Gladiators Don’t Run Come Full Circle: Scandal Episode 412 Recap
Hey folks! I am also writing Scandal recaps for Vulture now! And what’s weird is that those ones are harder to write because they’re shorter, more concise and to the point. But over here is where I give you the lengthy play by play. I’m excited! Go check the one I wrote for today, and avoid the comments because: they don’t love me yet. BUT I WILL MAKE THEM.
Ok, let’s talk about the episode, titled “Full Circle.”
Where Is The Black Lady? – Abby sits on her and Liv’s favorite bench, waiting but no one comes so she hands the 2nd coffee she was holding to a homeless man. She calls and no one picks up. Then she goes to Liv’s house (because she has a key, and who doesn’t? Surely it’s on sale on eBay) and sees the wine spilled on the white sofa. Now she knows there’s something wrong for real.
When Abby confronts Huck and Quinn, they basically tell her she can’t sit with them because she doesn’t even go to this school (aka she is no longer a Gladiator).
Vengeance and Bidding – Cyrus walks into the Presidential bedroom and says he “comes bearing vengeance.” The Secret Service is being laid off and Navy Seals will protect the President henceforth. Also, he’s written a resignation letter that he wants VP Andrew Nichols to sign. President Ghost is all down on himself and his WIFE tells him he’s doing his best to get Liv back. Wow. He says he wants to talk to Jake and wants to be a part of the auction for her.
Deal’s Off – The goons are setting up shop in their new space and the one that Liv knocked out when she tried to escape to the red door (Gus) is telling Ian that this ain’t what the plan was. He’s all mad Liv is basically walking around like the “Queen of America” and Ian basically tells him to STFU and deal.
Just then, Ian’s phone rings and it’s the VP, who gets the news that their deal is off and he is no longer in control of the situation that’s happening. He is told that “now I’m making a deal with the highest bidder. This is literally above his pay grade and he is a BOY and he started something he could not finish.
Auction’s On – The auction for Olivia is happening on the Dark Net, which is a part of the web that no one but those who are the most shady of the shadiest can access. Password changes every 8 seconds and this is some true grimy shit. Even the U.S. government can’t reach it so Fitz decides that they need to get to the people who can to bid on behalf of the Republic: terrorists.
Back at the OPA offices, even Huck cannot get into the auction. He wasn’t invited to the dance either, and he starts to panic that she will die. Jake says they need to get their money together and join the bid but Quinn reminds them that all she got are student loans and “It doesn’t matter how many times you re-invent your identity. Sallie Mae will find you.”
This is true. They will meet you at the gates of Heaven to get what is theirs. Huck tells them that he has money that he considers B613 backpay for his time in the hole: $2 billion that he stashed when they were siphoning money away from the group to shut it down. $2,000,400,087.38 to be exact. WELL DAMB. BALLERS GON BALL.
The auction is about to start and Liv tells them that she would be insulted if she goes for less than $1 billion. Ian tells her that he might even let her choose the person who gets her once the money kinda even out and as the auction goes life, Gus comes from behind and shoots him in the head. His blood splatters all over Liv as she screams. HOLY SHIT. The rogues are going rogue and this will only get uglier! Olivia will need a therapist to live with her at this point. This experience should leave her with acute PTSD.
The White House was able to get into the auction but Huck still can’t figure out how to. At Kidnap Land, the 2 goons who are operating the auction are wondering WTF just happened. When Gus enters the room again, he helps her clean some of the blood off her face and is touching Liv’s lips and being all creepy and I’m getting the heebie jeebies. She tells him “Be careful. I’m in shock. Put anything that close to my mouth I might bite it off.” WELP.
Treasonous Tommy – Cyrus goes to VP Nichols and tells him to sign the letter but Andrew tells him that maybe they should talk about it. TALK ABOUT WHAT, TREASONOUS TOMMY? Ain’t no conversation to be had. You tried it. Then he flips the table and says if he is pushed out, he will blow the whistle on the fact that Liv is the reason they went to war with West Angola. “Going to war for your sidepiece doesn’t just make you an unpopular president; it makes you a criminal.” He needs his ass whooped. But he’s right. Well played.
