Four Quarters Part 2: The Trail Episode 6

Now what I find most interesting about this brief road down memory lane is the different light it sheds on Olivia Pope as a woman. I have had many talks regarding her role as a black women in power with my peers. many were disapointed that she had to be sleeping with the President and be considered a mistress. After this, I think it is clear to see that Olivia is far from a mistress in the eyes of the President. His relationship is just a show for the public, while meanwhile his wife and him cannot have a personal conversation. Whenever Olivia and the Governor (at the time) would be around each other you could feel the chemistry before either of them acknowledge it. Now is Olivia considered a mistress because the President has a family in the public eyes or is she the women of the President's dreams who is forced to keep their relationship covered up to prevent public scruntiny. I believe that's a question to think about that can reevaluate how we classify things.

Four Quarters: The Trail Episode 6

In unuasal fashion, Scandal starts of the show right were it left off the previous episode. The tension and mystery of why the President was at Olivia's house was undeniable. After a brief suspense filled sen between the President and Olivia Pope, we find the show finally giving us some history. I think this is a good strategy, because by this point viewers have become frantic fans and are dying to understand this unspoken chemistry between olivia and the President. We learn Olivia was always a smart coercive woman with her tactics simply by how she introduced herself to the President when he was governor. We learn that everything isn't a happy home in the Governor's life and it is very see through to the public. This displays how important public image is in knowing our politicians; even if they're nothing like they portray themselves, it satisfies the public.

Similarities: Crash and Burn Episode 5

This episode starts off with a sense of eeriness as the team gathers suggestions of Amanda's whereabouts. Of course Quinn will offer the most obvious scenario that no one buys in to. Quinn feels Amanda just left on her own, but then Huck begins to let us in on his expertise as he declares this was a kidnapping. With Amanda Tanner's whereabouts unknown, the team has a big problem on their hands due to the immense burden that this case carries. Or so we thought this was a big problem as the questioning Quinn complains to Harrison why we are not doing anything to find Amanda, a plane crash site is revealed.

This was a very different way to start the show, because another event trumped the importance of the Amanda Tanner case. It was interesting to see it lose its importance to another high profile plane crash that a senator was aboard. It leave the viewer startled to see such a drastic switch biggest the tension was so high in the previous scene, yet now everyone has seemed to carry on. Harrison explains to Quinn that even when there doesn't look like something is being done, Olivia is working on it.

It seems like the press is going to try in put the blame of the crash on the pilot. Olivia and associates aren't to satisfied with that outcome. A flustered husband of the wife interrupts a meeting to explain his wife wouldn't have crashed that plane. Very briefly, I would like to address the fact that a lot of these clients just show up unannounced barging in. I don't know how realistic that may seem, especially with a women with the status of Olivia Pope, but Olivia should invest in some security. Anyway, we find out that this women may be classified as a alcoholic in the media based on her past drinking problems. The husband stands strong in his claim that his wife has been sober for months. This seems familiar and I am not sure why.

Okay, now I remember. This scenario seems a lot like Flight, you know the movie with Denzel Washington. Denzel tries to save a plane from crashing, but ends up making a crash land that saves more people than a full on crash. Denzel is blamed for being the fault of the crash because of his alcoholism. See any similarities? Well it looks like there is a strong case that leans to his wife being the reason for the crash, and Olivia is the only person who can clear her name.

Huck does some investigating using skills from his past life and finds Amanda's kidnapper. This was what was being done when Quinn that nothing was being done. Huck only came back to interrupt a typical busy day with Amanda Tanner is dead. Now this becomes interesting. Clearly its all pointing towards the President to have hired a hit-man. The President claims he didn't do it, so was it his sidekick Cyrus? Now Scandal taps into the side of government conspiracies and the secrets that get covered up. It shows how the ones speaking to enforce the rights will go right along and use their power to go against morals another man would get life for.

