We must also start racking up bodies as B-613, aka Rowan Saving the Republic, reacts to any threat to its existence, past existence, or non-existence. Rowan's gone underground, his agents are scattered, yet he can always muster up someone to break up The Gladiators' attempts. Since actor Scott Foley has confirmed it, and it was on the preview for next week, it's not really a spoiler to discuss the death of Jake Ballard.
Is this a bad time to compare Rowan Pope to Petyr Baelish, aka Littlefinger, from Game of Thrones? Their main difference is that Rowan likes to think he's keeping "The Republic" together by killing anyone who could The American People to lose their faith in their leaders, while Baelish is happily tearing Westeros apart and killing the people who could keep it together. Baelish wants to be the only one left and take a crown for himself. Rowan wants to keep out of public altogether, and keep The Republic together at the expense of his own daughter's sanity. But they both are willing to scheme, ruin people, and kill, no matter the body count. Baelish is obsessed with guarding and teaching Sansa, all while using her. Rowan wants Olivia's affection and success, even if he has to kill her lover's child. Both Sansa and Olivia are well aware of these men's obsession with them; and do whatever they can to mitigate, and fight for whatever scraps of autonomy they can get.
I guess the main difference between them is that Baelish doesn't lie to himself. Rowan really believes he's saving "The Republic" when he orders an airliner shot down, or covers up the murder of the VP's husband; Baelish relishes the chaos to come when he engineers the murder of Joffrey, or betrays Ned Stark. Rowan will never let the American People debate what danger they're willing to live through for a just and open government; Baelish doesn't care what kind of government anyone else in Westeros wants. They're alike in that they both have major chips on their shoulders that they alleviate through their work. And they're still the most efficient and effective schemers in TV history. Before I type a whole book comparing them, let's get to saying good-bye to Jake.
We start with Rowan who is looking fit and trim and ready for some amazing speeches while sipping wine with his daughter. And his daughter's new lover, who's drugged and tied up on the floor. Well, what else was Rowan supposed to do? I know, the obvious answer is "not involve him in the first place", but this is Rowan, and Rowan needs to remind Olivia that she's got no secrets from him; and that he can fuck with her any time he wants to. So, Russell is out cold on the floor while Rowan insists that this B-613 crusade by David Rosen totally has the wrong guy, and he'd like Olivia to handle it.
Olivia says no. Olivia enjoys saying no. It's not handled. So Rowan plays the Fitz card, which reminds her that bringing down B-613 has the potential to get him truly impeached for a really super high crime. Olivia plays it tough, but Rowan can see that she's hurt by Fitz's past and current crimes, and that they're not an item anymore, and he loves telling Olivia that he told her so.
Rowan also confidently informs Olivia to call him when she's decided to represent him and get this mess buried again; after all, what good is justice in a Republic that's falling apart due to just how awful it's elected (an unelected) leaders turn out to be? How will she protect her friends in the chaos exposing B-613 would cause? Rowan's so sure that exposing B-613, and ultimately, destroying it, would also destroy this nation. But then, he adds to the list of things that he thinks the public should never hear about. Has anyone ever told this man to stop digging? And, in the end, he doesn't think Olivia will hang her own dad out to dry. No matter how poisonous the apples and the tree, they're still not far from each other.
No one drinks wine with you like I do
He won't leave though, without a very gracious compliment on the wine and some last sips of it. A guy's got to have his priorities, and Rowan needs to show Olivia that he's totally sure she'll never betray him. Although, at mid-season, he was literally berating her for doing what he now is sure she'll never actually do. But his confidence and his knowledge of everything she's been up to, including the new locks on the door, rattle her enough to doubt her own resolve. And once he leaves, she proves him right by giddily convincing Russell that he just drank too much, sang some songs, and passed out. She's already covering for Rowan.
