It’s the final episode of Scandal season 6! As part of a two-hour season finale, it seamlessly continues from where the last one left off with the consequences of Olivia’s decision with the release of Maya playing out over the course of the episode and in turn informing what happens by its conclusion. Without further preamble, let’s jump right into “Transition of Power.”
Out with the Old
Things kick off with Fitzgerald making his way towards his bedroom and he is mad. MAD, I tell ya! He marches into the room, slams the door behind him and is yanking off his jacket when Olivia alerts him to her presence. She is propped up against some pillows in bed and draped in nothing more than one of its sheets. Fitz asks her what she’s doing and Olivia returns with a question of her own: “What does it look like I’m doing?”
LMAO! If ever there was an obvious answer to any question ever posed…
But Fitz isn’t particularly in the mood for games. He launches into how she disobeyed his order and released Maya, and Olivia unapologetically admits to doing it and tells him that it was something that needed to be done. Fitz rolls his eyes in frustration as he works to take off his tie, and Olivia explains that Maya will be meeting with whoever paid her to assassinate Mellie at any moment and that when she does, all of the chaos will be over. Fitz is incredulous over her justification and asks her what happens if she turns out to be wrong, and Olivia replies that she isn’t wrong. (Ah, yes. Cocksure Olivia is back.)
Olivia goes on to say that she trusts Maya and that Fitz should trust herself on this. Fitz asks her not to manipulate the situation, and Olivia cuts in to ask him not to use their last night together to argue over this. She reminds him that tomorrow is the Inauguration, which meant that he’ll be going off to Vermont and she’ll become Chief of Staff. She tells him that she won’t stand for them spending their last moments locked in an argument, and then she orders him to “get over here.”
When Fitz doesn’t immediately move, Olivia adjusts herself on the bed, gives him the seductive eyes and issues her order again. This time, she deliberately enunciates each word. Fitz tries to remain angry, but he soon cracks as he tells Olivia that she’s very bossy. To this, Olivia tells him that he loves it, and sure enough, Fitz yanks his shoes from his feet and hops right into bed with her.
Why argue when you can be having one last playtime together, right?
I’m just lost as to why they decided that this little dalliance had to end with his presidency, but I’m just going to go with the flow on this one.
The following morning, Maya is seen in some diner. When a gentleman comes and sits next to her, she asks one of the employees for the ladies room and she is pointed in its general direction. She slides an envelope over to the man next to her and then proceeds to the restroom. An undercover agent notices the handoff and she communicates this to the mic she has hidden in the sleeve of her coat.
Over in the Situation Room, Olivia is watching things unfold with Jake and Mellie. When the man gets up to leave the diner, Jake orders the agent to take the man down. Next thing you know, that agent and several others pop out from among the diners with their weapons drawn. They order the man to put his hands behind his head and him to get on his knees. He does as ordered and the lead woman agent reaches into his pocket to retrieve the envelope that Maya had passed on to him. Within it is a note that says that Maya will double the money within if he counts to ten before he quietly departs from the diner. The woman agent figures out that this was an intended diversion and she rushes to the ladies room only to find that Maya has cut out the tracking device that had been planted in her.
Flash over to OPA and Quinn is telling Charlie and Huck about Maya digging out her tracking device. Olivia believes that there is a reason why Maya did this and has requested OPA’s help in figuring it out. Charlie thinks Maya slipped her leash specifically to kill Mellie, and Quinn counters by saying that Olivia believes that Maya is actually trying to help. Huck speculates that maybe Maya dug out the tracker before the meetup in case whoever she is meeting up with swept for bugs, and Charlie then figures that this would mean that whoever hired Maya is nearby.
There is a BNC news brief with Noah Baker announcing that history is set to be made today with Melody Margaret Grant being sworn in as the 45th President of the United States, and this transitions us over to the Residence. There we see Fitz, Olivia, Mellie, Jake and Luna have gathered to discuss the ceremony. Fitz is dismayed over the fact that they are still looking to go through with the Inauguration despite the fact that they still don’t know who is after Mellie. Olivia tells him that it is hard for them to reverse course now, especially given the number of people that have already gathered out there for the ceremony.
Mellie speaks up then to get Jake’s opinion, and he tells her that he has his top guys on security, and that while he cannot offer her any guarantees, he can tell her that this will be “best protected event in human history.” (Yeah, take that with a grain of salt, Mels.) Luna interjects at this point to say that she’ll stand by Mellie should she choose to go out in front of the crowd, but she says that she doesn’t feel comfortable having her children out there on the dais. She adds that she doesn’t believe that Mellie’s kids should be out there either.
Innocent enough concern, right? Umm hmm.
Fitz says to Mellie then that she has to make the right call with this, and Mellie takes a moment to ponder what she is going to do. She agrees to the children not being present on the dais and then she says to Jake that she wants extra security placed on her children and Luna’s. She adds that she wants Jake to personally run the operation, and then she stands to go get ready. Fitz doesn’t look particularly thrilled by her decision, but what can the man do?
Before I go on, can we talk about this big ass American flag brooch that Mellie has on? Is there a reason why we need to be able to see that mickey flick from the International Space Station?
Later in the Oval, David Rosen comes over with a quick draft of the executive order that Fitzgerald had requested be drawn up. The purpose of this order is to have a percentage of already apportioned Pentagon funds diverted to a blind emergency trust. David said that there may be some whining from the budget hawks over it, but he states that they likely won’t even notice the reassigned funds.
Fitz receives the draft from David and then passes it on to Rowan to have him look it over. Seeing this exchange, David asks what the funding is exactly meant for. Given the last minute request of the order (and Rowan’s involvement), David speculates that such a thing must be important. Neither the President nor Rowan respond to his question. Instead, Fitz thanks him for the order, signs off on it and then hands it back to him. David accepts the document and continues on his way.
There’s another news break and Noah Baker is informing his audience that the Presidential motorcade has finally arrived at the Capitol. He mentions that the crowd gathered for the ceremony is at a record-breaking million people and growing. He then remarks about Cyrus’s notable absence among those who are sitting on the dais.
Cyrus, meanwhile, is at home with a plate of his favorite comfort food (brownies) AND popcorn. He sits down across from the television as he pops a brownie and then popcorn (interesting combination) into his mouth. Baker is remarking on how one can’t help but to wonder what is going through Cyrus’s mind right then, and Cyrus says aloud that Baker really doesn’t want the answer to that.
At the Capitol, there are people milling about on the dais as they find their seats and greet one another. Olivia and Abby greet briefly as they pass each other; Jake is next seen taking his place among the guests on the dais; and the crowd is super hype. It almost feels like a rock concert. The number of people on the ground appear to stretch far beyond the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, and they are probably the largest Inauguration crowd to ever have attended any inauguration in fictional television history! Period.
Also among those on the stage are David and Marcus (who doesn’t have a single line in the episode. Matter of fact, this is one of only two times that he is seen in the entire two-hour finale). Speaking of people, where in the world is Susan Ross? Are we just going to pretend that the Vice President doesn’t exist?