Harrison continues to deliver with his business first character. When listening to the tape Harrison is almost methodical as he puts the pieces of the puzzle together. Scandal's does a great job of portraying the process of problem solving. Also, Huck is setting up his scene for a deed he believes he owes Olivia. We find Huck with a naked Charlie strapped to plastic on the floor, Huck has many tools in which he will use to interrogate Charlie on Amanda's whereabouts. Well this also seem pretty reminiscent of something else. Yes, that's it, Dexter! The ritual of setting a nude body over plastic while Dexter speaks to his victim before he enjoys his kill. This scene had Dexter written all over it, and I appreciated the format. It was intense and dark as we went along a journey of Huck's past experiences.

In the end Charlie spilled the beans on Amanda Tanner's body. It was in the river under a bridge. Olivia's team found out the plane was malfunctioning therefore clearing the pilots name. It was slightly unsatisfying never getting an answer for whose to blame, but a very small issue compared to the suspense building from Amanda' body being discovered.

Do the right thing: Enemy of the State Episode 4

Olivia devastated? Couldn't be, but the episode begins with a shaken up Olivia Pope. I guess the news about Amanda's pregnancy really took its toll on her. After her encounter with Stephen, Olivia is made aware that there is an army in her office. Olivia puts on her game face and addresses the issue. It seems the enemy of the United States, dictator Benicio Flores is in need of Olivia's services to find his kidnapped family. Olivia takes him as a client. This says two things about Olivia, she doesn't discriminate no matter how the case may look and also that she is so respected leaders from other countries look for her help.



We get breaking news when Olivia tells Amanda to quit the fairy tales and demands what she's looking to get out of this situation. Amanda goes for the throat as she says she will keep the baby and announce to the world that the President did her wrong. What I want to know is why Amanda is so pressed about having five minutes with the President face to face. If you turn down ten million dollars for five minutes I would want to think those five minutes will be historical. Right now there is a lot of smoke in the air about whats going on, and that is a good thing. Cyrus was acting suspicious from the last episode when he lied to Olivia and the President. It is obvious Cyrus has a hidden agenda, but what it may be remains to be seen.

Cyrus has something against Olivia as he brings a team in to dig up dirt on Olivia special team. We are now four episodes into the series and details about who they are remain vague. This, to me, is a key moment in the episode as the once untouchable team is being broke down to find where they're vulnerable at. What is even more interesting is the fact that the information uncovered about the team just leads to more questions about who they really are. I was shocked to find out that Quinn's identity did not exist before she started with Olivia, so who is she really?  This leads me to believe she has a much greater role than the show has revealed.

The next analysis I want to bring up is the role of the reporter Gideon. He has been way to consistent in the show to not have a larger role in the unraveling plot. The whole Amanda scandal has a sketchy vibe to it already. Why is Gideon still poking his nose around, especially when Olivia gave him a great career move to distract him from pursuing the scandal. Could it be he sees a greater value and what could be the biggest story to rattle America?

Meanwhile, Abby and Stephen find Flores's wife and kids at a women's shelter. She explains to them that she wasn't kidnapped, but wants to leave him. Abby realizing the trouble she is in wanted to help her escape the dictator. Abby lies to Olivia about her status with his wife and secretly places them in a hotel. Eventually, Olivia figures it out and has the wife and kids back at the office before Abby finds out. As Abby walks in, Olivia reunites the family to the satisfied dictator. The next moment that occurred was very genuine and a reality check. We are so use to seeing Olivia dominate with a "no questions asked" policy that when Abby retaliates against her the moment demands your attention. Everyone has been in a situation when their leader is wrong, what I love so much about this scene is that Abby reminds Olivia who she is and what she stands for. Abby does it in such a tone that Olivia can't deny the error of her ways and that she needs to fix what she did about giving up the wife to Flores. Olivia was forced to not think about what the book says to do, but listen to her heart which is what got her there. How often to we as people forget who we are, a reality check reminds us to stay grounded.

Remember how I said that the Amanda scandal is a bit sketchy, well it gets even more suspicion as Amanda tells someone on the phone she can't go through with it. I like this because it ties in with a scene a few episodes back with Amanda was talking to a mystery person. Tying in subtle elements from previous episodes puts together a brilliantly woven story. Olivia does what she is known to do and tries to help the wife escape. When confronted by Flores, the wife explains she wasn't kidnapped and she just left. Flores, finally understand the weight of the situation, said she could leave, but he must take his children.

