When I tell y’all that Scandal brought it with this episode, Scandal BROUGHT IT! This alternate universe where the election rigging did not happen was one hell of a way to commemorate the 100th episode of this series. To be totes honest, I didn’t know what to expect, so I went into this thing with myself braced. Because Shonda. She tends to chop up your heart, toss it into a Ninja and then drink it as a smoothie. I had to protect myself. Things are crazy enough as it is on the show, so what kind of twist on that could Shonda and Co possibly give us in an AU?
Well, guys and gals, I’m here to tell you that I made it to the other side of this episode and God is good. It doesn’t matter if you don’t believe in God. Just know that He is good because this here episode took me flat out and then resurrected me on the third rewatch. Hallelujer!
Well, guys and gals, I’m here to tell you that I made it to the other side of this episode and God is good. It doesn’t matter if you don’t believe in God. Just know that He is good because this here episode took me flat out and then resurrected me on the third rewatch. Hallelujer!
I’m still hopping around like a bunny souped up on speed, and as such, I have half a mind to present this recap/review as a series of nothing but reaction gifs. But I won’t do that to you because this AU deserves all the words that my fingers will allow me to give it. Fair warning: this one is more outrageous than usual in length. If you aren’t an Olivia and Fitz (Olitz) fan, I apologize in advance for making this recap/review a difficult one for you to read because I’M ABOUT TO GO FULL OLITZERSTAN UP IN THIS MICKEY FLICK!
Conscience Versus Temptation
Picking up sometime after the events that transpired in the last episode, Olivia is in the Oval Office with Fitz and Jake arguing about what to do about the yet to be identified mystery people. Fitz believes that they should be put on trial and executed, but Olivia is against that plan because it would also lead to an indictment of Abby. (Does Fitz know that Rowan was the one who pulled the trigger?) Fitz in turn says that they can get Abby immunity from prosecution and Olivia reminds him that David, who would be the one responsible for granting said immunity, is currently “sleeping with the enemy.”
At this point, Jake interjects to say that all this arguing that started THREE hours ago (what??) has led them back to his initial suggestion, which is to take out Mr. Android and Ponytail. Fitz sighs his exasperation as he tells Jake that killing them won’t solve anything, especially when they remain in the dark about what these people want. Olivia then adds that they also don’t know how many are associated with the pair and that killing them doesn’t free Cyrus.
Jake then proffers another option and that is for them to do absolutely nothing and allow Mr. Android and Ponytail to have what it is that they want. He points out that they know that these people want Mellie in the White House, and since they also want the same thing, they should allow it to happen. (How does this make any sen….never mind.) He can’t understand why it is that they as a group are against this.
Fitz argues that Mellie shouldn’t get the presidency in this manner because what Jake is proposing is a fixing of the election, something they themselves have done before. Now hot under the collar at this response, Jake states that Defiance made Fitz president, and he asks Fitz if he truly believes that the world would have been a better place if Samuel Reston had been elected instead.
Meanwhile, Olivia is sitting in silence on the sofa and rubbing her head like she’s got a headache. At a point in their argument Fitz turns to Olivia to ask her to tell Jake that what he is proposing is ridiculous. Olivia doesn’t give him an immediate response and when Fitz presses for one, Olivia opts to remind him that Huck almost died (Girl, what? LOL!). She follows that by asking how many others have to get hurt before enough is enough.
Having run out of patience, Fitz tells both Olivia and Jake that he intends to clear Cyrus’s name and have him succeed him as president. All he needs to know from them is if they are with him in this or not. Upon his exit, Jake turns to Olivia to say that Defiance worked. Olivia doesn’t look at all convinced by this proclamation, she instead appearing to mull over some things in her head. Jake goes on to state his guarantee that “Fitz’s life would have been a million times worse if [Olivia] hadn’t rigged that election.” He believes that Olivia’s life would have been worse off as well.
Considering the domino effect that Defiance continues to have on all of their lives, Jake is seriously going to stand there and state unequivocally that the life that they are living now is one that far exceeds the one that they would’ve led had Defiance not have happened?
Aside from the fact that Fitz wouldn’t have been president, let’s go through a few other things that wouldn’t have happened had Olivia chosen not to agree with the Defiance cabal:
- Quinn Perkins would still be Lindsay Dwyer and her fiance Jesse would be alive.
- OPA as it had been at the time wouldn’t have existed nor would have Baby Teddy.
- Amanda, Harrison, James, Jerry, Daniel Douglas and a host of others would all be alive.
- Fitz wouldn’t have almost been assassinated.
- Verna would have met Jesus without Fitz’s assistance.
- Rowan would have stayed out of Olivia’s life and there’d have been no cloud of B613.
- Rowan’s absence and Fitz not being elected would’ve made Jake a non MFing factor.
- Olivia would not have been kidnapped nor would she had murdered.
And that’s not to exclude all the pain, heartache and menace that Olivia, Fitz, and the others have caused and been subjected to because of this one decision.
You would think that Jake would have some understanding as to why neither would want Mellie to gain the White House through subterfuge, especially since Olivia has emphasized to him at least once her desire to win this thing “clean”. So why is he perplexed by Olivia and Fitz’s hesitancy to just go along with Mr. Android and Ponytail when doing so meant Cyrus’s continued imprisonment and them in turn being subject to whatever it is that these people want? How is it that after this three hour argument, Jake figured that this option (aside from the one that called for him popping off bullets) was the best way to go?
I swear this man is a muppet.
Interestingly, Jake in this scene serves as “temptation” to Fitz’s “conscience.” Think the two angels on your shoulder. One is telling you that that maple syrup drenched bacon-topped stack of brioche French toast should be skipped in favor of the quinoa oatmeal and apple cinnamon breakfast bowl, while the other is urging you to not only take the French toast but to compound it with three dozen scrambled eggs with cheese and country gravy. You know good and damn well that you have no business having the latter, but you consider it anyway.
That’s what’s happening here. Fitz is for doing the right thing while Jake is for allowing things to play out since it gives them their desired result. What shall Olivia do? Is she so desperate for the French toast, er, win that she’d again sacrifice her principles for it?
Reversing the Irreversible
Once Jake departs, Olivia is left alone to contemplate what to do. Her mind flashes back to the evening on the Grant campaign plane when she made the pivotal decision to toss in with the cabal and rig the election. This occurred at the very end of “A Criminal, A Whore, An Idiot and a Liar” (211).
