S04.E19: I'm Just A Bill

[QueerGirrl]

As expected, Rowan's opening speech was just so excruciating. I kept wishing Joe Pesci, in full Goodfellas form, would stab Rowan in the back of the neck with an icepick and say "I'd thought he'd never shut the fuck up!"

 

As an aside, though I have absolutely no information that would verify this, I am now certain that Susan Ross will foil Mellie's Presidential aspirations by getting the party's nomination, and then will be elected President herself.

Can you please write for the show? Both of these ideas sound awesome!!

[Donny Ketchum]

Have we all forgotten that Jake killed James? Why does everyone like him so much?!? Gah. He's just as bad as the rest of them, IMO.

 

If Jake's not really dead after all those stab wounds, I'll be really mad. That's a whole other level of unrealistic. I was just rolling my eyes at David raising a glass and claiming Jake as a white hat after what David knows what happened the night James was murdered by him and the other half a dozen times James threatened David. Then he's stabbed a billion times.

 

Hard for me to believe that Jake is really dead, but maybe he is. Goodness knows that he should have never lasted this long. David toasting him as a white hat after Jake murdered James is a new low for this show though.

Now, just to be sure, James was the guy who was shot during that nighttime massacre last season, and after he was shot, Jake was quietly telling him to let go and die before he finally did, right?  I only really started watching around that episode (and even then, I was only having it on in the background while my boyfriend was watching it), so I don't know some names just yet.

[Dowel Jones]

The problem is it's long overdue

 

For me, that is the problem with the entire show.  It has gone from "Wow, did that just happen?" to "Okay, game over for him/her. Oh well.  Delete.  What's next on the DVR list?"

 

Scandal takes place in a parallel universe...

 

Where various high level recognizable government operatives meet and discuss plots out in the open in parks and The Mall, and no one pays the least bit of attention to them. 

Edited April 19, 2015 by Dowel Jones

[Fat Elvis 007]

As much as I like Susan Ross, this show will never allow someone as good and uncorrupted as her to become president.

[ChicksDigScars]

Man.  I feel like the only one who liked Jake.  My only problem with Jake was his association with B613, i.e. the plot that ate the show.  As a boyfriend and a love interest for Olivia, I found him infinitely superior to effing Fitz, who self-pity and whining is basically the opposite of sexy to me.

 

THANK YOU. Did Tony Goldwyn's manager come up with the script this week? 

 

And no, You are NOT the only one who liked Jake. The fact that he's either dead or in the OPA witness protection, and professional torturers Quinn, Huck and Charlie are still walking around, sucks. Don't get me started on the bloviating, scenery chewing Poppa Pope. Fuck him and fuck Shonda.....or this:

 

 

As expected, Rowan's opening speech was just so excruciating. I kept wishing Joe Pesci, in full Goodfellas form, would stab Rowan in the back of the neck with an icepick and say "I'd thought he'd never shut the fuck up!"

 

Hahaha!  I love this idea. I want to live with it in Vermont and make jam with it.

 

If I were Scott Foley, I'd think twice about HTGAWM if Shonda asks. She's had him on two shows and has killed him off twice.  If he shows up on a Shonda show in the future, just know he's a dead man walking. 

 

 

 

Have we all forgotten that Jake killed James?

 

Shrug. Nope. I found James to be an annoying, nagging, harpy.  I just felt sad for Ella over that one, but I wasn't mad about it, other than that. 

 

There are several main characters with as many kills and tortures as Jake, and that includes the WORST President EVER, who started a war where soldiers died, to save his slam-piece-on-the-side, yet miraculously stays in office and continues his reign as the show's romantic hero. There are NO white hats on this show. They shouldn't even be saying that phrase any more. 

Edited April 19, 2015 by ChicksDigScars

[ThomasAAnderson]

 

Where various high level recognizable government operatives meet and discuss plots out in the open in parks and The Mall, and no one pays the least bit of attention to them

C'mon besides POTUS, FLOTUS or Eric Holder how many Americans could actually identify the chief of staff or any other member of the administration?

 

This episode was Scandal re-orienting itself--maybe its the strong COTW of the last few episodes but I'm enjoying the show again. I hope this week's ending means Marcus will join Pope & Assoc. I think Marcus will be the moral compass now that David's hat is a little gray. 

 

I did wonder if the hairstylist is on vacation because Mellie and Olivia looked like somebody's grandma.

[Eolivet]

Now, just to be sure, James was the guy who was shot during that nighttime massacre last season, and after he was shot, Jake was quietly telling him to let go and die before he finally did, right?  I only really started watching around that episode (and even then, I was only having it on in the background while my boyfriend was watching it), so I don't know some names just yet.

 

That's right -- guy with dark hair and glasses. That was a brutal episode, but, to me, it was exactly the type of OMG moment that was the bread and butter of Scandal for years.

 

Just realized if for some reason, Papa Pope does die by the end of the season, the show will have killed off their two Guest Actor Emmy winners the year after they won the Guest Actor Emmy. I suppose they can't help it if the actors want to leave, but still.

[reggiejax]

As much as I like Susan Ross, this show will never allow someone as good and uncorrupted as her to become president.

 

 

I believe Susan Ross will become President, but I see it mostly as a contunuation of the charecterization of Susan Ross as someone who pretty much stumbles into success. She's sort of like the Chance Gardner of the Scandal universe. Though in reverse, as everyone thinks she is stupid, but really she is incredibly sharp. Combine that with Mellie being someone who could fuck up a cup of coffee, and it practically writes itself. 

