Abby on 'Scandal' Is the Best Kind of Career Woman

As fans are doubtlessly already aware, every new episode of Scandal is an emotional roller coaster. But there are still plenty of small touches to appreciate, such as the fact that Abby has apparently turned into a career woman who's not just getting better at her jobs, but isn't letting relationships weigh her down. But even more importantly, her new attitude is being portrayed as totally sympathetic.

Abby's evolution over the course of the show has always been interesting. She's gone from being a survivor of domestic violence to being a driven and snarky investigator trying to navigate an unconventional relationship, and now she's stepped out from Olivia Pope's shadow and become White House press secretary and a potential power player in her own right. And it seems that this episode we're also getting a glimpse of her new position on relationships — namely that she isn't interested. Which makes sense; White House press secretary sin't exactly a job that leaves one a lot of free time.

Still, the way Scandal is portraying Career Woman Abby is pretty great. All too often on television, female characters that are only interested in their career and reject the idea of a relationship are treated as though they are missing out, or as though they just need the right guy to some along and show them what they are missing out on.

On Scandal, on the other hand — our favorite feminist Scandal — things seem to be going a little differently. When we see Abby rejecting David Rosen's advances, the reaction the show seems to want us to have is not that Abby needs to just give him another chance, but that Abby's decision is pretty darn sound. After all, David has never been all that great for Abby — he's interfered with her work, complicated her relationships with her friends and co-workers, and generally not been the best boyfriend. And so her decision to blow him off when he calls her — whether he's drunk or sober — is something I think we can all agree is a good thing.

Plus Abby is White House press secretary now, and I think we can all agree that' a pretty big, pretty awesome thing that deserves her focus right now.

Overall, it's refreshing to see a portrayal of a career woman that looks like this: a woman who's driven, not interested in distractions, and is treated as totally justified. Abby and David may eventually get back together — their track record certainly suggests that's a strong possibility — but for now, it's just nice to see a career woman portrayed in such positive terms.

Rock on, Abby, rock on!

Image: ABC