All-Star Terrorist – The auction is for the most high level villainous dudes so it’s like the VIP list of evil. The Gladiators realize that they need to find the truest international terrorist they know to get access. Who is truer than Mama Pope? Quinn and Jake go to the maximum security facility with David as their chaperone.
Maya tells them that if they need her help, then she needs theirs. They ask her what she wants and she said freedom and they basically laughed at her face. She makes the point that Rowan ain’t never served in prison and his ass actually murdered the First Son. Good point but no. Then her demands get smaller and smaller. Fine, a medium security prison where she can talk to people and have cellmates and have a library of books. NOPE NOPE NOPE. Quinn pipes up and suggests a TV. What about a television that she can watch but not touch? Now we’re talking. You can’t have freedom but you can have TV. Mama Pope agrees and tells them that the streets know her as Marie Wallace. Use that name to get in.
I’m just mad their GOOFASSES took this long to go to the realest G they know.
Snitches Get Pardoned – Cyrus tells President Ghost that Andrew isn’t resigning because he says if he goes down, he takes the administration down with him. Fitz makes the point that the American public was told that the war on West Angola was because of the assassination attempt on VP’s life so if they can prove he faked it, then they will have an out. Cy walks into Liz North’s office and sees her packing up. Surely she ain’t leaving, is she? He tells her “You’re gonna testify against your boyfriend, Andrew Nichols. In return, you won’t have to spend the rest of your life in a federal prison. You will, however, be my bitch until the end of time.”
As the goons and Gus watch the auction go nuts, Liv almost gets his phone, which is on the table. He notices just in time, though. You almost had it, girl.
Getting to Gus – Maya is telling them who they need to get to and his name is Gustavo. Quinn and David are in prison with her while Jake and Huck are on the mission, with Bluetooth headsets. Lemony Snicket (David) whines because this is being set up as a drug deal but WHO GIVES A DAMB? Quinn drags him out the room to get his head straight and when they close the door, Maya tells Jake that the real mission is that they need to kill the men she’s identified as Gus’ people for the REAL Gus because he wants them dead and this is a favor he’d need to repay with access to that auction. Huck says he will handle it, and crushes his headset.
The VP runs into Lizzie as Cyrus escorts her into a room. Uh oh. He goes to see Mellie and says that at least he still has her. FLOTUS is all “nah, B” and says he’s gonna have to give up the ghost. Then he says that if he goes down, he will sing like a bird to the public about all the dirty things they’ve done together. Mellie: “The irony is that he chose you because he thought you’d be loyal.” “Probably the same reason he chose you.” None of these hoes are loyal.
Murder Recess – David and Quinn get back into the room with Maya and Lemony threatens Liv’s mama that she bet not tell nobody about what they agreed on and how she got TV privileges. Jake thinks Huck has been inside the building for too long so he goes looking for him. When he opens the door to the room Huck went, he sees the Gladiator has wrecked shop! Huck had a field day, killing all the men, severing some limbs, and looking like a murderous child at kill em all recess.
ALLL this deprogramming is a wrap because even Jake is disturbed. All Huck cared about was whether what he was going to do would get Liv back, being the most RIDING OR DYINGEST DUDE EVER. But he lost his entire shit.
Weak Psychology – Gus isn’t in the room and Liv is left with the other men so she starts talking to them about how they’re better than what they’re currently doing. She goes all Iyanla on them, figuring out their weakness and then getting into their heads. One of Liv’s most powerful assets is that she can figure out most people’s weak points. And then she will exploit it when she wants to. Pete, one of the guys, tells her she gets it wrong. He DOES want money and she is their Billion Dollar Baby. Oop.
Concern for Bestie – Abby is debriefing Presidnet Ghost but she’s so distracted that he asks her what’s wrong. She says that she’s concerned because she hasn’t heard from Olivia and her house was a wreck when she went. He tells her to saddown because he gotta tell her something. Afterwards, she barges into David’s office pissed that he didn’t tell her that Liv is missing, and instead of understanding, he says “I did not have to tell you because you did not have a right to know.” This power is clearly going to Lemony’s head. Red is hurt.
“Someone kidnapped my best friend… NO. Someone kidnapped my ONLY friend… I don’t have friends. I have Liv. And something bad has happened to her and I didn’t get a chance to be her Gladiator because no one even bothered to let me know that she was missing… All the times she saved me. I would save her, David. I would go over a cliff for her… you have to tell me that my only friend has been kidnapped!”
