Because The A.V. Club knows that TV shows keep going even if we’re not writing at length about them, we’re experimenting with discussion posts. For certain shows, one of our TV writers will publish some brief thoughts about the latest episode, and open the comments for readers to share theirs.
- Ok let’s really think about what exactly happens in this episode of Scandal. In “The Box,” an actual terrorist organization inside the United States of America launches a national attack against the country. Two cities are bombed. While the nation is still recovering from the assassination of the president, 63 people die. What do we actually see happen this episode? The president gets drunk and wastes hours trying to convince his girlfriend’s dad to fix it.
- Literally, the worst thing that could happen to the country happens and Scandal somehow manages to gives us an incredibly boring episode. Multiple Papa Pope monologues. Fitz being around. David being around. It focused on all the things we didn’t want to see.
- I like that Cyrus just popped back into things and no one questioned anything. Apparently he still has security clearance. Yes, he was pardoned, but…I don’t see why he’d want to help any of these people.
- Olivia, last week: Rowan can fix this, he’s here to help.
Olivia, this week: Rowan can’t do anything, just leave him alone. - Apparently, we’re supposed to think Fitz and Rowan fixed the situation by killing two members of a large organization that, according to Samantha, had a massive infrastructure. We still don’t know anything about this organization or their aims, but there will definitely be two people to replace Paeus and Samantha at some point.
- David straight up hit a woman this episode. All the white hats are gone.
- Olivia is so out of the loop this season. Fitz and Rowan’s plan seemed so obvious, I thought she knew about it. It seems like she was genuinely surprised. She didn’t realize Paeus, a person she saw kill multiple people, would detonate a bomb? What’s wrong with your gut, Liv?
- Fitz pretty much went to Rowan and was like, “Hey, protect the Republic, isn’t that your thing??” like Fitz didn’t destroy B613––the thing that was created to protect the Republic. I can’t believe I miss them, but if all we had to do was kill Paeus and Ruland, they could’ve handled this months ago.
- So, we can finally agree that Fitz is the worst fictional president ever, right? I hope he’s only remembered by these attacks and his sex scandal.
- Olivia’s speech to Mellie was so corny. No one wanted Mellie to be president. The American people literally did not vote for her. This has nothing to do with people turning her into an empty leader––she never should’ve been in charge. The entire speech was just desperate to be relevant and ignored the truth of the situation.
- At least this episode feels like the season finally picking up pace. Sadly, it feels a little too late. I can see the show crashing into the finale with abandon.
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