Scandal: It’s Hard Out Here for a General Review
It looks like Olivia is finally able to recognize her new found liberty and may finally be ready to embrace it.
This Scandal review contains spoilers.
Scandal: Season 5, Episode 10
It has been almost three months since Scandal’s unsettling midseason finale and six months in Scandal reality. Six months since Olivia shocked us with her secret pregnancy and abortion. Six months since Jake went back to Papa Pope. Six months since Olivia left the President alone and broken hearted. While it seemed like at the start of the episode that Olivia had just fallen back into old habits (aka…Jake), by the end Olivia had a new shade of determination across her face and I kind of liked it.
Without his right hand woman, Olivia, Fitz has taken on a new power woman at his side. Poor Abby can’t even sleep, with the president calling her at every waking moment. She put a stop to it in the end, but who’s to say the president can function without his “work wife” as Cyrus called it. I have to say, it is refreshing to see Fitz without Mellie or Olivia nearby, even without Cyrus trying to micromanage him, controlling his every move as if he were a puppet.
Shocker of the night: When Fitz refused a call from Olivia…I didn’t quite believe it at first. They are each other’s kryptonite and he…fought it off? To be honest, I was terrified that he would answer the call and once again be thrust into their toxic whirlwind of a relationship. That was definitely a good move as far as character development goes because one more setback for Fitz regarding Olivia and I would really start to lose all interest in him.
While he may need to depend on Abby less for simple advice, I still really think they make an intriguing and entertaining team. I am hoping to see more of this new dynamic duo while Cyrus is still walking on eggshells around the president, trying to earn back his trust. But, what would really be nice is to see Fitz really and truly stand on his own for a while.
Speaking of dynamic duos…Olivia and Mellie: The two of them have always been a favorite of mine and after Jake’s huge betrayal at the end of tonight’s episode, it seemed to have fueled Olivia to go ahead and work with Mellie. So, is Liv just signing up for helping Mellie publish her book — or did she just offer to work on her campaign for presidency? Time will tell…
Jake and Rowan: A duo I never, ever wanted to see happen. Under Rowan’s reign, Jake plotted against the director of the NSA which included murdering her boyfriend and getting the president to appoint him the new lead. Wow Jake, just when I think I like him again he goes all “Papa Pope brainwashed” on me. While Olivia barged in furiously to her father’s house and accused Jake of sabotaging the NSA director from the beginning, she doesn’t look as bothered by it in next week’s episode. Shocker.
Sweetest moment of the night: Huck was blatantly giving Marcus the cold shoulder last night, dragging Quinn along with him. When she brought it up with Huck, he told her they needed to protect Marcus because he was normal. Being friends with them could corrupt him. Oh, poor Huck. Hopefully Marcus will see what Huck is doing and have a break through with the gladiators.
Next week it looks like more conversation will be happening about who is going to run for president. With this perfect timing to coincide with our own road to the elections, it looks like this will be a popular topic in the next episode — including getting the vice president to run. I can’t wait to see what sort of political connotations Shonda Rhimes will put on her characters’ political process as the race to replace President Grant begins!
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Lindsey McGhee graduated from Western Washington University with a BA in English: Creative Writing. She is grateful for her 4th grade teacher who read aloud Harry…