David finally stops being a douchebag and he pours her a drink and says that Olivia is not her only friend. I’d be mad if I were Abby too.
Wants and Dreams – Mellie is sitting on the WH balcony sipping on some hooch and giving me false hope that we might see #DrunkMellie again when Fitz joins her. She asks for update on Liv and he tells her that she might be home soon and she says “Good. I might sleep better when she’s home lying between us.” That line is almost poetic. YES. She says the VP will have to be allowed to walk because “If we don’t, he’s going to tell the entire world that I was stupid enough to spread my legs for him… I’ll be ruined. America can forgive a man 100 infidelities but they will never forgive a woman for even one.” This is actual factual.
She puts her head on his shoulder and asks what he wants the most, besides their son being alive again and he says he wants Olivia to be home safe. He asks her the same thing and she says she wants to be the President of the United States. “I want to run the world.”
HELL YESSSS, MELLIE! Fitz looks at her and says “Andrew walks” and that shows that he’d help her do it.
I love how these two are basically besties who are married and used to be fuck buddies.
Dark Places – Jake sees Quinn sitting in Harrison’s old office, which used to belong to Steven (remember him? Season 1). Talk about Throwback Thursday. He tells her that he’s worried about Huck because what he did to those men in that room was beyond what he needed. Quinn insists that her partner is fine and “He goes into dark places. I know that. I have the dental bills to prove it. But he pulls himself back. At some point before it’s too late, Huck always pulls himself back.” Yeah, what if this is the time that he doesn’t?
Huck finally gets finds the auction, but it takes him all night to enter it, using Marie Wallace’s digital footprint. And when he does, the bidding stops at $1.1 billion and bidders are dropping out. The auction has been suspended. CRAP! Cyrus barges into the President’s room holding a red envelope and Mellie wakes Fitz up immejately cuz nothing good can come in a red folder.
Gus yells to wake Olivia up and says she’s been sold to buyers who came to him directly with cash. She asks who, and he tells her “Iran.” This is his payback.
In the Situation Room, the CIA tells President Ghost that his beloved has been sold to Iran and that it is best if they “neutralize the asset” (aka let her die) seems she might be a threat to national security because of all the things she knows. Fitz is NOT hearing that, does not accept it and almost flips a table.
Back at OPA, Jake and Quinn are trying to figure out who could have bought her. Israel, Italy, France… Huck stops them to say it makes no damb difference who has her. “Whatever country they represent. They bought a person in an auction to control a president, to control a nation. She is not a person to them, she is a tool. A very expensive tool…” Homie goes into a 752 moment where he talks about all the horrible things they could do to Liv to get whatever it is they want. And the picture is so vivid that Quinn flips out and starts hitting him to get him to stop. He gets up and declares that Liv is dead (because she #minuswell be).
DAMBIT.
Get Her Back – Cyrus enters the Oval Office and Fitz says that he is insisting they get Olivia back, not just because he loves her, but for the men who have already died in the stupid ass pointless ass war that he started. The speech is rousing and I must quote it.
“43 coffins are coming off the plane this afternoon. Did you know Mellie meets every plane? I think she’s trying to save our souls or something. As if they can be saved. We have to get Olivia back. Not just because having her out there is a threat to national security. There are soldiers who are never coming home because I’ve tried to get her back.
Someone’s father, someone’s husband. I have killed so many mothers’ sons trying to get her back. The flags placed on the coffins where they layered there because they had courage to give their lives and I did not have the courage to give Liv’s. So she has to come back. Because their sacrifice there must mean something. They CANNOT have died for nothing. They CANNOT have gone to their deaths for no other reason than I asked them to.”
Cyrus says they will get her back, and I’m on my couch feeling all weepy watching Mellie hug the widows and the daughters who lost their dads. WAR IS THE WORST!
In the desert of BoomFUCKnowhere, Gus brings Olivia out of a truck, with her head covered. A woman (it looks like) walks towards them and he removes Liv’s head knapsack. Who shall it be? We will find out next week.
So. I thoroughly enjoy the idea of Mellie being President and these feminist moments on Scandal bring me joy. I also appreciated how Fitz basically looked at her anew and saw that it was possible for her to run the world. LOVE.
