#olake commentary

[olakeygoodness]

yeah yeah Fitz might be able to make Olivia moan and whatever (and so does Jake but let's leave that for another post) but does he know what her favourite meal is? Would he even know what to order her from Gettysburger?

[fluffycakesistainted]

Has anyone else ever wondered if a tiny part of Liv shut down B613 because of her conversation with Jake in 3x16? You know, after the 'I asked you to save me, and you said no' conversation. My God, my heart. Someone include an appropriate wall slide, chest clutching gif for this please.

Well, yes and no. No to 3x16, because she had already decided to shut down B613 in 3x14. But yes, its effect on Jake was her catalyst for this decision. And it wasn’t a tiny one, either, it was pretty much her main motivator. So here’s a chest-clutching gif as per your request:

Liv’s been horrified and disgusted by B613 ever since she found out it existed. But did she go on a dangerous all-out crusade to shut it down? Um, no. When she saw what her dad and B613 did to Jake between seasons 2 and 3, did she set out to end it then? Still no. In fact, that whole experience scared her into submission even more for a while. Then she found out what Jake did in “No Sun On The Horizon” (perfect episode title, btw) and all of a sudden it’s “Brick by brick, we’ll tear that building down until there’s nothing left but a hole in the ground.” Like whooaa, ok. 😬

We know she was already pissed about Jake being made Command from when she railed on Fitz about it. But then she accepted it, found a way to keep him close (if you like the interpretation that it was a partial, maybe even subconscious, motivation for Jake the fake boyfriend), even used his position to her advantage (“little errands”, keeping tabs on Rowan, watching out for Quinn). Plus, she really believed he would at least take B613 in a different, better, Rowan-less direction. And then, the man who just one episode prior asked her to save him from that place, committed a triple cover-up murder, and one of the victims was her own friend. Now Jake wasn’t just a deployed gun, a toy soldier, but the one who made the call. He was fully converting over to the dogma, “the B613 in your brain.” (Speaking of 3x16, after she asked him if, basically, he could hear how crazy something like “I would never kill your friends” sounds, if he could hear the B613, he admitted that, “Yeah, I can hear it.” And that’s when she starts to move closer to the door. Because, the way he said it, yes, he can hear it, and he wishes he didn’t. He begged her to save him from it, and she didn’t, and it took him. Yikes, this scene! 😫) This was what Olivia was afraid of when she devastatingly admonished Fitz, “You know what that place is like, you know what it does, and you made Jake, Command.” And one more time for emphasis, because I love this scene:

She was soooooo pissed…

Again, she later resigned herself to the comforting belief that Jake as Command would be different. And, technically, he did operate differently, just not in the ways she would have wanted. I don’t know what all she thought Jake could possibly do tho, considering B613′s very specific purpose, but I guess knowing that at least Rowan wasn’t in charge was enough. The last thing she ever would’ve wanted, probably actively dreaded, was for Jake to become her father 2.0, as she pretty much screamed at him in their fight in 3x14. And the whole first part of her tirade just screams of the denial she was in. Seriously, “Who put you up to this?”? Ummm, he’s Command. No one puts him up to anything. But apparently when she found out B613 was behind it, her mind went to, Someone made Jake do this. He would never choose to do this. That wasn’t even in the realm of possibility for her until she confronted him. Then there’s these moments where you can actually see it finally click for her, the realization that it was indeed him, all him. So apparently this is what it looks like when Liv’s biggest fears come true right in front of her face:

