Scandal Season 4, Ep 22: You Can't Take Command. AKA: OUT! Get OUT!

So – season finale. Big stuff, right? Here’s what happened:

Last week Mellie met a donor. He was introduced as some rich southern dude and needed her help. He hands her a file that is “important” to him – only, it’s loaded with pictures of her and the cheezy VP Andrew. He threatens to out her, and her husband over Remington and then demands she asks what he wants. Oh, just a list. A list of names. 

Then, it’s on to B613 trial time. The jurors are all there, they listen to Jake testify. Then, emergency call. All the jurors are on the bus in the parking garage. Dead. David Rosen isn’t willing to die to bring down Command. 

Mellie realizes what the list was, and what happened to all the jurors and runs to Cyrus. Tells him what happened, that she was protecting herself and the President, mentions Remington and Cyrus goes into action. “I’ll take care of it. Don’t tell Fitz.” Out he runs.

Olivia has a strange visit with Mama Pope who calls her Boo and reminds her that she’s living in a fantasy world that does not revolve around her. Ouch. Reminds her that Papa has covered his tracks so well that no one is looking for him, as he doesn’t really exist. Liv then goes to the head of the CIA (remember her?) with Jake in tow and rants about B613. Ms. CIA-woman has both Olivia and Jake arrested. She then runs into Cyrus who basically tells her she can’t do a darn thing about some top secret agency that may or may not exist. 

Then, Rosen and Cyrus face off, and Cyrus threatens Rosen with Abby, saying he’ll have her killed. Cyrus makes a deal with Mama Pope that hands her a get out of jail free card. That's right, Mama Pope is OUT! Rosen then has Olivia and Jake sign a statement retracting their B613 statements, again, holding their loved ones over their heads. Papa Pope cleaned house of all the documents and agents that could identify him.  Seems like Olivia and Jake are defeated…until, HuckleberryQuinn conversations recall the 2 bazillion dollars that they smuggled and hid. They use that to frame Papa, and claim that his alter-ego Anthropologist self has been siphoning off funds from his fancy museum job. So Command didn’t go down, but the man behind it, in his Clark Kent persona, did end up in jail. 

Mellie wins the election, happy-happy, celebration, until Lizzy has a chat with Fitz and lets the whole donor/list thing slip.  Fitz sees who it is, and knows what’s up. When they get back, Mellie is making plans for her future Presidency and Fitz loses his shit. Tells her she’s cray-cray if he’s going to let her run the country after what she did – Mellie has her typical deer-in-the-headlights look, and he kicks her the hell out! OUT! Out of his house! Out of his life! Then, he lays into Cyrus and kicks him to the curb! What the WHAT? 

Both have been escorted out. Methinks this is not the last we will see of Cyrus. 

Much later, you see Quinn bust into the office and hold a gun to Huck’s head. HUCKING HUCK!! He did it! She knew it once she saw the carnage. Huck says he didn’t have a choice – he was saving his family. She says she should just kill him. He screams “DO IT!” He’s officially off his meds again. 

Finally, in the seemingly never-ending triangle of Jake-Olivia-Fitz: Jake tells Olivia he did his job. He kept her safe per Fitz, and Command is in jail. He won’t come in despite her invitation because while he loves her, she loves him. He tells her to go. She does. While Fitz was knocking at her door, she was waiting on his balcony. Cue sappy music. The two are finally together. 

Summary: OUT:  Mellie, Cyrus, Mama Pope. In: Papa Pope. And Olivia and Fitz. In the bedroom that is...LOL. 

Also possibly out:  Jake. Huck. 

So really – who is more evil: Papa Pope or Cyrus? I’m not so sure anymore. Cyrus is just cut-throat. PP isn’t going down this easy, so something will go on there. Then there’s Jake. JAKE. Where is he going? First, Shonda makes me think he’s dead. Then she brings him back only to send him away again? Come on!! Give the guy a break! Quinn has Huck and Charlie (both twisted dudes), Abby has Rosen and Leo (who’s been absent the last few episodes), and Olivia had Fitz and Jake. Now she’s down to one dude. Huh? How? Give Jake to somebody. Lizzy? Mellie? No, no smelly Mellie for Jakey-poo.