Initially when the flashback begins, it looks to be the same or similar film that had been shot all those seasons ago, but it isn’t. I’ve watched 211 A LOT, so it didn’t take me long to notice the differences despite how damned well this cast and crew did at replicating what was filmed then. The attention given to the wardrobe, seating, camera angles, and even the MUSIC! When compared to the original, you could almost mistake them for being the same. (And yes, I went back to 211 and compared because I’m that much of a dork.)
Anyway, Olivia is at the table with Hollis, Cyrus, Verna and Mellie. Now that the election is closer and Fitz’s polling hadn’t improved much despite his campaigns efforts, Hollis is putting the Defiance matter back on the table since the last time they discussed it, Olivia was the lone hold out. This time, however, Olivia votes in favor of the rigging.
A quick rehash of what was happening back then for some context: Fitz had been polling 10 points behind Reston and Fitz’s father Big Jerry was brought in as part of the campaign’s effort to improve Fitzgerald’s numbers, but Fitz didn’t want him there for reasons that soon became apparent. Big Jerry specialized in the belittling and humiliation of his son who he believed would never win at anything.
Witnessing these moments and knowing how desperate Fitz was to win factored into Olivia’s decision to fix the election. There was also the fact that Big Jerry died during the campaign, striking another blow to Fitz as the polling data for him remained largely unchanged. Add to that that Olivia was in love and wanted to give this to Fitz, you have her agreeing to the unthinkable.
Soon after Hollis makes a call to tell his hacker that the plan is good to go, the moment gets rewound, and with this replay, Olivia says no. She tells them all that the polling is close but that the election is still winnable. She believes that Fitz can pull it off, and when asked by Cyrus what happens when Fitz doesn’t, Olivia tells him that they will then at least lose with their souls intact.
Well, Fitz loses by a slim margin of 4,395 votes in Ohio. The team is upset. While Fitz goes off to offer his congratulations to Reston, Mellie says to Olivia that all Olivia had to do was say yes to the rigging and the results would have been different. Mellie then storms off and Olivia is left to stare after a devastated Fitzgerald.
Next we see Olivia departing from a hotel in what appears to be California. She’s playing with her Blackberry when Fitz hurriedly dashes out from somewhere and calls out to her. She initially ignores him but then can’t when he calls out a second time. He asks her if she was just going to leave without seeing him and she tells him that she sent him an email.
She sent him an email.
Olivia goes on to share what was in said email, which included an apology for letting him down, but Fitz rejects that and tells her that she did everything that she could do to get him elected. America simply chose someone else.
The tension between these two in this moment was so thick that you could light a match off of it. Their love affair was at an end now that the campaign was over and Olivia had absolutely no reason to remain within proximity of him. They make strained polite conversation as Olivia shares with him that she will be returning to Washington to offer her services to some guy named Marcus Walker who is trying to get a criminal justice reform bill passed.
After that bit of detail, the two lapse into silence as they stare at each other for a long moment, everything that they feel for each other sitting heavy between them. Fitz eventually speaks up to wish Olivia well, and with some difficulty, Olivia wishes him the best of luck with his wife. She then finally pulls herself away and continues on her way.
Two months later, we see Olivia in Washington. She is with Marcus in the storefront property that they have leased for the work that they are doing, and David Rosen is giving them his opinion of a bill that they have drafted. He tells them that legally the bill is solid, but that it doesn’t pass political muster. No politician will be willing to stand behind a criminal justice bill of its magnitude.
I’m going to pause here for a moment to speak on Olivia’s appearance. She is a stripped down version of how she had dressed during the campaign and a far cry from the woman who only rocks designer duds in canon reality. A simple tee and a cardigan with jeans make up her look here, and her hair is in its natural curly state. She is a softer, less cynical Olivia where frills do not apply.
Setting up a computer in a corner is a shaggy looking Huck. He’s not as bad looking as when he was homeless, but his hair still looks like it’s harboring some secrets and dead rat.
David’s feedback isn’t discouraging but Olivia and Marcus have more work to do if they are going to get someone to back their bill, work of which includes garnering public support for it. Olivia thanks David for making out the time to offer his assistance despite his busy schedule as a US District Attorney. (This was where David worked before he became Attorney General.)
Abby comes through the door right as David is departing, and girlfriend is glammed up! She is most assuredly not working for Olivia looking the way that she does. Her reaction to the space has Olivia acknowledging that the place isn’t much but that it was the best that she could find and also the cheapest.
Stepping further into the space, Olivia heads for some mailers sitting at a back table as Abby queries Olivia about Leo Bergen who has asked Olivia out on a date. (Well, this is a rather awkward scenario.) Olivia shares that he’s taking her out that evening, and Abby gives her a sly smile that she refuses to elaborate on when Olivia catches it.
I have to say that I love the relationship of Olivia and Abby here. It’s just so beautiful, especially when contrasted against how their relationship is in canon reality. The boss-employee relationship didn’t particularly serve them well.
Later that evening, Olivia is preparing to leave for her date. She gives her hair a last minute zhuzh in front of a mirror, and once satisfied, she grabs her keys and opens her door to exit. She is stopped short in surprise upon finding Fitz standing there!
“Hi.”
“Hi.”
Coming straight out with it, Fitz informs Olivia that he has left his wife. Olivia doesn’t immediately know what to do with that information, so she congratulates him and proceeds to shut her door and head past him to the elevator. Fitz turns towards her to ask where she is going and she tells him that she has a date. Dumbfounded by this, Fitz asks if she heard what he said and points out that he flew all the way from California to tell her in person that he left Mellie. Olivia’s response to him is that the next time, he should make an appointment.
Next time? This girl is a damn trip…
The elevator arrives and Fitz is stunned when she proceeds into it. She pushes the button to head down, but Fitz steps forward to hold the doors open. He tells her that he came there to ask her to marry him and that he doesn’t want her to give him excuses as to why she believes it is too soon. What he wants is for her to say yes. He then proposes to her.
Olivia is staring at him with a look of stunned confusion and can’t seem to mount any kind of response. As her silence extends, Fitz’s expectant expression changes to one of crushing realization. He steps away from the elevator and allows its doors to close. Just as her rejection starts to take a hold of him, the elevator doors reopen and a hopeful Fitz turns towards it to find an emotional Olivia. She still can’t speak, but it is clear that she has made a decision.
With a shaky laugh, she launches herself at him and the two of them get to giddily making out. They are in bliss as Fitz lifts her up and spins her around, and next thing you know, they’re ripping their coats off and are set to get right to the business of shagging. But first things first. They’ve got to get into her apartment.
Olivia blindly feels about in her purse for her keys while her lips remain glued to Fitz’s. She eventually gets to the keys and extricates herself long enough to open the door. Into the apartment they go, but they have left their coats and her purse out in the hallway.
