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You know how some shows ease into the hour? This week’s “Scandal” was not that show. The suicide within the first 2 minutes got a “Whoa…. What?!” out of me. More on this story in a moment…
Words do not express my complete love of James and the migraine he’s giving Cyrus. The balance Cyrus is trying to maintain as husband and accomplice to the other four at the power table is dangerously close to being tipped. It’s set up perfectly to blow up everyone’s life to smithereens down the road, but for now, Cyrus’s crocodile tears have abated James’s need to be on “the front page above the fold” of the newspaper. Hollis remains a jackass and needs to muzzled. Have to give a big shoutout to Jeff Perry, he plays the hell out of Cyrus and his turn-on-a-dime emotions. The range of behavior from monster (having Amanda Tanner killed) to being Liv’s shoulder to lean on as she deals with loving Fitz is insane and Perry plays every beat.
Back to the man who killed himself, turns out he was a spy in business with Huck, or more aptly named “the person we know as Huck” since we now know that’s an alias. Nicholas Sarnoff, a serial whistleblower, says that he’s going to release the names of Maggie Andrews, Paul Gray, Melvin Fein, Betsy Rae, Charlie, and Huck to the press to reveal how hypocritical the U.S. government is for using paid assassins. All of the actors playing spies are great character actors, who made the spy story this week entertaining.
When Huck gave the sweet speech about moving on and not killing Melvin once they figured out he was behind Sarnoff’s reveal, my heart melted a little. And then Maggie blew Melvin’s brains out. Soooo, once a killer, always a killer, even as a soccer mom of three. What made this story important was Liv’s urgency in fixing this. Liv is normally full speed ahead, but this time it was personal, and Kerry Washington’s shaky voice had me feeling Liv’s panic. Liv saying, “You’re important to me,” said volumes about her feelings for him. He’s her person. They have this bond that anchors them both. They protect each other. He keeps Liv grounded while dealing with her love for someone she can’t have and she keeps him from going back to the dark side of being an assassin. She’s the one person he allows in his personal life as Huck.
Abby did something she hasn’t done since the beginning of this show: made me feel sorry for her, a little anyway. Her budding relationship with David Rosen is kinda sweet, but obviously unacceptable for the “Table of Five” so it has to be ended. I really like David, so while I get having to break them up, I’m not thrilled with him being set up to look like domestic abuser.
Harrison stepped up for Olivia when she needed strength. His words, “Give me my marching orders….Consider it handled” made me giddy. Give that man the big office and a bigger storyline, even though he’s the one who set up David.
Couple words on Edison and Olivia…. Eh and meh. He’s a blah substitute for Fitz. Liv and Fitz have more chemistry making eye contact, tying shoelaces, and talking on the phone than Edison and Liv do full on making out. Also, that kiss was Liv’s inner turmoil coming out. She misses Fitz and was thisclose to losing Huck. Pretty sure she would have kissed the UPS guy if he had been the one at the door when she opened it. She’s due to blow up any day now…bring on Fitz’s birthday celebration.
PS. Nina freaking Simone’s “I think it’s Going to Rain Today” in the background during the final scenes? Brilliant. Thank you, music department.
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