S05.E18: Till Death Do Us Part

[thewhiteowl]

As Olivia deals with the aftermath of what she’s done, she finally finds out what exactly Jake and Rowan are plotting. But with their plans already in motion, Olivia is forced to make a gut-wrenching attempt to try and stop it. Meanwhile, in flashbacks, we learn more about Jake’s past and how he first got involved with B6-13.

 

 

[LydiaMoon1]

Meanwhile, in flashbacks, we learn more about Jake’s past and how he first got involved with B6-13.

 

I cannot tell you how much I don't care about Jake's past and how he got involved with B sh*t.  I guess I'll skip another one.

[Tetraneutron]

Scandal, a show about a weak, useless, stupid little girl and the big strong daddy that bosses her around and manipulates her. For everyone who thinks "Taming of the Shrew" is just too feminist. 

 

Let me see if I understand this: Rowan wants to control the President, and he does that by backing Edison and then installing Jake as VP, who will be his puppet. But why not just back Jake as President in the first damn place? Because it's not as though VPs have any power or influence. Sally, Andrew and Susan certainly didn't. And even if you accept that (which you shouldn't, because it's the dumbest thing ever) why drag Vanessa into this? Why not just order Edison to pick Jake? And for that matter, Rowan allegedly controlled the CURRENT President, Fitz. Fitz was another one of the secret B613 recruits (something the show has conveniently forgotten), Rowan ordered him to take down that airplane, but Rowan, this allegedly all-powerful Command, never got Fitz to do a damn thing. And that's WITH Olivia as Fitz's most trusted advisor. So what does Rowan actually want, besides to make big speeches?

 

At least next week we get back to the fun political stuff. And a show about multiple smart and ambitious people playing each other, instead of one brilliant overlord and his gaggle of morons. 

[WhosThatGirl]

I like the character of Jack. And I think that's an unpopular opinion but I do and this episode did make me feel more feels for him. But Olivia is the worst. I remember in the first season, I actually liked her, when this thing started we had very few female driven power characters who knew what they wanted and went for it. But now? Liv backs down the second Rowen talks. 

 

I'm still not over our last episode though where Liv killed someone with. a. chair. 

[Kira53]

A man like Rowan doesn't have to leave to get fitted for a tux, he owns one. I don't know why that plot device bothers me so much. I suppose because it didn't lead anywhere. I was expecting that Rowan made up that stupid excuse so that he could leave them alone so he could spy on them. Since it's his house maybe that's what he did.

Jake and Olivia would know he would own a tux. Surely they also should expect that he has the house wired and know what happened with the hookup.

I hate how this show can be so stupid. I hate that I'm still watching. I always liked Jake with Olivia. Now they can cheat with each other, the new version Fitz and Olivia plot. When will I stop?

[DCC]

I was excited for nothing. I seriously hate Rowan and this episode revolved around him.

God, jake's past. I feel for him.

And yes, I used to love season one Livy, but she just sucks now.

[lallalla]

I can't even comment on this week's episode yet...and I need to read all the threads/post because perhaps this has been answered/discussed already, but why is Cyrus on this season to such a less frequency? I know we can argue it's how his character has been written, but is there a reason in the actor's personal life for this? Even given his changing statuses, he's such gold on this show, which leads me to wonder whether it's because of other acting pursuits or personal endeavors/choice that Jeff Perry (Cyrus Beene) is shown to such a minimal degree?

 

I've done some online searching to see if there is a reason, but didn't turn up anything, maybe I missed something small/big as to why?

This episode hurt to watch and I love to hate Rowan...wow, just wow.

And I have my real-life Jake Ballard, so to speak, from looks to other aspects (the positive ones of his personality), which I suppose makes me feel all the more invested in emotionally intense scenes with him.

UGH!

ALL THE FEELS!

A man like Rowan doesn't have to leave to get fitted for a tux, he owns one. I don't know why that plot device bothers me so much. I suppose because it didn't lead anywhere. I was expecting that Rowan made up that stupid excuse so that he could leave them alone so he could spy on them. Since it's his house maybe that's what he did.

