LITTLE FIRES EVERYWHERE Burns Bright

Article first published as TV Review: LITTLE FIRES EVERYWHERE on Seat42F.

Hulu recently premiered LITTLE FIRES EVERYWHERE, a mini-series adaptation of the novel of the same name from Celeste Ng. It’s the story of two families in Shaker Heights, Ohio in the 1990s. One is comfortably upper middle-class, husband and wife with four kids. The other is a single mom and her teenage daughter, sometimes homeless, always on the move, who blow into town. One kid from the first family is a misfit, and the single mother might be, too. Their worlds collide in interesting fashion. And, of course, there’s fire and destruction, as the opening scene promises.

The cast is led by Reese Witherspoon (The Morning Show) as Elena Richardson and Kerry Washington (Scandal) as Mia Warren, both of whom are producers on the project, as well. Both of these actresses are accomplished, and both are playing characters in their wheelhouses. As such, this seems like a strong duo to put out in front of the series.

Elena is a character study of a familiar archetype. She’s definitely racist and patronizing. She sees the world as one way and wants everyone to conform to it. Her good heart, wanting to help those she thinks need it, is commendable, but doesn’t excuse the glaring flaws, except maybe in her husband (Joshua Jackson, The Affair) and peers’ eyes. Yes, Elena’s attitude was a more common one at the time this story is set, but is a character everyone will recognize, and there is definitely a new version of the personality today. The attitudes haven’t gone away. It’s good the story doesn’t try to excuse her behavior, but instead paints a full picture of the woman.

Mia is not quite as glaringly familiar, but still relatable. She is warm and loving and protective of her daughter, wanting her to succeed. But she has flaws, too, being defensive and flighty, not always opening up with her daughter, and dragging her around without warning, frequently upending her life. Having these elements to her keeps the audience from needing to side with either Elena or Mia when they’re at odds. Usually Elena is obviously on the wrong side of those disagreements, but we get to see a more complex dynamic than we might have in a lesser show.

LITTLE FIRES EVERYWHERE doesn’t seem to be trying to pass judgment or send a message about Mia or Elena. It’s just showing fully formed individuals whose orbits happen to intersect by circumstance. It’s kind of nice there’s no bigger message here, even though I generally like when there is. Their actions will let the audience judge them without any assistance needed from the show.

The two women are at the center of the piece, but they aren’t the whole thing, with Elena’s son, Moody (Gavin Lewis, Prince of Peoria), daughter Izzy (Megan Stott, So Shook), and Mia’s daughter Pearl (Lexi Underwood, If Not Now, When?) taking a large chunk of screen time, too. For Moody and Pearl, it’s a sweet, innocent connection between two kindred spirits, and maybe even the development of romance. (I won’t spoil anything, but if the series follows the book, it won’t be so straight-forward.) For Izzy, though, it’s an isolated cry for help, rebelling against a family and school she doesn’t fit into, and a dark turn.

The child actors are good. If anything, we don’t get enough of Izzy in the pilot to really figure out what her deal is. But there’s plenty of time with Moody and Pearl to see a dynamic develop. I wonder if the other two Richardson kids will be further explored as the episodes unfold, or if the action will mostly be confined to these three. Either is a valid choice, but it does seem a little strange to have two ‘extraneous’ siblings hanging around.

LITTLE FIRES EVERYWHERE is set in a specific time and place, and there’s plenty done to show that. From the fashion to Janet Reno references to the bulky car phone, to the teenagers lacking cell phones and being excited about bicycles and abandoned vans, it feels very 90s. And yet, there’s a quality to the characters that doesn’t feel dated. Perhaps because the decade was so recent, add a little technology and they could still fit in to today’s world.

In general, I enjoyed the first episode of LITTLE FIRES EVERYWHERE, and will probably watch more. Catch the series, currently airing new episodes on Hulu.

CONFIRMATION Of Belief

Article first published as Blu-ray Review: 'Confirmation' on Blogcritics.

HBO’s recent television movie, Confirmation, will be available on Blu-ray and DVD August 2nd, and has already been released for digital download and streaming. It’s the story of Anita Hill accusing Clarence Thomas of sexual harassment during his Supreme Court nomination hearing in 1991. Or, it tells a relatively one-sided, focused version of a small part of the story with a clear message and point that the film’s producers are trying to get across.

That may sound like a condemnation of the movie, but it is not. I merely want to state what this is before moving forward to talk about it. It is completely fair for someone to make a movie with a specific purpose in mind; many movies fall into that category. What is unusual is for a piece like this to come out when public opinion is still divided, at a time when our country has rarely been more partisan, with racism having been brought back to the forefront yet again, and many of the players involved are still in positions of power. Confirmation itself is a narrow story, but the issues it brings up are many, varied, and still very relevant.

Played by Scandal‘s Kerry Washington, Anita Hill is a sympathetic woman who did what she had to do in order to pursue a career in her chosen field, but who also has strong principles she cannot ignore when this man she was harassed by is given the chance to join the highest court in the land. She takes a little urging to come forward, but she refuses to lie even before that, and she does believe Clarence Thomas (Wendell Pierce, Treme, The Odd Couple) doesn’t deserve a job on the Supreme Court and should be stopped.