Considering her fear and anger at the thought of Jake becoming like her father, it’s kind of interesting and ironic that it’s Rowan she goes to after this, and Rowan who’s the first trigger to her ultimately forgiving Jake. And there’s something I noticed while skimming thru some of these scenes before answering this. So Liv reaches out to Rowan after flipping out on Jake and she’s all in her feelings and questions what the hell the point of it all is if everyone she loves (coughcough) “is a monster”. When he finally asks her “What happened?” that has her spinning out like this, she tells him about Sally Langston murdering her husband, and that “Jake killed 3 people to cover it up…” And Rowan goes, “Oh, that.” And I love this, and how he said it. Like, Of course, it always goes back to your precious Jake, doesn’t it? He’s always been pretty insightful about their relationship, even when they themselves weren’t. Sally killing her husband was crazy and awful, but Liv’s honestly dealt with worse, and Sally obviously wasn’t one of the people in her life she was stressing about. James’ death, if it happened any other way, if it actually had been a carjacking, would’ve made her sad, not wig out on an existential crisis about no one in her life being “worth saving” (…saving. Which just so happens to be her and Jake’s thing.) So anyway, that’s when he goes into his “183” defense of Jake monologue. Which starts Olivia on taking a bit of the blame off of Jake, and placing it on B613 in general. As she later says to David, “Jake Ballard did what anyone in his position would have done. The problem isn’t Jake, David. It’s B613, and the fact that it even exists.”

So in conclusion, yes, for Olivia personally, B613 finally went one step too far by corrupting her Jake (Abby literally calls him “Your Jake” in 3x14, ha), her formerly sun-chasing Jake, so for that it had to go. 😊 Maybe she didn’t think about it in terms of saving him, exactly. But she’d be damned if that place continued its homicidal underground reign with her Jake, of all people, at the helm. And her dad did say that the point of her was

And drag Jake away from B613 and back towards their sun she surely did, whether it happened the way she planned or not (it didn’t), whether he liked how she did it or not (he didn’t). ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[mwendesunstar]

Scandal 5X13: Desperate Times Call for Desperate Measures!

Regarding Jake’s... fingering scene:

“I want to be with you, do you want to be with me?”

This is essentially what Jake is indirectly asking, or WANTS, in this scene. Jake has wanted to be with Olivia forever, so it wasn’t surprising to hear him say that, after all Vanessa brought to the table, she still wasn’t Olivia. Yet, he feels a bit foreign to the Jake we've come to know over the seasons. He feels different to Olivia as well, which is why she asks with a confused look on her face, “What are you up to, Jake?” This unfamiliar quality we are picking up from Jake is the act of manipulation he was employing in trying to push Olivia to finally break through her internal barrier. The very same barrier he refused to knock down in the season 4 finale, no matter how wide open she was for the taking (emphasized by her literally pushing her living room door wide open).

In this scene, Jake wreaked of desperation. He smelled of a person whose back was against the wall; at least now he does for me. Someone who was anxious. (I had a few prior perceptions of this scene, but I never felt confident about it until now!) Why all the desperation now? Why now when he was able to set her free and live in silent hope, prior? Willing to risk the fact that she may never return? I’ll get more in depth on this point in another post, but currently, Jake’s access to Olivia was in great danger of being sealed up in his being forced to marry another woman. Anything severing Jake & Olivia's total access to one another brings on a state of panic and anxiety, expressed in their very own way. Marriage seals up exits, preventing access to what’s on the other side. Jake believed that Olivia really did love him and would have no problem embracing him if not for her suffering/being bound by the mental and emotional invasion upon her by her father and Fitz. You have to think about Jake's mental/emotional state before he engaged in the manipulation; something he wholly refused to do, to the extent that his life was put in danger for disobeying the order to do so. I believe he wrestled inside with what he knew he was ultimately going to do, something he despised and tried to protect Olivia from. But, losing her again was not an option this time, not after so much life was given to his hope. He couldn’t bear it again. It’s my belief that knowing deep down that Olivia truly did love him and WOULD be with him if not for all the internal confusion, Jake was able to rationalize the engagement of manipulation against his love as being doable. It made him feel more comfortable this time when he so desperately needed it.  In his mind, he was just “helping her along” to where she “should be” and would be if not for all the mental tampering. If he truly believed Olivia did not love him, or would not be with him, free of the barricades, he would not make this effort to take what she would never give. For him, she was stuck. So, he would make the effort to un-stick her. After all, time was running out; he was scheduled to “leave on the midnight train” very soon. He’d be without her. Desperation. It is also my belief that, if he were not getting married, he’d have continued to be patient with Olivia; staying by her side in the way they were, until she finally came around. Of course, that presents its own negative consequences, since what they had at this point was taxing to the soul.