Interspersed with Olivia trying to decide if justice for her Gladiators will make up for ruining Fitz forever, is the rest of the cast trying to move forward and resolve the tragic end of Brandon Parker, shot five episodes ago by a cop who thought he might have a weapon. Fitz has made Brandon's dad, Clarence, a promise, to make sure this never happens again. And, what better way to do that than to make sure every cop in America has a camera to record all stops? Marcus united a neighborhood to demand justice until the truth came out, and plans to keep on doing that by becoming the mayor of D.C. He's a lawyer with a Georgetown degree, so, he's not just a pretty face with a bullhorn.
Marcus' biggest flaw is his penis. It just can't help being inside the current mayor's wife. She's happy to accommodate him, but not okay over getting caught. So, when they're having a tryst in the mayor's mansion, which, apparently has gone unnoticed by a completely missing staff, and someone enters the house, Mrs. Mayor sends Marcus into a closet (haha, he's in the closet, we get it). It turns out not to be Mayer Verrano coming home, but some masked murderers who repeatedly stab her, quickly grab some jewelry, and leave her. And leave Marcus with the murder rap.
Marcus calls Olivia, knowing that she fixes problems. But, what he doesn't know is how. Huck, Quinn and Olivia try to decide exactly how they're going to make Marcus a ghost in all this to his horror, and then silent acceptance. Huck and Quinn are a little too business-like as they carry out Operation Fluff-n-Fold. It's not a laundry service. It involves hammers to break bones and joints, so the body can be folded into a carry-on suitcase and wheeled out. Then, it's just bleach and elbow grease everywhere, and Marcus is home free! The show assumes that Huck has taken out the numerous security cameras the mayor's mansion would have recording everyone who's come and gone. Huck and Quinn are going for a Missing Person look, so Mrs. Mayor's body will disappear somewhere, never to be found.
And Mayor Verrano will go public with his missing wife, playing the part of dutiful, concerned husband. It's kind of like Gone Girl on steroids. Everyone involved knows she's dead, including her own husband, who had her killed while she was making sweet love to Marcus to remove him from all future elections as a murderer. So, when there's no body to incriminate Marcus, Verrano has his tech goons plant some emails in his wife's inbox, supposedly from Marcus.
The cops haul him in for questioning, and it's a little weird that a lawyer submits to a completely illegal detention with no representation. Maybe that's why he called Olivia. Olivia doesn't just verify that Marcus can leave; she makes sure that the Captain of the precinct knows that if the DC cops ever publicize that he was questioned, that she'll make a royal fucking stink about Marcus' totally unconstitutional detention. He was never arrested; never read his rights, and the cops hoped maybe to just bluff their way to a confession from someone they've never liked. Olivia has the Captain's attention on the floor with all his other cops around him, throwing every screw-up his department made back at him, until he agrees that Marcus was never at the precinct. Olivia makes a point of rapid-firing every statement she makes, every question she demands an answer to, so the whole precinct knows she's on to them. Even Marcus is happy to admit he was never there. And, when she walks out, with a free Marcus, he can't help smiling to himself at how lucky he is.
It's when Huck and Quinn figure out just who Mayor Verrano actually hired to kill his wife that Marcus realizes what he was getting when he hired Olivia. He's one of the few clients who's never lied to them or hidden things from them; it's his honesty that gives the Gladiators their case's twist at the end. Exposing himself as an adulterer will ruin his potential career. Rather than turn in the killer, the Mayor's driver, Marcus opts for using what he knows as leverage to get the wife-murdering Verrano out of the race, and make himself the mayor-elect. Marcus, who may or may not have really loved Mrs. Mayor, regards Verrano like he's pond scum as Olivia declares the terms of the deal in the back of a limo. Presumably, Verrano's limo, with Mickey the murdering driver privy to the conversation, too. Marcus can't believe that our elected leaders are even worse than he knew. Verrano can't believe Marcus is so worked up; it's his muttering that his wife had it coming, that does it for Marcus. Verrano doesn't even feel guilty; while Marcus has been nagged by the fact that Mrs. Mayor was horribly killed because of him.
