Scandal S6 E04.... "The Belt" | EPISODE RECAP

The Belt, The Beat down, The Catch, The Verdict

RECAP

Oooookaaaaay, sooooo Gladiators… TOM DIDN’T DO IT! So in short, episode 3 left us with Tom admitting to killing Frankie Vargas and pinning it on Cyrus as the brain behind it. Episode 4 definitely left us with Olivia and new finding out that Tom couldn’t have done it, because there’s surveillance of him in a drive through line at the same time Frankie Vargas was shot. If Tom didn’t do it, that means Cyrus is not guilty of Frankie’s death either. Aaaa-ha!

Tom confessing to Cyrus after he was almost killed

The episode opens with a VERY well executed opening scene of Cyrus being taken to prison. The entire sequence is uncomfortable, especially once he has to strip down for his cavity search. It is quiet. The shots are close. The acting is superb. This is the beginning of the challenge the viewer must face on whether or not they will feel sorry for Cyrus for the remainder of the episode. 

Here's a few noteworthy moments I cannot help but mention:

THOUGHTS

1) This was one of the best episode I have seen in a long time, and this is coming from someone who has been very satisfied as of late. However one thing that really bothered me during this last episode was the prison setup. Now, I'll be the first to admit that I could be wrong here, especially considering the fact that I've never been in prison before. But I found it interesting that the man who is accused of killing the President of the United States of America was able to be jumped by am angry mob outside. Now, I do recognize that part of the point of the deranged across- the -hall -neighbor -devil- I- ate-my-family dude, was to show us what kind of maximum security "Wing" - if you will -Cyrus was on, but that wasn't enough for me... it just didn't make sense.

2) I knew Abby was lying when she tried her little speech. What baffled me was that BOTH the FBI Director and Attorney General took her word without consulting the person she claims to be speaking for. First of all, that's a conversation that's important enough that the President can do his own speaking, without his assistant as his mouth piece. But with something so important as whether or not the man accused of assassinating the new POTUS should get the death penalty, don't you think you need to hear from the man himself before you make an official decision?!

Abby being confronted by President Grant with the lie she told to the FBI Director and Attorney General

3) While the moment had me hyped, when Cyrus was able to outsmart the guard for his advantage, I was super upset. Because I didn't understand how the guard who's supposed to be over the wing where the guy ATE his family, and the other guy who supposedly KILLED THE PRESIDENT of the United States was so easily manipulated. Is this truly an indictment of our justice system, or am I just being deep? As a fan, I definitely bought into the whole "Cyrus is a bad mamma jamma" moment, but like in real life though, I wasn't here for that either.

4) Sooooo, Huck and Meg definitely got cozy! Now, Meg is the young lady who supposedly blew up in the cabin explosion from the premier. Huck shows up at her apartment to get some clarity on whether she's "a client or a friend"... well, Meg answers that with a kiss! GET IT HUCK!

BEFORE I GO

And why in tarnation was TOM not a part of that beating Cyrus took. Cyrus is nursing his elderly wounds, and Tom is laid up with his feet kicked up reading a book in peace. Even if Cyrus DID order Tom to do it - which he didn’t - TOM STILL DID IT!!! Po Cyrus was spat on and beat up, and Tom is chillin’, probably getting seconds at the lunch counter. 

I really kinda feel for Mellie. She was SO excited about being POTUS 45, and it definitely doesn't look like a guarantee anymore. I mean, the woman got her twerk on for goodness' sake! Let her have the Oval! hahaha

Should we talk about Fitz and his Sees candy obsession or nah? He is definitely sleeping with FBI Director, Angela, and their relationship is sure to cause some tensions. Hey, it's already caused Abby some embarrassment. 

QUOTABLE MENTIONS

"At some point, the bill has to be paid."- Olivia to Cyrus

"Stop being a monster and be a man." - Olivia to Cyrus

Olivia on the phone with Cyrus (S6,E4)

Scandal Season 6, Episode 3: "Fates Worse Than Death"

AND THE KILLER IS....

