“I’m not choosing. I’m not choosing Jake. I’m not choosing Fitz. I choose me. I choose Olivia, and right now, Olivia’s dancing.”
If there’s one thing Olivia Pope has always hidden from, it’s her true nature. She has always attempted to take the moral high ground over her father, always donned her white hat, always presented herself as a strong person. However, there is a part of her that does not fit with who she presents herself as, a part of her that is just like her father. In “Where the Sun Don’t Shine”, that realization slaps her right in the face, and it comes from the mouths of the very people who brought her into this world.
Olivia Pope is the machine that makes everything run, but in reality, many of the problems that pop up around this environment are the result of her actions; she’s a fixer, but as much as she’s the glue that holds everything together, she’s also what will rip it apart. Take “Randy, Red, Superfreak and Julia”, for example, which brings with it a new status quo–Abby as press secretary for Fitz, Huck as Randy the tech guy, Jake and Olivia hanging out on a beach–that is immediately shaken up once again when Olivia returns to D.C.
“You. Are. A. Boy. I’m a man. I have worked for every single thing I have ever received; I have fought, scraped, and bled for every inch of ground I walk on. I was the first in my family to go to college; my daughter went to boarding school with the children of kings. I made that happen! You cry yourself to sleep because daddy hurt your feelings, because Papa banged his secretary, because it hurts to have so much money, you SPOILED, ENTITLED, UUUUUUNGRATEFUL LITTLE BRAT! You have EVERYTHING handed to you on a silver platter, and you squander it! You’re given the world, and you can’t appreciate it because you haven’t had to work for ANYTHING!”
A round of applause for Joe Morton, please. I took down most of this speech because it is an absolute masterpiece of writing, and it’s extremely satisfying to see Rowan absolutely rip Fitz to shreds here. Yes, it’s so on point because Rhimes knows the character, but it’s also on point because everyone sees Fitz for who he really is. Everyone sees the boy in him, the spoiled kid who leeches off of others for personal gain, the kid using Olivia Pope as an escape from his past. Continue reading →
9:02-Ah, hopefully this is a Mellie showcase. She’s wonderful.
9:05-“I love you.” “So what?” Here we go!
9:10-I’m enjoying these flashbacks. First of all, Cyrus and the facial hair. Second, it’s a nice complement to the action taking place in the present, filling in motivations and backstory that help us understand Fitz and Mellie as naive, ambitious youngsters.
9:13-Also, I’m happy Olivia is blowing Fitz off. She’s come so far that there’s no way she’s going to take his crap anymore. She’s strong, but he’s always been her flaw; it’s good to see her putting her mind on something else.
9:25-That’s a fantastic acting moment by Bellamy Young, composing herself at the door of the Oval Office. It really goes to show you how trying being the president’s wife is and the acting you have to do to hold up your reputation.
9:28-That really goes to show you how the dynamic has changed over the years; Mellie used to have a lot of influence and control, and the two partners understood each other. Now, she isn’t even sure if Fitz will “show up”.
9:35-Jerry Grant is pretty despicable; he seems to project his problems onto his son, and although that certainly is hiding some deep emotional trauma, there’s still no excuse for rape. Man, that is terrible.
9:41-“Let’s get some estrogen on this SEAL, see what happens.” I love you, Mellie.
9:43-Mellie’s still clinging to some ounce of hope that someone, anyone, is there for her; understandably, it’s to her husband. However, at this point, I’m also wondering why it’s still happening. While Olivia’s pushing him away, he’s gravitating back toward Mellie.
9:45-Once again, another great Young acting moment; you can see the fear in her eyes as Fitz is wrapping his arms around her; it reminds me of the Walter White-Skyler moment recently. Although Fitz disagrees with his father most of the time, he certainly has inherited traits; it’s almost as if Mellie’s recoiling from Jerry as she’s held by Fitz.
9:46-Now that is why. Fitz always has a big moment that gets him back in Mellie’s good graces; still, I can’t help but feel like they’re facades. Fitz has always and will always love Olivia. Still, it’s nice seeing him reiterate his fault on live TV; Mellie really shouldn’t have to be scrambling to bolster her approval ratings.
9:47-I’m not sure how to feel about this whole Quinn situation. It feels a bit rushed; I understand that she’s had Huck-like tendencies, but this whole plot is moving forward a bit quickly, especially considering this all happens in one episode. Seeing Quinn go down that spiral is a potentially interesting topic, but it could’ve been much more interesting before this big “plot twist”. Still, it looks as if the Remington storyline is in full gear.
9:53-Now this is interesting. While I’m sure Mellie wants to slug Jerry in the face (I know I do), she instead twists the situation to Fitz’s advantage. Still, it’s a sad reminder of the stranglehold politics has; if this were anywhere else, Jerry would be off to prison by now.
9:57-Aw, James was fired.
10:00-Hey, it’s LaDonna from Treme! Next week looks to be intriguing, throwing the mother into the mix. Khandi Alexander is a wonderful actress (everyone needs to catch up on Treme before the final season airs in December), and she’ll add a lot to the show.
GRADE: B+
This is yet another fantastic Bellamy Young episode; it really piles on Mellie and reveals some painful truths, and it reveals her more vulnerable side through the dynamic with Fitz and Jerry, both past and present. It’s obviously the focal point of the episode, and it’s naturally the best part. Another strong outing for Scandal.
-Also, it’s a bit strange seeing Josie Marcus pushed aside this week. There’s a mutual respect between her and Mellie, and I would’ve liked to see that play out this episode instead of the middling Quinn storyline. I understand it’s mainly a three-character episode, though, and hopefully we see people like Jake integrated more next week.
Credit to ABC and Scandal for all pictures. I own nothing.
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