Scandal: Even the Devil Deserves a Second Chance Review

This Scandal review contains spoilers.

Scandal: Season 5 Episode 7

I hate to say it but, maybe Cyrus is right? Fitz is no longer the president…Olivia is. Here’s our review of last night’s Scandal.

After Cyrus’ scathing accusation that Olivia is just not guiding the reigns of the presidency, a final shot of Olivia standing on the presidential seal in the Oval office was symbolic enough to make us think otherwise.

The shot was epic: a bird’s eye view as Olivia flawlessly and vigorously preaches to Fitz the decisions he should be making. You could tell she was hesitant at first after Cyrus accused her of this…but it was not of enough for her to shut out Fitz and stay quiet.

Last night’s episode was another one very focused on the empowerment of women when Hannah comes forward claiming she was raped by Frank Holland, a man claiming to be a devout feminist. He gave seminars about his discoveries and wrote a novel which Abby said helped her make the decision to leave her abusive husband. This man was painted like a hero until Hannah along with a  large handful of other women spoke up to say they too were sexually assaulted by Holland.

Surprisingly enough, Holland’s wife knew about his disgusting habits and behavior and justified it by saying that all young women throw themselves at their professors. Shonda Rhimes presented a unique perspective here, showing a woman whose ideas were solely formed by the way she was raised and what she was meant to believe about women and men. It was a representation of such a despicable and warped outlook, but Rhimes nailed her depiction. When Olivia seemed defeated in this case, she of course rallied and found her own way to speak up, gathering together the women Holland assaulted to disrupt one of his readings and share with the public what Holland did.

This scene was probably my favorite in a rather slower paced episode compared to the start of the season. There were even some disappointments in this one, including the new found relationship between Elizabeth North and David Rosen. It was only made to be even more disappointing when Susan Ross decided to bring wine coolers for David to share with her.

Damnit David, you ruin everything!

Well, if the vice president finds out about Elizabeth and David’s “afternoon delight,” there will be no more wine coolers for David and perhaps, not as happy of a return for Elizabeth back into the President’s inner circle. While Ross appears to be the “happy-go-lucky” type, she appears to me the kind of person who you wouldn’t want to catch you not doing your best.

Watch out, Elizabeth.

Fitz and Liv: These two have taken on a new sort of relationship. They have moved on from secret lovers, to public lovers, to boyfriend-girlfriend, to employer and consultant. Fitz can’t OK anything unless Liv confirms it first. He’s got Olivia, what’s the point of standing on his own two feet, apparently?

Whether or not Shonda Rhimes is trying to set up this dynamic duo vibe or not, it is not working. Especially after Cyrus’ speech to her.

Jake and Liv: Yes, I never thought I would be able to mention these two together again. However, Jake decided to practically out himself in still loving Olivia and kisses her as he leaves her place.

Olivia…please, make up your mind!

However, Jake blames Olivia for Elise’s death since she was the one to release Rowan. Well, Fitz hires Jake to find and kill Rowan, and all the while Olivia pretends as if she has no idea about Rowan’s “escape.”

Olivia is so fixed in the world of Fitz that she doesn’t even realize the devastating enormity of what she has just done. She just helped a mass murderer escape from prison in order to save her boyfriend from impeachment.

Olivia, sometimes I love her and sometimes…I want to shake her out of this Fitz stupor until she realizes the weight of her negative choices.

Whether or not Shonda Rhimes was trying to give us an idea of Olivia’s new role in the Oval or not, we definitely got a good idea last night. The question is…does Olivia like it? The way she could barely bite her tongue as Fitz rattled off questions suggests she is eager to put her foot in and help the president in any way she can, including giving him the answer to things he wouldn’t even try to understand on his own.

If Olivia is trying to establish herself as the first lady…she failed. If she is trying to establish herself as the next potential presidential candidate…she and Rhimes may just be onto something.