Who cares about such personal possessions when there is amour?
That date with Leo Bergen is off then?
Playing over this scene was Roberta Flack’s version of “Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow”, a song that we’ve heard before in the not so distant past (508) when it played over a scene where Olivia was coming clean to Fitz about freeing her father from prison. It was a heartbreaking moment that marked the beginning of the end of their relationship in canon reality, so it’s repurposing here was interesting.
In the context of this moment, the lyrics of this song has shifted perspective. In its initial use, the song possibly represented the question Olivia had of the survivability of their relationship following her betrayal. This go around, it appears to represent an question that Fitz has likely asked himself about the nature of their relationship.
Embracing the Future
Moving forward six months, guests are seen arriving at a church. Standing outside of it is an alive James Novak with Cyrus. He is going on about how lovely the inside of the church is and Cyrus gives him an indulgent chuckle. If there was ever a thing that Cyrus couldn’t care less about, it would be the floral budget of the Pope-Grant wedding.
What he does appear to be overly concerned with is whether anyone is paying he and James any mind. James notices this and calls him out on it, but Cyrus casually dismisses the idea that he’s worried about anyone. He starts away from James while telling him that he’ll see him later at the reception, and James is flabbergasted that Cyrus won’t be sitting with him in the church. Upset, he tells Cyrus that his being in the closet thing is no longer attractive, and that it is time for Cyrus to grow up.
Once James storms away, Cyrus spots Mellie where she is lurking along the periphery of the church grounds. She appears to be looking about as if trying to catch a glimpse of what is set to transpire inside the church when Cyrus goes over to meet her.
Please tell me that this woman flew all the way from California for this because if she had…
Mellie expresses to Cyrus her disbelief over the fact that the wedding between Fitz and Olivia is actually about to take place. Seeing her struggle, Cyrus takes her back to his home. As they share a drink, Mellie confesses to Cyrus that she caught Olivia and Fitz together once in an elevator (211). She had thought then that all it was was Fitz emulating his father by being handsy drunk. Cyrus sympathizes but Mellie brushes that off and says that she doesn’t care. (Um, you’re the one who flew in from California, but okay.)
Cyrus goes on to say to Mellie that she’s a brilliant woman and that Fitz is a fool for having left her. He adds that there are plenty of better men out there who would be lucky to have her because she is “perfect.” Ha!
In her moment of vulnerability, Mellie leans over and kisses Cyrus!
WHAT THE WHAT?! Who, what, why?
Back over at the church, we see Olivia standing in front of a mirror as she fans out her veil and adjusts her wedding dress. Huck is there with her and he is fiddling with his tuxedo. His collar is standing up and he looks like he is suffocating. Glancing over at him, Olivia smiles lovingly at his frustration before she steps over to fix his collar for him. She then purposely inhales so that Huck will mimic her and then exhales, and he does the same.
Of the two of them in this scenario, it is interesting to see that Olivia is the one who is calm. Also of note is that Huck is the sole person with her in the room and also the one who walks her down the aisle. Their relationship is akin to that of siblings, one of which might be a little challenged. It’s sweet really.
As they proceed down the aisle together, Aretha Franklin’s rendition of “You’re All I Need (To Get By)” plays. This song is yet another blast from the not so distant past. This version of the song was first heard in “Paris is Burning” (503) when Olivia opted to throw her reputation into question in order to protect Fitz from the backlash that ensued from her publicly admitting that she was his mistress. Then she had echoed words that he had once said to her (220), telling him unequivocally that she was choosing him and standing by that decision. In this AU, Olivia makes the ultimate choice by doing the same. Not only in word but also in deed. GAH!
Attendees watch Olivia in admiration as she is escorted up towards the altar, her eyes on the man to whom she is about to be married. I swear I was this brother as I watched Olivia in that dress:
Off to the side, we see that Papa Pope is in attendance, but he’s towards the back of the church and out of sight of his daughter and Huck. Where you would expect the father of the bride to sit is instead occupied by Marcus, who is cheesing hard as hell as Olivia walks past him.
Off to the side, we see that Papa Pope is in attendance, but he’s towards the back of the church and out of sight of his daughter and Huck. Where you would expect the father of the bride to sit is instead occupied by Marcus, who is cheesing hard as hell as Olivia walks past him.
The church decor is as amazing as James had earlier stated. There is a ridiculous abundance of red roses EVERYWHERE, and they particularly overwhelm the altar. Those standing at the altar with Fitz is Abby as Olivia’s maid of honor, the priest and some unknown gentleman who is serving as Fitz’s best man.
Once at the altar, the priest asks who is giving up the bride for matrimony and Huck answers that he is. When Olivia moves to step forward, she’s unable to proceed because Huck is still holding on tight to her. Olivia steps back to reassure Huck that it is okay for him to let her go.
A few things before I move on: what in the sam hill is going on with this wig that they’ve got on Huck’s head? Why does it look like it itches?
And can we talk about how freakin’ beautiful Olivia is in this dress with her hair done up to look as if she’s wearing a crown?!
Once Olivia is up in front of everyone with Fitz, they exchange vows. Olivia Carolyn Pope to Fitzgerald Thomas Grant III. They say “Till death do us part” together and the priest pronounces them husband and wife. They seal it off with a kiss and it’s official! OLITZ IS MARRIED AND MY INSIDES EXPLODE INTO BUBBLES, CANDY AND RAINBOW-STRIPED ZEBRAS!!
(Yes, I know that this isn’t canon and that Shonda is set to rip life from my very hands, but...)
As the bride and groom and their guests celebrate, Papa Pope sneaks out of the church before he is seen. He has witnessed what he came for, so it was time to dip. He appeared to have tears in his eyes, but I can’t be sure. Maybe one of you fine people can confirm that for me.
Wedded Bliss or Blues?
Picking up with Olivia and Fitz a year later, we see them teasingly canoodling in Olivia’s bed right before the alarm goes off and Olivia has to pull herself away from him to prepare for the day. The two of the are strangely sharing Olivia’s apartment.
Speaking of the apartment: Hello the Way Olivia’s Apartment Used to Look Before She Turned It Into a Cave! Nice to see you again. You’re looking quite cheerful and bright. Shall we ever see you again in canon?
