Although I’m still recovering from the painful blow to the gut Scandal’s finale served up good, I feel that I’ve been able to gain some clarity of the finale meaning. I’m still upset, but it is what it is, Shonda has spoken, so I’ll share my thoughts. Hopefully, some of you might share yours. I’ve been trying to figure out how to best organize my thoughts, so I guess I’ll start with my questioning what or where did Olivia exactly arrive to at the end of this journey Shonda talked so much about. I hope I can remember everything I want to touch on…
Among the many gripes I had with this episode is that I could not figure out what the result was of Olivia’s journey; what was so special about the end result that I wasn’t seeing? All that I was able to initially gather was that her father bailed her out of the huge mess she made in exposing B613, and she turns down Mellie’s offer to work for her in informing her that she doesn’t care to clean up other people’s messes any longer. She believes in Mellie’s ability to man the Oval on her own. When asked what she planned to do next, she responded, “Whatever I want.” A short time before, Olivia meets with Cyrus in the Oval to hand him resignation papers (which is weird since she is not an official employee any longer, so how’d she have the official power to fire the VP? I guess President Mellie just let her do this when you’d think she’d want to do the honors herself?). After all of this, Olivia goes on about her business to do whatever she wanted to do with her life. You see her strolling around D.C., visiting her father for dinner, walking to wherever it is she is traveling to, and running into Fitz along the way. Side note: It seemed to some she may have been meeting Fitz, but she wasn’t. She is looking forward traveling in her direction. She is about to pass up the vehicle that stops on the side, Fitz exits, causing her to stop for him. He says “Hi”, she says “Hi”. Anyway, so I couldn’t figure out the result of what I expected to be some grand destination for the great Olivia Pope, the star of Scandal. If it was that big daddy knows best in bailing her out of the grand mess, and finally understanding that her mother was right in encouraging her not to worry about cleaning up behind others, worry about HER own desires, then she could have come to that destination a season or two ago! But, this wasn’t the destination. Part of Rowan’s speech to Jake about real power:
Thank you! Based on this, I realize that, as hard as it was to witness things play out, I’d rather have Jake in the background in the position he was in than in the foreground with all the others being saved. It’s this background where Scandal’s silent heroes reside; it’s where Shonda invested the heart of power. It shows how important Jake Ballard’s character is to Shonda, and I appreciate him even more.
Eh I mean i guess but they don’t go into detail they just leave them standing in front of each other with “Hi.Hi.” which technically can be taking a lot of ways…
Olivia is not even intending to meet Fitz outside, she runs into him. You can see that she is looking forward in her direction as she is about to pass up the truck Fitz exits, causing her to stop and look at him before passing it up. He says hi, she says hi, that’s it. It could mean anything, which is Shonda’s point. Olitzers can take it and create their own fantasy of an Olitz life, which is all they will ever get, since Shonda refused to give it to them concretely. They are so good at fantasizing about Vermont, babies, marriage and jam, so go to town! If Shonda wanted Olitz to be together, she would have written them together. She made it plain for Quinn & Charlie, Marcus & Mellie, and Abby & David; Shonda KNOWS how to write people unquestionably together, so if she wanted that for Olivia, she’d have given that to Olivia, ESPECIALLY since Jake is in jail! Nothing was stopping Olivia. Shonda established no commitment for Olivia, never had her put the ring back on, much less show it, didn‘t have her say I love you to Fitz in the finale or during S7 at all. Nothing. She wasn’t even meeting Fitz on her walk, but ran into him. They had sex in the finale after Olivia gave him a choice between being down in the dumps about jail or spending the time having sex, choose one, and there is nothing romantic about THAT! It’s clear that Shonda herself didn’t want Olivia in a committed Olitz relationship, but she did give Olitzers something to create their own fantasies from, which they will. She gave Olake substance in a beautiful brief conversation between them, but then, Olake always had a lot of meat to support more. Olitz had sex and “Hi”, but that’s what the Olitzers like. Take off your clothes, sex, and hi. They never wanted reality, but passion and fantasy, so they didn’t get reality, which is where commitment comes in. Shonda ain’t bout all that fantasy stuff! Olitzers want Vermont, babies, googly eyed Olivia, and jam, so the the burden is on Olitzers to create the fantasy in their own minds. Here is your “hi”, use your imagination to build from there.