Jake and Olivia would know he would own a tux. Surely they also should expect that he has the house wired and know what happened with the hookup.

I hate how this show can be so stupid. I hate that I'm still watching. I always liked Jake with Olivia. Now they can cheat with each other, the new version Fitz and Olivia plot. When will I stop?

Or maybe Rowan's house would be the one place not wired, in terms of thinking, the least likely place to be monitored. (though of course, he watches his own house "just in case"..still, I can buy this set up quite easily, just food for thought; maybe outside surveillance or inside without audio, his house is such an enclave, I can buy it. :)  )

Plus, Rowan doesn't need surveillance of either to know what still exists.

Despite owning multiple suits, it's not out of the realm of logic to think a man like Rowan was going to get another one and would want it fitted to the 't', even if he knew his measurements hadn't changed any.

[bobbyjoe]

Ladies and gentlemen,

 

Because absolutely no one on the face of the earth asked for it, may we present the "Jake Ballard/Rowan Pope" flashback episode!

 

[Were I an ABC executive, this would be the point where Shonda would be getting a late night phone call and a serious ultimatum about the ratings]

[buttersister]

Joe Morton's Young Rowan wig was terrifying.

[backformore]

What the HELL is this show about any more? 

[DB in CMH]

How hard is Shonda going to try to make us care about B613 before she fucking gets it? I made it through 5 minutes then deleted it.

[33kaitykaity]

As an abuse survivor, I think that colored the way I viewed this episode.  Also I have wanted to know why Rowan and Jake are so connected and now I know.  And now for my shallow comment, I liked Kerry's hair au naturale.  

[CofCinci]

What the HELL is this show about any more?

Shonda's love of Scott Foley and her desire to be Jennifer Garner.

[ShowPolish]

Episodes like this  prove the Shonda never really understood why people actually enjoyed this show.

[Daisy]

As an abuse survivor, I think that colored the way I viewed this episode.  Also I have wanted to know why Rowan and Jake are so connected and now I know.  And now for my shallow comment, I liked Kerry's hair au naturale.  

 

 

I have stopped watching this show - but i saw the first few minutes, because i couldn't find the remote. I really liked Kerry's hair. And I got v. mad at Jake for saying her hair was a mess. Shut up Jake. it was pretty. 

[Empress1]

Joe Morton's Young Rowan wig was terrifying.

It really was. I might start a men's Afro wig company, because there's clearly a gap in the market. And I liked Kerry's natural hair. I'm natural too and I was side-eyeing Jake when he told her to fix it. Shut up, Jake.

[swimmyfish]

I have entirely lost track of every character's motivations on this show.

[toodles]

What the hell was that??

[TV Diva Queen]

My stupid DVR cut off at the 51 minute mark.  When Papa Joe was threatening OP in church.  What the heck happened, and should I even care?  

[swimmyfish]

My stupid DVR cut off at the 51 minute mark.  When Papa Joe was threatening OP in church.  What the heck happened, and should I even care?  

 

To the first part of your question: Olivia then told he should go through with his wedding because she doesn't love him and doesn't want to be with him. Jake seemed suspicious of her motive in doing that, and although we the audience knew she was lying, it was weird to see his suspicion because he's kind of always had an inflated sense of importance regarding their relationship. Anyway, he gets married to Vanessa, and in flashback he goes back to his childhood home and kills his abusive father. That happens off-screen, but Jake comes out of the home with blood spattered all over his army whites, so it's pretty obvious what happened.

 

To answer the second part of your question: No. You shouldn't care about any of it. Unless Jake killing his actual father is foreshadowing him killing Rowan, his surrogate father, none of this had anything to do with anything excepted manufactured angst.

[TV Diva Queen]

To the first part of your question: Olivia then told he should go through with his wedding because she doesn't love him and doesn't want to be with him. Jake seemed suspicious of her motive in doing that, and although we the audience knew she was lying, it was weird to see his suspicion because he's kind of always had an inflated sense of importance regarding their relationship. Anyway, he gets married to Vanessa, and in flashback he goes back to his childhood home and kills his abusive father. That happens off-screen, but Jake comes out of the home with blood spattered all over his army whites, so it's pretty obvious what happened.