The President of the United States gets introduced and everyone’s attention turns to the top of the stairs. Fitzgerald is escorted out to the dais with Secret Service leading the way and everyone erupts in cheers. Members of the Armed Forces, including Jake, salute on command. As Fitz proceeds down the stairs and shakes hands with those on either side of it, he takes a quick glance about nearby elevated areas before returning to greeting those about him. When he finally makes it down, he greets the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court and the other Justices present.
Luna Isabella Vargas is next and the woman comes out waving at the crowd like she’s just won a beauty pageant. She’s all smiles and bouncy curls as she excitedly makes her way down the stairs and does some greeting of her own. For whatever reason, she did not have Secret Service surrounding her. Usual practice?
Jake casually surveils about the area just as Melody Margaret Grant is introduced as President-elect. Like Fitzgerald, she is escorted in by Secret Service and is immediately followed by members of the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies. (I assume, though they typically come in BEFORE the President-elect.)
Mellie waves to the crowd and everyone sounds excited, but the vast number of people who are in the crowd don’t seem to be reacting at all. Where are the excitedly waving flags from the million in attendance or the tight shots of women in feminist tees dancing over this historic moment? Y’all had one job, visual effects department. One gatdamn job.
When Mellie finally makes it down the stairs, her eyes connect with Marcus who gives her a smile and a proud nod. Mellie smiles big in response, obviously warmed at her core as she places her hands on her heart and continues forward. (Shonda, y’all go’n have to quit playing when it comes to Marlie. In S7, just let it happen, mkay? ‘Preciate ya!)
Mellie next shakes hands with Olivia, who encourages Mellie with a “go get ‘em” before Mellie moves on to be greeted by Fitz. The celebratory mood is soon overlaid with a sense of foreboding as Olivia surreptitiously glances about and Jake does the same from where he is on the opposite side of the dais.
Rowan is seen riding in the back of a van with a team of burly men (the newly reformed B613?), and he is rapidly barking orders into a two-way radio transceiver about how whoever lays eyes on Maya first, they are to “take the shot.” Their job, he tells them, is to ensure that the new President actually does get to be sworn in.
Back at OPA, the gladiators are trying to figure out who Maya’s contact could be. They were able to pull up the phone numbers of everyone who was near the diner when Maya made her escape, but a cross reference of those numbers and names against a Homeland Security database produces no red flags. Quinn wonders if maybe Maya’s contact is using a burner and she asks if it is possible to get the names of those using burners.
The situation is urgent as Mellie steps forward to take the oath of office with Luna by her side. Olivia looks over at Jake and gives him a slight nod, which prompts him to speak into his sleeve at snipers that he has at strategic positions around the dais. They all check in that they note no suspicious activity, but as the last of them gives his all clear, Maya comes up from behind and takes him out. Now she’s in control of his rifle. Maya looks through its scope and she appears to be training its crosshairs on Mellie!
Returning back to OPA, an alert suddenly pops up on a program that Huck has running on his laptop. On a map of the Mall, the signal of one of the burners that they were tracking down suddenly pops up at the Capitol! Whoever is Maya’s backer is AT THE FREAKIN’ INAUGURATION!! OPA is in a panic! How are they supposed to figure out who the person is in a sea of a million??
As Mellie begins to take the oath, Luna is holding the Bible upon which Mellie has placed her hand. Olivia is looking about as if expecting something to pop off when her phone starts vibrating in her purse. Pulling it out, she lowers herself into her seat and answers it with some shock that it is her mother. Maya asks Olivia to do her “a solid” and move a couple of feet to her right so as to avoid possibly getting hit by the bullet that she’s about to fire off.
Back to OPA and Huck is able to pinpoint that the signal of the burner is actually coming from the stage itself! One of the VIPs hired Maya!! Whoa.
Olivia begs her mother to not shoot Mellie and Maya is taken aback as she asks, “Mellie? Who said anything about shooting Mellie?” Olivia is now stupefied. If it isn’t Mellie that Maya is set to shoot, who the hell is the target?!
Maya remarks that Olivia wants the identity of the person who wants Mellie dead, but she tells her daughter that she i’s going to do her one better. Olivia frantically asks for her to divulge who the person is and tells Maya that she could come in and testify against this person, that she will ensure that Maya is protected. Maya scoffs at this and tells her daughter that this isn’t how motherhood works. Her duty is to protect Olivia. At that, she once again instructs her to get out of the way by telling that she ought to move her “big bubble head”, and then a muted shot is heard.
She told her to move that big bubble head of hers.
Her head is jah big though. Don’t @ me.
Olivia braces herself for the worst, but nothing happens. She looks about her and everyone is still standing. Mellie has been successfully sworn in and the crowd again erupts in cheers.
On the rooftop, it turns out that it was Maya who was shot. By Rowan. She was hit in the shoulder and she eventually passes out. Rowan crouches down to check her pulse and he is reporting back to his team that the target is down when Olivia is heard calling out for her mom from the phone balanced on the ledge. Rowan picks up the phone and informs Olivia that Maya has been “neutralized”. Olivia demands to know what that means and asks if her father has killed her mother. Rowan says that Maya is still alive, and Olivia in turn tells him that Maya was on their side and she was about to give her a name. When Rowan stresses to her that the crisis is over, Olivia hangs up her phone and comes to her feet. She is not happy.
While this drama is playing out, Mellie and the VIPs on the dais are none the wiser. They are in full celebration mode as the nation has finally elected its first female President! Whoo hoo!! (You know, unlike what happened in real life where we ended up with a bloviating snake oil salesman instead of the far more qualified woman candidate, but whatever. I’m not mad or anything.)
Mellie is doing her typical double hand wave to the sea of people stretched out across the Mall, but these very people remain as an inanimate as they are fake. The crowd should be in celebration mode! Great job with the realism, not so great with the stock crowd. Do better, Scandal peeps. Do. Better.
In with the New
There is another Noah Baker newsbreak and this time, he is informing his audience of what they are seeing on screen. The motorcade of the new President Grant is making its way down Pennsylvania Avenue, and Baker reports that Mellie intends to watch the Inaugural parade from the presidential reviewing stand that’s located right outside of the White House. Once that task is done, she will then join her children in bidding farewell to their father in a few hours.
Olivia is seen walking through the hall of the Residence as various workers go about packing up things to transition out the former President Grant. She enters the sitting room and stops when she finds Fitz and Mellie spending time with little Teddy. Fitz gets his son to leave the room by telling him to go seek out his sister, and once the tyke exits, Olivia shuts the door and goes off.
She wants to know who authorized the mission that countered hers and Fitz replies by telling Olivia that she ought to be grateful. Yeah, Olivia isn’t at all grateful as she points out that Maya was helping them and now because of his interference, her mother is in surgery fighting for her life and will likely be unable to tell them who was behind all of this. Mellie’s face as these two start to go back and forth is one of exasperation.
Fitz states in a rational tone that Maya had a gun pointed at Mellie and Olivia counters by saying that Maya actually had the gun trained on the person who wanted Mellie dead. Olivia starts to say that if her father hadn’t shot Maya, they would have an identity, but Fitz cuts her off to say that if Rowan hadn’t shot Maya, Mellie would be dead.
