‘Scandal’ Moves to Hulu: 8 Essential Episodes to Watch (VIDEO)

Heads up, Gladiators: All seven seasons of the ABC drama Scandal are leaving Netflix on May 18 and hitting Hulu two days later.

If you have a Hulu subscription and you’re in the market for a white-knuckle thrill ride, we’ve rounded up some of the Image Award-winning show’s must-watch installments below.

(And if you’re not a Hulu subscriber, don’t despair. Scandal creator Shonda Rhimes is working on multiple Netflix originals as part of her multi-year deal.)

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Scroll down to see our picks for the quintessential Scandal episodes.

Season 1, Episode 6: “The Trail”

A flashback-heavy episode reveals how Olivia (Kerry Washington) and President Fitz (Tony Goldwyn) started their affair on the campaign trail — even as she was trying to rehabilitate the image of his marriage.

Season 2, Episode 8: “Happy Birthday, Mr. President”

Rhimes herself stepped in to write this episode, which picked up after the previous installment’s assassination attempt cliffhanger and gave viewers more depth into Olivia and Fitz’s romance.

Season 3, Episode 10: “A Door Marked Exit”

As Vice President Sally Langston (Kate Burton) figures out how to dispose of her husband’s body, Rowan Pope (Joe Morton) gives Fitz, his daughter’s part-time lover, a fatherly dressing-down.

Season 3, Episode 18: “The Price of a Free and Fair Election”

After that aforementioned rant, Rowan goes to deadly lengths to ensure Fitz is reelected. And when one of Olivia’s gladiators discovers his crime, Rowan offs him, too.

Season 5, Episode 9: “Baby, It’s Cold Outside”

As Mellie (Bellamy Young) filibusters on behalf of Planned Parenthood, Olivia gets an abortion on screen — marking a rare and headline-making moment.

Season 5, Episode 14: “The Lawn Chair”

Courtney B. Vance guest stars as a father of a teen boy gunned down by a white police officer, a father who sits in a lawn chair over his son’s corpse until his son’s killer is brought to justice.

Season 5, Episode 17: “Thwack!”

After former Vice President Andrew Nichols (Jon Tenney) tries to blackmail Olivia — his former captive — she meets him in a bunker under the White House and leaves her proverbial white hat above ground. (There’s a reason this episode is called “Thwack!”)

Season 7, Episode 12: “Allow Me to Reintroduce Myself”

Olivia meets Annalise Keating (Viola Davis) in this How to Get Away With Murder crossover when Annalise seeks Olivia’s help with a Supreme Court case. It’s one of Scandal’s final feel-good moments, and not just because Olivia shares her popcorn and wine!