What were the manipulative tactics Jake employed? Jake exploited 4 emotional weaknesses within Olivia that have the effect of drawing her closer to a man; intensifying her desire for them: 1. Jealousy 2. Physical seduction. 3. Need 4. Liv’s competitive nature in not wanting to lose to anything or anyone 5. Conceit: the arousal of Liv’s vanity in being chosen over another grand female, especially a beautiful Caucasian with everything going for her. Oh, Jake KNOWS his Olivia! This is why Jake told Olivia all about Vanessa, her beauty, her pedigree, her achievements, etc. Then, he capped it off with, “But, she’s not you.” He went for FILTH in his tactics! This man isn’t playing around; it’s PERSONAL, and he’s going for it! Down to the most seductive, dripping, arousing, “I… NEED…. YOU…” directly in her ear, over a bed of soft, slow, most accentuated kisses to the neck and face…. Rowan's Jake Ballard, people! Lol!! A most important rationalization that eased Jake’s mind in deciding to manipulate the woman he loves was his decision to clearly and carefully explain to her how to overcome his storm of manipulative tactics:

“Yes, I’ll manipulate her, but I’ll provide her the antidote to my success.”

A true testament to Jake’s desperation at the thought of being severed from Olivia. He knew deep down that providing her an antidote to his efforts didn’t make it any less manipulative (which is partly why he said in 5X18 that they've both done terrible things to one another), but… he’d do it anyway, and honor her antidote if called on. A version of rock bottom for our Jake... As we know, Olivia mustered up the power to say "STOP", above and beyond the power of the tactics used to bate her. Jake obeyed and stopped, immediately. His desperate fight failed; hopes plummeting to the ground. He left heartbroken with a barely audible, “Goodbye Liv”, that she would come to understand the reason behind and regret later on. The somber music, the biting of Jake’s lip as he held back his emotions, hovering over her in silent sadness, knowing that he had to leave her now; It was very sad. He left heartbroken with a barely audible, "Goodbye Liv." As confused as Olivia was, she'd come to understand the reason behind all this later on; her own panic to mirror his. It’s like they were in two different dimensions in this scene: One walking the green mile, the other sitting in total confusion, upset, and wonder. Honestly, it was good this plan didn't work out for him; he'd be burdened by it forever.

I think Jake must have been sitting quietly on cloud 9 at Liv’s reaction to his getting married! I remember the hint of smile that crept across his face in listening to her babble on about a meaningless cake she truly cared not an ounce about! So transparent! Of course, apparent frustration fell upon him as she continued to deny the meaning behind her plain sight actions and feelings.

[olakeygoodness]

Was just rewatching some S4 Olake scenes and I came across the episode where Jake's in custody and Liv is missing her boo so she's leaving him messages.

I'm left with these unanswered questions - Did Jake listen to them? Did they talk about it??? Like surely that was something that could've been revisited?

But alas Olake were never meant to be in Shondaland....

...So has anyone written a fanfic on this?

[fluffycakesistainted]

I have been rewatching scandal and i never noticed but i just noticed that there's a sound that plays when olake have some special moments themselves. do you know that sound? song? and i think it just only started playing on s4?

Yes, they have a love theme, and it started in season 4. I think it was first played in 4x06, when Olivia went to see Jake when he was locked up. 

[mwendesunstar]

Scandal Fantasies...

Is the island just as much a fantasy as Vermont?

Olivia experienced both Vermont and the island, and she wanted both of them, which she has explicitly stated. 

