Season Finale Update: Scandal

That was one crazy, twisty finale! I didn't see any of it coming. Mama Pope's return was EPIC!! Her performance in the jail cell was master level acting and Khandi Alexander deserves an Emmy just for that!
I was shocked when it was reveled that Luna Vargas was behind her own husband's shooting! She was the last person on my suspect list. But, technically, Cyrus was really behind it. My one question; is Luna really dead? Liv told Cyrus that she wasn't so what kind of game is she playing?
I love that OPA is back together with Quinn in charge. She came full circle this season!
And Liv is command! I don't know how to feel about this because it could either go really bad or really well. Hoping for the latter.
I think I'm the only person who wished this finale was the series finale. So many storylines that over-arched each season closed and I just don't know how they can start new ones with only one season left. I also always thought the series would end once Fitz left office.

I enjoyed this season. The "what if" episode was one of my favorites.
Throughout this whole season part me thought that Liv was either the mastermind behind the whole shooting or that she was slowly becoming her father. I can't believe that one of those things actually happened!
Next season will definitely be an interesting one. We'll get a glimpse of Mellie's white house, Quinn's OPA (should we still be calling it that?), and Liv's B613! (Yay for women being in the highest positions of power!) Also, is Fitz going to be seen at all this season or is he gone for good? And what will that final episode be? Will Fitz and Liv finally be together forever or not?
We shall see.

Pic credit

Winter Premieres 2017: Scandal

Scandal is back and it's election night! Here's the basics of what happened. Mellie lost, but Vargas got shot. So Fitz has to do his outbound presidential duty of putting his support behind either Cyrus or Mellie to actually be president. Liv is on the war path to find out who shot Vargas and when she confronts her dad and he says he didn't do it, so her next target is Cyrus. But she's on a time limit to prove it. She fails and Fitz announces his support for Cyrus. But in that very moment, Liv uncovers some evidence that makes Cyrus look guilty. And that was the episode.
For the first time in a long time I thoroughly enjoyed an episode of Scandal. There wasn't anything that happened that made me roll my eyes in annoyance. I think it has to do with the fact that the whole episode was so focused on election night that there wasn't anytime for side stories.

I am curious to see where this season goes. The main storyline is figuring out who shot [Vargas] but they can't spend all their time doing that. I mean, sure, it's going to take some time. I expect it to take quite a few episodes, but it won't take forever. So, what will happen next? This show is so hard to predict and I wish I had something, but I don't. I'll just be watching along with you, trying to figure it all out.

So, what did you think of the episode.

Pic credit

2017 Winter Premieres

Here's my list of new and returning shows that I'll be watching that premiering this January - March. I will review each season premiere unless noted otherwise.

Grimm, Friday January 6th at 8pm on NBC
The final season. I'm sad to see it go but excited to learn more about the healing stick and what Nick and the crew are up to now. It'll be interesting to see how they wrap it all up.

Emerald City, Friday January 6th at 9pm on NBC
The really trailer and the cast intrigued me, so I'm giving it a chance. I'll review this after the first 2 or 3 episodes.


Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events, Friday January 13th on Netflix
I've been a fan of the books since elementary school. This was my Harry Potter. I was excited when the movie came out and I'm hoping that the series does the book series justice. I'll review this after I've completed the season.

Scandal, Thursday January 19th at 9pm on ABC
I am still here for this show. There's just something there that keeps drawing me back in. I may need to watch the season 5 finale again to refresh my memory, but I will be there with my wine and popcorn, livetweeting with all you Gladiators!

Voltron, Friday January 20th on Netflix
I remember the season 1 finale and how mad I was that it ended the way it did so I'm very excited to see what happens next.

Outsiders, Tuesday January 24th at 9pm on WGN
The show I never thought I'd watch or like but I do. Sasil, my Sasil, how I've missed thee. I've really missed everything about this show and can't wait to see what the characters get into this season.

The Fosters, Tuesday January 31st at 8pm on Freeform
This show continues to be drama on drama, but now things are getting really intense. Every character seems to be in a bad place right now and I'm itching to see how they get out of it.

Switched at Birth, Tuesday January 31st at 9pm on Freeform
Another show starting it's final season which makes me so sad because it's still the only one of it's kind on TV. It's sad that it will end with nothing in it's place, but nothing lasts forever. I'm sure there will be tons of tears from me throughout the season and especially during the finale episode.

Underground, Wednesday March 8th at 10pm on WGN
One of the most thrilling shows on TV is finally back. I can't wait to have these characters back on my screen, especially their newest character, Harriet Tubman. I legit screamed when they introduced her and knowing Aisha Hinds will play her makes me 10 times more excited.

So, what will you guys be watching this winter?

Scandal Finale Update

Another season of Scandal has come to an end and that finale was ... a bit lackluster for me. Don't get me wrong, I was entertained and enjoyed it, but the end fell flat. There was this whole build up with Liv and it didn't come to anything but her saying that she was going to get to the White House again. I feel like the finales have become less crazy as the years go by.

I feel the same way about this season as a whole. They did a lot of great things, but there was still something missing. This season was all about boss women, with Mellie, Susan, Abby and everyone else, and I loved that. I also liked how they had this art imitating life/life imitating art situation with the election. I still say that Edison's monologue was one of the best monologues this show has had!
But there was something missing. This show used to be thrilling and I think it's lost that. They have shocking moments, but sometimes it's out of character and confusing. Take Liv telling Abby that she's not a monster and will just end up coming back to work at OPA, for example. That was the moment when I was like "who are you right now?" That didn't seem like Liv at all. And even the moment when she killed Andrew. Sure he was a horrible person that put her in this terrible situation that caused her PTSD, but I don't think Liv would've done that to him. I think she would've messed his life up and left him living to suffer. Even when she told Abby not to cross her, implying that what she did to Andrew she will do to you. No, this isn't just about someone being a douche and screwing with you. This is about the fact that this guy who put you through crap and now you're trying to deal with it. Let's not ignore what the real problem is.
While we're talking about Olivia, she seemed all over the place this season. One minute she wants to be like Rowan, the next she wants to take him down and then she wants to be like him again. The stories that I thought were most interesting were her dealing with her PTSD and trying to have some kind of relationship with Fitz now that he's divorced. But, all that got lost in command and trying to figure out Rowan's next move. That is a plot line that I am completely over. I feel like every time we think we're done with Rowan, he creeps his way back into our lives.

