When ABC announced that Scandal would be moving to 9pm, I was concerned. Would the new time mean Scandal would have to be less…scandalous? The answer is: absolutely not! Right off the top the Scandal season four premiere made it clear that things that for Olivia Pope (Kerry Washington) are going to be hotter – and more complicated – than ever!
We last saw Olivia sitting in a plane next to Captain Jake Ballard (Scott Foley) – a former head of the secret CIA group known as B613 as well as her lover when Fitz isn’t available. Olivia, to the dismay of all her gladiators, decided to leave everything behind take her father up on his offer to make her disappear forever and start over. It’s all been too much: she’d discovered her mother was alive, a terrorist, and believes that her mother had Jerry, the son of President Fitzgerald “Fitz” Grant (Tony Goldwyn), murdered.
What Olivia didn’t know (and still doesn’t know) is that her father Eli/Rowan Pope (Joe Morton) conspired with her mother to do this. Olivia believes it’s only her mother that’s an evil person. However the viewer knows Papa Pope is the monster and mastermind. He crudely says that since Fitz took his child, he took Fitz’s. His other justification is just as ludicrous. He may have originally planned on killing Fitz, but since he promised Olivia not to “harm a hair on his head” this was plan B. This plan also had the added benefit of helping Fitz win the election – which is something he knew Olivia wanted. Finally, all of this had the effect of doing what Rowan wanted all along – getting Olivia out-of-town, not only away from Fitz, but from interfering in politics – aka his controlling of the world.
Part of the reason she left with Jake was his plea to come “stand in the sun” with her. Stand in the sun was a metaphor for leaving behind all the dark conspiracies, illegal, and underhanded things that they’ve done and just enjoy life…. I loved how writer/creator Shonda Rhimes took that metaphor, made it a literal thing – and heated up our o’clock prime-time viewing hour!
It’s safe to say that viewers have been put on notice: Scandal moving to 9pm isn’t going to hamper the kind of stories being told! This opening scene is classic Scandal, awesome music with meaning that layers into the scene it underscores, gorgeous clothes (even on the beach), sexiness, and…problems.
I almost called this review, “Ignorance is Bliss” because the opening is about Olivia Pope being blissed out. She’s hanging out on an island “100 miles off the cost of Zanibar” and has taken the name of TV’s first non-stereotypical African-American female character -“Julia Baker.” (We also now know what the “Julia” in the title is for. That just leaves Randy, Red and Superfreak.) With no news of the outside world, Olivia is free to enjoy the sun, drink amazing wine and have fabulous sex. Jake even calls her “Jules.” (Sorry Olitz fans, but I’d be lying if I didn’t admit that Jake and Olivia do have some chemistry. )
However, as soon as Jake sees that letter he knows his and Olivia’s bliss is about to be over. I think he may have even been hopeful that it was Olivia’s dad – a nice letter from Dad asking how she’s doing – even though he knew better. The bad news about Harrison having been missing and now found dead is going to send Olivia and him out of the sun and back to Washington D.C.. Olivia swears it’s just for a few days, but I think Jake already has his doubts.
Rhimes has worked more of her magic with this storyline. While the character of Harrison Wright was written out of the show due to problems in the life of actor (Columbus Short), storywise it’s worked out to be the perfect thing to bring Olivia back to Washington because the last time we saw Harrison was in the season three finale. Rowan Pope had a gun pointed at him and said, “Oh to be young, gifted and black.” It’s a safe bet to say Papa Pope is who killed Harrison, likely hiding the body so it wouldn’t keep Olivia from leaving. Of course, once Olivia read the news there’s no way she wouldn’t go back for the funeral.
The Homecoming
Olivia returns to Washington and discovers that there is no more “Pope and Associates.” Her office is seeming closed down: all the furniture is covered up, except for the windows that have been their white board.
It’s while looking at these smug and confident Quinn Perkins (Katie Lowes) walks in….
Quinn has resented Olivia for a while now. Last season she was willing to shoot her! However that was when she was still with Charlie (George Newbern) and being defiant. Now she’s not working for or with anyone but herself. It’s like she’s taken the best of everyone that’s been a part of her life as Quinn and forged it into her being. Finally, Quinn has come into her own – and she wants Olivia to know it. Blithely she explains how despite Olivia and Rowan’s best efforts she had been able to track Olivia down due to Olivia’s love of red wine. In other words, Olivia, there is no more Baby Huck!
As fun as all that is to watch, this is the part of the scene I like best.
