Scandal - Season 3 Episode 6 - Recap - Icarus
Scandal - Season 3 Episode 6 - Recap - Icarus
Scandal, oh sweet Scandal. ABC brings us another episode of you this week, like a bartender who has lost count. Ours is a simple relationship, Scandal and me. I watch, I recap, and constantly lose my mind at the sheer audacity of the writers. The risks they take are astounding, and it always pays off. Every week, there's a scandal, a murder, a conspiracy. It's a political thriller, which I'd normally avoid, but Scandal has drawn me in.
Flashback to the day Olivia's mom died. Mom is about to go catch a flight. It's clear this is the last time Olivia saw her mother. Back in the present, she's deep in thought. Her team doesn't know what's up. Suddenly, she stands up and leaves, headed for the White House to confront Fitz. Mellie and Cyrus are very psyched, thinking Olivia is there to accept the job running Fitz's campaign. She definitely is not. When she asks him about Operation: Remington, he refuses to answer. She, in turn, refuses to work for him and storms out. Later, Olivia gets drunk as heck and calls up Dad. She asks some stuff about mom, but changes the subject for fear that any prying will get Huck or Jake killed. Then, Eli surprises her by saying Liv can ask one question. She asks if he ordered her mom's death, and he says no. I'm inclined to believe him on this one. I think something else is going on here! Jake asks an old friend to find the on-flight recorder from Liv's mom's final flight, and when this "friend" delivers, another guy has to save Jake's life. It was all a fake out. Olivia, Jake, and Huck are deep into something major here. Fitz visits Olivia, where she finally tells him that her mom was on the plane, and he still gives the same "I don't know what you're talking about" classified info denial. Oof.
After the blow up with Fitz, Olivia and her team are now running Congresswoman Josie Marcus's campaign. Marcus isn't doing well with the media, so Liv has her meet with a long line of incredibly scummy lobbyists who can help her fund a stronger media campaign. The donors aren't buying it (they don't think she can win), so Liv switches gears to remake Marcus's image. There's an interview scheduled, with Cyrus's husband James of all people. Olivia thinks Marcus is being too nice during the practice beforehand, and the conversation ends with a brief flare of temper. Then, the interview. Holy crap. Lisa Kudrow delivers a brilliant performance here. Right before they start taping,Olivia shows Congresswoman Marcus a belittling campaign ad from a rival named Reston, and this gets Marcus's ire up something fierce. She destroys the ad, the media campaign, and even her interviewer on their sexist coded language. The interview works, getting Marcus all her endorsements and money.
Cyrus is informed by Fitz that Olivia knows "everything" about Operation: Remington. I mean, I am certain there's still some details she hasn't learned yet, but she knows that you killed her mom, dogg, so maybe focus on that for a hot second. Damn Fitz, get it together. Anyway, Cyrus lets Olivia's dad Eli know what's up and then blackmails Harrison into getting Olivia off of the Marcus campaign. Harrison has some kind of enemy who's visa to enter the country is in limbo at the moment, but Huck takes care of that. Harrison and Cyrus have a brief meeting, with the result being that Cyrus is getting Harrison's enemy dude into the country anyway.
Vice President Sally Langston is prepping to run in the primary against Fitz, with Fitz's secret approval. Langston has the Tea Party and other assorted extreme right crazies up in arms against President Grant. A family dinner is arranged, and Langston's husband is totally making eyes at Mellie the whole time. This plot seems to kinda just drop. I'm sure it'll go somewhere later. I like the VP, because she's so, so very awful and frustrating. In a show where the main characters lie, cheat, and steal, Sally Langston is the villain for her truly despicable beliefs! It's a superb way to make a character.
This week's episode was great! I was not sold on Lisa Kudrow's character or her performance thereof until the interview in this episode. She demolishes not just her fictional opponents, but real-life media treatment of women in politics. she looks right into the camera to call out her campaign rival, and it feels like she's talking also to the audience. Scandal is already basically a miracle for being a network drama with a woman of color in the lead role and a diverse supporting cast under her, so seeing them reinforce the gender equality attitude even in season 3 is nice. Check out the preview for this episode below!