There are a few things that I want to see nest season in order for me to be as hype about this show as I was when I first started watching. First, I need for them to move one from this B613/Rowan thing. Rowan doesn't necessarily have to die, but he's been the big bad for long enough. It's time we get a new villain.
Next, I want to see Liv work through her PTSD and grow. I mean, I don't think she should have one therapy session and be fine. But, because she always has so much going on with her work, she's barely able to deal with her personal stuff. And I know that the line between her personal life and work life are blurred. So maybe she starts to draw clearer lines.
They need to put the final nail in the coffin that is the Fitz/Liv/Jake love triangle. Liv may never fully be over them, but I do think it's possible for her to move on from them both.
Lastly, bring back the thrill and great shock value. Let things be crazy and twisty like it was when the show first started. If all of these things can happen I'll actually anticipate and be excited to watch each episode instead of watching because I don't have anything better to do.
What did you guys think of this season?

Pic credit

Fall Finale Update: Scandal

Not only will this be an update on how I feel about this season, but I will include a little summary on how my feelings for this show has changed. This might be a little long so let’s get to it.

When things started to change

I have to be honest, my love for this show has shrunk and there are 3 main reasons for this; B613, the case of the week becoming nonexistent, and Olivia and Fitz on and off relationship.

• B613
• They spent a season and a half trying to take down this organization which was too much time for me. Then add to that, the way it was finally taken down was not satisfying to me. Rowan going to jail was nice but, first he didn’t go for his crimes as command. Second, he got out and the hunt for him was on again. So he’s free to do whatever he wants when he should be in jail. He’s like that one villain that never dies, the only difference between him and other villains like this is that the others eventually die. There are so many threats on his life and they never follow through. It’s getting old.
• No more case of the week
• OPA cases was the thing that hooked me on to this show from the beginning. How they handled cases was the difference between this show and all the other crime dramas I’ve watched. OPA’s goal is to help the client, not solve whatever crime happened. Sure, they solved crimes but only to help their client.
• Once B613 came into the picture it went from different case each week to trying to take down B613 each week. Like I said above, that was too much. It was an overload.
• Olivia and Fitz (Olitz)
• Ever since "The Trail" (Season 1 Episode 6) I wanted Olitz together and fought hard for them. With this episode plus "Molly, You in Danger, Girl (Season 2 Episode 18) when Fitz said he and Mellie were arranged, I've felt that Olitz belonged together and should be together, and you could've tell me anything different.
• Olitz really started to annoy me after "No Sun on the Horizon" (Season 3 Episode 13). I was over the back and forth of this relationship at this point. The break-up/make-up storyline got old for me. Whatever happened with this relationship didn’t matter to me because if they broke up I knew they would get back together and if they made up I knew they would break up a few episodes later.
• This final nail in the coffin was the Vermont dream Olivia had in "Run" (Season 4 Episode 10). Seeing her with the job of making jam and walking the dog while he’s off being governor didn’t feel right to me. I didn’t think that Olivia would be happy quitting OPA and becoming a housewife.

Thoughts on season 5 thus far

I’m going to start off with what I actually liked about this season.

• Mellie
• Mellie choosing to start an impeachment trial on Fitz. Mellie’s filibuster! But my favorite Mellie moment of this season was the speech she gave to Fitz after she signed the divorce papers. Everything she said was so on point with how I’ve felt about that relationship. I’m so glad that was finally said!
• Susan Ross
• She will always be a favorite of mine. I love how she wanted to quit because she didn’t want to become president and her little crush on David is hilarious.

Now on to the things I didn’t like so much.

• OPA had about 2 cases this season and I’ve already talked about why that upsets me. But I do have a smidge of hope things are changing in that department. Now that Olivia is out of the white house, it looks like she’ll get back into that work again.
• Rowan’s out of jail and it looked like he would finally die but, no. I have no reason to believe that he will ever be killed off this show. Why? Well, in the fall finale Huck realized that Rowan actually wants to die and fears living. So why kill him and give him what he wants when letting him live is a bigger punishment?
• The thing that made me the most mad was Olivia and Fitz.
• First, this entire front half of the season was all about them and that was too much for me.
• Second, I never thought that Olivia was happy living in the white house with Fitz. She gave me no reason to believe she wanted any of it. She regretted saying she was his mistress, she let her father out of jail so she wouldn’t have to marry Fitz and stopped any chance of them having a family. I’m just mad it look this long for them to finally realize this.
• But, no matter how many time they say this relationship is over forever, I have no doubt that they are over forever. They always end up back together. I’d be shocked if this was actually the end.

Overall, this front half of the season had it’s ups and downs for me. I have a little bit of hope that the back half will be better. I just want things to be different. Give me more OPA cases. Let Olitz be together forever or over forever and let’s squash this on and off stuff. And let’s finally end this Rowan storyline. Make him go away forever or kill him because I’m tired of what we’re getting now. If things don’t change for the better, I might now be around for a season 6.

Pic credit

2015 Fall Premieres Part 1

Minority Report
I remember seeing early promos for this and thinking "this looks interesting, but I don't know." I'm happy to say that I was pleasantly surprised. This is one of those shows that wastes no time and keeps your attention from the moment it begins. I don't think I was able to look away from my screen until the commercial breaks and I loved it. I feel like this show just had a bunch of my favorite things in it. First, it's a cop drama. Second, it's set way into the future and there's all this super cool future tech. Third, they did a great job referencing things from today, like Tinder.
I know I usually give new shows 2 episodes before I render a verdict, but I wanted to give you my initial reaction because I liked it so much. I will definitely be tuning in next Monday and most likely each week.

Rosewood
Initial thoughts. It was like CSI Miami but less intense and more fun, but a little corny. I don't know how I feel about Morris Chestnut in a TV series. I think he might be better in movies, but we shall see. I think it has potential so I really have to see more.

Empire
This show is crazy, CRAZY! But, this isn't surprising because we all saw the first season.
Why the rally Lucious?! This man is a murderer. I would've appreciated it so much more if he was actually innocent. I did like the song that Jamal sang for it though.

Grey's Anatomy
Loved it. This show never fails to make me cry in the first few minutes and the music is always on point. I thought it was a classic episode of Grey's. Fun, intense and hits you right in the feels. I just want to mention how much I love Callie and Maggie and how Mer and her sisters are living together! Love it all.