Also, is Huck in too deep? Can he be pulled back from this dark place he’s in when Olivia comes back? The fact that B613 Jake told Quinn that he has never seen anything like he did when he walked into the room where Huck went all apeshit on the men. That tells me he might be too gone on this.
Now, about Olivia on the auction block. I don’t like it and I don’t like it one bit. It gives me all the shivers, and it is so literal that it cannot even be separated from slavery imagery. All I know is that Shonda opened pandora’s box and even hope packed its bags and left. I need her to fix my Gladiators so they can be right again.
I really think that is Rowan Pope is behind this, but it went farther left than he anticipated it would. I am guessing that he won the bidding because there’s no way he didn’t know it was happening. And again, he is her dad FIRST. What started as him getting her kidnapped and whatnot became his daughter being at the mercy of the most evil villains in the world and of course he would try to intervene because his daughter might die on his watch.
Also, he is the one pulling the VP’s strings because of the insistence that she be returned in the right shape. He looked stressed as hell when Ian told him the deal was a wrap and I don’t think it’s just because of the power he lost. He got in bed with the wrong people. If this is Rowan Pope behind it all, A LOT of people died for him to make a point to his pricelessness in Liv’s life.
P.S. The original title of this episode was “Gladiators Don’t Run” but they changed it to “Full Circle” some time in this last week. I’m stroking my chin on what it means.
Anyway, Gladiators ROAR in the comments.
P.S. Katie Lowes (Qunn) commented on my Facebook fan page last night and I LIVE!!!!
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68 Comments
Methinks the “Full Circle” title refers to when Rowan said, “I am the hell AND the high water.”
Thanks for relaying Abby’s scene with David. Most of us in GA had an EAS Alert go off during that scene, and couldn’t hear it.
I love Shonda Rhimes and I will forever be grateful to her for putting Scandal on the scene and making it possible for “Empire”, “Being Mary Jane”, “HTGAWM”, “Sleepy Hollow” to exist. I will also probably still watch Scandal but I rolled my eyes throughout most of this episode. It was ridiculous and I was tired from watching it. I fell in love with Olivia Pope the fixer, Olitz, the politics of being powerful in this land and the secrets involved not this. Just because we used to love the twists that took our edges, doesn’t mean we don’t still appreciate normal things.
Luvvie, you are very hardworking and super talented. It’s amazing to me how you can do two recaps, post them on time and have them be almost completely different. Hats off!
Exactly what she said!!! this storyline is a hot mess….
Exactly! This is the same reason why I stopped watching Grey and Private Practice when it was on air. Season 1 and 2 are still my fav seasons because we saw the fixer. Since Jake came on the scene it seems like that is all they are force-feeding us. I miss Olivia Pope the fixer. I miss the political crisis and scandals. I just read recaps now and then to catch up. I am so over this emotional roller coaster.
I can’t stand the show’s ridiculousness anymore… yet I can’t stop watching because I keep hoping that it gets better. It can’t keep being outlandish, can it? Or maybe it will be like that old soap opera, “Passions” – just stay on some crazy ish.I had to stop watching Greys for a while. Then I came back and it is better. Perhaps, I need to do the same with this show.
This episode is a prime example of what happens when writers have no real consistent ideas, but combine all of the 752 ideas they had individually, I cannot understand how in this day, month and year they felt it was ok to have a black woman sell her self on the fricking black market as her way of getting out of trouble, it is disturbing and the fact that KW was like ‘sure maybe this well me that emmy’ is even more disturbing. Can you see Viola Davis agreeing to this? And that sad, trite, simping, sanctimonious speech by Ditz at the end was an entire insult to the armed forces and their families. How is having the woman who gave him permission to go to war for his mistress, meet their caskets, going to make up for their needless deaths, if this was real life Ditz’s ass would be grass, and anyone who thought that scene was poignant are probably the same people who thought 50 shades of shadows was real literature and romance.
I’m sorry for the long comments, but this show has gotten truly ridiculous.
but it’s not real life though…
What you said^^^^^^^
Exactly! This is the same reason why I stopped watching Grey and Private Practice when it was on air. Season 1 and 2 are still my fav seasons because we saw the fixer. Since Jake came on the scene it seems like that is all they are force-feeding us. I miss Olivia Pope the fixer. I miss the political crisis and scandals. I just read recaps now and then to catch up. I am so over this emotional roller coaster.