I swear, y’all just like to argue. Fitz made a power move over Olivia, one that he had every right to make, and Olivia is mad. Granted that she was onto something real, that move she made was not only unauthorized, it was risky af. Mellie could very well had been dead, and asking Fitz to blindly trust her and her gut when her gut hasn’t been working in like fiddyleven years is kinda ridiculous. But anyway…
Mellie eventually silences them both with a ramble that includes details about the configurations of Presidential state car, how much it costs daily to protect the President, and how she now has to ride about with her blood nearby in the event that anything should happen to her. She says that she doesn’t know if Olivia’s mother was there to kill her, but what she does know is that she has people waiting for her to finalize what she is going to wear to the ball. She remarks that for the 44 presidents before her, preparing took all of 10 minutes, but for her, she’ll be required to choose a dress that will “impress the New York fashion blogs without insulting the Washington conservatives.”
Ah, the woes of being a woman.
At this point, Mellie says that she is going to go handle that business instead of sitting there and debating on the many ways by which she might meet her maker. She tells them that after that, she is going to go deal with the important business of running the country.
Once she exits the room, Olivia turns back to Fitz and is set to say something when Charlotte pops in to relay that David Rosen was on the line and that David said that Fitz would know what it is about. Fitz turns to the phone that is sitting next to him on the side table, but he reconsiders using it and tells Charlotte that he’ll take the call in the hall. As he gets up to follow his secretary out, Olivia is immediately suspicious.
Ooooo! Since when does Fitz not take a call in Olivia’s presence, especially one that is from David of all people? Aside from the fact that Olivia has the clearance to hear the conversation, Fitz has never been one to be sneaky about anything when she’s around, so you know that Olivia knew that something was up. Spidey senses were alarming.
Over at OPA, Abby has come to give Quinn a seating chart she requested of all who were on the dais at the Inauguration. Abby tells her that she’s available should Quinn need anything more, and then she starts for the exit. Before she can get far, Quinn stops her and then says that she will need Abby to take over OPA. Whuuuuut?
Quinn has decided to leave. She wants to go somewhere normal where she can start over and have a regular life that includes the baking of brownies and being on the PTA, and Abby points out that Quinn can do those things right there in DC. Abby then asks Quinn about Charlie and if she has even told him that she is pregnant, and Quinn replies that she loves Charlie, but that Charlie doesn’t know the first clue about what it’s like to be normal. She says that she had a boring, vanilla life before OPA, so she knows how to navigate that. That kind of life, she tells Abby, would kill Charlie. Abby is stunned by this and she asks if she can think about the offer. Quinn tells her not to take too long. (Normal is so overrated, Quinn.)
Back over at the White House, Olivia is in her new office and examining a bottle of alcohol that had been left on her desk when David walks in and asks her what it is that she needs. She tells him that she wants to know what he called Fitz about earlier and what their meeting in the Oval that morning had been about. (Girlfriend did her homework.) David hedges and says that Fitz wanted nothing, but then he goes on to offer that it had to do with a budget-related executive order. Olivia demands to see the order, but David tells her that he can’t do that.
Having received that response, Olivia shifts to threatening David’s job. She tells him that Mellie recently asked her if she ought to nominate a new Attorney General and Olivia says that she told Mellie that they ought to keep David on. Now she wonders if the Administration would be better off with someone new, and she asks David what he thinks about that.
Cold ass move, but it gets the job done.
Back to the Residence now, Olivia enters the living area to confront Fitz with what she has unearthed. As he is pouring himself a drink, she asks him if he ever intended on telling her. He is silent as she details the content of the executive order, which authorizes the quiet transfer of 0.003% of previously apportioned Pentagon funds into a blind emergency trust. She goes on to say that to the outside world, this transfer is harmless and barely noticeable, but to people like them, the money is going to fund a reconstituted B613.
When Olivia looks for confirmation of her suspicion from him, Fitz doesn’t immediately provide it, but he really didn’t have to. His silence is confirmation enough. Olivia wants to know what it is that Rowan said to him to convince him to do this and she asks if the two of them are now working together. Not appreciating having his decision questioned, Fitz finally tells her that he did what he thought was necessary as President to provide much needed protection to the country, especially now. Olivia reminds him that he is witness to where this road leads and Fitz counters by saying that things will be different this time around because he will the new Command! Olivia is momentarily stunned into incomprehension.
It then dawns on her that this is how Rowan was able to convince him to reinstate B613. Rowan let Fitz believe that it would be him in control of the operation and not Rowan himself. (Well, that and using Olivia’s potential destruction at the hands of power as bait.) Olivia can’t believe that he fell for Rowan’s ploy and points out that Rowan manipulated him. She says that her father will work against Fitz at every turn and that he will attempt to eventually seize control of B613.
Fitz offers that Rowan doing as Olivia suspects won’t be any different from all the times that people have tried to seize control from him over the past 8 years of his presidency. He then tells her that this is his chance to make a real difference.
Dude, what? You’ll be making a real difference by skulking about in the dark as head of B613 instead of creating that foundation that would have a positive impact on the lives of potentially millions? Fitzgerald, come here for a second….
That’s for not making a lick of damn sense.
Having listed to his explanation, Olivia confesses with a shaky voice that she didn’t want him to leave. She intended to tell him to forget Vermont and ask him to stay in DC with her. Fitz replies that Olivia will now be getting her wish, and Olivia says that yes, he will indeed be staying, but he will be doing so to run the organization that destroyed her father’s life and her own. She tells him that she wanted him to stay, but not like this. She is saying that she can’t watch him go down this path, but she doesn’t manage to get the words out. Emotionally overwhelmed, she makes a quick exit from the room.
She wanted him to stay. Girl, when exactly where you going to tell him this? After he flew off in the chopper?!
Some time later, Olivia is back in the room but she is alone. She is watching Baker as he reports that they await the departure of the former President Grant on what used to be Marine One. Just then, Fitz comes into the room and calls out to Olivia. She quickly hits the mute button on the remote and turns towards where he is standing just inside the room. Surprised to see him, Olivia tells him that he shouldn’t be there and Fitz asks if there will ever come a time when she isn’t trying to tell him what to do. (That ship sailed a long time ago, buddy.) Olivia remarks that he should be boarding the helicopter for his fake goodbye for his fake trip off to Vermont. (Somebody’s in their feelings.)
As she speaks, Fitz appears to be amused by her mood. Olivia asks him if he has given any thought as to how he will explain his return to Washington and she wonders if he intends to move his foundation there for use as a front of the “new and improved B613”. Fitz declares that last bit to be smart, yet wholly unnecessary since he has rescinded the executive order. He instructed David to destroy it before anyone could see it and explained to the Attorney General that the order was a “rash judgment call”.
Fitz goes on to tell her that he couldn’t go through with it and that she had been right. Olivia’s response? “I’m always right.” (LOL, this woman…) Fitz asks if that’s all she has to say and Olivia in turns asks him what it is that he is wants her to say. With the sarcasm still on lock, Olivia wonders if he wants her to cheer him for being a good man. (Girl, stop your frontin’!)
