Is it easier to explain a gay husband… or a dead one? VP Sally is about to find out. Fighting between them, they blame each other for their sham marriage and failed children. VP Sally couldn't find a husband who would play second fiddle to Jesus and her… Daniel needed a beard. Daniel tells VP Sally that you need a pair of balls to run for President, and the ones she borrowed from him are leaving. So Sally stabs him.
Cyrus replays his part in fiasco as VP Sally shows him the body and asks him to take care of it… and pukes. Finally. Guess who Cyrus calls to clean it up?
Quinn's plot doesn't happen at the last second. Charlie is unsympathetic that she couldn't get the video back, tells her she's still alive. She runs to bathroom, flushes the tracker and syringe down the toilet. She decides to ditch B-613 when Charlie finds her and tells her they have a job to do.
Huck put a tracking device into Quinn's new gap. He tells Olivia she's at B-613, that he needed to track her so she wouldn't run. He's admitted to Olivia what he's been done. Olivia is angry that Quinn will definitely betray them now that Huck has tortured her. Huck insists that he had to for what she did to them all. Olivia wants "Maria" Pope re-arrested when she lands in Hong Kong, needs to know what her mother did and was about to do.
Fitz has Rowan blocked by SUVs, doesn't this happen in DC enough by accident? Rowan ends up handcuffed to a chair for a change, Fitz's prisoner for the night. Fitz decides this is quality time, takes a seat across Rowan. Fitz gets same treatment he gave Olivia from Rowan.
Charlie and Rowan get called to VP Sally's are cleaning up the mess (how depressing is it when your new job is just like your old job?) while Cyrus gives VP Sally her talking points and talks her into getting Jesus to forgive her, and letting him clean the blood off. Abby and Harrison go to boyfriend David, wheedling "Maria's" file from him. Olivia is angry at Huck, who has lost Quinn, and now has lost Rowan. Jake tries to talk her down, reminds her how damaged Huck is, by her own father. So cut him some slack, lady.
Daniel is placed back in his bed, in pajamas he probably never actually wore, with VP Sally in her big ol' bathrobe, being coached by Cyrus. VP Sally is not to let the doctor, who is coming, examine Daniel. The pajamas must stay on. The doctor walks in as Cyrus is trying to shake VP Sally in coherence, so he fake hugs her, and sweet talks the doctor as VP Sally realizes the doctor could ruin her life as he steps closer to examine her murder victim's body. She leaps into action, declaring that no one will touch him, hugging him in the bed. So, Cyrus, completely unrealistically, convinces the good doctor to leave Daniel's body alone and just report that his heart stopped.
Mellie interrupts Cyrus' drinking to gloat over Daniel's death, which she thinks is the best of luck. So Cyrus has to tell her the truth, and wallows in guilt over the line they have finally crossed, the bridge they burned. Mellie calls him the right hand of the President. Her only concern is whether Olivia Pope was called in. Mellie breaks half the news to Fitz, tells him she's going to handle all the namby pamby business.
Fitz, back in a cell with Rowan, tells him how awful a father he is, reminds Rowan that he's been fucking Olivia, he's still fucking her. Rowan recites lyrics from Porgy and Bess, throws Fitz's coddled life back at Fitz, calls him a boy, says he's never had to work for anything. Rowan came from nothing, and his daughter went to school with children of royalty. Rowan accuses Fitz of a serious case of affluenza, theorizes that Fitz's affair is the acting out of a spoiled brat. Rowan accuses Fitz of self-sabotage so he can break free of his hang ups over Big Jerry. Rowan tells Fitz that Olivia won't make Fitz his own man. He officially withholds consent. Fitz was given every privilege a human being could have; but it's Rowan, a man born poor, who will end up ordering Fitz around.
David's files on Maya's whole past, every name, every photo, go to Olivia through Abby. Maya's whole marriage is a sham so she could steal highly classified stuff from Rowan. She was going to London to betray him. Abby points out that Maya hasn't killed anyone, and has served 22 years in prison without trial. Has Maya paid enough? Maybe for what she did to Rowan.
Cyrus and James have a spat. Cyrus tries to hurt James over Daniel Douglas' death, telling him Daniel will never get to fuck James again, and storming out after hurting James as much as he could.
Mellie comes over, making sure she is photographed while Leo Bergen sits in VP Sally's office, trying to salvage the best job he's ever had. Mellie walks in, reminding Sally in coded language who covered this all up for her. VP Sally is concerned when Mellie tells her they're handling everything… and the coroner. Mellie is all sugar and sweetness as she reminds VP Sally they're all stuck together, that Sally has nothing to worry about, because she's in the family now.
Quinn is back at Charlie's place, almost naked, in self-pity for the fact that she's no longer normal. Charlie tells her that's a good thing. He offers her her freedom, at least from him. They snuggle.
Shit. James is confessing his affair with Daniel to a certain US Attorney. He comes as clean as he knows, and his suspicions are laid open. David throws the fact that James betrayed him in the past and left him to high school students obsessed with drawing penises. David isn't going to launch an entire investigation on James' word.
Huck and Jake are cruising, realize Rowan is in the Pentagon. Olivia confronts Fitz, wanting to speak to her dad. Olivia wants to know just what was so terrible on the plane that all those other people had to die. Olivia reminds Rowan that Maya didn't believe in anything, so was not willing to die herself, and therefore, wasn't on a suicide mission. So what was Maya doing? Why did Fitz have to shoot that plane down? Oh, Maya lied about a bomb on the plane to Rowan, so Rowan would order the plane shot down. Oh, Maya played Rowan like a fiddle. So who did Maya really want killed? Who? For now, Olivia just wants Rowan to admit Maya played him. Olivia angrily demands she's arrested when she lands to Fitz. Who must be legitimately confused by now. Rowan was right. This was all above his pay grade. Poor Fitz, now he'll have to apologize the guy who's daughter he's fucking.
Rowan just wants his coat and tie back? At least get a new shirt, dude. Charlie wakes up to find Quinn gone. She's back at the Coliseum, and she's chirpy enough to think Huck will apologize, who tells her she's not a Gladiator anymore. Huck tells Quinn she'd be dead if she was anyone else. Quinn eventually returns to a grateful, touched Charlie. Why wouldn't he be grateful? All he has besides her is TV and take out.
Cyrus is undressing for the night, never looking more like an old man, when James confronts him, all coated up, ready to leave. Their options: James would never win custody of their daughter in court, there's nothing left to fight about. Cyrus points out that now there can be no illusions anymore about who he is and how bad he is. Is love enough? Cyrus will give James the time he needs to decide.
Olivia gets home as her phone rings. It's Fitz. The plane was found in Mongolia? Crew is dead. Maya is gone. Wow, that is one violent woman. Jake shows up, to tell her not to underestimate Fitz, to kiss her, tell her that he loved her, loves her, and to say goodbye.
Daniel Douglas' funeral goes picture perfect, but afterwards, Leo Bergen demands to know why she is giving up her ambition and her run for the Presidency. He launches into a bitter story about the death of his father, and reminds her that the White House team is just putting her back in a cage. Oh, but then Leo launches into a tirade about Daniel Douglas is in Heaven urging VP Sally to run. VP Sally screams at Leo that Daniel is in hell, and that he died for being a disgusting Sodomite. Leo puts it together right away. He isn't angry about VP Sally killing Daniel Douglas; he's fucking furious because VP Sally called Cyrus instead of Leo.
I can't help feeling sorry for VP Sally. Her ambitions in a political and religious community kind of forced her to marry a man who would accept being her second, among men who see that as a bad thing. Her sex hang ups led her to hate the man she married for political convenience. Now he's dead, and she has no one, but code-language Mellie.
Olivia has a heartfelt call with Rowan. Was Rowan trying to protect his own job as spymaster by hiding his spying wife, or was he trying to protect Olivia from his sham marriage? Rowan tells her to come by tomorrow, he'll have a pot roast. Stevie Wonder starts playing as Rowan enters his office to find Jake giving orders. Jake enjoys telling Rowan he's no longer Command of B-613. Jake is. Jake's first call is to Fitz, who is happy to have his wingman back. Olivia doesn't know. Hmmm.
James and Cyrus are having the most awkward night of their lives. James has decided love is not enough. A huge promotion is enough. James will be White House Press Secretary, and James won't leave Cyrus. Will James still love Cyrus? Why would he? Cyrus' real husband is in the White House, not his bed.
It's late at the U.S. District Attorney's office. David wants to finish up so he can go put something inside Abby. But an unknown woman barges in, glad he's finally available. While David mumbles excuses for why he can't see her right now, she quickly introduces herself. Shelby Moss, engineer peon of an NSA Contractor, who immediately takes the battery out of David's phone, and places a small MP3 player on David's desk. That plot, involving VP Sally's husband that James was ranting about? Sounds like David should have listened, because out comes VP Sally's call to Cyrus from the end of the last episode. Too bad Cyrus just got James' mouth shut.
It's late. Olivia is in casual clothes when her phone rings and she hears her mother cooing at her as only killer spies for hire can. Olivia only demands to know where Maya is. Maya has no answers, except to tell Olivia they'll see each other soon. As Maya trashes the cell phone and walks away, we see the White House. I wonder wear she got the return airfare?
Side note: Shelby Moss, she of the recording of VP Sally, is played by Julia Cho. ANYONE who even likes Jane Austen a little needs to check her out in the Lizzy Bennet Diaries on Youtube.
Saturday, December 21, 2013
Friday, December 20, 2013
Bridges Burned - Scandal, Season 3, Episode 9
Huck starts us off by recounting to a naked and duct-taped Quinn his favorite torture techniques. I love the feeling of a toe coming off a foot, too, Huck. However, Huck has decided to be the model of restraint by limiting himself to yanking, without anesthesia but with lots of blood, Quinn's teeth out. I prefer my family and friends' discount to be for clothing and shoes, but I guess Quinn will take what she can get. Huck's going to do A LOT of awful things to Quinn in this episode, but nothing is as terrible as telling her that torturing her will be amazing, and then slowly licking the side of her face as she pants in terror. Nothing.
Huck gets down to business right away, prying open Quinn's mouth and actually inserting the pliers to start de-toothifying. But he's interrupted by his phone. It's Olivia. Flustered for the first time in her life, Olivia tells Huck, on her personal cell phone, with who knows who listening in, that her mother is with her in her apartment. Alive. Huck shuts her down immediately, tells her to get off the phone, get to the safe house. Because if Olivia thinks her apartment isn't about to be raided, she can always stay and learn the hard way it is. Huck hangs up, and can't resist just one act of torture before he's gotta go to work- he yanks out a tooth as Quinn screams.
We flip to another scene of torture, although it's Leo Bergen torturing VP Sally Langston. He's clever. The forms, the pen, are actually in her reach. But he makes it clear, partly by packing them all up, and partly by yelling that she'll lose if she doesn't do what he says, that she'll have to put politics before God. Sally, to her credit, at first tries to laugh him off, then at least looks angry for a second. She offers him gay rights, education, ANYTHING except being pro-choice. Anything. Did Sally learn nothing from 2008? Jesus doesn't get you 50% anymore, Sally. Not even 40% anymore. So Sally, after dallying long enough, agrees to Bergen's terms, and signs the forms, right after he tells her the times they are a-changin'.
Cyrus and James play the cheating husband version of the oblique-questions-with-double-meaning answers-game. Cyrus knows James has cheated, and has the pictures, but James must think that Cyrus is still uncertain, while Cyrus just wants to know how this could have happened to him.
Froot Loops. With an extremely young Michael Jackson singing "Ben" through a Walkman. As if the symbolism of lost innocence was not enough. We see Maya Pope say her last goodbye to Olivia 22 years ago. And something about casseroles. And how it will only be a couple of days. And then we flash to the safe house, with Olivia on one end, and Maya Pope wandering around on the other end, and Harrison and Abby furiously demanding answers from Huck and Jake, who claim to be clueless as to why Maya Pope is actually alive. Maya tells them that she had discovered "the truth" about Eli/Rowan, and was flying to London to give her information to a journalist there, but Rowan had her pulled from the plane under the name of … you guessed it… Omar Dresden. So they officially don't need to talk to the guy Quinn murdered now after all. Quinn will be so relieved. The real fun starts when Maya tells Huck and Jake that she escaped. That's great news, Maya! Let's bend you over a table and find the transmitter! They get out right ahead of Charlie, using his iPad for work as well as play. When Charlie raids the place, all that's still there is the now-useless transmitter.
Rowan discusses how he's going to find his wife while the Gladiators, minus Quinn, figure out how they're going to get her beyond Rowan's reach. Apparently, the plan is Hong Kong. Huck is bummed when Olivia tells him to stay with her mother tonight. And Harrison is getting the passport from "a friend". And, apparently, there's a gel that blocks traffic cameras from seeing inside your windshield.
Quinn's face is bloody, but she's cogent enough to start looking for ways out of the duct tape, especially when she sees her tooth laying beside her.
Harrison's friend is flirty and efficient, especially when she tells him that Adnan Salif is back and says hello. But she'll call him when the passport is ready.
Cyrus is holding on exposing Daniel Douglas, and Mellie tells him to play the cards because a job she hates with a man she despises is on the line, and goddammit, she wants what will disappoint her most.
Maya cozies up to Olivia over breakfast, and goes straight into full mothering mode, reciting a fantasy life she concocted for her daughter of marriage, a kid, dinner with laughs. And love. And happiness. But, Maya points out, she has no laughter in her life. Only dangerous men and a life of intrigue that reminds her too much of Eli/Rowan. Huck and Jake drink coffee and plot against Rowan. Jake decides they need help. Fitz's help.
Fitz is sympathetic, but won't act. At least, not without a far reaching plan that sort of peacefully dismantles B-613 without a body count. But Jake wants action. While Fitz was shaking hands, Jake was getting his bloody. And now, Fitz is president while Jake's ass hangs in the wind. He wants the past 22 years of his life to disappear, so he can put B-613 behind him. Now. And here is Fitz, claiming to love Olivia but doing nothing to free her from her father's threats against the people she cares about. Fitz accuses Jake of trying to be Olivia's knight in shining armor, and warns Jake that Olivia is no damsel. Jake, disgusted, leaves.