Maybe Senator Puddin’ Pop bought Liv?
This post gave me sooo much life!! I was hollering laughing at the way you wrote that commentary. And what you said about Huck?! I felt my soul scrambling to hold on to my body because I was about to DIE laughing. YAASSS! Even though I watched the show, I’m gonna read your commentaries just for the pure entertainment value.
Who is the shadowy woman? Mama Pope. The auctioneers are her former buds…that’s why the unholy trinity sought her out to get into the auction. Her insistence that they use her old goon name (Marie Wallace) to get in told Gus and Ian where she was. Rowan has already moved her from the hole to a cell . Somewhere there’s a TV cable installer wearing an orange jumpsuit and lying dead in a prison. The “Full Circle”? Maya’s on the loose again. Liv saved Maya by putting her on the plane to Hong Kong. Now Maya saves Liv. Rowan had had Liv and tried to keep her away from Maya. Now Maya has Liv, messing up Rowan’s kidnap thing.
Khandi Alexander was originally scheduled for only 1 episode in this season (as a “guest star”) but her role was expanded to “recurring”. This change was announced on Nov 14.
I think “Iran” is Steven, one of the original Gladiators. They said that there was a twist coming that would shock those of us that have been watching since the beginning. He’s the only thing that makes sense. He left rather abruptly. If I remember right, he abandoned his womanizing ways to settle down and marry. Because apparently he couldn’t be a faithful man and a Gladiator too. If not him, then Daddy Pope, for sure.
I’m putting my goon gold on Adnan and Harrison, banished forever by Big Daddy. Rowan somehow finds out GinghamGuy is his son and that stops him from killing him. Adnan has the Middle East hookup so he funds them to stay in his pocket in case he needs them for stuff like this. So a woman “saves” a woman but Rowan is still the master puppetmaster. And of course all this can’t happen in real life. That’s why we’re on this side of the TV screen…
Adnan is dead (supposedly) but I definitely believe it is related to her somehow. Remember her ties to Maya Pope.
I doubt we’ll see Harrison again. Columbus Short is out for good.
See Im worried Liv is gonna be too jacked up and traumatized to be much help to baby Huck. I need to know that kind of love….Ride or Die dont even begin to describe Huck and Liv.
….and me tinks Hollis gonna be in here somewheres.
Huck is to Liv as Kanye is to Beyonce…
iHollered so loud! I’m a librarian, shame on you for having me make too much noise in a library!
I don’t know you, but I love you. Like for real! Tooooo funny!
HA!
I think Liv is in too deep. Her brain can’t get her out of everything. I think Liv’s mom will save her. She’s the only one who can. I feel sorry for David. He’s never ever going to be able to truly win. I was so scared to see Quinn hit Huck. I thought he might hit her back. Lastly, #ShameOnShonda for the slavery auction during Black History Month. I love how I’m not sure what’s going to happen next. Love you Luvvie!
“You will, however, be my bitch until the end of time.” — Cyrus to Liz
Best. Line. Ever. I died and arose 3 times.
I thought it was amusing when Jake from State Farm goes into the room after Huck has chopped up everyone and gotten blood everywhere and sends Huck out of the room to clean up and mutters “animal” as Huck is leaving. Then Jake proceeds to start slicing the dead guys head off. Yeah, who is the animal?
I’m still confused about the title of the episode. I saw some preview articles that called it “Full Circle,” but ABC is showing it titled as “Gladiators Don’t Run”, as is Wikipedia’s episode list, and my DVR, too. I think “FC” was better, especially if we find out that Mama Pope is that shadowy figure meeting Olivia at the end…
Did Shonda get some new writers this season? Because the show has gotten so outrageous and graphic, and I am really not liking it.
I was not feeling the idea of auctioning off a Black woman in 2015 when it was first mentioned last week, and others were like “Oh, it’s just a tv show.” No shyt. It’s not I think K. Dub is harm’s way, but that is some awful imagery, and I do not like it.
Ole girl had nerve to try to deliver a TED talk in that bunker while she still had Ian’s blood on her but the baby villains were not having it.
I do wish I had my own Huck though – I have a while list of people who I’d sic him on immejately.
