Scandal Review 6.02- 'Careful What You Wish For, Love.'
Oh this episode will go down as one of my favorites for many, many, many reasons that I will explain later. I decided to do this review different only do to this episode being filled with such goodness nearly every scene. This is a complete scandal episode review from every scene that I loved.
We start this episode off at the Republican National Convention where Mellie is giving her speech about women having a seat at the table that was once exclusive for men only. The speech makes an impression on everyone but more so Marcus who is moved to tears by Mellie’s speech….* sips tea* Marcus looking at Mellie the same way Olivia looked at Fitz when he publicly declared:
-Uh, I miss my babies when their only troubles was that he was the President.
Mellie celebrates her victory and thanks everyone for all their help but as Olivia is barking orders, Marcus isn’t paying her any attention but instead Marcus lingers around and whispers in Mellie’s ear “told you so." A spark is ignited and Olivia caught it right away warning Mellie once Marcus left.
"Mellie be careful with Marcus, I see the way he looks at you.”
Mellie is excited about Marcus better yet anyone looking at her that she’s blushing and wanting to know in detail just how he’s looking at her but Olivia nips that quickly reprimanding Mellie.
“Senator, he’s young, he admires you, he works for you. Don’t.”
It’s the “Senator” that gets me. As we all know when Olivia is looking to distant personal life from professional life she will constantly redirect by using their title “Governor Grant, Mr. President, Attorney General, etc.” Mellie is know different.
Olivia is watching her life being played out right in front of her with Mellie and Marcus and the sight is unnerving for many reasons which is why she tells Mellie to leave Marcus alone. Because Olivia too was young and she admired and fell in love with the President that she worked for. Olivia has seen this story but this time she wants a different ending.
There is a flashback to the night of President Elect Vargas murder which actually gives good details once you’ve seen the episode.
Once again Olivia is back at the White House trying to get Fitz to investigate Cyrus for being at fault for killing Vargas but the entire time Olivia is rambling and arguing with David and Abby he’s just sitting their watching her cause he knows baby girl is on a witch hunt and it’s just best to let Olivia get her crazy out, but she doesn’t let up when Fitz told her he already had the FBI look into it causing Olivia to refer to them as “scrubs”
Now, who is in the FBI and what has the FBI done to Olivia to make her recoil and through such shady shade. And just like that we find out when Broad/Emily walks in with her natural hair and melatonin popping.
DAMN! The look Olivia gave Fitz when she heard broad’s voice… oh shit! Now, I am more curious as to whether Olivia has ever discussed “Angela” with Fitz cause the look she gave Fitz seems to tell me that Fitz might be aware of their past and oh do believe these two successful black women have a past. But Broad walks in throwing equal shade at Olivia and not giving a shit that the President is in the room, but Olivia once again “attempting” to separate her personal life from her professional calls the Broad “Ms.Webster.” but she just responds with “Olivia”
Now, this woman hasn’t been in the damn oval for a hot minute and her ass is throwing some serious shade, she needs check herself before Olivia Fucks her up. Olivia mockingly tells Angela that she means no offense “obviously” but ole broad ain’t with that fakeness and calls Olivia out.
If looks could kill, this girl would be eight feet under and Olivia would still be bashing her with a chair until she was another six feet more. I know she has dealt with Olivia before but she hasn’t dealt with this Olivia- this Olivia is a b613 thug, she killed the Vice President. The tension in the room is felt by everyone but Fitz moves past is, asking Angela who is the director of the FBI have they found any substantial evidence pointing at Cyrus and the SECOND she moves closer to Fitz, Olivia subtly blocks her path to him. Sorry, Ma’am thats as close as you will be getting to my boo boo.