This is the most dynamic part of Scandal in my opinion. Olivia Pope's way of forcing her will upon others is breath taking Who would question a dictator taking his kids back with him, why would he feel threatened? Well Olivia Pope knows why and lets him have it, claiming that his wife will bounce back, write books, tarnish his name as a leader and father, and become a hero for being stripped of her kids. This would ultimately cause a uprising, which would threaten his political power, I honestly was astonished by her witty demeanor. Olivia demonstrates a very unique character trait, which puts her on the pedestal once again as the hero.
The show ends with Amanda being kidnapped, someone's playing dirty. Stay tuned for my analysis of the following sequences of the next episode of Scandal!

Miscommunication: Hell Hath No Fury Episode 3

Olivia and the gang are back, this time representing a classic case in America. The "he said she said" scenario of rape. The client Olivia chose to represent is Travis, a wealthy and privileged white male. I had a vibe this this guy was guilty from the beginning, he is overly conceited and also missed his date in court. It seems as if Olivia is taking a risk by representing this client. Olivia demonstrates her cunning ability to protect her clients. Telling Travis's latest fling to escort a hidden Harrison out, this way the media will flock that way while Olivia and Travis make off undetected. Olivia Pope stays on top of her game and looking sharp as ever. Here in this episode we see the sad realities of the Judicial system as we learn that the jury has already condemned Travis guilty before the evidence is brought up. Olivia explains that the truth is no longer important, only perceptions of what people think. How many times has this happened in real life, how many times has someone been wrongly persecuted based on pre-conceived perceptions. The importance of public image is stressed here and it will be the only way to help change the direction of the case.

Miscommunication happens to be a large theme carried throughout this episode. Not just with us as the viewers, it is a show's job to keep us guessing, but there was a lot of miscommunication between different characters in the show. When Travis's victim, Helen, refuses to except money for a settlement, it puts Olivia's team in a bind. If not for money, then the only possible motive would be for the truth. Clearly Travis isn't telling Olivia everything. Once again, Quinn displays her rookie tendencies by asking what happens if we lose. This is interesting considering Olivia has won every case so far, and of course this ruffled a few feathers. Olivia responds in a snappy fashion we don't quit and what else would you expect from her.

While there is obvious miscommunication with Travis and Olivia's team, we continue to find a more twisting sequence of events of miscommunication. Amanda has mysteries phone calls whom Olivia suspects is the nosey reporter. Cyrus has a tape of the President's affair with Amanda a declares Olivia is blackmailing him no matter how much the President denies it. The First Lady invites Olivia to a White House event, without telling the President. Olivia comes looking quite nice. The First Lady is so nice that she offers the President a dance with Olivia. By now it is clear the President has genuine feelings for Olivia by his reckless behavior during the dance. The President asks Olivia to meet him in "their spot". Cyrus stops Olivia from making her way to the special spot, calling her out on the tape and saying the President set her up. Cyrus continues to meet the President at the spot only to tell the him that Olivia set him up and she was not coming. This clearly puts Cyrus in a position to be behind all of this, but I want to take the time to look at this situation.

This form of miscommunication happens in everyday life and is very threatening in the building of relationships. As we can see both Olivia and The President got the wrong message from a third party communicator. From looking from the situation from the outside we can see that both Olivia and the President wished to reconcile their differences, but since they were communicated indirectly they both got the wrong message that may cause them to hate each other. This happens everyday in relationships of all different kinds. Think for example, you send a important e-mail to a friend expressing your want to catch up soon, but the e-mail never reaches the friend. Now even though your friend never got the message you would think they are ignoring you creating an unnecessary tension. Here the failed e-mail would be the third party interrupting the message. This situation between Olivia and the President reminded me of this and how important it is to understand different angles of communication so that you don't lose a good friend over nothing.