Olivia: You sent the clipping.
Quinn: When they found Harrison’s body in the desert outside of Yuma with Adana I thought you’d wanna know.
(Long silence)
Olivia: Quinn.
Quinn: Yes.
Olivia: What happened to OPA. Where is everyone.
Boom! Just like that, Olivia is back in charge. Quinn wants it clear that she’s all grown up, but whether Quinn likes it or not…Olivia is still…mom. Quinn tracked down Olivia because one of their own died and Olivia needed to know.
Where is Everyone?
Quinn now becomes the portal that takes to see what’s been going on since Olivia’s been gone. The first stop, set to an awesome intense score, is Huck (Guillermo Diaz). It’s a sad one. He’s working in a computer super store as a repair guy named, “Randy.” He’s still Huck though, super efficient, robotic, and straightforward. The site wrecks Olivia, as well as Quinn.
It’s these little moments with Quinn that let us know that sweet and earnest young women we met in season one is still around. Huck won’t even acknowledge Quinn’s presence. She tells Olivia that he never, ever talks to her. Charlie’s sabotage of having Quinn show Huck that his former family is still alive and well has worked like a nuclear bomb in that relationship – and it’s killing her.
When Olivia tells Huck she’s only back for a few days, he won’t speak to her either. Quinn tells Olivia she checks on him every week, despite his not speaking to her. She doesn’t lose her cool until Olivia asks what happened. Quinn snaps at her, “You left!”
Next up is Abby Whelan (Darby Stanchfield). Abby is now the White House Press Secretary and is playing Olivia’s political role with Fitz – to a degree. (A nice touch is the replica of the OPA window-as-whiteboard she’s had brought into the office). Through explaining Abby’s new role we learn the polls say that President Grant has the highest approval rating ever – but that his party is screaming mutiny. He’s tossed out half his cabinet – including his attorney general – and is trying to get a woman’s equal right’s bill passed. On top of all of that, there’s a rumor he wants to appoint a democrat as the new attorney general!
Through Abby’s eyes we also get a glimpse of what’s been going inside the White House….
Bellamy Young as first lady Mellie Grant is a riot! She may be crazy with grief, but she’s absolutely not dumb. Oh, and in case you haven’t noticed, that Scandal hundred-miles-an-hour monologue is still in full-effect! Also, it’s not just Mellie who can’t remember Abby’s name. As the episode continues, we’ll learn that Cyrus Beene (Jeff Perry) – and everyone else around the White House calls her “Red.”
Quinn arranges for Abby and Olivia to meet. Abby however doesn’t know that. She shows up calling Quinn “Superfreak.” Besides Quinn’s apparent love of torturing others with a drill and fascination with removing dead bodies, Abby also caught Quinn and Huck wildly doing the deed in the OPA office. Abby using the Rick James classic tune as Quinn’s nickname is a natural! Abby continues her belittling of Quinn, talking a blue streak about having only three minutes to talk to Quinn – a free three minutes that she’d rather be using for something else.
Quinn’s annoyed by Abby, and it’s clear Abby’s not someone she wants to talk to either. She enjoys tossing the fact that Olivia is there at Abby. These two have never exactly been buddies. It makes sense that with Harrison gone they are squabbling like young siblings. He was the person who kept them civil with each other. As for the meeting between Olivia and Abby, it does not go well.
Neither Abby nor Olivia know that Harrison was killed before Olivia left. This argument isn’t really about who let Harrison down. It’s more about letting each other down. It sounds like Abby was the one who had been looking for Harrison while Olivia just walked away. From Olivia’s point of view, Abby gave up and left Huck and Quinn for the White House.
What’s the most surprising to me is that Olivia seems almost shocked to discover that her associates are all really mad at her for leaving. How could she have thought otherwise? It’s an upside-down situation for her. Quinn – who had been furious with Olivia before she left – has turned out to be her biggest ally, while Huck and Abby want nothing to do with her. Quinn seems to be trying to do the right thing for Harrison…and perhaps there’s still a part of her that believes Olivia Pope can fix anything – even Huck. Quinn’s been checking on him every week and he still won’t talk to her. Superfreak needs her Randy man! (Sorry, but those names are hilarious!)
