Scandal (TV Series) A Criminal, a Whore, an Idiot and a Liar (2013) User Reviews

Scandal - A Criminal, a Whore, an Idiot, and a Liar

[Scarecrow-88 · 8/10 · 10 February 2015]

President Grant must prove to the Vice President (Acting President) and the nation that he is still capable of serving the country. Because his wife forged his signature, he must endure a press conference and military meeting on a specific agenda involving a Seal insurgence and removal of an Osama Bin Laden type of terrorist leader. Despite doing all this when he should be recuperating from a gunshot to his head, Fitz is successful proving to Olivia, Cyrus, the Vice President, and many of his critics (including Senator Davis) that is still able to fulfill his duties as the President. It is an amazing feat for him and is proof positive that his integrity is substantial. The episode "A Criminal, a Whore, an Idiot, and a Liar" alternates between the President's current situation and on the campaign trail as he approached the Presidency of the Unites States. Trailing in the polls, it is recommended that Fitz utilize his multi-termed politician father's "clout" to get an edge over his opponent, even though doing so invites a lot of negative energy and animosity. Barry Bostwick guest stars as Fitz' loud, abrasive, opinionated, pushy, and egocentric father, Jerry. While Jerry believes the way to run the campaign is to dig up dirt on the opposing candidate, Fitz is against it…a clean campaign has been Fitz' goal. When some dirt is found, Fitz doesn't use it in a debate and does so well without doing it that if he had just "been himself and addressed the American people as he should have" then perhaps the current polls would be different. Also a major story is the Doyle poll rigging crime that won Fitz the election (against his knowledge) and Olivia's moral/ethical turmoil over either agreeing to it or allowing her candidate to possibly lose. The whole debate between Cyrus and Olivia is that if they allow Fitz to lose, America loses a great President…the President we see in present time. Do you commit fraud in order to see that America receives "the right President"? It was a decision that has always haunted Olivia although Fitz is the correct man for the job. Meanwhile, Fitz has asked from a divorce from Mellie and Davis asks Olivia to marry him after he's realized (although he doesn't know how right he actually was) that accusing her of an affair with the President was wrong. Will she agree? That is an obvious no, but at the time it must have left the audience kind of stunned. The show moves at a breathless clip and really focusing completely almost on the President was a wise move to show the kind of man he really is and why he was a great choice to be Commander in Chief. However, the polling rigging leaves the kind of bad taste it should. Bostwick really gets under the skin as a father who doesn't believe in his son and is vocally ugly about doing the wrong thing to win elections. Even worse is Jerry telling his son that he is a loser. Fitz is obviously anything but even if his election was rigged. Kate Burton has a wonderful scene when her Vice President brings the document in to the President of his reinstatement recognizing the difficulty of the job and his deserved right to be Commander in Chief.