Not a TED talk!!! iDied! I’m a frequent t Rader and follower of Luvvie’s but I have not been drawn to commenting until now! Hilarious!
All she needed was the headset. lol.
This is why I don’t post…I didn’t say a thing about Rader…
I was TRYING to say, “I have been a follower ofLuvvie for some time now.”
My immediate thought in the initial kidnapping and henceforth was that Papa Pope was behind this entire thing. With parents such as these, I will never complain about my meddling parents again. LOL
Huck, Huck, Huck…poor thing is gone off the deep end, cliff, Niagra Falls, Grand Canyon. I half expected to see him eating organs and isht when the camera panned into him after giving up a view of the bloody carnage he had reaped. Still though, I would keep Huck on my team!!! Mama Pope is indeed an animal, she actually barked at David. LOL
As I read this read the recap, I will have to back and look at the final scene. If a woman is there to pick her up, then it might be Adnan. (We only saw a picture of her dead. No proof it actually happened)
I read both recaps, the one on vulture and the one here. Love you either way Luvvie, but your vulture audience need a whole lot of help with loosening up…their comments straight up depressed me. From now on I will read both recaps but stick with the comments here because these ladies and gents know you can’t take yourself or Scandal to seriously.
The commentors over there reminds me of the South Park episode where the Broflovski family moved to San Francisco and became so smug that they loved the smell of their own farts.
Is it weird to think that Adnan Salif isn’t really dead and she’s in cahoots with mama and papa Pope somehow and bought Liv? Something’s mad off. Mama Pope was hella calm that her daughter was being held by terrorists and even though she’s horrible as fawk, she’s always cared abt Liv, just as Papa Pope does.
What would be a great full circle? Papa Goon, Mama Goon and Baby Goon.
The concept that Liv possesses the golden cookies and wears the panties that will save the free world is so far out its losing so many people. The digital slave auction for the finest wench in all the land, Huck going apeshit, The Gladiators putting their trust in Maya, ugh. I used to rewatching every episode the next day cuz there was always something I missed the first time, I haven’t done that even ONCE this new season. Years from now I’ll be curious to hear what KW really thought about this.
Another question I saw asked was how do these people know that Liv has the golden cookies that rule the world? Their relationship has always been secret, and these “unfuckwitable” bad guys from dictators to cartels, bidding millions/billions of dollars are just supposed to take some lackey’s word for it, cause there isn’t any hard proof.
I’m all for suspension of belief when it comes to TV, but c’mon now. Who spends billions because somebody’s “henchman with an attitude” said so? For that matter, where’s the guy who’s really pulling the VPs strings, and gave the secret service their orders (cause you know they didn’t turn on the Prez just on Andrew’s say-so) and why didn’t he get pissed when the mercs went rogue and tried to sell his “property” and keep the money for themselves? The “real” big dog just let that ish go or they want us to believe he spent millions/billions to buy something he already had? Where they do that at?
wait and can we discuss the line when they shaded the pres on his lack of knowledge on global funds? Who has more money than the united states??
uuuum, China, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. Like you little simpleton. have a seat hun.
so true!!!!!!!
I scream laughed at that line.
I’m also mad that Liv didn’t kill Gus when she ran out of the “prison”. He was still butthurt about getting hit.
He just wants to know who can bid with usa
Rowan definitely seems like the most likely option here. He truly is the hell and high water and I’ll be damned if he hasn’t proven that to Liv time and time again. But I’m still curious about all this buzz about some character returning from the deep dark depths of Scandal, back when Amanda Tanner was big news and the Cytron card was a thing. So anything is possible I guess.
Side note: my friend just told me she hopes it was a Sally Langston/ Hollis Doyle team combo that bought Liv and laughed for about ten straight minutes.
In a Huck moment, I counted the coffins in the hangar shot. “43” is a prime number, so when I saw even rows with the same number of coffins in each row, I knew the picture didn’t match the dialogue.
There were six rows of eight coffins. That’s 48. That’s five extra. THIS MEANS SOMETHING!
I noticed that, too. Was this just a goof?
Me tooooo!