 

To answer the second part of your question: No. You shouldn't care about any of it. Unless Jake killing his actual father is foreshadowing him killing Rowan, his surrogate father, none of this had anything to do with anything excepted manufactured angst.

Thank you for taking the time to write this.  :)  

[Black Knight]

Let me see if I understand this: Rowan wants to control the President, and he does that by backing Edison and then installing Jake as VP, who will be his puppet. But why not just back Jake as President in the first damn place? Because it's not as though VPs have any power or influence. Sally, Andrew and Susan certainly didn't. And even if you accept that (which you shouldn't, because it's the dumbest thing ever) why drag Vanessa into this? Why not just order Edison to pick Jake?

Jake doesn't have a high enough profile to run for POTUS. Even trying to put him in the VP slot is a stretch considering he's only been head of the NSA for five minutes and before that he had no real profile (yes, he ran B-whatever, also for about five minutes, but that's supposed to be a super-secret org that the public doesn't know about, so he can't have it on his resume). He has military experience, but he didn't rise to the level of general, which is pretty much what it seems to require to go from the military to POTUS without having significant political experience in between the two. Anyway, marrying Jake to Vanessa in the wedding of the year (LOL) is intended to help raise his profile. It's silly, but not as silly as the idea that Jake could survive media vetting anyway, considering that we learned Jake Ballard isn't even his real name.

 

That said, I think Rowan's plan is for Edison to oh-so-tragically die shortly after his inauguration, and then Jake will be POTUS. And if the show does play everything out that way...really?? So Shonda's plan would be to redo Fitz/Olivia all over again with Jake in the FitzPOTUS slot? No, no, no. Please let someone else be POTUS. I don't even care who, although I think Mellie would be entertaining - but anyone else would at least represent something new storywise. We've been down the reluctant POTUS in a political marriage and Liv longing for each other road ad nauseum. Swapping out Fitz for Jake doesn't make it fresh.

 

I always find PapaPope monologues to be highly grating, but him going on about child rape and domestic violence was so unpleasant, I can't even. He had exactly one moment I enjoyed in this episode (which is one minute more than I usually enjoy him), when he was talking about how ridiculous the paleo diet is. I enjoyed it partly because he's right and partly because he didn't deliver that takedown in full PapaPope monologue style.

 

Everyone handwringing about Rowan drove me up the wall. You're all murderers anyway, so just kill him! I'm completely prepared to give them a pass for that particular murder, if only someone would frigging do it. I was hoping that at the wedding while Jake and Vanessa were at the altar, he'd pull out a gun, pivot, and shoot Rowan dead in the audience. Now that would've been a fun Scandal moment, but alas, it was not to be.

Edited April 22, 2016 by Black Knight

[Empress1]

I always find PapaPope monologues to be highly grating, but him going on about child rape and domestic violence was so unpleasant, I can't even. He had exactly one moment I enjoyed in this episode (which is one minute more than I usually enjoy him), when he was talking about how ridiculous the paleo diet is. I enjoyed it partly because he's right and partly because he didn't deliver that takedown in full PapaPope monologue style.

I laughed out loud at that. I forget that he's a paleontologist and being reminded of it in that way was really funny.

[Primetimer]

And yet, we're going to spend an hour on it anyway.

Read the story

[Dr Epi]

I always liked Jake and Olivia together so I was both hopeful and knowing that I would be gutted.

 

The emotional manipulation that the Popes, father and daughter, play on Jake is truly spectacular.  I never realized just how weak Jake was, how dependent he was on the Popes, until this episode.

 

He is not his own man. He is whoever Papa and Olivia Pope want his to be.

[backformore]

Black Knight, on 22 Apr 2016 - 09:35 AM, said:

That said, I think Rowan's plan is for Edison to oh-so-tragically die shortly after his inauguration, and then Jake will be POTUS. And if the show does play everything out that way...really?? So Shonda's plan would be to redo Fitz/Olivia all over again with Jake in the FitzPOTUS slot? No, no, no. Please let someone else be POTUS. I don't even care who, although I think Mellie would be entertaining - but anyone else would at least represent something new storywise. We've been down the reluctant POTUS in a political marriage and Liv longing for each other road ad nauseum. Swapping out Fitz for Jake doesn't make it fresh.

