Scandal Round Table: "Spies Like Us"

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Lies and spies! Scandal's latest episode featured them both in spades, as "Spies Like Us" focused on Olivia saving a team of former CIA operatives from one of its own.

Join the TV Fanatic Round Table - staff writers Carla Day, Leigh Raines, Jim Garner and Miranda Wicker, along with Emily from ABC Scandal Fans - as we discuss the most recent developments from this fun ABC series. Pull up a virtual chair and chime in yourself below...

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What was your favorite scene from "Spies Like Us?"
Carla: When Olivia dropped her strong facade and jumped into Edison's arms. She needs to let people in and stop trying to be there for everyone else by not accepting help and love herself.

Leigh: When Quinn dropped her coffee cup and we saw the Reservoir Dogs-style standoff. Insane!!

Jim: Watching Harrison "Balls of Steel" Wright confront six former assassins and actually get them to lower their weapons. I would be shaking afterwards, too!

Miranda: Harrison getting the spies to lower their weapons was awesome. And Harrison's mannerisms as he backed out of the room were slightly comical. He was just all "okay then...carry on..." and then his shaking hands? Yeah, Harrison's scene.

Emily: I’ve got to go with the scene with Harrison and Olivia (Livisson). I hoped that Harrison would assume the confidante role with Olivia and he definitely stepped into that spot in this scene! In Scanal season 1, Stephen was the one who seemed to keep Liv grounded, the one who intuitively knew when she needed reeling in or when she needed help even if she wouldn’t ask for it. The emotion between Harrison and Liv in this scene was amazing!  Even when she’s still trying to protect everyone from knowing too much by getting involved, Harrison really proved himself by stepping up.


Do you think Harrison will stay as loyal to Olivia as he was in this episode?
Carla: Yes. At least at this point, there's no reason not to believe it.

Leigh: Yes. I think it rattles him a little at times, but as he said he's not her work, he's her friend.

Jim: He's never shown any sign otherwise. From the moment he met Quinn in the bar, he has been 100% about Olivia's cause.

Miranda: I'll be the dissenting voice and say that while Harrison will probably always be Team Olivia, I saw hints of him questioning himself for hurting Abby so she'd break up with David. I think questioning himself could lead to him questioning Olivia and his loyalty to her cause.

Emily: Yes, I do! He’s her Gladiator in a Suit. All season, no matter what the others have said or accused her of, Harrison has come to her defense. It must have been painful for him to betray Abby like he did – one of his best friends – but he did it because Olivia said it needed to happen and he trusts her. He confirmed it with his speech to Quinn in episode 4.

Did you have any sympathy for Huck and the spies from B-613?
Carla: Yes, they were used by the government and turned into killing machines. At the same time, they all seem to have adjusted to a normal life except Huck. Perhaps, he needs to move on and enjoy life outside of the cruel gladiator world to truly be free and happy.

Leigh: Yes. They were products of intense government mind training. They were essentially brainwashed. Most of them have tried to have normal lives. Charlie skeeves me out tho.

Jim: Being former military I do. The training sticks with you. I can't imagine what Huck must go through to try and shut it out.

Miranda: I loved every bit of Huck's speech about wanting normal and not knowing exactly what normal was but knowing that if they killed the mole, they jeopardized finding normal. And then my heart broke as he just sat there while the other spies cleaned up. So yeah, I was sympathetic.

Emily: Absolutely. I think Carla, Jim and Leigh said it all!

Will James stay away from Hollis, or do you think he'll smell a rat and follow the trail?
Carla: Hmm ... interesting question. Not sure. He seemed to fall right into Cyrus's trap to drop the issue. But, if something comes up in the future, he'll be all over it.

Leigh: I think James will stay away for now.

Jim: I think Cyrus played him exactly like he needed to. His new ordering or telling James to stop would only make him try harder. But make it look like he wants to to continue, even if it cost him his job? He knew James would back off.

Miranda: I think James is nowhere near done with following this story. If anything, I think Cyrus asking him to stop will spark him to investigate more, only obviously without Cyrus knowing about it.

Emily: I definitely think James will continue to follow this story.  He may take a more indirect approach and fly under the radar for a bit, but I definitely don’t think Cyrus got to him with that story in the Oval Office. I think James knew he was being played a bit. Think back to “The Trail” in season 1 when James was in the press corps and Cyrus through him off the bus for writing about the alleged affair Mellie was having! James has more backbone than that!

With all the destruction Olivia has caused, does she deserve to be happy?
Carla: Not sure. I agree that she's caused destruction. Is she the cause? Or, is she a victim? You could say she that she's a protector. For example, she may have lied to break up Abby and David, but she did it to save their lives. If they continued on the path they were on, they would have been killed. Regardless of her methods, she deserves to be happy.

Leigh: Yes. However, she indulges in certain situations that aren't right and there are consequences for that.

Jim: Olivia still wears the white hat. It might be tinged with grey here and there, but all her actions are for the best. Even breaking up David and Abby was to save their lives. So she could use a little happiness.

Miranda: I definitely think she deserves a little happiness in her life. I think her actions are for the greater good and we just don't know what that greater good is yet.

Emily: Olivia definitely deserves to be happy. Even though a lot of the "destruction" she has caused has hurt people, especially those she is close to, I believe that once everything comes out we’ll understand why she did what she did. Like Olivia told Cyrus in regard to James’ article about Hollis: “In the long run it saves his life. You do what needs to be done no matter what.”

Miranda Wicker was a Staff Writer for TV Fanatic. She retired in 2017. Follow her on Twitter.

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Scandal Season 2 Episode 6 Quotes

Huck: We are in my wheelhouse now...I'm supposed to be a ghost. If my name, and not my real name, but Huck, my name, the alias that goes with this life at Pope and Associates, if my name is on a list, it's time to disappear. So I can't stop.
Pope: Crosby sent the list to me, the check is in my name, too, so whatever this is, whatever I'm supposed to protect you against, that's in my wheelhouse, and we can fix this.

Abby: Huck was a trained killer spy.
Harrison: I don't think 'was' enters into it. Once a killer spy, always a killer spy, right?