Episode no. Season 5
Episode 9 Written by Mark Wilding | Directed by Tom Verica Original air date November 19, 2015 | |
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"Baby, It's Cold Outside" is the 9th episode of the fifth season of the American political thriller television series Scandal. It takes its title from the 1944 song Baby, It's Cold Outside written by Frank Loesser.
Contents
It aired on November 19, 2015 on American Broadcasting Company (ABC) in the United States. The episode was written by Mark Wilding and directed by Tom Verica.
Plot
Learning that the senate plans to defund Planned Parenthood before the Christmas break Mellie stages an impromptu filibuster to block the bill from passing. Unprepared for the filibuster she is on the verge of giving up when Susan Ross comes to the senate and Mellie yields the floor to her so that she can go to the restroom. While there she encounters Liv, who she realizes helped to orchestrate the break.
Meanwhile, Liv grows increasingly exhausted from playing at being the first lady for Fitz. Watching from the sidelines as Mellie performs her bold political act, Liv goes to get an abortion herself. Returning to the White House she and Fitz get into an argument and they break up. Returning home in time for Christmas she has her old, wine-stained, couch thrown out and a new one delivered.
Critical reception
The episode was well received by television critics, with many praising show creator Shonda Rhimes for the way in which she integrated Olivia Pope's decision to have an abortion into the episode. Ben Philippe at The A.V. Club wrote an essay about the abortion, praising it for making the show "actually political". Lenika Cruz writing for The Atlantic praised the understated way in which abortion was worked into the episode, saying that the "most remarkable thing about the episode's big moment was how unremarkable it was."
The health services organization Planned Parenthood, which was featured heavily in the episode, praised Shonda Rhimes for the episode, releasing a statement that said in part, "We applaud Shonda Rhimes tonight—and every Thursday night—for proving that when women are telling our stories, the world will pause and watch."
Norman Lear, who created the sitcom Maude, in which the lead character chose to have an abortion after much consideration in an episode that aired in 1972, spoke out in support of the episode, saying that he "love[d] the way it was handled", while admitting surprise that "it was so matter of fact".
The episode received backlash from right-wing conservative groups such as the Media Research Center who called it “sick,” saying the episode was "Hollywood’s moral depravity on full display.” They further said, “The entire hour was an advertisement for Planned Parenthood, but the absolute worst scene was a montage set to the Christmas hymn "Silent Night," a song that celebrates the birth of Christ, while main character Olivia Pope (Kerry Washington) has an abortion, killing her and the president's baby".