S05.E09: Baby, It's Cold Outside

[Tara Ariano]

In case you missed it, here's the Previously.TV post on the episode!

 

Keep Your Laws Off Scandal's Body
Mellie and Liv stand up for a woman's right to choose, in ways both personal and political.

[Oblique Angle]

The only pain killer they would have given her is aspirin right after the procedure.

This is surprising to me. I wouldn't think they'd give aspirin to someone who's probably bleeding and would instead give Advil or Aleve or their generic equivalents. Whatever, I guess it's a minor plot point.

 

When was the last time Jake had sex with Olivia?Perhaps he is the father?

The passage of time seems to be very fuzzy in the Scandal universe. However, it seems to me it had to have been long enough ago that Liv would've been showing by now, or at least Fitz would've noticed changes in her body.

 

Totally shallow question here. Since Liv broke up with Fritz earlier that day, who put up that Christmas tree in her apartment?

That's the thing, the show left it unclear whether it's the same day. If Liv and Fitz had their fight after the state dinner she missed then it must have been relatively late at night. I don't know how she could've packed her stuff, gone home, and had both a couch and a fully decorated tree ordered and delivered the same night. She may be the Olivia Pope but it's still the holiday rush season so things just don't happen as quickly as they could during other parts of the year.

[CofCinci]

After all the murders on this show, why do people keep holding back when it's Rowan? Why?

Good question. Shonda likes the actor and doesn't want him to go out like a bitch. There's probably a redemption arc sketched out for Rowan. He'll die protecting Liv or some crap like that, but will have just enough breath in his body for one last speech.

[Guest]

The more I think about this episode, I feel like Shonda wanted to wrap up the Liv/Fitz relationship before the break, and so she went a cheap route to do it.  There was a lot of build-up for very little payoff.  Liv freeing her dad, worrying Fitz would find out, the creepy way Fitz responded, etc.  All so that they could break up over Liv not liking the first lady duties and one fight. (I know there were other issues building, but it felt very quick to be resolved.)  

[thewhiteowl]

The more I think about this episode, I feel like Shonda wanted to wrap up the Liv/Fitz relationship before the break, and so she went a cheap route to do it.  There was a lot of build-up for very little payoff.  Liv freeing her dad, worrying Fitz would find out, the creepy way Fitz responded, etc.  All so that they could break up over Liv not liking the first lady duties and one fight. (I know there were other issues building, but it felt very quick to be resolved.)  

 

 Completely agree, as much as I enjoyed it, it felt a tad rushed considering these two have been having this affair on and off for about 6 years. It began before he was president and he is on his second term. So you think they would have tried a bit harder. After all, the angst and longing and blaming the country and Mellie for the reasons they just couldn't be together, the whole reveal was a lot less than "scandalous". So I wonder if this is just another scheme to keep the putz Prez safe from Ronan. Just a thought.

[TV Diva Queen]

Any thoughts that Liv had a miscarriage and the Dr. appt was the follow up D&C?  During my in-fertility years,  Unfortunately, I had a few miscarriages and had to go to the clinic for D&C's.  Such a horrible experience getting protested and screamed at while walking in the clinic.  But I digress.....

[wanderingstar]

Well, Olivia was wearin what I'll call half smile. But I'll take it.

And yes, Mellie was with Teddy and her daughter whose name is escaping me at the moment.

[little black cloud]

I'm sorry that happened to you, TV Diva Queen. It's rough, huh?

 

I actually think Olivia was picking a fight with Fitz at least in part so that he'd push her away -- to make him hate her. All noble-like. Better that he be angry at her, after all, than hurt by her choosing not to continue a pregnancy.

 

...Which means, I fear, that this isn't the end for them. Not by a long shot.

[CofCinci]

And yes, Mellie was with Teddy and her daughter whose name is escaping me at the moment.

I don't remember the daughter's name either. I just call her Eiffel Tower.

[Dejana]

I don't remember the daughter's name either. I just call her Eiffel Tower.

 

Heh, poor girl! Her name is Karen.

Edited November 24, 2015 by Dejana

[shantown]

Good question. Shonda likes the actor and doesn't want him to go out like a bitch. There's probably a redemption arc sketched out for Rowan. He'll die protecting Liv or some crap like that, but will have just enough breath in his body for one last speech.

That's quite a bit of breath. And if we also have to account for some dramatic wheezing to continue getting through a bloviating speech, it's gonna have to be a special 2-hour long episode to have enough time.

[karenJ]

I felt like the abortion scene was written purely for shock value.  It hurt the storyline because you didn't see anything to lead you to believe that she was pregnant, deciding on abortion, weighing telling Fitz or anything.  You just see her getting an abortion.  