There Are Pros…and Cons
While Red, Randy and Superfreak are dealing with Olivia’s return and secretly (or in Huck case, openly) hoping she’ll stay there are others who really want her to go. (Randy Superfreak…David Rosen (Joshua Malina) is one of them. That’s because Jake visits David and chews him out over not shutting down Cyrus Beene with the files Jake had stolen from B613. He warns David to either use them or give them back to Jake. David has read all the files over the last two months, which means Olivia’s been gone for at least that long. The information terrifies him – as it should! If Olivia stays, Jake stays – and those B613 cases that could get a person killed just for knowing about them could will become a huge problem. We do see David go back to where he’s stored all the files, but we’ll never know what his intention was to do with them. Cyrus calls, summons him to his office and the President are thinking of making him the attorney general – even though he’s a democrat.
The next day David goes to see Abby. Apparently the two broke up because David hated that she joined the White House staff and he deserted her after Olivia left by becoming obsessed with the B613 files. David accuses Abby of telling Cyrus about the files, and thinks Cyrus is trying to keep him quiet. Abby furiously tells him she didn’t say a word, but that if he really wants to make a difference in the world he should forget about the files and take the job. The job, she says, will give him power.
I’m not sure Abby is right, but I suspect time will tell. I do think both Abby and David’s white hats have turned decidedly gray….
Another person who likely would prefer if Olivia left is Cyrus – he has enough problems with Fitz as it is. Lizzy, The new Republican National Committee Chair (Portia de Rossi) is upset because of Fitz’s liberal turns – especially the rumors that he might make a democrat the new attorney general. Cyrus calls her “Lizzybear” and he’s not talking teddy. Another thing that annoyed Lizzy is that Fitz wouldn’t go on a fundraising tour to capitalize on the death of his son!
When Cyrus finds out that Olivia is back he goes off on Abby for not telling him immediately – even though Abby had just found out that very afternoon. (It’s also how Abby learns that Cyrus has people following her and doesn’t trust her at all.) He is not happy, not one bit.
Cyrus: Do I need to explain to you how dangerous Olivia’s return is to this White House?
“To this twisted but now highly functioning White House?”
Cyrus is having a quiet conniption over this. As we know with Cyrus, the quieter the rage, the more deadly it is….
After leaving Abby, Cyrus goes to break the news to Fitz. Prior to being told Olivia is back Fitz is focused on getting his equal rights bill passed and defending Mellie’s behavior. His reaction isn’t one of overwhelming joy. It’s more like he’s been sucker-punched. Goldwyn’s performance is excellent. He then goes and tells Fitz, whose only question is whether or not Olivia is staying. Not that he plans on seeing her. He just wants to know so that he can warn Mellie. Cyrus knows Fitz is deluding himself about not seeing Olivia if she stays. When Fitz asks the next day if Olivia is staying – only because if so he wants to warn Mellie – Cyrus can’t continue to pretend not to see the obvious.
Cyrus: You really wanna pretend we don’t know how this movie ends. It’s not going to be a surprise, sir. It’s rather predictable. Really, she’s Olivia, you’re Fitz. And at a certain point in time the two of you are going to find yourself in the same room. The anticipation – relentless. Isn’t it? We all know what happens next. We’ve seen it a thousand times.
Fitz doesn’t like what Cyrus is saying – but knows it’s true!
I love this monologue, because it really speaks to what’s going through the audience’s mind. There’s no way Fitz and Olivia won’t be together again! At the same time, there’s an addictive aspect to the way Cyrus describes this. It’s a theme that has been coming up in terms of this relationship. Are Olivia and Fitz in love, or just addicted to each other…. (Don’t shoot me! It’s just a theme!) Fitz is in denial about what will happen if Olivia stays. However, he does then decide he has to tell Mellie that Olivia is back.
Poor Fitz…no one believes him when he says he’s not going to see Olivia again. Mellie tells Fitz the same thing Cyrus has – if Olivia’s around, Fitz is going to sleep with her. However, she’s far less upset about this than usual. She just wants him to tell her when he sees Olivia. She doesn’t want to be lied to or blind-sided. When Fitz tries to say he’s not going to see Olivia she schools him even harder than Cyrus.
This scene is so emotionally brutal – and revels the depths of how far down Mellie and Fitz have gone in their despair. Some might see the reactions of Fitz and Mellie to be extreme – even though losing a child is the most devastating thing that can happen to a parent. Once you consider the pain of Jerry’s death, then pile on the other circumstances: Mellie’s guilt for not loving him enough because she wasn’t sure if the boy was a product of her rape by Fitz’s dad, and Fitz knowing the boy was killed because a terrorist was trying to attack him – not his son. Now it makes sense that at one point Fitz tried to kill himself and that Mellie has no interest in the trappings of her former world.
