Couple of days later, Kerry and Tony meet with the Guest Director (GD) that the studio found for them. The GD's job will be directing the wedding scene and the film footage of the reception. The GD is a young "newbie" director who is starting out his career. Having the opportunity to direct an episode of Scandal will be a big break for him…
Kerry:
Hi, welcome to the Scandal set.
Tony:
Thanks for joining us and agreeing to work with us.
GD:
Kerry, Tony, it's an honor to be here. I couldn't believe when I got the call from the studio about being a guest director for Scandal. Right before the studio call about the Scandal gig, I was about to take on a job to direct a commercial for a Dr. Scholl's foot insole.
Obviously, no brainer – Scandal or a Dr. Scholl's commercial.
Tony:
Don't knock directing commercials. It helps to pay the bills.
You do know you are only directing the wedding scene and overseeing the film footage of the reception.
GD:
Oh, yeah. The studio told me my directing duties were limited to the wedding and the reception. The studio sent over the script to me and I've read it. I have some ideas about the reception film footage.
Tony (with interest):
What are you thinking with the reception?
GD:
Well, there is the reference about Olivia and Fitz having a "fun" dance and I have an idea for it…
The GD proceeds to share his idea with Kerry and Tony.
Kerry and Tony met with the Guest Director (GD) and heard his idea about the Olivia-Fitz "fun" dance at the wedding reception. They have called for an impromptu cast meeting to talk with the fellow cast members about the GD's idea.
Kerry and Tony are sitting in a meeting room while they wait for their fellow cast members.
Kerry:
Say it, Tony.
Tony:
Say what, Kerry?
Kerry:
It's my fault.
Tony:
Well, it was your idea that we should get a guest director to help us with the episode but I don't blame you for the guest director's idea.
Who would have known that a moment captured on celluloid would live on in perpetuity?
Their fellow cast members enter the room.
Jeff (filled with anxiety):
Kerry, Tony, please don't tell us that we will be under the Chief's and SP's creative control for Season 6.
Tony:
No. As far we have heard, things remain the status quo.
Jeff (happily):
Great. So what's up?
Kerry:
We've brought on a guest director to oversee the wedding scene and the film footage of the reception.
Darby:
How come? Tony, is there a reason why you wouldn't be directing the full episode?
Tony:
It's to prevent Kerry from inflicting serious bodily harm on me and/or to prevent her from walking off the set because I made her crazy from taking multiple takes with the wedding scene and the reception footage.
The guest director has an idea for the film footage for the reception. In the script there is a reference to Olivia and Fitz having a "fun" dance during the reception. The guest director suggested that the "fun" dance be the Macarena.
Katie:
The Macarena? Why the Macarena?
Kerry:
The guest director saw Tony's indie movie, The Godfather of Green Bay. In the movie, Tony's character does the Macarena. The guest director absolutely loves Tony's dance scenes in the movie. He thinks it would be a riot to have the President of the United States and his new First Lady do the Macarena and have it caught on a YouTube video.
Scott:
You have to admit, it would be a riot. Something like that would go viral.
Tony (with sarcasm):
Well, yeah.
Scott:
Come on, Tony. I danced on the show. I think it would be great to see Fitz show his moves.
Josh:
I agree with Scott.
Anyway, you doing the Macarena as the Ivy League-Oxford educated Navy pilot President Fitzgerald Grant III of the United States would have a completely different meaning than doing the Macarena as the washed out high school football star coke-snorting low-level mobster Big Jake Norquist.
Cornelius (laughing):
I think it would be great for the American public to see President Grant with his hair down, so to speak.
Tony (groaning):
You would have to make a comment about the hair.
Jeff:
Think of the bright side, at least you won't have to wear a mullet.
Everyone except Tony laughs at Jeff's comment.
Tony:
Laugh all you want. The guest director just doesn't want Kerry and me to do the Macarena. He wants the entire cast to be doing it.
The idea is that after Fitz and Olivia start the dance, wedding guests will jump in to be part of a group line dance.
Everyone stops laughing.
Kerry:
What Tony is saying is true. The guest director wants the Scandal cast to do a Macarena group dance as part of the reception film footage.
Not only that, he also wants to do a behind-the-scene look of us rehearsing the Macarena as part of bonus video material for the Scandal Season 5 DVD set.
There is an awkward silence in the room as Kerry and Tony's fellow cast members think about the guest director's idea. Darby speaks first to break the silence.
Darby:
I'm game. My concern is that Abby is going to be wearing a bridesmaid dress/gown. I'm going to need to be able to dance in whatever I am wearing.
Katie:
I'm in too but I have the same concern as Darby about being able to dance while in costume.
Kerry:
We'll talk to the costume department about this. They will need to take it into consideration while checking out dresses and gowns for us.
Bellamy:
Count me in. I think it will be a lot of fun.
Portia:
I want to be part of the Macarena group dance. I suppose I can't tell Ellen that Scandal does the Macarena.
Kerry:
No. We are all under non-disclosure about the wedding episode.
Well, it seems like the ladies are in with the Macarena. How about the men?
Scott:
Since I've already embarrassed myself on the show with my dancing, I can survive another hit.