Fitz goes on to declare that Olivia saved him (from destroying his damn self!) and Olivia denies that she did any such thing, but he insists that this is indeed what she did. Olivia finally and with great reluctance gives him the agreement that he’s looking for. When Fitz thanks her for that, Olivia turns away from him. It’s as she already knows what he is going to say next and it is to inform her that despite her desire for him to stay with her in DC, he still has to go. He points out that he has a foundation to run and that she has a world to change. He tells her that this goodbye isn’t fake, but the real deal.
Things turn painfully sad on a dime. Olivia is still not facing him as she struggles with holding herself together as her eyes go red with unshed tears. At this point, you can hear the faint cords of “The Light” start up, and like Pavlov’s dog...
Olivia is eventually able to shore herself up enough to turn back towards him to nonchalantly acknowledge what he said about this goodbye being for real this time. Fitz gives her a quiet “okay” in response and then tries to catch a glimpse of her face before she turns away again, but she is too fast. When it is apparent that Olivia won’t be saying anything more, a downcast Fitzgerald wishes her goodbye and then departs.
Emerging from the South Portico of the White House, Fitz is seen approaching the helicopter that awaits him. There are a swarm of photographers lined up to the far right of him and they are calling out so that he can look towards them. He gives them what they want and he smiles and waves as they take their shots, he occasionally pointing at those that he appears to recognize. Among the hoard are a two women photographers who look like they are hungry for whatever Fitzgerald Thomas Grant III is serving and aren’t afraid to show it.
Fitz is almost to his destination when “Mr. President!” can be heard from some distance behind him, and he turns to find that it’s Olivia! Of course, it’s Olivia! They aren’t playing “The Light” for nothing!
Fitz stands watching her with some curiosity as she stands off at the distance staring back at him. After a moment, Olivia starts to walk towards him and the walk soon turns into a full blown run! A few of the photographers notice that something is about to transpire and they train their cameras on Olivia. She’s still running and then FINALLY she collides with her man and fireworks go off!
Just look at the two of them. Outchea on their Kevin and Whitney a la The Bodyguard.
Of course, this is Scandal, so the implications of this act is far more dramatic. These two are quite literally passionately kissing in front of God and man, under the sun (yeah, I said it!), in the gatdamn light! Contrast this with how the two of them ushered in the start of Fitzgerald’s presidency (208). So much has changed in eight years, but the one thing that hadn’t changed until this very moment is keeping displays of affection behind closed doors.
If y’all didn’t know this before, know this now: Shonda is an emotional terrorist. And this is how I am right now:
Pulling away slightly from the kiss, Fitz recalls where they are and points it out to Olivia.
“The cameras.”
“I don’t care.”
DAMN YOU, SHONDA!!! DAMN YOU!!! You just go’n drop in this bit from 107?! Not only that, you invert who says what?!
Apparently, Olivia is completely out of fugs to give. She had to come out and give this man a proper send off and she didn’t care that there were witnesses. Is this what happens when a person decides to go all in? I mean, one doesn’t do something like this unless they’re trying to make a statement. Amirite? I’ll leave y’all to figure out what that statement is. What I do know is that Fitzgerald was happier than a kid in a candy shop.
After letting Fitz know that she doesn’t care who is watching, the two get in some more smooches, and I’m starting to wonder if I need to get the two of them a room. They really don’t know how to go half way with this kissing business. Your faves could never. Again, do. not. @. me.
When they finally pull apart, Olivia says to Fitz that it has been an honor having (and serving with) him as President, and Fitz responds that the honor has been all his. (If these words sound vaguely familiar to you, it’s because similar words were shared between Fitz and Cyrus when the latter resigned in 409.)
The moment between Olivia and Fitz is tender and it is laced with love and a reluctant acceptance of the inevitable. The two of them do eventually step apart, but it takes a moment for Olivia to again look up at him. When she does, Fitz gives her a nod that she returns, and then Fitz finally heads towards the chopper. He salutes the two Marines standing by either side of the staircase before he takes a climb up, and at the top, he offers one last wave to the cameras in the distance. He then trains his eyes on Olivia and they stare at each other for a long beat before he continues into his conveyance.
As the helicopter lifts from the ground, Olivia stands in place and watches as it ascends further up into the sky. One can only imagine what emotions Olivia must be experiencing as her eyes shine with unshed tears. Aside from the time that she went away to the island and when she was kidnapped, this will be the first time in nine (yes, NINE!) years that she and Fitz have not been in the same area code. I’d be verklempt, too.
And this is the last time that we see Fitzgerald Grant. For the season anyway.
Finding the Weak Link
Noah Baker continues to give his audience (and us) facts about what happens on Inauguration Day, and this time, he is explaining that the chief usher and his staff have a mere four hours to switch the White House over from one president to the next. While he is explaining this, workers are seen taking down paintings, moving out furniture and rolling out the rug associated with the first President Grant. These are replaced by lighter, more feminine decor, much of which looks exactly as Cyrus had dreamt it in “The Belt” (604).
The blue rug has been replaced with one that is tan and has the following written along its perimeter:
I believe that the influence of woman will save the country before every other power.
A government is just only when the whole people share equally in its protections and advantages.
Every great dream begins with a dreamer.
Truth is powerful and it prevails.
The quotes are from Lucy Stone, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Harriet Tubman (allegedly) and Sojourner Truth. The irony of the inclusion of quotes from these prominent white suffragists together with those of these formerly enslaved black abolitionists. I’ll spare y’all my thoughts on this other than to say that it the mix is clever. Of particular irony is the last quote about truth being powerful and prevailing. Is this presidency truthful?
Literally everything in the Oval office has changed with the exception of the Resolute Desk. In addition to the rug, the furniture and decor are all some shade of cream, gold, bronze with a touch of baby blue. A portrait of Eleanor Roosevelt now hangs where that of George Washington used to be. Photographs of Mellie and kids are put out on display.
Now over at OPA, Olivia is still hoping to find out who had hired her mom to take out Mellie. The gladiators have put to use the wall of windows that directly faces the entry to the conference room. On it is the seating chart that Quinn got earlier from Abby and pictures of at least twenty potential suspects that they are trying to narrow down.
Olivia tells Quinn that she needs one name, not the 32 that they have displayed on both walls, and Quinn replies that all they have to go on at the moment is the seating chart and a rough location of where the burner phone signal came from. They’ve been trying to look into backgrounds and see if there is anyone with a sketchy backstory, but given that this is Washington, everyone has dirt in their past. Olivia says to them that they need to be faster because they all have an inaugural ball to attend and she needs to be sure that they aren’t going to get shot at or firebombed. Huck asks if they all really have to be at the Ball and Quinn tells him that until they figure out a name, no one will be going anywhere.
Charlie, who had part of his attention on the television and part of it on the task at hand, suddenly pipes up to say that the seating chart isn’t going to help them because it is outdated. He points out that the chart indicates that the Grant children are present at seats 1 and 2, but the kids were never there. Olivia explains that Mellie decided at the last minute that she didn’t want her kids on stage.