Scandal
The first thought I had after the episode was "but we've seen all this before." I even tweeted that this all happened before. Let me tell you what: Olitz having sexy times, Fitz telling Mellie he wants a divorce, Fitz reducing Mellie to nothing but a trophy wife, Liv being leaked as the president's mistress, etc etc. This all made me think that the coming episodes would be predictable. Like, Mellie's not going to sign and they'll stay married, Olitz will break up, rinse and repeat. I still feel this way but I was wrong about one thing. I thought Liv was going to break it off with Fitz on that balcony at the end, but I was wrong.
Here's what I liked. One, Sally Langston gave me life! I never thought I would say that. Two, I'm so glad that Olivia told Fitz to basically calm down because he was acting like an overexcited puppy with all that talk of getting a divorce and going public. And she was right in saying that they need to fix their ish before they do anything more. Shame they won't get the chance to because of her name and pics being leaked (probably by Elizabeth North). And Fitz will be all like "so what, who cares" and Liv will be like "OMG kill me now."

HTGAWM
I seriously don't know what to say but WOW! I didn't see any of that coming and I am SO ready but so NOT ready for this season. I just want to talk about the ending. It looks like Annalise is dead/dying and that's what they want us to think. I mean, she's lying in a pool of her own blood gasping for air. But, to think that's her own blood and that she breathing her lasts breathes would be too obvious. She could very well be gasping in horror because whoever's blood is on the ground. That's my story and I'm sticking to it!

Well, that's all I have for this week. Next week I'll be giving my final  verdict on Minority Report and Rosewood, and talking about the season 3 premiere of Sleepy Hollow.
Follow me on Twitter to live tweet all the shows @KiaCherise. 

Returning Fall Shows 2015

Here is a list of all the returning shows that I'll be watching this year. As I said before, I will be including a little blurb on how I feel about some of these shows new seasons based on what happened in the previous season(s), most recent season finale, and/or any spoilery info that has come out during the hiatus.

Tuesday September 22

• Fresh off the Boat, 8:30pm ABC

Wednesday September 23

• The Goldbergs, 8:30pm ABC
• Black - ish, 9:30pm ABC
• Empire, 9pm Fox

Thursday September 24

• Grey's Anatomy, 8pm ABC
• I'm excited because Meredith is living with her sisters in her mothers old house. I can't wait to see that dynamic.
• Scandal, 9pm ABC
• Marcus is back as a series regular and he's probably the newest member of OPA! I think that's the only thing I'm really excited about. My hope is that we never hear about B613 ever again. Oh and for Olitz, yall know I've been over it for a while. Maybe Fitz will actually get his life together and stop being such a dud. Then maybe I might want them together. MAYBE!
• How to Get Away With Murder
• I just recently read that we are going to learn more about Bonnie and Annalise's relationship which is something I really wanted to know about. Also, who killed Rebecca?

Thursday October 1

• Sleepy Hollow, 9pm Fox
• What can I say? This show as had it's ups and downs, but I have hope. I think they're hitting the rewind button and take things to back to how they were in S1. I think they'll do kind of a reset so people who haven't watched, can and not feel like they missed anything, but leave things in there for us OG Sleepyheads. From what I've read, there's great things on the horizon. I mean, Joe Corbin is back, Lance Gross is a series regular, and there's a time jump. I'm super excited about all of these things. 

Tuesday October 6

• The Flash, 8pm CW
• I love this show SO MUCH! I am so excited about season 2. We get Wally West, we get Iris working with STAR Labs and we get mama West (Vanessa Williams)! I can't wait to find out where she's been and why she's been gone for so long. 

Monday October 12

• Jane the Virgin, 9pm CW
• I'm so ready for another season of this crazy show. I just want to know where Jane's baby is.

Friday October 30

• Grimm, 10pm NBC
• I don't know what's going on with this show right now. I wasn't happy with the direction they went with Juliette nor do I like the fact that Adalind is pregnant, again. I'm sill curious to see what happens next. 

Scandal - You Can't Take Command

We've come to the end of another season. This time I'm going to give you a list of some things that happened and what I thought about them all.



Rowan Eli is in jail and Mama Pope is free
Is this really real? I find this too good to be true, maybe because I never thought it would happen. For the first time in the history of him being on this show he wasn't 1000 steps ahead of everybody! And, he really tried to talk his way out of it and scare Olivia but no one was here for it. I feel that he doesn't know how to get himself out of this one.
I don't even know what to say about Maya being free. Now she can wreak havoc wherever she goes because you know she's not going to hide away and live life like a normal person. I just really don't want her to be the big bad of season 5. I don't know if I can take other season of Olivia trying to bring down one of her parents.

What the Huck
Once a killer always a killer, I guess. I don't even know. My question is, did Quinn end up killing him? I'd like to think no, but she's capable of anything and full of surprises.

Liz
Welcome, Cyrus Beane female! I mean, she is just as evil as he is and now she's got his job. But what is her agenda really, now that she knows all of Fitz and Mellie's dirty little secrets? She's probably going to blackmail him til the cows come home.

Cyrus got fired!
Okay first, who forgot that Cyrus was working with Rowan? I did!! I completely forgot about all of the secret meetings they had in season 2. I forgot that he was the most evil person on this show! Rowan was just a distraction from the real monster, Cyrus.
But back to him being fired; it's about time! Fitz should have let him go a LONG time ago with all of the horrible things he's done.

Mellie got kicked out of the white house
I am mad about this and let me tell you why. Mellie was just trying to help, which is something that she's always done. How many times has she done horrible things and how many time has she made sacrifices so Fitz can be who he is today, and this is what he throws her out for?! I mean, dude shot down a plane of over 300 people and Mellie knew about it and still tried to help him. Now she's getting punished for it.
So question, are they actually going to get a divorce now?

That ending
I didn't like it. Well, the Jake part was fine but the Fitz part, no.
Jake can go. I've never liked him. Never have and never will. But where will he go? I believe he's jobless and homeless, so what's he going to do?
Now I thought that Liv was choosing herself, but I guess she left that back in the first half of this season. As some of you know I have not been here for Fitz for a while now, so this ending didn't do it for me. And what are they going to do because you know they can't just do whatever they want?! And, why did they make out all out in the open like that like no one would be watching them?! That was not smart. Is she going to move into the white house now because she seems to have made herself very comfortable. I mean, she got her wine glasses and everything.