IN SHORT

1.  Tom did it! Tom killed Frankie Vargas!
2. This new approach to storytelling this season is very interesting.  Very HTGAWM. The choice to employ flashback sequences as a mode of storytelling aids in the way the viewer is made to feel about what's happening. It definitely keeps you locked in, so you don't get confused. It also promotes more of the "aaah ha" moments that the viewer experiences. Interesting choice Shondaland.
3. Here we go with Liz North. She is such an opportunist. Of course, she only wants to help Cyrus so she can help herself.
4. Liv and Cy be BIPOLAR THAN A MUG! They went from planning a wino meet up at the Lincoln memorial as old friends to declaring war. What I don't understand though is why Cyrus was so mad when she mentioned him putting himself on the ticket. Is that NOT his typical MO?!
5. Tom having confessed and pointing the finger at Cyrus was huge! Tom is a jilted lover looking for his revenge. I wonder how far this will go for Cyrus before he waves the white flag... or if it'll be waved at all.

CYRUS & TOM

Tom stepped on the scene like WHET?! Had Cyrus shook .

That moment with Cyrus and Tom on the hotel room made me feel like I should put myself in timeout for watching. That was more intimacy than I was comfortable watching, no matter who was doing it. Shondaland sure has a way of making a girl feel like a prude!

Now Cyrus's moment of shell shock in the hospital during the premier right after Frankie was shot makes sense. His declaration of innocence makes sense. Him being frustrated make sense...  But he's dead wrong for being offended. All he's ever done is plot and set up murders. Cyrus seems innocent to me. He's so flabbergasted, and he shouldn't be. Fitz presents Cyrus with two options: step down and withdraw from the presidency or admit to killing Frankie Vargas. Cyrus says he’ll step down if Mellie does, but since we all know she won’t, Cyrus decides to keep the country. He assumes the investigation will die down soon … until Tom calls and reminds Cyrus that everything could blow up in his face if Tom decides to open his mouth.  He tells Fitz ," I'm keeping it... It's not safe with you." Ummmmm, homie... You may have forgotten but you're a monster!

Soooooo, Jennifer Fields got her butt straight kicked! Cyrus definitely is a user. He charmed Tom into beating that poor girl up. He used up poor Tom until Tom was completely out of his mind, and now he's dealing with Thin Line Between Love and Hate... Especially after the way he broke it off with Tom.  To tell someone, "You're dead to me", after all they'd been through, and expect no repercussion is signifier of Cyrus's pride and unrelenting ego. A total disregard of Tom's feelings, and how his words would affect him, now he's trying to apologize his way out of a sticky situation. Ladies, sound familiar? Let there be a lesson in this... Watch how you treat people and keep it locked tool you get that rock. Desperation humility is still  inauthentic.

OTHER MENTIONABLE MOMENTS

1. That dude Tom started barking! Lol #iWasntReady
2. Tom left Cyrus all the way leveled. Bruised and teary eyed. 
3. Okay so once upon a time Cyrus was human and had a dream.... that whole moment of him replaying his dream of being president AFTER having been humbled by his encounter with Tom's gun was hilarious! Come on bruh.... come on. 
4. Quinn and Charlie.... barf!

QUOTES

1. "Why, so you can pick it up and shoot me?" 
2. “I do not want your help. I do not want you. You are dead to me.” – Cyrus to Tom
3. "There are fates worse than death, much worse. And you should know - you handed one to me." - Tom to Cyrus

Preview of Episode 4

Season 6 Episode 1 -- Gladiator Report

THE GLADIATOR REPORT

Here's just a few of my "in-the-moment" thoughts on our gladiator friends....

ABBY 

Abby is a yapping chihuahua! Ugh. That moment in the hospital with Agent Spaulding was was too much flex. I could see it, if she'd come in and tried to be amiable and workable, and the Agent disregarded her. Yes, then, I could see it. She just walked in the man's space and started flexing extra hard for no reason. It's not like he'd given her a hard time or sassed her attempt at being cordial. Nope. She just started flexing. "Hi, I'm here on behalf of the President and THIS is the plan." would have likely worked out just fine, but nooooo.... Abby Whelan can't do that. She had to walk in and flex extra strong. This, is an example of why men don't respect women in authority... because sometimes, we take our flex too far, too soon. 