Well, now the President and Olivia believe they both tried to set each other up and will probably come at each other with no remorse. The miscommunication between Travis was the fact he rape a woman in the past, and now her friend was out to get him hence so desperately accusing him of rape. Olivia uses this information to get Travis to beat the case, but there is a little discomfort knowing he got away with a past crime even if he is innocent now. Miscommunication, well why did the First Lady invite Olivia? Clearly she knew it would make her husband feel better, not good. Wait there is one more piece of information being withheld, Amanda is pregnant. In this episode, you can see how important communication is and how devastating it can be. i'm sure we all can relate.

The Truth Will Set You Free: Dirty Little Secrets Episode 2

When watching a television show I like to get the general atmosphere that is conveyed by the elements of what is going on. The transition from the end of the first episode to the beginning of the second episode was dynamic. The serious tone of taking Amanda as a client left the first episode with a vengeful taste, but as the second episode began the work environment was full of high energy and very upbeat. The beginning recaptured the side of Scandal the was fun and quirky, leaving the mind to wonder what in the world is going on. Once again, I find myself looking through the lens of Quinn. As the quick pace becomes almost unnecessary to try and make sense of; Quinn demands answers to what was happening. Olivia and Harrison continue talking as if she hasn't said anything, putting us in a seat to just sit back and enjoy the show like the frustrated Quinn.

With Sharon Marquette as Olivia's client, we begin to unfold new troubles within the President's circle. It just so happens that Sharon Marquette is the best in town in managing the "call girl" business and keeps a written record on her of all her worker's transactions. This record turns into a list for Olivia's teammates to generate a grid of all the men that were in need of Sharon's services. When one older white male face is on the wall, Olivia immediately must leave. Olivia continues to stay true to her demeanor so far, this up and leave with no questions asked personality automatically details us that something big is up. And it is!

Who was that man? Well it was Patrick Keeting, a politician that was nominated for the Supreme Court. We all know how scandals can affect public image and an escort on your resume is bound to come up, hence is why Olivia must stop him from running.

The best part in keeping up with a series is watching the development of the characters. Quinn begins to have a little Olivia rubbing of on her. A man begins casual small talk with Quinn as she is watching over Amanda in the hospital, Quinn uses context clues to uncover that this man was a reporter. Quinn takes control of the situation by calling him out on all his intentions and confirming him there would be no story here so leave. Since Quinn has been reserved and feeling out her place on the team, it becomes quite obvious when she breaks her original character. Is this a foreshadow of what's to come of her?

There is so much that must be done to have a good show that you don't realize at the time of actually watching it. How convincing is it? Let's examine the scene when Patrick Keeting is called to be questioned about his history with a call girl. The show creates the environment that invites us to believe he is guilty. The pre-notion  of the list, his wife sitting with him, and keeping his political image clean; he has every reason to lie. Here is where the convincing comes in, there was a sense that Patrick Keeting honestly never had been with a call girl in the genuine way he defended himself. This was pulled off very well, and now it puts everything into question. Is their client a liar, putting the whole list into question as well as the credibility of their organization or his Patrick really lying just to save himself.

Olivia attempts to clean up Quinn's mess by speaking with Amanda. This scene is powerful, as Olivia's eyes are big and full of regret she attempts to reach out and show her concern for the women she is nearly responsible for almost committing suicide. When Amanda tells her off, Olivia instructs Quinn to slide her number under Amanda's door. As Quinn asks how do we know she will call, an emotional Olivia says "because I am very good at my job". Even with the disgruntled look on Olivia's face, her tone for Quinn even questioning her judgement was enough for me to understand she has been here before.

Remember the conflict we had in the plot earlier, while I have to say I am impressed with the creative development of the resolution. Scandal made both scenarios work. The list was an accurate list and Patrick was telling the truth, and this was because his wife was the call girl and never told Patrick. This was extremely cunning way to bring together the contradictions of the plot. And who would of guessed (sarcastic tone), all those men on the list were related by their political work. With the help of the team, Olivia gathers these men and convince them to drop the allegations towards her client Sharon. Olivia does her job again with time running out and everyone is happy. Or are they?

When Amanda shows up to be represented at the end, she is followed by an unexpected guest. The reporter who once didn't have a story is convinced something fishy is up. I know he is a reporter and he is looking for a story but I was a little unconvinced that he would just barged into Olivia's establishment out of no where like that. Still, this adds a whole new twist with a reporter bringing press to Amanda's scandal. Scandal continues to spark my curiosity for what's next.