Although I’m still recovering from the painful blow to the gut Scandal’s finale served up good, I feel that I’ve been able to gain some clarity of the finale meaning. I’m still upset, but it is what it is, Shonda has spoken, so I’ll share my thoughts. Hopefully, some of you might share yours. I’ve been trying to figure out how to best organize my thoughts, so I guess I’ll start with my questioning what or where did Olivia exactly arrive to at the end of this journey Shonda talked so much about. I hope I can remember everything I want to touch on…
Among the many gripes I had with this episode is that I could not figure out what the result was of Olivia’s journey; what was so special about the end result that I wasn’t seeing? All that I was able to initially gather was that her father bailed her out of the huge mess she made in exposing B613, and she turns down Mellie’s offer to work for her in informing her that she doesn’t care to clean up other people’s messes any longer. She believes in Mellie’s ability to man the Oval on her own. When asked what she planned to do next, she responded, “Whatever I want.” A short time before, Olivia meets with Cyrus in the Oval to hand him resignation papers (which is weird since she is not an official employee any longer, so how’d she have the official power to fire the VP? I guess President Mellie just let her do this when you’d think she’d want to do the honors herself?). After all of this, Olivia goes on about her business to do whatever she wanted to do with her life. You see her strolling around D.C., visiting her father for dinner, walking to wherever it is she is traveling to, and running into Fitz along the way. Side note: It seemed to some she may have been meeting Fitz, but she wasn’t. She is looking forward traveling in her direction. She is about to pass up the vehicle that stops on the side, Fitz exits, causing her to stop for him. He says “Hi”, she says “Hi”. Anyway, so I couldn’t figure out the result of what I expected to be some grand destination for the great Olivia Pope, the star of Scandal. If it was that big daddy knows best in bailing her out of the grand mess, and finally understanding that her mother was right in encouraging her not to worry about cleaning up behind others, worry about HER own desires, then she could have come to that destination a season or two ago! But, this wasn’t the destination. Part of Rowan’s speech to Jake about real power:
“You have nothing. That’s my point. How could I have failed both you and Olivia so spectacularly? The two of you scurry around this town, squawking to anyone who will listen about how powerful you are. How have you learned so little sitting at my right hand, absorbing nothing? If you have to tell me how powerful you are, you ain’t nobody! You got nothing! You have no power! Real power is silent. Real power is hidden. Real power was there all along. Real power cannot be gained and never can be lost. It is not a commodity. It is who you are.
I am power. Absolute, total, unyielding power. I will always be power, and I keep waiting for one of you to step up and join me, because it is so lonely up here at the top. Running the world? Really? Running the world and seeing all its moving parts is exhausting. The sacrifices, the losses, the endless deaths, the level of responsibility. “Command” may be a title, but it is not a job. You may call yourself Command. She may have called herself Command. Do either of you actually think you ever took Command from me? How I wish. [Chuckles] How I wish one of you would evolve so that I could call myself extinct.”
After wondering about the seeming disappointing worth of Olivia’s destination, I thought about Rowan and this speech to Jake. What the heck happened to Olivia’s power? Where was this power Rowan had, AND MORE for Olivia? She was the star, the great feminist! How could Shonda make Olivia depend on a man in her grand exit, only to leave MELLIE with the presidency, AND SHE’S JUST HAPPY DOING WHAT SHE WANTS WANDERING AROUND D.C.??? That’s it?? The disappointment I felt…. But, then, I thought about Rowan and wondered, “How powerful can HE really be if he had to, at the end of the day, testify in answering to the justice committee and wait on their judgment? As powerful as his testimony was, he was still at their mercy since they held the power to make the final decision to either go with Rowans’s wise suggestion or decide to put them all in jail? I thought he said nobody really took Command from him. I thought he was so powerful and ran everything in ways we didn’t see, and was waiting for his kind to join him up top? He was UP! TOP! I believed him! Up top where? He was sitting down somewhat below a line of white judges waiting to reign down their judgment on him, so…. Where was it? I didn’t see anything. But, there in was the problem with my perception. I was looking in the wrong place; my perception needed adjustment. I was looking for something external, measurable. Something that I could tangibly witness. I heard Rowan say the power was internal, but for him, I thought the internal was also exercised externally in commanding this Papa Pope power that I could measure! I was so used to seeing external power as THE show of power on Scandal, that I expected it had to be displayed if Rowan was talking about it. I used to believe Jake had that kind of inner power to some degree, but since he was being dumped on and disrespected so abusively, being called a b**** by everyone, I thought Scandal didn’t really acknowledge that kind of power. I had to think more, and thinking on Rowan’s speech to Jake again, listening to his court speech, and reading a few key comments made by viewers helped to adjust my perception to eventually get the answer to my question about Olivia’s destination. That internal power Rowan talked about, exercised within the courtroom, really was internal!! And, when you truly connect with it inside of yourself, it brings you PEACE. It’s an awakening, at least as I see it. You don’t NEED external resources of power to prop you up. You don’t need to show it off, you don’t need praise and position and acknowledgment and glory. It can’t be given, and it can’t be taken away. You really are sitting “up top” of everything when you connect with such substantial power. Everything IS slower when amongst people who don’t have or connect with such SUPERIOR internal power. You have nothing to prove to anyone, and therefore have a great deal of resilience to other’s negativity, opinions, or approval.