Josh:
I agree but only if I'm not in the line of vision. I want someone who knows how to dance to block me.
Guillermo:
Same here.
Cornelius:
Same with me.
Jeff:
Oh, what the hell. I'll do it. I'll even dance the hokey-pokey if makes the network and studio happy so we can remain under network studio control.
Darby:
So, is it just the regular cast dancing?
Kerry:
The guest director thought we should extend the invitation to participate to some of the recurrent cast members who would be expected to attend the wedding. I'll reach out to them to ask them if they want to take part.
Jeff:
Tony, since you are our resident Macarena expert, will you be teaching us?
Tony:
No. We are getting a dance instructor and a choreographer to help us with the Macarena.
As soon we get the dance instructor and choreographer in place, we'll start dance rehearsal.
If Olivia and Fitz getting married and having the Scandal cast doing the Macarena isn't enough enticement for the fans to tune in for the season finale, I'm not sure what will be…
Couple of days later, Tony and the Guest Director (GD) are in a large dance studio talking with the dance instructor and choreographer.
Camera teams are setting up to film the Scandal cast rehearsing the Macarena. The other members of the Scandal cast, recurring cast, and guest stars have yet to arrive.
Since the GD is still finding his way with being a director, Tony is providing a guiding hand, sort of being the GD's mentor and helping the GD out. Tony sees Joe Morton enter the dance studio and excuses him from the group so he can talk to Joe.
Tony:
Hey, Joe. Don't tell me you are here this early to have a good laugh as you watch the cast rehearse the Macarena.
Joe:
Actually, I'm participating in the Macarena group dance. Kerry mentioned it to me in passing. She didn't ask me outright about participating but I told her since Rowan will be a guest at the wedding as the father of the bride, there is no reason why he shouldn't take part in the group dance. Just because the man is a secret spy and a ruthless killer, it doesn't mean he can't have serious moves.
Joe does a dance step while Tony laughs. Joe glances over to where the guest director is and watches him as he talks with the cinematographer.
How is it going with the guest director?
Tony:
Fine. The guy has a million ideas going on at once, though. I'm just trying to help him to stay focus. Scandal is his first TV directing job. The guy has been doing commercials.
Joe:
It's good that you are helping him out with this.
Tony:
I remember what it was like as a new director.
I hope he doesn't get overwhelm with the wedding scene. The last thing we need is to have a director with a nervous breakdown on the set.
Joe:
Well, Tony, you will just have to step in to save the day should that happen.
As Tony and Joe are chatting, Scandal cast members are entering the dance studio. Kerry, Darby, Katie, and the guest actress playing Karen are wearing mock long skirts over their leggings to help them get use to the feel of dancing in a gown. Bellamy and Portia are wearing mock skirts over their leggings since they will be wearing dresses for the wedding and reception scenes. Recurrent cast member Artemis Pebdani (Susan Ross) and the guest actress playing Jake's new girlfriend are also present and wearing a mock skirts over their leggings.
With the exception of Scott who has danced on screen for Scandal and looks at ease, the other male cast members look like they wish they were someplace else. Recurring male cast members Paul Adelstein (Leo Bergen) George Newbern (Charlie), Matthew Del Negro (Michael), as well as the guest actor playing Mellie's new guy are also taking part in the Scandal Macarena group dance.
The GD calls everyone's attention and asks them to take a spot on the dance floor to start the Macarena dance rehearsal. Kerry and Tony are asked to be up front since they will be leading the group dance.
The dance instructor goes over the basic moves of the dance with the cast. Since Tony is the most experienced with the dance, it is a review for him. Kerry, who is a good dancer, picks up the steps immediately. For other cast members, some pick up the steps quickly while others struggle with it. The choreographer is watching everyone so to determine where to position people during the actual filming so the stronger dancers are up front.
As the cast is learning the steps to the Macarena, camera operators around the room are filming them learning the Macarena.
Thirty minutes later, everyone is taking break. During the break, the GD motions for Tony to come to talk with him, the dance instructor, and choreographer.
Tony:
What's up?
GD:
The dance instructor and the choreographer have a suggestion.
Tony:
What is it?
Dance Instructor:
Tony, since you are so comfortable with the Macarena, we think you should up your dancing game.
Also, the choreographer and I watched your dance scenes on the Godfather of Green Bay. You looked great in the movie but you are going to need a different look for Scandal. Since you are POTUS, you are going to need dance the Macarena like POTUS. In other words, Fitz owns the Macarena. Especially if Fitz and Olivia are leading the dance, Fitz should show he is in charge and everyone is following his lead because he is POTUS.
Choreographer:
You are going to need extra rehearsal time but not too much more. We know how busy you are as the showrunner, directing the other scenes for the episode, and acting.
Dance Instructor:
It's going to be great, Tony. Speaking as a woman, with Fitz strutting his moves on the dance floor, Olivia will be the one dragging Fitz into a closet for a quickie during the reception...
GD:
You know, that's not a bad idea. What do you think, Tony? Adding a closet quickie scene like from Season 2…
Tony is speechless. He is definitely going have to reign in the guest director…