Yes but that is Olivia right there.  Everything she does is so planned she does not have to stop and explain it to us.  I knew she was doing it didn't you?   Why the need for a back story?  She had lots of sex with Fitz and that is the consequence.  She is not married to Fitz , they are under a microscope.  She is doing things she was not made to do , like the cookie recipe thing, the Jackie O ensembles and her rights being violated by Fitz assuming she would want everything moved to the White House.  That abortion is the first thing she did on her own in a while.   Liv lives on planning.  If you watch the show and know the characters then you would predict things that they would do.  That makes for good writing and watching.  They had a plan in place to move to Vermont when his Presidency was over.  Now the plan is derailed.  And I see a lot of Mellie lovers here.  Mellie encouraged Liv and Fitz relationship because Fitz campaign was tanking.  She would rather have a woman screw her husband than he lose the reelection.  That's REAL love.  MEH.  Me, nothing comes before me and my husband's relationship.   But I am not a diabolical crazy bitch like Mellie.

[karenJ]

Here is the thing about Jake.  First of all he is a mad killer.  he killed Cyruses husband for one and did not look back.  They have a baby girl they adopted.  The husband was the primary caretaker.  What's so sexy about that?  What's so good guy about that?  He knew how Liv felt about Fitz, he walked into it with his eyes open wide.  He left with a woman who wanted to disappear because of problems with Fitz and he took advantage.  They went to an island and he thought they would live happily ever after. She was never really his.  Maybe now since Liv made the choice to break up with Fitz.  If he was not a murdering scumbag perhaps he would be a good catch for Liv.  I think she needs to be on her own or have a friend with hot steamy benefits.  She is a strong educated, brilliant woman, beautiful as hell with her juciy, sexy expressive African American lips and her flaw are these men. Fitz is an adulterer whose need to have his willy inserted in Liv is more important than his wife, his children and his country.    Hey ladies... he's single now!! Woot!

[Dowel Jones]

..or at least Fitz would've noticed changes in her body.

 

That implies that Fitz would notice anything unless Cyrus brought it to his attention.

[auntiemel]

The concept of a filibuster might not have been ripped directly from West Wing, but the bit where the VP breaks in with a lengthy question to give Stackhouse...er...um...Mellie a break was, honestly, lifted from that WW episode almost word-for-word.

Edited December 1, 2015 by auntiemel

[psychnerd]

Apparently those were real items that have been put into spending bills.

I realized this as *soon* as she mentioned the quail study. Unfortunately, I also...got mad as soon as she mentioned the quail study. Because of this: http://blogs.scientificamerican.com/scicurious-brain/cocaine-and-the-sexual-habits-of-quail-or-why-does-nih-fund-what-it-does/

 

I support Planned Parenthood unconditionally, but. Please leave the already-scant funding given to scientific research out of it, Shonda.

 

(Just catching up on the entire season of Scandal now, several months late, obviously.)

[nara]

On 11/20/2015 at 4:56 AM, SimoneS said:

I was surprised to see the Grant children with Mellie. I thought Shonda had forgotten about them. Another reincarnation of Mellie as a devoted mother whatever.

The politics on this show is so ridiculous. I don't know why Shonda didn't just make Fitz a Democrat. He is the most unbelievable Republican president, same with Mellie. Watching her defend Planned Parenthood was so preposterous that I changed the channel.

Mellie was much colder when Teddy was born.  It's retconning by Shonda, but I'mchoosing to explain it as Melle being changed by the death of her son.

Agree on the ridiculously liberal views of the Republican President. Even in season 1, I was thinking he should just be a Democrat. Aren't most television presidents Democrats? And Mellie used to be more conservative than Fitz, but I am comfortable saying that her experience as a rape victim, and specifically, her finally opening up about it, might give her some sympathy for Planned Parenthood. Moreover, it's been mentioned before that she's stubborn and she said that she just got tired of being pushed around.  That makes Planned Parenthood less relevant, really. 

 

On 11/20/2015 at 8:45 AM, mwell345 said:

Oh, and if I hear the word "gladiator" one more time I think I am going to scream. 

For me, it's "leader of the free world", especially when Fitz refers to himself that way. 

On 11/20/2015 at 3:38 PM, Omega Mu said:

So, I was confused by the timeline of this episode.  Mellie had to filibuster until Midnight and Liv said she "had something to do."  As the filibuster was ending, Liv was checking in at the clinic (midnight?).  After the procedure, she returned to the White House, broke up with Fitz, moved home AND had a couch delivered.  Am I right that all of this seems to have taken place in the early-morning hours of Christmas Day?

I believe Congress adjourned a few days before Christmas day. In 2016, it was December 16. Liv broke up with Fitz that same day. That would give her a couple of days before Christmas to order and receive the sofa.

On 11/21/2015 at 7:33 PM, CofCinci said:

Yes, especially the Brown Tree Snake spending on Guam.  I lived on Guam for 4 years while I was in the Navy.  Those Brown Tree Snakes would crawl into everything and die.  Big problems for million-dollar military com gear and weapons.

When I heard that line item, I thought it sounded more legit than the others. But Mellie didn'thave time to review them all prior to the filibuster, so she was randomly picking line items that sounded odd.

I liked that Olivia was admiring Mellie--I believe that is a first for this series. Can Mellivia be far behind? But there will be consequences to her defiance of the party...

David and Liz have zero chemistry IMO. That needs to end now.