Quinn goes for a glass with her feet, and it falls away from her. We cut to Sally Langston telling Daniel Douglas that they're getting the reward of walking the righteous path. Hope he's pro-choice. What Quinn wants, and what Sally wants are both right there… within reach… if they don't fumble and fuck it up.
James pops into Cyrus' office to say hi before heading off to Daniel Douglas. James is ecstatic to continue the interview, but tells Cyrus that Daniel will be coming over to their home to finish somewhere quiet, and verifies that Cyrus will be out. But James is about to be freaked out when he talks to Daniel Douglas, who grabs him and tells him that … HE IS NOT GAY. Daniel tells James that he is attracted to his wife, a Christian, and it is a despicable temptation that is his cross to bear. James goes from fearful to just pitying as Daniel launches into a terrified screed about being a man and being on God's path. It's like the aftermath if Dan Savage fucked Phil Robertson. Because Daniel Douglas IS NOT GAY. Just like that Mr. Garrison on South Park.
Olivia gets a flashback that leads to an idea that goes nowhere, because Maya shoots down her idea of tracking down the journalist she was going to see in London. That would put the journalist in danger. Maya insists that as long as Rowan is alive, she must run. Huck doesn't contradict her. Maya says it's okay, she's seen her daughter, and can leave her old life behind for a life on the run.
We see the backs of Charlie and Rowan enter some dilapidated old place, with Jake and some loyal old buddies with guns watching. However, it's two of Jake's buddies who get it, entering a room where a bomb goes off, but there's no Rowan or Charlie. They are in a car, speeding away with Charlie celebrating giving them the slip for a change, and Rowan scolding him for liking killing. Duh, Rowan loves power, not killing. Rowan loves control, not killing. Rowan wants Quinn to check in and earn her keep, so he scolds Charlie for not keeping decent tabs on her, too. She's busy working on that glass.
Huck and Jake commiserate over their loss, and Huck rushes back to Quinn's to spoil her escape. He gives her some lovey-dovey talk and yanks another tooth. Harrison and Abby show up to see Olivia and Maya and tell them Maya's picture is on the no-fly list. Abby tries to sweet-talk boyfriend David into getting her off the no-fly list. No dice.
VP Sally graces Fitz with her presence, to tell him he's a terrible person, and horribly self-centered. With Josie Marcus out, there's a new chance to be the first woman President. Fitz tells her she can't win, but VP Sally wants to make her own opportunities, not wait for Fitz to give her one. Fitz threatens her with total political destruction, and VP Sally tells him to bring it on.
Cyrus races home for more double entendres, and erupts at James, telling James he knows all about the cheating with Daniel Douglas. James throws Cyrus' double-dealing back at him, and demands to know why Cyrus pimped him out. Cyrus trusted James not to ruin their marriage, because that's Cyrus' job. When James demands a divorce, Cyrus angrily tells James that he's got the photos of his sexual escapade, and that James better not be going anywhere. So he held on exposing Daniel, but will happily use the photos to threaten his own husband? Their argument is interrupted by Cyrus trying his best to sound professional and normal on the phone with Fitz, who wants him right away. I guess we know who Cyrus' real husband is.
Fitz wants VP Sally taken care of. Fitz is actually angry at Cyrus, blaming him for losing VP Sally and her right-wing voters. VP Sally is leaving because Fitz's philandering cost him her trust and loyalty, but he still blames Cyrus. Mellie tells Cyrus that he will get over it, and graduate to numbness, which is close enough to fine for her. See it through, she tells him. Put the final nail in his marriage's coffin so Fitz can continue to be a useless President.
Charlie walks in after Huck's latest dentistry, and rescues Quinn. David tells Abby that removing Maya from the no-fly list will actually set off huge alarm bells, putting Maya in more danger. Olivia tells Maya there's going to be another way, and leaves the room to call Fitz from the stairwell. Fitz tells her he knows about Maya, and what can he do? Oh, so Jake can't be a hero, but Fitz can? But Olivia just wants a sympathetic ear, one that won't demand answers, and will just talk about how great Vermont and the future kids are. These two are really going on about the dream now, so you know it will be tragically yanked from them by the end of the season. Fitz decides he will get Maya out of the country. He tells her it will be done, period. She cries a little and thanks him. Fitz hangs up and demands to talk to a general, dammit.
Charlie gives Quinn a drink. Charlie ixnays the crying, reminding her that a few missing teeth isn't the end of the world, and that her fingers are all there. But Quinn is reeling from being tortured by her only friend. Then there's sex, which can be tricky when of you has just had teeth pulled and you want to kiss. But Charlie's a professional.
Cyrus waltzes into VP Sally's office, who has stabbed the pig through its belly, but hasn't seen just how hot her husband is when he's having gay sex. Fortunately, Cyrus can show her. Evidently disgusted with her husband, she calls Cyrus' bluff. Cyrus made the crucial mistake of implicating his own husband in an gay extramarital affair. VP Sally blows him off. Cyrus silently slinks from her office. He's so humiliated he actually apologizes to James, telling James the photos are gone, and begging for forgiveness. But there's a packed suitcase behind James on the bed.
Charlie and Quinn traipse over to HQ, for Quinn to do some digital magic to find the Gladiators for B-613. Charlie loves a chick who can find people for him. Quinn wants the video of her murdering in exchange for tracking down Rowan's enemies. Rowan is impressed.
Olivia sends Maya off on a plane supplied by Fitz. Olivia tries to keep it professional, but Abby is having none of it and sends Olivia off to hug her mom. "Ben" plays again as they have a sentimental goodbye. They recreate the scene from Empire Strikes Back, with one saying "I love you", and the other saying "I know." But Michael Jackson isn't done playing, and teenaged Olivia answers a phone call for "Maria", hanging up on what she thinks is a wrong number. But present-day Olivia starts putting pieces together, and quickly calls Huck back at the office, who tells Olivia that the name on the no-fly list is Maria. Rowan's not the bad guy here. Maya is. And Olivia just helped her escape the country for a place she'll be unreachable.
We cut to a flashback of Huck's torture session, and a terrified Quinn making Huck an offer he can't refuse. We cut back to Rowan's office, and a syringe coming out of Quinn's sleeve, waiting to be used.
Cyrus is woken while sleeping alone in his office by a phone call. It's VP Sally, whispering from Daniel's man cave. Fitz's philandering is about to be the least of this administrations problems. Can Cyrus figure out how to get VP Sally out of a homicide charge?
Huck gets down to business right away, prying open Quinn's mouth and actually inserting the pliers to start de-toothifying. But he's interrupted by his phone. It's Olivia. Flustered for the first time in her life, Olivia tells Huck, on her personal cell phone, with who knows who listening in, that her mother is with her in her apartment. Alive. Huck shuts her down immediately, tells her to get off the phone, get to the safe house. Because if Olivia thinks her apartment isn't about to be raided, she can always stay and learn the hard way it is. Huck hangs up, and can't resist just one act of torture before he's gotta go to work- he yanks out a tooth as Quinn screams.
We flip to another scene of torture, although it's Leo Bergen torturing VP Sally Langston. He's clever. The forms, the pen, are actually in her reach. But he makes it clear, partly by packing them all up, and partly by yelling that she'll lose if she doesn't do what he says, that she'll have to put politics before God. Sally, to her credit, at first tries to laugh him off, then at least looks angry for a second. She offers him gay rights, education, ANYTHING except being pro-choice. Anything. Did Sally learn nothing from 2008? Jesus doesn't get you 50% anymore, Sally. Not even 40% anymore. So Sally, after dallying long enough, agrees to Bergen's terms, and signs the forms, right after he tells her the times they are a-changin'.
Cyrus and James play the cheating husband version of the oblique-questions-with-double-meaning answers-game. Cyrus knows James has cheated, and has the pictures, but James must think that Cyrus is still uncertain, while Cyrus just wants to know how this could have happened to him.
Froot Loops. With an extremely young Michael Jackson singing "Ben" through a Walkman. As if the symbolism of lost innocence was not enough. We see Maya Pope say her last goodbye to Olivia 22 years ago. And something about casseroles. And how it will only be a couple of days. And then we flash to the safe house, with Olivia on one end, and Maya Pope wandering around on the other end, and Harrison and Abby furiously demanding answers from Huck and Jake, who claim to be clueless as to why Maya Pope is actually alive. Maya tells them that she had discovered "the truth" about Eli/Rowan, and was flying to London to give her information to a journalist there, but Rowan had her pulled from the plane under the name of … you guessed it… Omar Dresden. So they officially don't need to talk to the guy Quinn murdered now after all. Quinn will be so relieved. The real fun starts when Maya tells Huck and Jake that she escaped. That's great news, Maya! Let's bend you over a table and find the transmitter! They get out right ahead of Charlie, using his iPad for work as well as play. When Charlie raids the place, all that's still there is the now-useless transmitter.
Rowan discusses how he's going to find his wife while the Gladiators, minus Quinn, figure out how they're going to get her beyond Rowan's reach. Apparently, the plan is Hong Kong. Huck is bummed when Olivia tells him to stay with her mother tonight. And Harrison is getting the passport from "a friend". And, apparently, there's a gel that blocks traffic cameras from seeing inside your windshield.
Quinn's face is bloody, but she's cogent enough to start looking for ways out of the duct tape, especially when she sees her tooth laying beside her.
Harrison's friend is flirty and efficient, especially when she tells him that Adnan Salif is back and says hello. But she'll call him when the passport is ready.
Cyrus is holding on exposing Daniel Douglas, and Mellie tells him to play the cards because a job she hates with a man she despises is on the line, and goddammit, she wants what will disappoint her most.
Maya cozies up to Olivia over breakfast, and goes straight into full mothering mode, reciting a fantasy life she concocted for her daughter of marriage, a kid, dinner with laughs. And love. And happiness. But, Maya points out, she has no laughter in her life. Only dangerous men and a life of intrigue that reminds her too much of Eli/Rowan. Huck and Jake drink coffee and plot against Rowan. Jake decides they need help. Fitz's help.
Fitz is sympathetic, but won't act. At least, not without a far reaching plan that sort of peacefully dismantles B-613 without a body count. But Jake wants action. While Fitz was shaking hands, Jake was getting his bloody. And now, Fitz is president while Jake's ass hangs in the wind. He wants the past 22 years of his life to disappear, so he can put B-613 behind him. Now. And here is Fitz, claiming to love Olivia but doing nothing to free her from her father's threats against the people she cares about. Fitz accuses Jake of trying to be Olivia's knight in shining armor, and warns Jake that Olivia is no damsel. Jake, disgusted, leaves.
Quinn goes for a glass with her feet, and it falls away from her. We cut to Sally Langston telling Daniel Douglas that they're getting the reward of walking the righteous path. Hope he's pro-choice. What Quinn wants, and what Sally wants are both right there… within reach… if they don't fumble and fuck it up.
James pops into Cyrus' office to say hi before heading off to Daniel Douglas. James is ecstatic to continue the interview, but tells Cyrus that Daniel will be coming over to their home to finish somewhere quiet, and verifies that Cyrus will be out. But James is about to be freaked out when he talks to Daniel Douglas, who grabs him and tells him that … HE IS NOT GAY. Daniel tells James that he is attracted to his wife, a Christian, and it is a despicable temptation that is his cross to bear. James goes from fearful to just pitying as Daniel launches into a terrified screed about being a man and being on God's path. It's like the aftermath if Dan Savage fucked Phil Robertson. Because Daniel Douglas IS NOT GAY. Just like that Mr. Garrison on South Park.
Olivia gets a flashback that leads to an idea that goes nowhere, because Maya shoots down her idea of tracking down the journalist she was going to see in London. That would put the journalist in danger. Maya insists that as long as Rowan is alive, she must run. Huck doesn't contradict her. Maya says it's okay, she's seen her daughter, and can leave her old life behind for a life on the run.
We see the backs of Charlie and Rowan enter some dilapidated old place, with Jake and some loyal old buddies with guns watching. However, it's two of Jake's buddies who get it, entering a room where a bomb goes off, but there's no Rowan or Charlie. They are in a car, speeding away with Charlie celebrating giving them the slip for a change, and Rowan scolding him for liking killing. Duh, Rowan loves power, not killing. Rowan loves control, not killing. Rowan wants Quinn to check in and earn her keep, so he scolds Charlie for not keeping decent tabs on her, too. She's busy working on that glass.
Huck and Jake commiserate over their loss, and Huck rushes back to Quinn's to spoil her escape. He gives her some lovey-dovey talk and yanks another tooth. Harrison and Abby show up to see Olivia and Maya and tell them Maya's picture is on the no-fly list. Abby tries to sweet-talk boyfriend David into getting her off the no-fly list. No dice.
VP Sally graces Fitz with her presence, to tell him he's a terrible person, and horribly self-centered. With Josie Marcus out, there's a new chance to be the first woman President. Fitz tells her she can't win, but VP Sally wants to make her own opportunities, not wait for Fitz to give her one. Fitz threatens her with total political destruction, and VP Sally tells him to bring it on.
Cyrus races home for more double entendres, and erupts at James, telling James he knows all about the cheating with Daniel Douglas. James throws Cyrus' double-dealing back at him, and demands to know why Cyrus pimped him out. Cyrus trusted James not to ruin their marriage, because that's Cyrus' job. When James demands a divorce, Cyrus angrily tells James that he's got the photos of his sexual escapade, and that James better not be going anywhere. So he held on exposing Daniel, but will happily use the photos to threaten his own husband? Their argument is interrupted by Cyrus trying his best to sound professional and normal on the phone with Fitz, who wants him right away. I guess we know who Cyrus' real husband is.
Fitz wants VP Sally taken care of. Fitz is actually angry at Cyrus, blaming him for losing VP Sally and her right-wing voters. VP Sally is leaving because Fitz's philandering cost him her trust and loyalty, but he still blames Cyrus. Mellie tells Cyrus that he will get over it, and graduate to numbness, which is close enough to fine for her. See it through, she tells him. Put the final nail in his marriage's coffin so Fitz can continue to be a useless President.
