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I’m back! I’m still trying not to hold a grudge about not reviewing last week’s Scandal, but you can be sure I saw that phone call AND Olivia Pope bring out her inner badass to get Tom to spill all the tea about Jerry’s death. Anyway, my point is that I had high hopes for this week’s episode, “The Last Supper,” because last week’s was just about season two good. This week’s? Not so much. It was good, not earth shattering, but not wrist chewing either. The triangle of suck is still up and running, Mellie thinks she’s reunited with Andrew, there’s a person named Cyrus who has lost his mind, and there are three men entirely too concerned with Olivia’s vagina.
The geometry continues
Fitz has gotten Jake out of Supermax and the triangle has convened in the bunker to hash out a plan to take down Rowan. It’s round 94,737,272 of Fitz and Jake’s pissing contest, but what’s interesting this time is Fitz isn’t the one being petty (because he totally can be), it’s Jake. Now, I get that Jake is angry that Fitz didn’t believe him, but his over compensation with “I’m talking to my girlfriend” or “It’s our catchphrase from our time on the island” is juvenile and arrogant. He’s trying too damn hard. Meanwhile, the trio pulls in David Rosen to bring the B613 files Jake’s secretly hidden to bring down Rowan.
What’s interesting with this trio this week is Fitz’s calm reaction to Olivia pulling away from his attempted kiss. With his, “You don’t know what to do. Is it disloyal to want me or disloyal to want him [Jake]?” Fitz acknowledges that Olivia truly has no idea what to do about the two men in her life without being a jerk about it because despite how awful they can be to each other, they know each other better than they know themselves. He asks her to take the lead and kiss him, without the cameras, or bodyguards, or anyone else in picture. Just the two of them. And she does because like it or not, she loves Fitz.
On the flip side, Jake also reminds Olivia of her feelings for him by asking her if she’s going to get him out of the bunker if Fitz finds a way to keep him locked in there. Olivia response of “Don’t even bring up standing in the sun with another man again” means she does have some kinda feelings for Jake. I personally don’t buy her feelings for Jake being equal to her feelings for Fitz, but that’s neither here nor there. At the moment, I want Olivia to pull a Kelly Taylor or Joey Potter, and choose herself and take control of her own life (If you don’t get those references, go take a nap and get back to me after snack time). This tug-o-war is exhausting for Olivia and exhausting to watch.
Elizabeth Hires Olivia, Who Turns Around and Protects Cyrus
Lizzie Bear noticed that someone has hacked into her phone/email and asks Olivia to look into it. She, via Huck, figures out that it’s Cyrus who’s been spying on Elizabeth. Of course, Olivia figures out that Michael, Cyrus’ prostitute is the link to Elizabeth. Turns out, however, that Michael has been kinda sorta loyal to Cyrus, since he had access to alllll kinds of confidential information and only gave Elizabeth the info about the base closures. Guess the kept man has feelings for Cyrus, or his money at the very least. Cyrus begs Olivia to cover his tracks with Elizabeth in the name of their friendship and she does. Something I honestly think is going to come back and bite her in the ass because Elizabeth seems like she buys Olivia’s explanation of a computer virus, but I don’t buy it.
More about Cyrus. Cyrus, the sharpest political animal, the person who had Amanda Tanner killed for possibly being pregnant with Fitz’s child, has fallen for the oldest setup in the book. For weeks, this man has been in a sex-crazed oblivious-to-the-world haze. It’s not the Cyrus of whom James would be proud. Ella has no opinion because she has no idea who Cyrus is anymore. I really hope this is the ice water to his face that he needed to wake up. Also, that hate sex scene with Michael? No sir, your daughter was right next door. Look at your life choices and figure out where you went wrong because you’ve been floundering for weeks. More importantly, why hasn’t Cyrus been plotting how to maim/kill Jake for killing James?
Mellie woke up like this
Mellie hears about the bomb that almost took Andrew out and rushes to his side while wearing red. Red on Mellie means “Y’all better watch your step around me.” Needless to say she sees that he’s ok and jumps his bones in his office. I’m not mad, Jon Tenney is HOT. When Andrew later brings up their tryst, Mellie owns her behavior regarding Andrew. It’s why Mellie is the best written character on this show. I cannot say this loud enough.
This woman has always had the brains and the brass ball to get what she wants done. She’s been allowed to evolve, wallow in grief, push the limits of what’s acceptable for a First Lady to do, and find love with someone not her husband. She’s complex, infuriating, empathetic, intelligent, and strategic. And all of it comes across in her presentation. I’m by no means saying saying that Mellie is my favorite character, but watching her evolution over these four seasons is real. Mellie says to Andrew, “That bomb went off, and I woke up. My body woke up.” She really does love him and the parallel to Olivia’s reaction when Fitz was shot is worth mentioning. It takes both women a risk of death for their men to realize they really do love them. Which is why I want to kick Andrew in the nuts for having an affair with Elizabeth. Look at Mellie’s reaction to Fitz cheating – as much as she condoned it. Now multiply it exponentially when she finds out about Lizzie Bear and Andrew. I hope Andrew enjoyed banging her, because he’s about to be on the injured reserve list.
