“Run, Olivia, run, because mark my words; Fitzgerald Grant is not going to make it to the end of his term.”
Let’s hope this week was a bit of course correction, not indicative of how the rest of the season will go. Because, boring. Olivia has rejoined Fitz has his campaign manager-slash-lover, she’s warring with her father and she’s reuniting with Jake to make both men mad. Mellie is clumsily trying to assert herself as head wife in her new sister-wife arrangement. James has teamed up with his old pal David Rosen to try once more to out Cyrus as a monster. And round and round we go.
However, there are a few bright spots indicating some new and exciting plotlines potentially on the horizon:
Fitz’s choice to replace Sally as vice-president is in love with Mellie!
Rowan is threatening to murder Fitz. A girl can dream.
James is being significantly more competent in his effort to gather intel on Cyrus.
Olivia C
Oh man, Kerry Washington is so pregnant. The most pregnant. I really shouldn’t be so hung up on it -- not when I’m willing to suspend my disbelief for so many other parts of the show. But Kerry Washington is so tiny you’d be able to tell if she ate Chipotle for lunch, so it’s painfully obvious she’s carrying a tiny soon-to-be-human around under those chic designer jackets. It’s especially hard to ignore when Liv’s life is in desperate need of a shake-up. She loves Fitz. She hates Fitz. She stands up to him. She succumbs to him. She cries and speechifies. The press is on to her! The press relents. We’ve been here before. More than once. A pregnancy, however, would change everything on this show at a time when things need desperately to be changed. It’s a visual reminder of how stagnant things have gotten and how many storylines there are left to explore.
Rowan A
If you were worried that Olivia discovering the truth about her parents would soften Rowan in anyway, he’s as angry and imperial as ever. Rowan’s been ousted from B613 and he’s on a scorched earth campaign to get his job back. Liv’s attempts to endear herself to her father with a speech about his uncommon valor fell on deaf ears. He’s determined to take down Fitz, Liv be damned. He’s got one piece of advice for his daughter and it’s a good one: Run.
Sally B
Righteous Sally may no longer be inhabited by the devil but she’s certainly abandoned all pretense of being an obedient disciple of anything other than her own ambition. She brilliantly out maneuvers Fitz and Olivia by announcing that while she intends to run against the president in the next election, she will not be abandoning her post as vice-president. Putting the Grant administration in a bit of a bind.
"Ride, Sally, Ride"C
It’s hard not to feel underwhelmed by this episode. There were no breathless moments of shock or awe, just lots of little course corrections that seem to be setting up a strong spring. Between James growing a backbone, Olivia reuniting with Jake and Mellie getting a love interest, there seems to be plenty to look forward to. Just not a lot to enjoy in the moment.
Extra Credit
Mellie and Olivia’s passive aggressive lunch date! This relationship is infinitely more interesting than either of their relationships with Fitz. More please.
James out-Cyrusing Cyrus!
Demerits
What’s with all the love for Quinn the failed super spy? She’s nowhere near gifted enough to merit a bidding war.
Ew, Sherlock texting effects. No thank you!