However, just as Olivia can't escape her internal problems and truth by escaping to an uber fantasy life in Vermont, she certainly can't escape by running away to some far off, remote, romantic island to live out the rest of her days with Jake. The only thing all of this serves is Olivia avoiding the acknowledgment of and full on dealing with internal dysfunctions that absolutely will not go away until she addresses it! This is not to say that she can't enjoy Jake or the experience of an island when well, but they won't fix her internal problems. Until she faces them head on, a broken person breeds broken relationships, no matter how much you love the person you are with.

This avoidance brings to mind Solange Knowles's song, "Cranes In The Sky"

"I tried to drink it away. I tried to put one in the air. I tried to dance it away. I tried to change it with my hair. I ran up my credit cared bill, thought a new dress would make it better. I tried to work it away, but that just made me even sadder. I tried to keep myself busy. I ran around in circles, think I made myself dizzy. I slept it away, I sexed it away, I read it away. Away, away, away...."

Olivia Pope can't island it away, Vermont it away, can't drink it away, sex it away, can't formidable it away, can't Pope it away.

She can't Fitz it away, nor Jake it away....

Of course, as stated in a prior post, the door has finally opened. In comes the light.

[mwendesunstar]

Olivia Pope: Primary Journey

@roundabout02: I’ve been thinking about your thought as to what Olivia was so afraid of in embracing the truth of her relationship with Jake. I’ve had my theory on this and would like to share it here. Excuse any grammatical errors, too tired to edit right now....

We as Olaker appreciators primarily see – or talk about – Olivia through the facet of the Olake relationship. Collectively, we’ve thoroughly discussed and have presented an outstanding, fleshed out perspective of Olivia Pope prior to the island and after the island, which is the facet of her life primarily focused on. However, this point of view reflects Olake’s journey, and as we know; Olivia does not amount to Olake. There exists a far bigger perspective of Olivia Pope - I’d say the grand perspective or the whole encompassing all other facets of Olivia; THE journey - that can address the great question as to why Olivia Pope has, or had, so much trouble embracing Jake. I see many angry or frustrated and short with her because of this, since she comes off as both dense and stubborn in recognition of this man, even selfish and inconsiderate. I certainly can’t say that she hasn’t been all of these things during the Olake Journey, but for me, it all logically fits into my theory for why this happens; her primary journey.

PRIMARY JOURNEY:

While the Olake journey’s path focuses on prior to the island and after the island, it is my belief that Olivia’s primary journey – the journey to freedom, self-embracing, self-empowerment, living out loud, etc. – focuses on prior to the red door (mental/emotional barricade), after the revealed existence of a red door, and the final unlocking of the real red door. We finally see the door open at the very end of 5X17 as Olivia walks through it into her father’s home, after killing Andrew. This red door barricade signified dimensions of her truth that she would not and could not allow herself to experience; truths about herself that she would not and could not face. This barricade gave rise to a woman who was masked; a very tight woman who was severely bound up within a facade! This is who we met in season 1, which the season 1 poster expressed very well. There was no title or message attached to season 1’s poster, as with all the others; simply a face shrouded in darkness with the words “Scandal” written across the face. A beautiful face looking so formidable, fierce, confident, and most presentable, yet you knew there was something hidden in the darkness. We just didn’t know what. Season 1’s Olivia came with a meticulously crafted identity residing within a world that was not forgiving to those who defied its rigid protocols. The people of her class were the faces of the most powerful nation in the world, and appearances MUST be kept up! Whatever you do behind closed doors, in the dark, clean public appearances must be kept up in the form of a presentable identity aligning with protocol. Otherwise, you are ejected; the fall from which they don’t intend for you to recover from! This is why a man from Fitz’s Republican Party confronted him on his massive screw up in being caught with a mistress, a BLACK mistress at that; not because he cheated per se, but because his transgressions made it to the public eye. As he told Fitz, “You got caught.” He broke protocol in not keeping up appearances. The major difference between Olivia and Fitz is that Fitz is a white male who “naturally” belonged; there is far more forgiveness for him, especially a king, but Olivia was a black exception within that world, a black FEMALE exception. Twice as hard! Not so forgiving! Stricter protocols since such a world would have no problem ejecting her and dragging for as long as possible! The fall for her would not be the same as for the others; it’s longer and the crash even more vicious. This is what her father taught her. They don’t REALLY care about her, he’d inform her. So, to say the least, the Olivia Pope public identity was a full time job in maintaining in and of itself, ESPECIALLY with the particular skeletons she was hiding! This identity wasn’t something she simply put on and took off like a costume, to exist as true self behind closed doors, no; this was something she believed in, WANTED to believe in, WANTED to be true with every fiber of her being. Nothing behind that barricade, nothing that could be associated with her father’s reprehensible nature and ways could be embraced.