Side Note: Andrew is the one working with and sleeping with Elizabeth. I bet you $20 that he’s behind tracking Olivia to get back at Fitz. Fitz made him choose the Vice Presidency over love, while Fitz stayed with Olivia. Andrew is about to hit Fitz where is hurts.
Rowan and his daughter’s uterus
While the men of the triangle are arguing over how to take down Rowan, Olivia busts out the crocodile tear and sets up a dinner with her as bait to bring Rowan out into the open. I’m so tired of these three men telling Olivia what she wants, needs, owes them. So when Olivia takes control I stood up and clapped…and then I realized some shit was about to go down because Rowan was entirely too calm at dinner. This man is always one step ahead of everyone like James Stenbeck or Stefano Dimera or Helena Cassadine. I predict he’ll always survive as they do as well because soap villains always do. By the way, that’s not any shade because I stand firmly in the camp that “soap” is not a four letter word. I have so many thoughts on this, but that’s for a different article.
Anyway, he reads Olivia up one page and down the other and ends with, “Those people are not your people and you’ll never be one of them.” The levels of meaning for this statement are so deep, I can’t address them all. Suffice it to say, Olivia needs to triple her therapy visits. What was most interesting however, was Rowan’s comments, “For the first time in your life, you are on your own.” He basically just made Olivia question every single thing she’s accomplished on “her own.” Does this mean Rowan is responsible for her success as a fixer? Was she never in control of her own life? Did he open all the doors and is now going to close all of them in her face? That’s some in-patient therapy stuff right there.
Honorable Mentions
David “Charlie Brown” Rosen loses yet again because those secret files that Jake was so convinced would bring down Rowan were actually blank. So much for his help. Also, Huck still isn’t here for Olivia because he shuts her down at the door when she tries to bring up Javi’s presence at OPA. Of course, he then brings Javi on a most ill-advised stakeout, where Javi sees Huck kill Dan, the head of security who killed Liv’s friend’s daughter (You still with me?). Anyway, things are not looking good for Huck ever seeing Javi again.
Overall, this week was definitely not the caliber of last week, but it wasn’t horrific. I think my problem is best explained by last week versus this week. I enjoy watching Olivia Pope work her magic on crises (solve Jerry’s death, take down Abby’s ex), interact with her personal relationships (take care of Abby), and still shock me with her brains (trick Tom into revealing Rowan). This week was back to focusing on B613 and spies and republic stuff. Don’t misunderstand, I LOVE Joe Morton in this role. He scares the bajeezus outta me, but having Olivia constantly run circles to take down command has to take a backburner at some point. At least I hope it will. I liked the glimpse into season two last week.
LOL, Jake could not take down Command when he had an army of paid assassins helping him in season 3 episode 9. Instead Jake got his little army killed. Not to mention Jake failed at being Command in a couple months. His need to swagger (killing James and those women himself in front of David Rosen not discreetly as B613 would do) which Rowan pointed out is always his downfall.
Sometimes I wonder if I’m watching the same show with the Jake fans. You can love a character on a show but there is no need to re-write the show in your mind to favor your character.
I have to disagree about Mellie since I have seen no growth in her character. She is still sitting around in the White House whining about being bored. When she does do something to show she has political ‘power’ it is usually wrong (talking to the family of hostages, exposing Fitz’s infidelity, going after Daniel Douglas to get to Sally, base closings, SS Roosevelt, etc.) or it back fires and Cyrus, Olivia and Fitz have to clean up her mess. Her mourning period was the same self-centered Mellie as usual. So for me that is no evolution in the character. Mellie is an entitled Ivy educated fool.
Look at women like Sally, Lizzie, Abby, Quinn and of course Olivia who are all out there living their life without shouting about their intelligence or sitting around waiting to be given something to do.
Worst episode of the season. Jake is a catty petty and jealous idiot. Fitz always took the high road when it came to Olivia. Jake is insecure and shows you how much he doesn’t really love Olivia by saving I want to kill your father. Something Fitz would never say because he knows despite Rowan being a monster, Olivia still loves her dad. The difference between the two men are glaring. Jake is immature and a paid whore that Rowan hired to seduce his daughter at her lowest point. The parallels between Michael and Jake stood out in the conversation between Cyrus and Liv.
Yes, calm mature and strong Fitz is the best Fitz. I loved how he asked Olivia was she okay. Jake didn’t bother to ask because he doesn’t care. The kiss is what Olivia wanted and it was hot.
And for the record, Fitz could take Jake with one hand tied behind his back. Why? Do you see Fitz muscles? Okay…Jake is weakling little punk up against the potently Adonis body of Fitzgerald Thomas Grant III. So Olivia absolutely knows what she’s been missing in Fitz. No wonder she says there’s hope.
I disagree, this was an excellent episode. I enjoyed Jake’s taunts, because honestly he could have beat the crap out of Fitz, he would probably kill Fitz for what he put Jake through, if not for Olivia, so to just use words showed restraint. It was interesting watching.Olivia “handle” both her lovers. Joe Morton gave us chills once again! As Rowan rides off into the sunset unscathed by these amateurs. Jake can say I told you so, he knew Fitz could not take Rowan.