While the others question what this now means, Olivia is staring at the seating chart when a realization hits her. She suddenly turns to Huck and tells him to get her the footage of Frankie Vargas’ assassination, and Quinn is perplexed as to why. Huck pulls the footage up on his computer in his office and the four of them closely watch the action on screen.
We get quick flashes back to various moments that have happened since the night of the election, including something that Rowan says to Olivia in 601: “Who gains the most if Frankie Vargas dies? … Who would kill for this job?” This is followed by Rowan’s voice repeatedly urging Olivia to think.
Olivia finally gets the confirmation that she is looking for from the footage and Quinn can’t see what it is that Olivia has figured out. Olivia remarks that her mother had been telling the truth when she said that she hadn’t been aiming for Mellie.
Dun, dun, dun!
Next we see Olivia paying Luna Vargas a visit at her home. Of course, Olivia hadn’t called ahead and Luna is surprised by her arrival. Olivia congratulates Luna on being inaugurated and Luna is modest as she says that she is glad to be part of the team. Olivia gives a mocking “I bet” before she invites Luna to a chat and then moves towards the sofas.
Luna offers for Olivia to take a seat, adding as an aside that she may have to excuse herself soon to get ready for the ball. Olivia sets her purse down and then faces Luna to tell her that she won’t be going to the ball. She goes on to tell Mrs. Vargas that her plan to take down Mellie failed, and that because Mellie is still alive, she would like to know if Luna has a plan B.
Luna is set to say something, but Olivia cautions her to think carefully before she utters her next statement and she wants Luna to understand that she wouldn’t have confronted her about this if she didn’t already know the truth. Luna takes a moment to contemplate her next words and when she speaks, she is a bit shaky as she says to Olivia that if Liv had any evidence to support her accusation, that she would already be in handcuffs instead of being threatened. Olivia says to Luna then that she is going to tell her details of the entire plan from beginning to end, as well as the names of everyone involved. If Luna fails to cooperate, the alternative is them taking their little tête-à -tête to someplace more private where some friends who are far more indelicate than she is will be invited to partake in the party. (Believe me, Luna. You don’t want to meet these friends.)
Luna lets out a heavy sigh and looks like she just might bend, but then she dares to tell Olivia no. Yes, y’all read that correctly. She straight up said NO.
Oh okay.
Luna goes on to say that Olivia can’t hurt her because Olivia needs her. She points out that she’s the Vice President, her approval rating is higher than that of Mellie’s, and that she is the widow of a national hero. Getting rid of her would lead to Mellie’s presidency being a “nonstarter”. Luna then adds that she doesn’t need a bomb or another assassin because it is she who is plan B. The woman then orders Olivia out of her house.
Crazy is as crazy does. Didn’t I tell y’all that I had a narrow eye on Lunita? I just knew something was going to go sideways with this chick, but I couldn’t figure out what. Now we know. She’s the one who hired Maya and set all of this business in motion. One look at her house and you know that this woman comes from money. Either that or she’s made bank along the way somehow. Francisco’s governor’s salary certainly didn’t pay for that.
Defeated (at least for now), Olivia is back at her office at the White House and she is going off about how correct Luna is about them needing her as part of the Administration. If Luna goes to jail, Mellie’s entire first term will be engulfed in scandal (it isn’t already??). Olivia stresses that Mellie is the first woman President, and as such, there can be absolutely no mistakes.
Jake is calm as he remarks that Olivia is frustrated, and Olivia counters by saying that she is PISSED!
She’s all flashing eyes and vibrating body. I’d be spitting flames, too, if I knew that the person responsible for all of this chaos turned out to be the person that is second in line to the presidency.
Olivia goes on to say that they can’t touch Luna and that there is nothing that can be done. They have to accept their fate. Jake tells her not to say this, but she asks him of what other choice that they have. Of course, he has no answer….shocking exactly zero people.
Tying Up the Loose End
We next see Maya in her hospital room and she is handcuffed to the bed. Olivia soon comes walking in and Maya remarks that her television is broken. Olivia says to her that the doctors told her that she would be okay and Maya quips that they also said that someone would be in to fix her TV. Olivia laughs a little at that and then goes on to seek confirmation from her mother of what she already knew as to who her real target on that dais had been. Maya congratulates her on figuring out that it was Luna, and she remarks that Luna knows how to play the innocent well, adding that everyone loves them some Luna. She then asks Olivia what it is that she intends to do, and Olivia tells her that she plans on doing nothing since Luna has all the cards.
Maya concludes from this statement that Olivia is letting this one go, and Olivia replies that this isn’t how things were supposed to happen. She states that she was “supposed to deliver the Oval to Mellie free and clear.” Perplexed by this response, Maya asks her daughter why it is that she is always worried about other people, and then she tells her that Mellie isn’t sitting around worried about Olivia. (Can I get an “Amen”?)
Maya wants to know why Olivia cares if a “Latina sister” gets herself a piece of the pie. She then encourages Olivia to move on and walk away, but Olivia isn’t trying to hear any of that as she says to her mother that one doesn’t just walk away from the White House.
And there it is. Getting Mellie into the White House “clean” wasn’t Olivia’s sole motivation for backing the Mellie Grant horse. We already knew this, but this right here is a reminder and Maya catches on to it right as Olivia gets to lamenting about how Luna gets to be in the White House after she herself has worked so hard to get there. Maya now figures that the reason why Olivia is so upset about Luna is because the woman is encroaching on what Olivia considers to be hers. “The White House is your baby,” Maya says to her and Olivia is in silent struggle for a while at that, but then she remarks that she has “earned” it and “deserves” it.
Sigh. I have such a problem with this notion that anyone earned or deserves to be in that White House. How exactly does Olivia figure that she has earned or deserves this? Is she interested in the White House for what she can do as a servant to the people or is she more concerned with the power that she will wield while there? It reminds me of what Cyrus said in 611: “...nobody deserves to be President. Certainly not the people who most often try to be President.”
It’s interesting that Maya referred to the White House as Olivia’s baby. It’s somewhat akin to how Fitzgerald called Olivia Rowan’s republic. As was the case in that moment between the two men, Maya here says to Olivia that she ought to do what she has to do in order to protect her baby. Maya tells her that as someone who is half herself and half Rowan, she doesn’t see how anybody can fight Olivia and win.
Ain’t that the damn truth. Lethal combination. Brace yourselves. Don’t say I ain’t warn you.
Later that evening at OPA, we see Abby with Quinn in the office and the two of them are dressed for the Inaugural Ball. Abby has just told Quinn that she won’t take over OPA from her and she explains that it would be a disaster if she took over the firm now. Looking hopeless, Quinn asks Abby what it is that she is to do now, and Abby tells her that she is to hire her. Quinn is surprised by this suggestion and points out that Abby used to be the Chief of Staff of the White House. To that, Abby says that she’ll just be the Chief of Staff at OPA.
