Scandal Round Table: The Race Is On!

at .

We're headed back to the campaign trail after Scandal Season 5 Episode 11 with Olivia Pope, Cyrus Beene, and a David Rosen/LizWhatsherface pairing all vying to pick the next President.

Your time is up, Fitz. 

TV Fanatic staff writers Whitney Evans, Christine Orlando, and Jim Garner join forces to share their thoughts about where we're headed in Scandal Season 5. (If you're behind, go watch Scandal online to get caught up!)

What was your favorite quote or scene from "The Candidate?"

Whitney: Tipsy Olivia finally admitting what we've known all along; Olivia liked being with Fitz because she never had to fully commit to him. Not exactly a shocking revelation, but it was nice to hear it said out loud. And even nicer to hear her say it to Mellie while the two were boozing on the floor.

Christine: Definitely Liv and Mellie getting drunk and trying to figure out why each of them stayed with Fitz. If found it funniest when Olivia said that Meliie had been mean. Of course she was mean! Olivia was sleeping with her husband of 20 some years. Mellie had every right to be mean!

Jim: I agree with Whitney and Christine, Liv and Mellie are a force to be reckoned with and them finding common ground and working out some of their issues over moonshine was an incredible scene.  

Olivia and Jake are hooking up. A lot. React:

Whitney: Ugh was my exact thought. Olivia and Jake are a major snoozefest at this point and I don't get why the writers keep going back to it.

Christine: It’s like Olivia just jumps back and forth between these two men. If she can’t have Fitz, then Jake is her consolation prize. It’s like Jake has resigned himself to being nothing more than Olivia’s boy toy. The sex may be great but they both looked unhappy with one another most of the time and what fun is that?

Jim: Ugghhhh, again? Sorry but there "hookup" just felt overly long, and pandering to the audience who wants to see them together. The fact they barely speak and she won't even give him a drink of her water just show how absolutely F@@ked up the whole relationship really is.  

Who will make the best President: Olivia, Cyrus, or David and Liz?

Whitney: That's a tough call, but I wouldn't bet against Cyrus. He knows what it takes to make a President and we've seen time and time again there's pretty much nothing he won't do to get what he wants.

Christine: Do you mean “be” President or “make a” President? Either way it’s a tie between Olivia and Cyrus. I think Cyrus edges Olivia out. Like Whitney said, Cyrus will do whatever it takes to get what he wants and make things happen. His biggest liability is his heart giving out due to the stress.

Jim: I agree with Christine that it will come down between Olivia and Cyrus. However, I'm giving the edge to Olivia because Cyrus will do anything (legal or illegal), everyone else will be on guard for it now, while Olivia has learned how to work the system to her advantage.  

Speaking of David and Liz and Susan, which is the least weird pairing and why?

Whitney: David and Liz are just wrong, wrong, wrong on so many levels. I think I'm the rare person who actually thinks David and Susan could be good together. Sure Susan is awkward as anything, but I think David brings out a nice side of her and their Gettysburger date showed that once she can get past the giddiness and just relax with David, they have a nice rapport. 

Christine: Agreed. David and Liz skeeve me out and the pairing makes me think less of David. I still think that Davie and Abby are end game but I like David and Susan together a lot more than I thought I would. 

Jim: Again, we all agree. Liz and David just gives me the creeps now. When David got on the floor of his office, I was staring at the TV like "WTF?!?!" I don't know if Susan and David will make it, but it would be pretty awesome if they did.  

Can we talk for a minute about Olivia's new wardrobe?

Whitney: Olivia looked beautiful, as always, but the red really brings out something different in her. I hope they expand her wardrobe even further. It'd be nice to see her spice it up every once in awhile.

Christine: Loved the red! She usually wears white or white and black which gets boring. It’s great to see her in something else and I really want that red coat.

Jim: I am liking the less monochromatic look of her wardrobe. I hope they continue to expand into the reds, it looks good on her.

What are your predictions for the second part of Scandal Season 5?

Whitney: Fitz and Olivia will find their way back to each other because that happens every season. I also think someone is going to bite the bullet and my money is on Jake.

Christine: Rowan and Jake have taken a whole new level of control which is intriguing. Now Jake is the man on the inside and Fitz won’t even take Olivia's phone calls. I’m assuming Olivia and Fitz will make very slow inroads back to one another but I don’t expect to see any big changes in their relationship until the season finale. I'm also looking forward to Mellie and Olivia working together.

Jim: Christine pretty much nailed on the thoughts I had, so I'm going with "Ditto!" hehehe. 

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

Show Comments
Tags: ,

Scandal Season 5 Episode 11 Quotes

I was devastated when I found out Fitz was having an affair with you. I fell into a deep depression and the only thing that got me through was thinking that you were just a phase. Fitz and I, we could survive a phase. So I stayed.

Mellie [to Olivia]

Mellie: You really can compartmentalize like nobody's business.
Olivia: You asked for Olivia Pope. You got Olivia Pope.