 

GAH!  That's what I am afraid of!  Yeah, it could go right back to season 1.   White president with secrets in his past, secret Black mistress.  Lots of secrets and intrigue all around protecting his secret past and the one man who can expose it all, who also happens to be the mistress's father.  Murder, torture, espionage, and every week, pompous  lectures from  people who have no morals or ethics, about loyalty and  dignity. Olivia delivers shouty directions and accusations at her  staff, usually of the "WHAT. DID.  YOU.  DO?"   variety.   Her staff changes, but they are loyal - partly because she is Olivia Pope, and partly because Huck is scary and kills people.  Olivia drinks wine  from a  huge glass, alone, contemplates leaving him, and just at that moment he calls whispering how much he needs her.

[thewhiteowl]

Scott Foley looks damn fine in Whites.

The over-riding theme to this show seems to be that love makes you weak. I find that sad. IDK that it would be a re-do of Olitz if Jake were Prez because Liv loved him he had the power in that relationship, for the most part. I think Jake loves Liv far more than she loves him but then she did dump him to save his life.

It was interesting to see the abuse dynamic played out, punish, reward, punish, reward between two men in a Father-Son relationship. It does explain a lot about Jake's need for Rowan's approval. I think it is entirely plausible to have Jake as VP. I never heard of most of them until they were VP and rarely afterward. Most are chosen to boost a candidate's chance to win and Jake would do that because he is Rowan's.

I actually enjoyed this hour as a nice break from the same-old, same-old.

[Guest]

Let me see if I understand this: Rowan wants to control the President, and he does that by backing Edison and then installing Jake as VP, who will be his puppet. But why not just back Jake as President in the first damn place? Because it's not as though VPs have any power or influence. Sally, Andrew and Susan certainly didn't. And even if you accept that (which you shouldn't, because it's the dumbest thing ever) why drag Vanessa into this? Why not just order Edison to pick Jake? And for that matter, Rowan allegedly controlled the CURRENT President, Fitz. Fitz was another one of the secret B613 recruits (something the show has conveniently forgotten), Rowan ordered him to take down that airplane, but Rowan, this allegedly all-powerful Command, never got Fitz to do a damn thing. And that's WITH Olivia as Fitz's most trusted advisor. So what does Rowan actually want, besides to make big speeches?

 

I hated this episode.  I hated it so much. In addition to the dumb plot, it was a little too graphicly violent for me.  And all the talk of the child rape was heartbreaking.  

 

But I disagree with a lot of this quote.  They had to drag Vanessa into it to raise Jake's profile with the "wedding of the decade" and for her to play the perfect political wife. Also, I don't think Fitz was B613.  It gets really muddy here because Shonda et al don't know how to write a coherent plot, but I think Fitz was strictly military.  He didn't even seem to know about B613 when they were first revealed.  I think B613 ordered the military to order Fitz to shoot down the plane.  But, I could be wrong. I've tuned out like half of the B613 stuff because it is so poorly written.

[TV Diva Queen]

I always liked Jake and Olivia together so I was both hopeful and knowing that I would be gutted.

 

The emotional manipulation that the Popes, father and daughter, play on Jake is truly spectacular.  I never realized just how weak Jake was, how dependent he was on the Popes, until this episode.

 

He is not his own man. He is whoever Papa and Olivia Pope want his to be.

I think you're just realizing it, because it just happened.  Jake used to be a bad MoFo, now he's a ball of mush

[marny]

So, a wedding with 600 GUESTS was able to have a last minute scheduling change? Seems plausible.

[Guest]

I think you're just realizing it, because it just happened.  Jake used to be a bad MoFo, now he's a ball of mush

Exactly.  Much like the whole B613 plotline and Rowan's character, Jake's character has been rewritten multiple times to fit whatever narrative they're currently going with.  I'm tired of it.