Here we are again, needing to remind Abby that she is NOT A MONSTER. What is is with this girl and her need to flex? Goodness. Abby is not unlike many of us... where we mask our insecurities and disguise them as a "hard ass" the moment we get just a little bit of power. I get that. But geesh, it's all the time with her, and it literally makes me wanna throw up in my mouth a little bit - every time!

MARCUS

Someone please help me understand why Marcus is doing Abby's job? Did I miss the torch passing ceremony? The last I recall, Marcus was standing next to Mellie backstage at her convention, just before being announces and the Presidential nominee. Now, I know it's been quite some time since our last rendezvous, but seriously, I clearly missed his promotion from OPA to the White House.

Season 5 Finale

And since we're talking about Marcus... what's up with him being so mean to Olivia? Why are they not friends anymore? Dude was throwing so much shade when she was asking him for help. Remember when she was trying to get an update on Frankie Vargas after hte shooting? Well, she smiled and said, "Come on, I'm your friend", to which he curtly responded, "Nah, you're Olivia Pope." Ummmmm, MARCUS?! What has your panties in a bunch... other than the fact that they're making you shave off all your facial hair?

I just really didn't understand this unexplained shift in their relationship at all. Granted, they weren't #SibSquad like Liv and Harrison, but my goodness, I thought they were better than THAT... pretty cool, or so I thought!



QUINN

Interesting... another promotion I missed. So, Charlie is a gladiator now?! Perhaps I am just a little bit rude, but seriously you guys... NO NEW FRIENDS! OPA is reserved for the truest of Gladiators... ONLY! Don't get me wrong, Charlie is a good weapon to have at your disposal... but like, at a distance, but still easily accessible. Not all up and through! Charlie, we need to see your passport, and 2 additional forms of ID please!

And how precious.... Quinn and Charlie sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N.... BARF! Alright, so maybe they're a little cute, but like... ew. Enough. I honestly don't see Quinn getting married, but you never know -- because in Shondaland, anything goes!

Scandal Season 6 PREMIERE.... 'Survival of the Fittest'!

The moment Mellie realizes she lost the election...

In a nutshell, the story goes....

• Mellie loses the Presidential election. 
• Frankie gets shot. 
• Frankie DIES! (RIP Frankie)..... And CYRUS supposedly did it! 

I'm pretty sure that for the next couple (to a few weeks), the scandal itself will be trying to find out if Cyrus did indeed kill Frankie Vargas... perhaps not by his own hands, but by his own intent. This is one heck of a scandal to jump start the season!

Are we really surprised by this? I mean, after all, this is Cyrus Beane. Daddy Pope told no lies when he said, "Cyrus Beane is the most dangerous predator of all". I think Daddy Pope may have been selling himself a little short there, but he ain't neva lied. Cyrus is a literal MONSTER. 

His whole "in-a-state-of-shock" moment in the hospital was pretty believable. But Cy is a master a manipulator.. he's really good at being believable in even the most unbelievable situations. Let us not forget that he almost had Charlie kill James (RIP)... his own husband, back in season 2, and mid Season 5, he did have Frankie Vargas shot in order to win favor with the people and get him the nomination. And it worked! and bruh did manage to step back just in time to not get hit my the bullet heading Vargas' way on that stage. And the young lady who gave the tip that Cyrus was responsible was DEFINITELY blown up (or at least her house was) shortly thereafter.

During Fitz' chat with Rosen, and Rosen's quickie lesson on the way the electoral college works (which was for us... clearly Fitz knows how the electoral college works), we learn along with Fitz that HE is who determines who the next president will be, under such circumstances. His word is all that is needed. After some deliberation, a chat with Liv and a chat with Mellie, Fitz chooses Cyrus, which was so interesting to me! So now, Cyrus (at least for the time being) is going to be - get ready for it - in charge. Cyrus is smart. Cyrus has been in politics a long while and has a lot of knowledge. But Cyrus is too petty, vindictive, and dangerous for this job!

Look, all I'm going to say is... we don't know if Cyrus did it or not. All we have to work with is his track record, the evidence, and the sly wit of one pissed of black woman with a badass coat collection!

Liv (in her badass coat) telling Fitz to choose Mellie as President of the United States

Liv has already proclaimed (to Mellie) that she is not done running for President. I wonder how she will approach her Cyrus takedown and takeover the Oval.

