Scandal Episode Ratings Heatmap
2012 · 7 Seasons · 124 Episodes · Overall Score: 7.8/10 (124 rated)
Season 6 holds the highest collective average score across the series.
Season 6 Details →Lowest score variance (σ = 0.25), maintaining an average of 8.4.
Complete Episode Rating Matrix
Interactive score chart by season and episode number. Darker green indicates higher ratings; amber and red denote lower reception.
| Episode | Season 1 | Season 2 | Season 3 | Season 4 | Season 5 | Season 6 | Season 7 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ep 1 | 7.4 | 7.9 | 8.1 | 7.8 | 8.2 | 8.5 | 6.9 |
| Ep 2 | 7.0 | 7.5 | 8.2 | 8.2 | 8.1 | 8.2 | 7.1 |
| Ep 3 | 7.6 | 7.8 | 8.3 | 7.4 | 7.8 | 8.2 | 4.0 |
| Ep 4 | 7.6 | 7.5 | 7.7 | 8.2 | 7.9 | 8.8 | 4.5 |
| Ep 5 | 7.6 | 7.5 | 8.0 | 7.7 | 8.4 | 8.5 | 4.0 |
| Ep 6 | 7.9 | 7.7 | 8.0 | 7.8 | 7.8 | 8.2 | 6.3 |
| Ep 7 | 7.8 | 7.8 | 8.1 | 8.1 | 7.8 | 8.5 | 6.8 |
| Ep 8 | – | 7.8 | 8.4 | 8.2 | 8.1 | 8.0 | 8.0 |
| Ep 9 | – | 8.0 | 8.2 | 8.3 | 7.9 | 8.5 | 8.0 |
| Ep 10 | – | 7.9 | 7.9 | 8.1 | 7.9 | 7.8 | 8.5 |
| Ep 11 | – | 7.8 | 7.2 | 7.7 | 7.8 | 8.5 | 8.2 |
| Ep 12 | – | 8.1 | 7.6 | 7.7 | 7.2 | 8.5 | 8.5 |
| Ep 13 | – | 8.6 | 7.4 | 8.1 | 7.6 | 8.5 | 7.0 |
| Ep 14 | – | 8.1 | 7.7 | 8.1 | 7.4 | 8.2 | 7.0 |
| Ep 15 | – | 7.8 | 7.9 | 7.9 | 7.6 | 8.5 | 8.0 |
| Ep 16 | – | 7.9 | 7.3 | 7.0 | 8.0 | 8.5 | 8.5 |
| Ep 17 | – | 7.9 | 8.0 | 7.6 | 8.0 | – | 8.8 |
| Ep 18 | – | 8.1 | 8.3 | 8.2 | 7.7 | – | 6.4 |
| Ep 19 | – | 8.4 | – | 8.3 | 7.3 | – | – |
| Ep 20 | – | 8.3 | – | 7.9 | 7.7 | – | – |
| Ep 21 | – | 8.4 | – | 8.0 | 7.3 | – | – |
| Ep 22 | – | 8.4 | – | 8.0 | – | – | – |
| Season Avg | 7.6 | 8.0 | 7.9 | 7.9 | 7.8 | 8.4 | 7.0 |
Ratings Analysis & Trajectory
Across 7 seasons and 124 episodes, Scandal has earned an overall series rating of 7.8 out of 10. The series reached its critical peak early, showing a slight contraction in audience satisfaction in later chapters.
The single highest-rated hour of television in the series is Season 6, Episode 4 ("The Belt"), rated at an extraordinary 8.8/10 with 4 ratings. Conversely, the lowest-rated installment is Season 7, Episode 5 ("Adventures in Babysitting"), landing at 4.0/10.
The most precipitous single-episode shift occurred in Season 7 between Episode 2 ("Pressing the Flesh", 7.1) and Episode 3 ("Day 101", 4), a swing of 3.1 points.
Top 10 Highest Rated Episodes of Scandal
| Rank | Episode | Title | Score | Votes | Air Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Season 6, Ep 4 | The Belt | 8.8 | 4 | Feb 16, 2017 |
| #2 | Season 7, Ep 17 | Standing in the Sun | 8.8 | 4 | Apr 12, 2018 |
| #3 | Season 2, Ep 13 | Nobody Likes Babies | 8.6 | 9 | Feb 7, 2013 |
| #4 | Season 7, Ep 12 | Allow Me to Reintroduce Myself (I) | 8.5 | 6 | Mar 1, 2018 |
| #5 | Season 6, Ep 1 | Survival of the Fittest | 8.5 | 4 | Jan 26, 2017 |
| #6 | Season 6, Ep 5 | They All Bow Down | 8.5 | 4 | Mar 9, 2017 |
| #7 | Season 6, Ep 7 | A Traitor Among Us | 8.5 | 4 | Mar 23, 2017 |
| #8 | Season 6, Ep 9 | Dead in the Water | 8.5 | 4 | Apr 6, 2017 |
| #9 | Season 6, Ep 11 | Trojan Horse | 8.5 | 4 | Apr 20, 2017 |
| #10 | Season 6, Ep 12 | Mercy | 8.5 | 4 | Apr 27, 2017 |