Anything residing on the primary journey path side of the path prior to the opening of the red door would be a problem for Olivia to fully embrace, so long as she was plugged into her world where the Olivia Pope identity reigned. Generally speaking, everything had its “place” in that world, so returning from that island with Jake, even after all the legitimate bonding, was still a problem since the barricade was still up. Unplugging to be on the island was separate from D.C. When Olivia received a letter while on the island, Jake gave her a look to which Olivia looked knowingly at him for as he walked past her. As happy as they were, they still knew what would inevitably happen in returning to D.C. Sure, she tried to maintain their relationship in D.C., by themselves, but it wasn’t wholly embraced by Olivia in D.C., which Jake understood. Yes, she wanted him in her life, but she still had problems reconciling a man into that world, who was meant to exist behind her barricade. The power of what she FELT for this man contrasted with her programming and all that she had built; all she deserved. And, there was indeed a massive attraction to her world and its benefits; it wasn’t like she hated it and felt imprisoned. She just didn’t know how to reconcile things since she saw things in black and white; she had trouble with grey areas. However, Jake only signifies something much greater that she is hiding from. The embracing of him exists in the embracing of a part of herself that she was ashamed of, denied, and afraid to face; a part of herself imprisoned behind her internal barricade. She would need full ownership and embracing of herself, unashamed of all that is her in its full glory before she could ever fully embrace someone like Jake. That couldn’t happen so long as that door stayed locked. This is why everything looked so confused and conflicting and twisted in that relationship. This is how she can be happy with Jake on an island, but still wear Doux Be Be the entire time. This is how we get such confusion and struggle between Jake and Liv in season 4 where they tried in the beginning, only to separate by the end, because Olivia’s internal problem still existed and wasn’t being dealt with. This is how relationships in real life that have a world of potential don’t make it, because they are sitting on a bed of serious, destructive relationship issues that are not being addressed, but ignored. This doesn’t mean that they can’t have wonderful times together that they never want to end. People say, “But, man… They were so in love, I saw it! How could something like this happen to THEM?” Unaddressed problems going into a relationship, especially embedded for years in one dysfunctional participant, is a formidable enemy to relationships that could otherwise have been out of this world and enjoyed for years! It is death patiently waiting to strike. Jake and Olivia are no different.

