Scandal Recap: Season 5, Ep 10: It's Hard Out Here for a General. AKA Jake is a sneaky bastard, and I love it!!

Oh, it’s been 6 months. Since we’ve last seen everyone…let’s see. Mellie was the first lady, and then she wasn’t. Olivia was with Fitz, and then she wasn’t. Olivia was also preggers then she wasn’t. She moved into the White House, then…she left it. Olivia had the power. Then she didn’t. Jake was out to take down Command, then he doesn’t. What is happening?

Based on the previews, the white hat is off! 

Olivia is having dinner with Papa Pope. Guess they mended fences when Fitz left the picture. He tells her “You had the oval. You had the power.” She says “He tried to make me into a first lady.”

They keep talking and he tells her “Jake has come home. So should you.” I guess you know who Papa Pope prefers for his little girl.

 Sally Langston – back and bitchy again. Powerless means impotent. And who wants to be impotent. She’s off on another one of her rants, talking about how no one is emerging unscathed.

JAKE! Sorry, I’m always excited when he’s in the room. Actually, he was waiting in the hallway and tells Liv “I don’t like waiting.” She snaps: “Then don’t. Leave.” Standoff. Bitch face. Eye roll. Open elevator calling his bluff…and she jumps him and humps him. Angry sex. And Jake goes downtown ladies! Down. Town.

Abby is woken up by the president. She’s trying to sleep and he’s running strategies through her in the middle of the night. She complains later to Cyrus that he’s calling her 24/7 and she’s freaking out about it. She’s tired. Exhausted because Fitz won’t stop talking to her. He’s broken, needs his batteries replaced. She then wonders why Cyrus isn’t helping her. He tells her that she’s his new wife. He can’t function alone, Mellie is gone and although she was great despite her faults, she’s outie. Olivia is gone. Cyrus is on the outs. Abby’s in. she’s the new woman in Fitz’s life, and Cyrus is gloating.  

Huck shows up at Olivia’s and she won’t let him in. He’s wondering why – who’s in there? Huck says he can’t talk about the client, because they don’t want the NSA to know about it….and it’s because the client is the head of the NSA. OH, and it’s a ripped from the Hilary headlines. The NSA director has work files on her personal computer, and she notices that the computer is moving files all on its own. But of course, that doesn’t happen. Someone has programmed the computer to steal files from something called Project Mercury.

Jake goes to visit Fitz at his request, and Mr. President discloses that the Post has Project Mercury. He needs someone to shut down the whistle-blower. Jake is wondering why he doesn’t call Olivia. Jake asks “You don’t talk to her?” Fitz says no. Asks if Jake talks to her, and Jake pauses, and says no. Ahem. Technically, they didn’t do much talking did they?

Everything points to the fact that it’s one of her computer programmers that she’s been dating, Billy. She refuses to believe it’s him….Olivia isn’t so sure. She’s trying to figure out if he’s a spy or a whistle-blower. Billy is in the wind. Huck finally gets a ping on his phone and Quinn and Marcus show up at his place. Except, they find Jake with Billy’s phone.

Jake and Olivia are fighting over what Billy is doing. Olivia is trying to cover up for her client, and Jake is trying to help Fitz save the country. Olivia says she’s protecting her client and her only flaw is falling for the wrong guy. Jake fires back that Liv knows all about that! Bam. Ouch. NSA woman realizes that Billy played her…and she’s currently under investigation. She wonders if she’s going to be fired, and throws put the gender card – stating that if she does get fired, everyone will say that women are too soft and get played so only men will be in that position for the next umpteen years.

Abby discovers that Project Mercury is a spy project, and they have a whistle-blower. Billy has contacted the Post.

Mellie Grant shows up and she’s written a book. A statement of her beliefs, hopes, and dirty laundry. She wants Liv to read it. She does and tells Mellie the book is crap, and tells her what she really needs to write. Mellie enlists her help to write it.