YESS! I love a petty and jealous Olivia. Angela/ Emily/ broad just doesn’t know how crazy and low Olivia will stoop when she feels someone is trying to take something or someone that belongs to her. But, wait a minute…I thought she was over Fitz. Anyways, Olivia and Fitz are arguing in front of everybody and I have this distinct feeling that Olivia relished having Angela in the audience with a front row seat at the ‘Olitz Chronicles’ but I caught Angela’s eye pop out when Fitz mention the house in the woods blowing up… uh oh, besides Olivia and Fitz’s entanglement it seems Angela is connecting the dots quickly. Fitz moves in very close to Olivia and tells her that the election is over and that she needs to let it go. Olivia is down right appalled that Fitz is letting this go but Abby knows this won’t stop Olivia if anything it will encourage her to keep going which she tells Fitz who orders her to get him a confession so that they can move on because Vargas funeral os tomorrow.
Olivia isn’t ready to move on and she most certainly will not back down. The question I have for Olivia is what are you fighting for- are you fighting for your life that you desperately want back or are you fighting for power or maybe both. I think time will answer this question for us.
My, my, my these two have gotten close and I mean like best friend kind of close with both of them bashing their same ex husband. Olivia and Mellie are on the phone talking about that bastard Fitz who’s giving Cyrus the oval. Olivia has found a companion in Mellie where they bash the men they love and share a glass of wine but Mellie doesn’t let it take first place in her life because when Fitz said Teddy was asking for her, she stopped what she was doing and went to see her son.
Sike! It wasn’t Teddy but Fitz tricking Mellie and Cyrus, telling them to come up with a plan save America. Boy, I love me some Presidential Fitz. Cyrus tells Mellie to become his Vice President but Mellie goes on her tirade about being “equipped” and that she’s “experienced” ….Mellie needs to go to sleep with all that foolish cause she is not qualified nor was she a suitable candidate either with her 1.2 months of governmental experience…Mellie, kick rocks! Cyrus tells Mellie that he’s innocent this time and that’s he’s not the bad guy in this situation; Olivia is. But Mellie isn’t with that and turns down Cyrus rejection cause she knows Olivia is the good guy and she already paid her members fee to the group.
Abby summons Jake and the first thing he brings up is that he 'hears’ Olivia is on a war path for the body in the cabin… hoe, how you know this. Abby being a big red dog wants this case closed down so she hires joke to handle it for her. Because she knows Jake doesn’t want Mellie to win. Ugh, Abby. I thought you learned by now not to cross Olivia and then you help the command fam by getting a written confession by the hands of Jake. I see you Abby and I am not impressed with this constant need to flex your power because you know in a matter of months you will be once again powerless.
Marcus catches Mellie in the White House and runs to see if she’s okay. Wow. We get it Shonda, Mellie and Marcus are paralleling Olivia and Fitz’s relationship. How Fitz would run to Olivia to see if she was okay and that he missed her. (2X08) Mellie tells Marcus not to pretend that he cares for her when he is just like every man she has ever loved, they never chose her. Now, Mellie is right though. Fitz never chose Mellie and Andrew most certainly didn’t either so when it comes to the love department Mellie is constantly looking for someone who will love her and choose her. To be honest, I actually feel and understand because Mellie is like all of us looking and wanting a love that can be life changing so I understand her quest for something real when all her life she has believed that pretending is real.
Olivia needing the footage and information from the FBI decides to have dinner with her old school nemesis Ms. Webster. The two congratulate one another on being mature adults now…* sips tea* yeah these two probably went to school together and constantly competed against each other. Olivia and Angela bond and share stories about what it means to be a successful and powerful black women and for that I salute Shonda and I also agree with their relationship as it is a constant in most black Women’s lives. Instead of us seeing another black women as our sister or ally we see them as our enemy whose trying to take something from us. Yas, Shonda ; I see you and I hear you, sistah.