Jerry’s death is also why Fitz doesn’t want Olivia to be back. It’s not that he consciously blames Olivia for it. Mellie is the tie to his dead son and he doesn’t want to lose that, he can’t lose that. Just yesterday Fitz and Mellie went to see Jerry’s grave. He watched Mellie lay down on ground next to where her son is buried and pretend to be holding his hand. It’s heartbreaking, even though Mellie is smiling. Mellie needs him, and he needs Mellie. He can’t bear the thought that he’d hurt Mellie even more, and if Olivia is back…he knows Mellie and Cyrus are right.
Of course, no one wants Olivia to leave more than her father. After all he went through to get her out-of-town and away from the President he can’t be thrilled to see her back. Yet, when Olivia shows up at their Sunday dinner restaurant, Rowan is a calm and seemingly reasonable man…at least reasonable for the head of B613.
Papa Pope’s really got Olivia fooled. He’s saying all the things she wants to hear, but everything out of his mouth is a lie. If he didn’t actually pull the trigger (and it’s likely he did) we all know Rowan is responsible for Harrison’s death. He did not kill her mother, she’s locked back up in her secret cell. However, he did get the president to order the execution, putting another wedge (he hopes) between Fitz and Olivia. Tied up in that lie is him securing Olivia’s loyalty to him instead of her mother. Meanwhile, the entire scheme – mom’s escape, Jerry’s death – all of it was his idea.
“Should I Stay or Should I Go?”
Realistically speaking, viewers all know Olivia Pope would be returning to Washington. The question is what’s going to be her motivation. Huck certainly is a reason to stay, but Abby and Quinn seem fine without her. Then there’s Jake – who makes a compelling reason for her to get the heck out of Washington and back on that island. Olivia needs another reason to add to her stay column…and one comes knocking at her door while she and Jake are having dinner and she’s trying to pick out Harrison’s casket.
It’s a young woman with her boss on the line. She hands Olivia her cell phone and Senator Stephanie Vaughn is on the other line. She’s afraid she may have murdered a Senator Sterling.
Olivia rushes to the scene and Senator Vaughn explains why Senator Sterling is all bloodied and lying face down dead over a broken chair. Vaughn had come over to talk about getting his vote for Fitz’s equal pay bill and, according to her, tried to rape her. The first thing Olivia realizes about the scene is that senator Sterling isn’t dead! She has Vaughn’s assistant, Kate (Kelen Coleman) drive Senator Vaughn home – because Vaughn can’t be at the crime scene – calls 911 for Sterling, and leaves. The next day it’s all over the news that Sterling is in critical condition after surviving a vicious attack in his own home, and Olivia is procuring Vaughn a cutthroat defense lawyer named Clark. (Clark as in Clark Kent? The Superman of defense lawyers? I love Rhimes and her humorous name choices. Don’t think that I missed Senator “Sterling” either. )
Once that’s done, Olivia goes to see Huck again, this time to tell him about Harrison’s funeral. She also asks him about what happened with seeing his family. That’s when Huck heartbreakingly tells her off.
I am not Huck. I stopped being Huck when you left. Huck doesn’t exist. Read my name tag. It says Randy. I am Randy. Randy the smart guy. That is who I am now. That is all I am now, and you are messing with that. When you walk in here, you make me hope. Randy doesn’t hope, Randy works. And he goes home, and he plays video games, and he goes to bed, and he wakes up, and he does it all over the next day. Hoping is bad for Randy, so do not come back here unless you are back for good! Next customer!
Yeah, we were crying too, Olivia.
That night, Olivia and Jake are in the middle of making out. Well, trying to make out. Olivia is distracted by Senator Vaughn’s case. Jake realizes he’s not going to get anywhere until she talks about it, and the more she talks, the more despairing he gets. He can see that she’s getting caught up in the case and the whole D.C. life again, and with that life comes getting involved with Fitz again, regardless of her feelings for him. He walks out of their bedroom, much to Olivia’s chagrin.
Nevertheless, the next morning has Olivia back in the OPA office with Quinn and laying out all the facts on Stephanie Vaughn. Because there’s no sign of a sexual assault the concern is that if Senator Sterling wakes up the case will become a “he said, she said” case. Since Sterling is “the most beloved and revered member of the senate – it’s a problem.
