Politico-Girl Fight! Scandal's Olivia Pope Vs. Boss's Mona Fredricks
The fall season has given audiences plenty of things to look forward to watching.
Whether they're scary, drama-filled tales featuring the undead, like AMC's The Walking Dead or The CW's The Vampire Diaries, or relationships that are, as NBC asserts, Go On as The New Normal, viewers are ecstatic to see their favorites and new shows get some shine time as the leaves hit the pavement.
Two shows in particular are of special interest, as they feature the gorgeousness and deft acting skills that Black Hollywood has to offer audiences of any race and creed. ABC's Scandal, which stars the uncanny amazing-ness of Kerry Washington, and Starz's Boss, which features the talents of Sanaa Lathan, will surely be on our radar—but which one will YOU be watching as the temperatures get lower?
Sit back, relax, and let us run down the tale of the tape, as we breakdown this Politico-Girl Fight! Scandal's Olivia Pope Vs. Boss's Mona Fredricks. Both characters have much to offer, but after the jump you can see who will walk out with the fall TV heavyweight title!
Whether they're scary, drama-filled tales featuring the undead, like AMC's The Walking Dead or The CW's The Vampire Diaries, or relationships that are, as NBC asserts, Go On as The New Normal, viewers are ecstatic to see their favorites and new shows get some shine time as the leaves hit the pavement.
Two shows in particular are of special interest, as they feature the gorgeousness and deft acting skills that Black Hollywood has to offer audiences of any race and creed. ABC's Scandal, which stars the uncanny amazing-ness of Kerry Washington, and Starz's Boss, which features the talents of Sanaa Lathan, will surely be on our radar—but which one will YOU be watching as the temperatures get lower?
Sit back, relax, and let us run down the tale of the tape, as we breakdown this Politico-Girl Fight! Scandal's Olivia Pope Vs. Boss's Mona Fredricks. Both characters have much to offer, but after the jump you can see who will walk out with the fall TV heavyweight title!
Age:
Although you're never supposed to inquire a woman about her age—this time it's acceptable. Sanaa Lathan's character, Mona Fredricks, spent her adult career alongside Alderman Ross. Those developmental years lost to the annals of history, but as the tie between Chicago's underbelly and the higher echelon of its political scene, Fredricks has a maturity and integrity that beguiles her time in politics.
Olivia Pope on the other hand has been in it from the start. Her collegiate education mired in Political Science; she graduated and was afforded a spot as a "fixer" for then-Governor of California, Fitzgerald Thomas Grant III. Kerry Washington's character signifies hard work and dedication, and her skill-set earned her the gig of White House Communications Director for the president, but her own "scandal" left her to start out on her own, creating the crisis management firm, Olivia Pope and Associates.
Weight:
No, we're not listing actual pounds and inches, instead choosing to focus on the political weight of these two television titans. Washington's Olivia Pope is a fixer. One of, if not the best in all of D.C., Pope earned the distinction by getting an underdog candidate (played by Tony Goldwyn) elected as President of the Free World.
Meanwhile, what Sanaa Lathan's Mona Fredricks lacks in a healthy rolodex, she makes up by being strong-willed and politically savvy. As Mayor Tom Kane's Chief of Staff (played by Kelsey Grammer), the native South Side Chicagoan is the incorruptible bridge between her homeland community and the city she represents. Impressed with her aptitude and intrigued by her integrity, Mona becomes the political apple of Mayor Tom Kane's eye.
Reach:
The ties that bind all in politics remain bonded to relationships. In the case of Mona Fredricks, her allegiances to the Chicago Alderman ensures that she has the ear of someone who can make direct changes within the community. Unwavering in her ethics, Fredricks doesn't pander to Super PACs or cater to campaign contributors. Instead, she chooses to pursue her career in a true and altruistic fashion, earning the respect of her peers and the fancy of a certain Chicago mayor.
In the case of Olivia Pope, she was born-and-bred to be within the walls of Washington, and not just the president's. Although that trumps being aligned to any small-time politician, Pope's special array of skills has earned her friends in high places. From knowing the White House Chief of Staff Cyrus Beene (Jeff Perry) and former CIA bloodhound Huck (Guillermo Diaz) to playboy Stephen Finch and slick litigator Harrison Wright (Henry Ian Cusick and Columbus Short respectively), Pope has nothing but go-to-players within her reach.
Knock-Out Delivery:
Both women are brash and proud women within political circles, Olivia Pope with her no-holds-barred, take-no-prisoners attitude is different than Mona Fredricks straight, no chaser approach to handling situations. In a scene from Boss (which you can see HERE), Mona discusses the factors of loyalty with her old boss, Alderman Ross, who had his former aide poached by Chicago's Mayor Kane. The Alderman has swarmed his way back into Fredricks' life and attempts to disrupt it by using newcomer-to-the-show, Trey Rogers (played by Clifford "T.I." Harris) as a distraction.
Pope commands the total devotion and attention of her team, and her quotes are equally demonstrative. Offering salvation in hopes of not only fixing the problem, but fixing the people who have them, Pope takes those who come to her at their lowest moment and saves them with the conviction of her delivery before they can hit rock bottom.
Worst Political Penalty:
Anybody worth their weight in polls and percentages should know that you're not really the elite without a bit of dirt on your shoulder. While Kerry Washington's character can't seem to say, "No!" to the Leader of the Free World whenever he's near her, Mona Fredrick manages to keep it G by staying faithful to her husband and kids. There may be more than what meets the eye with Sanaa Lathan's crafty, yet cultivated character, as back-room politics did result in her leaving Alderman Ross for the greener pastures of the Mayor's office.
The politically corrupt world's of both characters can easily sway either or to the dark side, but both parties seem to want to run a fair and balanced campaign. With the belt on the line and competition proven to be top tier, will this fall see the rise and (pun intended) fall of these two democratic darlings as we watch them on TV?
Judge's Decision:
The scoring has ruled this fight to be a draw! Be sure to watch both shows, as Scandal is set to return to the boob tube this September. Meanwhile, you can currently watch Sanaa Lathan light up the screen as Boss is currently airing on Starz in its second season.
