‘Scandal’ Star Joe Morton Teases ‘Another Side’ of Papa Pope
Even the puppetmaster can get played.
On Scandal, Rowan aka Papa Pope (Joe Morton) has seemed like an invincible force, pulling on strings tied to daughter Olivia (Kerry Washington), protege Jake (Scott Foley), and many others, all the way to the White House.
But last week’s episode demonstrated that someone else might be tugging on Papa Pope’s strings. After Olivia accused him of setting her up as complicit in the assassination of president-elect Francisco Vargas, Rowan confronted a mysterious woman about targeting his daughter. And she warned him of the perils of stepping over the line.
Morton chatted with Yahoo TV about the mystery power player and previewed this week’s new episode
Last week, we saw that the puppetmaster might have to answer to someone above him.
As it turns out, that seems to be where things are going. There’s an old blues song, “Gotta Serve Somebody.” Maybe there’s somebody else that Rowan serves as well.
Who is this mystery woman? Is she part of some powerful group?
We’re not sure if she’s part of a larger group. As you know, we only know what goes on from table read to read, so I’m not sure where it’s going or what they have in mind. So we don’t know if I’m working for her, or she’s working for somebody else.
What’s it like to see Rowan go from being that puppetmaster to having to answer to someone else?
I think it’s great drama. There’s nothing better than seeing a powerful individual being brought down. This whole show is about power — searching and seeking power. It’s a little boring if he’s all-powerful and no one can take him down. The expectation is that he will always overcome, whereas if there’s a chink in the armor or there’s a possibility that he’s vulnerable, it makes the character even more interesting.
This season has had a bit of a different structure, with each episode focusing on different characters. What’s that been like?
It’s all revolving around the events of the president-elect’s assassination. So you’re kind of getting “Rashomon.” You’re watching the same events, but from very different points of view, so it’s interesting.
And what will learn about Rowan this week?
You will see another side of Rowan. You might see a bit of his past.
Olivia accused him of setting her up, although we learned that it was this mystery group. But do you think Rowan would ever go as far as putting her in danger?
Not like that. I think he will set her up in such a way that it gets her whatever it is she might want. But I don’t think he’d ever put her in a situation that might cost her her life.
Last week, we talked to Scott Foley, who said that even when Jake does bad things, he does them with good intentions. Would you say the same about Rowan?
I think most “bad guys” or whatever you want to call them, they do what they do because they think they’re making the world a better place. The intention behind whatever they’re doing is a positive one, from their point of view. People say Rowan is a murderer, he kills people, but yes, he kills people because he thinks getting rid of these individuals will make the world a better place.
What is Rowan’s ultimate agenda?
To get Olivia whatever it is that she wants, and the thing she seems to want is the White House. It’s part of their relationship. He has raised a young woman to fight him if she thinks he’s wrong, to compete with him if there’s something they both want.
What else can you say about the rest of the season? Will viewers be shocked when Vargas’s killer is finally revealed?
Like any other murder mystery, once they find out who did it, there will be people who say, “See I knew that the whole time.” There will be people who are shocked, people who are disappointed. But I think the reaction will be a strong one. It’s all about who’s going to end up being president of the United States. That struggle is going to go on for a while. Who ends up in the Oval Office and how do they maintain power once they get into the Oval? And what is everyone else going to do about it?
Scandal airs Thursdays at 9 p.m. on ABC. Watch clips and full episodes of Scandal for free on Yahoo View.
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