Scandal Season 7 Episode 6 Review: Vampires and Bloodsuckers

This Scandal review contains spoilers.

Scandal Season 7 Episode 6

When you sire a vampire, you are responsible for their behavior, destruction, siring more vampires, and condemning their souls to purgatory. If Olivia is Akasha from Anne Rice’s Queen of the Damned and Jake is Marius, she’s less convincing as a villainess than he as a villain. The trio of Olivia, Mellie and Jake seem to be in over their heads as the new leaders of the free world.  Since the beginning of the final season, crucial moving parts have been ignored. Collateral damage and wreckage are strewn at their feet weekly. I’m all for keeping your eyes on the prize, but they must think about the consequences of their actions as B613.

Reality show host Iyanla Vanzant is famous for telling guests to “put on their big girl panties or big boy pants”, and that’s the advice I’d give Olivia. I’d tell her to embrace the bitch you aspire to be and don’t look back. One of my favorite movie villainesses is Vera Donovan from Dolores Claiborne when she says, “Sometimes, Dolores… sometimes, you have to be a high-riding bitch to survive. Sometimes, being a bitch is all a woman has to hang onto.”

Olivia as Command is playing dangerous games as she lies, manipulates and orders assassinations. She hasn’t fully mastered her poker face after moving various human chess pieces across the chessboard that’s Washington, D.C. Split-second decisions leave little, if any, room for do-overs.

I don’t think anyone is genuinely born evil. Olivia is Rowan’s daughter to the core. There are psychopaths and sociopaths, Olivia is neither. If she’s conflicted about her decisions, she shouldn’t proceed. This hasn’t been the case thus far because she’s out to prove to her father, Fitz, and even Jake, that she can be a different or better face of B613. As long as she’s chasing ghosts and demons and trying to get them to crossover, her tenure as the leader will be plagued with missteps. I think part of the writers’ dilemma in this final season is trying to balance Olivia’s inner goodness as Command. Her inner light can still be detectable just beneath her skin’s surface, or a flicker in one or both of her eyes. This hat trick would require dual commitment and capability from the director and actress.  

I was bothered by Jake’s killing other people to cover their tracks for the bombing. It was counterproductive and messy. How and why would they think they will get away with the bombing given the team at Quinn Perkins and Associates? A team with unique talents, kinks, and perversions.

Mellie’s still operating emotionally and not practically. Some might assume it’s because of her gender. First Lady to sitting in The Oval Office. I wonder what an actress of Joan Collins’ caliber might have brought to the role. Fans of Dynasty back in the day know Alexis Carrington wouldn’t be pining for a man as has and does Mellie.

It’s too late to reinvent the wheel that’s Scandal. Viewers expect the cast will speed-talk, bray, and shout when a steely glance, nonverbal response, or a whisper would elevate the scene. Tune in next week to see what’s happened to Quinn, an overused kidnap/missing trope.