Olivia makes a simple comment about the President being lucky to have her and much to her surprise, Angela immediately starts blushing causing Olivia’s head to jump up and look at her with a pointed expression. Olivia doesn’t keep this knowledge to herself but quickly exclaims “oh” because she’s at a lost that Angela has a thing for her man. Angela down plays her attraction for Fitz saying “she would never, they go way back.” And all Olivia can do is chuckle because she knows Angela and knows that Angela is after her man after all he is “attractive, magnetic, charismatic.” You know what, for a guy Olivia doesn’t love and is completely over she used quiet a bit of adjectives to describe Fitz, and Angela agreed that Fitz is all those things but she would never do that to Olivia. And for the first time since the dinner Olivia lets out a sigh of relief that Angela isn’t after Fitz with an eased “okay” but then Angela said “unless you give me the green light”
Can we take a moment to appreciate the gift that is a petty and jealous Olivia Pope. She is the gift that just keeps on giving. Broad is playing with fire and she wants Olivia to give her the green light so she could date her ex boyfriend who just so happens to be the most powerful man in the world and the same man Olivia is still very much hung up on… Olivia ain’t going to give you no green light so you can walk away with her prize, nope. Olivia is going to you a black eye instead of a green light; ok Ms. Thang. I love this entire dialogue and undertone of this scene because it says so much without giving much away. Angela, asked Olivia if she has feelings for him or anything but instead of answering Olivia agrees that Angela should ask Fitz out, especially “if he says yes, then of course.” Olivia being extra shady and petty with that jab because Olivia doesn’t think Fitz would go out on a date with Angela. I’m not sure why Olivia would think that Fitz would declining Angela’s offer, maybe Fitz is aware of their past or maybe she feels that Fitz isn’t into black women but either way Olivia does a good job at pretending and selling Fitz to Angela a with plastered fake “great” smile.
What the hell is Olivia doing. Olivia is playing with fire, she came to this dinner hoping to get something out of it and she did but she never counted on Angela getting something in return. Instead of walking away from the dinner feeling victorious, you can see Olivia regretting her decision to have dinner in the first place because nothing is going as she planned and hoped for. Makes you wonder why the hell this is all for. Be careful what you wish for, Olivia. Olivia is thinking she is handling and shutting down this case but the only thing she is doing is opening the door for more people to enter. Man, I am completely happy and pleased with Angela’s involvement in this storyline cause Olivia needs to gain some perspective.
I love the contrast between Angela and Olivia. Angela is wearing black and white. Olivia is wearing all black. And my friend Jane mentioned Angela drinks white wine and Olivia drinks red. Completely opposite people with similar goals and wants. I am here for this development.
Abby is really flexing that power with her red jacket, she sitting in the chair at the FBI like she’s running the place, and well… she is. Abby was able to stop the director of the FBI from entering the interrogation room. SHIT. Talk about a blow to the ego and the gut. Nothing shocking but Jake walks out with a signed confession. Yawns. Fast Forward. Cause ain’t nothing scary about labia lips.
Louise has finally joined Thelma at their headquarters where Olivia is finally able to have a glass of wine with her friend but Olivia isn’t really into drinking right now nor is she interested in talking about election. Their are more pressing matters to discuss like how Broad is trying to get into their gang and steal their prized boo. I love that it is clearly troubling Olivia that Angela is wanting to make an attempt at Fitz. Now, Let’s be clear. Fitz is the only man that Olivia has ever truly chosen and loved without being influenced by outside forces. Olivia and Olivia only choose Fitz. This moment is distressing for Olivia considering that Angela is equally accomplished and beautiful and worse of all she very well might have it all if she gets Fitz. But before Olivia could even begin to talk here comes meek David.
Shonda is testing me. Why is she bringing David’s ass to OPA to ruin what would have been an excellent moment for Olivia to talk about her feelings and the past. Sigh. David comes to OPA crying about the republic, blah, blah, blah.
Olivia goes to the White House to see Fitz but Big Red has that door locked and she’s not for Olivia coming in and killing her vibe. And actually uses Olivia’s own words against her.
