Scandal Season 5 Finale Review: That’s My Girl
The world watched as Olivia slipped farther away from the title of gladiator and more into Command in the Scandal Season 5 finale.
This Scandal review contains spoilers.
Scandal: Season 5, Episode 21
“The apple doesn’t not fall far from the tree,” Papa Pope reminded us in last night’s season 5 finale. While the teams searched for the perfect VP for each of their candidates, Olivia plotted a way to take Jake back from her father. But, though it seemed a noble act…was it all solely for Olivia’s personal gain?
At the start of the episode, Edison delivered Jake’s message to Olivia that he wanted to be saved from Eli. Olivia was still hesitant, understandably, since her father threatened to murder Jake if she tried to persuade him in any way. However, Huck gave Olivia the best advice he has given her in a long time. Their grand, scheming plan to save Jake, you might ask? Walk through the front door and take him.
Who knew it would work?
With the threat of Eli’s gun to Jake’s head as Olivia took his hand and told him to walk away, Eli ended up not pulling the trigger on his beloved son.
The catch? Now Eli couldn’t auction Jake off to be VP of the president of his choice. But Olivia could.
I didn’t catch this here. But, maybe I should have seen it coming: Liv’s subtle yet not so subtle power hungry game plays, her weakness for the White House, her lust to be on top, the best, to “get it done.” These were all signs pointing to this moment. The episode even threw in some montage sequences in case we had forgotten the way Eli had in a way pushed her in this direction from the start; from the moment Eli was introduced on the show and back in Liv’s life.
Liv wasn’t saving Jake; she was using him.
And what more could drive her to keep on keeping on with her fight to get Mellie in the White House? Cyrus decides to be Vargas’ VP. He too wants back in the White House…but, does he want it more than Liv?
The final scene of the night made me question Liv even more as you could see the wheels turn in her brain on just how to take down Vargas and Cyrus in the upcoming presidential race. More plotting? More scheming? Or was her final line of the night in reference to her becoming the next president of the United States?
If the latter is true, Liv has completely lost sight of who she really is and what she truly wanted in the beginning. Of course, we all know Liv likes to be in control…but, to this extent? Total control of the White House…the country?
I hate to say it, but I’m afraid the only person that could talk some sense into her may just be Fitz. Last night Fitz finally found out about Liv’s secret abortion, but instead of confronting her about it, apologized for never really listening to her.
Is it true? Is Fitz really changing?
He even mentioned Abby, his excitement for the end of his presidency and settling down back in California or even Vermont (where he and Liv used to plan to live together). While Fitz is wanting to set some roots, Olivia is ready to pull some up and wreak havoc on this election.
Cyrus and Liv have always been at odds, but now they are playing a dangerous game with each other.
Who is better?
If we are going by a list of kills, then maybe Olivia wins that one with her one and only murder (and that really is saying something on this show). While Cyrus hasn’t directed killed anyone, he has hired enough assassins to fulfill his heinous tasks that he has well deserved the title as murderer too.
Do we go by friends left in the White House? Once again, Liv will take the cake on that one while Cy burned most of his bridges before he even left the Oval.
So then, it goes like this: Who has the most power?
Neither of them yet, to be honest. When Jake claimed that Liv only used him for political gain, the fact that she didn’t deny it was telling enough. Sure, Jake painfully played along and walked out on stage with Mellie as VP, but there is no way Jake is going to be the puppet to Olivia’s strings for long. Not when he is finally free of Command.
Or is he?
Eli watched proudly on TV, Liv’s wonderful move of taking Jake as VP for Mellie finally come into play at the Republican convention. So, maybe things didn’t go his way. But watching his daughter become a mini version of himself was probably even more satisfying.
I thought at this point I would be sick of Papa Pope’s games. However, watching Liv slowly be tainted by his ways without her even knowing has added an interesting layer to the show. While I don’t really like Olivia’s character right now, it has been intriguing watching Liv at her breaking point and seeing how or if she will every truly come back from it.
So, what will Scandal be without Fitz as president and the potential for Frankie, Mellie, or Liv for that matter to be the new president of the United States? Next season will once again play well in line with our own presidential elections and we will just have to wait and see who will finally win the race to be the most powerful person in the world.
Well…to them, at least.
Until next season!
Written by
Lindsey McGhee graduated from Western Washington University with a BA in English: Creative Writing. She is grateful for her 4th grade teacher who read aloud Harry…