Holy Shonda!
Now there was a twist we did not see coming on Scandal Season 5 Episode 9.
The winter finale of television’s craziest show featured Olivia being escorted into a private medical room for an apparent abortion; a major fight between her and Fitz; and the seeming end of Olitz.
It all started with Olivia being unhappy in her new role of quasi First Lady, especially when Fitz ignored her explanation that Mellie was up to something in her desire to shut down the government.
Rowan, meanwhile, was playing mind games with Huck despite being shackled to a chair, referring to his captor as an “insane shell of a father.
This prompts Huck to start choking his nemesis, to which Rowan responds with two words: “Do it!”
But Huck resists and exits the situation, remaining (somewhat) calm, cool and collected in the face of Rowan’s taunts and apparent death wish.
Then there’s the new Junior Senator. Mellie goes with an unexpected filibuster after being bullied by some other Senators, saying she wants to protect Planned Parenthood. This threatens to shut the government down and ruin everyone’s holiday plans.
With Mellie faltering a bit on the Senator floor, Susan Ross shows up to take over the fight.
And when she runs into Olivia at the bathroom, the latter gives her rival a pep talk… Olivia Pope style.
“You’re the biggest bitch I know, don’t tell me you can’t do this,” she says.
So Mellie goes back in and succeeds at runs out the clock on the bill, even earning a handshake (which she rejects) from Senator Moskowitz.
Later that same evening, we see a nervous Olivia being taken by a nurse into a medical room. After what we have to believe was an abortion, she goes to the White House and heads straight for the booze.
Which leads to an epic Olitz confrontation.
Olivia compares herself to a “hostage” and her time in the White House a “sick, twisted punishment,” before yelling at Fitz, “There is no us!” We then see her packing up and moving back into her apartment.
As for Jake, he’s following Russell and Tom in the hope that they will lead him to Rowan. After coming face-to-face with Russell, he ignores any pleas to join Lazarus One… and shoots him in the head.
How did Scandal Season 5 wrap up its first half run? (It will return with new episodes on Thursday, February 11.)
Via a montage that includes:
- Huck releasing Rowan and dropping him off at home, where Jake is waiting with an apology about Lazarus.
- Charlie showing up to surprise a lonely Quinn.
- Olivia (back home), welcoming the return of her couch and enjoying a glass of wine.
