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Image courtesy of www.dippedincream.com |
The second episode of season three’s Scandal throws viewers right into the deep end of flashbacks. Ever so well done and crafty, these trips into the past manage to shed light on vital backstory details about our beloved Olivia Pope. For this particular journey we go back five years to see the first man in Olivia’s life—her father, Eli Pope. We know Eli as a ruthless commander of B613, an elite, covert group of trained assassins that “act as the CIA on US soil.” But in this particular flashback we see his softer side. He’s portrayed as a concerned father desperate to rebuild the fractured relationship he has with his daughter.
Eli and Olivia sit across from each other at their rather forced Sunday Dinners—Eli lets us know that he was “grieving” the loss of his wife and regrets sending her to boarding school when she was 12. A younger (bang wearing) Olivia, totally over the idea of building a relationship with him, coldly stares back. After another desperate plea from Eli, Olivia finally offers up a bit of small talk in an effort to reconnect with her dad. This fuels Eli and as their Sunday Dinners continue; he educates her on wine choices and proves to be a listening ear for her concerns about a homeless Huck who lives in the subway station.
But after some time, Eli’s true nature is revealed. He is a monster—someone willing to do whatever it takes to keep the country runny smoothly. He’s Cyrus on steroids—darker and more insidious. At what can be considered their last Sunday dinner, Eli lashes out after Olivia’s incessant questioning: “You do not ask questions that you cannot handle the answer to,” he tells her as she stares back in horror. Eli comes off as a bully, myopically blazing toward his goal. He’s the Boogie Man—able to reduce an adult Olivia down to that same 12 year-old he shipped away. No one refuses orders from him; he answers to no one, not even the President of the United States. He’s a dog off its leash—hungry, smart and willing to sacrifice anyone for the greater good of the country. But what’s most interesting about this episode is that Olivia is more like Eli than she thinks.
Present-day Olivia is attacking the White House after it accuses “an innocent kid” of having an affair with the President. Desperate to set things right, Olivia is willing to do whatever it takes to clear Jeannine Locke’s name. Meanwhile, she’s also worried that Jake Ballard is dead, obsessively showing up to the morgue at all hours of the night in search of his body. She wears the White Hat with confidence as tries to fix multiple situations but upon further inspection, we can see she’s willing to do anything to achieve her goal—just like her father. As time winds down and her options begin to dwindle, we see a frustrated Olivia yell at Fitz, commanding him to use his power in addition to putting Sunday dinners back on the table with her father in order to help her free Jake and Jeannine. We watch, breath abated, as she scrambles for ideas, pulling favors like threads on ratty pieces of cloth. She’s a fighter: relentless and commanding. Her confidence is palpable and her fiery desire to do the right thing is so bright, it blinds everyone around her.
Of course we love Olivia and her ability to remedy any situation with her quick mind and rapid-fire dialogue, but we must pause and take note of the lengths she’s willing to go to in order to make things right. It’s clear that Eli has crossed over to the dark side. He’s comfortable with his position in life, his power and the desire to maintain order. He doesn’t wear the White Hat—he’s beyond saving at this point. On the other hand, Olivia still manages to desperately hold on to what little morality she has left while making power moves that rival Eli himself. He may be fighting for a darker cause but they both speed towards their goals with a streamlined focus that brings chills.
What Scandal has taught us so far is that everyone is willing to do whatever it takes to get what they want—that there is no good or bad, that everyone operates in a moral gray area that allows for authentic representations of human nature. Eli and Olivia’s relationship is more than Daddy Dearest—it’s an illustration of familial similarities that she may be unwilling to own up to. We know she’s aware of her questionable decisions as she tells Jeannine that lies will tear the soul apart but we also know she would never admit to being like her dad. Perhaps she should show a morsel of compassion to that which she doesn’t want to become—not out of weakness but out of respect. While she may wear the White Hat and Eli does not—after this second episode, we know that she is her father’s daughter, whether she likes it or not.
Scandal is a complex, multidimensional show that moves beyond trite storylines to provide television with a fresh take. It prohibits us from choosing sides; those who seem good aren’t and those who seem bad may have some good. Aren’t we all like this in some way? This is why I adore Shonda Rhimes’ projects—they have depth, meaning and the ability to keep us mentally engaged long after the show airs. Here’s to another night of Scandal!
