VO: Sorry about the hiatus folks — I was out of town visiting family between Put a Ring on It and Honor Thy Father and life basically grabbed K., dragged her off to B613 and shoved her in a hole while I was gone.
KC: Yeah, I was working. And prepping to record an EP. Sorry, Scandal. Kinda. OK, not really.
VO: Given the flighty nature of the Internet, I’m going to assume y’all know what’s going on from the past two episodes and just dive on in.
B613 AGAIN? I’m sorry, but I’m old and I miss the scandal of the week and Olivia being a fixer.
KC: Yeah I am just hanging in there through to the season finale, basically.
VO: And I thought Rowan would never come back to Olivia given that she pulled a gun on him. I mean, he wouldn’t lift a finger for her when she was kidnapped, so what makes him think that she’d welcome him with open arms?
KC: And why now, exactly?
VO: All men aren’t like Rowan. Olivia’s problem is that she’s seeking men like him — you can’t deny she has some daddy issues going. And the ones that aren’t like Rowan, she pushes away coughEdisoncough
KC: Yeah, but that’s exactly what he said, she looks for men like Rowan.
VO: Also if Jake is living next door, how the hell did he not see Rowan enter?
KC: Shrug
VO: Of course Olivia doesn’t want to take down Fitz also — apparently his dick is made out of gold or something.
KC: She’s basically hanging on to the idea of him. Does she actually still love Fitz? I am not really sure.
VO: I think my answer is more of, “I don’t know, I don’t care.”
Did Libby just do some strategy that I liked? And her hair calmed down? Damn, they’re really fleshing her out now.
KC: Yeah they are actually making her into a real character.
VO: HEY MARCUS! NICE TO SEE YOU AGAIN! I just wish it wasn’t with you covered in mayor’s wife’s blood.
KC: I hate this storyline. I hate it, This is some Grey’s Anatomy shit. In real life this would be like Chuy Garcia banging Rahm’s wife. Just an unrealistic plot contrivance.
VO: Watching Quinn and Huck in motion, I can’t help but wonder how many DC landfills are filled with bodies. It’s like watching the Sopranos and wondering about the wilds of New Jersey.
KC: But they’re so good at it!
VO: Hey Artemis! It’s kind of interesting watching Susan Ross’ priorities about the spelling bee. She got lucky with that kid spelling it right. I also like her stalling a little to read the bill. She’s not as big of a pushover as they thought.
KC: She is a true public servant type. She should actually be a character on the West Wing.
VO: OH PLEASE TELL ME THAT OLIVIA AND MARCUS WILL HOOK UP. Because that will actually have an interesting push-pull to it.
KC: In another life, if Olivia was more emotionally stable, they’d be a decent couple. But I don’t like this direction they took with him. I feel like it would have been nice to see him be a professional antagonist for a bit longer.
VO: I love the line “Preparing to vote.” Susan’s a delightful policy wonk. I also think that this might be a flaw of the Grant staff because they kind of shuttled her off to judge spelling bees. If she was there in the meetings and learning about the stuff, then you wouldn’t have these questions.
And I can’t get the image of Susan crapping on a statue out of my head. Thanks Josh Molina.
KC: The Grant presidency is full of a bunch of power-hungry morons.
VO: Aw Jake being supportive and shit. He just knows she’s wavering.
KC: Jake is so comfortable in the friendzone. He is the Drake to Liv’s Nicki Minaj.
VO: How does a community activist not know the legal issues with this?
KC: Because he’s on Scandal. How did he go from community activist to viable mayoral candidate in like three weeks?
VO: Voters are drunk in Scandalverse. We both know that.
You could hear Marcus get a boner at Olivia’s speech.
KC: It was a very good speech.
VO: Does anyone feel like the recycled plot of “getting the wife to be a sacrificial lamb to win at politics” from the past with the cratic nominee for president?
KC: yup.
VO: Rosen looks like he’s ready to chew his arm off while being peppered by Susan’s questions. And I really love Susan right now for her wonky questions because seriously — those are always questions I have whenever people discuss big heartwarming bills that are popular.
KC: She’s pretty smart, and she’s one of the few characters I give a shit about. She’s like too smart for this show/presidency. Not fast-talking smart,but nerdy smart.
VO: Holy shit they actually pulled out Remington — BUT THEY CAN’T FIGURE OUT HOW LONG OLIVIA WAS HELD HOSTAGE FOR? Then again, they’ve planted this seed for awhile so you knew it was going to come to fruition.
KC: Give that story continuity person a raise!
VO: Nice camera work with Olivia in the hallway. It’s amazing how much acting Kerry Washington can do with her eyes.
KC: That was a very interestingly shot scene and she played it well. I’ve actually really enjoyed KW’s acting this god-awful season.
VO: That’s the thing about Scandal for me — even when the material is subpar, the acting elevates it.
For a moment, I thought that Randall was a smart, smart man, then he went and did something stupid. I mean it was hot stupid, but still stupid. Because you know he’s gonna end up as a fluff and fold soon.
They really are making Mellie like a Hillary Clinton. Now I suddenly want a Mellie/Susan ticket because it would be hilarious.
KC: I miss the earlier writing for Mellie when they wrote her smarter, so her Hillary-like tendencies made sense. Now I am thinking “why would anyone vote for her?”
VO: Holy shit Marcus — How do you not know how evidence works and the criminal system? I’m just saying you’re a community activist. You should know this shit. Even I know it as someone who mainlined Law and Order in its heyday.
KC: Makes me wonder what kind of “community activist” he was/is. Cause right now it seems like he’s just a dude that wears suits and shows up to marches, which is a very cynical view of what community activists do, and he would have been chewed up and spit out by the media after announcing his candidacy.
VO: Exactly my thought. I feel like he should know more, but it’s the media representation of a community activist, much like how they like to portray women reporters as people who sleep with their bosses and sources. It is cynical and sad because there’s a reason why people do these things and it’s harder work than just showing up and marching/asking questions/etc.
You know what Fitz? You should’ve included Susan in the meetings instead of sheltering her so she knows what the hell was going on, because she’s got the same objections I have to that bill — it’s all feel good and no teeth. I wonder if they’re making Susan like an Elizabeth Warren figure.
KC: Also, that speech to Susan was so gross and condescending, especially coming from his useless ass.
VO: Also, why did Marcus do this if he’s pissed off about his decision? And Olivia’s speech to him feels like she’s talking to her baby self, if she could.
KC: I don’t get anything Marcus has done. Nothing about what little we knew about the character in the Brandon episode makes sense here. And also, it seems weird to me that he’s just be free and clear after declaring that the mayor killed his wife. No investigation? No one is looking for the body or anything?
VO: MY CONCERN ALSO! It brings up the question as to whether or not the writers really have a good handle as to how investigation works.
Rowan’s speech reminds me of the ancient idea that sometimes the pupil has to take down the teacher.
KC: He’s full on Sith Lord now. But I still feel like there’s something more we don’t know about his sudden return.
VO: HOLY SHIT RANDALL!
KC: Liv can’t even bone a stranger without him being B613 or related. She should just move, really. Also, I dunno if Jake is really dead. I kind of think this is a long con and maybe he’ll be saved in enough time and then goes undercover. I dunno.
VO: I think the same thing too, but there’s been pictures leaked of Scott Foley in bed, bandaged up, so I’m with you.