Trigger Warning(s): Murder depiction
The meat of this episode deals with Olivia trying to figure out who her mother really was in a world where she can't get answers because her clearance doesn't touch that high. But damn if she doesn't try. She has Abby use David's affections to get enough information to know Marie was an alias for a world traveling spy, and sadly that is the only thing she really knows as fact. Everything else, like whether there was a real bomb on the plane Marie was taken off, though seemingly there wasn't based off a head nod from Eli; if Eli was trying to protect her, or save face, by hiding her for 22 years, and many other questions remained unanswered. However, though Eli is keeping his lips tight, Marie is alive and well and may perhaps give some, even measly, answers to her daughter who so craves them. Leading me to wonder, if Marie scammed Eli and was an unaffiliated spy for a living, could she possibly be playing Olivia too, much less may continue playing her?
That aside, there is a need to address the cliff-hanger of the last episode in which we saw Daniel dead and Sally saying she commit a sin. What we learn is that Sally did indeed kill her husband. She says the devil took hold, though likely she will say in the future she was doing god's work. The reason I say this is because, as serious as she is about her faith, something about her portrayal in this episode seemed almost strange. In a way, religion plays a strong theme amongst the episode as Cyrus begins to see himself as a demonic figure; and there are mentions of cutting the head off a snake, referencing Eli losing his job at B6- 13; and other little notes here and there. Focusing back on Sally however, she has killed her husband and went to Cyrus, of all people, to clean it up. So, he says he will handle her sin and uses Charlie and Quinn to clean up the mess, effectively giving Cyrus leeway over Sally.
The strange thing is though, Mellie is the one to really push the idea that they have Sally, if not Sally's soul the way she talks, and that now Sally is stuck with their family. Now, we know Mellie has been through a lot on the way to becoming first lady, but to watch her be filled with glee knowing Daniel is dead, before knowing of the murder, and then how she treats Sally after learning Sally killed him, just seemed so twisted to me. I mean, just when you get some type of reason to feel for the character, then this gets pulled out.
But while Mellie continues to show she is a lost cause, there is a need to wonder if Quinn is as well. In the episode, it seems Quinn is walking that thin line trying to decide where she belongs. Her life with Olivia and the Gladiators had become the new normal for her, but now her world is changing again. Charlie has essentially become all she ever wanted Huck to be for her. Maybe not a romantic figure in her life, but being that he saved her, and taught her everything she knows, all she wanted was to try to repay him, make him proud, and all she really got was silence. But, with Huck seeing her as the Judas, to Olivia being Jesus and the gladiators the apostles, he casts her out and sends her packing back to Charlie, but there lies an issue.
As quickly noted, Eli lost his job at B6-13 which leads us to wonder what will happen to Charlie and Quinn? While Eli is still a powerful man, he has lost his position and some of his resources. However, take note that Olivia got her sense of vengeance and stubbornness from this man. So while the president may have kidnapped him, released him, and given Jake his job and his wife, or ex-wife, may have made a fool of him twice, this is still the man who was the puppet master for decades. Much less, you have to wonder where do his assassins' loyalties lie? Do they with B6-13, or with Eli? After all, just his voice can trigger them doing his will, and Jake is appointed by the president, making B6-13 under his rule, but perhaps not his orders.
All this, to me, makes the episode overall again one of those Scandal type episodes which for as many questions answered, we get twice as many questions in return. Perhaps though, this episode had one of the biggest shakes in the show's foundation in a while. We have Quinn kicked out; Eli kicked out of his job; Marie somewhere in DC; and Sally who seems like she is lost between keeping her mouth shut and screaming to the world. Either way, I can't wait for the show to return in the spring.
The meat of this episode deals with Olivia trying to figure out who her mother really was in a world where she can't get answers because her clearance doesn't touch that high. But damn if she doesn't try. She has Abby use David's affections to get enough information to know Marie was an alias for a world traveling spy, and sadly that is the only thing she really knows as fact. Everything else, like whether there was a real bomb on the plane Marie was taken off, though seemingly there wasn't based off a head nod from Eli; if Eli was trying to protect her, or save face, by hiding her for 22 years, and many other questions remained unanswered. However, though Eli is keeping his lips tight, Marie is alive and well and may perhaps give some, even measly, answers to her daughter who so craves them. Leading me to wonder, if Marie scammed Eli and was an unaffiliated spy for a living, could she possibly be playing Olivia too, much less may continue playing her?
That aside, there is a need to address the cliff-hanger of the last episode in which we saw Daniel dead and Sally saying she commit a sin. What we learn is that Sally did indeed kill her husband. She says the devil took hold, though likely she will say in the future she was doing god's work. The reason I say this is because, as serious as she is about her faith, something about her portrayal in this episode seemed almost strange. In a way, religion plays a strong theme amongst the episode as Cyrus begins to see himself as a demonic figure; and there are mentions of cutting the head off a snake, referencing Eli losing his job at B6- 13; and other little notes here and there. Focusing back on Sally however, she has killed her husband and went to Cyrus, of all people, to clean it up. So, he says he will handle her sin and uses Charlie and Quinn to clean up the mess, effectively giving Cyrus leeway over Sally.
The strange thing is though, Mellie is the one to really push the idea that they have Sally, if not Sally's soul the way she talks, and that now Sally is stuck with their family. Now, we know Mellie has been through a lot on the way to becoming first lady, but to watch her be filled with glee knowing Daniel is dead, before knowing of the murder, and then how she treats Sally after learning Sally killed him, just seemed so twisted to me. I mean, just when you get some type of reason to feel for the character, then this gets pulled out.
But while Mellie continues to show she is a lost cause, there is a need to wonder if Quinn is as well. In the episode, it seems Quinn is walking that thin line trying to decide where she belongs. Her life with Olivia and the Gladiators had become the new normal for her, but now her world is changing again. Charlie has essentially become all she ever wanted Huck to be for her. Maybe not a romantic figure in her life, but being that he saved her, and taught her everything she knows, all she wanted was to try to repay him, make him proud, and all she really got was silence. But, with Huck seeing her as the Judas, to Olivia being Jesus and the gladiators the apostles, he casts her out and sends her packing back to Charlie, but there lies an issue.
As quickly noted, Eli lost his job at B6-13 which leads us to wonder what will happen to Charlie and Quinn? While Eli is still a powerful man, he has lost his position and some of his resources. However, take note that Olivia got her sense of vengeance and stubbornness from this man. So while the president may have kidnapped him, released him, and given Jake his job and his wife, or ex-wife, may have made a fool of him twice, this is still the man who was the puppet master for decades. Much less, you have to wonder where do his assassins' loyalties lie? Do they with B6-13, or with Eli? After all, just his voice can trigger them doing his will, and Jake is appointed by the president, making B6-13 under his rule, but perhaps not his orders.
All this, to me, makes the episode overall again one of those Scandal type episodes which for as many questions answered, we get twice as many questions in return. Perhaps though, this episode had one of the biggest shakes in the show's foundation in a while. We have Quinn kicked out; Eli kicked out of his job; Marie somewhere in DC; and Sally who seems like she is lost between keeping her mouth shut and screaming to the world. Either way, I can't wait for the show to return in the spring.