Charlie walks in after Huck's latest dentistry, and rescues Quinn. David tells Abby that removing Maya from the no-fly list will actually set off huge alarm bells, putting Maya in more danger. Olivia tells Maya there's going to be another way, and leaves the room to call Fitz from the stairwell. Fitz tells her he knows about Maya, and what can he do? Oh, so Jake can't be a hero, but Fitz can? But Olivia just wants a sympathetic ear, one that won't demand answers, and will just talk about how great Vermont and the future kids are. These two are really going on about the dream now, so you know it will be tragically yanked from them by the end of the season. Fitz decides he will get Maya out of the country. He tells her it will be done, period. She cries a little and thanks him. Fitz hangs up and demands to talk to a general, dammit.
Charlie gives Quinn a drink. Charlie ixnays the crying, reminding her that a few missing teeth isn't the end of the world, and that her fingers are all there. But Quinn is reeling from being tortured by her only friend. Then there's sex, which can be tricky when of you has just had teeth pulled and you want to kiss. But Charlie's a professional.
Cyrus waltzes into VP Sally's office, who has stabbed the pig through its belly, but hasn't seen just how hot her husband is when he's having gay sex. Fortunately, Cyrus can show her. Evidently disgusted with her husband, she calls Cyrus' bluff. Cyrus made the crucial mistake of implicating his own husband in an gay extramarital affair. VP Sally blows him off. Cyrus silently slinks from her office. He's so humiliated he actually apologizes to James, telling James the photos are gone, and begging for forgiveness. But there's a packed suitcase behind James on the bed.
Charlie and Quinn traipse over to HQ, for Quinn to do some digital magic to find the Gladiators for B-613. Charlie loves a chick who can find people for him. Quinn wants the video of her murdering in exchange for tracking down Rowan's enemies. Rowan is impressed.
Olivia sends Maya off on a plane supplied by Fitz. Olivia tries to keep it professional, but Abby is having none of it and sends Olivia off to hug her mom. "Ben" plays again as they have a sentimental goodbye. They recreate the scene from Empire Strikes Back, with one saying "I love you", and the other saying "I know." But Michael Jackson isn't done playing, and teenaged Olivia answers a phone call for "Maria", hanging up on what she thinks is a wrong number. But present-day Olivia starts putting pieces together, and quickly calls Huck back at the office, who tells Olivia that the name on the no-fly list is Maria. Rowan's not the bad guy here. Maya is. And Olivia just helped her escape the country for a place she'll be unreachable.
We cut to a flashback of Huck's torture session, and a terrified Quinn making Huck an offer he can't refuse. We cut back to Rowan's office, and a syringe coming out of Quinn's sleeve, waiting to be used.
Cyrus is woken while sleeping alone in his office by a phone call. It's VP Sally, whispering from Daniel's man cave. Fitz's philandering is about to be the least of this administrations problems. Can Cyrus figure out how to get VP Sally out of a homicide charge?
Saturday, December 7, 2013
Not The Girl You Save - Scandal, Season 3, Episode 8
Fitz is officially stalking Olivia, and has figured out the awesome power that quality real estate has over women. Mellie is disappointed in life, her husband, everything, all over again. Cyrus discovers James' breaking point. Quinn covers her tracks, and almost gets away with it. Fitz isn't the only one wanting a reunion with Olivia.
Rowan and Mya Pope have a weird way of staying married: Rowan keeps Mya in a maximum security prison, presumably with no trial and no intended release, because of some real or imagined wrong of hers. Rowan tells Mya, that because Olivia is now digging into Mya's "death", Mya will have to be moved, far away, that night. Mya demands to see her daughter one last time before she's whisked away. Rowan refuses, slamming the cell shut as Mya screams for one last look at Olivia.
Quinn is Charlie's new source for complete information on what the Gladiators are up to. The upside is that she gets a free ride to work. She and her team commiserate over losing a chance to talk to someone who could have shed light on Omar Dresden, because he was killed minutes before they could talk to him. Someone gets the bright idea of getting security footage from nearby buildings, something with a view of the lobby where the murder took place. You can see the fear and panic in Quinn, but she hides it well enough from the others.
James is still huffy about Cyrus' complete lack of sympathy over his getting fired. So, when Cyrus apologetically offers James a puff piece interviewing the VP's husband, all is forgiven. James is ecstatic.
Josie Marcus has called with a problem. There's been a break-in at her home in DC, and the only object stolen, despite all the valuables, is Candice's laptop. With extensive campaign information. Candice wants to immediately storm the offices of their Democratic Primary opponent, Governor Restin, but Josie and Team Olivia talk her down and tell her that no one does anything public. Yet.
Mellie is watching the interview where Fitz defends his wife again. And again. Fitz decides it's the perfect time to call his mistress. But Olivia is successfully avoiding Fitz, mostly by not answering when the Fitz phone rings.
We have seen torture on this show. We've seen people die. But we have not seen anyone go undead on us. Mya, desperate for help or just a hospital room and a doctor who might care about her, takes her time as she literally chews through her wrists until she hits a major bloodline. With her own blood and tissue in her mouth, more drips down onto the prison floor. Later, the doctor informs Rowan that Mya can be moved, but Mya has problems that won't go away by moving her.
Quinn is ahead of the gladiators (no longer one herself, because, I think you know why), getting footage from a neighbor herself, disguised as some random IT tech and walking away, almost getting away with the footage, when she runs into Jake coming to get it. So Quinn has no choice but to go back to the office, with files she's corrupted, to pretend to find what the team wants.
Abby goes to David's office, wanting Restin's office raided, but David needs something called probable cause. The Fourth Amendment, turns out, is a real bummer. Until then, it's the Capitol Police's problem. Abby retaliates by telling David his snoring is going to get him banned to the couch.
Mellie and Cyrus confab about their super duper plan to blackmail Sally through her closeted husband. Cyrus is convinced that James will rebuff Sally's husband, Daniel, and want to write all about Daniel's hypocrisy. It's up to Mellie to convince Daniel that James is ripe for coming on to. You didn't hear it from Mellie, but she's heard they have an open marriage. The cheese is in the trap.
Josie decides to pull Quinn from going over video footage she ruined to finding Candice's laptop once it is plugged in, turned on, and connected to the internet. Quinn waffles on this, hesitating to do as she's told. All discussion is stopped when the gladiators see Candice, Josie's sister/daughter, giving a press conference where she implies the Restin campaign stole her laptop and wants the press to know she's not making an accusation, just stating who benefits. One look from Olivia, and Harrison is off to do Candice-related damage control.
Olivia, already furious, gets another call from Fitz, and angrily tells him to leave her alone. She's had enough of his devotion to the War on Terror. He wants an hour, insisting she owes him that. She owes him an hour? Maybe an hour of tearing his hair out. Maybe an hour of kicking him in the balls. She destroys the phone, only to look up and see Jake. Jake, after realizing that it's Fitz she really loves and not him, tells her that Fitz will find a way of getting to her.
Harrison gets to Josie's home, where he delivers Candice her orders: Harrison is now her handler, because Candice's jumping the gun is only going to make Josie look like a bottom feeder. Harrison reminds Candice that Josie is a first-term Representative from some state with lots of livestock. That's enough work without The Gladiators also having to do damage control when one of her staff runs off at the mouth. Harrison is all business, but he has a great plan for making sure he's always supervising Candice.
Back at the Coliseum, Gladiators Huck and Jake have realized that someone completely fucked over the video footage. While showing Abby just how fucked up it all is, Jake manages to catch a reflection of the woman who they think is the killer in the window. Playtime! Huck has some algorithm that will enlarge and de-pixelate the image, so they can get a look at the killer. Abby proceeds from them to the next room, where a horrified Quinn is waiting for someone to hook Candice's laptop up to the internet. Which happens just as Abby is there, and can see the address. David promptly raids Governor Restin's offices, and Team Josie decides to let the NY Times call for Restin to drop out of the race. High road stuff.
James' first sit down with VP Hubbie Daniel didn't go well. All Daniel wanted to talk about was college football. James is beside himself. Daniel didn't want to talk about anything that might be considered an issue. Cyrus is a little disappointed that there were no advances. He tells James that Daniel isn't going to open up in front of his wife's assistants and staff. So, he suggests that James interview Daniel next in the VP Residence, the Observatory. Because there's no VP Staff there. I guess. He also gets James to wear a beautiful maroon V-Neck cashmere sweater. Casual, James, casual. And bourbon. But who will open right up, Daniel or James?
Rowan is in his office, interviewing Charlie, who is happy with Quinn's progress. Charlie likes having a protege, but Rowan is clear that if Quinn fails, she'll need to be killed. When Charlie leaves, Rowan starts digging through old press clippings of his daughter. He meanders over to his secret prison, where his wife is waking up after her suicide attempt, to show Mya her daughter. Mya is overcome with the sight of her daughter, but confused. Why doesn't Rowan have his own pictures of Olivia? Why are these all newspaper or magazine clippings? Rowan grudgingly admits that he hasn't had much of a relationship with Olivia, and insists it was Mya's fault he didn't as he storms out and tells the doctor to fully sedate Mya when she's moved. Touchy.
Olivia comes home to find Secret Service Agent #1 waiting for her. Thinking Fitz wants to come up, she angrily tells him to leave. But Agent #1 has an envelope for her instead. Olivia sees a picture, presumably from Fitz, of herself with her father. Proof that she knows the most dangerous and villainous spy in the world. So Olivia lets herself be helicoptered to… Vermont, where Fitz is waiting for her. She makes sure to tell him he has only one hour, which he agrees to. So we know she'll be there all night.
Fitz waxes poetically abut the house he's had Olivia brought to. Full of handmade details. Olivia reminds Fitz that he's supposed to be in New Hampshire. So Fitz throws the fact that she knew, for a long time, what her father is, and told no one. Not the Governor she was working for to elect President. Not the President she rigged an election for. Fitz feels he was entitled to know. Olivia reminds Fitz he's kept his own secrets. Fitz reminds Olivia that national security will always trump her. Olivia is sure Fitz would have wanted nothing to do with her if he knew what her father really did; Fitz insists that he would have wanted to protect her. Olivia reminds Fitz that she's not in danger. Just everyone around her.
Thirty acres of orchards! An amazing kitchen! Olivia has had it with his real estate description, and is freaking out when Fitz tells her it was his Olivia and Fitz dream home. Rooms for kids (what about the ones you already have, dumbass?). Fitz has brought her up to Vermont to see that, once, he had a dream. A dream that required a huge home with lots of handmade details. And Olivia. But, since Olivia doesn't love him anymore, he's going to sell it. Nothing moves a woman to savagely kiss a man faster than quality real estate.
Back at the Coliseum, Quinn and Huck are the only people left at the office. Huck is still trying to get the reflection to work from his algorithm-thingy, and Quinn offers to stay up and finish. But Huck tells her to go home. Quinn's betrayal is made all the worse, when Huck tells Quinn, as quickly and quietly as he can, that he knows Quinn does good work, even if he doesn't tell her that. So, Quinn goes down to some parking garage to threaten Charlie. She's about to be found out. She wants someone to blame. Charlie is pretty cool about the whole thing, reminding Quinn that they're a great team. He then gets into the car.
Mellie plays find-my-cheating-husband with a clearly embarrassed secretary. Her scene of getting the secretary to try Fitz and, then, on a hunch, Olivia, and getting no answer is juxtaposed with the steamiest scene of the season yet, as Olivia and Fitz are really enjoying that beautiful house. Nothing better than finding out that your husband can praise your faithfulness on TV and then literally turn around and spend the night out of town with his mistress.
Olivia has to leave the next morning, around dawn. Fitz tells her he's taking down B-613 and it's evil commander, and that he wants answers about the plane he shot down. Olivia gives him permission, and then tells Fitz not to sell the house. Not just yet. She slips out into the dawn, toward the helicopter that will bring her back home.
Abby and David are waking up to a phone call for David. David, by pretending that they're a normal couple, can tell Abby that Candy's laptop was scrubbed pretty clean, with the files deleted the day before the break-in. David insists that he's not accusing his girlfriend anything, even though he's highly suspicious. So, Abby calls Harrison to give him the news. Harrison is well-placed to tell Candy the jig is up; Abby is waking up next to him.
Cyrus and Mellie meet again to plan their trapping of VP Sally's husband. In addition to setting up the best date night ever, Cyrus also has a PI to take pictures of anything that happens. Mellie, though she is going forward with the plan, tries to warn Cyrus it could go badly and affect his marriage forever. Cyrus, still sure that James would never actually cheat on him, nicely tells Mellie that James is not Fitz.
Morning at the Coliseum. Jake asks Olivia what she was doing all night. When Olivia says, "Working", Jake gives her a knowing smile and tells her that Fitz does, indeed, have a way of talking to someone if he wants to. The other Gladiators are not so happy; turns out the video reflection they thought they could fix is unfixable. But they have bigger problems. Candy has committed an actual crime; a big one. Josie, Harrison and Olivia try to convince Candy how awful what she did was. It will practically ruin Josie's campaign. It could get Candy jail time, and a felony record. Olivia throws out Harrison and Candy, and has a heart to heart with Josie. Josie doesn't want to fire Candy, but she's a realist and knows that this will have to be handled. Quickly, with someone taking full responsibility. Josie agrees to the press conference that Olivia wants to set up.
Daniel's Man-cave is just the place for an interview, or a tryst. Daniel, while drinking bourbon, complains that his wife set it up for him to keep him occupied. James, while actually trying to interview Daniel, gets bum rushed as if it's a bad romantic comedy from the sixties. James is horrified when Daniel tries to kiss him, desperately telling Daniel that they're both married. Daniel both angrily demands that James not tell anyone about this, while at the same time accusing James of setting him up. James, as Daniel reminds James of everything Cyrus told him to do, realizes that they were both set up. James is heartbroken. After lying to cover up his husband's election-rigging to a grand jury, James has now been sent to expose that the VP's husband is a closeted gay man by the same husband. Even if James doesn't cheat on Cyrus tonight, his marriage is still ruined.
Josie's press conference starts off well enough, with Josie admitting that it was all a fraud… that she staged. Candy is not mentioned, even though she outright admitted doing it. Josie apologizes profusely for her lack of judgement, and withdraws her candidacy. It really is stunning how much she's willing to do for Candy. Later, Josie reminds Olivia that she's not putting her daughter through the criminal justice system so she can keep running for President. Josie Marcus, the awesome woman who is probably too decent a person to be President, will go back to Montana. Candy makes it clear that her fling with Harrison is over. Maybe this is Candy's revenge on Josie for never telling her the truth. Maybe Candy decided not to let the Pope-heads (David's word for The Gladiators) have all the fun. But Candy has ruined Josie's good name and political career. We will never see just how Josie would have handled Olivia's father. Maybe that's a good thing, as watching Rowan try to tear Josie apart would probably kill Olivia, and definitely kill me.