Later we see Fitz coming from the room and he is proposing that they both skip work and enjoy the nice day out as tourists, a suggestion that Olivia laughs at and she tells him that people will notice if he doesn’t show up for work. (Reason why she says this will be clear in a moment.) As she stuffs her backpack (Yes, a freakin’ backpack!) with her laptop and other items for work, she finds a brochure for a new home slipped in among her things and she calls out to Fitz about it. He tells her that the place could be theirs, but she is resistant as she points out that the house is huge and expensive. Fitz in turn reminds her that money is not an issue.
I mean, duh! What’s her deal with money anyway? She is specifically making a point about it that I can’t quite figure out. Is this her making clear that she didn’t marry him for his money or is this her trying to maintain control of her life (and limit Fitz’s influence in it) by keeping things status quo?
I don’t know about y’all, but if I was married to a man who had millions sitting in the bank, I sure as hell wouldn’t be out here rocking Walmart chic and living like we’re trying to survive off of $50k. No ma’am.
Olivia states that HER place is so close to the office and Fitz catches that. She tells him that he knows what she means, but I don’t think she realizes that Fitz caught what she actually meant and not how she wants it to mean. The fact that she refers to the apartment as hers pretty much says that she mentally does not consider the place theirs. Fitz is ready for a place to call theirs, and he asks her to think about it.
Over at the office, David is again speaking with Olivia about her bill. Olivia says that they will try to resubmit but David is telling her that doing so will be pointless unless she has someone with political clout to push it forward, preferably someone who isn’t working out of a storefront. (Ouch, David.) He goes on to advise her to find a friend in the White House if she wants the bill to go anywhere.
Just then Marcus comes over to say to Olivia that it is almost 3:00 and he asks if he should put “it” on the big TV. Olivia would rather avoid whatever Marcus is proposing as she asks him if it is necessary to have to do “it” everyday. David chimes in to say that he wouldn’t mind watching, and so Olivia is left with no choice but to agree with allowing the TV to be turned on.
Of note, Marcus’s shirt features a quote by Bishop Desmond Tutu, which reads:
“If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor.”
When the TV comes on, it reveals that who they wanted to watch is Fitzgerald! He apparently has a political show titled “The Grant Report” which people around DC seem to be addicted to. As Fitz is doing his intro, Olivia pantomimes along before she gets up to start on her work.
So now we know why Olivia said that people would notice if he didn’t show up for work. The set basically consists of a simple backdrop featuring the name of the show, a desk and himself. This career move for Fitz is a rather odd one, but he seems enthusiastic for what he’s got planned for that day.
Over at Cyrus’s house, he’s alerting “honey” to the start of The Grant Report, and when the camera pans over, it is revealed that “honey” is Mellie! MELLIE?!
I don’t know what kind of twisted alternate universe Olivia has going here, but this is just rude. Mellie married Cyrus! So is she Mellie Beene now? The jokes write themselves.
Entering the room, Mellie refers to Fitz as a “moron” as she wonders at what he’ll be talking about today. She goes on to criticize his clothing by comparing him to a Democrat. (Mellie’s one to talk with her dressing like grandma.) Cyrus heaps on by remarking, “To think that man was going to be president”. Mellie scoffs at that and says that Fitz is nothing but an ornament.
Ornament? Remember when Fitzgerald went off on Mellie and referred to her as being “ornamental, not functional” (201)? That was some stone cold, savage shade.
As they continue their conversation, Cyrus remarks that Mellie would have been the one running things in the White House had Fitzgerald won, stating that she was the one who always had the ideas. (Um, what?) He tells her that she was the one who made Fitz and that it should have been her who ran for president instead.
This statement brings on a lightbulb moment for Cyrus and he turns to Mellie to say that it isn’t too late for her to run. Mellie is caught off guard by the suggestion, but she quickly warms to it.
Later that evening, we see Fitz sharing a drink with Jake who is decked out in his Navy Dress Blue uniform. Fitz is venting about his current predicament with his wife. He can’t understand why he’s living in Olivia’s one-bedroom apartment when he has the money to purchase them something larger, and he expresses that he feels like a “boyfriend who keeps spending the night.”
Therein lies the rub. More on the apartment issue later.
Aside from this matter, Jake asks Fitz if everything else is good. Fitz says that it is, but his answer lacks conviction. Jake notices this and says as much before he asks Fitz a series of questions in an attempt to suss out what else is bothering him. He asks if Olivia sucks in bed or is a control freak, and Fitz tells him that his problem isn’t any of those things. Olivia isn’t looking at him in the same way that she had before he lost the election, Fitz shares, and Jake goes further by stating what Fitz wouldn’t: that Olivia looked at him like he hung the moon when she thought that he was going to become Commander in Chief. Jake then asks if Fitz intends to make another run for the White House, but Fitz deftly avoids answering by instead asking Jake what he has been up to.
A few things about this scene (and all the others like it): bear in mind that all of this is conjured up in Olivia’s mind, so the things that manifest in it are things that Olivia feels herself, whether it be a fear, insecurity, desire or truth.
That said, of note is that this scene is the only one in which Jake appears in AU. Given that there would have been no opportunity for he and Olivia to have crossed paths (unless Fitz introduced them to each other), Jake is entirely absent from Olivia’s life. This isn’t a surprise for the very reasons that I pointed out earlier. No rigging of the election not only meant that Fitz would fail to become president but also that Rowan would remain estranged from his daughter. This in turn meant that Jake would remain unknown to her.
Excuse me while I indulge in my moment of petty:
Back at the apartment, Olivia is seen welcoming in Abby and David. As they enter, they notice Huck sitting square in front of the TV, and David remarks that he thought that they came over to put together some mailings. Olivia confirms that that is indeed what they’re doing and when he points out Huck, she tells David to go with the flow. As the three of them take a seat, Huck alerts them that the tiara ceremony on “The Prince” is about to begin.
“The Prince” features none other than Lindsay Dwyer aka Quinn Perkins! For those who follow her portrayer Katie Lowes on Twitter, you know that Katie is OBSESSED with The Bachelor, so having her play a contestant in an AU version of the show is hilariously fitting.
As the ceremony begins, the featured bachelor calls for one girl to come up to receive her tiara and Huck hopes aloud that the man intends to give one to “Lindsay D.” As Olivia and the others start on the mailings, she asks if Lindsay D is the pet photographer. Huck huffs his exasperation as he tells her that the photographer is “Lindsay M.” Lindsay D is the one who gave up her position at a major law firm to be on the show because “she’s finally ready to love again.”
Huck is too cute in this moment. From the little smile on his face, you can see that he is enamored with Lindsay D.