This episode and season overall
Now I know I said this last year, but this episode really seemed like a series finale. I mean, Mellie can go off and be political, the villain Eli is in jail, and Cyrus now has time to take care of his daughter. I just don't see how OPA can come back from this. Olivia is off living life in the white house and once she hears about Huck, it's over. My favorite part of this episode was Liv's "you can't take command" speech. I like that Olivia. She should come around more often. Also, Mama Pope is always a joy. I love the lines they write for her.
After this season I don't ever want to hear 'B613' again! Everyone is dead or in jail so we need to let that go. I loved that this season was more like the earlier ones compared to season 3. I'm just shocked this season didn't go out with a bang like all of the others. Well, until next fall.    

Pic credit

Scandal - A Few Good Women

This episode right here, I mean, oh my goodness. It was so good. I need to talk about how groundbreaking this show is. I love how Shonda Rhimes uses her platform to bring to light so many issues that we face in this society. There's so much feminism in this show, but with this episode in particular there were so many women getting stuff done, hence the title. (Sidenote: Please look up the play 'A Few Good Men' if you don't know what it is already. You'll love SR even more for it. I know I do.) If it wasn't for Susan Ross there wouldn't of been a case for Olivia. A case the she, Quinn and Abby all worked on together and won! And I can't leave out Liz and Mellie. Also, they only took questions from the female reporter at the white house press conference. This show is just amazing!

Foxtail

We finally know what Foxtail is ... or do we? I mean, I'm guessing Foxtail is Mellie but that's not all of it. What is Rowan's agenda? The first thing that popped into my head when we saw it was Rowan was Hollis Doyle. Is he going to be the Hollis Doyle of her campaign? That would be very interesting and creates so many possibilities for parallels between Mellie and Fitz's campaign. We shall see. 

B613

Since there's been so much of B613 this season, I'm going to spend some time talking about it. I have some theories about it and Rowan. I'm pretty sure this was brought about because I've been binging on Nikita, which is a show that I think would be very similar to a B613 spin off if there was to be a B613 spin off. I've also been really interested in how B613 was created, when did Rowan become command and things like that. That conversation between Jake and Russell really got me thinking. So here we go.

I don't think Rowan created B613 but he has been apart of it for a very long time. He's been command since before he got married; it's the reason why Maya married him. I think B613 was just this sub-government organization that took out the countries enemies and it all changed when Rowan became command. Once that happened he really realized how awful the world is and about all the awful people in the world and decided to use his power at B613 to protect Olivia and I think Maya being evil had something to do with it, too. He wanted to protect Olivia and be the only person for her to rely on and trust. He's the hyper exaggerated version of the over protective father. He wants to be the only man in her life. The problem is that he sent her away to a boarding school for all those years, which was probably guarded by B613 agents, and had to keep so many secrets because he's command. Also he's a psychopath! That's why he sends dudes to spy on her, stalk her and flirt with her. It's what Maya did to him and probably where he got the idea. It's the only way he can keep Olivia on lock and key. He needs everyone to be B613 because she's Olivia Pope and comes in contact with anyone and everyone. The other problem is that she found out about him being command. This is why he gets so pissed when she finds someone who's not attached to him because they become #1 in her life, not him. 

It's like his intentions are good, he's just a psychopath and goes about it in the worst way possible. I think he does love and care for Olivia, he's just a psychopath! Obviously B613 messed him up but we don't know who his parents are/were or how he got caught up with B613 in the first place. I won't be able to rest until I know the origin of B613 and Rowan. I hope we get some kind of special on it or something. Just not a series because we have Nikita. 

It's a real shame that the only place Olivia felt safe from her father was the dirtiest bathroom in the world. It's sad.

I really enjoyed this episode. I loved Mellie's speech at the end. Also, I was so scared when they were about to reveal what foxtail was that I was shaking and my heart was beating out of my chest. I hadn't felt that way while watching this show in a while. Russell's impersonation of Rowan was really good.  

I can not wait to watch the finale. It looks like Mama Pope makes a return and some more crazy things happen. Oh, Scandal got picked up for a 5th season there'll be plenty more of this!! Until next week. 

Pic credit

Scandal - First Lady Sing the Blues

This week on Scandal the Russian B613 meets the American B613 and the American one wins.

White House
First, we need to talk about what's going on with Mellie's campaign. Sally Langston made it her duty to bring Mellie down and it didn't really work. People seem to think that Mellie being married to the president is a conflict of interest and that she can't be senator. Once I heard this I was like, they're going to get a divorce. The offer was put on the table, wasn't used in the end, but I think it will be brought up again. I just have this feeling that Mellie will hand Fitz divorce papers in the finale. I don't know why, I just do and this episode makes me think that it will actually happen.
That Cyrus/Sally scene was the best thing! They should put those 2 hound dogs in a room together more often!
Oh, and the feminism that was weaved into this storyline gave me so much life. Really, all of the feminism on this show gives me life!

OPA
So, remember way back when, when OPA's cases would parallel something going on in Liv's life? Well, this week's case reminded me of those times. Liv had to help this grandma get out of basically the Russian version of B613, just like she helped Huck. It was a very good feeling of nostalgia. I liked those times. I love parallels. But, it didn't end well which means that the help Jake was getting was gone and now he's barely alive in a hospital bed. Yup, that's right. He's still alive (bleh). I mean what did Rowan say; "It irritates me to know that he's still breathing."
Frankly, I am so done with B613. You don't know how happy I was when Liv said she was done trying to bring them down, but that didn't last long. And now we have this foxtail mess. It's just one thing after the next. Of course, I want to know what foxtail is but I just wish it didn't exist because I'm so done. I just need for Rowan and Olivia to had an epic showdown that ends all of this and it better happen by the finale.
The best part of what went on with OPA was when Liv found out about Russell. I was really starting to get pissed off. They were saying too much within an earshot of him and they were starting to look real dumb. Now she's got him and she's going to use him. Hopefully Papa Pope isn't 1000 steps ahead of it like he always is.  

Now this episode had its ups and downs but Olivia made up for that. I love Liv's bark and bite and thank the writers for that. I also thank them for that Sally/Cyrus scene. Now we have to wait 2 weeks (again) to find out what happens next.