The news that Josie has dropped out inspires Mellie to coldly and disinterestedly ask Fitz how New Hampshire was, and offer to bring back Olivia, now that she's no longer working for Josie. She flatly tells Fitz to re-hire her. Does Fitz know she knows? Why does Mellie even want to be First Lady anymore? She hates the job. She hates the husband.
Cyrus is anxiously waiting up for James, who proclaims the interview when splendiferously. As James disappears to take a shower, Cyrus gets photos from the PI, showing just how splendid a night James had. With Daniel. Wow. I totally get gay porn now.
Quinn comes home to find that someone has put a picture of her reflection under her door. He's waiting inside her apartment, with his torture devices ready for his next victim. Apparently, they've got to talk about who Quinn's working for these days.
Rowan arrives at Mya's prison, but finds her gone, and the good doctor naked, with the sedative meant for Mya in his neck. Olivia, on her way home after losing her client, gets approached by someone… someone familiar. Who knows her name. And looks like a woman who is supposed to be long dead.
Rowan and Mya Pope have a weird way of staying married: Rowan keeps Mya in a maximum security prison, presumably with no trial and no intended release, because of some real or imagined wrong of hers. Rowan tells Mya, that because Olivia is now digging into Mya's "death", Mya will have to be moved, far away, that night. Mya demands to see her daughter one last time before she's whisked away. Rowan refuses, slamming the cell shut as Mya screams for one last look at Olivia.
Quinn is Charlie's new source for complete information on what the Gladiators are up to. The upside is that she gets a free ride to work. She and her team commiserate over losing a chance to talk to someone who could have shed light on Omar Dresden, because he was killed minutes before they could talk to him. Someone gets the bright idea of getting security footage from nearby buildings, something with a view of the lobby where the murder took place. You can see the fear and panic in Quinn, but she hides it well enough from the others.
James is still huffy about Cyrus' complete lack of sympathy over his getting fired. So, when Cyrus apologetically offers James a puff piece interviewing the VP's husband, all is forgiven. James is ecstatic.
Josie Marcus has called with a problem. There's been a break-in at her home in DC, and the only object stolen, despite all the valuables, is Candice's laptop. With extensive campaign information. Candice wants to immediately storm the offices of their Democratic Primary opponent, Governor Restin, but Josie and Team Olivia talk her down and tell her that no one does anything public. Yet.
Mellie is watching the interview where Fitz defends his wife again. And again. Fitz decides it's the perfect time to call his mistress. But Olivia is successfully avoiding Fitz, mostly by not answering when the Fitz phone rings.
We have seen torture on this show. We've seen people die. But we have not seen anyone go undead on us. Mya, desperate for help or just a hospital room and a doctor who might care about her, takes her time as she literally chews through her wrists until she hits a major bloodline. With her own blood and tissue in her mouth, more drips down onto the prison floor. Later, the doctor informs Rowan that Mya can be moved, but Mya has problems that won't go away by moving her.
It gets bad. Real bad.
Quinn is ahead of the gladiators (no longer one herself, because, I think you know why), getting footage from a neighbor herself, disguised as some random IT tech and walking away, almost getting away with the footage, when she runs into Jake coming to get it. So Quinn has no choice but to go back to the office, with files she's corrupted, to pretend to find what the team wants.
Really hope I can outsmart the guy who taught me...
Abby goes to David's office, wanting Restin's office raided, but David needs something called probable cause. The Fourth Amendment, turns out, is a real bummer. Until then, it's the Capitol Police's problem. Abby retaliates by telling David his snoring is going to get him banned to the couch.
Mellie and Cyrus confab about their super duper plan to blackmail Sally through her closeted husband. Cyrus is convinced that James will rebuff Sally's husband, Daniel, and want to write all about Daniel's hypocrisy. It's up to Mellie to convince Daniel that James is ripe for coming on to. You didn't hear it from Mellie, but she's heard they have an open marriage. The cheese is in the trap.
Josie decides to pull Quinn from going over video footage she ruined to finding Candice's laptop once it is plugged in, turned on, and connected to the internet. Quinn waffles on this, hesitating to do as she's told. All discussion is stopped when the gladiators see Candice, Josie's sister/daughter, giving a press conference where she implies the Restin campaign stole her laptop and wants the press to know she's not making an accusation, just stating who benefits. One look from Olivia, and Harrison is off to do Candice-related damage control.
Olivia, already furious, gets another call from Fitz, and angrily tells him to leave her alone. She's had enough of his devotion to the War on Terror. He wants an hour, insisting she owes him that. She owes him an hour? Maybe an hour of tearing his hair out. Maybe an hour of kicking him in the balls. She destroys the phone, only to look up and see Jake. Jake, after realizing that it's Fitz she really loves and not him, tells her that Fitz will find a way of getting to her.
Breaking up or just upgrading her phone?
Harrison gets to Josie's home, where he delivers Candice her orders: Harrison is now her handler, because Candice's jumping the gun is only going to make Josie look like a bottom feeder. Harrison reminds Candice that Josie is a first-term Representative from some state with lots of livestock. That's enough work without The Gladiators also having to do damage control when one of her staff runs off at the mouth. Harrison is all business, but he has a great plan for making sure he's always supervising Candice.
Back at the Coliseum, Gladiators Huck and Jake have realized that someone completely fucked over the video footage. While showing Abby just how fucked up it all is, Jake manages to catch a reflection of the woman who they think is the killer in the window. Playtime! Huck has some algorithm that will enlarge and de-pixelate the image, so they can get a look at the killer. Abby proceeds from them to the next room, where a horrified Quinn is waiting for someone to hook Candice's laptop up to the internet. Which happens just as Abby is there, and can see the address. David promptly raids Governor Restin's offices, and Team Josie decides to let the NY Times call for Restin to drop out of the race. High road stuff.
James' first sit down with VP Hubbie Daniel didn't go well. All Daniel wanted to talk about was college football. James is beside himself. Daniel didn't want to talk about anything that might be considered an issue. Cyrus is a little disappointed that there were no advances. He tells James that Daniel isn't going to open up in front of his wife's assistants and staff. So, he suggests that James interview Daniel next in the VP Residence, the Observatory. Because there's no VP Staff there. I guess. He also gets James to wear a beautiful maroon V-Neck cashmere sweater. Casual, James, casual. And bourbon. But who will open right up, Daniel or James?
Rowan is in his office, interviewing Charlie, who is happy with Quinn's progress. Charlie likes having a protege, but Rowan is clear that if Quinn fails, she'll need to be killed. When Charlie leaves, Rowan starts digging through old press clippings of his daughter. He meanders over to his secret prison, where his wife is waking up after her suicide attempt, to show Mya her daughter. Mya is overcome with the sight of her daughter, but confused. Why doesn't Rowan have his own pictures of Olivia? Why are these all newspaper or magazine clippings? Rowan grudgingly admits that he hasn't had much of a relationship with Olivia, and insists it was Mya's fault he didn't as he storms out and tells the doctor to fully sedate Mya when she's moved. Touchy.
Olivia comes home to find Secret Service Agent #1 waiting for her. Thinking Fitz wants to come up, she angrily tells him to leave. But Agent #1 has an envelope for her instead. Olivia sees a picture, presumably from Fitz, of herself with her father. Proof that she knows the most dangerous and villainous spy in the world. So Olivia lets herself be helicoptered to… Vermont, where Fitz is waiting for her. She makes sure to tell him he has only one hour, which he agrees to. So we know she'll be there all night.
Fitz waxes poetically abut the house he's had Olivia brought to. Full of handmade details. Olivia reminds Fitz that he's supposed to be in New Hampshire. So Fitz throws the fact that she knew, for a long time, what her father is, and told no one. Not the Governor she was working for to elect President. Not the President she rigged an election for. Fitz feels he was entitled to know. Olivia reminds Fitz he's kept his own secrets. Fitz reminds Olivia that national security will always trump her. Olivia is sure Fitz would have wanted nothing to do with her if he knew what her father really did; Fitz insists that he would have wanted to protect her. Olivia reminds Fitz that she's not in danger. Just everyone around her.
Thirty acres of orchards! An amazing kitchen! Olivia has had it with his real estate description, and is freaking out when Fitz tells her it was his Olivia and Fitz dream home. Rooms for kids (what about the ones you already have, dumbass?). Fitz has brought her up to Vermont to see that, once, he had a dream. A dream that required a huge home with lots of handmade details. And Olivia. But, since Olivia doesn't love him anymore, he's going to sell it. Nothing moves a woman to savagely kiss a man faster than quality real estate.
Did you say marble countertops?!?!?!?!?!
Back at the Coliseum, Quinn and Huck are the only people left at the office. Huck is still trying to get the reflection to work from his algorithm-thingy, and Quinn offers to stay up and finish. But Huck tells her to go home. Quinn's betrayal is made all the worse, when Huck tells Quinn, as quickly and quietly as he can, that he knows Quinn does good work, even if he doesn't tell her that. So, Quinn goes down to some parking garage to threaten Charlie. She's about to be found out. She wants someone to blame. Charlie is pretty cool about the whole thing, reminding Quinn that they're a great team. He then gets into the car.
Mellie plays find-my-cheating-husband with a clearly embarrassed secretary. Her scene of getting the secretary to try Fitz and, then, on a hunch, Olivia, and getting no answer is juxtaposed with the steamiest scene of the season yet, as Olivia and Fitz are really enjoying that beautiful house. Nothing better than finding out that your husband can praise your faithfulness on TV and then literally turn around and spend the night out of town with his mistress.
Olivia has to leave the next morning, around dawn. Fitz tells her he's taking down B-613 and it's evil commander, and that he wants answers about the plane he shot down. Olivia gives him permission, and then tells Fitz not to sell the house. Not just yet. She slips out into the dawn, toward the helicopter that will bring her back home.
Abby and David are waking up to a phone call for David. David, by pretending that they're a normal couple, can tell Abby that Candy's laptop was scrubbed pretty clean, with the files deleted the day before the break-in. David insists that he's not accusing his girlfriend anything, even though he's highly suspicious. So, Abby calls Harrison to give him the news. Harrison is well-placed to tell Candy the jig is up; Abby is waking up next to him.
Cyrus and Mellie meet again to plan their trapping of VP Sally's husband. In addition to setting up the best date night ever, Cyrus also has a PI to take pictures of anything that happens. Mellie, though she is going forward with the plan, tries to warn Cyrus it could go badly and affect his marriage forever. Cyrus, still sure that James would never actually cheat on him, nicely tells Mellie that James is not Fitz.
Morning at the Coliseum. Jake asks Olivia what she was doing all night. When Olivia says, "Working", Jake gives her a knowing smile and tells her that Fitz does, indeed, have a way of talking to someone if he wants to. The other Gladiators are not so happy; turns out the video reflection they thought they could fix is unfixable. But they have bigger problems. Candy has committed an actual crime; a big one. Josie, Harrison and Olivia try to convince Candy how awful what she did was. It will practically ruin Josie's campaign. It could get Candy jail time, and a felony record. Olivia throws out Harrison and Candy, and has a heart to heart with Josie. Josie doesn't want to fire Candy, but she's a realist and knows that this will have to be handled. Quickly, with someone taking full responsibility. Josie agrees to the press conference that Olivia wants to set up.
Daniel's Man-cave is just the place for an interview, or a tryst. Daniel, while drinking bourbon, complains that his wife set it up for him to keep him occupied. James, while actually trying to interview Daniel, gets bum rushed as if it's a bad romantic comedy from the sixties. James is horrified when Daniel tries to kiss him, desperately telling Daniel that they're both married. Daniel both angrily demands that James not tell anyone about this, while at the same time accusing James of setting him up. James, as Daniel reminds James of everything Cyrus told him to do, realizes that they were both set up. James is heartbroken. After lying to cover up his husband's election-rigging to a grand jury, James has now been sent to expose that the VP's husband is a closeted gay man by the same husband. Even if James doesn't cheat on Cyrus tonight, his marriage is still ruined.
Some interviews are steamier than others...
Josie's press conference starts off well enough, with Josie admitting that it was all a fraud… that she staged. Candy is not mentioned, even though she outright admitted doing it. Josie apologizes profusely for her lack of judgement, and withdraws her candidacy. It really is stunning how much she's willing to do for Candy. Later, Josie reminds Olivia that she's not putting her daughter through the criminal justice system so she can keep running for President. Josie Marcus, the awesome woman who is probably too decent a person to be President, will go back to Montana. Candy makes it clear that her fling with Harrison is over. Maybe this is Candy's revenge on Josie for never telling her the truth. Maybe Candy decided not to let the Pope-heads (David's word for The Gladiators) have all the fun. But Candy has ruined Josie's good name and political career. We will never see just how Josie would have handled Olivia's father. Maybe that's a good thing, as watching Rowan try to tear Josie apart would probably kill Olivia, and definitely kill me.
Disappointed? You're still the luckiest person here
The news that Josie has dropped out inspires Mellie to coldly and disinterestedly ask Fitz how New Hampshire was, and offer to bring back Olivia, now that she's no longer working for Josie. She flatly tells Fitz to re-hire her. Does Fitz know she knows? Why does Mellie even want to be First Lady anymore? She hates the job. She hates the husband.
Cyrus is anxiously waiting up for James, who proclaims the interview when splendiferously. As James disappears to take a shower, Cyrus gets photos from the PI, showing just how splendid a night James had. With Daniel. Wow. I totally get gay porn now.
Quinn comes home to find that someone has put a picture of her reflection under her door. He's waiting inside her apartment, with his torture devices ready for his next victim. Apparently, they've got to talk about who Quinn's working for these days.
Maybe you should just run away, Quinn
Rowan arrives at Mya's prison, but finds her gone, and the good doctor naked, with the sedative meant for Mya in his neck. Olivia, on her way home after losing her client, gets approached by someone… someone familiar. Who knows her name. And looks like a woman who is supposed to be long dead.