What I like about this part of the scene is that it further provides insight into the nature of Olivia’s relationship with Huck. She is lovingly indulgent of him and seems to derive joy from him being happy. While Abby and David have come by to stuff envelopes as they are all supposed to do, Olivia leaves Huck to watch “The Prince.” Her knowledge of the program tells us that Huck has done this at her place on more than one occasion.
“The Prince” goes on to show Lindsay D. rambling on as these women are wont to do on real-life The Bachelor about how she didn’t get a chance to tell the guy how she felt during some cocktail party and now she’s afraid that she’s going to be sent home before she has a chance to share her feelings with him.
Upon hearing this, Abby suggests that somebody shoot Lindsay. (LMAO!) This statement is followed by David asking Olivia about food and she telling him there is some in the kitchen.
Wait. Olivia has food?! Not just popcorn and wine?
To note: red wine was introduced to Olivia by her father and popcorn is her comfort food whenever she is feeling sad. The absence of both and the intentional mention of food in her kitchen are notable for their departure from the reality of Olivia’s canon reality.
When David heads to the kitchen, Abby remarks that David shared with her that Olivia is looking for new office space, and Olivia tells her that they need more space since they are expanding. Abby follows this up by asking if this expansion means that Fitz isn’t running for president again. Olivia, whose attention is partly on “The Prince”, doesn’t initially understand the reason for the question (or maybe she was merely pretending not to understand). Abby points out that if Olivia is getting in deeper with Marcus that probably meant that Olivia wouldn’t have time to launch Fitz’s campaign.
Before Abby could finish her comment, Olivia cuts her off to say that Fitz isn’t running. Abby tells Olivia that she’s being snippy with her, a charge that Olivia denies. When Abby insists that she is, Olivia changes the subject by telling Abby that the envelopes that she just stuffed need stamps.
Hmm. A bone of contention there between husband and wife it would seem.
The following morning, a realtor is showing Olivia and Marcus a potential new space that they can move their business into. The place they are touring is OPA’s office suite! The woman points out the number of offices on each side of the corridor before escorting them into the conference room. She remarks about the cracks on the glass and how she could likely coax the landlord into replacing them, but Olivia is fine with them and says that she’ll take the place.
Later back at her apartment, Fitz is saying to Olivia that he unaware that she was looking for office space and Olivia says that she’s sure that she mentioned it. (She probably didn’t.) Fitz is confused by her willingness to spending money to secure herself a new office but is hesitant with them putting a down payment on a house. When he pushes for an explanation, Olivia peevishly states that she and Marcus are expanding and doing well, so they needed a new office. She then adds that she didn’t think that this was something that required an explanation and that she thought that he’d be happy for her.
Okay, timeout. Fitz rightly asks her to justify why she’s willing to invest in her work but not in a home that they can build together, and she opts to flip this into him not being happy about her success? Really? Traaaaaaaash. Be gone, girl. Be gone.
Of note, this is the third time that the issue of their residence has been mentioned. Running theme?
Their minor tiff is interrupted when Marcus calls Olivia to let her know that they finally secured a pivotal meeting. As she engages in the conversation, Fitz is left standing alone on the sidelines, looking as if he is staring into his own life from the outside.
Elsewhere at the Beene household, Cyrus has returned home and when Mellie comes out to receive him, he starts to tell her about what he’s been thinking about her campaign roll out. He says that they have to be strategic with it and that they’ll need the right reporter to ask the right questions in order to help them get the ball rolling. Mellie interrupts to tell him that she’s already taken care of the reporter part, and it is then that said reporter emerges from their living room. It is none other than James Novak!
Sitting down with them, James starts off by remarking on the beauty of the home and asks “Mrs. Grant” if she is the one who has an “eye for design” or if that talent belongs to Cyrus. James’s question is a veiled barb that Mellie does not catch. Mellie says that it was a joint effort and Cyrus agrees with her on that. James then goes on to say that the fact that Mellie and Cyrus worked on the home together is amazing, given that most couples find it hard to agree on anything. Mellie tells him that she and Cyrus believe in communication.
LOL! What in the world is this mess? This woman is still answering Grant (for why?) and she’s here being the clueless ninny. Her cluelessness doesn’t last for long, however.
Growing tired of James’s antics, Cyrus sends Mellie off to go bring their wedding album to show James. Once she is gone, Cyrus asks James what it is that he believes he is doing. He tells him that he is supposed to be asking Mellie if she is supposed to be running for president, but James feels that there are far more interesting questions that he ought to be asking Mellie instead.
Cyrus makes to pull James out of the house, but James shakes him off and reclaims his seat as he asks Cyrus how it is that he can stand to live in his sham of a marriage. Cyrus tells James that the marriage isn’t a lie. He and Mellie may not be living a love story, but they have other things that make them compatible like having respect for each other and wanting the same things. He adds that both he and Mellie also want the White House. Cyrus goes on to say that he needs one more shot at the Oval.
Seeing that he has garnered James’s sympathy, Cyrus comes closer and takes a hold of James’s hand as he says to him that he understands that this is all unfair but he can’t give up on this. As the camera pans up to reveal that Mellie is eavesdropping on their conversation, Cyrus tells James, “Of course, I wish I could be with you, but you don’t want to be with a man who has given up on his dream.”
Oh damn. That has got to sting. Mellie is being used by Cyrus as a conduit to the White House, not much unlike how she is being used by Olivia in canon reality. It isn’t necessarily about their belief in her ability to do the job, but about the access that she can provide them. Additionally, that last bit that Cyrus says to James, is that something we are seeing manifesting between AU Olivia and Fitz? Does this speak to Olivia specifically in canon?
We next get a quick flash of Fitz on his show as he is once again doing his little introductory schtick, but this time around, his enthusiasm is lacking. Matter of fact, he looks like he’d rather be having his teeth yanked out of his skull with some rusty pliers than to be hosting his show.
Elsewhere Olivia and Marcus arrive at the White House and they are super excited to be there. Sighting a portrait of President John F. Kennedy Jr., Olivia poses next to it while Marcus takes a quick snap of her. The two of them then hurry to catch up with the woman who was escorting them towards the Oval Office. She had been remarking about how President Reston was eager to meet with them given his interest in juvenile incarceration issues that go back to his time as the governor of Maryland. Olivia expresses her appreciation at Reston making the time to meet with them. The woman tells them that the president has an extremely tight schedule but he should be able to see them in just a few.
Four hours later, Olivia and Marcus are still waiting to meet with President Reston. When the doors finally open to the Oval to let out the people who had been meeting with the president, Olivia and Marcus stand up expectantly. Olivia turns to Marcus to review how they are going to approach Reston, but when she turns forward again, the woman from earlier comes out to tell them that Reston can’t meet with them because something came up. Olivia offers to wait, but the woman says that that isn’t an option. Marcus then says that they can reschedule. At that, the woman finally admits that there was a mistake made in scheduling the meeting, that it shouldn’t have happened at all.