Rowan is the most likely option, just from one of their last meetings he told her that she had no idea how many bad things he’s kept from befalling her and the next episode, she was snatched from her apartment. If nothing else, he knew about this plot before he left. Especially since Tom knew all about it. Steven is definitely a good guess with their teasing about shocking viewers. Henry Ian Cusick is on that CW show, The 100, but I saw one of their actors on a CBS show this week, so they might be done filming for the season. Also, not for nothing, Quinn’s random mention of him since they haven’t mentioned him since Harrison got the office might well have been a clue. Maybe once Abby knew, Quinn figured she’d let every gladiator, past and present be in on the secret. I just hope they don’t go the Billy Chambers route again.
Isaiah Washington is also on The 100. Shonda bought Burke back for Yang’s exit Grey’s Anatomy.The way these shows film now Stephen could pop in for a couple of episodes and then go back to the CW.
I am not sure how I feel about this part of the season so far, and further, I can’t say that I am looking forward to the long term implications.
Olivia has been kidnapped and sold to the highest bidder. This show was great because Olivia fixed problems. Who’s problem is she going to fix now? She’s someone else’s property and when she eventually returns home, she will need time (or a time jump between seasons) to recover, and if that is the case, next season will start the same way this season did.
I miss the Olivia of the previous seasons. I miss the fixing. I miss watching how creative her team was in resolving problems. I am almost completely sick of whatever is on screen now…
I forgot to add….I think Stephen bought her. I heard that idea elsewhere and I like it.
It’s seems too obvious that Daddy Pope bought Olivia. I think it’s Mellie or Sally.
I think Papa Pope is behind every. single. bit. I don’t think he ever forgot or forgave Liv for almost killing him, so he’s teaching her a lesson Rowan Pope/B-613/”Smithsonian”-style!
My husband swears the person in the desert is Harrison or Adnan……. I do lean stronger to Papa Pope but now that you said the title has changed…what???? I dont get it.
I actually thought this was a really good episode in that I saw none of it coming.
1. Huck is the Billionaire MAN! I laughed when he said he considered it back pay.
2. I agree, the whole auction concept is very disturbing. No one on the show addressed the buying/selling…except there was a small comment about human trafficking. I have no idea how they will handle this. It’s not right and someone in the show is going to have to make a strong statement.
3. I felt sorry for Abby. She somehow thought she was a gladiator for life. Huck made it clear that when you leave…you are GONE!
4. Hillary, I mean Mellie, for president. I think we can see where future seasons are going. But, I wonder if Fitz now realizes that he’s never going to be free from her. She’d never win if he divorces her. It’s good that they have arrived a truce and are friendly. But, we all know it won’t last.
5. Cyrus is kind of back. He’s going to have to make a bold move to really get his power back.
6. Lizzie is not acting scared or pained enough for me. She can go away now.
7. Why was Jake being such a hypocrite? He shot dude in the face last year. And he went onto saw the dude’s head off. He was trained in B613 ways. I’m not sure that Huck is too far gone…Huck is Huck…he wasn’t killing for money, he was killing for Liv. I think for him, that is different. Sick, but different.
8. Momma Pope did not at all seem surprised not anxious about Liv. No sense of urgency. She was willing to settle for the tv so she could see her on the news.
9. I like the Adnan prediction…but I still think that it’s Rowan pulling all of the strings.
I know this season is different…but, I’m still very intrigued. This whole kidnapping theme has to be resolved soon tho.
Oh, one more thing….did anyone else see MommaPope’s face when Liv was staring at Gus? I rewound it several times….I think they substituted her for the cold look of “boy-you-done-gone-too-far”.
“Full Circle” refers to Steven from season 1. I bet that’s who meets her in the desert! Why else would Quinn jog our memories?
Ooh that would be nice. Let it be Steven out there in the dessert.
Who taught Andrew the term “side-piece?” Did he look that up in the urban dictionary?
Ole boy is upset with Liv for clocking him with that pipe. That’s his fault. Kidnapping is a dirty business. I guess he will get over it now that he has some money in the bank of Swiss.
I miss VP Sally.
I don’t believe Rowan is behind all this, especially with the flip of the script with the auction. They were planning to keep her for 3 years?!! But I believe Rowan could be the buyer. And if that is the case, Pipehead is as good as gone. He’s not going to get $1.1B.
Can we say a collective “Bye Felicia” to Lizzie.? I’m done with her.
Couple of things I liked in this ep.