Pic credit

Scandal - I'm Just a Bill

Papa Pope is back you best believe he's stirring up some trouble packaged in a very good monologue. This is your major spoiler warning. If you haven't watched, stop now, watch and come back. Something big happened this week and I don't want to be blamed for ruining it for you.

Marcus
He's back, too, and he's running for mayor but has a bit of a problem when the mayor's wife who he's sleeping with is murdered. So he calls the only person he knows who could fix this, Olivia.
The more these two hang out the more they like each other. I would be more shocked if he didn't end up working at OPA in the near future. I don't think this is the last we'll see of Marcus. He fights for justice and Olivia's got the white hat back on so she does too. She needs to beef up OPA now. All she has is Quinn and Huck who are targets of Rowan right now and could end up dead. I'm not saying they will die or that I want them to die, but it's a possibility that Olivia has to deal with. She needs more help.

The White House
Fitz is trying to get this bill passed and only one thing stands in his way, Susan Ross. Susan Ross is force to be reckoned with, which is making her my favorite person in that house. Mark my words, she may not want to be president now but that will change. Her voice as VP is going to grow. She already got Fitz to fix the bill, she's going to do more and more. Soon someone will mention she should run or ask if she will run and put the idea in her head that she's capable and would be good at it, and then boom. Mellie is going to be pissed but oh well.

Russell
I am so mad. Not because he killed Jake, but because he's B613! I had so much hope for him. I really didn't want him to be connected to Rowan in any way. I think deep down I knew he was bad news, because every man that comes into Liv's life is, but I wanted him to be different. She really needed an escape. He let her be Alex and now she can't be Alex anymore which means that she is going to have to face all the crap that happened to her. Her reaction to the truth is important. I think it will break her. I mean completely break her to the point of her sobbing on the floor somewhere. I predict much emotional distress.

Jake's dead?
I pose that as a question because [SPOILER ALERT] there are pictures on the internet of him bandaged and lying in bed alive, but who knows. Let's act like he's dead for a second. I felt nothing! I wasn't shocked and I surely wasn't sad about it. The only thing I felt during that scene was anger because Russell is B613. That's it. If he's dead, I really don't care and if he isn't, then what's new. I find that kind of hilarious. I didn't know how I would react to Jake's death but I did expect some kind of reaction.
My one question is why did Rowan go after Jake first? I mean, other than the love triangle drama. There are so many other B613 agents that Rowan could have killed to get to Olivia.

Overall, this was a really great episode. It's been a long time since I've watched an episode and was unable to focus on anything non-Scandal related. I couldn't even get up to pee during the commercials because I was checking the internet for everyone else's reactions! It was amazing and it was nice to get some epic Pope family monologues. Can't wait to see what next week brings!

Pic credit

Scandal - Honor Thy Father

Well, I can honestly say that I didn't see any of this coming. This episode was so twisty, I wasn't able to predict a thing! Which is good because I can't take predictable episodes.

The White House
Mellie's sister came to the white house for a little visit. First off, we have Melody (Mellie's full name) and Harmony and they have no melody or harmony between them (see what I did there). Second, her visit only made me want to know all of Mellie's secrets. Can we get some flashbacks of Mellie with her parents and what happened there. I feel like that could be coming since she wants to run for president. If they have to vet her sister then they'll have to vet her parents. Wait, do we know that Mellie's parents are alive? I could have missed when they talked about it, so you can tell me if I'm wrong. But I want to see that; who Mellie came from. It would be so interesting to see that family dynamic.
Oh how the tables have turned for Fitz and Mellie. I mean Mellie said it herself, Fitz is/needs to become like the first lady now. He has to do the things that she has been doing for how may years now. He's got to give her all the support she needs and do whatever needs to be done so she can become the president. It'll be so interesting to see how far he'll go to make it happen. We know she did anything and everything to get him into the white house, hence Defiance. But, will he go that far to help her?

OPA
Yay for another case of the week! I guess this was the moment when we found out if Liv's gut was still broken or not. I mean, Huck said it himself she was "testing her gut." She knew in her heart of hearts that man didn't kill his daughter's teacher/lover and she was right! No more broken gut. Fixing Liv is back and in full effect! This makes me so happy.
You know what else makes me happy? Seeing Olivia and Abby have friendly conversation. I just had to throw that in there. Their phone conversation really made me smile.

B613
This was the big twist of he night. They lead us to believe that Jake had gone all coo coo for coco puffs and wanted to kill Liv (which he NEVER said in the episode), but in the end he wasn't crazy at all! I still think Jake needs to go though.
My favorite scene of the night came from this storyline. Huck, Quinn, Charlie and David. What a group! Plus the music was on point too.
I want to ask who's in B613 because it seems like everybody is, but the real question should be who isn't in B613. Seriously, you can't trust anybody. And now it looks like Russell or Frank or whatever his name is, is a B613 agent too! From the looks of it he led Papa Pope to Liv. But, I still have hope that he's a good guy. Papa Pope could have still been keeping tabs on Olivia himself and knew that he couldn't walk up to her door without a middle man. He could have had a gun to Russell's back. Call me naive, I don't care.
If he isn't a good guy then I'll really be pissed. I'm going to need for Papa Pope to stop sending in dudes to sleep with Olivia so he can get to her. Sooner or later she's not going to be able to trust any man. As long a Rowan is alive she'll always wonder if he sent this guy her way or not. That makes me upset.

Overall, I'm mad that this episode fooled me but, I liked it because it fooled me. I almost thought I was wrong about Papa Pope making an appearance, but no. I'm also a little mad that we have to wait 2 weeks for a new episode. Why did we have to go back to that?! I mean, we want classic Scandal but not this classic! Olitz might actually be over after the end of the next new episode, but do we really believe that? I don't. See you in 2 weeks.

Pic credit

Scandal - Put A Ring on It

I know I've been saying that this show is back to what it used to be but this episode is just about as classic as Scandal could get. I mean, Liv's got her curls back, Mellie's hair is big and she's back to reading people, and Abby's is working with OPA again which is so nice. Also, we got flashbacks!

OPA and the White House
Olivia is back at the white house to help Cyrus get through his sham engagement and wedding. Cyrus is having a really hard tie with this whole thing, so much so that he's having flashbacks to his past marriages with his wife, Janet and James. It's always nice to have flashbacks because we can find out more about a person's life. Sally Langston also made an appearance just to ruffle everyone's feathers. Just like old times. Of course, Olivia was able to handle the whole situation and the wedding went on.

