S04.E03: Inside The Bubble

[Haleth]

Mellie is breaking my heart.  I was so embarrassed for her at the meeting.  She desperately needs a cause to distract herself from her grief.

 

I'm glad I'm not the only one who got a sinking feeling when Fitz was thanking Gabby for helping Mellie, thinking they were going to start a fling.  Despite, you know, him not knowing her name and all.  But then he asked her about Liv, so... whew.

 

Speaking of Abby, I don't remember ever hearing that she and Liv were friends from law school days.  Is this a revision?  

 

I can't believe the writers want us to buy Cyrus being so stupid.  He HAS to be using the encounters to go after Lizzie.  Cyrus would never be so reckless.  Right?

 

Poor David.  Learning the repercussions of dirty tricks to manipulate politics.  Good intentions are not enough to justify blackmail.  Smudges on the white hat are not attractive.

[Ohmo]

I'm still liking the Mellie storyline, but it is beginning to drag somewhat.  I feel myself wanting to know where we're going with it and to get to wherever that is.  I doubt that, due to her status as FLOTUS, Mellie could be treated as an inpatient at a medical facility.  At least, not for the long-term.  So, will she be treated in the White House?

 

I'm also getting tired of Olivia being in he dark about her dad.  I love how Olivia is on the ball about her job, but I dislike how all these men have "handled" her in her personal life, and she doesn't seem to catch on.  Fitz has done it, her father's done it, and Jake's doing it now.  It makes Olivia look dumb, and she's not.

 

Speaking of dumb, I hate the whole thing with Cyrus.  I know he misses James, but I do not buy that he's not at least thinking of the possibility of a set up, particulary since he knows Michael is paid to have sex AND Cyrus paid him!  Cyrus has enough political enemies that I can't imagine he hasn't thought of the potential consequences of what he's doing

 

I will thank Shonda for not showing anything related to torture with Jake and Charlie.  I saw enough of that last season, and I'm now aware of what transpires.  I don't need to keep seeing it.

[WasntMe]

I started watching last season and am currently watching the season where Grant gets shot (on Centric) and that has helped with some of the backstory. But they seem to jump around so much and talk in code. Maybe it's me. Now Quinn is also "Robin"?

 

IIRC, Charlie called Quinn "Robin" in an I'm Batman, you're Robin thing. 

 

The look Mellie and Fitz shared after the park ranger told her the crime was solved.... was everything... that it all. 

 

I have really enjoyed watching the two of them this season, the looks between them, and the way Fitz looks at her now-- instead of her always being in his way or on his nerves before this season.

[topanga]

 

 

He did get shot in the head- something the show never mentions, not even in his passionate State of the Union address.

 

Ah.  I didn't know that.  I only started watching this show last season.

 

Really? You've got to go back to watch Season 1 and 1/2 of Season 2, when the show was still good.

 

That being said, this season is less crazy than last season, even though I can't really figure out where the story is going. There seems to be 4-5 subplots going on throughout the eposides without any clear narrative theme to hold everything together.

[La Tortuga]

This show is utterly ridiculous at this point. In no way can someone EVER challenge a law that hasn't even been passed yet. I mean the ever loving fuck?

 

I'm with you on this one. I think Ms. Rhimes and her writing team need to go back to college and retake American Poli-Sci 101. Even the way they talk about their new piece of legislation doesn't make sense. I can't tell how many days we are past the State of the Union, but somehow the bill has already been "pushed through Congress," but also hasn't been passed yet, which by definition is a contradiction. Even if, somehow, you could get a federal judge to hear a case challenging a law that does not yet exist (because repealing the 2nd Amendment is going to work retroactively so federal agencies have started enforcing it in advance?), why would David Rosen use his B613 files on that instead of arguing the illegality of even hearing the case? Why not use his files to blackmail whoever is holding up the passage of the law?

Edited October 14, 2014 by La Tortuga

[PrincessTT]

Are David's B613 files the originals or did Jake make copies of them all for him? If they're the originals then why is Papa Pope not trying to find out where they are?

[mwell345]

Question:

 

Besides the "inner circle" who knows about Fitz and Olivia?  Does the general public know?  Do all of the people Olivia works with know? Is it  supposedly an "open secret" in DC?

 

I started watching the last half of last season, rewatching earlier season now, but I've always wondered about this.

 

Thanks.

 

 

Really? You've got to go back to watch Season 1 and 1/2 of Season 2, when the show was still good.

 

 

In case anyone is interested, Centric is rerunning Season 1 or 2 (don't know which one) every weeknight  night at 8pm.  It's channel 330 on my DirectTV.

[Ohmo]

Besides the "inner circle" who knows about Fitz and Olivia?  Does the general public know?  Do all of the people Olivia works with know? Is it  supposedly an "open secret" in DC?

 

I started watching the last half of last season, rewatching earlier season now, but I've always wondered about this.

 

Thanks.

 

 

IIRC, the general public knows that Fitz was unfaithful to Mellie, but it has been spun (by Olivia, Cyrus, and the "inner circle") that he was unfaithful with Jeannie/ Jennette something like that---I know I've got the name wrong, a lower-level staffer in the White House.  She was fired, Olivia took her as an OPA client to rehab her public image, and I think there was talk of her writing a book.  So, the public knows a half-truth about Fitz: It's common knowledge that he had a mistress, but the public does not know it's Olivia.

Edited October 14, 2014 by Ohmo

[Dejana]

IIRC, Fitz leaked Liv's name after Mellie went public about Fitz being unfaithful to her. The media were camped outside her building (part of a season finale cliffhanger) but Liv managed to shift attention to that staffer. Because no POTUS, especially one known for being involved with an intern (one of the first "scandals", in S1, Fitz turned to her for "solace" after Liv quit her White House job), could ever have more than one mistress at a time.

After JFK and Jackie's baby died, she had a bad time of it for a while and eventually took a trip abroad to get away for a few weeks (on her future husband's yacht-her sister was the one "friendly" with him at the time and invited her along, plus another ambassador and his wife were there, too, to minimize the bad PR). The Kennedys were more jet set than the Grants seem to be, and maybe the writers are going more in a Mary Todd Lincoln direction with her grief, but if Mellie had gotten out of DC, even spent time with friends and family, I doubt it would've been that scandalous. If Fitz seemed to be falling apart publicly, people might say she abandoned him, but the media weren't saying he wasn't holding it together.

[Anna Yolei]

 

I'm glad I'm not the only one who got a sinking feeling when Fitz was thanking Gabby for helping Mellie, thinking they were going to start a fling.  Despite, you know, him not knowing her name and all.  But then he asked her about Liv, so... whew.

Who's to say he won't turn to her for grief sex the next time Olivia cuts him off? Because with their history, there is a 100 possibility of that.

[Bobcatkitten]

Olivia was named initially regarding the affair. Even though they shifted to the intern obviously America isn't stupid and everyone in the beltway would be watching how Fitz and Olivia act together. 

[gik910]

Oh my, I thought my weirdo friends and I were the only ones who reference that masterpiece! I think I love you. Or know you in real life. Either way, what a video. And man, Abby/Fitz would piss Olivia off sooo much.

So I am watching this season now that it is on Netflix but really felt I needed to let you both know that Turquoise Jeep is amazing and a guiding light in my life.  I appreciate that there are others out there that recognize their brilliance.  If Shonda could work in Sex Syrup or a large flying pigeon into this show it would really elevate the material.  

 

On a more serious note- I really can't help but feel for Jake.  I just prefer black ops to the political type.  Also, I like David Rosen playing to win.  It gives me warm fuzzies.

Edited June 16, 2015 by gik910