In the distance, Charlie can be heard calling for Quinn and she turns to look towards the sound of his voice, but Abby brings her back to their conversation. She remarks that she doesn’t know anything about kids and Quinn says that she doesn’t either, but Abby assures her that they will figure it out together. Abby goes on to say that if Quinn wants to have a baby, then they will have a baby. Quin is visibly touched and the two women clutch each other’s hands tightly. Abby says the gladiator mantra of “over a cliff” to Quinn and Quinn repeats the same to her, and both women get to crying.
Awwww!!! I LOVE THIS MOMENT SO MUCH!!! Abby and Quinn are finally back on good terms and they have this fabulous sister-in-arms show of support. How beautiful is this??
Right then, Charlie comes barging into the office with Huck following close behind. There’s something that he can’t quite figure out with his tux, but his complaint falls dead when he notices that Quinn is crying. When he asks what the matter is, Quinn announces that they are going to have a baby! Charlie is absolutely floored. Huck looks just as stunned by the news.
Charlie moves towards Quinn then and gives her cheek a few kisses before he embraces her and lifts her off the ground before immediately putting her back down with concern over hurting the growing fetus. Both Quinn and Charlie are in their little private bubble as Quinn laugh cries at Charlie’s elation. It’s such a beautiful moment.
Huck, however, doesn’t look particularly happy. Poor guy. I wonder if the news made him think of his son Javier. He had given him up to allow his son and ex-wife to have normal lives, and now here Quinn and Charlie are on the verge of starting a family of their own. It’s got to sting.
Flash over to the White House and Mellie is dressed in her gown for the ball. Her dress is red, long, and fitted, and has a cap-sleeved short jacket. There are some beaded embroidery on the jacket and gown that oddly gives me a matador traditional Chinese dress vibe. Not my cup of tea, but it’s flattering on her.
As Mellie walks about in awe at the transformation of the Oval Office, Aretha Franklin’s “It’s My Turn” plays. Mellie looks like she can’t believe that she is actually there. She soon moves towards the side table to pour herself a drink. Instead of what we’ve been used to seeing, which is Fitz’s scotch, Mellie has what appears to be...hooch in a fancy container??
Before Mellie takes a skip of her drink, she toasts to the framed campaign poster of Victoria Woodhull, which now has a home over the mantle of the fireplace. (Woodhull was the first woman to ever run for President in the history of these United States in 1872.) Mellie then goes over and takes a seat behind the Resolute Desk and soaks in her new reality.
Some time later, she is over at Cyrus’s home and she is trying to wake him up from where he has fallen asleep on his sofa. He’s got brownie crumbs stuck to his mouth (LOL!) and when he finally wakes up, he is stunned to find Mellie in his house. She has come to ask him to be her date to the Ball. Confused as to why that is, he asks why she would choose him, and Mellie explains that as the person who is now in charge of the entire country, she is facing a terrifying prospect and she points out that he is the only person who can imagine what it must be like for her right now.
Holding out a suit that she has brought along with her, Mellie asks him to be her date. And all I can see are these brownie crumbs that are circling his mouth. Does Cyrus eat like the Cookie Monster? I’m so confused.
Flashing over to Olivia’s apartment, we see the new Chief of Staff putting the finishing touches to her evening look, and good Lord this girl is wearing this dress! The thickness of her body has got this dress sanging all kinds of HALLELUJER!
For a moment, Olivia appears to be lost in thought as she stares blankly at her reflection in the mirror, but she blinks out of it when she hears a knock on her front door. Going to open it, Jake is standing on the other side and he tells her that he figures that she could use some company.
Really? Because her boo is off to Vermont, you figure you can just slide your lame ass in to fill the void, ey? What about your WIFE, Jacob Pete Harris Hamilton Ballard? Where she at?
Olivia stares at Jake for a bit before she says that she knows what they are going to do. What we next see is Olivia and Jake at the Vargas residence. Luna is let into her living room (or study) by a guard and she immediately asks Olivia what she wants, stating that she is already late for the ball. Olivia tells her that the meeting shouldn’t take long and she proceeds to tell Luna that she has found a solution to their dilemma that will work for all of them. Luna decides that she’s going to humor Olivia, and Liv tells her with a straight face that she’s going to die in that very room on that very night. Say whuuuut?
Luna calls for her agents then and when they don’t immediately respond, she yells out to get their attention. It is then that Olivia tells her that those agents weren’t Luna’s and indicates that they aren’t even Secret Service. Jake chimes in then to say that those agents were his and he orders Luna to sit down. Olivia motions for Luna to perch herself right on the couch in front of her and Luna obeys.
Once she has adjusted herself, Luna asks Olivia if she’s trying to cut some kind of deal, and Olivia tells her that they are way past the point of a deal and that she was not being hyperbolic when she said that Luna is to die. Luna tells Olivia to quit with the threats, that there was no way that she was going to kill the Vice President.
In a chilling and yet inappropriately funny move, Olivia asks anyone in the room who has killed a vice president to raise their hand. She is first to put hers up and she turns to Jake when he doesn’t do the same. He says that his vice president was Argentine, and when she tells him that it counts, he, too, raises his hand. She then tells Luna that her VP had been American. (Are we making jokes about murder now, Liv? What is happening?)
Olivia then says to Luna that she is right about them not killing her. What’s actually going to happen is that Luna is going to kill herself! Luna is confused by this pronouncement and she looks over at the table right as Jake sets down a container with two tablets inside. Luna calls Olivia insane and tells her that she would never abandon her children. Olivia remarks that Luna loves her kids very much, and when Luna confirms this to be true, Olivia orders her to take the pills. She tells her that Luna will fall asleep, have a heart attack and never again wake up. Her children and the world will remember her as a saint, but if Jake has to kill Luna, how the world remembers her will be quite messy.
Olivia paints a gruesome picture of Luna being shot in the face and then her clothes ripped off before her corpse is left in a ditch and to the mercy of wild animals. Along with that, Olivia tells her that when the cops investigate her death, they’ll discover that she is a murderer and they’ll consider her death a revenge killing. This is what the Vargas children will hear when they see her body on the television right after they hear that their mother had killed their father for power.
Luna denies what Olivia is saying and Olivia tells her that she did indeed kill her husband. Luna insists that she didn’t, and Olivia tells her that she has to own up to her crime. Next to Luna, Jake cocks his gun and Luna gets even more jittery!
Luna exclaims that she loved her husband and she says that what happened was that she didn’t want to be First Lady and trapped in that life. (Y’all certainly have something against this First Lady position, don’t you, Scandal writers?) She goes on to say that she paid someone to ensure that Frankie lost, but then this someone ended up killing Frankie.
Olivia doesn’t at all appear to be convinced by this explanation. Luna is going to have to come better than this because why in the world would those that she paid to throw the election decide on their own that they were going to kill her husband instead? Riddle me that, Lunita! Something doesn’t quite jive with your story.
Looking back, we know that the mystery people (who came from God only knows where) specifically approached Rowan for the purpose of having him assist them with ensuring that Mellie became the President. They wanted her to win at all costs. Rowan has Nelson McClintock rig machines in San Benito County, California, but Olivia found out and had Huck set things to rights. Given this, part of what Luna says makes sense. What doesn’t make sense is that bit about how things suddenly escalated to Frankie then being killed.