Olitz
Now this episode had some Olitz-y goodness for those shippers. Now, I haven't been on that ship for months now and they really tried to get me back on board with that flashback but I just couldn't do it. It was good, but not good enough. Let me tell you about the range of emotion I felt with these two. First, when she was frantically looking for the ring I was like "here we go again!" It was just like when she threw the Fitz phone in the trash but then went digging in it once it started ringing. She didn't put the ring back on at first and I was happy, but then she put it back on.
Then I started to think why she would do that and here's my theory. In the flashback Fitz wanted Olivia to wear the ring so he's knows they're okay, whether they are together or not. So, my guess is that's why she's wearing the ring again. She wants him to know that after all that crap with the kidnapping and going to war, they are okay now. Doesn't necessarily mean she's going to jump his bones any time soon. It's like she's giving him hope, the same way she told him "there's hope" earlier this season.

Overall, I like this episode. Pretty sure I would have loved it if I still shipped Olitz but, oh well.
Now, I NEED it to be next Thursday. That episode looks insane! I mean, Jake is talking about how he's going to kill Olivia, Charlie's talking about how they need to kill Jake! I mean, how did we get here!? I guess this means we'll hear the words 'B613' next week. Plus the episode is titled "Honor Thy Father" so I wouldn't be surprised if Rowan Pope makes an appearance. I just hope that all of this gets handled so we won't have to hear about B613 ever again. Who am I kidding, B613 will creep it's way back into things just like Defiance does. See you next week!

Pic credit

Scandal - It's Good To Be Kink

I feel like this was the comic relief episode. This episode was much lighter than the ones we've gotten since it's been back from hiatus, and we needed that. It reminded me of the good old days (remember Beltway Unbuckled?) when OPA took on random cases and helped their client and got things handled.

OPA
Can we finally say that OPA is back, like really back?! It seems like things are really getting back to normal, well normal for OPA. I feel like this new case was just what we needed. OPA getting stuff done, Liv being the boss that she is, Huck doing what Huck does (oh Huck), and Quinn actually being likable. It was nice. I hope I'm not the only one who felt this way but, Sue was right when she was reading Liv. Olivia was thee boss and something changed. We all know what that something was though. At that point Olivia realized that she had to get her crap together. Clearly it's going to take more that screwing a random dude (we'll talk more on that later) to do that but at least she's trying.
Can we talk about how Quinn was the real MVP for reminding Liv of who her real family is. Thank you Quinn for reminding her of the OPA she came to way back when; they help their client and that's it.
I just need to talk about Huck for a minute. First off, I was completely shocked when he sliced Sue's throat like that. I don't think I'm shocked that he did it because I was expecting them to put killing her on the table as an option to stop the book. I was just shocked that he did it like that. He didn't have a care in the world and he just left her body like that. Usually he does it in a more organized way (I think that's the word I'm looking for). I guess it was a "you gotta do what you gotta do" moment and now he has immunity so it doesn't really matter. Now he's free to do whatever he wants. So is he going to still work for OPA now? I know he's not going to go back to Kim and live a normal life. That's impossible for him. So what's going to happen to Huck now?
Alright now we talk about that epic ending with Liv. I LOVED it! I can't tell you how happy I was when she went back for Russel (I think that's his name). She better get her some good lovin'! Oh and I was cackling at Fitz and Jake! I get that they're concerned for Liv and all but they don't matter to her right now. It was fantastic.
But let's talk about Jake spying on Liv and reporting to Fitz, again. I was sitting there wondering what season it was! Why did we have to go back to this? It didn't end well for them then and I don't seeing it ending well for them now if they continue.

White House
Mellie is making strides towards running for president. I don't know why I kept thinking that this wouldn't happen, but it's actually happening! Good for her. I like that she and Liz are working together. I had a feeling that would happen. I still think that Susan Ross is going to come out of nowhere and run but with Mellie and Liz working together, they might destroy her.

Overall, I thought that this was a very good episode. I like that they're bringing the show back to what it was before. Let's just hope it stays that way.
Liv's going back to the white house next week and that's going to be really interesting. I wonder if she'll actually talk to Fitz this time. I just have to questions. The first is the same question Cyrus asked Liv; what is she moving forward towards? And, is Brian White coming back or no?

Pic credit

Scandal - The Testimony of Diego Munoz

This episode wasn't as intense as last week's, but it was just as emotional and brought about the same amount of feelings.

The White House
Susan Ross actually became the VP! I really didn't think it would happen, but with the help of Leo (who I didn't know I missed) and Olivia (shockingly), it did. I just want to say that I'm pretty sure everyone has laughed like she did at one point in their life, well I know I have. That's the thing that made her relatable, for me. I have a strong feeling that she is going to be able to relate to a lot of citizens in the Scandal universe. This will most likely lead to Mellie's plan backfiring. I have no doubt that Susan will end up wanting to run for president after her term as VP and people liking her more than Mellie. She may not have any intention of being president right now but someone will plant that seed into her head. Wouldn't be really funny if it was her daughter? I can image her being like "mom you're such a great VP now you can be president" or something like that. Either that or now that she's in office she'll have to agree to not run for president and fully endorse Mellie. She'll probably ask to be Mellie's VP too. That would be too funny.

Huck
Or should I say Diego Munoz. We have finally learned Huck's real name and it only took 4 seasons. B613 is back ... again! I seriously didn't think they could bring this back but they have. I just really want it to be over but it doesn't look like we are close to that.
I really can't be fully upset with Kim about what she did because she had good intentions. All she wanted was to free Huck. Get him the immunity from all his crimes so he can go back to being Diego again. I just think that she should have given him a bit of a warning first.
Guillermo delivered that monologue! I almost forgot how good he was. It was really nice to finally see Huck smile and it not be in a flashback. He's finally seeing a glimpse of light at the end of his very long, very dark tunnel.
Oh and it took David way too long to use those files. Now he wants to wear the white hat and get the bad guys. He should have been doing this! I don't think it's going to be as easy as he's making it out to be. There are just too many people involved in this and it could get really messy. I just wonder this is finally the beginning of the end for Rowan.