The realization of and inner peace with internal power was Olivia’s destination. As we witnessed, Olivia struggled to arrive here from Scandal’s beginning. She nearly lost her soul in chasing other’s approval and recognition of her value this season in commanding B613 and functioning as COS. It was all based on hidden insecurity so much that, when she resigned from the WH, she questioned having power at all. She silently feared failing Annalise Keating in the crossover episode, covering it with looking down on Annalise and using the public mess of her life as a scapegoat for her own fears and failure in the trouble they experienced getting to the Supreme Court. Yet, back then she was able to see the internal power she really had in beating out WH opposition in Mellie to gain access to the Supreme Court. So, currently, Olivia has arrived to her destination of inner peace in claiming her power and freedom it gives. No elaborate show of B613 Command or controlling the president, or any other glory vehicle; just her power. She is now “up top” with Rowan, he isn’t alone anymore.
Olivia isn’t the only one to have found inner peace with their own substantial power; Jake has found his way back to his substance as well. He always had this also, but with the barrage of disrespectful blows he took to his value and worth from so many at one time, combined with his own hidden insecurities, Jake lost himself for a while… Although with harsh words, David helped Jake to re-connect with himself once again before he died. David may have said harsh things, but he also encouraged him to pick up the white hat again, because he believed Jake still had a chance. Of course, David also tapped so boldly into his own inner strength in standing up to a Jake Ballard gone wild with a gun pointed at him! Jake, being a man not afraid to kill, David was certainly courageous in the face of sheer danger. In that moment, he found his own freedom, something he was willing to die for.
After considering everyone individually, I then realized that Olivia, Jake, and Rowan have this one thing in common in the finale; a quiet, peaceful and substantial power surging within them! Rowan, in the way he descried in his speech and displayed in his courtroom words; Olivia in finally understanding that she doesn’t need the assistance of external glory vehicles to attain and prove REAL power; and Jake at peace in holding the weight of the Republic’s sins squarely on his shoulders; the sacrificial sin eater, even paying for David’s death. I always believed that Shonda wanted these kinds of people to come out of the shadows to stand in Scandal’s foreground to get their due recognition and honors, as well as positions of great leadership, at least Olivia Pope as the female star, but Shonda wanted Olivia to realize the truth of her massive power for herself, nothing propping her up in the form of a leadership position so there is no mistake of her self-awareness! Likewise for Jake. Jake’s massive power that so many underestimated and believed he had none of is best shown by him not only paying for his sins, but unfairly paying for all of THEIR sins as well, with a smile on his face and peace in his soul, while they cheer, judge and look down on him! They are FREE because he is paying their price in a “Christ-like” sacrificial way. This is the second time Shonda is making the analogy between Jake sacrificing and Christ’s sacrificing for the world. Jake is strong enough to carry this out massive debt, learning as a little child how to travel within himself to find peace from the horror of his abusive world. Had Jake somehow gotten off or others helped pay their own debt, it would have diminished the boldly showing just how false other’s beliefs of Jake truly are. Rowan yelling at Jake was essentially Jake receiving the “you have to be twice as good” speech. From Rowan’s perspective, don’t come to him with anything less, because that’s failure to him, even if you are above the others in the specific value. It needs to be 100%; twice as good. Not Fitz, Mellie, Huck (too damaged already), Quinn and Charlie (they have a family now, and Quinn was already ready to jet on everyone!), or Abby can be at peace in doing what Jake is doing for life. Rowan has already did his time as a black man in America, and it certainly isn’t going to fall on the shoulders of the black female to pay all the sins; she is already at the bottom of societies barrel serving and slaving, so Jake had to do it. A sacrifice had to be made for the reset and refresh of the Republic (taken from the Bible in saying a sacrifice has to be made for sins), so Jake had to do it. And he could take it.