Olivia’s father knows about this barricade, and he wanted it demolished! Ironically, he was part of the problem, which he won’t admit, yet and still, he wanted it open. He understood that his daughter was living something of a half-life in denying herself. This is why he develops this plan, utilizing the kidnapping, in helping to… push his daughter along the road to freedom. This is where the audience first witnesses the figurative, internal red door in the kidnapping as she goes through a B613 style simulation in freeing herself. As we know, she truly released in 5X17. So, this primary journey is leading Olivia to that very important turning point moment in 5X17. Yes, Jake is someone, a partner, who can be fully embraced and experienced on the other side, but this is not about Jake and their relationship per se; this is about the wholeness of Olivia Pope! A fully occupied Olivia Pope who WOULD embrace Jake Ballard and dare anybody to stop her! There are so many things that the unbound Olivia Pope would embrace, so many exciting things that we can see and experience of her that would happen so long as the barricade remained. This primary journey is about Olivia, FIRST and foremost. She has to be armed with her own self and right before she can be right for someone else, and that doesn’t just happen with the love of a good man, especially in a severe case such as Olivia’s where she refused to face her deeply imbedded issues. Jake, being mixed up with her father and sent to tamper with her even more, certainly didn’t help Olivia’s issues, as hard as he sincerely tried. Her problems were far bigger than Jake and not really about HIM per se, so all that he didn’t couldn’t wrench open a barricade that she refused to even acknowledge, well before he entered her life. Don’t get me wrong, Jake is a wonderful presence in Olivia’s life, and he helped her in so many important ways, but there is but so far he could get in helping someone who refused specific help for something she refused to acknowledge for fears that shouldn’t be undermined! There are things she had to go through and experience the hard way, and in the right time, triggered by her father’s hand in the kidnapping. Lastly, regarding the images at the end of 4X22, directly after Jake left her apartment. As I mentioned above, there is no peace with Jake without Olivia making peace with her own true nature. The island was a very happy place for Olivia when unplugged, with Jake and just happy for herself. In the initial island scene at the beginning of season 4, we initially see Olivia laying out on the beach alone, basking in the sun with a book next to her. After a bit, Jake makes his way to her. So, how I see it, there is Olivia first, by herself happy, and then Jake makes his way to her. We get to see Olivia by herself on the beach for a little bit. In the flash back of the finale, we first see Olivia lying on the beach alone, with a chair next to her, after which the red door is abruptly showed with the distinct sound of a lock and a quick up close shot of the lock. After the barricade of the red door and close up shot of the lock, we see the image of the plane taking off to paradise, and then two shots of Olivia alone on the beach; peace and content written all over her face. This to me shows what she is barricaded from; the life that is waiting for her on the other side of that barricade once she finally faces it to remove the locks and unleash herself. By not addressing her deeply imbedded issues, she is locking ALL of this away; a world that Jake is a part of… This is why you see her on the beach, followed promptly by the door, sound of the lock, and close up of the lock, followed by, again, images of what she is barred from. It’s really herself that she is denying; the paradise of the full experience of herself, which is why we see her on the beach alone, without Jake in those particular flashback images. It’s no mistake that Jake is not within those particular images, especially when he was on the island; it signifies that this primary journey is about OLIVIA and the barricading of herself. Olivia has to complete herself first before embracing Jake.

But now, she has opened the floodgates of that red door in 5X17, so what now? Well, there was 5X18 and Olivia ready to be happy. There was a beautiful and pure, conscious embrace of their relationship within Olivia’s bedroom, finally! There was Rowan who was not having it! However, there was also an Olivia who was determined to have her partner, so much so that she decided to officially face her father in coming correct, through the front door, to take her embraced partner. He belonged to Rowan no more; he had to give Jake up to his new bond. But, this all deals with the Olake facet of her life, which I’ll talk about in a separate post. I will say that, Olivia finally embracing and officially taking her partner from her father marks a whole new beginning for the expression and experience of this relationship. Officially taking Jake from his prior bond was a significant turning point and truly signifies that Olivia understands Jake to be HERS now and embraced as such! No matter how things may seem and play out on the outside. Remember Olivia’s plaid jacket matching Jake’s tie at the end of the season 5 finale? SOOO partner! Subtle clues. I am not fooled by their argument on essentially how to live out their partnership. As we witnessed, for better or worse, Jake did what the woman said!  I’m very excited to witness them this coming season!

[fluffycakesistainted]

1/2 I was reading some Olake fan analysis. It talked about how the real marriage in 5x18 was Olivia and Jake. That it was consummated and agreed to when Jake asked her does she want to be with him and she nodded yes. Simple, honest and oddly innocent. Very OP relationship wise. Very Olake as well bc their biggest moments have almost always been quiet. And death or the threat of death parted them like you were saying as well. They were making a commitment to disappear for who knows how long.

