Warning: Spoilers Ahead!
Olivia Pope’s ongoing affair with President Fitzgerald Grant isn’t the only scandal she’s been covering up. On the latest episode of Shonda Rhimes’ Scandal, viewers learn more about her involvement with the rigging of voting machines in Defiance, Ohio, that ultimately led to Fitz winning the presidential election. It shouldn’t come as a surprise that the fixer of all things broken in Washington was in on the conspiracy, but Shonda and co. did a great job illustrating her struggle with succumbing to Hollis, Cyrus, Verna, Mellie’s request.
Flashbacks of two years earlier on days leading up to the election show Fitz’s campaign team working diligently to get him in the White House (by legal means). However, according to the polls, Fitz’s chances of being elected were slim to none. Hollis introduces the idea of rigging the election, but Liv sternly opposes the idea. Hollis then tells “the fix-it gal” to “stop bitchin’ and start pitchin’” solutions. Mellie interrupts their pondering and proposes an idea to seek the help of Fitz’s politically savvy father.
Fitz hates the idea of asking his father for help and gets into a screaming match with Mellie about it. Liv interjects, and Mellie insists that Liv talks to him because “he actually listens to [her],” leading many to assume she may have been privy of the affair at this point. Regardless, soon as she was out of sight, Fitz pulled Liv into a bedroom where he agreed to the strategy if she’d shut up so he could orally copulate her. Talk about a stimulating compromise.
During dinner, “Big Jerry” Grant suggests his son should sling mud at his opponent, but Liv states that an unwavering Fitz insists on running a clean campaign. Viewers soon learn that Fitz was reluctant on meeting his father because resents him. Despite being firm about a dirt-free campaign, he makes no qualms about bringing up his father’s humiliating history with prosititutes among guests.
After his mood-ruining chatter, an intoxicated Fitz encounters Olivia in the elevator. He makes advances towards her, but she’s resistant. During their scuffle, the door opens and shows Mellie bearing witness to a lover’s quarrel. Liv attempts to explain, but Mellie cuts her off and apologizes for her lush husband. She then embraces Olivia and reminds viewers that it is she who is the victim of the scandalous situation. Does she know about the affair at this point? Or is she playing foolish because she knows that without Olivia, her chances of getting into the White House are reduced.
By Olivia’s instruction, Fitz opens up to voters during a town-hall style debate. “You’re running like you’re being chased. You’re not running like you want to cross the finish line first, and so I’m asking you, do you want it? Or are you just wasting everyone’s time, and money, and energy, and faith, and hopes, and dreams?” Liv asks before Fitz in preparation for the debate.
The brilliant writers and producers of Scandal juxtaposed this particular flashback with back-and-forth transitions of present scenes showing Fitz preparing to address the nation at a press conference. Parallel to election time, yet again, Liv gave him a pep talk of sorts before he had to convince America he was fit to be Commander-in-Chief.
Unlike then, now he is recovering from a head trauma stemming from an assignation attempt. Although he tells a reporter nothing stemming from his head trauma will affect his judgment, viewers know the doctor said that recovery should take at least three weeks and personality changes, speech impairments, exhaustion from minimal mobility and difficulty making decisions may occur. Also, viewers have witnessed some side effects. After interrupting a meeting held by acting-President Sally, where she planned on telling her cabinet that Fitz’s reinstatement letter is a forgery, Fitz appeared heavily fatigued. He also experienced a memory lapse when talking with White House officials about a Sudan expedition. Will more side effects occur as the season progresses?
Back to the town-hall debate. Papa Grant is upset that Fitz didn’t bring up Prozac-popping Reston’s drug problem, dug up by Abby, Harrison and homeless Huck. The two fight, verbally, and Papa Grant tells Fitz he’ll never be a winner like him. Ouch! He later dies. Damn. Fitz takes out his false feelings of relief and freedom on helpless blocks of wood. Liv consoles her visibly distressed partner as he breaks down about his father’s death. This gives viewers another “aww” moment between the extramarital couple.
Olivia later meets up with Cyrus for a whispered meeting about reconsidering her position on rigging the election. He reminds her that they do the dirty work for “water-walking” Fitz. She breaks down while contemplating her decision. As mentioned, she obliges with the election-rigging plan.
In the present, Sally accepts Fitz’s reinstatement and accompanies it with a seemingly heartfelt revelation about being scared and restless after he was shot. However, lingering in the back of viewers’ minds is her meeting with Hollis. The double-crossing big oilman instructed her to wait for Fitz to hang himself then assume the role as president. God-fearing Sally Langston is afraid of some bullets? Please. I don’t think the vengeful VP can be trusted!
The episode concludes with Edison, Liv’s ex(?)-boyfriend, breaking in Olivia’s house, again. At the beginning of the episode, Olivia came home to find him already in her house. He accused her of being a “criminal, whore, idiot and a liar,” and she responded by ripping him to shreds with a 5-to-1 combo complete with precision even Omarosa would envy. After the second break-in, he apologizes for his allegations and proposes to her. Huh?
In true Shonda form, a subsequent scene shows Fitz asking Mellie for a divorce. Although this was quite predictable, the lead-up still made it enthralling.
The next episode of Scandal airs in two weeks on January 31st. Until then, ponder on a few questions (within the review and below) and let me know what you think. If you missed ”A Criminal, a Whore, an Idiot and a Liar,” directed by Stephen Cragg and written by Mark Fish, you can stream the full episode here.
-Will Mellie use Liv’s involvement in stealing the election against her?
-How will Fitz respond if/when he finds out Liv was involved in committing the felony that got him in the White House?
-In the upcoming episode, why does it seem Liv is actually considering Edison’s proposal? Dramatic effect?
-Did Edison’s apology and Sally’s speech seem similarly submissive to you? Could they be in cahoots?
-Additional thoughts?
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