Shonda stated Scandal wasn’t a fantasy, and although I’ve had to suspend reality on more than a few occasions, I suppose she wanted to show some kind of realism in keeping such people’s value silent behind the scenes. The public won’t know all that they’ve done, but don’t need to know. A white man was made to pay for everything to ultimately maintain the conscious/sub-conscious public perspective of white supremacy, white people such as Mellie and Fitz are perceived as the clean and appropriate great power of the strongest nation in all the world, Cyrus is free, those who deserve recognition won’t necessarily ever get it, etc. I guess it was important to Shonda that real power recognize their own power and be at peace in knowing the truth, that they are the great part of making their nation great. Recognition or no recognition, this is the truth, and without them, there would be no great America. Do such people deserve the full value of acknowledgment and appreciation for their massive contributions to their country that they helped build and held up? Yes, indeed! It’s owed, it belongs to them; they’ve EARNED their recognition, equality and respect! But, the reality is, it hasn’t happened. It is a real life journey we are currently on to rectify such wrongs. Olivia Pope knows the source of her true power now; she knows who SHE is and embraces her truth in silent peace. She is the help no longer. She has appreciation for people like her father and Jake now, who she used to undervalue and take for granted. Another very important lesson that she learned is the value of teamwork. She can ask for help with ease now, knowing that she does not have to be a one-black woman-band. She doesn’t have to save and serve the nation all by herself; she doesn’t have figure out the entire plan, define its steps, and actively work to employ it all by herself. This is where Shonda divided the need to finally purge the Republic of its sins for a much needed cleansing and reset between 3 key characters: Olivia, Rowan, and Jake.
After initially watching, I was SO angry at Shonda for seemingly showing Olivia to be so stupid and weak in making this huge mess that she could not clean up; daddy had to swoop in and save the day! I found it shocking, incredible, bizarre, and beyond absurd that the great feminist Shonda Rhimes would have the Formidable Olivia Pope go out like that! I was angry that Olivia needed sex from one man to make her feel better about buckling under the great mess she made, then having another man swoop down to save her! I was heartbroken, so upset that I actually shed tears for Olivia, as well as for what seemed to be Jake’s meaningless presence in all of Scandal. I was angry at Olivia, and… I honestly even found myself getting angry at Jake for being so weak in allowing all of this to happen to him. As expressed already, I have clarity now that Shonda meant none of what I incorrectly perceived, and that she didn’t abandon Olivia or Jake. In its way, Shonda’s intention for them is quite poetic relative to the meaning of why things happened the way they did. The reality of it all IS sad, it’s unfair; they wall work so hard in helping to keep America afloat and sacrificed so much, but citizens will spend their lives thanking and honoring others for work they didn’t do. Still, I also have appreciation for Shonda dividing out the great save of the Republic between Olivia, Rowan, and Jake and not leaving Olivia to do it all alone. How exactly was the great save divided out?
1. Olivia identified what needed to be done: Take down B613
2. Rowan presented the tactical plan for how this would be carried out and who would be responsible
3. Jake, the soldier, actively carried out Rowan’s plan in becoming the Christ-like sacrifice in taking responsibility for everything by taking the blame for all sins – including David’s death - and going to jail for life.
With the effort of all 3, the Republic’s sins are paid for, cleansed, and reset. Everyone else has a fresh new start in life in being free to do better. Scandal has always shown that sacrifices have to be made for great things to happen. It’s plain to see that Scandal has drawn on Biblical ideas, figures, meanings, and purposes in helping to craft certain character’s personality qualities and story purpose. Scandal has done this specifically for Rowan and Jake, where Shonda oddly enough has attempted to loosely infuse a Christ-like purpose in the Jake Ballard’s character. I talked more about Jake relative to this quality under Mike Burn’s post, so I won’t delve into that here. One important thing God says in the Bible is that sins HAVE to be paid for with a sacrifice, “without the shedding of blood, there is no remission of sin.” I don’t know how specific Shonda wanted to get in regards to how the God states sin has to be paid for, but it seems that David was the innocent blood that needed to be shed as part of the price, then Jake was nailed to the proverbial cross for all the sins in being jailed for life. Obviously, there is absolutely NOTHING Biblical about Scandal! However, I can see Shonda’s own intentions and attempts that I objectively speak on here.
