Usually it’s Law and Order that rips stories from the headlines, but Scandal can do it too. This week, Olivia gets a new client who accuses a beloved figure of drugging and raping her. It’s the Scandal version of Bill Cosby.
There’s also Papa Pope on the loose, an angry Jake, a power-hungry Olivia and, in the most unexpected twist of the episode, a love triangle with David Rosen at the center. Yes, there are two strong, powerful women who want Abby’s sloppy seconds.
Papa Pope Is Free
Fitz celebrates because the Senate investigation is over, but the good times are short-lived when he learns that Rowan and Tom have escaped from prison. Olivia pretends to be shocked and horrified by the news. Back at her apartment, Olivia finds Jake waiting in the dark. He’s angry because Papa Pope killed his wife and delivers a major verbal smackdown on Olivia for being selfish and entitled, releasing Papa Pope to save herself regardless of the consequences. However, he still gives her a kiss before leaving.
Instead of using the FBI to track down the escaped prisoner, Fitz brings in Jake. Jake acts like he doesn’t know how Papa Pope escaped, but the plan is for him to find and kill Olivia’s dad.
President Pope?
An interesting dynamic arises this week. At the end of the episode, Cyrus tells Olivia that Fitz now does whatever she tells him to do and he’s not the guy behind the guy, he’s the guy behind the girl. He even tells Olivia that she’s the president now.
In the Oval Office, as Fitz complains about a bunch of issues, Olivia looks deep in thought. It looks like she’s going to confess to freeing her dad, but instead she tells him exactly what he should do to solve a series of political problems. Holy crap, is Olivia actually turning into the show’s villain? Is she really the entitled, power-hungry girl her dad raised? That’s an unexpected twist, because it looks like power may be corrupting Olivia a little bit.
A Cosby-Like Story
Fitz wants to get some good press by giving the Presidential Medal Freedom to Frank Holland, a feminist writer whose works inspired Abby to leave her abusive husband. At the same time, Olivia gets a new client, a woman and former student claiming that the writer drugged her drink raped her two years ago.
So a beloved figure is accused of rape. It’s basically the Scandal version of Bill Cosby, made even more obvious because the accused rapist is played by the dad from a beloved family sitcom (William Russ, Cory’s dad from Boy Meets World).
Just like with Cosby, OPA finds a bunch of other women with the same story. They learn that he got the drugs from his wife, but when confronted, his wife defends him to protect his legacy, shocking Olivia.
To save the day, Olivia stages a protest at a book reading by the writer, with 22 women walking up to the stage to tell their stories about how they were all drugged and raped. Just like that, Olivia takes back feminism.
A David Rosen Love Triangle
Remember when Vice President Susan Ross drank wine coolers with David Rosen last week? Well, it seems that was setting up the fact that Susan appears to have a little bit of a crush on the Attorney General.
The only problem is Elizabeth North, who demands that Abby get her back into the White House or she’ll give an interview to Sally Langston. Abby and Cyrus get David to try and stop her, but he fails after a battle of wits and he defends her to Cyrus.
Liz goes on Sally’s show, but instead of trashing Fitz, she defends him. It helped that she now has a new job as chief of staff to the vice president. Afterwards Liz meets with David who goes on a rant about how much he doesn’t like her, but that obviously means he does. David and Liz proceed to make out and hook up in his office.
As they have steamy hate sex, Susan shows up with wine coolers in hand, but she waits outside and then decides to leave. Poor Susan Ross likes a guy, but he’s into the she-bitch who is now Susan’s chief of staff. This is going to get awkward, and not just because David Rosen being in the middle of a love triangle is the most hilarious thing ever.
(Image courtesy of ABC)
Senior Writer, BuddyTV
John watches nearly every show on TV, but he specializes in sci-fi/fantasy like The Vampire Diaries, Supernatural and True Blood. However, he can also be found writing about everything from Survivor and Glee to One Tree Hill and Smallville.
