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Celebrating 1,000 NCIS-franchise episodes

S06.E14: Head Games

thewhiteowl

By thewhiteowl
in Scandal [V]

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PsychoDrone

PsychoDrone

I feel that this episode was supposed to be the start of this season.  Olivia's mother was originally going to be the big-bad and cause issues throughout the season.  BUT, due to Hillary's loss, the show producers scrambled to change things and put out this mess.  As a result, Olivia's mom is the penultimate reveal and her actions will be the cliffhanger that leads into next season.  Great work if you can get it.

The only redeeming thing is Olivia's mom is the one that could truly give Rowan heartache.  The cabal twins were more comical than sinister.  Olivia's parents butting heads would have been WAY more entertaining and Rowan wouldn't have come across as some scared hostage unsure in his actions.  Guess that's what next season will be.  Wouldn't it be interesting to see the producers say, "Yes, this season wasn't the great, but wait until next season!!!"  Basically acknowledging their screwup.

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Athena5217

Athena5217

I feel like every season ends with one of Olivia's parents being the evil mastermind behind some plot. 

Quinn's speech to Fitz was style over substance. "Because I said so" is not a good reason for a presidential pardon.

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KaveDweller

KaveDweller

3 minutes ago, Athena5217 said:

I feel like every season ends with one of Olivia's parents being the evil mastermind behind some plot. 

Quinn's speech to Fitz was style over substance. "Because I said so" is not a good reason for a presidential pardon.

Apparently it is for Fitz. But he is not exactly the greatest president.

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Artsda

Artsda

I knew Rowan's goodbye was too good to be true.

Now he's great and her mom is the bad one. Who wouldn't be out there to do all this stuff if Fitz hadn't released her for Liv. This is all her fault.

Quinn in the white house? That only took 6 seasons.

Who is Jake to shade Abby? Jake of all people after all he's done shouldn't be attacking anyone.

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weathered1

weathered1

Because every evil deed ever always goes back to one or both of Olivia's parents. Always. Sigh. 

So, Jake - unrepentant serial killer Jake - thinks he has the right to look down on Abby? Seriously? 

Fitz - the same man who murdered a Supreme Court Justice and cost myriad soldiers their lives just so that he could get his side piece back - isn't taking kindly to what Abby did, even after convincing Olivia to forgive her? Please.

For Abby's part, though she may have called herself evil, she seemed far more worried (at least to me) about people being mad at her; the very same people who are all murderers themselves. 

The President-Elect of the United States evidently has nothing better to do than focus on her (former) bed buddy. 

I could've sworn Olivia and Quinn have had that exact same conversation before; the one in which Liv yells in her face that she doesn't get to question Liv, Liv doesn't owe her any explanations, etc. It was just as boring and eye roll-inducing this time around.

So the great sales pitch on getting a pardon for the wrongly accused and imprisoned man comes from . . . killer and torturer Quinn, who should be in a prison cell herself, but is instead speechifying at the President of the United States. Of course.

I realized tonight just how far this show has sunk in my estimation when I didn't see any Olitz chemistry anymore. It was that intense dynamic between them and the fact that Olivia Pope was once such a strong, brilliant, fierce character that so thoroughly pulled me into this show way back when. Oh, how things have changed.

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Layne

Layne

(edited)
3 hours ago, PsychoDrone said:

Great work if you can get it. 

What do you mean by this? 

1 hour ago, Artsda said:

Now he's great and her mom is the bad one. Who wouldn't be out there to do all this stuff if Fitz hadn't released her for Liv. This is all her fault. 

Fitz didn't release Maya. Cyrus did. That's why Fitz fired him. 

1 hour ago, Artsda said:

Who is Jake to shade Abby? Jake of all people after all he's done shouldn't be attacking anyone.

I know right? Maybe if he did his job as NSA Director they wouldn't be in this mess in the first place. 

Edited by Layne
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Layne

Layne

42 minutes ago, weathered1 said:

Fitz - the same man who murdered a Supreme Court Justice and cost myriad soldiers their lives just so that he could get his side piece back 

Let's not forget about the civilian airliner he shot down. 

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Anela

Anela

(edited)

I actually liked this episode. WTF? They're always promising a big shock, and that's mine this week.

I liked Abby and what's his name together. David. I didn't understand his big need for closure with that woman - when did she talk about everything he mentioned? Unless it was what she talked about before Rowan killed her. I have the worst memory now, it used to be pretty good. Oh, and reading more posts yeah, Fitz killed people as well. 

Not the most important thing, but Olivia looked gorgeous tonight. I loved that outfit at the end. I also liked that she was just testing Quinn, because I was as annoyed with her  as Quinn was. I actually liked Quinn tonight, and that they had a case of the week. 

Jake - I thought the same thing as someone above: he has no leg to stand on, when it comes to kicking Abby around for what happened, when he's been mustache-twirling evil at times, and killed people for years. 

Oops. Putting the preview bit behind the spoiler tag.