I can now appreciate the fact that Olivia obviously couldn’t’ pull off what she wanted to do alone. The cleansing and resetting of the entire, corrupt Republic for a new start required help! Olivia, having evolved along her journey, had no problems asking her father for help in carrying out her epic task, which needed to be done (when I say needed to be done, I’m speaking on SHONDA’S intentions, because I never thought B613 was bad or evil in and of itself. That all depended on its Command and other elements of choices made.). Olivia did her part in identifying the problem and what needed to be done. I’m satisfied with Olivia in this now. Neither her father, nor Jake came up with this epic need or believed that it could or should be done through destroying B613. Olivia did, and moved forward with the need, even if that meant they ALL had to go to jail. She was willing to pay the price. I believe Olivia could do it, the OTHERS? Nope! But, Olivia would ultimately be fine. We’ve witnessed her resilience to all kinds of things throughout Scandal, and like Jake, she understands isolation well, and came through it. Anyway, initially Rowan was ready to run. He didn’t initially agree with what she was doing, and after leaving her with important documents meant for her security, he was out! The one thing he was right about was advising her that always serving others in cleaning up their mess was not good. He was certainly right, which she came to understand. Rowan eventually decided to help Liv. Being the wise and experienced brotha that he is, and understanding how to deal with supremacist America better than Olivia, was able to speak bold and enlightening truths in the courtroom to lay out his tactical plan of action in how they should move forward in judgment should they want to maintain their false public images of supremacy. You better blame it on a white man! Jake, being the exceptionally resilient soldier and human being that he is, was able to bear such an epic responsibility on his shoulders without crumbling. Rowan knew that of Jake. Jake could pay the price, because he had the substance to pay the price without breaking. Jake lovers would have a very hard time accepting that Rowan of all people would have the audacity to make Jake Ballard of all people pay for HIS sins. We saw how he abused and beat Jake into submission in becoming his son. Physical, emotional, and mental abuse. What’s more, he refused to let Jake or any other son ever be free of B613, threatening death should they ever even think of trying to or challenging him. Now, he presently moves the committee to make Jake pay for all of his sins in B613; make him responsible. It’s haaaard to make peace with that, but I have based on Shonda’s intentions, and understanding why Shonda wants Jake to be the one to do it. It’s a horrible and most unfair fate, but that in turn serves to highlight Jake’s inner power that he has in abundance; an exceptional value that other characters, as well as viewers, questioned about Jake. If you understand the heart of this, then you can see the greater meaning in this for Jake. Shonda didn’t meticulously craft Jake the way she did, in ways many who saw and understood respected, and keep him around through to the very end as a key character for nothing. Just to destroy his character and bizarrely and make him a villain in the blink of an eye. No, his purpose, his fate has tremendous meaning for him that I can greatly appreciate now, even though visibly sad. Life is unfair sometimes, and you don’t always get what you deserve. That’s reality. None of that has to destroy the epic-ness of your inner value, however. Jake’s inner value was a key player in the great fight, and it didn’t fail. He carried out his mission and is part of the reason everyone else is free and happy now, even the woman he loves, Olivia Pope. What did he say he got out of it? He felt happiness in his life once, a man who never had happiness, and he was grateful enough to have fallen in love with Olivia. It was worth it to him, and the love HE had would take him through his time in jail forever. If that is not an EPIC love to you; if you still can’t see how great this man’s love is, then you’ll just unfortunately never know… Somebody pointed out that when Olivia told Fitz everything was her fault, Fitz didn’t say anything to counter that. However, even in jail for life, when Olivia told Jake it was her fault what has happened to him, he countered in comforting her to say don’t worry. Don’t apologize, because he got the chance to love her, which was worth it to him. This is all, for now.
One other extremely important thing the finale shows me is that Shonda continued to set truths, reality and substance in the background. I thought things would come into the light this final season, especially in the finale, which is why I was so initially disappointed. I thought that everything playing out in the foreground was all the truth now and background life became meaningless. But, she actually didn't stray from setting truths and reality in the background in the finale at all. This informs me that, a great deal of all we talked about regarding what's happening behind the scenes of the foreground was correct. For instance, in the crossover episode, Jake worrying about the opponents to Olivia's efforts with Annalise and covertly wording things in the hopes of Quinn waking up to realize she shouldn't stand in Liv's way is the truth. In his silent way, he was worried about and trying to help Olivia.
#I COULD FEEL THIS SHIT #HE FINDS A DIFFERENT WAY TO SAY HE LOVES HER EVERY TIME #AND EACH TIME #IS BETTER THAN THE LAST #LIKE HOW DO YOU??!! #IF THEY WERE TO EVER GET MARRIED COULD YOU IMAGINE HIS DAMN VOWS #THE WHOLE PLACE WOULD BE IN TEARS #SHIT #I COULD FEEL HIS WANT FOR HER AND HE WASN’T EVEN MOVING OR TOUCHING HER
Oh Jake, my precious bae, Olivia has always chosen you. In Mrs. Smith Goes to Washington, she chose you. In the Price of Free and Fair Elections, she chose to stand in the sun with you. In an Innocent man, she gave Fitz “hope” to save your life. In Baby Made A Mess, She forced Fitz to ensure your well being and safety while in custody and chose you over her father, Rowan. In the Last Supper, she had someone stab Tom and mindphucked him to get him to confess to the killing Fitz’ son. In the Last Supper, she joined you and Fitz in an attempt to take down Rowan. When its mattered, Olivia has always chosen you over everyone else. In Til Death Do Us part, she chose your life over her happiness. You are her one and only weakness.
