Meh... I feel like the first half was so weak. It felt like Shonda betting on classic dynamics that have worked in the past, but are now just plain tired. Mama Pope is dynamic and arresting, but they threw so many pointless monologues at her. don't get me wrong, I loved what she was saying. The part about cultural appropriation? YQY. But it had no purpose. Were we supposed to believe that after 15 minutes of being kept in a cell, she went so off the wall to drag society for miosgynoir? She spent like 20 years in a cell not as roomy and successfully to escaped. It was like the writers said, "Oh, fans love Maya? Let's fill twenty minutes with a coo coo for cocoa puffs soliloquey and they will love it because they love her."
I would have liked Fitz's talk with Mellie about when he was shot. It was moving, except for the fact that he left out what really happened. They hated each other's guts in the car. If my memory serves me well, literally the last thing he said before he got shot was a snide comment to her.
Did like Quinn's pregnancy. That was unexpected and very well executed.
But the second half was beautiful. Fitz's final goodbye to the White House? Geez, I was crying. The scene with Luna was so delicately acted that I knew something was off. I just didn't recognize that I knew something was off until Cyrus revealed himself. I loved the final scene with Olivia and Cyrus where they recognized the monsters in each other. Game recognizes Game.
30 minutes before it ended, I was wishing that they solved the big bad and the Fitz/Olivia scene was the series finale. But after that ending, I guess I don't mind another season.