What do you guys think???


--

QUOTABLE MENTIONS:

"The next President of the United States is who you say it is". - David Rosen

"I will be gracious - out there- but in here I am spiteful and petty" - Mellie Grant

"Nah, you're Olivia Pope". - Marcus

Our Favorite Gladiators, Politicians, Puppets & Gangstas... WHERE DID THEY LEAVE OFF?

Greetings Gladiators!!!

Well, it's been quite some time since we've seen our beloved friends in Washington, so before we indulge in Season 6 of Scandal (returning Jan 26), let's review... shall we?!

• The Fixer - Olivia Pope

• The Master - Eli "Daddy" Pope

• The President - Fitzgerald Grant

• The First Lady - Presidential candidate, Senator Mellie Grant

• The Snake - Vice Presidential candidate, Jake Ballard

• The Thug - Vice Presidential candidate, Cyrus Beane

• The Punching Bag- Attorney General David Rosen

• The Hamster - Abbey Whelan

• The Posse - The Gladiator Squad of OPA

• Quinn | Not much left off regarding Quinn. She spent all season 5 attempting to "run" OPA, and she did a fair job. In the finale, she and Huck team up to get rid of a potential VP candidates's sordid past as a drug dealer. By the end, there is no personal story line cliff hangars for Quinn.
• Huck | Not much. He did have a nervous breakdown earlier in the season, but came back to OPA renewed. Gave Liv the perfect "Thug Life" pep talk she needed in order to go and take Jake from "Command".
• Marcus | All season 5 he had been trying to fit in with Huck and Quinn, and after growing weary of them, he focused on his work. One huge plot point for him this season was his almost kiss with Mellie Grant, after Susan Ross conceded and Mellie won the Republican spot in the Presidential race. Could the writers be planning to revisit this little spark they shared? Hmmm....

  

   Season 5, Episode 20, "Trump Card"

HONORABLE MENTIONS:

• The Vice President - Susan Ross  | Very interested to see where we find her in Season 5... if we see her at all. She seemed to have ended things for good with David Rosen, and she dropped out of the Presidential race. Not really sure where they're planning to go with her.

• The Serpent - VP Chief of Staff, Elizabeth North  | Last time we saw Liz, she was having disgusting sexual relations with David Rosen in order to get her way. She spent the entire season bullying Abbey, using David, trying to control Susan (being her chief of staff and all), and trying to block out Cyrus, which we all know is very unlikely for her to accomplish. In the finale, she thought David Rosen would be running as the VP candidate with Frankie Vargas after she saw Cyrus come in and meet with Rosen, but once David got the phone call that it wouldn't be him, that left Susan upset and deflated. What we do know is that she's been promoted to a full time character on the show, but what we don't know is in what capacity she'll function, since her current storyline was left with not many options at the end of Season 5.

• The Tea Spiller - Former VP, Sally Langston and host of The Liberty Report | Well, what we do know is that we'll likely meet Sally at the beginning of Season 6 right where we met her in the beginning of Season 5... at her beloved desk on the set of her political show, The Liberty Report. I am sure she'll be spilling all of the tea in order to help close the gaps for us over the past near 8 months. 

Scandal Season 5 Finale RECAP...

Season 5 Finale
"That's My Girl"

Mellie and Jake greeting their crowd at the Republican National Convention, just after announcing Jake officially as VP candidate on Mellie's ticket.

Soooo, in a nutshell...

Daddy Pope is pulling the puppet strings, yet again. He is just about the sole motivation behind most of the character's movements. From the very opening sequence of events, we see Jake poisoning his new father-in-law over drinks, because Daddy Pope told him to. He has been under the heavy thumb of Command just about all of Season 5, and it doesn't look to be coming to a close anytime soon.

Daddy Pope finds himself in Frankie Vargas' office, offering 30 million dollars of support to the campaign if they'll have Jake Ballard on the ticket as VP. Vargas loves the idea, Cyrus - as you can imagine - not so much.

