Is this a vast, feminine conspiracy to bring down President Fitz Grant’s administration, two of Fitz’s mistresses (who knows how many more there are), allied together? They’re now being maneuvered into becoming seen as political enemies by Fitz’s chief of staff Cyrus Beene who believes the women pose a serious threat to the president. Meanwhile the clueless Fitz is busy making moony eyes at Olivia at a state dinner, proclaiming his love for her and trying to meet up at their secret rendezvous location during said dinner.
As Cyrus desperately tries to erect as many barriers between Olivia and Fitz as he possibly can, he’s certainly not prepared to deal with a presidential out-of-wedlock baby which is allegedly growing inside Amanda Tanner. Talk about damning evidence. A lot more compelling than a soiled blue dress.
Olivia — who seems believably devastated that Fitz would cheat with another woman other than herself, never mind impregnate someone else — is preparing to go to war with the White House. And inside the White House, Cyrus is doing whatever he can, including, I believe, playing the recording of Fitz and the White House aide in the throes of passion for the president and blaming Olivia for “sending” it to him. I could be wrong, but Cyrus’ lie to Fitz about Olivia canceling the meeting with Amanda and then having Olivia escorted by the Secret Service off the premises indicates that Cyrus is willing to do what it takes to protect the president.
What are we to make of First Lady Mellie Grant’s statement that she knew her husband would finally get a good night’s sleep after seeing Olivia? Does she know that Fitz is besotted with D.C.’s powerful fixer? Does she turn a blind eye to his dalliances — like so many real and fictional first ladies — so she can wield her own power? This was a turn I didn’t see coming.
Also pleasantly surprising, Olivia’s affluent businesswoman who, upon learning that her obnoxious twentysomething son is indeed a rapist (I don’t buy that Olivia’s guy got the deets on that rape kit so quickly and without ever producing ID), turned him in to the authorities, specifically Olivia’s pal the U.S. attorney. Nice. It’s not often that we see well heeled clients on TV do something that’s morally right and against their own interests. But a healthy dose of mommy guilt, plus the fact that her son’s victim committed suicide, prompted her to drop the dime.
Additionally, I appreciated how the two cases were linked at the end of the episode as the savvy Olivia offered the hungry, pesky Bob Woodward wanna-be a gigantic, exclusive story that would elevate his Q rating and likely land him a more influential news beat. It’ll keep him off the Tanner story, for a little while. But he’ll be back, no doubt.
How can Scandal maintain this kind of tension in the long term? I don’t know that it can, but for right now, it’s a whole lot of fun.
Clacked by Meredith O'Brien 
on Apr 20, 2012 @ 12:55 EST5EDT