As the woman offers her apologies, you see on Olivia’s face that she has some idea as to why Reston was not meeting with them. Reston likely learned that Marcus Walker had come there with Olivia Pope, and Reston immediately put the kibosh on the meeting. Recall that Olivia came up with the strategy during the campaign to paint Reston as soft on crime (211), and that tactic almost cost him the election. Now Olivia is looking for favors from him? Pssh!
Downward Tumble
Back at the Beene household, Cyrus and Mellie are preparing for bed. Cyrus is musing aloud about Sally Langston and how Mellie is going to best her in the primary to go on to be the first female president. He’s fantasizing about her being “Madam President” and asks her if the sound of that is appealing to her, but Mellie is unable to answer. She is stuck in her own world of troubling thoughts.
Over at Olivia’s apartment, Liv comes home to find Fitz nursing a glass of scotch while watching TV. They glance over at each other and don’t initially say anything. Fitz initiates conversation by asking Olivia if she had seen the article James wrote about Mellie’s run for president. Olivia tells him that she had been busy. Fitz goes on to remark that Mellie is merely running for president out of spite and that it is likely meant as a dig against him.
As Olivia heads towards the bedroom, she tells Fitz that everything isn’t always about him.
Oh oh.
Fitz asks her what she had just said and Olivia heads back towards him and repeats herself. She commends Mellie’s run and says that America could use her. Knowing his wife well, Fitz is able to piece together that things with Reston didn’t go Olivia’s way and that her comment about America being able to use Mellie is really about Olivia herself. In response, Olivia says to him that she’s trying to accomplish something and needs to get into the room for that to happen, adding that if Mellie was in office, then entry into the room would be possible. She then asks him what he finds wrong with her wanting a bit of access. She tells him that it is the country and not her ego that she’s worried about.
Haha...yeah, right.
Seeing that Fitz isn’t buying what she is selling, Olivia opts to needle him by guessing that Fitz wouldn’t be able to handle Mellie winning because Mellie doing so would leave him looking weak and ineffectual.
(Keep this weak and ineffectual mess in 509, Olivia, okay? We’re trying to move on.)
Fitz cuts off her attack to ask her why she is engaging in this argument with him, and she replies that it is because she is tired of seeing him in the state that he is in now. She tells him that he used to be a “big dog” and now she barely recognizes who her husband is.
Slightly slurring his speech, Fitz says that he knows that she is upset because she wanted the Oval and he was unable to give it to her, but Olivia corrects him by saying that that it is she who did not give the Oval to him. Confused by this pronouncement, Fitz asks to know what she means by that statement. It is then that Olivia realizes that she has said too much. When he presses her to elaborate, Olivia backs away from her comment and refuses to say more.
Fitz shrugs off her refusal as he grabs his glass to pour himself another drink. As he walks past Olivia, he asks her with no small amount of innuendo how Marcus Walker is doing. Taken aback by his question, Olivia turns towards him as he asks if she’s sleeping with Marcus. (Ah, yes. The insecurities just keep coming.) Fitz then digs himself in deeper by stating that he has to assume that she’s sleeping with Marcus because she’s certainly not sleeping with him, at least not in the manner that is satisfying.
Whew, chile. This mofo. Somebody come grab him before my foot decides to have a meeting with his throat.
Instead of responding to this nonsense, Olivia decides to share what she refused to earlier by telling him that he never had a chance to win the presidency. As he stalks by her, she tells him that he was unelectable, ridicules his campaign slogan and calls his bid for the presidency nothing more than a pipe dream. She then shocks him by revealing that she could have fixed the election in Defiance and handed him the presidency, but she did not.
With that bomb thrown, Fitz puts down his glass and steps closer to her to say that she should have gone along with the rigging. In surprised denial at his words, Olivia tells him that he wouldn’t have wanted to win the presidency that way. Fitz asks her how the hell she would know and she tells him that it is because she knows him, and that if she had rigged the election, the act would have destroyed them. Fitz scoffs at this and says that he would have at least been president. Olivia is speechless at this and Fitz proceeds to grab his coat as he heads out of the apartment.
What did I tell y’all about Shonda ripping life right out of my hands?
This scene is overlaid by Nina Simone’s rendition of “I Think It’s Gonna Rain Today”, which was first featured at the end of “Spies Like Us” (206) when Abby came upon information that supposedly proved that David was a woman beater. (He wasn’t.) Lots of transition happened in that episode, including the initial introduction of B613.
Rock Bottom
Jumping ahead another five months, Olivia and Fitz are laying in bed together, but they are facing away from each other. This is a sharp contrast to when we saw them earlier when they playfully kissed up on each other. The alarm goes off and Olivia gets out of bed to prepare for the day. Neither acknowledge that the other exists.
Meanwhile over at the Beenes, Mellie is looking at images of Sally’s husband caught in a compromising position with James Novak! (Hello, 308-309!) Mellie is confused by what she is seeing and asks Cyrus if Daniel Douglas is gay. She then wonders at how it is that Cyrus got his hands on the photos. She is truly aghast. It is then that we see that Damascus Bainbridge aka Eli “Rowan” Pope is in the room with them, and he tells Mellie that it is best that she not know how the photos were obtained.
Damascus (422) appears to be serving in a role similar to the one that Hollis Doyle played in Fitz’s campaign. He’s not only a financial backer but also one who is up for doing any of the dirty work necessary for the campaign. When Mellie tells him that she most definitely would like to know the origin of the pictures, he tells her that there are things that happen behind the scenes that she shouldn’t be privy to. Cyrus pipes in then to say that the pictures are a “gift” that will ensure that she is the only Republican candidate left standing.
This statement prompts Mellie to ask Damascus for some time alone with Cyrus. Once Damascus is gone, Mellie tells Cyrus that she has no intention of using the photos and that they will no longer be working with Damascus. Cyrus argues that Mellie is not thinking this through, but she is unwavering in this. She will not be outing the husband of someone else, and says that she would think that Cyrus of all people would understand why.
Olivia’s vision of Mellie here is interesting. I won’t go so far as to say that Mellie isn’t an opportunistic barracuda here as she has often been in canon reality; however, her willingness to do just about anything for a win has been brought down several notches. The irony of Mellie not wanting to use these photos is that canon Mellie helped plant the idea that Cyrus and James were in an open relationship, which in turn led to James sleeping with Daniel Douglas and the pictures happening.
