Sunday, April 20, 2014

Scandal - The Price of Free and Fair Election


Picking up only moments after the close of the previous episode when Cyrus (Jeff Perry) chose to not tell the President (Tony Goldwyn) about the bombing planned at the funeral which he hoped would take care of the Fitz's rivals, Scandal closes its Third Season with an emotional roller-coaster of a season finale full of twists, turns, and an ending that leaves the future of multiple characters in serious doubt. Immeadiately backfiring, and apparently handing the election to Sally Langston (Kate Burton) who survives the attack in heroic fashion pulling well ahead in all polling, both Cyrus and Olivia Pope (Kerry Washington) are forced to admit defeat as election day looms.

Splitting time between the White House and the hospital where Rowan (Joe Morton) is still recovering from Maya's (Khandi Alexander) brutal attack, Olivia is unaware that the former head of B-613 will slowly maneuver matters from his hospital bed to get everything the spymaster wants no matter the cost. And only one member of Pope & Associates will catch on, but far too late for to do any good for Harrison (Columbus Short) to save himself or stop Olivia from abandoning the life and company she built to stand in the sun with Jake's (Scott Foley).


The last series of events involving Maya apparently poisoning and killing the President's son will ensure Grant's victory in the election, restore Rowan to his previous post, push Olivia and Fitz further apart, and force the leader of the gladiators to put down her sword and shield and admit defeat. As the season comes to a close a distraught Fitz has kept the White House but lost both his son and the woman he loves and unknowingly re-installed the man who actually is responsible for both incidents back as the head of the most powerful secret organization in the world.

As the show will be returning for a new season I don't expect Olivia and Jake's getaway to last all that long. With Harrison's survival in doubt, David Rosen (Joshua Malina) continuing to investigate B-613, and Quinn (Katie Lowes) and Huck's bizarre relationship (Guillermo Díaz) taking another odd turn with Huck choosing to reveal himself to the wife who believes he's long dead, the finale opens several new plot threads to be developed over the next season for many of the show's supporting characters as well. And here's hoping we see Olivia Pope & Associates put the election drama behind them and actually take on a client or two of the week, resuming their roles as fixers, when the show returns next Fall.

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