Mellie calls Marcus and tells him about Cyrus wanting her to be his VP and basically asking for advice on what to do. Once again we get the parrels to Olivia and Fitz’s relationship and their dynamic, even to this day Fitz still wants Olivia’s help, he even asked Olivia what to do with the presidency which he threw in her face- not cool by the way but still these two people have such a foundation with one another that it’s almost second nature to seek their counsel. Before hanging up, Marcus tells Mellie that he would choose her but she just has to choose him. Aww.But still. Fast Forward.
We flash back to the campaign and the Ex-lady gang is sitting on the couch plotting together until Olivia looks at Mellie’s blissful gaze and she knows what better yet who Mellie has done because their was a time when Olivia too had that same look. Mellie describes her moment with Marcus as a catharsis, how she’s been reborn under his magical touch because she sees now how beautiful and bright life is after living in the dark for so long. Mellie is a believer. And the thing she believes in, is love.
There is no mistaking how the screen pans to Olivia’s saddened face at the mention of love. Love is the one thing Olivia wants desperately yet she denies herself the privileged of knowing what love feels like. Instead of relishing in the warmth of love, Olivia feels compelled to run from it and go back to safety and anonymity of the dark. Mellie, tells Olivia that she has gone so long without love that she misses it. And it’s painfully clear that Olivia too misses the comfort familiarity of love. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. When Olivia finally decided to embrace her relationship with Fitz and to feel the warmth of his love on her skin, it changed her. So when Mellie asked Olivia.
“Is this what you felt with Fitz? Because if it is. I understand. You should have It. I should have it. Everybody should have it. It’s happiness. I’m happy”
This statement is completely underrated. Mellie is telling Olivia that if she loved Fitz then she should never deprieve herself of the fulfillment that comes with love. The heart hungers for affection and as humans we suffer enough as it is, why must we add to our suffering when we can be happy. For years Mellie has degraded and cheapened Olivia and FItz’s love often referencing to it as tawdry affair but now Mellie is able to sympathize with Olivia in a way she never has before. She sees now. Mellie has now given Olivia her blessings to be with Fitz if he makes her happy. The beauty of this dialougue is that Mellie doesn’t shy away from love but she welcomes it with open arms, open legs and with an open mouth. Mellie is in love and she’s not afraid of it which is the exact opposite of Olivia who had love but ran from it. Olivia tells Mellie she’s happy for her but the look in her eyes tells a different story.
Olivia has lost too much and she can’t bear to lose her closest friend now. Everyone is growing up and moving on with their lives except Olivia. Mellie’s bad habits mirrored Olivia’s where Olivia felt half way decent about herself because Mellie never required her to look at herself in the mirror and fix herself but now with Mellie seeing baby Jesus and the light, Olivia would be losing her too which would leave Olivia completely and totally alone. The idea isn’t pleasing to Olivia and so she does what she does best, she fixes the problem. She plants a story in Mellie’s head about Marcus using her to advance his career and that he has been in scandals, etc. But Mellie doesn’t fall for the bait, she’s seen the light.
Abby needing to one up Olivia and keep her power goes to Mellie’s office and tells her that the reason Marcus got the job at the White House was because Olivia wanted to break them up. They flash back to the campaign, Olivia tells Abby that she needs for her to give Marcus a job because he has something going on with Mellie and she can tell that it is more than just a fling. Abby remarks that Olivia wants her to break them up the same way she broke up her and David. Yes. Abby! Someone needs to remind Olivia that she is playing with peoples lives and relationships and she doesn’t get to say who stays together and who breaks up just because she wasn’t brave enough to fight for her own relationship.