See You At The Next Harmonic Convergence! - Legend of Korra, Season 2
This season started slow, as new characters Bumi, Kya, Varick, Unalaq, Desna, Eska, Raava, Vaatu, Wan, and President Reiko were established. Think about how quickly the show actually introduced so many characters and how quickly the show folded them into the action. Extreme props to all the voice actors, but I'd like to call out JK Simmons as Tenzin and John Michael Higgins as Varick. Yep, there is a reason we love Varick so much- he's voiced by an amazing character actor. All of these characters played crucial parts in how Team Avatar could eventually come together and save the day. Except Varick, who seemed to delight in throwing monkey wrenches everywhere. But what awesome monkey wrenches that guy throws!
The middle went slowly too, as it was obvious that Unalaq had some plan he wasn't sharing with Korra. Unalaq had Korra open the Southern Portal, but was a little cagey on why we would want the portal between spirit and human worlds opened. Is being in balance with the spirits really the only reason? Then, Unalaq drives a wedge between Korra and her parents and mentor, which she doesn't realize until they've been taken from her. We were clueless about Unalaq's game until Episode 8, when Wan literally spelled it out for us. Those four or five episodes, when Korra decides to stop Unalaq but has no idea why or how, were painful to watch. She's literally flailing for a while. But her introduction to Raava and new-found knowledge of what Unalaq wanted inspire her, and give her a strength and determination she didn't have in the season's first half. When she reunites with Tenzin, and he wholeheartedly embraces her and helps her, we realize there's a reason he's her mentor.
Tenzin finally confronts his totally unrealistic desire to be a continuation of his father. He spends most of the season falling short of what he thinks Aang would have wanted from him. Tenzin's siblings enjoy laughing at his attempts to be his father. In one episode, they fall into bickering over who was most screwed over by childhood and life. Tenzin has to realize, he never really knew his siblings all that well, and they have to get to know each other all over again. Only in the next-to-last episode does Tenzin realize that he must set his own goals for himself. Tenzin learns to be the best of himself, not the man his father was.
Korra, and we, learn what it is that makes her the Avatar. Or so we think. In the last episode, we learn that it is Korra's own spirit that makes her the Avatar. Her connection to past Avatars is broken, which is a disappointment. Back with Raava at the end, Korra will now forge a new line of Avatars. Avatars who remember who Vaatu is, and await the next Harmonic Convergence, ready for the next fight between light and dark. To another 10,000 years of light and peace!
The Blue Giant In All Of Us - Legend of Korra, Season 2, Episode 14
Korra discovers that her Avatar powers only partly come from Raava. Jinora finds someone all thought was lost. Team Avatar comes together to defend Korra. Republic City gets a fight right out of Pacific Rim.
The harbor of Republic City is full of battleships, commanded by General Iroh, and on full alert. President Raiko and Chief Beifong ride above in a zeppelin, ready for whatever Harmonic Convergence will bring. Out of the Aurora comes Vaatu, sending water everywhere when he hits the harbor. Iroh's armada fires immediately, but with no effect.
Vaatu, with Unalaq's water bending, summons a wall of water, and slams it into the armada. As Tenzin's family watches from Temple Island, Vaatu topples the statue of Aang in the harbor. Vaatu then notices the zeppelins above, and attacks the one with Raiko, sending it to crash. Chief Beifong gets the President out just in time, by her metal ropes. They land on a nearby roof.
Vaatu makes a mess of the city, because that is his bag. When he attacks the jail, Varick sees his chance and commences Operation "Winged Freedom". Well, Ju Li commences it. With a hang glider strapped to Ju Li's back, and Ju Li riding piggy back on him, Varick leaps out of a gaping hole in his cell, opens the glider, and flies to freedom. Somewhere. See you in 10,000 years of darkness, you old cheater.
Tenzin, Kya, and Bumi find Korra, Bolin and Mako unconscious just outside the Spirit World, where Vaatu left them. They quickly bring the kids back to the Spirit World, placing them in a nearby pond of spirit water, where Kya heals them and wakes them up. Korra is devastated, convinced she has failed. She explains the whole thing to Tenzin, including Raava's destruction and the breaking of the chain of Avatars. Kya nudges Tenzin to do something, as he is Korra's mentor. So Tenzin takes Korra to see the Tree of Time, still between the portals, no worse for the wear from Vaatu's imprisonment. As he does, Tenzin explains that ancient people used to meditate in the Tree to join with the universe's cosmic energy. He tells Korra that she can too. Korra cannot believe it; with Raava gone, she has no spiritual power to defeat Vaatu. Tenzin reminds Korra that she has a spirit of her own, a part of the universe's cosmic energy, and that it is this spirit that makes her strong, and brave and capable of defeating Vaatu. As the enter the Tree, Korra sees her own memories, proving that the Tree will respond to her.
They see that Republic City is already under attack from Vaatu. And they hear Raava's voice when it told Wan that neither Vaatu or Raava can really be destroyed. Korra asks Tenzin if she can really do this. Tenzin is absolutely sure. So Korra meditates, and immediately connects to the cosmic energy of the universe, where she sees a gigantic version of herself, holding a ball of energy.
Making contact with it, Korra's spirit immediately transforms and re-enters the Spirit World…
...As a blue giant form of Korra. While her body continues to meditate in the Tree of Time. Team Avatar watches with boggled minds as Blue Giant Korra makes contact with the Aurora, and transports herself to Republic City. Vaatu is shocked to see her, as he thought he was just enjoying victory now, but they quickly battle it out, with Korra summoning spirit power to block Vaatu's.
Vaatu tries to use his tentacles, but Korra grabs them and pulls Vaatu to her, picks him up, and throws him against a nearby mountain, where she pins his head down, and inserts her hand into his chest, looking for Raava inside Vaatu. Vaatu surprises her by fighting back, managing to grab Korra with his tentacles this time, and using his spirit power to knock her spirit out. Korra's spirt hangs limply in Vaatu's tentacles.
Back at the Tree of Time, Team Avatar sees a huge distant shape approaching. It's a horde of dark spirits, coming to destroy Korra's body and keep her from defeating Vaatu. So all five come together to defend Korra at the Tree of Time. First Mako, then Tenzin, Kya and Bolin lunge and send their own elements toward the dark spirits. Bumi stays up top, hurling whatever he can at the spirits. Bolin is about to go down, when Desna and Eska join them, whipping water at spirits the way Vaatu did to Raava. Eska's insane water bending melts Bolin's heart, and he asks her if she'll face 10,000 years of darkness together. Eska is touched, but must get back to kicking ass.
Vaatu is about to defeat Korra, sending dark energy through her spirit to destroy it, when a huge yellow light appears from the Aurora, and descends to the spirits fighting. Jinora's sister, Ikki, recognizes her in the middle of the light, holding a spirit. A special spirit, one everybody thought was gone. She descends to right between Korra and Vaatu, and releases Raava, who immediately slips inside Vaatu.
Vaatu, shocked, is trying to dig her out when Korra frees herself, and jumps Vaatu. Korra inserts her hand again through Vaatu's chest, and this time makes contact with Raava, pulling her out of Vaatu so she is free. Vaatu is horrified that he could not destroy Raava, and Korra takes the opportunity to bust out some spirit moves that trap Vaatu in pure light energy and eventually disintegrates him. We won't see Vaatu for another 10,000 years.
Back at the Tree of Time, Team Avatar is losing ground and retreats to just within the Tree, taking a last stand to defeat Korra, with dark spirits filling the opening to the Tree.
Korra gathers Raava and Jinora. Raava tells Korra that Harmonic Convergence is almost over, and they will need to return to the Tree of Time and harness the Convergence's energy to reunite. Korra's spirit returns to the portals, sending energy pure and strong enough to destroy the dark spirits about to kill Team Avatar. Korra's spirit rejoins with Korra, who emerges from the Tree of Time to see Raava, full size and in all her glory. Korra literally glides up Raava's tentacles to the top of the the arc of energy created by Harmonic Convergence, and touches the energy as Raava re-enters her. There is a flash of light, and Harmonic Convergence ends, the portals going back to normal, the Aurora disappearing, and Korra/Raava glowing, Raava inside Korra once again.
Korra easily drifts back down the ground, her friends and mentor amazed. Jinora's spirit tells her father they'll see each other soon, and then we see Jinora waking up to a relieved Grandma Katara, Asami, and Korra's parents. Jinora tells them that everyone is all right, and Korra saved the world. Korra, back at the portals, tells Team Avatar that all is pretty much well. However, her connection to past Avatars is permanently lost.
Korra turns to Desna and Eska, and explains that since their father was joined to Vaatu, he is gone too. In their typical deadpan, they inform Korra that there's no love lost between their father and themselves. Their only worry is what to tell their mother. Bolin and Eska break up, as a long distance relationship is not Eska's thing.
She decides to re-close the portals, but as she is about to close the first one, but draws her hand back. What if Unalaq was right about this much? What if balance can only be achieved if humans and spirits learn to live in peace? Tenzin tells her to trust herself.
We end with Korra telling the people of the Southern Water Tribe that they are no longer to be governed by the Northern Water Tribe, and that her father, Tunraq, has been elected the first Chief of the Southern Water Tribe. She also tells the people that her mission as Avatar, as Bumi plays with a bunny spirit, is to help humanity learn to live in peace with the spirits, and that a new age has begun.
The harbor of Republic City is full of battleships, commanded by General Iroh, and on full alert. President Raiko and Chief Beifong ride above in a zeppelin, ready for whatever Harmonic Convergence will bring. Out of the Aurora comes Vaatu, sending water everywhere when he hits the harbor. Iroh's armada fires immediately, but with no effect.
Vaatu, with Unalaq's water bending, summons a wall of water, and slams it into the armada. As Tenzin's family watches from Temple Island, Vaatu topples the statue of Aang in the harbor. Vaatu then notices the zeppelins above, and attacks the one with Raiko, sending it to crash. Chief Beifong gets the President out just in time, by her metal ropes. They land on a nearby roof.
Vaatu makes a mess of the city, because that is his bag. When he attacks the jail, Varick sees his chance and commences Operation "Winged Freedom". Well, Ju Li commences it. With a hang glider strapped to Ju Li's back, and Ju Li riding piggy back on him, Varick leaps out of a gaping hole in his cell, opens the glider, and flies to freedom. Somewhere. See you in 10,000 years of darkness, you old cheater.
Tenzin, Kya, and Bumi find Korra, Bolin and Mako unconscious just outside the Spirit World, where Vaatu left them. They quickly bring the kids back to the Spirit World, placing them in a nearby pond of spirit water, where Kya heals them and wakes them up. Korra is devastated, convinced she has failed. She explains the whole thing to Tenzin, including Raava's destruction and the breaking of the chain of Avatars. Kya nudges Tenzin to do something, as he is Korra's mentor. So Tenzin takes Korra to see the Tree of Time, still between the portals, no worse for the wear from Vaatu's imprisonment. As he does, Tenzin explains that ancient people used to meditate in the Tree to join with the universe's cosmic energy. He tells Korra that she can too. Korra cannot believe it; with Raava gone, she has no spiritual power to defeat Vaatu. Tenzin reminds Korra that she has a spirit of her own, a part of the universe's cosmic energy, and that it is this spirit that makes her strong, and brave and capable of defeating Vaatu. As the enter the Tree, Korra sees her own memories, proving that the Tree will respond to her.
Avatar Korra, This Is Your Life!
They see that Republic City is already under attack from Vaatu. And they hear Raava's voice when it told Wan that neither Vaatu or Raava can really be destroyed. Korra asks Tenzin if she can really do this. Tenzin is absolutely sure. So Korra meditates, and immediately connects to the cosmic energy of the universe, where she sees a gigantic version of herself, holding a ball of energy.
Huh?
Making contact with it, Korra's spirit immediately transforms and re-enters the Spirit World…
Extreme Makeover, Avatar edition
...As a blue giant form of Korra. While her body continues to meditate in the Tree of Time. Team Avatar watches with boggled minds as Blue Giant Korra makes contact with the Aurora, and transports herself to Republic City. Vaatu is shocked to see her, as he thought he was just enjoying victory now, but they quickly battle it out, with Korra summoning spirit power to block Vaatu's.
Vaatu tries to use his tentacles, but Korra grabs them and pulls Vaatu to her, picks him up, and throws him against a nearby mountain, where she pins his head down, and inserts her hand into his chest, looking for Raava inside Vaatu. Vaatu surprises her by fighting back, managing to grab Korra with his tentacles this time, and using his spirit power to knock her spirit out. Korra's spirt hangs limply in Vaatu's tentacles.
Back at the Tree of Time, Team Avatar sees a huge distant shape approaching. It's a horde of dark spirits, coming to destroy Korra's body and keep her from defeating Vaatu. So all five come together to defend Korra at the Tree of Time. First Mako, then Tenzin, Kya and Bolin lunge and send their own elements toward the dark spirits. Bumi stays up top, hurling whatever he can at the spirits. Bolin is about to go down, when Desna and Eska join them, whipping water at spirits the way Vaatu did to Raava. Eska's insane water bending melts Bolin's heart, and he asks her if she'll face 10,000 years of darkness together. Eska is touched, but must get back to kicking ass.
Vaatu is about to defeat Korra, sending dark energy through her spirit to destroy it, when a huge yellow light appears from the Aurora, and descends to the spirits fighting. Jinora's sister, Ikki, recognizes her in the middle of the light, holding a spirit. A special spirit, one everybody thought was gone. She descends to right between Korra and Vaatu, and releases Raava, who immediately slips inside Vaatu.
Be careful, sweetie!!!!
Vaatu, shocked, is trying to dig her out when Korra frees herself, and jumps Vaatu. Korra inserts her hand again through Vaatu's chest, and this time makes contact with Raava, pulling her out of Vaatu so she is free. Vaatu is horrified that he could not destroy Raava, and Korra takes the opportunity to bust out some spirit moves that trap Vaatu in pure light energy and eventually disintegrates him. We won't see Vaatu for another 10,000 years.
Back at the Tree of Time, Team Avatar is losing ground and retreats to just within the Tree, taking a last stand to defeat Korra, with dark spirits filling the opening to the Tree.
