Now that the threat is over in season six of Scandal, it’s back to business as Fitz worries about his legacy in his final nine days in office. Meanwhile, in “Head Games,” Olivia spends less time at OPA as she preps Mellie for the White House, and David Rosen starts an investigation into who ‘Samantha’ really was, which leads to a very interesting find.
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Leaving a Legacy
Fitz can’t wait to leave the Oval. It’s been eight years and he’s ready for the next chapter. In his final days, there’s a lot left to do, including some pardon petitions, or rather pardoning some prisoners. He has a pile to go through, and when Olivia tells him to have Abby do it, he scoffs, as he’s still upset with her being a trader. Olivia takes it upon herself to let OPA go through the pile and pick a good one that will look good for Fitz.
Fitz sends Abby home, and basically doesn’t want to forgive or deal with her. He then gets to work with Marcus on prepping for his final interview. They discuss previous president’s last interviews, and how to leave a lasting legacy. Fitz brings up that he wants to talk about a bill he passed to help inner cities, but Marcus points out that Fitz is still pretty removed from those cities.
During his interview, though, he obviously listened to Marcus’s advice. He touts the bill, but then says that his legacy is only just beginning. He plans to dedicate his foundation to work with people who haven’t gotten a fair trial. The foundation will work to appeal cases and work with families that have been left behind. He states that he’s only just getting started.
A Pardon and a Test
As Quinn, Huck and Charlie ponder the future of OPA now that Olivia is Mellie’s chief of staff, she walks in with the pile of petitions. They get to work on looking into each case, and stumble upon Shawn Campbell’s case. He is a black man who they believe was wrongfully convicted in a man’s death. Eventually, they track down the only witness, whose testimony was used in court. As they talk to him, they realize he’s not only a racist, but also that he’s actually the killer.
Quinn brings the findings to Olivia, but says they don’t have solid evidence, just a gut feeling. Olivia says they need a slam dunk because it will hurt Fitz’s legacy otherwise. Quinn calls Olivia out on not being around anymore, and trading in her white hat for the White House. And, of course, Olivia shuts her down.
Quinn feels defeated, but Charlie says she should let it go and the two of them should just go off on their own. Quinn doesn’t want to give up, so she goes to see Fitz herself. Marcus warns her he can be intimidating in the Oval, and when she walks in she gets nervous. At first, she’s timid and shy as Fitz politely tells her that he won’t pardon Shawn on a gut feeling, especially if Olivia doesn’t think it’s a good idea. But then she gets her courage, and she rips into Fitz, just like Olivia used to do. She ultimately tells him that ‘her’ Olivia is gone, and she’s there to take her place. She adds that while pardoning Shawn won’t be easy, but it’s the right thing to do. He then sits down to discuss the case, and eventually, he announces during his interview that he’s pardoning Shawn.
When Quinn waits for Olivia to tell her that gladiators take risks, Olivia stays silent, leads Quinn to the OPA safe, tells her where all the important information is and then says she did a good job. Quinn realizes the whole situation was a test, and she passed with flying colors. Olivia then gives Quinn her office.
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A Beginning, But Not an End
While everything is going on, Olivia works with Mellie on her Cabinet picks. Mellie suggests Marcus as communications director, but when she asks Marcus, he turns the job down, as he plans to work with Fitz at his foundation.
Meanwhile, Eli is packing up his office to skip town, as he plans to stay off the grid for a very long time. David Rosen goes to see him. He explains that he is looking to find out who his girlfriend ‘Samantha’ really was. At first, Eli says he can’t help, but David seems desperate, so Eli gives him something he thinks might help.
That ‘something’ turns out to be Samantha’s head in a box. David goes to see Abby, to put it in her freezer until Jake can come collect DNA. David and Abby discuss who they’ve both failed themselves, as they wait for the results. The next day Jake finds out her name was Gertrude. He goes to her apartment and shows David the images. Then he tells David and Abby that he found an old cellphone hidden in the apartment. On the phone is a message from someone who was clearly in charge of Peus and Gertrude/Samantha, which means the threat is still out there.
Later, Jake gives David an envelope containing an image of the person who was/is behind the operation behind Vargas’s assassination and putting Mellie into office. As Eli gets ready to board a plane to leave, Olivia shows up in the president’s vehicle. She demands he go with her. She brings him to the bunker with Jake and Fitz. They hand him the envelope and ask for his help. He takes one look and says no way is he getting involved with her anymore. Olivia says she needs him, as she can’t handle her mother alone. Yes, the image is of Maya Lewis – Olivia’s terrorist mother.
She’s Back
Throughout season six, I always had it in the back of my head that Maya was somehow behind the mystery group. And with the way Peus and Samantha/Gertrude were killed so easily last week, I had a feeling we hadn’t seen the last of the threats to the White House.
To be honest, I thought that Maya was locked up, but I realized that Cyrus eventually made a deal with her to set her free in previous seasons. I was never really a fan of Maya. Eli can be a terrible, terrible person, but he’s always had love for Olivia. Maya never did love Olivia, she’s just an evil person.
So what is her end game? I have to wonder what Maya has in store for Olivia and friends. With the show slated to end after next season, I’m curious if they will bring Maya back for the final season. I’m actually just curious in general of what the final season will bring now that Fitz will be out of office.
Were you surprised that Maya is back? Do you think someone else will get hurt or killed at the hands of Maya? Do you think Eli and Olivia will be able to take her down once and for all? Let us know in the comments below.
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(Image courtesy of ABC)
Contributing Writer, BuddyTV