Upset and rightfully so, Mellie walks up to Olivia’s apartment and ask her if she gave Marcus the Press Secretary job and Olivia’s response was all Mellie needed to know. She’s completely shocked that Olivia would stoop this low, especially after everything they have been through. Mellie can’t believe that Olivia is the one person that has successfully destroyed every relationship that she has ever had. Mellie asked the question we are all dying to know “why are you doing this?” “What is wrong with You?” The answer is quite complex; Olivia destroyed Mellie and Marcus’s relationship because misery loves company and Mellie leaving her would require Olivia to look at herself and her actions , and that is not something Olivia wishes to do. But also I think when Olivia looks at Mellie and Marcus she sees her and Fitz and what they were like when they first met and fell in love. Olivia was trying to change history and erase her memories of her and Fitz had someone interfered with their relationship and broke them up. Like Olivia said in 5X03:
“If I never laid eyes on him then I wouldn’t have fallen in love and he wouldn’t have fallen in love. That may have made for two more lonely people in the world, but also a lot less pain and heart ache…is the coming of two people worth all this destruction, all this attention. If it was a choice who would choose this kind of love. So I wish we never met. But we did. And I tried and failed and tried again and failed, to hide, to stop loving him but I couldn’t, I was weak.- Olivia Pope
Part of me feels like Olivia was trying to see through Mellie what life would have been like had she stuck to her plan and not been weak and fallen in love. Olivia probably feels she was sparing Mellie the pain but the thing about it is, that Mellie wants to feel and she’s not afraid of it but welcomes the sensation. Rowan controls Olivia’s relationship but that doesn’t give Olivia the right to control everyone else’s. Olivia echoes commands words when making her point about how Marcus would have caused a scandal and is a political nightmare but more than that; Mellie doesn’t get to have both.
You get to be powerful, you get to change the world. You don’t get to be vulnerable, or weak, or compromised in any way, by any one. You said you wanted the oval, Mellie, and it was my job to get it for you. There are sacrifices.
Mellie doesn’t get to have love, and be 'weak, vulnerable and compromised. Mellie gets to be 'powerful, and change the world.’ Mellie can’t have both and she can’t see that, the same way Olivia couldn’t either so Olivia made a call to steer them in the right direction. Granted, this is Olivia’s own feelings about the impossibility of having it all. Mellie rightfully pissed off tells Olivia that she’s going to take Cyrus’s offer to be Vice President now that they are over and wishes Olivia good luck getting back into the White House, because without Mellie, Olivia is all alone.
Now that’s what I call a read. Ironic, that Olivia tried desepareatly to keep Mellie and she still ended up leaving her. Olivia’s nightmare came true she’s all alone now with no choice but to look at herself.
Dejected and depleted Olivia goes to OPA where she tells Quinn and Huck to wrap up this case because they no longer have a candidate. This conversation quickly turns to Quinn’s looming engagement where Olivia very obviously projects and stresses to Quinn that she should get married because:
"He somehow loves you and you somehow love him. And you’re looking for excuses because you are scared. What is stopping you from accepting something some people never have? What? Share. your. life. because you’re not tethered to power, because you live below the radar, because you are free from it, because you can. You are being offered normal, maybe even happy.The fact that you are questioning whether you should take them , frankly is annoying… Live, you get to live and love and be happy. Do you know what some people would give for it.”
Quinn concedes and Olivia feels slightly better now that she has steered Quinn in the right direction.
The scene picks up with Frank Vargas funeral. Touching scene with Marvin singing in the back how the good die young, fitting scene but a somber one considering Frankie would have down this fictional realm some good.
Mellie walks into Oval but is stopped by Charlotte saying that President Grant is in a meeting . Both Mellie and Olivia are adjusting to having boundaries in the White House that they both once ruled. Mellie walks into the oval and waits for Marcus to show up and he does but Mellie isn’t there.
Instead Mellie returns to Olivia and ask Olivia “did it hurt this bad when you left Fitz?” After a long pause Olivia finally answers “yes” handing Mellie a glass of red wine. The two sit down on the sofa but Mellie is looking at Olivia and you can tell that she knows something is wrong with Olivia but once again we are interrupted with Huck this time.
