaker 5 (51:49):
I liked that.
Speaker 1 (51:49):
Olivia Kerrie Washington, I loved it. You stood your ground.
Cool nice hell yeah right, Oh my.
Speaker 3 (51:55):
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
(52:16):
a huge monologue's like we'd love to get him or whatever.
And seven fifty two came and Gearmo and I were both.
Speaker 4 (52:21):
Like, al was of Liddy Brown?
Speaker 1 (52:22):
Yeah, yeah, we love you so much. You're so happy you.
Speaker 3 (52:26):
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.
Speaker 1 (52:41):
Yeah, I would a treat you've given to the listeners
with the stories and you know, so good, so.
Speaker 3 (52:47):
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.
Speaker 1 (52:59):
Is YO, that shit is not easy.
Speaker 5 (53:03):
What did you direct?
Speaker 1 (53:04):
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
(53:25):
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.
Speaker 3 (53:34):
Yeah, Yeah, Alison Laddy Brown, you are one of a kind,
gem of an artist, leader, human director.
Speaker 4 (53:42):
I can't wait for the day when I get to
work with you again and you give me to.
Speaker 1 (53:49):
You guys like we'll always have seven fifty two.
Speaker 5 (53:52):
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.
Speaker 1 (54:03):
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.
Speaker 3 (54:19):
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.
Hosts And Creators
Guillermo Díaz
Katie Lowes
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