[reggiejax]

Scandal, a show about a weak, useless, stupid little girl

 

But enough about Jake. ;)

 

 

 

I was hoping that at the wedding while Jake and Vanessa were at the altar, he'd pull out a gun, pivot, and shoot Rowan dead in the audience. Now that would've been a fun Scandal moment, but alas, it was not to be

 

At the very least the could have had Moldavian rebels bust in and gun everyone down and leave the question of who survived as a season ending cliffhanger. Nah, that's too far fetched even for Scandal.

Edited April 22, 2016 by reggiejax

[TV Diva Queen]

But enough about Jake. ;)

 

 

 

 

 

allow me to add the rimshot.....lol

[ShadowFacts]

So the old man would rather slash Jake's throat than have him not marry Vanessa and have a chance to run as v.p., his surrogate son is better off dead than mediocre.  If I'm supposed to see him as a total psychopath, check.  Otherwise, really melodramatic b.s. spewing out of his mouth as usual. 

[Black Knight]

 IDK that it would be a re-do of Olitz if Jake were Prez because Liv loved him he had the power in that relationship, for the most part. I think Jake loves Liv far more than she loves him but then she did dump him to save his life.

Interesting perspective - I've always seen Liv as generally having the power in the Olitz relationship. She was usually the one deciding when they would be on or off, forcing him to stay president when he wanted to run away with her instead, etc. He rarely had the upper hand, that I recall. Fitz rarely has had much agency and is easily led around. I agree that Olivia loves/loved Fitz more than she did Jake, but not to the point that Fitz had the power as a result.

 

Jake's a sap for Olivia too, but I think he's had power in their relationship more frequently than Fitz did in Olitz because he's been more willing to walk away at points.

 

But, there is one key difference between Olitz and Jake/Olivia: Where before we heard about making jam in Vermont ad nauseum, we can now hear about the sun endlessly. Whee!

 

 

 

I think it is entirely plausible to have Jake as VP. I never heard of most of them until they were VP and rarely afterward.

Just because you may not have heard of the VPs we've had before they were selected to be VP doesn't mean that they weren't well-known beforehand in political circles and among those who follow politics. There's not been a VP pick that is unfamiliar to those people. Jake, whose only publicly known job of any stature is head of the NSA, which he's only been for a short time, would still be building familiarity there. He did indeed need something to raise his profile.

 

But, I know, Scandal. There's no point in looking for realism on this show. Ha.

Edited April 22, 2016 by Black Knight

[reggiejax]

Just because you may not have heard of the VPs we've had before they were selected to be VP doesn't mean that they weren't well-known beforehand in political circles and among those who follow politics. There's not been a VP pick that is unfamiliar to those people. Jake, whose only publicly known job of any stature is head of the NSA, which he's only been for a short time, would still be building familiarity there. He did indeed need something to raise his profile.

 

But, I know, Scandal. There's no point in looking for realism on this show. Ha.

 

Not to mention, VP picks are often made for the strategic purpose of having them swing their home state to the ticket. Jake has no strength in that area, never having held office. Then again, Scandal completely ignored that issue when they had Fitz choose Andrew, who like Fitz, called California his home. In reality, not only would that cost them a second state with a home field advantage, it would cost them California as well. The rules of the Electoral College prevent electors from a state, in this case the very important state of California, to vote for two candidates from that same state. 

 

But again, this is Scandal, so let's just say a wizard did it.

Edited April 22, 2016 by reggiejax

[thewhiteowl]

Just because you may not have heard of the VPs we've had before they were selected to be VP doesn't mean that they weren't well-known beforehand in political circles and among those who follow politics.

 

I do get that I was just talking about me and why it works for me. As powerful as DaddyPope appears to be Jake's past won't matter nor will swinging states. As far as Daddy is concerned the entire election thing is just a formality anyway. And a wizard will do it.

 

 I understand that the power shifted frequently in the Olitz relationship but Liv could not quit it until after she had what she thought she wanted. She waited on that stupid white couch, yearning and mooning, or screwing Jake for most of the last seasons so Fitz did hold some sway. Jake doesn't seem to hold much if he isn't standing right in front of her and even then it's iffy. IMO

[Tetraneutron]

To me the dumb part about Jake needing to be married for Rowan's evil plan to work is EDISON ISN'T MARRIED. You know, the guy at the top of the ticket? The one that actually matters? There is no way you can convince me that no one would accept a single President but insist on a married VP.