Abby shows up with a bottle of scotch to hang with her gal pal. Leo wants Abby to quit her job. He took a campaign in Texas, saying that they never see each other anyway. Abby is complaining that she’s the work wife, and she’s tired. She’s not sorry for the rich, powerful, handsome leader who got his heart broken. He’s waking her up. Olivia says Fitz doesn’t have any one. She was the last person she had, but now she’s gone and Abby is all that is left. She eventually gets fed up with him and goes off telling him she’s not everything and can’t know it all.

Olivia also won’t call him to ask for a favor on behalf of her client. Abby calls her on the bullshit. Saying that she doesn’t want him to pick up the phone, because she’s terrified. Olivia knows she’s being a baby, and can’t take her own advice to just suck it up and call him. She ends up calling. Fitz is shocked, but doesn’t take her call.

Quinn and Charlie are having some pillow talk about Billy the Whistle-Blower. He says the dude has some serious game for completely dropping off the radar. Quinn and Charlie bounce ideas off each other and she figures out a way to find them.

Quinn discovers that it wasn’t Billy. She finds that the scrambler used couldn’t change the rhythm and cadence of Billy. They don’t know who it is, but someone is trying to set up Billy. 

Fitz places the head of security in the hands of Jake! OMG.

Jacob. Hamilton. Ballard.

JAKE. You dirty double agent. What the hell are you up to? Is this your scheming? Papa 

Pope’s grand plan? Certainly a power play.

Olivia discovers that Jake was at the house where Billy’s phone was found because he was there to kill Billy. Heh Heh. Kill Bill.

Olivia goes to Papa’s house to find out what the hell. Confronts Jake with the Olivia fast talk, Jake and Papa Pope tell her that she can either throw a temper tantrum like a 14-year old or step up and grab some 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue power.

Huck is being really mean to the new guy Marcus, and Quinn calls him on his shit. Huck gets all deep and says “we have to protect him. We can’t let him be friends with us.” Hidden meaning: their souls are twisted and evil and Marcus is still a good guy…so they can’t bring him into the inner circle of darkness. 

What's going on with Jacob Hamilton Ballard? and Papa Pope?

When did TV-Land become hip? The best of television: Younger on TVLAND

Have you watched one of the best new shows on t.v.? You may have missed it because it’s on TVLand. Yes, TVLand. The network of old re-runs and shows that fill our childhood memories. But what is this? New and exciting programming? Absolutely. 

You know they started with the show Hot in Cleveland, and while that show brought in some spark, it wasn't what hooked me. Two new shows have done that. The first took an old novel, threw in some Darren Star produced magic and made it the best thing on television. 

Where are all my forty-somethings at? You know who you are – you sat around and waited for our favorite shows…9010, Melrose Place, Sex in the City. The same man that brought you those gems, has done it again with Younger. 

I first heard of this show last year, when a friend sent me a clip of Hilary Duff's character reading her Kindle in bed. I thought the clip was funny and thought I'd watch, but then....poof. Off my radar. Why, probably because it was on TVLand. And, well. I just forgot. Then, I was home for the school break and binge watched the show before Season 2 started. I was hooked.

The premise is simple. Based on a book with the same title written by Pamela Redmond Satranm, the show is about 40-year-old Liza (Sutton Foster), a woman just divorced, a mother to a young, traveling college student, who trying to start her life over and get back to work. Except, she finds it’s impossible to start anywhere without experience (which she doesn’t have), and even more difficult at her age. With the help of her BFF Maggie, and a dare gone wild, she gets a younger makeover and passes herself off as a 26-year old! She has to quickly learn social media, twenty-something lingo, fashion, and the world of publishing in the digital age. She finally lands something, and the fun begins! 

Here are my Top 10 Reasons you should be watching Younger:

1. Sutton Foster is adorable, and it’s not impossible to believe that she really is in her 20s. She’s that good. Funny, a bit dorky and insecure, she’s a character that we can see as ourselves. Maybe we can’t pull off being a hip 26-year old (mid-thirties – absolutey!), but many in their forties age range can relate to the age gap, digital divide, changing world of work, and the pressure to remain “young” and in-touch with the millennial generation. Hell, I have to hear this every day on a college campus! She pulls it off.  