1. the #TBT moment with Quinn mentioning Harrison and Stephen
2. I like where Fitz & Mellie are in their relationship now. Oddly enough it’s the most honest they have been with each other in a very long time.
3. I like them showing Mellie greeting the widows & orphans. I wonder if she hasn’t been in touch with that sassy former first old lady who’s schooling her on how to prep the field for a presidential run once Fitz’s term is over.
4. I lol’d when Fitz was trying to raise money to bid for Liv and asked Mellie and Cy who has more money than the US. Mellie & Cy over there like, “China, United Emrite…..”
I do think Papa Pope is behind this. I think Liv maneuvering things so she went up for auction changed his plans and he’s behind the Iran bid that ended the bidding.
Please don’t let Huck be too far gone. I still want him to be able to see little Javi.
Hmmm…full circle. Episode 1, Season 1 opens with Liv paying a ransom for a baby that had been kidnapped. Remember, that’s how the show started and she was with Stephen. The selling aspect of the story disturbs my spirit, so I hope this storyline wraps up soon.
I still believe Papa Pope is gonna come in and save the day. Liv, you’ll be alright girl ! Huck, lawd mercy, the look on his face while he was hacking away scared the crap outta me! You really see Huck’s fragility. He is really walking that tight rope of sanity and insanity.
Just for the heck of it, since they mentioned Dictators and Cartels, a few times – don’t forget Liv took the wife (and kids?) away from that dictator (season 2 maybe?). He’s got loot and an army and he wasn’t really happy with her either. It’s probably not him, but it’s not like Liv doesn’t have her own enemies who’d like to get their hands on her… We were set up to believe the sale was about using her to control POTUS, but Shonda is known for flippin the script on us.
I was sitting there wondering who’s really behind Liv’s kidnapping (RowanTheGoon), when Huck’s sheer look of delight over having murdered and mangled every man in that room made me sick to my stomach. Is Guillermo Oscar worthy or what?
So. Let’s talk about modern day slavery/human trafficking/mysoginism.
Liv sleeps with white President who’s married.
Liv gets kidnapped by white VP and all the kingsmen.
Liv kills and violently responds to white oppressors.
Liv subdued, but then woos a gullible (not really terrifying) ppressor.
Liv gets oppressor to fly her out the coop, and get he a glass of wine, all under the guise of “auctioning” her off. REALLY? BACK ON THE AUCTION BLOCK IN 2015?!? IN BLACK HISTORY MONTH NO LESS!
Liv’s boy friend ain’t really got enough money to afford to buy her back. My stomach’s turning at all of this.
Liv’s bought by a nation, after her gulliboo is killed.
Liv’s Momma ain’t surprised. At all. Hmmmm. (Yes, black folks, we contributed to our own slavery.)
Read’s like The Color Purple chopped and screwed.
Perhaps pops is behind her recapture, but I do not think he initiated it. At this point I really don’t know what to think
I too think it maybe Sally “Piggy Piggy” Langston
I’ve been a pretty faithful viewer, but I thought that end with the military was in extremely bad taste and was manipulative and offensive. For me the show really crossed the line there even more than when Huck pulled out Quinn’s teeth, which is still being used as a laugh line. Sometimes this show is just gross, but the military ending was something else. Despicable. It also means that I can like Fitz’s again.
I’m glad to see that I am not the only one with criticism about the turn this show is taking.
I’m in a FB Scandal group and when I raised the issue of it being questionable to auction off a Black woman and 2015, I got a whole bunch of angry replies. They run the gamut from “the show is controlled by a Black woman” ( which I guess makes is alright) to “If you don’t like it don’t watch it” ( Thanks for that tip didn’t realized I had free will) to “It must be exhausting to be mad all the time.”
For the record, I am fan of this show and of Shonda Rhimes but I am not going to blindly accept anything that disturbs me without speaking on it.
I am all for entertainment, but let’s not act like this things don’t have larger cultural implications. It’s fine not to care about it, but don’t act like those of us who do are angry militants because I certainly am not.
#actual -factual. That is all
Am I the only one who saw Hillary Clinton in the eyes of Mellie Mel when she said to her BFF that she wanted to Run the World Girls!
I said that is why Hillary stayed and did not utter a word!
But Olivia Pope is not Monica Lewinski and Fitz loves Olivia and claims it. Clinton in public and in private denies Monica.
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