Gladiators in Suits: Sweet Baby Episode 1

Scandal sets the tone for the rest of the episode with its intense opening scene. Automatically as a fan of misdirection, I found myself drawn into the style of Scandal's delivery. Quinn Perkins seem to be trying to blow off what appears to be a blind date with Harrison Wright. She seems so determined to belittle him, but Harrison's poise and confidence suggests a different story. The wordplay was sharp between the two as they snap remarks back and forth. Harrison continues to state that this is not a blind date, but a job interview. Except that this is not a job interview but a job offer, now we can see Quinn's spunk slowly diminish as Harrison develops the upper-hand. This creates an exciting tension between the two. Once Harrison says he works for Olivia Pope, Quinn completely gave in, demonstrating a great deal of respect for Olivia. This was a grand introduction to whoever Olivia Pope is, putting her on a pedestal right off the bat. 

Scandal was recommended to me by a couple of friends, so I came into the series with high expectations. So far I was impressed with Scandal's ability to create its own style. The fast pace and intense energy maintained in the show really captured how it would feel to be someone with a demanding career. The witty conversations held my attention to the dialogue between characters. For some reason it caught me off guard that Kerry Washington was Olivia Pope, it shouldn't have! She really embodies her role as a straight to the point cut the crap leader of an organization. As Quinn is learning the ropes of what goes on within Olivia's organization, we are too. They are not really defined as a law firm, but they're in the business of protecting clients. I'm just as curious and confused as to what goes on here as Quinn is. It was clever to learn about the organization through Quinn's perspective. While many don't envision women in a commanding role, Olivia shatters all preconceptions. She leads men and women while maneuvering with a purpose that demands respect.

Not really knowing what to expect from this show, I find myself watching a developing murder case. Sullivan James, a public speaker and soldier, has a dead girlfriend with all the evidence pointing at him as the murderer. We began to learn more of what the organization does as Sully rushes in asking for Olivia to represent him. I was very pleased with this aspect of the show because I am a fan of crime series such as Dexter, CSI, and Law and Order. Olivia agrees to represent him, locking him away from public attention. She buys herself time to develop a case to prove his innocence. What makes this so interesting is that the case is very risky and Olivia has to use a gut judgment in order to determine if he's telling the truth. Now the factor of whether or not Sully is being honest brings another variable to the plot sparking suspicion amongst the viewer because of the team's uneasiness proceeding forward.

Olivia has a close relationship with the President and agrees to get rid of a woman who allegedly will come out to the press about an affair that supposedly didn't happen, supposedly. The details to why Olivia agrees to work this case while in the midst of another heated battle remains unknown. Olivia brings Quinn along to bury this Amanda Tanner girl. Everyone watching the show should have a clear sense that Amanda has some truth to her claims, because its evident something else is blocking Olivia's judgement. The plot then takes another exciting twist when the team finds out Sully knew his girlfriend was sleeping around, this would give him motive to kill. Still, Olivia trusts her gut to protect him. With new details of Amanda attempting suicide, Olivia is convinced there was an affair when she hears a nickname she's familiar with. I'll attempt I was somewhat shocked to find out that the President was having an affair with Olivia, which makes sense to why her judgement was cloudy. We see a breakdown in Olivia's character as she succumbs to her feelings and shows she is human. In the end, evidence is found to prove Sully's innocence, but will undermined him as a war hero by revealing his gay lover. Sully would rather go down for murder. I for one think this is a powerful moment because it illustrates the internal conflict between the public and private life and the lengths people will go to protect that life. 

Sully admits to being gay and beats the case by showing video evidence supporting his alibi. Olivia watches proud as the world is forced to come to terms with who he is whether they like it or not. Driven off the pain of betrayal Olivia takes on Amanda as her new client places the President in a potential world of trouble. Great way to end the first show, with its fast-paced, edgy style, and sharp demeanor Scandal drives it home for the season opener. I look forward to seeing the "Gladiators in Suits" and telling you my thoughts on the next episode of Scandal!