And in “You Can’t Take Command” she signed those recant papers real quick when Jake was threatened, even though she was still ready to throw Fitz under the bus with Remington. See, this is why the party line that Olivia’s “love” for Fitz trumped all is superficial and naive and beside the point. It’s like, Ok, but what has she done to actually display all this love she had for him? Besides constantly walking away from him, constantly tossing him back at his wife, making him impregnate said wife, kissing Jake at times when she was supposedly “with” him, and forever getting up in his face when she’s advocating for Jake’s life or safety, his feelings be damned? Her relationship with Fitz wasn’t a choice, it was a tether. A tether that she finally snapped.
Hope and sex! She continues to dangle that in front of Fitz for use of his power and resources, something he cuts off access to when he can’t have her. She doesn’t have to state there is hope; he has it in her being away from the WH and out of Command, not to mention all up in his institute working out of there. After burying Quinn and being at emotional rock bottom, Fitz was a much needed relief/vacation from her misery and bold reality of her life. I’ve always perceived him as the vacation from her reality; the “one minute”. She wants no commitment. Lets also throw in here with your listing out the ways Oliva has actively chosen Jake, the time she chose Jake’s life over her own father’s life! When the pseudo doctor demanded that Olivia meet his demands in getting his friend off the hook with her Russian handler, and the handler refused her offers, she offered up her father’s life to save Jake. She told Fitz that she’d never chose her him over her father, ever.
Fitz is pathetic! How do you come down on a man about spying on a woman when you ordered him to spy by lying to him? He deserves nothing of Olivia Pope. Truthfully, however, Fitz is guilty of his own accusation of Jake since he was the creep who misappropriated a human government resource by lying to violate a woman. Does he ever feel ashamed of the many times he has violated her?
I’ve had puzzle pieces that I’ve been trying to fit together for a while, some I forgot about until someone else's post on another site jogged my memory, but I think I might finally have some kind of understanding of Olivia’s efforts and end goal. Hopefully, I'm not wasting words and it all makes sense.
First of all, the Peus/Ponytail arc helped me to understand that there are essentially two elections that take place in the Scandal world: 1. the theatrics election for public office where such public positions as president and vice president are chosen. The public representatives of government. 2. The power “election” where power is chosen in the form of Command. The real power of government is not in plain sight, but functions quietly behind the scenes to fuel, support, protect, and maintain the positions of the public faces. Also, the race to the seats on both sides are quite different, where the underlying jungles race bare fangs and claws, and is vicious and deadly. It’s the ways of the jungle of power. The seat of power has to be earned by taking it by force from its occupier and other competitors.
As we know, Shonda has it set up so that both sides of government are meant to function harmoniously where the politicians are the face and power is the body. It’s been referred to as balance, but I use the term harmony, and harmony must be maintained for the total success of government to be realized. When harmony – balance – is disrupted, the government is unstable. The entire body (which includes the face in this sentence) must have its representatives set secure in place and functioning harmoniously for things to run smoothly. The public faces may be chosen and ready to go, but if power is not ready; if power is not locked and set in place or experiencing trouble for whatever reason, the public side will manifest as unstable. On the flip side, if you have a president that oversteps his/her position in believing they have more power than they have – such as has bene the case with both Fitz and Mellie – and they are effectually challenging the power of power, then a true Command is meant to respond appropriately. Commands ability to take control of the situation to restore harmony/balance in making sure the president and his officials are back in place actively reveals that they are truly Command. If Command is not able to accomplish this, then, even though there is a literal person sitting in Commands seat, a vacuum exists since they aren’t truly Command, which puts them in danger of being usurped. Command MUST be substantial. It requires real power that has to actively show BITE. It’s the action side. There is no huffing and puffing here, no bark, no lip service. It’s silent, it’s in the shadows, and it BITES. The president can huff and puff and blow no house down; that’s the president’s job on Scandal. Huff and Puff in front of the public, but truly blow nothing down. They can bark, but have no bite and be an appropriate president; it’s theater. A good president is meant to show strength and display a powerful presence; this allows the citizens of their country to feel safe and secure, which is their job to do since the public interacts with its public faces. They are meant to bark, however, the bite is reserved for power. Command can’t perform power, they have to BE power. It’s not the realm of theatrics, but substance. This is why Olivia has experienced problems as Command.
