See How Scandal's Been Hiding Kerry Washington's Pregnancy

To watch Kerry Washington on Scandal these days, you probably wouldn't be able to guess that she's pregnant. Of course, if you were paying close attention to the blocking and props, you might begin to notice the clever ways the series is hiding Washington's condition. While Olivia Pope usually dresses in well-fitted ensembles, we've seen her in some loose-fitting tops in recent episodes (see above). And that's not the only way the series has kept Washington's baby bump from view.

TV Guide presented a series of Gif images that demonstrate how Scandal has been hiding Washington's pregnancy, and it's actually pretty comical when you view all of them in a row. Here are a few of my favorites...

There's the old stand-behind-a-lamp strategy...

And the more awkward obstructed-view shot:

Or they can simply put Washington on the floor...

I'd personally love to see a whole episode shot through binoculars...

We can joke all we want, but if these techniques have ensured that Scandal could stay on the air -- and not have to cram a premature pregnancy plot into the story in the process - I'm all for it!

I also think we can add in Abby's attempt to stand in for Olivia as her proxy during last night's episode, considering she totally dressed the part...

That jacket has Olivia Pope written all over it! (Though it wasn't enough to sell "Olivia" to that audience.)

But the ultimate strategy for hiding Washington's pregnancy may very well be major distraction in the form of massive suspense and tension you could cut with a knife. Based on how last night's episode left off, with Olivia's gladiators taking down B613 at a crucial moment, it seems doubtful that we'll have time to play spot-the-baby-bump during next week's episode, which may be explosive in more ways than one. Here's the description for the penultimate "Flesh and Blood":

This is the second-to-last episode of the season, and the Scandal finale is set for April 17.

Photo Credit (for the top image and Darby Stanchfield's proxy scene) ©ABC. GIf credit goes to TV Guide!