Scandal Season 6 Episode 11 Review: Trojan Horse

Scandal's new theme is 'doing what is right' -- or at least trying to anyway. Here’s our review...

Sure, doing the right thing doesn’t come so naturally to most of the Scandal cast. So, when everyone started teaming together to fight for the good and to fight fairly, I began to question if I was watching the right show.

Sometimes as a viewer, I feel like someone just trying to keep afloat on top of water, bobbing my head as I attempt not to swallow the water. No one is ever good, no episode ends happily, no character catches a break for more than a moment before they are back down in the rubble again. The characters we have loved have all gone sour. However, as the season has progressed, the gladiators seem to have found some level ground.

In doing what is right.

That torturous Peus duo responsible for Frankie Vargas’ assassination were back throughout last night’s episode, proving that Frankie’s murder was just grazing the surface for these despicable people. They make Huck, Rowan, and Jake combined look like amateurs.

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They even had Rowan so rattled that he scoped out his entire office to find the one spot him and Olivia could talk without being seen by surveillance. In a small square of the flooring in the camera’s blind eye could Papa Pope express his fear in how Olivia was trying to clear Cyrus’ name so he could become president. He warned her against it, begged her to reconsider. But Olivia was too focused on doing the right thing. Cyrus went free and only wanted to be president to put forth Frankie’s agenda.

However, Mellie was not so interested in Olivia’s atonement. The “let’s do this the right way” train left without Mellie on it when she was persuaded by Elizabeth North to contest Cyrus’ nomination with her own. Her shot at the Oval was too close for her to let it go without a fight.

Well, it turned out that she didn’t really have to fight that hard.

It turned out that Elizabeth North was working with the deadly duo in order to secure Mellie the electoral votes so she could win. And, what did Liz get for her dedication?

A whack in the head.

Or multiple whacks, I might say. David Rosen’s new girlfriend (aka, Peus’ mystery woman sidekick) killed Elizabeth right in front of Mellie. The scene was graphic as the blood splattered across Mellie’s clothes and face. It was a show of power and if Mellie spoke any language…it was power. They laid their claim on her.

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They told her she would be president. And president she became.

Mellie immediately called Liv who then brought Jake along to clean up the “mess.” Jake reassured Mellie that he was on her team as her vice president and would help her when these new people began to take over.

Jake’s calm and confidence was enough to put my mind at ease. Jake has proven himself a worthy member of OPA by this point and I’m excited to see his role in the Peus duo takedown.

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Meanwhile, Peus decided to punish Rowan for Olivia’s pursuit to get Cyrus in the White House and make it seem like she had paid Tom Larson to kill Frankie Vargas. While Olivia saw this as an opportunity to take down Peus once and for all by damaging Mellie’s reputation with a “corrupt” campaign manager, Fitz saw it as a mistake. Mostly because it would mean losing her forever.

Woah, did we just have a Olitz moment?

Yes, yes we did.

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And we had another huge Olitz moment at the end of the night when Fitz instead arrested Rowan in links to the money transfer to Tom Larsen, instead of Olivia. She is furious with him…but only for a few moments until he shows her Rowan sitting comfortably in the Oval Office, safe from prison and safe from Peus. He would protect Rowan for Olivia’s sake.

They would have to take down Peus from the inside.

This act of chivalry, of course, was enough to make Olivia see past all of the Olitz turmoil and into his bedroom.

Next week, all of Scandal’s lead characters’ band together and begin their takedown of Peus. Unfortunately, we had to say goodbye tonight to regular cast member Elizabeth North (Portia de Rossi). But, I have a horrible feeling that this bloodshed is only the beginning. 

Rating:

4 out of 5