Flashing over to Fitzgerald on the job, he is demanding to know from his producer why it is that he is being made to interview some nobody who is unconnected to politics. He argues that he is a statesman who talks about real issues, and the producer tells him that it is a network mandate that the person be interviewed in order to help boost his ratings. When he asks for more information on the guest, all the producer can tell him is that she has 2.1 million Instagram followers. Welp.
The producer then proceeds to hand him a flask before leaving a dumbfounded Fitz behind. What’s sad about this moment is that she hands him the flask so casually that it has obviously become a routine part of her job.
We next see Fitz on set and he’s interviewing none other than Lindsay Dwyer. He starts off by mentioning that the phrase “America’s Sweetheart” gets tossed around a lot in regards to her, and Lindsay feigns humility as she says being considered a “sweetheart” is a lot of responsibility. As she continues to talk about how hopeful she is to find her prince, Fitz’s expression is hard to make out. Controlled befuddlement maybe? Was he imagining stabbing himself in the chest a hundred times while chanting FML?
Over at Olivia and Marcus’s headquarters, Olivia is ending a conversation with a congresswoman and once she is off the phone, she shares with Marcus that the bill they have been working on forever is finally being brought to the floor in Congress. In celebration of their accomplishment, Olivia and Marcus dance it out in their office.
Well, this here is a moment. I don’t think we’ve seen Olivia be this carefree within the walls of OPA. I mean, really like let down your hair and be free to be you kind of free. It’s refreshing to see, especially with Marcus who she still has something of a hesitant relationship. Another thing that is a bit jarring to see is Olivia in this Walmart chic while her hand is adorned with a ring that was probably worth more than the salaries of everybody occupying that entire building.
Abby comes upon them as they are celebrating and clears her throat to alert them to her presence. Finally noting that Abby was in the room, Olivia asks Marcus for a moment alone with her bestie, and Marcus makes his way out. Once he is gone, Abby presents Olivia with the document that Olivia asked to draft up. It is a Complaint for Absolute Divorce!
Abby tells Olivia that she will stick with Olivia no matter what decision she decides on, but she follows that up by telling her friend that she never gave Fitz a chance. Olivia’s response is that she and Fitz have been married for two years (long enough for a chance, I guess?), and then she states that not everyone can be like Abby and David.
That’s a cop out. Who says that Abby and David don’t have problems? Two years in and Olivia is calling it quits? When one thinks about it, it’s actually been less than that because she and Fitz haven’t been on the same back for most of their marriage. Olivia has been on her own trajectory while Fitz was left in his flail in his corner all alone.
Abby points this out that while Olivia has been married for two years, it has been two and a half years since Fitz lost the election. She goes on to remark that Fitz was dead in the water to Olivia the moment Olivia realized that Fitz would not be president. When Olivia tells her that she doesn’t blame Fitz for losing, Abby says that she knows this and that the person that Olivia truly blames is herself. She tells her that when Olivia looks at Fitz, it is her own failure that she sees, and it disgusts her.
Instead of acknowledging Abby’s, Olivia puts the blame on Fitz for choosing to be a celebrity over dedicating himself to something more meaningful. Abby reminds her that Fitz is a politician and as such, he will always be looking for validation. She tells her friend that Fitz wasn’t getting said validation from her, so he turned to a television audience who could give it to him. Abby says that she isn’t blaming Olivia for Fitz’s choice, but given that Fitz is currently a mess and since he’s Olivia’s husband, it is on Olivia to be there for him.
Abby caps it all off by saying that she hopes she is wrong in her assessment, and if she is, then Olivia should sign the divorce papers and put Fitz out of his misery. She then implores Olivia to ask herself why it is that she has refused to move out of her apartment.
BOOM. Now there’s a question. Abigail Whelan serving as the truth teller yet again. In Olivia’s dream of Vermont (410), it was Abby who invaded the fantasyland to tell Olivia that she is going to have to be the one to save herself from captivity. Now here Abby is again in this AU asking Olivia to consider things that she is doing (or not doing) that are likely contributing to the destruction of her marriage.
Why is it that Olivia insists on remaining in her apartment? Is that her door marked exit? Does she anticipate that the marriage is going to fail? When it comes to her relationship with Fitz, Olivia has always had an out. If it wasn’t Mellie, it was the presidency. If it wasn’t the presidency, it was that her gladiators needed her. If it wasn’t them, then it was the outside world. If she’s going to be successful at anything meaningful with Fitz, she’s going to have to allow herself to not have a parachute.
Flashing back over to Fitzgerald, he is downing the contents of his flask when Lindsay peeks her head into his dressing room and asks if he would share his liquor with her. Fitz hands her his flask, and when she takes a sip from it, she is startled by the strength of its content. She asks him if the alcohol is why he sucked at his job at interviewing her and refers to him as the least prepared “fluffer” on her press tour. (Ouch!)
Offended, Fitz points out that he is a political analyst. Interviewing the likes of her isn’t something that he does. Lindsay in turn tells him that she’s only a small town girl who is looking for her prince. Fitz scoffs at that as he snatches his flask back and tells her that there are no princes in America.
Lindsay makes to leave the room, but then it occurs to her that she could put that sexy body of hers to work. (Katie was putting a hurtin’ on that dress. Gatdamn!) America may not have princes, but they sure do have governors. Fitz turns around at that to find Lindsay giving him the DTF face, and next thing you know, Fitz is making out with Lindsay!!!
GOD, WHAT IS HAPPENING?!?!
Getting a bit aggressive with it, Lindsay shoves Fitz to the opposite side of the room and the makeout session continues. Moving down to his pants, Lindsay eagerly makes quick work of his belt. Fitz watches her for a moment before he pulls out his flask and puts it to his mouth to take a sip. It is in that moment that he sees a reflection of himself in a mirror on the opposite side of the room, and he doesn’t like what he sees. (Ghost of Big Jerry?)
He orders Lindsay to stop what she’s doing, but she doesn’t initially listen as she continues to struggle with his pants. When he again orders her to stop, he shakes her off of him and yells at her to leave the room. Lindsay finally gets the message and stands up. She refers to Fitz as a “dumb old drunk” as a parting shot and then leaves.
Once she is gone, Fitz takes another look at himself in the mirror before collapsing back against the wall in defeat.
Enlightenment
The following day, Fitz is seen sitting out in Lafayette Square and staring over at the White House that is in the distance. He is still in the clothes that he wore on air the day before but he is without his tie. People are milling about him and he is oblivious to them until a pair of fans walk over to tell him that they watch his show every day. Fitz looks at them as if they are awkward curiosities and says nothing. The two women continue excited on their way while Fitz returns to his White House gazing.