Edison - Olivia's ex, and once upon a time candidate - shows up at OPA to deliver a message from Jake... " I want out." Jake is desperate to get from under Command's thumb, and having just come from under it himself, Edison sympathizes and delivers the message. To his surprise, Olivia is not moved and says all but "nope, sorry." Huck starts to get in Liv's head when he shows her the news of Jake's new wife's father's untimely "heart attack" - informing her of Vanessa's new half a billion dollar inheritance. Olivia knows her father is behind it.

Cyrus shows up to Liv's house uninvited and unannounced to tell on Rowan, informing her that her father high-jacked his campaign. Olivia is refusing to indulge Cyrus until he pierces her where it counts by reminding her that, "this election should be me and you... the student vs. the master", Cyrus pleads with Fixer Pope, while also reminding her of what she knows will happen if Vargas takes the presidency with her father holding the puppeteer reins.

After a moving "man up" chat with Huck informing Liv, that she needs to stop sneaking, but hit up Command and face off "like a gangster", she walks into her father's house and stands up to him - faces off with him toe-to-toe. He places Jake a gunpoint, trying to get inside of Liv's head, attempting to make her believe that Jake's blood will be on her hands. She outwits him and wins that battle, assuring Jake that he wouldn't dare kill him, because he is his son. Olivia waltzes right out of Daddy Pope's front door... but not before announcing that Jake has been placed on Mellie's ticket as the Vice Presidential candidate.

The Vargas campaign learn of this on the news, and that sets Cyrus in motion. With their VP candidate changing sides, what else is a dedicated campaign manager like Cyrus supposed to do to save the campaign except.... put himself on the ticket as the Vice Presidential candidate. That's right, in the middle of the Republican National Convention, Abbey walks up to Liv and informs her of who Frankie Vargas announced his running mate to be. Liv calls Cyrus just before he goes on stage. All Cyrus has to say in response is " Only one of us is getting back to the White House". And in response Miss Pope declares, "He's right... me."

Meanwhile, Daddy Pope sits in his cozy living room watching the Republican National Convention on television, with a likely vintage bottle of red wine. In a memory sequence we watch him remember his run-ins with his daughter, and at the end, he cheers to her and says - with a smile - "that's my girl".

SCANDAL EPISODE REACTION -- S5E17 - "Thwack" -- Thoughts While Watching

Apr 7, 2016

#TheSunShinesInShondaland

Okay, soooooo..... this episode was bomb! Do not mistake my enthusiasm as a co-sign of the behavior. This is not a matter of morality. This is a matter of EXCELLENT storytelling and character arcs tonight! That said, I have SO much to say about character arcs and whatnot that I will reserve for a different post.

For now...

1) Abbey's thinking she's a monster is ADORABLE! She been doing terrible things to people, all to "prove" that she's a monster, when she'll never actually BE a monster. There's a difference in doing monstrous things, and BEING a monster. You don't have to work near as hard as Abbey when you're ACTUALLY a monster. Cyrus.... that's a monster. Daddy Pope.... monster. Abbey.... hamster on a wheel. #AMonsterWithNoTeeth #DoNotCrossMeAgain #OneHour

2) I'm glad Marcus stood up and said heck nah to the tomfoolery they throwing at him. Everyone in OPA is acting like Marcus has done them some harm. I get it.... they don't want to contaminate him, but why keep him if you're gonna talk all rough to him and treat him all bad?! #AreWeGladiatorsOrAreWe_______????

3) Welp Andrew..... #YouDoneBruh Like, homie really thought it was cool to do all he did and have THIS much of a grudge because he got retaliated against??? And you being real slick tongued too?! #NahBruh

4) Nick Amaro from Law & Order getting on my nerves. He better chill, playing with Cyrus! lol #HisMarriageAintRealAnyway

5) Daddy Pope has been such a dad these days! Honestly, I rather enjoy it. What I don't enjoy is that ever since Jake has become head of the NSA, all he does with his life is sit around the house and eat. You ain't got nothing to do homeboy?! #INeedThatJob #JakeTheSnake

Great scandal tonight #Scandal! I mean really, this was one heck of a scandal. And as much as they all get on my nerves at one point or another, as a unit... they looked good! #SquadGoals

#TheScandalSuite #GladiatorsSuitUp #BravoToTheWritersRoom