Here’s the thing. Mellie and Marcus are not Olivia and Fitz, not even close. But for years Mellie has wanted answers, as to why her white, successful, powerful husband would chose a black women over her. Mellie has tried to make sense of their relationship and has asked Fitz before what it felt like to be so hot for someone that you could barely breath. Mellie has cheapened their relationship every chance she got but it’s only now after experiencing something that feels real with Marcus that she sympathizes for olitz and their forbidden quest of being together. Finally, Mellie understands why once you go black you never go back. So throughout the episode, Mellie would asked Olivia, is this what she felt because she needs confirmation that if she feels this way for Marcus then she can only imagine what Olivia felt for Fitz. Mellie is desperate for love and honestly I want her to have it because like she said, everyone deserves it.
Olivia spots Fitz on the Truman Balcony and with a deep breath she walks out to face him, only this time he’s not alone.
Fitz has taken Broad to the Truman Balcony where Olivia declared her love for him. This sacred monument has been tarnished, and Olivia feels the weight of this betrayal though it isn’t really.
I can’t . This hurts my heart and though I enjoy watching Olivia squirm and hear the ticking of the clock. This has to be a mighty fall and bruise to her ego especially when she told Angela to “go for it” if he says yes. Olivia, never expected Fitz to actually say yes. Granted, we don’t’ why Angela is there but from the looks of It, Fitz and Angela are looking pretty close. When Olivia saw them together I love that Olivia pulls her cape tighter around her chest in hopes of shielding herself from the visceral stab to her heart at the sight of the man she loves moving on with his life without her. And I peeped those dark green purse and gloves, Olivia is rocking with that envious face.
Olivia is mad as hell and disgusted by what she just saw. Olivia is literally seething with such hidden jealously and anger. Olivia Pope is ticking. And when she turned her eyes on Angela, boy oh boy. Angela, please believe me when I tell you that you are in danger. If Angela thinks Olivia is going to step aside and let her walk away with the only man she has ever loved then she has another thing coming. Better yet the fact that Olivia has access to Fitz’s private chambers and is allowed to come and go as she pleases should speak volumes. When it comes to Fitzgerald Grant, Olivia Pope will always find her way to get close to him somehow. Watch out people, Olivia is out and she’s not going to be backing down.
The video Olivia hands Fitz, is of Frankie yelling at Cyrus and vowing that he would remove him from his ticket and that over his dead body will he allow Cyrus to be his Vice President. Now, this evidence still yet to be proven and I’m still not sold on Cyrus being the murderer but the play on words. Yikes.
After showing the video, Olivia gives Abby a knowing look. Yup, bow down big red cause Olivia Pope took you back to school. Olivia moves rather close to Fitz and asked him almost intimately whether they should call the Justice Department now, which causes Fitz to bark at Abby to call David.
Olivia after successfully stopping Angela’s groove and having Fitz make Abby call the Attorney General to look into Cyrus as being a suspect.
She’s back bitches, and she came to slay.
Olivia Pope is getting into formation.
This episode exceeded my expectations tremendously, less plot and more character driven narratives are always my preference and this episode delivered on so many levels. BRAVO. BRAVO.
- and don’t think I didn’t peep olé dad on Olivia’s coffee table smiling at his 'ultimate predator’. You really are Rowan’s child, Olivia. Do better.
-ready to get the backstory on Olivia and Angela’s relationship, and watching Olivia foil Angela’s plan.
-Me calling Angela ‘Emily’ is because of a story I’m writing that takes place in season 6 so you’ll hear that name from time to time for my own joy in pissing people off.
-But can we salute Olivia on this continued growth because she is seeing the error of her ways, and is trying to get her life back. She’s doing everything she can but I don’t believe Olivia has contemplated what life would be like post-Fitz.
Time is ticking. And just like Olivia and Fitz; Mellie and Marcus are far from over and I enjoy their relationship as it seems to correlate with Olivia’s own with Fitz.
Awesome episode, for me a thousand times better than the season premiere.
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