It's kind of like when you chose a career over marriage, only more illegal
At the press conference, Verrano does his part. But you know when Marcus starts talking about Martin Luther King, that he's going to go public with everything. And, he does. Olivia, still loyal to her client even though he just can't go through with the deal, whisks him away. To, presumably, a more congenial police precinct where he tells them what he knows. And, hopefully, not how he hired Olivia and her Gladiators to cover up Mrs. Mayor's murder. Maybe he lets Verrano's goons take the rap for that. If Huck and Quinn did a great job, which they presumably did, no one should ever charge anyone at OPA with obstruction of justice.
Olivia's not so lucky with Russell; when she calls him over to her apartment for another booty call, he appears. But, not for booty. He's decided not to buy Olivia's story of drunken singing and debauchery, after all. And he's tired of calling her Alex. For some reason, this conversation has to happen in Olivia's doorway, perhaps revealing how precarious their relationship is at this point. But, Olivia solves it all by letting Russell, and us, know that Olivia has a complicated life that Russell doesn't want to be a part of; Alex is simple- she just wants Russell. Russell needs a little extra convincing, but it's not long or much effort before he's carrying her to her bedroom, his clothes off, and Alex's legs wrapped around his waist.
I'm not Russell, or Fitz, but I'm here for you
Cy and Fitz are so-damn-close to getting the Bodycams For Cops Everywhere Act passed through the Senate. Somehow, the bill has gotten the 60 Senate votes to go up for a vote, but not the 51 votes needed to actually pass. Maybe math doesn't matter on this show. They come close due to some leaked fakery, courtesy of Lizzy Bear, who uses her knowledge of her fellow Republicans. Cy, relieved that his job is done, can't wait until African-Americans all switch their registrations to "Republican", an alignment not seen since the 1930s. So, when an early childbirth of Senator NewMom blows everything up and they're down to a tie-breaker again, it's time for VP Susan Ross to do one of her actual job duties: breaking a Senate tie. It's like civics class, but with the inevitable twists of Shonda Rhimes.
Twist number 1 is that Susan Ross is not Cy's little gopher. She's the Vice President. And, when he Vice President has agreed to be a guest moderator at a spelling bee, she sees it through. Because, the children. It's only when onomatopoeia is spelled correctly that she'll leave. Cy tries escorting her to the Senate to vote; but she's not voting on anything 'til she's read it. Give her the 1200-page bill, some coffee, some red pens, and post-it notes. She's got some political asskicking to do.
Cy tries to rush Susan along, but she's not happy with the bill she's been reading. She's got "questions", which sound more like serious screw-ups in the bill that will cause unholy hell later. She wants to talk to a lawyer. So, Cy ushers in the nation's top-ranking lawyer, David Rosen, to shoo the pigeon away from the monument. But, this is no ordinary pigeon. This is one of those lifetime-city pigeons, and she knows how to stand her ground and get a few crumbs. David Rosen has to grudgingly admit that he fed the pigeon some crumbs. If you need someone to run roughshod over the perennially smart and tenacious Susan Ross, Rosen is not your guy. He admitted to Susan that the bill has flaws.
Susan explains the bill's main flaw: the federal government would give local police departments grants to buy body cams, train cops on not treating black men like criminals and keep records on police killings of minorities. Susan explains that the federal government then doesn't do anything to actually force police departments to do this. She explains, to a childless David Rosen, that it's like telling her daughter Casey, who would never need telling, but still, telling Casey to clean her room but assigning no consequences if she doesn't. Fitz isn't telling police departments to do anything. He's giving them money, asking nicely, and hoping for the best. Which, Susan can tell you, never works on typical ten-year-olds. Unlike her Casey, who would never need asking or bribes. But, the nation's police departments need more than asking nicely and bribes. They need checking up on, and they need accountability and consequences if they don't produce the body cams, training, and reduced killings.
Fitz and Mellie are going to need to sideline their discussion of when and how to announce Mellie's Senate run, and personally nudge Susan to vote for Fitz's great victory against racial injustice and personal promise-keeping to Clarence Parker. Mellie tries the soft approach; Susan gloms on to her, since she's a lawyer. But, Mellie has to admit to not having read the bill she wants Susan to vote for. Wow, what Presidential material. So, Susan takes the opportunity of having caught Mellie at being a really bad executive to point out that she knows Mellie needs a softball VP to not compete with her own Presidential plans. And, Susan's willing to not spoil Mellie's dream. But, unless Mellie's got answers to her "questions", Mellie's not going to cajole Susan into doing anything.
