And here we have the strongest episode of the season.
I can’t remember the last time I wanted to cheer so badly while watching a TV series. But when Mellie faced off with Fitz and unloaded EVERYTHING he had done to her over the course of the past five seasons, I was beyond ecstatic. The thing that drives me insane is the fact that Fitz doesn’t take responsibility for all that he’s done to his wife – just the fact that his father horrifically raped her should be reason enough for him to spend the rest of his life begging for forgiveness. Bellamy did a transcendent job of selling Mellie’s hurt, anguish, and utter rage. This scene alone should win the actress her first Emmy – and let’s be honest, that trophy has been a long time coming.
And then there’s that phenomenal ending: Mellie partnering up with Olivia and basically guilting her into helping her become President. It’s just the right kind of ridiculously awesome storytelling that Scandal excels it. Less believable was Mellie agreeing to partner up with the two men who killed her son (Rowan and his lapdog), but I’ll let it slide seeing as how as I’m so pumped to watch Mellie/Liv share a whole lot more screen-time together. Now let’s place our bets, will Mellie be President in time for the season finale? The show needs another time jump anyway, and I for one can not wait.
Of course there’s a drawback. It seriously looks like Shonda Rhimes will never kill off Papa Pope and that’s quite unfortunate. He’s such a weak part of the show and he keeps dragging it down to B613 foolishness every time he makes a return appearance. I guess I just need to accept the fact that he’ll always be a part of Scandal (or perhaps Mellie has some assassination plot up her sleeves).
Scandalous Bits
– Mellie getting ambushed on live TV during the hearing was just brutal. And the “I don’t recall” shtick? Cringeworthy.
– I honestly can’t get enough of Sally Langston. Seeing her lead “Impeachment week” just made me supremely giddy. Kate Burton can do no wrong.
– I honestly couldn’t take Papa Pope seriously as he fended off his attacker with such ease.
– A gem of a scene: OPA responding perfectly in the senate hearing and blaming it all on Harrison.
– Abby’s awkwardness in the Oval bedroom was just priceless.
– Raise your hand if you wanted to puke during Fitz’s “proposal.”
– Mellie telling Olivia that she “despises” her in the underground scene was glorious on every level.
– I absolutely HATED Liv for leaving a hyperventilating Mellie all on her own after telling her the truth about her son.
– It’s shocking to me that a character like Jake who I used to find SO dull is now so likeable. Maybe it’s the fact that he finally has a backbone and he refuses to let Liv call him every time she needs a good cry about Fitz. I’m proud of you man!
– I must seem like such a dumb blonde, but I had forgotten that Liv, Fitz, Mellie and Abby were ALL lawyers. Ha!
– I think David’s speech to Susan (which stops her from resigning) is probably his single greatest moment in a long time.
– I can’t comprehend why the show would hire an actress as talented as Mia Maestro and kill her off so soon without tapping into her full potential. Stupid.
– I kind of wanted to see Liv as the First Lady with all her power gone. Loved the scene with the secret service introducing her to her new life. Can you imagine Liv without a phone?
Quipyness
Sally: We see you, Grant family, bonded by Sin to Olivia Pope and her criminal minions.
Huck: She didn’t tell us we couldn’t do other things.
Quinn: Huck!
Huck: I didn’t say kill. You really need to let that go.
Fitz: I should be downstairs in the sit room discussing any number of pressing concerns with my generals, like the war on terror or those bombings in Bolivia. Instead, I’m asking Charlotte to scour every presidential library in the country for rare and unique engagement rings. This one belonged to Betsy Ross. You know how embarrassing that was? How awkward I felt asking my valets to scatter rose petals everywhere? Telling them to light all these damn candles?
Mellie: Your father is a murderer. He slaughtered innocent people, and you want me to release him from jail. Just like that. Without even knowing what I was doing. So that you and Fitz can live happily upstairs together for another couple of years? How sick is that? How sick are you? But I guess the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree, does it?
