S05.E16: The Miseducation Of Susan Ross

[scruffy73]

Did the WH not fully investigate Susan when they pulled her in to be VP? I was surprised that Olivia was surprised about her not actually being married. That story Susan told at the debate about her "husband" in combat must have been a big part of her political narrative and I'd think someone would have looked into it before now.

Yes and I'm extremely distracted by his role. Surely they brought him on to be Liv's next lover, right? If so, let's get on with it.

Well that explains Jake's odd behavior in this episode. So who do I blame for the glaring (to me, anyway) dialogue error when Sally said "Bravo!" in reference to Susan's last-minute home run at the debate? Pretty sure an ace bloviator like Sally would have known to say, "Brava!" since she was referring to a female.

I thought it was established when she ran for Senator that she was never married.

[Loves2Dance]

Liv is completely irredeemable to me at this point, just like Huck, Quinn, Cyrus, and Jake. These people are awful. She's willing to ruin Edison's life and career because he got addicted to pain pills due to her FATHER arranging an accident for him and Susan and her daughter's for no reason other than standing between Liv and something she wanted.

I'm tired of them trying so hard to be based on real events. With the craziness of the show in general, crossing into real life just feels extra squicky.

Rowan screen chewing while yelling at Edison was painful. Painful writing and acting. And then Jake sitting there disinterestedly eating. Just weird. What has happened to Jake?

I hate them all almost as much as I hate myself for watching.

Edison has Rowan in his back pocket---I think tearing his life apart is perfectly acceptable. 

[Tara Ariano]

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

 

Scandal Delivers More Politics As Usual
The Presidential candidates (and their campaign managers) wheel and deal, dirtily.

[ChicksDigScars]

Liv is completely irredeemable to me at this point, just like Huck, Quinn, Cyrus, and Jake. These people are awful. 

I hate them all almost as much as I hate myself for watching.

 

Three weeks, and I haven't watched. I've been binging Private Practice, instead. And while i want to punch Violet, Pete and/or Sam on a continuous basis, I realize that I miss Addison, Sheldon, Cooper and Charlotte. And I don't feel one fucking bit sorry for Shonda and her tanking Scandal ratings. This was the piece of crap that she sacrificed PP for, even with her obvious and massive love jones for Taye Diggs. Suck it, honey. 

Edited April 5, 2016 by ChicksDigScars

[Oblique Angle]

Thank you to everyone who noted that the WH and Olivia already knew that Susan wasn't married to the military guy. I'd obviously forgotten about that. I guess I'm still surprised though that it wasn't public knowledge. If she and her husband got benefits for her and her daughter as dependents, I'd think the military would've needed proof that they were legally married. As far as the paternity of the child is concerned, let's just say that military wives are some of the world's most notorious gossips and at the very least there would've been persistent rumors afloat.

[Anela]

I just watched part of this, forgot that it was on (on-demand) after I switched my headphones off for the commercials, and then remembered it just before it ended. That guy hung himself in his cell? 

 

I hate Olivia now. She is now showing herself to be just like her father. 

[candall]

Still new to this show, but are you really allowed to pat yourself on the back for choosing to run a clean campaign after your masterplan expose' loses steam because you've manipulated and pressured your "corroborating source" to the point of suicide and he's no longer available?

[JasmineFlower]

I'm SO confused on what is going on at the moment this season. I was hoping for the second part of the season to help the show rally, and somehow Olivia has gotten worse and is destroying a good woman for reasons unknown. I mean, yes, technically Susan could have evil demons in her past and we just don't know it (even though she was thoroughly vetted and the show has somehow forgotten that was down by OPA), but from what we know, based on the last 15 years of her life, she's been a loyal, honest, public servant. AND OLIVIA KNOWS THIS. And she's just okay with destroying her? I've clearly missed some hidden episodes where there is a clear explanation for why Olivia is on the warpath for Susan, why Mellie is now one of Olivia's BFFs the person Olivia has the utmost faith in to run the country above literally everyone else, and why it's okay for her to threaten, belittle, and demean people exactly as her father does.

 

They have spent the last four seasons on this series showing us a morally flawed, but largely honorable woman who when it came down to it would do the right thing as long as her man wasn't in the crosshairs, who turned out much better than she should have as the daughter of two actual sociopaths. And this season has been a character assassination of the highest extent showing us that she's absolutely her parent's child. So, I say again. I'm confused. So, so confused.

Edited April 10, 2016 by JasmineFlower