He can’t be written out. Normally, season finale’s leave people dead – but this one did both: left a bunch of one-show characters dead, and “killed” a few others leaving us all wondering what happens next? Where does the show go from here? I have no idea….I’m so confused. I have all summer to get over it I guess. 

Other random thoughts: There was some conversation between Olivia and Fitz on the phone and while Liv calls VP Susan a national treasure, Fitz calls her a mess and Muppet. My brain went here…

Off to watch my new obsession, Salem. How did I not know about this show? It’s pretty darn good!  

Scandal Season4, Ep12: Gladiators Don't Run. AKA: I fell asleep again....

Okay, where do I start? While it seems like much has happened, in the end, nothing really did.I fell asleep. Again. Had to re-watch this morning to see what happened. Was I that tired? Or was the show that boring this week?  I can tell you for certain if you missed this episode, just pick up next week and you'll be fine. But read my summary first.

First, Abby is onto something with the Olivia situation. She goes to Olivia’s apartment and sees the mess, the shoots over to OP Headquarters, finds HuckeberryQuinn and demands to be told what’s happening with OP. 

Huck gives her a giant verbal bitch slap: “You’re not a Gladiator anymore” He then tells Quinn: “We can’t trust the White House. Abby is the White House.”

While HuckleberryQuinn may not be able to trust Abby, you can trust me when I tell you I would kill for that Chanel handbag on her arm! *swoon*

Cyrus has the President sign documents to fire the entire Secret Service and replace them with Navy SEALS, and also tries to get the VP to resign or go to prison. The VP says no, and says he will out the President for getting the US into war over his side piece.  Cyrus then tells the President the VP won’t go down. Fitz defends himself saying we didn’t go to war because of Olivia. We went to the war because of the assassination attempt at the VP. That’s what America believes. He needs to prove that the attempt on the VP was faked (by him), leading them into war for his own agenda, and make the VP the bad guy. Oh, but then the VP also threatens to out his extracurricular activities with Mellie. Mellie tells Fitz and when he asks what she wants, she says she wants to be President and rule the world. Bottom line, the VP is getting off scot-free.  

The President wants in on the auction, and when he asks “Who has more money than the United States of America?” both Cyrus and Mellie chime in naming countries! Jake shows up to handle it and enlists HuckleberryQuinn on the process. 

“So, the USA is in bed with some terrorists, who they’re using to bid on Liv for them, because the President can’t be seen negotiating with terrorists.”

Jake says he has some money, Quinn says all she has is student loans (you and me both, Sista!), while Huck says he has money. Quinn keeps talking and again, Huck says 

“I have money. Two billion, four-hundred thousand eighty seven dollars, and 38 cents.”

He stole all the B613 money when they shut them down. He transferred the money to him as a payment for his time in the hole. Hucking Huck. He’s a sick bastard, but I’m on Team Huck till the end. Just keep his evil toolbox away from me, mmmkay?

 

Their way into the auction? MamaPope. David Rosen, Huck, Quinn, and Jake go visit Mama Pope who uses her evil-gal rep as an all-star international terrorist to get to a drug-dealer, who will get them in on the auction.  

 For her rep, she gets a flat screen TV with cable (so she can watch Liv), and has Huck take out some dudes for the drug-dealer, and Jake freaks out at the Freddy Krueger version of Huck. Jake tells Quinn that Huck is not right, and Quinn says sure he is – he just goes a bit evil for a bit and she has the dental bills to prove it! He’ll be back when Olivia is back. 

Except…Olivia’s plan has just gone FUBAR. Instead of her and Ian being in control of her being sold to the highest bidder, Bad Guy Gus questions Eli about his working with the hostage, then later shoots him in the head! Right as the auction was about to go live, he takes him out! He’s now in control. Huck is finally in the auction and just when he goes in to bid his billions, the auction stops. It's ended. 

Cyrus goes to tell the sleeping President that shit has hit the fan and quietly tries to wake him. Dude, when you’re holding the red folder of doom, you don’t whisper. You get your ass in there and scream “GET UP!”