Mellie is a president who is set and ready to go. She has all that it takes to be a good president; she has bark, huffs and puffs, spits fire in lip service; her performance of power in front of the public deserves an Academy Award!! She’s exactly what a president should be. A president the likes of Mellie needs a TRUE Command who can back up her loud bark! However, Olivia is unsettled as Command, which means a vacuum truly exists, which means it’s election process was not over when Mellie took the Oval. Mellie is overstepping her position, because she has no Command reigns, and she needs Command reigns. She’s being forced to have to worry about things she wouldn’t have to worry about with Command in place. She’s being forced to have to step a bit into the Command arena of power, otherwise; she’d have been toast long ago! It’s not like she truly has the power to maintain her position, but she can attempt to slow down the process, forcing enemy power players on the power side to come through in attempt to usurp Command Olivia’s empire in clearing Mellie out of the Oval. Without Command Olivia, Mellie is prey. The problem with Olivia is that she has been half stepping as Command, which is essentially no Command at all. That seat requires full attention, respect and dignity of a fully functioning Command given over to it, 100% Olivia used it to preserve HER power, not for the purpose of the Organization. She’d dip in and out of the seat as needed, such as when she had Huck turn a gun on a child, blackmailing and then killing Rashad, killing Luna, and attempt to clean up the mess made from killing Rashad in placing the blame on Fenton Glackland. The fact that she was able to order such things shows Command CAPABILITIES, however, such decisions are not meant to be misused and undermined to serve yourself. Also, she displayed weakness as Command in showing she was too afraid to handle such dirty work with her own hands. This exposed her as someone who huffs and puffs, someone who barks, which is why Jake called her on it in the last episode. She couldn’t even take the gun out of Jake’s hand; he had to force her to put her hand on the gun after placing it in his mouth! When it was up to her to kill Cyrus by herself by giving him a glass of poisoned wine, she couldn’t’ even do that; hand shaking. Command’s seat demands a substantial occupier, she can’t perform like Mellie is able to; real power can’t be faked!
As much as Jake loves Olivia and was willing to honor her Commandship, HE himself is Command, and based on Oliva’s half-stepping, huffing and puffing actions, he saw that a vacuum existed. For a loyal soldier the likes of Jake Ballard who also loves the Republic, he will move to occupy the seat if necessary. Olivia seemed to underestimate that she had a Command right beside her, watching her every move and gauging her ability to Command. When he saw that she failed, he took it. She didn’t see Command Jake coming, because she underestimated him and took him for granted. As much as people believed she disrespected her father, she actually showed more respect for him as Command in her attempt to cage him. She also showed more respect for Cyrus in her attempt to cage him within the VP spot to monitor him. But Jake? Nope, she left Command Jake wide open, because she only perceived him as Jake. Jake told her long ago that once Command, always Command. As stated, Jake was all for supporting and respecting Oliva as Command; he had no plans for bringing forth Command Jake, perceived where he was needed, BASED ON HIS UNDERSTANDING OF HOW B613 IS DESIGNED TO OPERATE.
The thing about Jake is, after many years of elite B613 agent experience, as well as Commanding B613, Jake has his own way of understanding how B613 is designed to function. Every Command inserts his/her own soul into the organization so that it molds to their particular management style. There are common functions to all Commands that can’t be escaped – such as people having to die, which Olivia has to get used to since killing isn’t wrong per se – but overall, it tailors to each Command. So, while Jake respected the BEST of Command Rowan’s way, when he felt Rowan didn’t misuse his power, he still established differences, such as taking on the dirty work with his own hands when possible and standing beside his agents in service when possible. We witnessed this when Tom, Jake and a few other agents closed down and monitored the hotel floor President Fitz occupied when meeting with Olivia, and we witnessed Jake kill and burry the bodies of the two women he killed by himself. He didn’t want to put the burden on other broken soldiers. Although Rowan brought Quinn into B613, and Rowan made it a rule that once an agent, you can never be free of B613, Jake made sure to break that policy in releasing Quinn from B613. Jake was a much more approachable, humble, and hands-on Command than Rowan. Rowan was the best, even with his faults, but this was Jake’s spirit of Command. So, Jake is instinctively sizing Command Olivia up based on his standards of a true Command and all that he has experienced. This can be problematic for Olivia since she is a complete newbie to the entire world of B613 relative to functioning within it at all, as an individual she would bring her own style – which she seemed to be under development while she was Command – and she hates to kill with her own hands. A true Command can’t occupy the seat of power WHILE figuring out their own style, fumbling about with its power resources and such confusion. That’s as good as a vacuum existing, allowing competitors to come through and snatch it up and placing the current president in danger! Everything has to be in place, set, and ready to go once in the seat. The fact that Jake shocked Olivia in taking Command, but continued to support President Mellie is a testament to the fact that he supported Olivia’s regime. The problem for him was just the President was wide open to danger due to Olivia’s issues with Command. Jake didn’t SEE that Olivia was doing things properly, and if she had another style in place that was quite different to any he’s had experience with, it would have to be proven to be successful for him to respect it and align under it. He is not seeking personal power and has no problem supporting a good Command, but you must be legit! As I mentioned in my reply on Tori’s post, Olivia depending on Jake as an adviser to be a successful Command, where he has to be next to her to Command, exposes her as not being a true Command as well. Jake can’t hold her hand through this; she has to be top dog in taking command of Jake Ballard. He can be an advisor; that can be part of her own style of Command, BUT, it has to be shown that, should something ever happen to her advisor, she can Command that organization without him. She has to be the one her team looks to for the answers, respecting her ultimate authority and decisions, respecting and trusting her OWN authority and decisions and style, with her style proven to be capable and in full operation! If she has her own way that is supposed to be legit, then she has to PROVE it in action! No barking about what it is, no huffing and puffing about what her style is, no big bad leadership lip service; she has to be it in proven action. Show that bite while sitting fully in that seat, DARING anyone to challenge her! As much as Jake Ballard disliked some of what Command Rowan did as Command, he displayed a whole lot more respect for Rowan’s Command, even when fighting and angry! Because, Command Rowan earned and owned his seat; you MUST be better than him to take it! He had all the bite in the world and blew down MANY houses, all done invisibly in the shadows.