The fact that Quinn is right back happily working with Olivia is nice! One of the reasons Quinn ended up with Charlie is that he appreciated her. She just wanted that recognition of being good at her job. Working for B613 was never really her calling. I hope Olivia remembers who totally had her back when Huck and Abby return. (and we know they will)
Given the lack of evidence, Olivia sits in with Clark as he goes over the facts of the assault with Vaughn so that they can prepare for her statement later that day. Because of her vagueness on the details, it doesn’t take long for Olivia to realize the senator is lying. After calling Vaughn on this, she calls Quinn. Quinn notices that all the women who’ve worked for Sterling look the same – brown eyes, brown hair, curvy…just like Kate – Senator Vaughn’s assistant!
Sure enough, it’s Kate who was attacked. What’s really awful is that Vaughn sent in her assistant because she knew the man had a type. Vaughn thought that sending in a woman of his type would help win his vote. Kate overhears this and angrily confronts her boss. Olivia walks out disgusted. She’s going to go to Harrison’s funeral, and then she says she’s “getting the hell out of this town!”
If you were in tears because of Huck’s scene with Olivia, you had to be full-on sobbing from this funeral scene! After everything we’ve seen, it feels like a funeral not only for Harrison, but for Pope and Associates. Everything that they were together has died. Even if they all end up back together, things will never be the same.
There’s so much genuine emotion happening in this. Olivia and Abby hold hands – their earlier fight completely forgotten. Then when Huck says, “Do we say goodbye now?” Oh. My. God. Talk about ripping out my heart! Olivia is the last to say goodbye. Crying, she tells Harrison she loves him. Then, one by one, Huck, Quinn, and Abby drift away. Olivia is standing alone…except for Jake. He comes over to her and she turns, falls into his arms, and sobs.
Can we talk about Jake for a minute? The man is being a rock for Olivia – despite knowing Olivia loves Fitz. He shows up for her in ways Fitz just can’t. What makes this love triangle work is that in a real way, Olivia needs both these men in her life. Without Jake, Olivia is a woman with no daily emotional support living for moments when she and Fitz can be together. Fitz may be the love of Olivia’s life, but without Jake, it’s a very lonely life. I’m glad she also has Jake…and I’m also worried about him. He did not look happy to see Rowan Pope spying on him and Olivia. (And it was spying. I don’t see Papa Pope stopping by to pay his respects to his murder victim) If Olivia stays, what’s going to happen to Jake? Is he going to be at war with Rowan, or sucked back in to B613? This whole Jake, Olivia, Fitz, and Dad issue is a huge time bomb!
In the end, it’s thinking about Harrison that makes Olivia’s decision.
“I just keep thinking about what Harrison would say…. ‘Are we gladiators or are we bitches?’ “
With that decision made, the stage is set. We see David Rosen officially nominated for as the U.S. attorney general. Cyrus and “Lizzie Bear” having an argument over it. Lizzy Bear makes a veiled threat about it. Olivia has a press conference on the steps of Capitol Hill, with Kate and Senator Vaughn at her side. There she announces that she’ll be representing Kate in a sexual harassment case against Sterling. Back in the OPA office Huck walks in to bring back Olivia’s phone – completely fixed – and smiles at Quinn. Meanwhile Cyrus and Abby watch Olivia on TV. Abby is pleased. Cyrus…not so much.
Abby: She just won us the equal pay bill. No one can be on the fence now.”
Cyrus: She’s back, right. Get used to it.”
What he really means is, get used to Olivia and Fitz, being in sync, working as team, being together, being…Olivia and Fitz. Walking pass each other each works hard not to look at each other, despite their fingers almost brushing as they passed – seemingly being drawn towards each other. Both seem very pleased with themselves that they didn’t look…but lets face it, if two people have to work that much to seem like they didn’t notice each other, it’s just a matter of time.
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SPOILERS – NEXT ON SCANDAL:
If you don’t want to be spoiled for Scandal episode 4×2, skip these next two videos! The first one is the promo, and the second is a sneak peek. Consider this your SPOILER WARNING for the next episode of Scandal, “The State of the Union.”
Wow. Cyrus is blackmailing Olivia with threatening to bring Fitz back into her life? Times have changed…. However, I am psyched for some HuckleberryQuinn!
NEW PROMO and NEW SNEAK PEEK!
I don’t know what to say about this NEW SNEAK PEEK…
Are you ready for this?
The post Scandal Season 4 Premiere Review: The Stage is Set…. Plus Spoilers for 4×2! appeared first on Gossip and Gab.