The auction is over, halted by a new buyer that went directly to BadGuyGus. He says she’s being sent to Iran. The CIA head says things have changed. The asset (AKA Ms. Pope) has to be neutralized and Fitz says Um, no. No way. Go get her out. Period. Huck starts to freak and rambles “Someone bought her, they bought a person to control a president, to control a nation. She’s not a person, she’s a tool.” He closes himself off telling everyone she’s dead. That’s how you stop thinking of her as human and as her body parts start to get sent back home. Quinn tells him to shut up and slaps him, Huck again insists that she is dead.

The end has a view of Olivia being handed off to someone else. It’s clear that Olivia knows who it is…

So who could it be?  

True Blood Season 7 Ep 2: "I Found You". AKA: Holy mother he's back!

Jason finds his healer – remember the dude who saved him last season by letting him drink from him?  Sorry, I just can’t picture HIM in this scene, so he’s Mr. Healer. But y’all know who I’m talking about right, Willis?

Anyway, he turns and says “You found me”

“Didn’t make it easy” Jason states.

“I needed space. To think.” He replies.

“How’s that working out for you?” Jason asks.

“Still thinking”

 Then Mr. Healer man asks “What about Violet?”

Well, Jay has it bad for her. I’d say after angry sex on the hood of his car, he better! But then he’s also hot for his healer. So Jay-Jay is all kinds of screwed up. First he goes after Vi on the car, then he tackles  (yes, running start, taking him down) and seduces Healer Man. Holy Man Candy!

Jason’s been busy getting all kinds of busy. Oh wait, it was all a dream. IN CHURCH!!! Bad Jason! Bad! Go say 10 Hail Mary’s and 3 Our Fathers!

I can say this scene made every single one of my gay men on Facebook and Twitter majorly freak out, post a ton of “wow”s, “Holy Shit”s, and “Thank you True Blood for the first five minutes!” True Blood… An equal opportunity giver. And this one much better/hotter/insert your adjective here than the infamous “Wanna do me now? You’ve never done this before have you” from last season. Oh come on, you remember that shaving scene, right? Google that shit! It doesn’t hold a candle to the scene this week, but does show Jason’s man fascination when he dreams.  

Sookie is still mind reading people, tells Andy about finding the dead body she tripped over last night and uses that to try to help everyone figure out where the HVamps are hiding. She leads Jason and Andy over to the body and they find the woman is from two towns over. Of course, the town has been obliterated by HVamps. Sook, Jason, Sam, Alcide, and … head over to St. Alice (or Elise depending on who you ask). Riding together, the come across the abandoned town aaaaand, we’re back to the Walking Dead. The sheriff, the mayor, the couple, the junior all find messages painted on boarded up buildings, on roofs, and on the streets. Some of it is reminiscent of Hurricane Katrina aftermath. Eerie. Cue creepy music. And a mass grave of bodies. And this WD pose.

 Told ya.

They find the house of the dead girl and Jason does pizza forensics to find out that they attacked two and a half days ago, before going to Bon Temps. Andy sees all the family photos and decides he’s had a come to Jesus moment and he needs to stop being a pussy and marry Holly once he gets her back. 

Meanwhile, Sook reads a diary of the dead girl who initially talks of happier times (and Sookie thinks of her early days with Bill), then the writing goes through the attacks of people and their disappearance, including that of the dead woman’s baby. Alcide takes the journal away. While they’re driving home, Sookie says it’s her fault for bringing this up on them. Alcide, being the supportive boyfriend, says she didn’t and she’s only guilty of falling for hard and fast for her first love. She confides that she’s afraid that their entire town is going to end up like St. Elise (or Alice, depending on who you ask), and Alcide says “not if we keep driving.” She says no. Dumb Sook. 

Kenya is bitching, Rev. talks to Mayor Sam about doing something to keep the people occupied during the night. Keeping busy and being of service is the way to go, and asks humpty-dumpty’s men to help put Belle Fleurs back together again for Arlene. Andy’s daughter Adilyn is okay to help, but needs to be in by dark, and keep Jessica uninvited. 