Why would Olivia's mum do all of that to get Mellie into the White House, just to assassinate her? Olivia isn't the VP. Does she think she can manipulate Jake? I guess she's just a psycho, who likes to kill people.

Edited by Anela
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slade3

slade3

It bugged me when Jake said "So Peus and Ruland are working for someone else" when he was in that control room with Abby and David. It reminded me of last week, when Olivia was on the phone with Peus, staring at the breaking news drone story on TV, and said "You're behind the drones?" These people seem to know what restaurant you're going to dine at before you've even decided to go out for dinner, but it didn't immediately cross their mind that Peus had sent those drones out last week, and that Peus and Rualnd were working for someone else? Not to mention Ruland confirmed she was working for a larger organization last week.

I didn't enjoy this episode. It felt off. It felt too much like Shonda and the writers were speaking to us through these characters. It is a mistake to try to write about real life events when you haven't given yourself the time to step back, take a breath and approach it all as a writer, not an emotional citizen of the world. I get that the election upset them, but this is very sloppy. 

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Guest

Guest

So Abby is the one who has does the unforgivable, it seems they all think.  Not Fitz, who sent people to war to save Olivia and murdered a Supreme Court justice.  Not Mellie, who released a list of secret grand jury members to get killed and also rigged an election. Not Liv, who bludgeoned a handicapped man to death with a chair.  Not Jake, who has killed countless people. Not Huck, who enjoys torturing people and also has killed countless people. Not Rowan, who led a murderous secret spy organization, killed Frankie Vargas, ordered the killing of Fitz and Mellie's son, and arranged the killings of thousands others.  Abby, for taking a meeting, getting a little thirsty for power, and then was blackmailed into continuing to help the bad people.  I just can't with any of these people moralizing about her being a bad person.

And Maya is the big bad guy. Surprise surprise.  So in summary, we now need Rowan to help us catch Maya who was released as part of a deal to catch Rowan.  Great twist, if by twist, you mean the most convoluted show running ever. 

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vibeology

vibeology

Ugh! Seriously. Maya? I think it's just annoying that there are two bad guys in the entire world and they are Liv's parents. Rowan is good right now so obviously Maya is evil. It's amazing that the US is never in danger because of some foreign power or some international terrorist group. It's always Maya or Rowan. Always.

The pardon thing was dumb, dumb, dumb. You're going to pardon a murderer, you're going to need something to back it up beyond Quinn's gut. Also, they basically got an confession out of the bartender but strangely no one thought to record it? Aren't Quinn and Huck the tech people? Dumb! 

The Abby and David stuff was fun because those two work well together but it was more dumb, dumb, dumb! Why wouldn't Jake have been looking into the real identity of Samantha and Peus already? Why did it take David "needing closure" to get the ball rolling. Those two nearly held the country hostage. Shouldn't Jake as head of the NSA already know that they should look into who these people really are? Who they're connected to? If they're working with anyone else? Where their money is coming from? Dumb!

And Liv testing Quinn was just stupid and patronizing. Liv has worked with her for years. She should know already if Quinn is capable of running OPA. (Hint - she isn't.)

I'm sticking out the season and honestly probably next season too since we now have an end in sight. I hope with that end point firmly in place, the writing firms up and we have a clear goal and purpose for the final season that makes sense.

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Good Queen Jane

Good Queen Jane

David sleeps with Abby, Liz, and Susan (all of which ended badly), but it's Ponytail Woman who makes him all distraught and searching for answers? Okaaay. That head was just way too preserved to be anywhere close to realistic. This was a time when tell, not show  would have worked better. And shouldn't David be looking for a new job? Or has Mellie decided to keep him as AG?

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Happytobehere

Happytobehere

When the only enjoyable thing in an episode where sociopathic killers Huck, Quinn and Charlie, your show officially needs to cease airing episodes.

As for Jake and Abby, I don't care who kicks her, as long as she keeps getting kicked.  I can't stand her and have felt this way since nearly the beginning of the series.  Such an entitlement snowflake -- sickening.

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Anela

Anela

2 hours ago, Happytobehere said:

When the only enjoyable thing in an episode where sociopathic killers Huck, Quinn and Charlie, your show officially needs to cease airing episodes.

As for Jake and Abby, I don't care who kicks her, as long as she keeps getting kicked.  I can't stand her and have felt this way since nearly the beginning of the series.  Such an entitlement snowflake -- sickening.

I hate the term "snowflake" but she isn't the only entitled one, in this show. Olivia acts like she deserves the White House, Jake acts like he deserves Olivia, Rowan acts like he should be free to go wherever he likes, when he's murdered I don't know how many people - I couldn't believe he was just free to go in this episode, and that he was having dinner with Olivia, as though she's never tried to have him killed (over what he's done). He murdered Fitz's son, but c'est la vie, Olivia's in his bed, so all's good. Fitz reminding everyone that he's the President, whenever they dare to contradict him. The sociopathic trio from OPA. Mellie with the White House (and Cyrus). 

I still enjoyed this episode, but really. 

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Oblique Angle

Oblique Angle

Ugh, Olivia and Fitz screwing in the WH again. Guess it's all Olitz fan service from here on out.