Olivia
Everything around Liv is trying to get her back to normal but she is nowhere close to it. I'm going to need her to get some serious help real soon. I mean, I know she can't go to a real therapist but they could have her talking to Abby or Huck or somebody! She's walking around her apartment with a gun while brushing her teeth, unable to sit on her couch or drink red wine because of the stain. She's going off the rails people! None of this is okay.
I really liked the end and how they used what Liv said to Rose and what Rose said to Lois as character growth for Olivia. Her old self fell asleep on that island and she's never going to be the same without it. Nice to see her talking small but necessary steps to recovery. She finally got rid of that stained cushion and took her first sip of wine, probably since the kidnapping. Hopefully she'll keep moving in the right direction.

Overall, I enjoyed this episode. It was nice to see Rose again and Leo. It looks like OPA getting back to doing random cases each week which is nice because I really missed them.  

Pic credit

Scandal - The Lawn Chair

This was the most powerful and beautiful hour of television I have ever seen. Everything about this episode was amazing.

I have to say that when I first saw the promo for this episode I was a little skeptical, as were a lot of people. I have seen cop dramas try and tackle this situation but I never felt this way after watching them, and a lot of that credit has to go to the writers. They did an wonderful job carefully crafting this. Their word choices were brilliant. I know we all loved when Marcus said "Your black card is not getting validated today" and when Liv checked the police chief and told him the crowd wasn't a "mob" but "Americans", just powerful stuff. I especially liked her reaction to when the cop said "you people." I know when I hear that I immediately say "'You people?!' What do you mean 'you people?!'" But Liv said "us people." She included herself in with the people who he was talking about, and that was a reminder that just because she's a power Black woman doesn't mean that people don't see her like that cop sees her.
They were also careful with their portrayal of Fitz and the white house in this situation. Fitz was up to date on what was going on but there were still other things that he had to take care of. Not more important things, just other things and that is the reality of being POTUS. Also, we have to remember that Fitz went through a similar situation. He knows exactly how Clarence feels. That scene between the two of them, I mean who wasn't crying?!
One thing I found very interesting was that they never said that they charged the cop for murder.

Can we talk about the performances of everyone in that episode?! From Courtney B. Vance to Susan Ross, everyone was so on point. From just the looks that Kerry Washington was giving you could see that inner battle Olivia was having with herself. She was hired by the cops but treated Clarence like her client from the beginning. She was trying to do what she was hired to do and also fight for the truth. You could tell she was taking in everything that Marcus was saying and you knew a choice was coming.
I was just blown away by Courtney B. Vance and Cornelius Smith Jr. (Marcus) They were amazing. Can Marcus join OPA because I need that. And, that scene with Mellie, Fitz, and Susan was so good!

The editing, sound mixing, directing, just everything behind the camera was great. The music that was chosen was perfect. The shot of the JKF portrait in the white house and then that last scene, just unbelievable. I mean, I was left speechless and crying.

Overall this episode was powerful and beautiful. This wasn't just some entertaining hour of television, this was art. Art imitating life and then showing us what should happen. It gave us the hope that life can imitate art. Bravo to Shonda Rhimes and everyone involved in this episode. This was a daunting task and they did an amazing job.

Pic Credit

Scandal - No More Blood

There were some shocking moments in last night's episode, but there were some not so shocking moments, too.

Some little things
I wasn't shocked that Cyrus was about to kill Liv. I mean, this is the guy who was going to kill his own husband. He tried to kill everybody! Cyrus will do whatever he can to protect the republic, it's no surprise that he would do the same thing in this situation.
I also wasn't shocked when Rowan said he didn't have a daughter. He was barely a father to her so why would he see their kinship as a reason to save her. Plus, she shot him. Sure there weren't any bullets in the gun but she still tried.
Huck done messed Andrew up! I wonder who's going to be the VP now.
I am loving Mellie and Liz's relationship. I can just see these 2 campaigning to get Mellie in the white house and it being glorious!
Abby is winning! Like she said "once a gladiator, always a gladiator."

Liv is safe!
The one thing that did shock me was when it was revealed that Stephen (from S1) was the one that saved Olivia. I mean, that was the best part for me. I did not see that coming at all. I was still banking on it being Hollis Doyle. But this was fantastic and I'm so happy that we got to see him and that wonderful beard, and get some closure.

Olitz
Yes, I'm going to talk about Olitz because everyone's talking about them and I have a few things to say.
I am not the slightest bit pressed that they "broke up", but I know some people are, especially when she threw the ring at him. Here's the thing, she's got PTSD. She can't even have a glass of water without having flashbacks, so why would she want to put that ring back on. It would just be a daily reminder of all that's happened and that it all happened because of him. If she wasn't his everything then she wouldn't have gotten taking in the first place. I seriously feel like he can't do anything without her and that's a problem.
That argument that they had; typical Olitz argument. She's with him because she has to be, for his sake. I mean, I'm pretty sure deep down there's some love in that relationship, but now it's warped. Now she does what she has to do so he can "be the best", like she said. This is exactly why I don't know what will happen when he's not president and can divorce Mellie. Right now, I question what their relationship is if he's not president. If they have any chance of being together forever, they're going to have to figure that out.

Overall, I like this episode. I literally on the edge of my seat the entire time and I loved it. Liv has changed and I'm anxious to see how much of an affect this has on her. She's going to try to get back to her normal but things will be different.

Pic credit

Scandal - Gladiators Don't Run

Scandal has really gotten itself back around to that intense, edge of your seat show I know I fell in love with. I've been saying all season that it's back to what it used to be and from he looks of this episode, it looks like it will only be getting better! I want to mention a few things before I throw out some theories on who got Olivia. 

Abby

I knew this girl would lose it when she find out. I still can't believe it took this long for someone to tell her. I don't care if she works in the white house and can't be trusted, someone should have called her or something! I mean, she had a point when she said "I don't have friends, I have Liv." Olivia is all she's got and she did deserve to know, even if it was just someone slipping her a note like Fitz did with Cyrus. 

Sidenote: are they trying to parallel Abby to Liv when she gave that homeless man a coffee? 

Mama Pope

Bringing Mama Pope in was the best thing they could have done! I seriously love every time she's on camera. We all need to be praising Khandi Alexander because she is playing the mess out of this role. She is the best and I couldn't go on without saying anything. 