Olivia says to Luna that when people commit acts as heinous as the one that Luna has, they tend to revisit it and finds ways to justify what they had done, even going so far as to lie to themselves just so they don’t call what they have done exactly what it is. When Luna insists that she is not lying, Olivia asks her why then did she keep her children off of the stage the night of the election. Olivia answers for her by saying that Luna did that because she knew that the bullet was coming.
Luna watches Olivia for a moment and then she starts to quiver for Olivia has apparently hit the nail on the head. Olivia exclaims, “There you are!” when Luna starts to do this and remarks to the other woman that it must feel good to not have to hide anymore. (Was Olivia talking about herself, too, because…)
Luna soon drops her innocent act and states that a President is most powerful when he is first elected and on the day that he dies. She continues by saying that Frankie would have had to govern and make compromises, but thanks to his death, this won’t be her fate. She asks Olivia to imagine what it would have been like if Jacqueline Kennedy had been President, how unstoppable she’d had been, how she would’ve been given everything that she asked for. Jackie would have gotten whatever “all because of those blood stains on her pink Chanel suit.”
Wow. Luna, you are a twisted bitch. How did you go from not wanting to be First Lady to this deranged business of having your husband killed so that you could be what Jackie Kennedy never was? First of all, you don’t even go here. Second of all, what dues have you paid to even be here? Thirdly, you batshit crazy. Was any part of your initial story even true?
See, this is why you have to die. Send her on home to Jesus, Livvie. Judgement awaits her.
Olivia just stares at Luna and says nothing, her face betraying nothing that she is thinking or feeling. Luna is once more frantic as she tries to get Olivia to understand why she did what she did and she explains that Frankie’s ideas would have “died on the vine” and that she gave them a chance to live. She then adds that she isn’t pure evil and she begs Olivia for mercy.
Remember what Rowan said about what it meant when the men who crossed his path got to the point of asking him for mercy (612)? It meant that those men were finally acknowledging that they had lost their battle. This is most definitely applicable to Luna who won’t be getting any kind of reprieve from the warrior princess that stands before her.
Olivia is savage as she feigns compassion by takes Luna by the hand and telling the woman that she isn’t pure evil. She continues by saying that Luna loves her children and will do what she must to protect them. Olivia then tells Luna that these reasons are why the decision she has to make as to what to do should be easy.
With Luna’s hand still in hers, Olivia picks up the container from the table and dumps the pills in Luna’s open palm. She then goes to the side table to retrieve a glass of water as she again informs Luna of what her choices are: pills or bullet. Luna struggles for a moment and then tosses the pills in her mouth and takes a gulp of water. Once that is done, Olivia tosses the little container to Jake and instructs him to let her know when Luna is dead.
Damn. As beautiful as she is deadly. Watch out, America.
The Ultimate Fixer
Olivia is later seen entering the Oval to find Mellie there with Cyrus. She is all smiles as Mellie asks her what happened to her, that she had missed all of the parties. Olivia straight up lies as she replies that she had been there and that she and Mellie must have missed each other.
How’d you manage to miss Mellie at every single ball that she went to, Olivia?
Mellie appears perplexed by this and makes a questioning gesture at Cyrus as Olivia continues further into the room. She has a few things that she wants Mellie to sign. When Mellie asks her what they are, Olivia explains that one is a thank you card to the chief usher and his staff for moving her into the White House, and the other is Mellie’s first executive order.
At this last one, Cyrus looks up from where he is pouring himself a drink with some interest. Olivia tells Mellie that the order is for the preservation of a percent of Pentagon funds in a blind trust. She calls in “lunch money” for Defense while they are waiting for Congress to approve Mellie’s budget.
Hole up! That sounds an awful lot like…
Cyrus is returning to his seat with his drink and the wheels seem to be turning in his head over the explanation that Olivia just gave. Once Mellie is done signing both items, she invites Olivia to join them, but right then, Olivia’s phone starts vibrating. Olivia tells Mellie that she would love to join them (lies), but that duty calls.
As Olivia exits the Oval, she answers her phone and asks if the deed is done. Jake tells her that Luna Vargas is as dead as a doornail. Jake then asks her about the status of B613 and Olivia tells him that it is fully funded and that it was time to turn the lights back on.
Wait a hot skipping minute. This woman done went and brought B613 back?! I blame this on two people: Rowan and Luna. Olivia wouldn’t have even thought to bring back B613 if it weren’t for Rowan first introducing the idea via Fitzgerald, and the only reason why she’s all for it now is because of Luna Vargas. Now that Olivia’s cake has been threatened (as well as the stability of the country), she is all for the return of the covert organization that she has long been vehemently against. Just when I thought I had heard the last of this damn group… ARGHHH!!!
Next, we see Rowan in his workspace. He appears to be returning the contents of the boxes that he had packed when he was set to leave town for good. He places the dinosaur miniature that Sandra had given him on the table right as Olivia comes to pay him a visit. Not bothering with any greeting, Olivia tells him that she is there to make some things clear to him. The first is that he has no hold over Fitzgerald, that he is gone. (Basically, leave him tf alone.) The second is that Mellie is hers to advise and protect. It is because of this that she is reconstituting B613 and will run it herself.
Whaaaaaaaaat???! She’s going to do what now? She’ll run the Oval AND simultaneously protect it by running the organization that she knows ruined her life?
Upon imparting this news, Olivia tells Rowan in no uncertain terms that he is retired. Rowan stares at his kid like he’s never seen her before, no doubt stunned by how she has managed to corral both the White House and the organization that is meant to keep those in (and out of) that building in check. Finally blinking, Rowan finds that he has to take a seat.
Olivia shares with him the third item on her list and that is that she loves him, that she wants Sunday dinners with him, that she wants an actual father. She then tacks on that should he ever cross her again, she will kill him. And Olivia wasn’t saying this on some jokes. She was deathly serious and Rowan saw this as he looked up into her eyes. (You’ve created a monster, Rowan. Welp.)
Olivia goes on to say to him that if there is one thing that he has taught her, it is that family is a weakness. (I don’t think he meant that in quite this way...) She recalls for him what it is that he calls himself, which is smart prey (601) and claims that this is what she has become. Olivia makes to leave then, but before she can get far, Rowan finally speaks and tells her that she isn’t smart prey. What she actually is is the predator. Whoa.
Turning around to face him, Olivia doesn’t at all look bothered by the fact that she is the one that all is to fear. She actually looks proud of herself as she walks back up to her father and places a patronizing kiss on his head. She then departs by telling him that she will see him Sunday.
And I am absolutely shook. Recall what was said about the predator: they are the ones who are most susceptible to change. This is going to be interesting.
Flash over to the steps of the Lincoln Memorial and Olivia is sitting alone with a bottle of du Bellay in her hands. She is staring out at the lighted Washington Monument when her solitude is interrupted by Cyrus’s arrival. She smiles when she sees him and she tells him that she wasn’t sure that he would show up. Cyrus reminds her that they had said that they’d drink about this once the election was over and Olivia nods at the recollection. She calls Cyrus a man of his word as she hands him her half full bottle of wine.
