'Scandal' Review/Recap: "First Lady Sings the Blues"
By Nora Dominick ‘17/ Emertainment Monthly Assistant Stage Editor
Scott Foley entered into the world of Scandal like a whirlwind. After completing a successful, lovable run on Grey’s Anatomy, Foley stayed in the Shondaland family and began to break-hearts on Scandal. It’s hard to imagine a world were Jake Ballard isn’t swooping in to save Olivia but fans got a glimpse at that idea this week and it wasn’t something they were ready to accept. Scandal picked up with Jake clinging to life on the Pope & Associates conference table. Quinn (Katie Lowes) finds him bleeding out and The Gladiators instantly snap into problem solving mode. With Rowan Pope (Joe Morton) hot on their trail and willing to kill anyone, Olivia must act fast. With Charlie’s (George Newbern) help, the team enlists a mob doctor to help stitch up Jake, who is profusely bleeding. Long story short, Jake Ballard just barely makes a recovery with the help of a shady Russian mob doctor. Foley is here to stay on Scandal and fans could not be more relieved. Fans now have to wait and see how this near death experience will forever shape the character and his relationship with B-613.
Darby Stanchfield has always been an underutilized actor on Scandal however, this year she has taken the title of “Feminist Extraordinaire.” Since working as the White House press correspondent, Abby has been able to come into her own and really become a fully formed character. In one simple sentence Abby manages to lay down some of the most powerful feminism Scandal has seen. She says, “So Mellie’s senate run is legal because of misogyny, is that what you’re saying?” Stanchfield continues to grow Abby into a full fleshed out, feminist character and this episode finally saw her on the same level as Cyrus (Jeff Perry), Mellie and Fitz (Tony Goldwyn), which was extremely refreshing.
Kerry Washington continues to amaze as Olivia. In an episode that didn’t give her much material to work with, she still comes out on top. This week fans saw what measures Olivia would go to in order to save Jake and take down Papa Pope. Fans also got a glimmer of hope for Fitz and Olivia. In a season that hasn’t touched upon their relationship much, fans grip tightly to any conversation the two share. Fitz called Olivia to help Mellie’s campaign and anytime these two share an ounce of screen-time, sparks fly and this tiny conversation where Olivia helps Fitz is a perfect example of that.
By episode’s end, Mellie’s campaign has hit a snag when Elizabeth suggests that she should divorce Fitz, Cyrus and Abby are in a moral dilemma because Fitz’s legacy as president is in jeopardy and Papa Pope reveals that he has another covert operation in the works entitled, Fox Tail. B-613 operations never turn out good so this will surely set up the remaining two episodes of the season. Of course this wouldn’t be Scandal without the last minute being a heart stopping one. This entire episode fans waited for Olivia to figure out that her boy toy, Russell (Brian White) is the one who stabbed Jake. In the last minute while Russell thinks he has outsmarted Olivia, she points a gun to his head. Olivia Pope is back and continues to provide amazing twists and turns as Scandal closes in on its final 2 episodes of the season.