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Scandal: Inside the Bubble

I'll take the coffee, but if it's not soy, I'm having you killed.
"Everything is colder."

To quote myself from later in this review, "Well, it could've been worse."

Olivia continues to run to Daddy with her problems. I have a lot of issues with this. He's terrible. She knows he's terrible (she doesn't know exactly how terrible, but she knows he is terrible). Yet she continues to run to him. With coffee. I miss season two Olivia. She even asked Jake to have dinner with the two of them. Fortunately, being one of the few characters on Scandal still clinging to some semblance of self respect, Jake turned her down flat. Hard to believe she didn't see that coming. And then by the episode's middle she had turned that into an ultimatum? You don't want to have dinner with the man who tortured you, so we are done Jake! Really, Liv? Very little of what she does makes sense to me anymore.

The dinner, of course, eventually materialized. I was so disappointed in Jake until I realized that he'd only agreed to dinner to attempt to blackmail Rowan out of the story and out of the show. Please let him succeed. Although I do enjoy Rowan being shown the door, I fear that this is just going to lead to a season long power struggle between the two. Which we just did last year. At least Fitz isn't involved this time. Yet.

I'd heard about the Quinn/Charlie stuff before the episode and in my imagination it was profoundly worse. I'm sure you're all tired of hearing me gripe about Quinn and Huck and Charlie and the gross things that go on there. And yeah, having Quinn eventually fall into Charlie's arms was annoying but it could've been so much worse. You know a show has truly messed up when your standard for them is "well, it could've been worse."

David's story, however, I truly enjoyed. We're watching him ever so slowly head down the corruption rabbit hole and it's engrossing but believable. I'm completely willing to forgive his actions last episode. He was, after all, just undoing some of Liv's damage. It's different now. It's a really interesting direction for David 'Holier Than Thou' Rosen. He played it straight, colored in the lines and got destroyed by Olivia Pope. Several times. It's no wonder he's now willing to resort to extralegal actions to win. Not that all that makes it okay. I'm curious to see where David's going to go this season. Yes, he's now a blackmailer, but on a show where so many of the 'good guys' are literal murders, there's quite a bit of room left to slide on the villainy curve. And David did look affected by Judge Sparks's suicide. Is it enough to scare him straight or will he be heading back to his files the next time he comes across a particularly sticky problem?

Also awesome in this episode (as usual): Mellie Grant. Mellie's story walked the line between comic relief and totally depressing and did it with a compelling self-awareness. At once, we were being asked to laugh at Mellie and her silly obsession and dared to laugh at a grieving mother clinging onto anything that could possibly help her cope with her depression. It was uncomfortable but oh so well done. I love the idea that 'The Killer Cliff Bride' made her believe she could be useful again. It got her up, got her dressed, and got her together, to a limited degree. And then in a split second it was taken away. She wasn't needed. She had nothing to contribute. There was nothing she could do. Don't try to tell me your heart didn't break for Mellie in that scene.

As for the client of the week, I was quite frankly shocked when Caitlin's murderer wasn't in handcuffs by the episode's end. How long will it be until they find him? Is this going to be the season (or half-season) arc? I like that it's thus far removed from the White House, although as Caitlin's father is a high powered political attorney it's completely possible that won't last.

Bits and Pieces

Olivia and Abby knew each other in law school. Did we know that before? I don't think so.

I cheered when Abby finally corrected Fitz on her name.

Speaking of names, what's Quinn and Charlie's ship name? Quarlie? Chin?

Quotes

Abby: I can't watch this anymore
Guy: Me either.
[they continue watching]

Olivia: "Everything is colder."
Rowan: "The cold never bothered me anyway."
Okay, so that's not exactly what he said, but wouldn't it have been awesome?

Fitz: "If I can't be some soccer dad in Vermont..."
Gee, wonder why he said Vermont.

Jake: "Shut your stubborn old man mouth up."

two out of four free, hand delivered lattes

sunbunny, who wishes she knew how to quit Scandal

2 comments:

  1. I love your reviews Sunbunny, please don't quit Scandal!!! They make me realize just how crazy this show is! And Billie and Chris B's comments along with yours always make me laugh! Hard!

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  2. I'm loving the David arc. It is an interesting choice for the writers to make as he was always the moral compass. He was the one we could count on to point out where everyone else was going off the rails. Now, he is and that leaves the show without a distinct moral center.

    I'm not saying that's necessarily a bad thing, but it is an interesting change in dynamics.

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