As he takes a swig, Olivia tells him that it was Luna Vargas who was behind everything. Cyrus appears shocked by this information and Olivia goes on to say that Peus and Ponytail were the ones doing the dirty work, but it was Luna who was calling the shots. Olivia explains that Luna thought that Frankie would have more impact dead than alive. (I still can’t get over this logic.)
Cyrus is speechless for a moment and then something happens. He says that Luna does have a point, and then he says that a president is far more powerful the night that he is elected and the day that he dies than at any other point in his presidency.
Wait a minute...
Cyrus goes on to echo what Luna said about blood stains and Jackie Kennedy in her pink Chanel suit. Olivia smiles privately to herself as he speaks on, but she does well to train her face into one that doesn’t betray her thoughts. Cyrus just continues to dig a hole for himself as he says that if Luna had been put in the Oval, she would have been unstoppable. Cyrus then slyly remarks that the question for Olivia now is how she plans to get rid of Luna.
Olivia doesn’t immediately offer him a reply and instead watches him for a moment. Cyrus asks her why she is looking at him in the way that she is, and Olivia says that it was him. Cyrus is lost as to her meaning and Olivia points out the things that he just said that were identical to what Luna had also said. Cyrus still looks confused as to what she is talking about when Olivia tells him that it was he who planted the seed for all of this in Luna’s head just as he is presently attempting to plant a seed in hers in the hopes that she will get rid of Luna and make Cyrus vice president. Olivia states that this is the ending that Cyrus wanted, and when Cyrus doesn’t offer her a response, she laughs at the absurdity of it all.
Pause for the cause. I need to get this straight and I probably won’t be able to, but are we saying that Cyrus was a part of this business from the very beginning, as in, he was in cahoots with Luna? Or is it that he planted the idea in her head and Luna ran away with it? I’m going to have to go back to the beginning of the season and reexamine everything that transpired because right now, this here revelation has me like...
Share your theories below in the comment section. I’m not even going to try to decipher this one because the Luna business has me in enough of a twist. I’ll leave this one up to y’all.
Cyrus brings up the executive order that Olivia had Mellie sign and he shares his suspicion that the explanation Olivia gave was not the real reason for the order. When Olivia refuses to offer him a response, Cyrus remarks that it looks like they both got what it is that they wanted.
This comment prompts Olivia to tell Cyrus to stay in town, and Cyrus wonders if it is so that she can have him dragged back to jail. Olivia informs him that she intends to nominate him for vice president! (You mean to tell me that the marginalized three who partook in Defiance are all going to be running the White House together?! What kind of Unholy Trinity is this???)
Looking at Olivia with a mixture of awe and maybe some fear, Cyrus asks her how it feels to be the most powerful person in the world and Olivia tells him that it feels right.
*
Whew, chile. I am at a total loss for words. Who, what, why, where???
How in the world did the tables turn in this manner? Prior to now, Olivia had barely been smart prey. When it came to her father, she was anything but. He had always been several steps ahead of her and was genius at pulling her strings in order to get her to jump in whichever direction he wanted her to. That appears to be all over now that Olivia was fully stepped into the role of the ultimate fixer and turned predator.
Rowan looked at bit terrified by the role reversal. He was no longer the predator to Olivia’s often vulnerable prey. I have to say that I’m glad to finally see Olivia fearlessly reclaiming her life and making no apologies for it. I may not agree with the route that she has taken to get here, but it is good to see her no longer shaking in fear, particularly in dealings with her father. No one would dare come after anything that she deems to be hers and walk away unscathed. She made that much clear when she warned her father away from Fitz and then later talked Luna into taking her own life. I can’t even be mad, but I am a little concerned.
What is this all going to look like when we return for the final season? I’ve seen commentary that stated that Olivia went extra dark by the end of this episode, but I’m not sure if I wholly agree with that. I’ll try to explain.
Olivia has been a ruthless piece of work from the start of the series. She was a woman who some saw as a white knight while others thought her a monster. She had emotional hurdles to deal with back then, but for the most part, her life was a well oiled machine that she had a fairly grip on. That all changed the moment her father returned (222) and threw her life into a tailspin. The control that she had on her life slipped and this slip was further exacerbated by her kidnapping (410-413). Since then, Olivia has been on a quest to wrest her destiny (if you will) back from the hands of those who had controlled it for too long.
Without going into a full summation of all that has happened since 413, I’ll simply say that Olivia got a sample of what it felt like to be truly in control during her time with Fitz in S5. That’s when she got a taste of the nectar that the White House offered and when she ousted herself from it (509), she left the “ring” behind. Largely due to her father’s incessant coaxing, Olivia started on quest to return to the White House. In it was where power purportedly lay. It was the Holy Grail for someone like Olivia who has for long been controlled or exploited by others for their own purposes.
Now here she is finally back in the White House. Along the road to this point, she had tumbled down a really dark hole (much of the back half of S5), but then she eventually started her climb out of it (also back half of S5/S6). She focused on the goal that she set forth, and when the opportunity presented itself, she donned her white hat and went in and slayed all the dragons that were standing in her path. Now she is perched upon the smoking pile of dead bodies and she shrugs at their defeat. She caps it off by sealing her perimeter with B613, and here we are.
The white that started to reemerge in Olivia’s wardrobe after she and Fitz turned into Super Olitz made it’s final S6 appearance in the last episode, which isn’t at all surprising given the emotions that came to the fore upon Olivia’s reengagement with her mother. She’s been primarily in all black (and navy) since then. Matter of fact, she has been in black 99% of the time the entire season. While black does typically have a negative connotation associated with it, it can also symbolize strength, power, protection and control, things that we saw on display with Olivia in this episode.
All of that said, I don’t fear that the Olivia who wanted to do what was right with the election is somehow gone off into the ether. She didn’t leave with Fitz in that chopper. Luna had to go and Olivia did what was necessary to protect the country (and her investment). What I am worried about is what controlling both the White House and B613 will mean for Olivia moving forward. It’s one thing to empower yourself and quite another to overdose on the juice. Who exactly will check Olivia when a check is necessary? Mellie? Fitz? Her parents? It certainly won’t be Jake since he’s likely be her B613 lieutenant.
So what did you think of the conclusion of season 6? What are some outstanding questions that you still have? Do you think that Olivia has gone off the reservation or does the white hat gladiator still lives within? How is OPA going to handle a baby?? What do you hope to see in the seventh and final season of the series? Are Olivia, Mellie and Cyrus going to end up being a massive success or an epic disaster in the White House? Include your thoughts in the comments section below or share them with me on Twitter.
This is end of the recap/review of Scandal episode 616 and the last write up of the season! Whoo hoo!! What a ride, yeah? I am deeply grateful to all of you for hanging with me (and my extra long recaps) for a second straight season, and hope to see you again when the show returns in the Fall. I wish you all a fantastic summer! xo