Party crashers suck
Korra gathers Raava and Jinora. Raava tells Korra that Harmonic Convergence is almost over, and they will need to return to the Tree of Time and harness the Convergence's energy to reunite. Korra's spirit returns to the portals, sending energy pure and strong enough to destroy the dark spirits about to kill Team Avatar. Korra's spirit rejoins with Korra, who emerges from the Tree of Time to see Raava, full size and in all her glory. Korra literally glides up Raava's tentacles to the top of the the arc of energy created by Harmonic Convergence, and touches the energy as Raava re-enters her. There is a flash of light, and Harmonic Convergence ends, the portals going back to normal, the Aurora disappearing, and Korra/Raava glowing, Raava inside Korra once again.
Ooo… Aaah…..
Korra easily drifts back down the ground, her friends and mentor amazed. Jinora's spirit tells her father they'll see each other soon, and then we see Jinora waking up to a relieved Grandma Katara, Asami, and Korra's parents. Jinora tells them that everyone is all right, and Korra saved the world. Korra, back at the portals, tells Team Avatar that all is pretty much well. However, her connection to past Avatars is permanently lost.
Korra turns to Desna and Eska, and explains that since their father was joined to Vaatu, he is gone too. In their typical deadpan, they inform Korra that there's no love lost between their father and themselves. Their only worry is what to tell their mother. Bolin and Eska break up, as a long distance relationship is not Eska's thing.
She decides to re-close the portals, but as she is about to close the first one, but draws her hand back. What if Unalaq was right about this much? What if balance can only be achieved if humans and spirits learn to live in peace? Tenzin tells her to trust herself.
Still a mentor?
Back in the physical world, Korra and Mako officially call it off. Korra regained the memories she lost previously, realizing that she and Mako were no longer going out anymore. They end it amicably. Mako is off to be a detective in Republic City. What will Korra do now?We end with Korra telling the people of the Southern Water Tribe that they are no longer to be governed by the Northern Water Tribe, and that her father, Tunraq, has been elected the first Chief of the Southern Water Tribe. She also tells the people that her mission as Avatar, as Bumi plays with a bunny spirit, is to help humanity learn to live in peace with the spirits, and that a new age has begun.
Tuesday, December 3, 2013
Not Paradise, Just Lost - Walking Dead, Season 4, Episode 8
Phil got one thing right. There was no way both he and Rick could live in that prison together. Not after Andrea, or Maggie, or Glen, or Merle, or his Woodburian massacre. Rick must have known this. So, yes, Rick was a liar. At the end of their powwow, Rick was talking about both he and Phil "coming back", a disturbing reminder of the season premiere's theme of whether one can "come back" from one's sins. Phil utterly rejects this idea. Oddly enough, so does Michonne.
Phil's bamboozling of his group of campers was disappointing. None of the people there, with the exception of Mitch, care much about taking over anything, and agree to do it with a complete lack of enthusiasm. They march away like school kids at the end of gym class, not like people about to kill for four walls. Lily is even more unenthusiastic, trying to talk Phil out of it. Oh, Lily, don't you know by now that Phil proves his love with body counts? Phil thinks he has two trump cards, Michonne and Hershel as prisoners. There's an awkward scene where he is trying to justify what he's done to the prisoners, by telling them that this way, he can take the prison with hostages and not kill anyone. Before Phil leaves, he has a hug scene with Megan, the one person who's not scared of Phil now. He takes the white king from the chess set, and puts it his pocket.
Michonne is all defiance, as she should be, and tells Phil she will kill him. Hershel actually tries to reason with Phil. It culminates with Hershel telling Phil he has two daughters in that prison. Why would Phil try to keep his own daughter alive by killing someone else's. Duh, Phil says. They're someone else's daughters, not his.
Maggie and Glenn have a touching moment. She goes outside to get Glenn some water. I puked. Bob is about to drink (yes, it was the bottle of hooch in the box), when Sasha interrupts to thank him. Bob, embarrassed at being treated like a hero when he nearly threw his life away for a bottle of booze, tries to give all the credit to Hershel, but Sasha is having none of it and bamboozles Bob into helping her outside for a walk. This puts Maggie, Sasha and Bob definitely outside. Glenn is in A Block.
Daryl is finally having the hissy fit we've waiting three fucking episodes for. It's totally unsatisfying, as Daryl is quickly mollified when Rick tells him that Carol was totally unrepentant. They decide to tell Tyreese the answer to the groovy mystery, but find him staring at a dissected rat nailed to a wooden board. Tyreese thinks this is the work of the same sicko who killed Karen and David, but Rick and Daryl just don't think Carol is that far gone, and are about to tell him when…. WHAM! There goes that entire sub-plot.
Lily is watching the river they're camped by, watching a zombie get washed away from the river current, when Megan digs through some serious mud to dig up a flash flood warning sign. Just when you think there's going to be a flash flood that makes all of Phil's scheming meaningless anyway, we see dead fingers rise from the red mud just next to Megan. We see a patch of mud behind her give way and a familiar rasp coming from the shifting mud. Megan hears nothing, until the fingers have gotten all the way out and latched on to her. She starts screaming, and tries to get away, but the creature pulls its mud-rotted head out of the ground, pulls her close, and chomps down on her shoulder. Lilly gets there too late, and can only yank Megan away and shoot the zombie. And, we presume later, put Megan in a car and drive off to the prison.
Rick, Daryl and Tyreese race outside to see a bunch of vehicles and a tank. And Phil. Beth has come out to see what's going on, so all major characters and some random dude in a dirty white sweatshirt are now outside by the inner prison yard fence. Rick tries to get out of talking to him, now denying he makes any decisions, and insisting Phil has to talk to Prisonville's council. So Phil drags out the council members he's kidnapped and forces them to kneel in front of the fence for all of Prisonville to see. Maggie and Beth start freaking out that their dad is in the hands of a paranoid psychopath. But it's Rick that Phil wants to kill. Maybe not as much as he wants to kill Michonne, but Rick can't be first in everything, can he? So Rick race walks down to the double layer of fences around the prison yard.
Phil makes of point of telling Rick he has a tank now. Which is great, because Rick hadn't figured that out. Also, Phil seems to forget that he had a rocket launcher on a truck before, and Prisonville repelled him then. If I was Rick, I would have had a good laugh at this new bunch of villagers who don't even properly invade the place. I would also have shot Mitch immediately, and the guy sitting next to him for good measure. After all, can Phil drive a tank? No driver, no tank. However, Rick actually thinks he can talk Phil out of: taking over, killing the hostages, and driving them out. To be honest, Rick should have known that Hershel and Michonne were dead already. Michonne is only alive because she slips away in the chaos of the attack.
Phil's giving the living of Prisonville until sundown, in about an hour, to vacate so his people can move in and take the prison. Rick is obviously crestfallen that a place he and his friends made home is going to be taken from him this day. He spends most of the next ten minutes desperately trying to postpone the inevitable, but he must have known that the only options are that they leave with their lives and the clothes on their backs, or that there's a fight that destroys the prison, kills most of the defenders and invaders, and ruins the prison for everyone. Phil has told his people he'll try to take the prison from a bunch of murderers and thieves via the hostages, and they'll kill "only if they have to". During the talking, some of the villagers start looking less like ready to storm the place and more like bored high schoolers at a museum. Good ol' Mitch, though, didn't sign on with Phil The Terrible so he could share. Phil promised him acts of questionable ethics, and Mitch is getting what was promised today. He tells Rick that Rick's group can't have what they worked for because - tank. So when Rick proposes they all just live on the grounds together in separate cell blocks, and maybe someday they'll figure out a way to forgive the past, Phil decides that he'll make damn good sure there's killing today. He takes Michonne's katana and hacks right into Hershel's neck. The violence starts immediately.
Michonne scurries away as rifles and tank cannon blast away at each other, and the only person shot is Rick as he tries to get out of the crossfire. Phil takes Hershel off to totally decapitate him, blood on his face now, as Michonne can only watch in horror and cut her rope with a license plate. The fences are still up, but that is solved when Lily arrives, walking from the car she drove there in with Megan in her arms, dead or near it. Phil, with the same look he had when he handed Tyreese a machine gun and drove off from Woodbury, simply points his gun at her chin and completely shoots her head off.
Lily is devastated. Phil is just getting started. Like a shopaholic in a mall, Phil orders Mitch to start the tank and bring down the fences. He utters his famous-from-the-graphic-novel "Kill 'em all!". And officially ruins the prison for everyone, ensuring that this will be a bloody battle for nothing.
Best part of the battle: is there even a contest? Daryl gets attacked from behind by a zombie, but after the commercial break, we see the thing stumble out, held in place by a concealed Daryl, who uses the zombie as cover to toss a grenade at the attackers. Second place is Michonne's save of Rick just as Phil is ending their knockdown, bare hands rumble trying to choke Rick. Third place is when Lizzy and Mika shoot Alicia, who was nice but on the wrong side, to save Tyreese. Tyreese is amazed at the save, but has to chase them when they take off in the wrong direction. And who was not totally satisfied when a meek and now humble Mitch has to evacuate the tank when Daryl grenades the cannon, only to be bow-shot by a pissed off Daryl. Oh Mitch, next time don't make friends with the guy who kills your brother.
Worth noting: the only ones remaining from the original group by the quarry near Atlanta: Rick, Carl, Glenn, and Daryl. All others are dead, parted ways early, or banished.
Phil's white king chess piece falls from his pocket, and zombies stomp it into the ground as they meander into the prison yard for the totally free all-you-can-eat buffet.
To wrap up:
Glenn, assorted Prisonville residents, Jean- on the bus, which left the prison as walkers invaded the area with the bus.
Lizzy & Mika: running in wrong direction with Tyreese following
Michonnne: ditched Rick for some reason after saving him.
Daryl & Beth: Beth was looking for the kids, but Daryl convinces her to just leave with him
Maggie, Sasha, Bob: while looking for Beth, Maggie meets up with Sasha and Bob, and they all watch the bus leave without them. The three decide to beat it on their own, with Bob shot cleanly and fixable if he can get some medical supplies soon.
Rick and Carl: after finding each other, they discover Judith's bloodied car seat. Assorted reviewers think that there's a chance Judith is still alive. Aren't they naive? Carl has a shit fit and shoots the rifle until he's out of ammo. Rick and Carl get out, possibly through the back, and ascend a hill.
Lizzy and Mika's kid friends? No goddamn clue. If they're not on the bus, they're dead, because all the other adults have gotten out.
Carol: better off, as she got out ahead of everyone by at least a few days, has a car full of stuff, and is armed. Poetic justice demands that it's she who finds Rick and Carl, and takes them in.
Tara: who knows, but her death wasn't shown and she seems to have lost the will to fight and just took off.
Phil: as he struggles to breath in the prison yard, Lilly shoots him, preferably in the head. Lily does who know what who knows where after.
Irish chick from season premiere: entering the prison as a zombie. Good for her. See, there's a happy ending in here somewhere!
Phil's bamboozling of his group of campers was disappointing. None of the people there, with the exception of Mitch, care much about taking over anything, and agree to do it with a complete lack of enthusiasm. They march away like school kids at the end of gym class, not like people about to kill for four walls. Lily is even more unenthusiastic, trying to talk Phil out of it. Oh, Lily, don't you know by now that Phil proves his love with body counts? Phil thinks he has two trump cards, Michonne and Hershel as prisoners. There's an awkward scene where he is trying to justify what he's done to the prisoners, by telling them that this way, he can take the prison with hostages and not kill anyone. Before Phil leaves, he has a hug scene with Megan, the one person who's not scared of Phil now. He takes the white king from the chess set, and puts it his pocket.
Michonne is all defiance, as she should be, and tells Phil she will kill him. Hershel actually tries to reason with Phil. It culminates with Hershel telling Phil he has two daughters in that prison. Why would Phil try to keep his own daughter alive by killing someone else's. Duh, Phil says. They're someone else's daughters, not his.
See, lives only matter if they matter to me
Maggie and Glenn have a touching moment. She goes outside to get Glenn some water. I puked. Bob is about to drink (yes, it was the bottle of hooch in the box), when Sasha interrupts to thank him. Bob, embarrassed at being treated like a hero when he nearly threw his life away for a bottle of booze, tries to give all the credit to Hershel, but Sasha is having none of it and bamboozles Bob into helping her outside for a walk. This puts Maggie, Sasha and Bob definitely outside. Glenn is in A Block.
Daryl is finally having the hissy fit we've waiting three fucking episodes for. It's totally unsatisfying, as Daryl is quickly mollified when Rick tells him that Carol was totally unrepentant. They decide to tell Tyreese the answer to the groovy mystery, but find him staring at a dissected rat nailed to a wooden board. Tyreese thinks this is the work of the same sicko who killed Karen and David, but Rick and Daryl just don't think Carol is that far gone, and are about to tell him when…. WHAM! There goes that entire sub-plot.
Lily is watching the river they're camped by, watching a zombie get washed away from the river current, when Megan digs through some serious mud to dig up a flash flood warning sign. Just when you think there's going to be a flash flood that makes all of Phil's scheming meaningless anyway, we see dead fingers rise from the red mud just next to Megan. We see a patch of mud behind her give way and a familiar rasp coming from the shifting mud. Megan hears nothing, until the fingers have gotten all the way out and latched on to her. She starts screaming, and tries to get away, but the creature pulls its mud-rotted head out of the ground, pulls her close, and chomps down on her shoulder. Lilly gets there too late, and can only yank Megan away and shoot the zombie. And, we presume later, put Megan in a car and drive off to the prison.
Rick, Daryl and Tyreese race outside to see a bunch of vehicles and a tank. And Phil. Beth has come out to see what's going on, so all major characters and some random dude in a dirty white sweatshirt are now outside by the inner prison yard fence. Rick tries to get out of talking to him, now denying he makes any decisions, and insisting Phil has to talk to Prisonville's council. So Phil drags out the council members he's kidnapped and forces them to kneel in front of the fence for all of Prisonville to see. Maggie and Beth start freaking out that their dad is in the hands of a paranoid psychopath. But it's Rick that Phil wants to kill. Maybe not as much as he wants to kill Michonne, but Rick can't be first in everything, can he? So Rick race walks down to the double layer of fences around the prison yard.