It’s time for Olivia to earn and take her Command on her own, which I believe she is covertly doing. She can’t do this with Jake; they can’t be a literal team on this, this time, because even Jake has to be shown. He’ll respect it in the end. She has to prove herself better than Rowan and Jake in taking Command, not just Cyrus. I don’t know exactly when she started, but I believe she is on that mission right now in reclaiming her Command. She told Jake on the phone, “you can’t take Command”, so maybe she was in the process then of proving her Commandship, which required a period of playing dead, weak, and vulnerable. Watching her whimpering and lip trembling and scared and broken and wanting everyone to accept her, like a lost wet puppy begging for a home at the front door made me want to VOMIT! Ugh…. It was so horrible and painful to watch! I’ve heard others complain about this, wondering what the heck happened to her! BUT, if she ends up where I believe she is going, everybody in place, acknowledging and respecting her Command and style, even essentially BEGGING for her Command, as President Mellie was begging for… There are no words to express what would be excitement and happiness for her! I expect harmony/balance to be restored with both Oliva and Mellie finally secured in their places. QPA will be fully functioning on their level as well. I think about the scene where Olivia is sitting alone on a bench, outside the Capital, in the dark. She looks like she has a tremendous amount on her mind and shoulders, and she does. She sure does… Thinking about it, in light of all that I perceive now, I see that it so completely represents all that she is going through, alone. She has to do this herself. Olivia Pope, the Capital representing the Republic, the darkness, looking over it by herself. It’s a wonderful scene. I feel like I wish I could tell her in that particular scene that I believe she can do it, that she can. Jake is not the only one who has been undermined, disrespected, and brushed aside as if his power and support is valueless. Olivia has been going through the same experience. Just as Cyrus all but laughed in the face of Jake when he put the scissors to his neck, he all but laughed in the face of Olivia when she threatened as Command to deal with him should he refuse to support whatever it was she ordered him to support for Mellie. Mellie has disrespected BOTH of them as well, so horribly. Rowan disobeying Olivia’s Command and bringing in Fitz to wreak havoc on her Command, Fitz telling Mellie about B613 and Luna, the intervention, the Coup of the Oval, the intervention to MAKE HER GIVE UP COMMAND… Both Mellie and Quinn telling Olivia that they were not listening to or working with her for her, but for Fitz and Charlie, Quinn telling Olivia that she was going to take down Command Olivia, butting into world affairs as if she were remotely on that level, shoot… Her Command, respect, and authority was crapped on just like Jake was crapped on. I’m not saying it wasn’t partially her fault, but the fault was that she didn’t occupy Command properly to put and keep these people exactly in their places! You don’t have to like or agree with her decisions and actions, but they gone respect her Command and authority, period! Had she been correct from the jump, any rising they may have tried would have been futile before they even began to rise. And, all would have been in place. But, here we are.
I feel like what we have been witnessing now is the rise of those who have been disrespected and deeply taken for granted, rise up to show their might. It’s the period of don’t get it twisted, let me show you who I am! You’re too quiet, you’re sitting down, people want to act a fool, it’s time to rise up and bite. Make them take their seats.
There’s one thing I enjoyed about this episode: the fabolous coffee ice cream I was saving for the finale. I did not eat the whole can, but it sure as hell was one red, underlined chubby plus.
Not to mention: the more they try to show–and shove at us– how olitz works and olake has been long buried (in a matter of episodes with the most hazarded writing I’ve seen in a while) the more easy it is for me to spot how untrue and forced it feels.
I cannot deny that I’m speaking out of a preference I have, but I can’t shake the feeling that this is not the course the characters were meant to pursue, either; call me crazy, I just can’t.
Side note: Scott’s acting skills? TERRIFIC. I STILL HAVE CHILLS
She was so happy leaving Olitz and getting out of that WH, she put up a Christmas tree; a woman who doesn’t like Christmas decorations. That’s one bright tree!
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