 

On the other hand, who's to say that Susan Ross remains good and uncorrupted. You can't hang around the Fitz administration without getting some stank on ya. 

[Dizzychickstar]

I'm sad. This is likely the first episode of Scandal which has bored me completely. I never bought into her new boy toy as he always plays a bad guy, so no surprise there. Plus, as any of you mentioned, the plot with Marcus, the mayor, and his wife was completely predictable. Jake's "death?" Surprising to a degree, but he really hasn't done much for the last couple of episodes. I covered my face during the chop chop mambo and when "Alex" seduces B6boytoy-just ugh...On first watch, I only caught the last 10 minutes. On second watch, I came to the sad sad sad realization that I'd missed nothing really. The only bright moment was Susan shutting everyone down. Where is my show?!

[HeatherinThailand]

...and, once again, I realize I made the right choice by giving up on this show at the end of season 3, so to me, Liv and Jake are living in bliss on an island.

[Chicago Redshirt]

C'mon besides POTUS, FLOTUS or Eric Holder how many Americans could actually identify the chief of staff or any other member of the administration?

 

I'd imagine a good portion might know the Secretary of State, Secretary of Defense, the VP and the WH Press Secretary. Also, that those numbers would be higher in Washington DC.

[WhineandCheez]

No matter what happens on that screen, I still cannot get around the humongous error of the fact that a woman who 2 months ago was worth 1 billion on the black market daily walks around Washington DC un-kidnapped.

[Sidney]

I cracked up laughing when Olivia spewed out of her mouth that she would NEVER allow a person to get in the way in what she knows is right! I guess she doesn't rank rigging an election up there with doing something criminal.

[Chicago Redshirt]

No matter what happens on that screen, I still cannot get around the humongous error of the fact that a woman who 2 months ago was worth 1 billion on the black market daily walks around Washington DC un-kidnapped.

2 billion. 

 

And yeah, it would be one thing if she kept her head down so that all the potential bidders thought that she had been taken by the people who won the auction, and was off the market. But when she's running around arranging press conferences and threatening police departments and such, it's probably hard to think that all these bidders would not try to pick her up at a discount.

 

Maybe Papa Pope has scared them all off, lol.

 

I cracked up laughing when Olivia spewed out of her mouth that she would NEVER allow a person to get in the way in what she knows is right! I guess she doesn't rank rigging an election up there with doing something criminal.

To be fair, Liv didn't let a single person get in the way of what she "knows" to be right in staying silent about the election rigging. Her not coming clean (at least in her mind) was not just about what was good for Fitz but also what was good for THE REPUBLIC. 

[vanarnd1]

There were parts of this episode I liked, Olivia's speech to Marcus felt honest and poignant, seeing Susan Ross stand up to Fitz was nice, and David had some good comic relief. But B613 is going to be the death of this show sooner than later. It is a never ending plot that dominates everything that is going on, which not a good thing for a story line that seems to be almost universally disliked by the audience. If it isn't wrapped up by the finale and Papa Pope is still around than the show will continue to tank next season.

[hendersonrocks]

I think my new coping mechanism for the complete suckitude that is Scandal is to basically ignore any scenes with Papa Pope, Daughter Pope, Huck, Jake, David, and Quinn. I find iPhone games are really effective at passing 3-4 minutes at a time, and once I'm done with a new round of Whirly Word I can enjoy Susan, Mellie, Marcus, Cyrus, Abby, and whatever victim of the week actually reminds me of how entertaining this show USED to be.

 

Blech. Go away, B-whatevernumbersyouare. Because if you don't go, I'm going to. I can only play so many rounds of Whirly Word.

[Guest]

The whole episode drove me crazy. All of it.  

 

I get that Susan Ross is supposed to be representative of a good politician doing the right thing, but come on.  The VP wouldn't cast the tie breaking vote in the Senate for a big piece of legislation?  That's just dumb and lazy storywriting.

 

Quinn and Huck gleefully crushing the bones of the murder victim? Ugh. Huck just keeps getting worse and worse.  He needs to be put out of his misery.

 

Jake's B613 testimony focusing on Operation Remington?  Such a plot contrivance. AND I'm pretty sure the grand jury wouldn't really convict Rowan of murder on that one seeing as the federal government funded his spy operation and the plane was shot down to prevent a dirty bomb being set off in London. I mean, it was a non-existent bomb, but I think that was far less heinous than when a lot of people died to keep him from being arrested.  

 

Speaking of - who is Rowan? It's as much of a mystery as what is B613.  When we first met B613, it involved 9 people. Now it is hundreds and hundreds of people with billions at their disposal.  Rowan used to be the guy who cried over having people killed, knew the names and family of every kill he had ordered, and more. Now he's just evil.  He kills just because. He's the all-seeing, all-knowing, all-powerful lord of the underworld. It's lazy writing and not particularly compelling either.

[BigBlueMastiff]

 

I think my new coping mechanism for the complete suckitude that is Scandal is to basically ignore any scenes with Papa Pope, Daughter Pope, Huck, Jake, David, and Quinn. I find iPhone games are really effective at passing 3-4 minutes at a time, and once I'm done with a new round of Whirly Word I can enjoy Susan, Mellie, Marcus, Cyrus, Abby, and whatever victim of the week actually reminds me of how entertaining this show USED to be.

Ha, I read this and thought Papa Dope and daughter Dope. Does anyone really swish as hard as Daughter Dope while walking? Is Jake finally being put out of his misery that is any involvement with the Dopes? And why is the actor who stabbed Jake, whom I remember getting hit upside the head by Shane's woman on The Shield, still so hot?