Our friends. And some guy who must have slipped in last night, I guess.
Phil makes of point of telling Rick he has a tank now. Which is great, because Rick hadn't figured that out. Also, Phil seems to forget that he had a rocket launcher on a truck before, and Prisonville repelled him then. If I was Rick, I would have had a good laugh at this new bunch of villagers who don't even properly invade the place. I would also have shot Mitch immediately, and the guy sitting next to him for good measure. After all, can Phil drive a tank? No driver, no tank. However, Rick actually thinks he can talk Phil out of: taking over, killing the hostages, and driving them out. To be honest, Rick should have known that Hershel and Michonne were dead already. Michonne is only alive because she slips away in the chaos of the attack.
Phil's giving the living of Prisonville until sundown, in about an hour, to vacate so his people can move in and take the prison. Rick is obviously crestfallen that a place he and his friends made home is going to be taken from him this day. He spends most of the next ten minutes desperately trying to postpone the inevitable, but he must have known that the only options are that they leave with their lives and the clothes on their backs, or that there's a fight that destroys the prison, kills most of the defenders and invaders, and ruins the prison for everyone. Phil has told his people he'll try to take the prison from a bunch of murderers and thieves via the hostages, and they'll kill "only if they have to". During the talking, some of the villagers start looking less like ready to storm the place and more like bored high schoolers at a museum. Good ol' Mitch, though, didn't sign on with Phil The Terrible so he could share. Phil promised him acts of questionable ethics, and Mitch is getting what was promised today. He tells Rick that Rick's group can't have what they worked for because - tank. So when Rick proposes they all just live on the grounds together in separate cell blocks, and maybe someday they'll figure out a way to forgive the past, Phil decides that he'll make damn good sure there's killing today. He takes Michonne's katana and hacks right into Hershel's neck. The violence starts immediately.
Phil makes an executive decision
Michonne scurries away as rifles and tank cannon blast away at each other, and the only person shot is Rick as he tries to get out of the crossfire. Phil takes Hershel off to totally decapitate him, blood on his face now, as Michonne can only watch in horror and cut her rope with a license plate. The fences are still up, but that is solved when Lily arrives, walking from the car she drove there in with Megan in her arms, dead or near it. Phil, with the same look he had when he handed Tyreese a machine gun and drove off from Woodbury, simply points his gun at her chin and completely shoots her head off.
So I guess you can lose all your humanity now
Lily is devastated. Phil is just getting started. Like a shopaholic in a mall, Phil orders Mitch to start the tank and bring down the fences. He utters his famous-from-the-graphic-novel "Kill 'em all!". And officially ruins the prison for everyone, ensuring that this will be a bloody battle for nothing.
Best part of the battle: is there even a contest? Daryl gets attacked from behind by a zombie, but after the commercial break, we see the thing stumble out, held in place by a concealed Daryl, who uses the zombie as cover to toss a grenade at the attackers. Second place is Michonne's save of Rick just as Phil is ending their knockdown, bare hands rumble trying to choke Rick. Third place is when Lizzy and Mika shoot Alicia, who was nice but on the wrong side, to save Tyreese. Tyreese is amazed at the save, but has to chase them when they take off in the wrong direction. And who was not totally satisfied when a meek and now humble Mitch has to evacuate the tank when Daryl grenades the cannon, only to be bow-shot by a pissed off Daryl. Oh Mitch, next time don't make friends with the guy who kills your brother.
Daryl officially has competition
Worth noting: the only ones remaining from the original group by the quarry near Atlanta: Rick, Carl, Glenn, and Daryl. All others are dead, parted ways early, or banished.
Phil's white king chess piece falls from his pocket, and zombies stomp it into the ground as they meander into the prison yard for the totally free all-you-can-eat buffet.
To wrap up:
Glenn, assorted Prisonville residents, Jean- on the bus, which left the prison as walkers invaded the area with the bus.
Lizzy & Mika: running in wrong direction with Tyreese following
Michonnne: ditched Rick for some reason after saving him.
Daryl & Beth: Beth was looking for the kids, but Daryl convinces her to just leave with him
Maggie, Sasha, Bob: while looking for Beth, Maggie meets up with Sasha and Bob, and they all watch the bus leave without them. The three decide to beat it on their own, with Bob shot cleanly and fixable if he can get some medical supplies soon.
Rick and Carl: after finding each other, they discover Judith's bloodied car seat. Assorted reviewers think that there's a chance Judith is still alive. Aren't they naive? Carl has a shit fit and shoots the rifle until he's out of ammo. Rick and Carl get out, possibly through the back, and ascend a hill.
Lizzy and Mika's kid friends? No goddamn clue. If they're not on the bus, they're dead, because all the other adults have gotten out.
Carol: better off, as she got out ahead of everyone by at least a few days, has a car full of stuff, and is armed. Poetic justice demands that it's she who finds Rick and Carl, and takes them in.
Tara: who knows, but her death wasn't shown and she seems to have lost the will to fight and just took off.
Phil: as he struggles to breath in the prison yard, Lilly shoots him, preferably in the head. Lily does who know what who knows where after.
Irish chick from season premiere: entering the prison as a zombie. Good for her. See, there's a happy ending in here somewhere!
Duh! Winning!
Friday, November 29, 2013
Being the Wife - Scandal, Season 3, Episode 7
I'll give Olivia this: she is actually trying to cut ties to Fitz, the most selfish man in the universe. Also the most obtuse. The episode is light on Olivia, and heavy on Mellie's relationships with Fitz, Fitz's father Big Jerry, and Cyrus. There's also a helping of the evolving Quinn/Charlie "relationship". And, blessedly, no annoying and mostly useless US District Attorney.
Olivia really doesn't want to answer the ringing Fitz phone. Maybe she changes her mind because she thinks, this time, Fitz is calling to be honest, maybe even apologize. Since she knew Fitz's dad, I don't understand why she thinks Fitz would do that. Fitz just wants to hear her voice, find out whether Olivia has decided to hate him forever, tell her once again that national security will always trump whatever "love" he feels for her. Olivia does a great job of summing up the last two seasons when she points out that she is surrounded by men who leave body counts, and the strain is starting to get to her.
Fitz begs her to leave the airplane crash alone. Olivia says nothing, and tells Fitz that he's like a stranger to her now. I suppose she's right: when they were campaigning together and having an affair, Olivia must have felt she knew everything about this man. Now, she realizes how much he has to conceal. We learn later that Fitz, out of concern for Olivia, is having her followed by an old friend.
Olivia rallies the gladiators. Jake enters with the rest, sitting at the table with everyone else. Is he officially a gladiator too? Since Josie is speech-writing for a bit, they've got a break from next year's election. But they will not be idle. Olivia explains that the picture of their new client, which Huck and Jake must already know, is her mother. The gladiators will investigate the airplane crash that brought the plane down and killed all aboard. There's just one catch, which only Huck and Jake already know: Olivia places a picture of Fitz up, explaining that he shot the plane down, ordered to do so by B-613, and that the order was given by her own father, who also heads B-613. Wow, those are some serious cards on the table.
Mellie's contempt for her own job shines through, even to the reporter who Mellie is escorting around to help repair the image of her marriage. Curating the White House art collection could be interesting, except that Mellie has a law degree and some really unrealistic expectations. Wow, there's a scary moment when the First Lady has to make an executive decision on… china to use for a White House reception in a couple of nights. This episode shows, as if we didn't already see, how disappointed Mellie is in how little her sacrifices have gained her. Mellie and the reporter go back and forth over whether her home is North Carolina, where she was raised, or California, where she and Fitz lived before the Presidency. Mellie, like a good wife, tells the reporter that home is where her husband is.
Quinn is playing shoot-em-up with her new buddy Charlie, pleased at her progress, although it's nothing to Charlie's pretty impressive marksmanship. He tells her he's a PI now, working on a cheating husband case, hoping for more like it. She later actually trails him to his stakeout, where he catches her. And then, for some inexplicable reason, kisses her. Charlie, morbid fascination is NOT sexual attraction. I think.
Abby and Quinn together are doing a lot of grunt work digging on the airplane crash, comparing different reports and sources to find discrepancies. They find a big one- the flight was supposed to be full, but there seems to have been a missing person. Who? The congressional report has no answers, and the gladiators figure out why: Fitz's dad, the late US Senator Big Jerry Grant, headed the congressional investigation of the crash. Hmmmm. Yet another coincidence. The gate agent will know who was taken off the plane. Quinn demands that Huck recognize that she was right about Olivia having huge issues with her Dad. Since Huck knew about it already, it's hard for him to really gush about Quinn's intuition, and she leaves pretty dissatisfied with him.
We flashback to Santa Barbara, about 15 years ago, with Fitz and Mellie actually in love, though we know it won't last. The entire flashback is shot with some sort of filter that makes colors drab, without actually going all black and white on us. Fitz is considering running for the Governor's mansion in California while staying with Fitz's dad for a visit. Fitz's dad surprises them with the news that a major player in California politics won't be running for Governor, opening up the field. He also surprises Fitz and Mellie with Cyrus, with a totally 90s gay guy haircut and an open appraising stare as he assesses both Mellie and Fitz before even speaking to them.
Cyrus later talks strategy, telling Fitz to just concentrate on military base areas, right-wing counties, and everyone who loves a veteran. Oh, and run on your war record. You know, like how you shot down a civilian plane once? Fitz, who absolutely doesn't want to run on a career that was forged after the fact to hide his classified work, refuses and walks away, starting a major hissy fit with his dad. Big Jerry is still resentful that his son didn't follow the career path Big Jer laid out for him. Fitz would like his dad to admit that it was right for Fitz to serve his country and stand on his own two feet for a while. Although, if Fitz has really learned how to stand on his own two feet, why is he going to daddy to be made Governor?
Mellie tries to convince Cyrus to stay, asking Cyrus if he'll help smooth things over between Fitz and Big Jerry. Cyrus informs her that that is Mellie's job, because being a closeted gay man with a wife is all his plate can take. "Be the wife", he tells her. Mellie is insulted. She's a partner at a law firm. Cyrus laughs the laugh of the cynical and amused, then tells her she'll have to give that up if she really really wants to win the Governorship, maybe even the White House. So Mellie womans up and tells Cyrus to come back tomorrow, when she will have fixed the problem and the bickering between Fitz and Big Jerry.
Back in the present, the gate agent tells a couple of gladiators, when they interview her, about a strange occurrence before takeoff, while the plane was on the tarmac and cleared for take off. Apparently, the plane was held on the tarmac so a Federal Marshall could remove an Omar Something from the plane at the last minute, and whoever questioned her way back when never bothered reporting on that. She always thought it was odd. Was there anyone else who would have seen this? Sure, the guy operating the stairs to the plane that were used so the Federal Marshall and Omar could leave the plane. Where is he now?
Cyrus and Mellie plot on stymying the Vice President's backstabbing by selecting a hooker to seduce the VP's husband. Mellie prides herself on picking things out, and finds who she thinks will be just the girl. It will be at the reception, the one Mellie just picked out china for. Cyrus then asks VP Sally to go to Iowa, on a glad-handling mission so that Fitz can do important President stuff. Thinking Cyrus just handed her a chance to do more backstabbing, Sally agrees. Mellie tries to sidebar VP Sally to just let her know that a female intern complained about Mr. Sally's hands not being on his own body. VP Sally shoots down the accusation, but later, privately, reminds her husband not to fuck things up for them. Her husband, tired of this conversation the last twenty times they had it, tells her not to worry.
Later, on her present-day marriage image repair crusade, Mellie takes the baby to the Oval Office for some Daddy time, gleefully telling the reporter that Fitz always makes time for the baby, who is cuter than the Defense Secretary. But not today. Mellie opens the door on an empty Oval Office. Mellie is flustered while she reassures the reporter, though it's really her who could use some reassuring. Mellie later will yell at Cyrus, because Fitz is who knows where, demanding that Fitz be at the interview tomorrow. He can't make her any promises.
Olivia, who's taking a back seat while her gladiators work, is getting a report from Abby. Even though Olivia hates personal contact, Abby warns Olivia that she needs a hug, and gives Olivia a good, two-armed embrace, which Olivia appreciates. They'll find the guy who let the Federal Marshal and Omar Something off, and get to the bottom of why the plane was shot down. She hopes.
Back in the past, Mellie is trying to reason with Big Jerry, which is her first mistake. This guy literally thinks he's a great dad because he didn't beat his son, like Grandpa Grant did. Mellie, horrified at Big Jer's complete asshole-ness, gets a full helping when she hears all about Fitz's secret mission to shoot down a plane that would have landed in London with a dirty bomb, and that Big Jer covered it up so the US Government wouldn't get sued by the survivors of the "collateral damage". Big Jer is absolutely contemptuous of anyone who would judge his actions. But Big Jer isn't done. After confessing that he wasn't faithful to Fitz's mother, and Fitz knew, Big Jer then decides he wants Mellie too. She tries to fight back, but Big Jerry is a strong guy, much bigger than her, and Mellie is totally unprepared for just how awful men can be.
Flashback Mellie, a mess, silently slips into her and Fitz's bedroom, creeping to the bathroom, but Fitz is actually awake and wants to cuddle. Mellie, desperately trying to hide what her father-in-law has just done tries to beg off to take a shower, but Fitz really needs spooning and doesn't notice that she's just had sex anyway, even when he's holding her in bed. He cuddles with Mellie while complaining that his dad has never apologized for anything, or ever even admitted that Fitz did a good job in the military. Instead, Big Jer always just acts as if Fitz never does anything right. Mellie is all too happy when Fitz tells Mel they'll leave in the morning, and try a run for Governor when the timing is better.
Mellie today storms in on Fitz while he's doing super important stuff to yell at him for being a no-show with the reporter, and trying to duck out of tomorrow's interview. She angrily reminds Fitz that this whole exercise in humiliation for her is because of his affair, and to get him back on the re-election track. She tells Fitz that he's like a stranger to her now. This actually gets his attention, mostly because Olivia just said the same thing days ago. The next day, he surprises both the reporter and Mellie by showing up for the interview, defending his wife for staying with him, and aces the reception.
