Wow. This was pretty darn spectacular. Within one episode, Shonda managed to get me wholly invested in Scandal’s central love story. This hour painted a gorgeous picture of a forbidden love story that was haunting in its simplicity and poignancy.
There was just so much to love about this hour that I don’t know where to start. First off, the transitions between the past and the present were seamless. As far as I’m concerned, Scandal set the bar as to how every show should utilize the device from here onout.
As for Olivia’s epic love life, the stunning scenes were too numerous to count: the tension-filled elevator scene (a Grey’s Anatomy staple), the one minute hallway scene that gave me goosebumps, the “say my name” bus ride, the sex-tape night in question revealed, and finally the utterly painful embrace on Olivia’s couch in present day. The entire storyline was utterly touching and mesmerizing on every level. Until now, a love story involving The President of the United States and our protagonist felt too much like a plot device. Shockingly, it has now supplied the show with enough ammunition to last several years as far as I’m concerned with yours truly as a faithful follower.
The ending was also quite shocking with that utterly vicious neck stab (which was quite satisfying as I found Gideon completely boring).
Conclusion
All in all, one of the strongest hours of television I’ve seen all year and an episode that finally transformed Scandal into a truly “great” show. A marvelous hour.
Nad Rating
A+