Friday, 6 November 2015

Scandal Season 5, Episode 7 Recap: Meet Your New President

Let's get something out of the way really quick. Olivia Pope (Kerry Washington) is brilliant. She runs her own business. She has a strategic mind that everyone should be jealous of. She is the reason we all tune into Scandal.
 But, she is also an idiot when it comes to all of the men in her life — Fitz (Tony Goldwyn), Jake (Scott Foley), and even her lying, murdering, psychotic father, Rowan (Joe Morton). I'm not sure she has ever made a decision as stupid as when she released her father from jail last week. His first steps were a surprise to no one but her — he murdered someone, and he got his henchman released from jail too.

When Jake confronts Liv about this decision, she says, "If I had known." Uhm, excuse me? Did she need someone to remind her that her father murdered countless innocent people, killed her boyfriend's son, locked up her mother, and blackmailed every person who has ever taken a breath? Of course she knew bad things were going to happen. We all did.

Papa Pope's first casualty was Jake's wife. Jake is mad, but mainly confused. Really confused. But for once I'm on #teamjake because I am also confused by Olivia. I actually laugh when Jake says the most Felicity thing ever, "The woman I love killed the woman I used to love, or the woman I used love killed the woman I used to love, I can't figure it out." As someone who grew up watching General Hospital (and Felicity), I could get behind this line, if we, as viewers, ever got to know his wife. But we didn't. There really aren't any tears. It looks like we are back to the simple love triangle of Jake, Fitz, and Liv.

Thank goodness, however, because there is a case this week: Olivia Pope & Associates can get back to work! A woman, Hannah Taylor, says the famed author, Frank Holland, raped her. This is the man who is described as "God's gift to women," and wrote the book that inspired Abby (Darby Stanchfield) to leave her husband. To top it off, Frank just received a Medal of Honor from the President himself this week. OPA is officially working for both the client and the White House. Olivia can't date a President that publicly embarrasses himself, you know?

Quinn (Katie Lowes) remembers what it is like to wear the White Hat. She could care less about Fitz's reputation. She reminds us why we fell in love with Olivia, and it wasn't her love life. We fell in love with her because she cared for the underdogs, because she believed in the victims. She listened to the females that came forward even when especially when society refused to care. For her to almost turn her back on the one client willing to work with her, a rape victim, is not OK. Especially when our reality is one that continually bashes the more than 50 women who spoke out about an icon from our childhoods. One where 13 women can speak out about a police officer raping them, and the rhetoric consists of people questioning the women's credibility. So, Liv, please listen to Quinn. Believe in your client, and be a true member of OPA again. refinery29

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