 
2. Co-workers Kelsey (Hillary Duff) and Lauren Heller (Molly Bernard). Hillary Duff’s character is adorable, smart, and like many her age, driven and determined to make it in her field. Molly Bernard is quirky, unique, and the fun party gal you want along for the ride. The three of them make a great team when they’re out and about.   

3. BFF Debi Mazar. She’s everyone’s BFF in their head. Has the best answers to your problems. Let’s you crash on her couch. Non-judgmental. Brutally honest. Snarky and Bitchy with love. She’s the one that comes up with the “fake it” plan to get Liza a job. It works! She is an artist and fabulous in this show. Her look reminds me of the original Barbie! Love her! LOVE! 

4. Hot younger boyfriend Josh played by Nico Tortorella. Yes, the fake Liza lands a real twenty-something boy-toy. They meet at a bar, he asks for her number, and you find out he’s a tattoo artist and runs his own joint. This is a bit different from the novel, but hey, you have to stay trendy right? So instead of being a game programmer, he’s a tattoo artist. Did I say he was hot? He’s sweet, deals with Liza even knowing her “secret.” Although he struggles with it at first, he doesn’t care. Did I mention he’s hot? Find Nico on Instagram. Now. You’ll thank me later. 

5. Bitchy boss Diana Trout. Yes, Trout. Jokes about the name can commence…now! Played by Miriam Shor, she’s older, refuses to believe she can’t have any man she wants, and she’s bitchy. Hilariously so. 

6. Bitchy boss’s boss? Charles Brooks. Just sounds like an executive name, right? Charles Brooks. Man in a suit. And he wears that suit well! He’s all kinds of handsome, played by Peter Herman (who is married to Mariska Hargitay of SVU fame!). He’s flirty with Liza, and damn. You know if he knew what/who/how old she really was…there’d be some action. It’s only season 2, so anything is possible. 

7. Awesome fashion trends in every episode. Seriously, I couldn't pull off half of this shit, but that didn't stop me from watching Sex in the City and wishing I had a closet full of Manolo's. It's a fashion parade and you can't help but watch and smile as it goes by. 

8. You know of this author just like you know Carrie Bradshaw. You do. Trust me. You know her quotes, you just may not know they’re from her. Try this one on for size:
“A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ..... a set of screwdrivers, a cordless drill, and a black
lace bra... ” Yah. Now you know. This of course is from the book “30 Things Every Woman Should Have and Should Know by the Time She’s 30”
 

9. It’s fresh. It’s fun. Even the men in the room will enjoy it. Really. I had the hubster watching with me one night and while he tried to hide it, he laughed. Finally got him to not fight me when I want to watch it live, and admit “It’s not that bad…” which is Alpha-man for “your chick show is pretty funny.”

10. and Finally: Smart writing and awesome one-liners!! Darren Star can produce the shit out of a show, but the writing combo of Star and Redmond Satranm make the show as good as the book. That’s not easy, but they make it work.   Hilarious one-liners you will repeat to your friends

 
How fast can you memorize, tweet, and recite the lines from the show? They’re funny! Some of the ones I snorted at:  

• Trout needs to get ready for a date and needs waxing: “Book me an appointment. North pole, south pole, and the equator”
• “Damn, I miss slamming down the phone”
• "Are you in the wine business? "NO, I just drink a lot of it"
• Josh: “Babe, you're not a millennial.” Liza: “Yeah, well, Dr. Dre’s not a doctor.
• “Why am I nasty? What's wrong with truffle butter? Google it. Now"
• When talking about an old flame…Josh: "She's batshit crazy. She keeps climbing up my fire escape." Liza: "Is that butt stuff?" 

Younger is on Wednesday nights. Check your local listings and find TVLand on your favorite provider. Or not. You don’t have to DVR that shit – check out their website for episodes. Scour the interwebs for the first season (not on Netflix, but you can find it on Amazon), then dive into Season 2.