Flashback Mellie tries to eat breakfast alone with Big Jerry, desperate to pretend nothing happened. But, Big Jerry just can't help bringing it up and glossing it over, which disgusts her. She realizes she has quite the trump card just in the nick of time, because she tells Big Jerry just what to say and apologize for when Fitz shows up for breakfast. Fitz is stunned at this total turn in his father, but it never occurs to him to ask why any of this is happening. We see Mellie's first victory in the game of politics, and we see her triumph a week later, when she and Fitz have a secretly-gay campaign manager and a staff and celebrate with a lovely toast. We see Mellie's fake First Lady smile, the smile that refuses to acknowledge any difficulty or insult, 'cause she'll get you back later.
Team Gladiator almost manages to interview the stair guy from the airplane, but it seems that Charlie has convinced a certain alienated Gladiator that this guy needs to be knocked out so Charlie can break in and do a fun job. Quinn is all to happy to help, using her sweet, innocent, chirpy brunette routine to jab a hypodermic that she obviously didn't examine the contents of into his hand. She's excited as she calls Charlie to tell him he can come in now, only to get no response from the phone. Just a lot of froth and blood out of the guy, and then he dies with his blood all over her hands. Quinn, freaking, runs away to try to call Huck in a nearby alley. But it's Charlie who shows up and shows her a video of the night's fun. He informs Quinn that she's officially on team B-613 now. And the Gladiators will never question the last guy to see Omar Something get off the plane.
The White House reception goes swimmingly, with Fitz giving Mellie no reason to feel insulted, but she and Cyrus are still disappointed when they're plan with the hooker seducing VP Sally's hubbie doesn't work. Cyrus' husband, James, tries to talk to Cyrus about something, but Cyrus is angry and reminds his hubbie that he hasn't been getting the great interviews because he either lobs softballs or gets taken to the woodshed. James thanks Cyrus for reminding him why he just got fired that day and storms off. Mellie and Cyrus commiserate together, until Mellie sees something interesting. VP Sally's hubbie may not have dug the hooker, but wow, is he into James Novak. Mellie and Cyrus realize they have something better than just marital infidelity, they have a closeted gay man and marital infidelity.
Fitz's old friend gives Fitz a report on his tracking of Olivia, telling Fitz she appears to live the normal life of a busy professional. Fitz is still convinced she's in danger, and is looking over the report he's just gotten on Olivia's family. The last page has a very rare picture of Olivia's father, which had to be procured from a former badge from Dad's work at the "Smithsonian". Fitz realizes what Olivia meant when she said she's surround by murderers. She meant Fitz. And her father.
Rowan Pope flashes his badge in a top secret, drab, depressing building and goes to a super secret detention facility, where he tells someone sleeping in a cell that their daughter is asking about "you". Mya Pope sits up in bed, distrusting what her own husband is telling her. How long has she been down there?
Olivia really doesn't want to answer the ringing Fitz phone. Maybe she changes her mind because she thinks, this time, Fitz is calling to be honest, maybe even apologize. Since she knew Fitz's dad, I don't understand why she thinks Fitz would do that. Fitz just wants to hear her voice, find out whether Olivia has decided to hate him forever, tell her once again that national security will always trump whatever "love" he feels for her. Olivia does a great job of summing up the last two seasons when she points out that she is surrounded by men who leave body counts, and the strain is starting to get to her.
Look, I can only have so many killers in my life
Fitz begs her to leave the airplane crash alone. Olivia says nothing, and tells Fitz that he's like a stranger to her now. I suppose she's right: when they were campaigning together and having an affair, Olivia must have felt she knew everything about this man. Now, she realizes how much he has to conceal. We learn later that Fitz, out of concern for Olivia, is having her followed by an old friend.
Olivia rallies the gladiators. Jake enters with the rest, sitting at the table with everyone else. Is he officially a gladiator too? Since Josie is speech-writing for a bit, they've got a break from next year's election. But they will not be idle. Olivia explains that the picture of their new client, which Huck and Jake must already know, is her mother. The gladiators will investigate the airplane crash that brought the plane down and killed all aboard. There's just one catch, which only Huck and Jake already know: Olivia places a picture of Fitz up, explaining that he shot the plane down, ordered to do so by B-613, and that the order was given by her own father, who also heads B-613. Wow, those are some serious cards on the table.
Just another day at the office
Mellie's contempt for her own job shines through, even to the reporter who Mellie is escorting around to help repair the image of her marriage. Curating the White House art collection could be interesting, except that Mellie has a law degree and some really unrealistic expectations. Wow, there's a scary moment when the First Lady has to make an executive decision on… china to use for a White House reception in a couple of nights. This episode shows, as if we didn't already see, how disappointed Mellie is in how little her sacrifices have gained her. Mellie and the reporter go back and forth over whether her home is North Carolina, where she was raised, or California, where she and Fitz lived before the Presidency. Mellie, like a good wife, tells the reporter that home is where her husband is.
Quinn is playing shoot-em-up with her new buddy Charlie, pleased at her progress, although it's nothing to Charlie's pretty impressive marksmanship. He tells her he's a PI now, working on a cheating husband case, hoping for more like it. She later actually trails him to his stakeout, where he catches her. And then, for some inexplicable reason, kisses her. Charlie, morbid fascination is NOT sexual attraction. I think.
Abby and Quinn together are doing a lot of grunt work digging on the airplane crash, comparing different reports and sources to find discrepancies. They find a big one- the flight was supposed to be full, but there seems to have been a missing person. Who? The congressional report has no answers, and the gladiators figure out why: Fitz's dad, the late US Senator Big Jerry Grant, headed the congressional investigation of the crash. Hmmmm. Yet another coincidence. The gate agent will know who was taken off the plane. Quinn demands that Huck recognize that she was right about Olivia having huge issues with her Dad. Since Huck knew about it already, it's hard for him to really gush about Quinn's intuition, and she leaves pretty dissatisfied with him.
We flashback to Santa Barbara, about 15 years ago, with Fitz and Mellie actually in love, though we know it won't last. The entire flashback is shot with some sort of filter that makes colors drab, without actually going all black and white on us. Fitz is considering running for the Governor's mansion in California while staying with Fitz's dad for a visit. Fitz's dad surprises them with the news that a major player in California politics won't be running for Governor, opening up the field. He also surprises Fitz and Mellie with Cyrus, with a totally 90s gay guy haircut and an open appraising stare as he assesses both Mellie and Fitz before even speaking to them.
I hate Fitz, but, dude, he's not meat in a butcher shop.
Cyrus later talks strategy, telling Fitz to just concentrate on military base areas, right-wing counties, and everyone who loves a veteran. Oh, and run on your war record. You know, like how you shot down a civilian plane once? Fitz, who absolutely doesn't want to run on a career that was forged after the fact to hide his classified work, refuses and walks away, starting a major hissy fit with his dad. Big Jerry is still resentful that his son didn't follow the career path Big Jer laid out for him. Fitz would like his dad to admit that it was right for Fitz to serve his country and stand on his own two feet for a while. Although, if Fitz has really learned how to stand on his own two feet, why is he going to daddy to be made Governor?
Mellie tries to convince Cyrus to stay, asking Cyrus if he'll help smooth things over between Fitz and Big Jerry. Cyrus informs her that that is Mellie's job, because being a closeted gay man with a wife is all his plate can take. "Be the wife", he tells her. Mellie is insulted. She's a partner at a law firm. Cyrus laughs the laugh of the cynical and amused, then tells her she'll have to give that up if she really really wants to win the Governorship, maybe even the White House. So Mellie womans up and tells Cyrus to come back tomorrow, when she will have fixed the problem and the bickering between Fitz and Big Jerry.
Back in the present, the gate agent tells a couple of gladiators, when they interview her, about a strange occurrence before takeoff, while the plane was on the tarmac and cleared for take off. Apparently, the plane was held on the tarmac so a Federal Marshall could remove an Omar Something from the plane at the last minute, and whoever questioned her way back when never bothered reporting on that. She always thought it was odd. Was there anyone else who would have seen this? Sure, the guy operating the stairs to the plane that were used so the Federal Marshall and Omar could leave the plane. Where is he now?
Cyrus and Mellie plot on stymying the Vice President's backstabbing by selecting a hooker to seduce the VP's husband. Mellie prides herself on picking things out, and finds who she thinks will be just the girl. It will be at the reception, the one Mellie just picked out china for. Cyrus then asks VP Sally to go to Iowa, on a glad-handling mission so that Fitz can do important President stuff. Thinking Cyrus just handed her a chance to do more backstabbing, Sally agrees. Mellie tries to sidebar VP Sally to just let her know that a female intern complained about Mr. Sally's hands not being on his own body. VP Sally shoots down the accusation, but later, privately, reminds her husband not to fuck things up for them. Her husband, tired of this conversation the last twenty times they had it, tells her not to worry.
Later, on her present-day marriage image repair crusade, Mellie takes the baby to the Oval Office for some Daddy time, gleefully telling the reporter that Fitz always makes time for the baby, who is cuter than the Defense Secretary. But not today. Mellie opens the door on an empty Oval Office. Mellie is flustered while she reassures the reporter, though it's really her who could use some reassuring. Mellie later will yell at Cyrus, because Fitz is who knows where, demanding that Fitz be at the interview tomorrow. He can't make her any promises.
Olivia, who's taking a back seat while her gladiators work, is getting a report from Abby. Even though Olivia hates personal contact, Abby warns Olivia that she needs a hug, and gives Olivia a good, two-armed embrace, which Olivia appreciates. They'll find the guy who let the Federal Marshal and Omar Something off, and get to the bottom of why the plane was shot down. She hopes.
Back in the past, Mellie is trying to reason with Big Jerry, which is her first mistake. This guy literally thinks he's a great dad because he didn't beat his son, like Grandpa Grant did. Mellie, horrified at Big Jer's complete asshole-ness, gets a full helping when she hears all about Fitz's secret mission to shoot down a plane that would have landed in London with a dirty bomb, and that Big Jer covered it up so the US Government wouldn't get sued by the survivors of the "collateral damage". Big Jer is absolutely contemptuous of anyone who would judge his actions. But Big Jer isn't done. After confessing that he wasn't faithful to Fitz's mother, and Fitz knew, Big Jer then decides he wants Mellie too. She tries to fight back, but Big Jerry is a strong guy, much bigger than her, and Mellie is totally unprepared for just how awful men can be.
Flashback Mellie, a mess, silently slips into her and Fitz's bedroom, creeping to the bathroom, but Fitz is actually awake and wants to cuddle. Mellie, desperately trying to hide what her father-in-law has just done tries to beg off to take a shower, but Fitz really needs spooning and doesn't notice that she's just had sex anyway, even when he's holding her in bed. He cuddles with Mellie while complaining that his dad has never apologized for anything, or ever even admitted that Fitz did a good job in the military. Instead, Big Jer always just acts as if Fitz never does anything right. Mellie is all too happy when Fitz tells Mel they'll leave in the morning, and try a run for Governor when the timing is better.
Mellie today storms in on Fitz while he's doing super important stuff to yell at him for being a no-show with the reporter, and trying to duck out of tomorrow's interview. She angrily reminds Fitz that this whole exercise in humiliation for her is because of his affair, and to get him back on the re-election track. She tells Fitz that he's like a stranger to her now. This actually gets his attention, mostly because Olivia just said the same thing days ago. The next day, he surprises both the reporter and Mellie by showing up for the interview, defending his wife for staying with him, and aces the reception.
Flashback Mellie tries to eat breakfast alone with Big Jerry, desperate to pretend nothing happened. But, Big Jerry just can't help bringing it up and glossing it over, which disgusts her. She realizes she has quite the trump card just in the nick of time, because she tells Big Jerry just what to say and apologize for when Fitz shows up for breakfast. Fitz is stunned at this total turn in his father, but it never occurs to him to ask why any of this is happening. We see Mellie's first victory in the game of politics, and we see her triumph a week later, when she and Fitz have a secretly-gay campaign manager and a staff and celebrate with a lovely toast. We see Mellie's fake First Lady smile, the smile that refuses to acknowledge any difficulty or insult, 'cause she'll get you back later.
I'm going to crush you all
Team Gladiator almost manages to interview the stair guy from the airplane, but it seems that Charlie has convinced a certain alienated Gladiator that this guy needs to be knocked out so Charlie can break in and do a fun job. Quinn is all to happy to help, using her sweet, innocent, chirpy brunette routine to jab a hypodermic that she obviously didn't examine the contents of into his hand. She's excited as she calls Charlie to tell him he can come in now, only to get no response from the phone. Just a lot of froth and blood out of the guy, and then he dies with his blood all over her hands. Quinn, freaking, runs away to try to call Huck in a nearby alley. But it's Charlie who shows up and shows her a video of the night's fun. He informs Quinn that she's officially on team B-613 now. And the Gladiators will never question the last guy to see Omar Something get off the plane.
But the guy I never should have trusted told me not to worry!
The White House reception goes swimmingly, with Fitz giving Mellie no reason to feel insulted, but she and Cyrus are still disappointed when they're plan with the hooker seducing VP Sally's hubbie doesn't work. Cyrus' husband, James, tries to talk to Cyrus about something, but Cyrus is angry and reminds his hubbie that he hasn't been getting the great interviews because he either lobs softballs or gets taken to the woodshed. James thanks Cyrus for reminding him why he just got fired that day and storms off. Mellie and Cyrus commiserate together, until Mellie sees something interesting. VP Sally's hubbie may not have dug the hooker, but wow, is he into James Novak. Mellie and Cyrus realize they have something better than just marital infidelity, they have a closeted gay man and marital infidelity.
The gay conversion therapy clearly didn't work
Fitz's old friend gives Fitz a report on his tracking of Olivia, telling Fitz she appears to live the normal life of a busy professional. Fitz is still convinced she's in danger, and is looking over the report he's just gotten on Olivia's family. The last page has a very rare picture of Olivia's father, which had to be procured from a former badge from Dad's work at the "Smithsonian". Fitz realizes what Olivia meant when she said she's surround by murderers. She meant Fitz. And her father.
Rowan Pope flashes his badge in a top secret, drab, depressing building and goes to a super secret detention facility, where he tells someone sleeping in a cell that their daughter is asking about "you". Mya Pope sits up in bed, distrusting what her own husband is telling her. How long has she been down there?
Good, I hope she kills you
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