Scandal: Discussion Thread

[Soaplovers]

So out of all the stories to choose from to resolve in this episode, they end up resolving the one story that was actually interesting. I was hoping that the Josie Marcus/Fritz/Sally campaign story would have been the season 3 arc with all the subplots revolving around it. It would have been interesting to have Olivia and Fritz on opposite ends, and it would have been a believable obstacle.

It seemed like the Josie Marcus story ended very quickly as if it dawned on them that this was the last episode that Lisa Kudrow would be available to film and quickly resolved things. I would have featured this particular thread in the last episode and then resolved it in this episode. Then we might have been treated to Harrison with Josie's sister/daughter. Perhaps even had Harrison be the one to find out what she had done and feel conflicted over what to do.

[ChitHappens]

So happy I watched this eppy! Otis Redding's "Try A Little Tenderness" was worth it. My GOD I love that song more than so many things. When it plays on my MP3, I just rewind over and over. It s/b the Daytime Anthem.

As for the show, I really like Cyrus' dirty dealings finally catching up to him. lol.

Liv loves her some doggy style! Girl, I aint mad atcha! She and Fitz have some wonderful chemistry.

Mellie's refusal to accept Fitz will never love her is so interesting. Pathetic, but interesting. I don't know if her reluctance is due to actual love for him, disrespect as FLOTUS or possibly losing her status as FLOTUS. Maybe a combination of all 3. Bellamy plays the hell of it.

Huck! What a filthy mute! I cringe at the sight of him, but I'd love for him to torture Quinn and then kill himself. I hope that is what happens next week because I'm tuning in for that. He can kill Abby too! I loathe the 3 of them equally! I only cut Harrison slack because he looks so damn good! CS is hot!

Why? This relationship can go but so far, so you have to take the stops and starts. For the first time, I actually really liked them. The hot love scene certainly helped!

[marceline]

Same. They actually bore me. I started surfing the net during their love scene.

[Darn]

Because all of their scenes are THE SAME. Fitz's talks earnestly about their future, Olivia's lips quiver. Then she yells at him and he talks even more earnestly. Then they kiss/have sex.

I mean really. A couple cannot survive on chemistry alone. The characters make no sense. And I feel like Olivia isn't even in control of her life anymore. She's just there to yell at all the men in her life and give Kerry Washington a scene to cry in every week.

[Antoyne]

Darn has just perfectly explained my post .

[Soaplovers]

My conclusion after the first 8 episodes is that Sondra has finally surrendered to the fact that this is now a soap, but hasn't gotten down the pacing and structure that goes into making a 22 episode prime-time soap just yet. I think that an experienced soap writer needs to come in and assist with structuring the show to fit into the realm.

I find it interesting that just as Olivia finds her strength and dignity again and opts to leave behind the White House, Fritz seems to pull something to bring her back in again. He leaked her name to the press, and just as it looks like she is finally making strides (with breaking the phone.. which caused me to cheer).. she is pulled back in because of a house he built for her.

Week to week, I am finding that this is a truly dysfunctional relationship that should not be celebrated but to be treated by a qualified therapist.

TWOP was pissed that the show resorted to rape to try to garner sympathy for Mellie. I think the show was trying to show how Mellie made the change from being a warm person to someone cold and afraid of emotion. The few times Fritz has tried to show her affection (i.e holding her hand,e tc) has been met with iciness from Mellie. Now I don't excuse Fritz running to Olivia at all, but I can understand why he eventually turned to Olivia. If he found out what his father had done to Mellie, he would have tried to be there for his wife.... but at the same time, Mellie choose not to say anything and tried to repress it without going to therapy. Over the years, it has manifested and turned Mellie into an woman without any emotional attachments or warmth. Very tragic indeed

[Antoyne]

She's icy towards him because he's been cheating on her for years..

[ChitHappens]

I, too, think the rape of Mellie was a cop out. Why can't she just be a bad ass who wants and loves the power that comes with being FLOTUS?! She can still be a likable character, and Bell has proven time and time again that she is not one dimensional. She can play FLOTUS with many layers as long as it's clear what her motivations are.

I think the icy comes from Fitz contemplating giving it all up for Liv. Remember her speech to Liv in one of the prior seasons about Liv allowing that other woman to get to Fitz while Liv was "sleeping on the job". The affair with Liv didn't appear to be a problem until now because it kept Fitz focused and in the White House, where Mellie wants to be.

This new back story has ruined that!

[Ann_SS]

Yep, the rape was a cop out. It was also obviously an afterthought because in the episode where Jerry shows up to help, there is no way that he had raped Mellie from her genuinely enthusiastic greeting.

You must not have ever watched Grey's Anatomy because all Rhimes es ever writes are soaps. Grey's is a soap with with a medical twist. Scandal is a soap with a political twist.

[Soaplovers]

She has stated in interviews that she doesn't like the term 'guilty pleasure' when it comes to Scandal. It seemed like the show was originally created to feature a fixer in Washington D.C... even basing it on a real life person and having that person involved.. yet it reeked of soap opera from the start.. though the case of the week has been gradually given away.

[marceline]

What a cracktastic mess this show has become. B-613 has become to Scandal what the Initiative became to Revenge.

Maybe Shonda can use the shortened season to get back on track.

http://tvline.com/2013/12/06/kerry-washington-pregnancy-scandal-season-3-shortened-18-episodes/

[Ann_SS]

I watched last night to see the follow up of James and Cyrus which I loved. Of course, Cyrus is right, James won't leave, but I very much enjoyed James telling Cyrus off and asking for a divorce.

The rest of the show was a hot mess, even more than usual. And I am always amazed at how bad the acting can get. Other than being a good friend, why is Scott Foley a regular on this show? He is as bad as the rest and the character is useless. SR needs to make Joe Morgan a regular and get rid of Foley.

The shortened season won't help, but it will allow Shonda to wrap up this crap sooner than later.

[ChitHappens]

They really JTS with the VP killing her husband. That was... I have no words.

As for the shortened season, Shonda only wanted to do 13 eppies to begin with. Guess, ABC had other plans.

[Ann_SS]

I am pretty sure the ABC only cut the episodes because of Kerry's pregnancy. They are already having problems hiding the pregnancy.

[Darn]

You don't think Olivia cowering in the corner in every episode is doing enough??