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Scandal: Boom Goes the Dynamite

"Olivia Pope is not what she seems. Olivia Pope is not a good person. Not the way you think."

Scandal returned to its season one formula this week (progress in larger arc + client) but maintained its recent winning streak.

Jake’s reason for spying on Olivia is revealed. I’m disappointed. I was hoping this would be some grand conspiracy. Turns out, it was just a stalker ex-boyfriend. Fitz demanding to know who Olivia’s been smiling about gave me chills. If Jake had confessed, I think Fitz might have killed him. This love triangle is going to be interesting. The part of me that loves long walks on the beach is still uncomfortable with Fitz’s extended breakdown, but damn it’s making for an interesting show.

Fitz’s jealousy is out of control. Earlier this season, I wasn’t a fan of jealous Fitz because it diminished his leading man-ittude. Now that that’s all out the window (thanks a lot, Verna), I’m digging it. Fitz (supposedly) doesn’t want her, but that doesn’t mean he wants anyone else to have her either.

Cyrus and Mellie are (as ever) jockeying for position. They are two of my favorite characters and when you put them together, it’s just magic. I loved their displays of fake concern for each other, for Fitz, for the hostages. They only care about themselves. Both are willing to put the hostages’ lives in danger for a skosh more power. I’m really worried about Scandal-verse America. It has a president who drinks too much and obsesses over his ex-girlfriend advised by two self-centered, power-hungry children. U.S. residents might want to look into Canadian citizenship at this point.

Speaking of impending national disasters, why do they keep letting Kurt Fuller into matters of national security? It never turns out well. Whether CIA Director Osborne’s working for some evil organization or is just a horrible human being, we do not know. The hostage story isn’t totally working for me. I don’t know why. Maybe it feels a little too real. Maybe it raises the stakes to an unacceptably high level. I am able to enjoy watching Fitz and Liv fight, break up, make up, break up, and have sex at a baptism because it wasn’t really hurting anyone. Now our characters’ actions actually influence serious things? Hmm... Maybe Fitz should spend less time obsessing over Olivia and a little more time working.

Poor Huck. Hasn’t the poor guy been through enough? Our poor, tortured friend is having flashbacks to his waterboarding making it impossible for him to shower. I suppose taking a bath was out of the question? Huck’s been tasked to follow David who was being followed by the late, lamented Wendy’s best friend. Was anyone else impressed with David in the hallway? Man has some skills. Still, I’m not sure they would have been so successful had his stalker not been harmless and tiny.

We return to weekly clients at Pope & Associates. This week, we help the Caldwells, a conservative political dynasty historically plagued by scandal. The story really worked this time. Usually with clients, it feels like we have to pause everything else that’s going on in Scandal-verse to clock in some time with our weekly guest stars. This week, the Caldwell plot brought together Fitz and an uncharacteristically giggly Olivia. Because of that fact (and only because of that) I’m willing to forgive the most obvious affair in show history. Really? Were we supposed to be stumped as to why Will wasn’t dating anyone? C’mon. I thought we were past this sort of thing.

Bits & Pieces:

The Caldwells seem to be the Bushes plus the Kardashians. Now there’s a family no one would like. Yikes.

I loved Mellie’s Jackie-inspired pink dress. She may look like the perfect First Lady, but she’ll claw you’re freaking face off if you get between her and what she wants.

Woodward and Bernstein were the journalists responsible for breaking the Watergate Scandal, if you didn’t know.

What is Perd Hapley doing out of Pawnee, Indiana? (It’s a Parks & Rec thing, don’t ask)

Olivia’s white gown plus old Hollywood curls were a gorgeous combination.

Olivia’s reference to moments in hotel hallways referred to her moments with Fitz and not to anything Will said. Nice.

Quotes:

“Someone’s following you? [...] Can you describe them?”
“That’s easy. They’re very scary and extremely invisible.”

“She’s unhappy. She doesn’t date. I maybe think the breakup with Senator Davis might have been hard on her.”
“I don’t think so.”

“You want me to be the first gay governor of North Carolina?”
“Yep.”

“Well, that’ll be difficult, Olivia, because I’m not gay.”

“He needs a wife.”
“We do that?”
Love Quinn’s face here.

“What was his name? You want me to beat him up for you? Because clearly he was no good.”
Love me some dramatic irony.

“I think there might be something wrong with him.”
“He’s Huck. There’s something very wrong with him.”

“You have nothing. You have a pile of secrets and lies, and you’re calling it love. And in the meantime, you’re letting your whole life pass you by. While they raise children and celebrate anniversaries and grow old together, you’re frozen in time. You’re holding your breath. You’re a statue waiting for something that’s never going to happen. Living for stolen moments in hotel hallways and coat closets, you keep telling yourself they all add up to something real, because in your mind, they have to, but they don’t. They won’t. They never will. Because stolen moments aren’t a life. So you have nothing. You have no one.”
No subtext here, no siree.

three out of four stunning white dresses

4 comments:

  1. *blatant plug*

    If you like my reviews, please follow me on Twitter @sunbunny254

    I'll be tweeting during Scandal from now on (west coast time)

    ReplyDelete
  2. What a great point about the hostage crisis. I couldn't put my finger on what was bothering me so much about it, but you nailed it. It does feel a bit too real.

    Fitz's descent into whatever it is that he is descending into is beginning to scare me. He's meant to be POTUS, yet he can't stay away from the booze. My guess is the drinking will be Mellie's next move. She seems to be the only one who has noticed.

    If I were Jake, I would watch my back. When Olivia finds out about the cameras, oh dear. Besides, I'm still not convinced that Jake is not Albatross. Some part of me thinks he sent Wendy's "best friend" into Pope and Associates to throw us off the trail.

    Have to say, I disagree about the white dress. I thought it made her breasts look lumpy and her legs look short and stubby. But, maybe it was just my screen...

    ReplyDelete
  3. I had the same thought about Wendy's friend! It was a little too convenient, eh? But Kurt Fuller just has this era of malevolence around him...

    As for Olivia's dress, there was a bit of a foundation wear issue, but I just loved the style. It reminded me a lot of the dress Michelle Obama wore election night 2008, except Olivia didn't end up looking like a black widow spider. P.S. Try googling 'Olivia Pope white dress.' Geez, Liv, there are other colors, you know.

    ReplyDelete
  4. "I’m really worried about Scandal-verse America. It has a president who drinks too much and obsesses over his ex-girlfriend advised by two self-centered, power-hungry children. U.S. residents might want to look into Canadian citizenship at this point."
    Very funny, Sunbunny.
    Hilarious review. :)

    Mellie and Cyrus again playing tennis with Fitz as the drunken ball.
    They are making Fitz a puppet of their selfishness.

    Whatdoyouknow... I missed James. Haha!

    Jake is becoming a blindside. Shonda can make him a good for Liv or a bad for Liv kind o'guy.
    I'm with you Chris, when Liv finds out about those cams, he's a goner.
    And, yes, Sunbunny, if Fitz finds out he's holding out, he's a goner, too.
    Somewhat interesting where the writers will bring Jake to.
    Excited to know how he'll get out of either situation.
    Good luck, Jake.

    Aww, Huck.
    Talk to Liv.
    It always help you. :)

    ReplyDelete

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