Just wanted to let you know that I'm still here for you, Olivia
So, last but not least, Fitz comes in to bluster his way through. It's been over 24 hours. Susan is mildly disheveled but still going at it. The room is a mess. But then, the bill is a mess. Susan, however, is still sharp. And she calls Fitz on his bullshit. She demands his attention by reminding him that he knew he was getting an honest VP. See, Langston and Davis may have been scheming criminals, but they were always willing to sell out if they had to. Susan is second only to Marcus in honesty this night, and all along. But, an honest VP has no reason to sell out. An honest VP will call you on your bullshit. An honest VP won't rest until the President rolls up his sleeves, takes marker to a whiteboard, and re-writes a 1200-page bill. Neither of them are lawyers. But, one of them is a professor who's really good at making stuff sound important even if it's just common sense law-giving. And, one of them is a guy who's been to the rodeo before, so he knows just how to get the totally re-written bill through the final vote without anyone realizing they're voting for something new.
We cut right to Mellie, balloons, lots of red, white and blue and lights as she announces her Senate run. Was she worried about not getting center stage? Well, Fitz gives her the job of taking center stage, and keeping everyone's focus on her. Everyone will be so fascinated by her platitudes about Virginia, Freedom, and America, that no one will notice that Fitz pulled a fast one on a Senate that didn't actually want to change anything.
Fitz and Marcus learn not to compromise in pursuing what's right. I'm not hopeful the lesson will sink in with Fitz, especially not if Operation Remington comes out, which Rosen's questioning of Jake reveals so you know it will come out. Fitz will run for the nearest rock to hide everything under, producing the obviously rigged report from his own father covering his tracks that we learned about last season. Marcus might learn permanently, especially when Olivia backs him up. Sure, he spoiled the deal she'd worked out. But, clients are allowed to change their minds. And Marcus is definitely allowed to choose his own self-respect. This show routinely pits characters' self-respect vs. what they want to accomplish in politics, and Olivia quietly informs Marcus how this one cover-up would have led to a lifetime of them. Marcus may be over in politics now due to his honesty. But, if he was dishonest time and time again, he'd finally be done eventually. This way, he can be honest from the start. And, he can transition to her Gladiators. It's just what White Hats do.
Marcus' stand, despite paying the price, teaches Olivia something. Throughout the episode, we've been seeing her with her Gladiators, or with Jake, resolutely looking like she's having second thoughts. Jake tries approaching her, telling her that he'll be there to cushion the blow when her father is ruined, when Fitz is ruined. Maybe Marcus' self-sacrifice is enough to remind her that she's got to stand up for what's right, too. Maybe she's looked at all her compromises, and realized they're about to catch up with her, too. Maybe she's more determined than ever to make sure her father is brought down, and Marcus' example taught her the sacrifice will be worth it. Maybe all these realizations keep her going when her father reappears, and she has to disappoint him.
Rowan decides not to be disappointed at all. Olivia is finally the adversary he's been waiting for; someone who's also willing to lose what she holds most dear, her dream of life with Fitz in Vermont; to go up against him. Finally, someone who's decided not to waver! Rowan can't wait for the war to begin. In fact, he can't wait so bad that he has one of his agents lure Jake to Gladiator HQ so they can have a rollicking fight throughout the office, rolling on the floor and over furniture. Jake manages to get the mask off, revealing none other than... Russell! And, Russell is in no way ambivalent about this. Rowan didn't force him into this. Russell is eager to show Rowan how not-special Jake is. It involves a lot of stab wounds. One is reminded of Mrs. Mayor's death at the beginning of the episode. One wonders if Huck and Quinn will go with a Fluff-n-Fold. And, one wonders how much he loves playing Alex's boytoy so Rowan can keep tabs on Olivia.
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