As for Jake himself being a viable VP candidate, I think we're getting too technical in wondering what state he's from. This is Scandal, not the West Wing. In the world of the show, Jake is a highly decorated Navy officer and holds an important cabinet postition. That would make him a very attractive candidate to anyone. He doesn't need to be married to be chosen as VP, especially since Rowan can just order Edison to do it in the first damn place.

Besides, Susan was Senator for about 5 minutes before being VP for five minutes, and she's a frontrunner and that's accepted by the other characters. Mellie just got out of a high profile divorce, and her political experience is also five minutes as Senator. On paper, Jake already is a better candidate than any of them are except Vargas.

In conclusion, everything involving Rowan and secret spy agencies is stupid.

[Guest]

In conclusion, everything involving Rowan and secret spy agencies is stupid.

 

Can I just copy and paste this into every Scandal thread? Because it sums everything up. ;)

[FilmTVGeek80]

 

I'm natural too and I was side-eyeing Jake when he told her to fix it. Shut up, Jake.

 

I don't think Jake was saying that her hair in its natural state looked ugly. I think he was teasing her about how her hair in its natural state looked in that moment -which was bedhead city. She basically looked how I would look if I didn't sleep with a bandanna on and that is also not a pretty picture in the morning. Once she combed her hair, it looked fine.

 

I hate B613 as much as the next guy, and if the episode had been about that, I would have hated it. But it was more about Jake and his twisted relationships with the Popes. Since I still care about Jake (despite agreeing with those that mention he doesn't really have a character anymore and is just written to suit whatever way the crazy plot blows) mostly because of my love for Scott Foley, I did enjoy this episode more than most episodes this season.

 

Ugh, Rowan continues to be the scum of the earth. I was cringing during that scene with him berating Jake for not having prevented his sister's abuse. Half cringing because Joe Morton's all caps ACTING, especially during the first part of the scene where he was screaming at Jake, was horrible. Then I was cringing for probably the right reasons. Rowan may think he's different than Jake's biological father, but he really isn't. He's basically abused Olivia in every which way he can, just shy of actually molesting her. But the scene did really explain why Jake has such a complicated relationship with Rowan. Despite the physical abuse, he's probably the only male figure in Jake's life at that point, that showed him any type of kindness - even if that kindness was mostly emotional manipulation.

 

It's sick, but in his own way, I guess Rowan does care about Jake. Probably mostly in an "I made you, so I own you way" but the look on his face at the end when Jake came back voluntarily, was probably the most affectionate that he's looked at anybody on this show.

 

I hate Olivia enough now that a part of me thought "Ha! Burn!" when Rowan told her she was a disappointment. But the other part realized how fucked up the whole thing was. He basically told her "You girl child are a massive disappointment and now I'm going to turn all my attention to my white surrogate child." God, why was Joe Morton bumped up to a regular. I never really thought we'd be rid of him, but at least if he weren't a regular I could at least entertain a fantasy that the season would end with Jake and/or Olivia killing him, but that's not going to happen. Unless they're doing a Joss Whedon and trying to trick the audience into thinking he's staying around because he's a regular now, but they'll actually do the sensible thing and get rid of him. *sigh* I know - this show and sensible do not go together.

 

I think my favorite part of the episode was the preview. So glad Abbie didn't may any attention to Olivia's stupid threat last week.

[WhosThatGirl]

I like Jake/Scott Foley too and have since the Felicity days, but the character of Jake is kind of lame now. I liked parts of this episode and parts I didn't like. I hate all the b16 stuff with a vengeance,  but I liked seeing Jakes past and it explains a lot. Liv is the worst there. And I have a strong dislike of Fitz but I'm starting to wish both men get the hell away from her. 

Edited April 22, 2016 by WhosThatGirl

[bmoore4026]

CofCinci, on 22 Apr 2016 - 02:52 AM, said:

her desire to be Jennifer Garner.

 

Yeah, good luck with that Shonda.