Over at the Beene house, Mellie sees that the photos of Daniel Douglas has hit the papers and she comes to ask Cyrus how that happened. Cyrus confesses to having leaked the photos and he tells Mellie that the campaign for her presidency isn’t hers alone. It is theirs.
Mellie is quick to realize that Damascus is behind all of this and Cyrus tells her that Damascus is part of the team. Mellie starts to say if she had known what she knows now about Cyrus, but Cyrus doesn’t allow her to finish as he accuses her of having known the entire time of who he was, what he was and what their marriage was all about. He breaks it down further for her by calling their union an arrangement and pageantry. He says that she knew the game she was playing because she wanted to be president.
Disgusted, Mellie says to Cyrus that she may want the presidency but she has no intention of getting it in this manner. She makes to leave but Cyrus tells her that leaving isn’t an option for her, especially given that politically wouldn’t survive a second divorce. He adds that the whole “I married a gay thing” isn’t something that Sally Langston would be able to get past, so Mellie most assuredly won’t be able to get past that either, especially not in the southern states.
Mellie tells Cyrus that what he’s proposing is insane, but Cyrus argues that it is instead the most cautious and prudent thing that Mellie could do. He goes on to say that they aren’t ever going to fall in love with each other, but at least she can be assured that another woman will never come between them. He then asks her how it is that she cannot take comfort in that knowledge, and Mellie just looks at him in horror.
Boy, this is some kind of situation Mellie has found herself in. History repeats itself. She is right back where she started with a fake political marriage. And Cyrus is right. Mellie can’t feign innocence over not knowing who Cyrus is. The two of them worked on Fitz’s campaign together and both of them were willing to go along with an election rigging in order to get into the Oval. So if they were willing to toy around with some voting machines, what’s using photos of your opponent’s closeted husband with another man to your advantage?
Over at the office, Huck catches Olivia as she is walking in to alert her to the presence Mellie in her office. Olivia over and sees Mellie through the glass, and when she turns back to Huck, he gave her a look that pretty much told Olivia that she was alone with that one. (LOL!)
Now in her personal office, Mellie starts off the conversation by offering an apology to Olivia for being upset with her all those years ago when Olivia refused to go along with Defiance. Mellie goes on to say that Olivia knew that the rigging would destroy Fitz, and that fact makes her hate Olivia even more.
Realizing that she said that last bit out loud, Mellie apologizes for that and says that her whole reason for coming was to let Olivia know that she made the right call. She adds that she is apologizing because she herself did what she believed she had to do to win and now she is trapped while Fitz is free with Olivia.
Sighing, Mellie tells Olivia that she saved Fitz and says that be thought that Olivia needed to know that. Olivia doesn’t know how to respond to that, and when she does make an attempt to speak, Mellie quickly thanks her for the water and makes a hasty retreat.
Over at the BNC, Fitz is back on the air and he is set to discuss the Sally Langston scandal. He is wearing the same clothes that he had the night before with the exception of a different tie. He starts to speak on the Langston matter, but he has difficulty completing the segment. When he speaks of living a life of pretense, he can’t go any farther and he excuses himself from the live broadcast!
Later that evening, Olivia is seen in her apartment with a folder of documents laying in her lap and some on her coffee table, but she isn’t paying attention to any of them for she is deep in thought over something. Fitz returns home just then (after having not returned the night before), and Olivia turns towards the door right as he steps inside. They momentarily make eye contact before Olivia turns away and tosses the folder she had in her lap onto the table. It’s clear that Olivia couldn’t focus on her work because she was thinking about him.
There is momentarily silence between them before Fitz speaks up to say that he owes his wife an apology. He tells her that he lost the election because he really didn’t want the presidency. He says that he didn’t think that he ever wanted anything until he met her. Olivia makes to interrupt him, but he continues on by telling her that he knows now that saying no to Defiance was the right thing to have done.
At this point in the scene, “The Light” starts playing and I just want to curl up into a ball.
Fitz goes on to say that Olivia tried to give him freedom (echoing what Mellie said earlier) and that she tried to give him a chance at happiness, but instead of taking advantage of the opportunity, he squandered it. He takes full responsibility for that, and says that all of this is the reason why he is sorry.
Continuing on, Fitz tells Olivia that it took him too long to recognize that he has a lot of things to figure out and work to do on himself if he has any hope of being that man that he knows he can be, a man that he knows that she deserves. Fitz then sends my heart shattering into a million pieces when he expresses that he still wants Olivia if she will still have him.
Olivia is super emotional at this point, and she reaches down at the table for a brown envelope. I’m looking at the thing like a loaded grenade and internally screaming, “NOT THE DIVORCE PAPERS!!” She hands the envelope to Fitz and when he pulls out its content, it is a picture of a home! Olivia explains that the house is in Georgetown and that may be a little on the large side, but the house would at least be theirs.
Fitz’s looks back up at her and his face is one of disbelief. She hasn’t given up on them! OLITZ LIVES!! (Tosses confetti at Tony Goldwyn for the emoting that he’s doing his face.) The two of them kiss and all's right with the world!
Finally flashing back to canon reality, Olivia has made a decision. She departs from the Oval in search for Fitz. She is in a hurry as she makes it over to the Residence and finds Fitz alone out on the Truman Balcony. When he sees her approaching, he straightens up from his lean against the railing and asks her if she has made a decision.
Before Olivia answers, she stares up at him as if he has HUNG THE MOON AND BLESSED THE NIGHT SKY WITH ALL OF THE STARS THAT TWINKLE DOWN ON US!
Holy shit.
Olivia tells him that she’s in, and Fitz is looking at her as if he’s trying to figure out if she means more than her being in for his plan to clear Cyrus.
Whew lawd. I still don’t know what to do with myself. I don’t even know what this means, but I do know what it means when Olivia is staring at that man with hearts in her eyes. This little trip of hers into an alternate universe seems to have allowed her to see many truths about herself (and others) that she refused to acknowledge before.
So what happens now? Where do you all think things go from here? What did you think of the episode and the incarnations of the characters in the AU? Wasn’t this the bestestestest episode of Scandal you have ever watched?! Or are you one of those haters who will tell me that it was just “aight”? Don’t play yourself.
As usual, leave your comments below or share them with me on Twitter! I thank you for hanging in here with me with this super long recap/review of Scandal’s 100th episode aka 610. We have six more episodes to go! See you all next week!
