Scandal: An Innocent Man

I’m already late with this review (blame my mind and not my heart!) so let’s just get right into it, shall we?

BYE MR. COOPER

We learn that Former President Cooper has died of a stroke and Mellie is tasked with planning the funeral. On the other side of town Olivia takes a meeting with Leonard Francis Carnahan, the man who tried to assassinate Cooper 30 years ago but failed. He denies the shooting to Liv saying that someone framed him and he wants her help to prove his innocence. The plan is to get him officially charged with murder so that they can extract the bullet lodged in the President’s head to show that it was not from Leonard’s gun. This was a viable option because the stroke could be tied to the shooting.

After getting the charges filed and the bullet extracted ballistics prove that Leonard DID indeed shoot the president.

As he wickedly explained to Olivia, no one remembers failed assassins. He wanted to go out with a bang! This man had the nerve to tell Liv, “Thank you for making my life meaningful!”

I can’t. Liv surely got played this time!

ITSY BITSY COOPER

Former First Lady, Bitsy Cooper, comes to visit Mellie for the normal photo ops and such since Mellie is planning the funeral. To the media Bitsy is a simple, demure lady, however, she is a completely different person once the doors are closed and the cameras are turned off. When everyone left and Mellie tried to once again give her condolences and explain the arrangements she was making, she shut her down quick!

“My husband’s only religion was believing that he had to screw anything with a pulse. But since us bitches gotta get through this dog and pony show, I’m gonna need you to sit down, shut up and follow my lead. Now I’ma take the office, I’ll do the planning and you go crochet or vaccinate fat kids or whatever silly hobby makes you feel like you’re making a difference.”

Let me just say that I love Bitsy!

Bitsy provided a spark that Mellie needed. We find out that Bitsy was just as, if not more, ambitious as her husband but because of the times she wasn’t truly recognized. All of the things that President Cooper was lauded for including strengthening the military and negotiating with the Soviets was really the work of Bitsy. In the end though, she said that all she would really be remembered as is “the wife of a man who did something in his life.” This sparked something in Mellie and after the funeral she spoke out against the base closings that were being reported in the media.

Bitsy was pleased with Mellie’s initiative and the two shared a drink together on the balcony at the end of the episode.

Bitsy Cooper is alright with me! Somehow, I hope we get to see her again.

LEAK

The base closings that Mellie spoke out about? That information was leaked to the press by RNC Liz after she found out that the Grant Administration had plans of closing several. How did they get that information? Well Michael (Cyrus’s new play thing) took that information from Cyrus’s cell phone. Cy figured out it was him after being railroaded by Abby.

LISTEN TO ME NEXT TIME, CY! I told you to leave this man alone!

THERE’S HOPE!

Ladies and gentlemen, membership for #TeamOlitz is slowly increasing once again. As twisted and crazy and sometimes disturbing as it can be, I am always drawn to the complexity that is Olivia and Fitz.

After President Cooper’s funeral, Abby whispers something to Fitz and he goes to an office where Olivia is waiting. Liv is angry and berates him for having Jake transferred to Rowan’s custody. Fitz tries to tell her he believes it was the right thing but she is not having any of it.They argue and she tells him that if Jake dies at the hands of her father then they will really be destroyed and there would be no hope for them at all. Well Fitz completely ignored everything else and hung on to those words. The only thing he heard from that tirade was hope. He repeatedly asks, “Are you saying there is hope?” FITZ DID NOT HEAR ANYTHING ELSE! NOT ONE THING.

Like we knew she would, Liv says “There’s hope” and storms out. Now I know that most of you will say that she only said that for him to get Jake back and on the surface you are probably right. But as an #Olitz stan I refuse to believe that is the only reason. She still loves that man and as much as she loves that thing Jake does to her, she still wants to make jam in that house in Vermont! Though we know that’s not possible Fitz and Liv haven’t quite grasped that – Fitz more than Liv. He is trying to hold on to any little shred of hope that he can and while part of me is happy that he feels that strongly about her, I am a bit exhausted and I’m not even in this dysfunctional relationship. In either case, #Olitz marked this in our column.

There is more that I should have unpacked in this episode but honestly after Fitz and Olivia left me woozy with their shenanigans I deemed that the most important part of the episode and therefore you will all have to deal!

P.S. Let’s get into how ABC told us there is only two episodes left until the winter finale! Ummm, excuse me?!! What am I supposed to do with my December then?!

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Natalya

Natalya is an Account Manager by day and an editor and author's assistant to passionate creatives by night. When she is not adding to her enormous book collection or stationery supply, she is catching up on her favorite television shows.

Natalya is the author of All The Things I Never Said, a soul-stirring collection of short stories, prose and love letters for the soulful wanderers, the brokenhearted and the hopeless romantics.

You can follow her rantings and occasional sparks of brilliance on Twitter @NatalyaMuncuff.