Welcome to the world of Scandal, a world where there's plenty of intrigue, danger and conspiracies around every single corner and where no character is ever exactly as they seem. If you've never seen the show, it's a political drama edged with espionage, betrayals and murders galore, all centered by Olivia Pope, a top-notch crisis specialist, the perfect person for dealing with the dirty little secrets that no one wants revealing to the press or the public eye. With her team of 'gladiators' beside her, Olivia really is the best that any kind of ashamed politican or high-up figure can get to hide their dirty laundry. Here's a bit of a character and arc based recap for potential new fans of the show who want to get caught up to speed without sitting though every episode (although I really recommend you should!) of the adventures of Pope & Associates (spoilers up to 2x14)...