Everyone is at BelleFleurs cleaning up vamp goo, and then there’s a scream from the kitchen. A bunch of bodies were found in the freezer, and Vince tells Sam’s secret presto-chango shifter status. Vince convinces them to become self-sufficient and take up arms and protect themselves. Adilyn does the mind read thing and finds that someone is going to attack the sherrifs office and tells Kenya one moment before the Vince Mob rushes in to grab them and exert their God-given 2^nd amendment rights.  

Kenya states: “Don’t NRA Hillbilly me!” Yeehaw! 

After Kenya is given the anti-affirmative action talk she switches sides and joins the fight. When she tries to handcuff Adilyn, she uses her fairy-stun-gun to zap Kenya, but not good enough. Adilyn and Wade are being led away. The mob attacks and steals the guns and tries target practice in the lobby of the station. People are goin’ Commando-Rambo crazy. 

 Mama-Mae decides to check in on Lafayette. She goes to his place to see how he’s holding up. Confesses that she lost Tara a long time ago, she said her peace and took care of her last night. Mama-Mae wants more. She says that Tara came back to her, her spirit came to her, and she needs her help getting over. 

Faye snaps “That’s the V talkin’… You a drug addict you trifling bitch!”

They argue some more and Mama-Mae tells him “You’re going to hell”

Faye responds: “That’s what this is…”

Later, she accidently burns herself while cooking some fried chicken, then gets an idea on how to get her next fix. She then intentionally burns herself and talks Willa into sharing her blood to heal her until she can get to the hospital. Mama-Mae sucks that vein like a starving woman and immediately the burn heals.  Lettie-Mae doesn’t know when to say enough is enough, and goes all sucky sucky and enters the blood-alternate-universe and sees Tara hanging from a cross in the forest with a serpent around her neck. Yes, I’m rambling. 

Mama-Mae is hitting crazy town! Tara’s mumbling something that Mama-Mae can’t understand and cries out “I need the answer!” while Willa looks on in reality-land.  

In the basement of Fangtasia, the HVamps are fighting amongst themselves after Ronnie hogged all the snack food in the basement to himself. Betty the elder tells everyone that while they may die, they don’t have to act like animals. She’s elected as the new reaper. Going downstairs, she see the quivering women and takes some blond chick Belinda out screaming. Meanwhile, Arlene recognizes Ms. Harris/Betty as her kids teacher and says she won’t eat them because she’s a teacher and all.  Holly recognizes her kids teacher as well. 

“She was the only teacher who said they were smart.  I didn’t believe her but, bless her” 

Arlene recognizes the teacher and does the whole “If you tell a killer something personal about yourself they’re less likely to kill you” and talks up her kids experiences in Ms. Betty’s classroom.

She then delivers one of the two best lines of the night:

“Four lousy husbands, a serial killer boyfriend and sort-of suicide of my boyfriend to die in a dingy bar basement!”

Gotta love her. 

Ms. Betty gets the HVamps to appoint her the sleep monitor and as she gets everyone else asleep, she goes down to the basement to help the women get out of town. After feeding on Arlene, she goes all hungry town and dies in a pool of steaming mush. *Shivers* I don’t know about you but that is NOT the kind of thing I want going on between my thighs! 

The other awesome line from the women in the Vamp-basement:

“If somebody told me that I was going to die sober in a bar…”

Andy returns home and Adilyn is not home. Jessica calls out from the attic. Jessica knows through that whole blood connection that Adilyn line is in trouble and swears to help him after dark.  Andy accuses Jessica of eating his last child! Jessica asks him to get his head out of his behind and figure out if he’s going to help with the search. 

Sook and Alcide get home, she tells him he’s stinky and needs a shower before bed, but it’s only a ruse to get herself out of the house and over to Bills. Asking him “Can you still sense my fear? If I get myself into some serious shit, will you still be able to feel me.” 

Pam is in a France, then goes to a basement of some kind. “Unfuckingbelievable.”

Some hooker in the  basement says “he won’t take my blood. I don’t know what it is”. We see him, with the spiny veins showing the HVamp infection. 

Again, we hear:

“You found me”

ERIC!

Next week: it’s a showdown between Sherrif Rick and The Governor. Um, I mean Andy and Vince.