2/2 Also in 5x18 Jake came off real to ppl who hadn’t liked him bc he was really vulnerable I think. He never let onto Liv before how much it hurt to not be chosen. Unless he was angry or reading her. Usually he’s so solid and confident that Liv can lean on him. Even during 5a w the Fitz drama. Liv probably still doesn’t know how hurt he is over her “not choosing him”. And him letting her and us in that night made us all melt. I’m curious how they will fix the broken trust between them in S6.

Geeeeez, you just said All The Things… Anyway, I think I know what post you’re talking about (this one by @roundabout02), and yes, I love that interpretation of what transpired between them in 5x18. I mean, like you said, it feeds right into my realization that the title “Til Death Do Us Part” is probably partially referring to Olake in that episode. 

About their big moments being “simple, honest, innocent”, very Olivia, and very them “bc their biggest moments have almost always been quiet” - yes, yes, and YES! SO true! On the last point, I think that’s why so many people took so long to see them as the real deal love story that they are. O/itz was written to be a loud, distractingly intense focus- puller, while gradually and subtly being torn down (until season 5, when Shonda & Co didn’t even bother with the subtlety anymore); Olake, at first and on the surface, may have seemed like Liv’s “2nd choice/consolation/settle-for/take-it-or-leave-it” relationship, but was gradually and subtly being strengthened and built up. Until we get to 5x18 and some of the last skeptics were like, “Ooooohhh…” 😯 Meanwhile, Olake’s development wasn’t really subtle at all to the people who weren’t easily distracted by O/itz’s theatrics. But even an Olake supporter on here once told me that they didn’t really have “romantic” moments. And sure, their most emotional and meaningful scenes are usually quiet, simple, and tend to be played out on Liv’s side as understated and mostly in her face and eyes. But I’ll be damned if moments like…

“Maybe I can help you not be so sad.”Liv’s “Close your eyes” callback“Your face saved me.”“I’m not going anywhere.”“…I loved you. I loved you. I love you.”“It feels like a first step.”“I want us to stand in the sun together.”“Don’t ever talk about me, and the sun, and another man again. Don’t ever do that. OK?” “OK.”“Man, do I love you.”“You’ve saved my life multiple times, and all I can do is sit here, hold your hand, and hope that you don’t die.” “We never should have left that island.” (Liv’s concern for him in that whole episode, tbh)4x22 goodbye scene 5x02 motel sceneTHIS 👇

…are not ROMANTIC AS ALL HELL.

intensity/torturous angst/volume/melodrama =/= romance; quiet/simple/honest/understated =/= devoid of romance 

The 5x18 scene where Liv agrees to be with him obviously fits right in with these, and since I’m currently re-watching s5, you mentioning it brought to mind a parallel with O/itz (and a bit of a tangent) - Fitz’s doomed proposal. Shonda gave them a typical cliche textbook “romantic” marriage proposal, that Fitz didn’t even set up himself (strike 1)…and it was totally beside the point of what Olivia wanted from him, so it immediately went down the trash shoot as she soundly rejected it (O/itz in a nutshell). Then she glumly and reluctantly agreed to marry him out of obligation (romance!), then hightailed it outta that impending wedding the first opening she got (thanx daddy and Mells!). The whole thing made O/itz look even more lame and laughable, and the audience agreed. Even YahooTV shaded them on Twitter.

Then there’s 5x18. Olake has half an episode of angst, emotion, breaking down of all pretense and, like you mentioned, exposing of vulnerabilities. And in Liv’s childhood home and bedroom, of all places. Jake straight-up asks if she truly wants to be with him, she runs to and embraces him like they’re reenacting the tarmac scene from The Bodyguard (I swear I will never shut up about the Olake/Bodyguard parallels). And the audience was In. Their. Feelins. Especially after Rowan went and ruined everything. Because only one of those “proposal” scenes was actually romantic. And heartfelt and real and included a man who Olivia wanted to commit to.

Aaaand Ok, I’m done. Again, wonderful ask! I enjoyed answering it.