"I'd skip Jefferson if I were you." Understatement of the season if not the entire show.

Mellie has no others advisors besides Olivia? Nobody elected Olivia and yet she's pretty much controlling the PEOTUS. I don't call that working for "the people." Olivia is working for herself.

"I'm not Olivia Pope." Yeah, Marcus isn't willing to be the president's concubine.

Maya is the Big Bad? And they're all surprised?

Prediction: next season will be all about them vanquishing Mama Pope. Then Fitz and Olivia will get married in the Rose Garden (wedding gift from Mellie) with Rowan giving away the bride, Abby and Quinn as bridesmaids, Jake as the best man, and David administering the vows. Huck will be the ring bearer or something and Marcus will do a scripture reading. KMN. But Liv will be wearing a killer gown so...

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Black Knight

Black Knight

10 hours ago, Anela said:

Rowan acts like he should be free to go wherever he likes, when he's murdered I don't know how many people - I couldn't believe he was just free to go in this episode, and that he was having dinner with Olivia, as though she's never tried to have him killed (over what he's done).

Seriously. I suppose he tells himself he was forced to kill Vargas, but how about his girlfriend? He shot her dead of his own volition so he would "have no weaknesses" and then the evil cabal was just like, "Uh, remember your daughter?" That poor woman died for nothing, and Liv saw the video of him murdering his girlfriend. Now they're having a happy loving father/daughter dinner, and Rowan thinks he's entitled to jet around the world to lie on sunny beaches. Allegedly he loved his girlfriend, but you'd never know it from the way he acts completely unhaunted by his unnecessary murder of her.

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thewhiteowl

thewhiteowl

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These idiots seriously thought they were done?!? No one had an inkling of a thought that it might be a somewhat good idea to, yanno, investigate? Except poor David, all up in his feels. lmao. Good thing he was, too. Or they would not have a clue. 

Rowan boxing the head was so hilarious and so Rowan. After being tormented with the idea, I found it appropriate.

Fitz is now worried about his legacy? Another lol moment.  He was lucky to not be impeached and incarcerated.  Comparing him to Thomas Jefferson is an insult to that President.

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Happytobehere

Happytobehere

21 hours ago, Oblique Angle said:

"I'm not Olivia Pope." Yeah, Marcus isn't willing to be the president's concubine.

Umm, Isn't Marcus servicing Mellie, and wasn't he sleeping with the wife of some powerful politician, who was also white, so are they really that different when it comes to concubine status?

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TigerLynx

TigerLynx

10 hours ago, Happytobehere said:

Umm, Isn't Marcus servicing Mellie, and wasn't he sleeping with the wife of some powerful politician, who was also white, so are they really that different when it comes to concubine status?

There is that idiotic double standard which would make Marcus a stud while Olivia and other women get called names for doing the exact same thing.

I love the stupidity of the people in this administration worrying about being labeled for who they are having sex with when they've got dead bodies dropping all over the place.  Their priorities are skewed to say the least.

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Sake614

Sake614

Completely shallow note but Khandi looks like she has had some serious work done, and not in a good way. Why do women distort their faces with so much plastic surgery???? 

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Oblique Angle

Oblique Angle

On 5/14/2017 at 5:01 AM, Happytobehere said:

Umm, Isn't Marcus servicing Mellie, and wasn't he sleeping with the wife of some powerful politician, who was also white, so are they really that different when it comes to concubine status?

I was under the (perhaps mistaken) impression that Marcus and Mellie were no longer sleeping together. In either case, Mellie's not the president yet and I made that distinction deliberately to draw a (again, perhaps mistaken) parallel between her and Fitz. It seemed to me Marcus was drawing the same comparison. And maybe he's a hypocrite.

On 5/14/2017 at 3:27 PM, TigerLynx said:

There is that idiotic double standard which would make Marcus a stud while Olivia and other women get called names for doing the exact same thing.

Valid point about the double standard but I've never considered Marcus a stud. My very narrow point was that if he's sleeping with the sitting president while also being paid to work for the president, well, then the shoe fits IMO. Sex would seem to be a part of the job.

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jumper sage

jumper sage

On 5/13/2017 at 10:59 AM, Black Knight said:

Seriously. I suppose he tells himself he was forced to kill Vargas, but how about his girlfriend? He shot her dead of his own volition so he would "have no weaknesses" and then the evil cabal was just like, "Uh, remember your daughter?" That poor woman died for nothing, and Liv saw the video of him murdering his girlfriend. Now they're having a happy loving father/daughter dinner,

Nothing says, "See daddy loves you best", like killing his girlfriend.

Gotta say, pony tail bitch was the best part of the whole episode.

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jumper sage

jumper sage

(edited)
7 hours ago, Dowel Jones said:

"The D"?  Seriously, Fitz?  Even Marcus choked a bit there.

I live just north of Detroit and have lived in Detroit and I love Detroit.  I don't know anyone who calls it The D.

I so want ponytail bitch to win an Emmy for supporting actress.

Edited by jumper sage
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