 

I do know that The AV Club is ripping this show apart and it is delightful.  I think Gwen Ihnet, who has been a real trooper in having to watch this show, is going to give up reviewing this show after this season because of all the horrible stuff that's gone down, which is too bad because her reviews have been pretty good.

 

At least I've got this forum.

[reggiejax]

Liv is the worst there. And I have a strong dislike of Fitz but I'm starting to wish both men get the hell away from her.

 

Or maybe Liv needs to get the hell away from them. After all, she is the common denominator in both screwed up relationships.

 

To me the dumb part about Jake needing to be married for Rowan's evil plan to work is EDISON ISN'T MARRIED.

 

The truly dumb part is that we have been shown no evidence that Edison can win the election. All we have seen is a lot of Vargas. Unless they are saying that Rowan can simply make an Edison victory happen. But if that's the case, what the hell does he need Jake as VP for?

[Happytobehere]

I like Jake and actually prefer Olivia with him over Fitz. So I liked getting the backstory. Of course I was gutted in the end because we saw Liv finally realize that she could have real happiness with Jake, who she does in fact love, only to have that ripped away.

[Kira53]

Or maybe Liv needs to get the hell away from them. After all, she is the common denominator in both screwed up relationships.

 

The truly dumb part is that we have been shown no evidence that Edison can win the election. All we have seen is a lot of Vargas. Unless they are saying that Rowan can simply make an Edison victory happen. But if that's the case, what the hell does he need Jake as VP for?

I agree with an earlier poster that Rowan would be planning to kill Edison in order to "promote" Jake to his puppet President. That's one reason we saw the programming of Jake in his early B612 days so we can know why Rowan can control Jake in almost any situation.

I'm new to Scott Foley but him in Navy whites - Yum! Like Richard Geer in An Officer and a Gentleman. I would have liked to have Jake and Olivia sneaking around for a few episodes. I was happy when they ran away. I guess I'll just have to wait until Next week for them to cheat.

[Dogwithabone]

I appreciated the backstory on Jake. With that said, this was one of the weirdest episodes of any tv show I have ever seen. Ever.

[dr pepper]

"Midnight Train to Georgia"?

 

I can think of a more appropriate song from the same genre and time period: "Who's Zooming Who".

[lawyergal]

I agree with all of the posts that this episode was an odd insert into the season.

On a separate note, I'm fairly certain that last season when Jake thought he was framed for killing Fitz's kid and was locked up, he told Liv his bank account information and asked Liv to make sure his sister got the money - the sister who committed suicide 25 years ago!?!

[chick binewski]

I can't even comment on this week's episode yet...and I need to read all the threads/post because perhaps this has been answered/discussed already, but why is Cyrus on this season to such a less frequency? I know we can argue it's how his character has been written, but is there a reason in the actor's personal life for this? Even given his changing statuses, he's such gold on this show, which leads me to wonder whether it's because of other acting pursuits or personal endeavors/choice that Jeff Perry (Cyrus Beene) is shown to such a minimal degree?

I've wondered about this for the past few seasons and the only conclusion I can come to is that both he and the original Zola from Grey's refuse to appear until Shonda fixes these hot mess shows.

 

I would have really liked this episode if it didn't immediately follow the one where Olivia BEAT A MAN TO DEATH WITH A CHAIR. Some of my many issues with that last ep: A) Jon Tenney's performance was the best thing Scandal has had to offer in years & I would have loved to see him puppetmaster the hell out of everyone into next season. And B) Okay, Olivia - you were locked up for a whole week but you got rescued by Desmond and eventually replaced your lovely cream couch with a more practical dark grey. Mellie got raped & impregnated by her father-in-law, carried the baby and raised it as Fitz's while keeping her secret for years. She doesn't bash people on the head with chairs. When Mellie has a psychological break she od's on oxy, eats fried chicken and doesn't get out of her bathrobe. Reason #567 why Mellie is more awesome than Olivia.

[dr pepper]

No pass, Jake. There is a difference between tough love and abuse in the service of indoctrination. But you've been out from under for some time, you did not have to go back. and you could have murdered rowan any number of times, he's much worse than all the others you've killed with little or no thought. yes, including your father. whatever happens now is all on you.