'Scandal' Fans Struggle to Follow Olivia and Fitz's Relationship Timeline

The Olivia Pope and Fitz Grant dynamic kicks off pretty immediately in Scandal which any diehard television fan will tell you probably means it's going to be an intense plot point for the next several seasons.

The beginning of their relationship is business as usual: a political candidate and a political fixer. Classic love story, huh? Throughout the show, though, it becomes clear that there's something more bubbling between them.

"I’ve been searching for a timeline for this show for ages. I really don’t have a good sense of it, and I feel like it’s because they mucked it all up," a fan on Reddit wrote and they weren't totally wrong. Olivia and Fitz's story was told and drips and drabs through the form of flashbacks.

Fans often find plot holes and timeline inconsistencies within the writing, making the overall timeline a challenge. However, we've put together an outline to help make their relationship easier to follow.

The reality is that Fitz was losing the presidential election... and hard. He lost a major primary, so his campaign manager, Cyrus, onboards Olivia to fix it. She's blunt and explains that his family life doesn't look so good.

To underscore her point, Fitz starts falling for Olivia and tries to salvage the situation by insisting she be fired. He can't explain why, but the viewers know that there's just a certain type of undeniable tension there. Luckily for Fitz's campaign, Olivia stays on the team.

As Fitz and Olivia continue to get closer, it's clear that they both feel a certain way about each other. Fitz is trying to convince the country that he loves his wife, but they are drifting apart. When Fitz is asked about his love life while on the trail, he says, “The most honest thing that I can tell you about myself right now is that I am a man in love with an incredible woman."

Instead of looking at his wife, though, Fitz looks straight at Olivia. Luckily, the world didn't notice, but Olivia surely saw the glint in his eye. It doesn't take long until they nearly kiss in an elevator and their scandalous nature starts heating up.

By the end of the first season, the pair are sleeping together. Fitz's wife, Mellie, is doing her best to make the public believe that their marriage is fine. However, behind closed doors, it's clearly crumbling. Unfortunately for Fitz and Olivia, the entire room is bugged and their sex is being recorded.

Season 2 opens up with some startling news. Amanda Tanner, a White House intern, claimed she had an affair with the president. Not only is the news a terrible PR look, but it impacts his situationship with Olivia.

Olivia is in charge of making sure Fitz is ducking away from any scandals in a way that's tasteful. So, when Fitz needs to prove to the world that he's in a totally healthy relationship, she steps in.

Despite their charming energy and clear sexual tension as Olivia fixes his tie, Fitz is married to someone else. However, the show is called Scandal, after all, so there be a bit of foreshadowing in the name itself.

There's a hint of a bit more happening when Fitz asks Olivia, "Do you know who you're voting for?" She retorts, saying that he needs to "earn it" just like anyone else.

Olivia isn't going to be treated poorly, so when she finds out that Fitz is plotting to fire her, she makes a slick exit. First, she makes a sneak public relations move to ensure that the public doesn't find out who was really on a leaked sex tape.

She really proves her worth with that move, making Fitz realize he was the one in the wrong. However, Olivia doesn't stick around long to help him. After his State of the Union speech, he find her resignation on his desk.

They switch between together and separated constantly, so it gets a little difficult, especially given the flashbacks. Their relationship does develop in an organic way, making a breakup at the end of Season 5 so difficult.

That split gets resolved in Season 6 after both of them are coping in different ways with Olivia's decision to have an abortion. In fact, Fitz isn't even really supposed to know, he just stumbles upon the file.

Fitz and Olivia are confirmed end game by the end of the show when they get married. In fact, in a near final scene, they have a sweet exchanges of "hi" to each other that seems to imply a happily ever after.