Courtesy of ABC
It’s time for the titular State of the Union…in October (but let’s not worry about that).
Let’s bitch it out…
Now that Liv (Kerry Washington) is back, she’s wasted no time getting back into the swing of things. Mostly against her will, thanks to Cyrus’ (Jeff Perry) blackmail. Now that he can’t eat meat (poor Cyrus), he gets feisty, and tells Liv she has to help the White House get some gun control figureheads to the SOTUA or he will tell Fitz (Tony Goldwyn) that she’s pining for him.
We know that’s not true of course, because we all heard Jake’s (Scott Foley) “I’m the one that makes you moan” speech last week (just me still thinking about it? Okay then…).
Liv’s charge doesn’t seem too difficult. At least until we meet James and Lisa Elliot (played by the great Mary McCormack, I still miss In Plain Sight!). They’re America’s gun-control sweethearts: he was a Taliban POW and she was a teacher paralyzed by a school shooting. Naturally they’re married and HATE each other.
Because Liv’s gladiating skills are a bit rusty, she decides to assign Quinn (Katie Lowes) and Huck (Guillermo Diaz) as their handlers. (Side note: Quinn traded in the leather jacket for a pink flannel and it is really working for her!) I was a bit concerned that Quinn and Huck, who start screaming at each other in the bathroom about their romantic past (i.e. that he pulled her tooth out) were going to go at it – in the icky sort of way. Thank you to the Scandal gods for interjecting before we got that far.
Another big problem before the SOTUA? Mellie’s (Bellamy Young) depression. Can’t a girl just eat some chips in a robe at her son’s grave in peace? Alas, no. Once the media gets wind of it, Fitz NEEDS her at the SOTUA so he can put the “my wife is crazy” rumors to bed. I love that this storyline carries over from the season premiere. It makes it much more realistic, since you don’t just flip a switch on grief one day and go back to normal. Thanks to a great plea by Abby (Darby Stanchfield), Mellie showers and throws on a cocktail dress for the SOTUA. But watching her crumble to the ground afterwards, and Fitz holding her, is the highlight of the episode for me. Whatever has happened between them, they still share this loss together.
Meanwhile, David Rosen (Joshua Malina) joins the party and takes off the white hat. During his senate confirmation, Lizzie (Portia de Rossi) digs up old evidence of David beating up a girlfriend. You’ll remember that this was all fabricated by OPA! Oops! Anyhow, instead of turning down the nomination, David takes a page out of the OPA playbook, blackmails a Senator, and joins the administration as the Attorney General. I love DC!
Courtesy of abc
Other Observations:
- I loved the scene between Fitz and Liv reviewing his SOTUA speech. While his “give us the room” was a bit intense, it is nice to see their relationship downplayed for once, while still highlighting the trust and support they have for each other.
- Jake is investigating Harrison’s murder and spots Charlie (George Newburn) in some of the photos. I personally wasn’t aching for his return, but I guess we’ll see where it goes…
- After Abby tells Liv “Quinn and Huck were incesting all over the office” did you see the camera pan to the table? Nice work.
- That terrace set is getting a lot of screen time this season.
- I love the hatred Cyrus has for Lizzie. When she shows up at his office and he says “Elizabeth to what do I owe this [door closes, drops act]…why are you here?” Classic.
- I never thought of Liv as the type to go to a man’s hotel room with nothing but a raincoat and boots on.
- Poor Cyrus: his attempt to get back on the horse finds him accidentally getting caught up in prostitution honeytrap (courtesy of Matthew Del Negro). This will definitely come front and center soon according to next week’s previews.
Best Lines:
- Dave the bodyguard: “The first lady would like her chips”
- Cyrus (to Mellie, re: the deaths of JJ and James): “A broken heart is a broken heart, to take a measure is cruelty”
What did you think? Did Liv and Fitz’s first major interaction this season work for you? Are you looking forward to seeing how Cyrus’s inevitable prostitution scandal will develop? Sound off below!
Scandal airs Thursdays at 9pm EST on ABC