Olivia

She is really trying to get herself out of this and everything was looking up until Gus happened. It really took a turn for the worst when he killed Ian. Liv still tried to be strong and get in the heads of his techies but that failed! I wasn't expecting that. I thought they were going to kill Gus, but no. And he sold her to God knows who. Notice how we never found out how much they paid for her. 

White House

Fitz got his presidential size balls back because he's signing executive orders, firing all his security, and forcing Andrew to resign. I love it! It's about time he took matters into his own hands. And this new relationship/partnership or whatever this is between Fitz and Mellie is great. Also, I knew in season one that Mellie wanted to be POTUS one day and now she's finally said it out loud. 

That speech that Fitz gave in the end and that music that playing, can we say tears. I mean that's exactly what we needed to give us hope. Bravo to the writers and whoever wrote the music. 

Who got Liv

Here are my theories and some I've heard others share that worth noting.

• Rowan
• I think it could be him but that might be too easy. There's no way he knows nothing about all this. 
• Hollis Doyle
• This was my second guess. Why wouldn't he want control of the white house. I think it would pretty hilarious if it's him.
• Verna, Adnan, Harrison
• Now these are the theories of others that find worth sharing. I know they all died on the show and I know Verna and Harrison are dead dead, but I don't know about Adnan. It could end up being her because of her connections with Harrison and Mama Pope. 

Any other ideas on who it could be? 

Scandal - Where's the Black Lady?

So the hunt is on for Olivia. Fitz, Jake and what's left of OPA do all that they can to find their "precious Olivia Pope."

The White House
Andrew has made it so that no one is on Fitz's side. So when he goes to call the secret service to get on finding Olivia, they make it very clear that their one job is to make sure that doesn't happen. Fitz can't even say anything without risk of Andrew finding out because so many people are watching him! What I want to know is what Andrew promised all these people to get them on his side and not the POTUS. You've got to be getting a whole lot of something to go against the president. I wonder if that's why Lauren is gone? Because she was the only person that Fitz could trust? Anyway, Andrew is one ballsy dude for doing all of this and he's doing it all on his own! I don't even know how. He's pretty smart though, because he figure Fitz out. It just sucks that he did.
Can we talk about Mellie coming through with the win by stealing Andrew's phones! I just hope she gets them back in time because he's going to find and when he does he won't be happy. I mean, what is he going to do because Olivia is gone. Ian has gone rogue so Andrew can't just call him and order him to kill her.
I also wants to know when they're going to Abby. I'm surprised Quinn didn't call her up or someone from OPA. All I know is that she's going to be pissed when she finds out.

OPA
So OPA (can we really call them that anymore?) are also looking for Olivia but they can do much more than Fitz. Huck is the real MVP here. He's the one that catches the reflect in the glass of water on the ransom video. He's the one that finds Liv's ring in the apartment across the hall. He's the one that keeps going back to Elizabeth's house until he gets what he wants. Honorable mention to Marla Gibbs for dropping the clue about Liv's neighbor. They actually find out where Liv is and all this time she was in a warehouse in Harrisburg, PA. But, by the time Jake got there she was gone. Luckily, they are going to be able to track her.

Olivia
She continues to prove that she is the smartest person in the room. I mean, she knows how to get what she wants and she's getting it, and she's saving herself. I really don't want anyone else coming to her rescue but her. It would be so boss if she struts into OPA while everyone is just frantically trying to find out where is now.
I'm just not so sure how I feel about Olivia being put up for auction. No bidding war between Jake and Fitz please. That would not be right. I don't think we'll get to the point of her being sold because she'll, hopefully, get free. I just don't like talking about her like she's an object, so that's the end of that.

Overall, this was a great episode. I think this was the episode that we all thought we were going to get last week, but I'm glad we got what we got. I can not wait until next week because Mama Pope is back and I don't why, but I don't care because I love her. Guys, its going to be a good one.

Pic credit

Scandal - Run

For the first time in Scandal reviewing history I didn't find it necessary, nor did I want to rewatch an episode. I mean, it was amazing, but I felt like I was watching a horror movie which was actually kinda cool.
Olivia got kidnapped and we had to watch her fight for her life and that was it. I don't feel like I missed anything important to make myself watch it again. I do want to talk about a few things that happened, though.

The Kidnapping
I really loved the way this scene was shot with all the different vantage points and everything. And I loved the fact that they went back and showed everything from Olivia's perspective. It was great but also traumatizing because we had to watch the same thing over and over.

That Dream Sequence
Can we talk about how we got a little taste of what would happen if Vermont happened. Okay, first off I thought that Liv was waking up on that island with Jake and that would've made me upset, but no. It was a dream within a dream. Back to "what if Vermont," it didn't feel right to me. I know I'm going to make a lot of Vermont lovers upset but I just can't see Olivia spending her time picking fruit with her dog and making jam while Fitz is off being governor of Vermont! We always see her trying to fix someone or something. I mean, she was trying to fix Ian in their holding cell! I just can't imagine her not fixing anything. Would she really choose this life or is it something that Fitz chose for them.
Oh and Abby asking questions that plenty of people have asked in the past. Like, where would Fitz's kids be if he left Mellie, and there would be so much press all over the place because he's governor and because he was president! Abby asking if she loves wither of the dudes got me thinking. Olivia probably thinks about that all the time. Does she really know if she loves either of them? I wonder if this isn't the first time she's had this dream.
Kudos to Liv's dream self being super smart and cluing her in on the weapon in the bathroom. I'd like to thank Shonda Rhimes for showing us that under wire is useful. I'd also like to thank the props department for that "White Hat Jam" made in Hope, Vermont. Just brilliant.

The Ending/Next Week
First off, I didn't even have a chance to think if Ian was bad or not because the second he was on the screen everyone was talking about how he couldn't be trusted. I did think that if he was bad, he would be the kidnapper. One question though; why didn't Ian already know about Olitz? He said he did what he did to get the information he needed which was that Fitz loved her and would come looking for her. If it was Andrew and them that kidnapped her, wouldn't they have already known about Olitz. Why would they do all of this off of a hunch? And what if she didn't say anything? What would they have done? Would they just torture her more? I can't believe they would have the balls to do this, unless this isn't Andrew and them. But I think it is because of that ransom video we got a glimpse of in the promo for next week. Also, everyone is got to now about Olitz now which makes me wonder how they are going to get out of all this!
This episode was on point and I can't wait to see what the rest of the season has for us.

Pic Credit