Scandal: Vermont is for Lovers, Too

These windows aren't even double-glazed.
Fitz, do you love me at all?

“This isn’t a game. This is Watergate!”

Now this was more like it. After last week’s...whatever that was...Scandal has reverted to form. Last week’s unsettling revelations weren’t even mentioned. Is it too much to hope for that that stuff isn’t ever referred to again and “Everything’s Coming Up Mellie” becomes a weird, non-canonical episode no one ever talks about? Because I would like that.

A lot happened this week, even for Scandal. And, weirdly, it seemed everyone got something to do. The balance between characters has never been this good before. And we even squeezed in the best Olivia and Fitz drama we’ve seen this season.

The scenes at the house were just wonderful. I love Olivia and Fitz together, have I mentioned that? Obviously, their relationship has problems (not the least of which is that he’s married), but their scenes together are just blissfully romantic. Their theme music starts and I can’t help it, all logic goes out the window. He built her a house. That’s some straight up Nicholas Sparks shit right there. Yeah, I cried.

I’m left wondering if they’re going to write Kerry Washington’s real life pregnancy into the show. I hope they don’t. Olitz babies would be adorable and wonderful, but from a story perspective, I don’t think it would be the wisest move. The fact that Fitz talked specifically about having kids right before they had sex concerns me a bit. Let’s not go there, shall we?

Maya also got a lot of focus this week. I’m beginning to think that, in this at least, Rowan might actually be the good guy. Wouldn’t that be a twist? I just have a feeling that she’s a black hat. We’ll find out soon, I’m sure. I wish we didn’t have to see the whole suicide attempt thing. I can certainly see Maya doing that as a ploy to get her husband to let her know more about her daughter, but, really, did we have to see it? That scene was absolutely unnecessary and totally disgusting. They should’ve cut it off after a couple seconds instead of lingering for an entire minute.

Cyrus and Mellie sprang their honey trap on Daniel Douglas this week. I was surprised they actually used James. I was sure they’d hire another hooker or something. Cyrus has worried about James cheating on him in the past so it seems a little strange he would be so extremely confident in his husband’s fidelity now. It also seems a huge oversight of Cyrus’s that he never once considered James might put two and two together. He figured out Defiance, after all, and this plan was considerably more transparent. I’m honestly of the opinion that Cyrus deserves what he got. I just wonder how James will deal with the guilt and the fact that his husband attempted to manipulate him yet again. Are these two going to make it?

Onto Huck and Quinn. I like that Huck protected Quinn’s identity from the rest of the Popeheads (to steal David’s term), but does he really have to torture her? Can’t she just tell him? Please, don’t torture Quinn. She often annoys me, true, but I don’t think I can handle seeing her tortured. On the bright side, at least Quinn’s accidental murder of that guy whose name I don’t remember seems to have quelled her desire to become a professional psychopath. She’s having flashbacks to the murder and I’m sure she regrets her actions. Being Huck isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.

The scene between Abby and David was funny and sweet. I really like what they’re doing with them this season. Keeping them peripheral to the main story line with minimal angst. With all the dark that’s been going on, seeing Abby berate her boyfriend for snoring and threaten him with -gasp- the couch is a welcome respite. I hope the writers let these two stay together. It would be a welcome change to have one couple that isn’t consistently being ripped apart and then glued back together.

The Watergate-esque subplot was not my main focus this week; there was so much more going on. I was surprised that Josie dropped out of the race so soon. I thought they’d carry on with her campaign for at least a few more episodes. She had grown on me, but I can’t pretend to be disappointed now that Liv is free to work for Fitz again.

Bits and Pieces:

The episode’s title is a reference to an advertising slogan for the state of Virginia: “Virginia is for Lovers.”

Obviously, their relationship is deeply troubled, but it’s very sweet that Rowan keeps press clippings of Olivia.

Did Charlie seem to balk when Rowan reminded him he might have to kill Quinn? Does he genuinely like her? And if so, is that feeling actually romantic? Please, no. Because gross.

Did Harrison just sleep with Candace this week or has this been happening for a while? Does it matter now?

I really can’t wait until Maya realizes her darling daughter is having an affair with the President of the United States.

Quotes:

Charlie: “Oh, come on, don’t make me give you the speech.”
Quinn: “What speech?”
Charlie: “You know, the one where I say ‘you don’t have a choice’ or ‘I own you now’ or ‘you’ll be begging me to kill you,’ blah, blah, blah, except I’ll say it all scary and threatening, most likely with a gun down your throat. C’mon, I’ll do it if I have to but it’s much more fun to pretend I’m your boyfriend.”
If I were Quinn, I would have taken the speech. Ew.

Mellie: “I’d say this is a new low.”
Cyrus: “Not for me.”

Abby: “So all we know is our killer was a woman in a cheap skirt suit and dumpy heels?”

Olivia: “I don’t need protecting! I am not the girl you save! I am fine! My father runs the nation’s top secret government spy organization. One order and you shot down a plane with 329 people on it. You’re the one who needs protecting! I fixed the election; he’s my father; I ruined you!”

Fitz: “I couldn’t really be mayor, but you can make jam.”

Maya: “Providing for someone and being a parent are two different things.”

David: “Since we’re in bed and this isn’t a business dealing, I’m going to pretend we’re a normal couple and not automatically presume you and your coworkers of committing election fraud. Again.”

Cyrus: “There’ll be wine, candles, a guy named Lionel hiding in a tree with a telephoto lens.”

Cyrus: “You’re worried about James cheating on me? That’s...oddly sweet [...] My husband’s not your husband, Mellie.”

four out of four stolen laptops

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