Mellie: For the love of… do you really give two craps about any of this, Fitz? I get the foundation and Saturdays and you get to marry your mistress.
Mellie: How do you do that? How do you talk yourself into believing anything you want to believe? Convince yourself that you are completely blameless in every situation? What kind of messed-up cognitive processes go on in that tiny little head of yours to make all that happen? You think it’s scientific? Did you get it from your daddy, something passed on from one Grant to the next? I wish I could do that. I wish I were wired that way.
Fitz: You have blood on your hands.
Mellie: In an effort to protect you! Every imaginable scenario, they all end with you, Fitz! Don’t you get it? You are the common denominator here. You are the root cause of everything. I would still have my dignity if it wasn’t for you. I would still have my career if it wasn’t for you. Those jurors would still be alive if it wasn’t for you. I would have gotten to see Jerry attend his senior prom if it wasn’t for you. I wouldn’t have had to bury my baby if it wasn’t for you! I wouldn’t have even had kids. I wouldn’t have married you. I wouldn’t have forced myself to stomach you and your disgusting father lying on top of me. I would have had something, been something, done something. I wouldn’t have wasted 20 years propping you up, making you feel okay about your pathetic mediocrity, petting you and applauding you. My life would have meant something if it wasn’t for you! Goodbye, Fitz.
Sally: So are you ready, Susan Ross, to take your place as the second female President of the United States? Because as you all know, my friends, I was the first.
David: Anyway, with the president, it’s different. When he has an affair, there’s 300 million people in bed with him… the American public. There’s also 100 senators and 435 members of congress. And they have to make sure the only thing he broke was his vows, make sure there’s no quid pro quo, that there’s favoritism, that every cent the White House may have paid Olivia Pope was for the professional services she rendered and not her services in bed. So you’re wrong. The one man, the only man in this country whom you can prosecute for sleeping around is Fitzgerald Grant.
David: I don’t know if you’d be a great president, but I know you wouldn’t be any worse than what we have now. At least, unlike the man who’s currently occupying that job… you wouldn’t snag everyone around you in your zipper.
Cyrus: I want that face on television. I don’t want your face. I don’t like your face. You have a lawyer face.
Agent: Your life is different now. Some things are more difficult, but on the other hand, you will never open another car door or spend time trying to find your umbrella.
Mellie: I had a realization about you. All these years I’ve spent hating you, wishing he’d never met you, thinking you showed up and took him from me. You just appeared out of nowhere and ruined everything.
Olivia: Mellie.
Mellie: But I was wrong. You are not my enemy. You are my freedom. You are my white knight. You are my challenger, my push to greatness, my savior. I was lost, but now I’m found. I was blind, but now I see. You are gonna make me President of the United States.
Conclusion
An exceptionally powerful hour of Scandal thanks to Mellie – one of the most layered and engrossing characters on television.
Nad Rating
A
Yeah, Mellie was a powerhouse this episode from her scenes with Olivia underground to her confrontation with Fitz after signing the divorce papers to her new sense of power at the end, coming from leverage over Olivia. I think Mellie hasn't overlooked Rowan's involvement in her son's death and may plan to avenge it after she's done using him.
I found myself liking Jake a bit this episode. I was proud of him hanging up on Olivia, not just once but twice. I also felt sorry for him when he lost someone he could have had a life with thanks to Rowan once again screwing him over. No way, Jake is going to let this go. He won't rest until Rowan is out of the picture for good, an outcome that I really hope will happen this season, sooner rather than later.
I see Jake blaming Olivia for what happened to his wife since she brought to Mellie the idea of releasing her father, which I am so shocked and disgusted by Olivia's willingness to consider it. I think Mellie was right about it being about Olivia saving herself and Olivia is going to have to live with the consequences of what she has set into motion.
BTW Fitz is an asshole.
Haha perfectly stated at the end there Justin!