Despite it being clear where the writers think the truth lies, Confirmation does a pretty decent job of showing the different viewpoints various individuals involved have, providing a more complex story than the above description indicates. There are the female staffers like Ricki Seidman (Grace Gummer, Mr. Robot, The Newsroom) and Carolyn Hart (Zoe Lister-Jones, Life in Pieces) who are frustrated at the limitations their bosses follow. There are the white men on the judiciary committee like Joe Biden (Greg Kinnear, Little Miss Sunshine), Ted Kennedy (Treat Williams, Chicago Fire), Jack Danforth (Bill Irwin,Interstellar), Orrin Hatch (Dylan Baker, The Good Wife), and Alan Simpson (Peter McRobbie, Lincoln) whose own actions and political positions color how they see the situation, and whose race and class makes it hard for them to fully understand all sides. We see Thomas’ wife, Ginni (Alison Wright, The Americans), and how she believes what she has to. And there are others, played by the likes of Eric Stonestreet (Modern Family), Jeffrey Wright (Boardwalk Empire), Malcolm Gets (Caroline in the City), Erika Christensen (Parenthood), Kimberly Elise (Close to Home), and Jennifer Hudson (Dreamgirls) that each bring a little something to add to the overall picture, too.

So while the movie itself is, at its core, quite biased, because of a very strong cast and good writing, the characters make the world seem more complex. It isn’t quite as straight forward as it might be. Add to that a very strong message of gender equality, how the race card can be misused, good historical context, and an empowered hero, and the result is something that, while not the most entertaining film made by this network, feels important and engaging. Because of what this movie says about our society, past and present, it is worthy of our attention.

The extras are sadly few and shallow. There are one-minute interviews with Kerry Washington and Wendell Pierce, and a thirteen-minute series of quick bios about each of the major players. That’s it. I really wish some documentary-style featurette were present to talk about the real events and the consequences of them, but that is left to a sequence in the end credits that, while satisfying for the viewing of the feature, is disappointing in fully fleshing out what Confirmation is. What’s missing most is a discussion about the angle that the movie takes and why that choice was made, as well as why other directions were not gone in.

Still, it’s a good film, so check it out. Confirmation can be bought digitally now, and will be out on disc on August 2nd.

"The Price" of Great SCANDAL

Article first published as TV Review: 'Scandal' - 'The Price of Free and Fair Elections' on Blogcritics.

ABC’s Scandal is a fast-paced thrill ride in the political world, but even compared to itself, its recent season finale, “The Price of Free and Fair Elections,” is bonkers. Perhaps the writers are rushed, ending the season earlier due to their leading lady’s pregnancy, or maybe they are just obsessed with topping December’s excellent mid-season ender. Whatever the reason, this hour is one to remember.

The framework of the story is set around election week. There are only days to go before the public votes on whether to keep Fitzgerald Grant (Tony Goldwyn) in the Oval Office. At the start of this episode, he’s ahead in the race. Then tragedy strikes and Vice President Sally Langston (Kate Burton) surges in the polls. Then another tragedy his and Grant wins. Viewers are left guessing right up until the end if there’s another twist around the corner. Scandal might have a tough time continuing as it is without a Grant presidency, but it seems like the type of series that might take that chance.

One wonders if Scandal is so cynical to believe that this is how politics work, or if it’s just trying to be the most soapy, angsty-filled drama on television. Surely creator Shonda Rhimes isn’t accusing our sitting leaders of election stealing and murder at their own hands. But there’s a point made here that this is how the system is set up. This is a dreary world, indeed, if what Scandal portrays is the only way national government can function.

Most shocking in this mess, is the action (or rather the inaction) of Cyrus Beene (Jeff Perry). He’s been through a lot, his husband having been recently murdered and all, but even so, it’s surprising to watch him willing to let innocents die. It’s one thing (albeit one terrible thing) to allow a political rival and betrayer like Sally stay in harm’s way to ensure Grant will win the election. It’s quite another when there are bystanders in the line of fire. Cyrus knows this, but he doesn’t warn anyone. This is a harder, colder Cyrus then we’ve seen before. Without his love for James, is there nothing likeable left in the man?

Grant, on the other hand, has never been more sympathetic. Learning about his wife, Mellie’s (Bellamy Young), rape at the hands of his father, Grant stands by Mellie instead of following his heart to Olivia (Kerry Washington). Then, we watch as Grant loses his son, Jerry (Dylan Minnette), to poison. Finally, at his lowest point, Grant reaches out to the woman he loves for comfort, and Olivia ignores his call. Grant may still be president, but he is broken, and through no fault of his own. Grant isn’t perfect, far from it, but especially in “The Price of Free and Fair Elections,” he is a victim of circumstance.

Olivia, for her part, is justified in leaving. Her life sucks, serving Grant professionally, but unable to be with him. She’s right that so many bad things have happened in the past few years, even if blaming herself as the common factor doesn’t quite hold up. Of course she wants to get away from it all. And when a handsome man whom she’s slept with, Jake (Scott Foley), who has also done bad things but wants to start fresh and doesn’t care about Olivia’s baggage, why not let him come along? The two fly off into what could be a happy ending.

It won’t last, because Olivia, despite her best intentions, will never be happy to sit idly by on a beach. Nor will Jake, I imagine, given his most recent position as the head of the secret government organization that Olivia’s father, Rowan (Joe Morton), has been reinstated to and will likely kill Jake should the man come back to town, daughter’s happiness at stake or not. Not only will the couple soon be zooming home, but it’s hard to imagine they’ll stay together, Olivia never being able to get over Grant.

Did anyone else not see the turn coming that Rowan is the one who murdered Jerry? We know Rowan is evil; it’s necessary to do his job, and he’s never really pretended otherwise, though he has motivations for certain actions. But to kill a child just to get what he wants? A child who has done nothing to him? Ruining a family forever? That’s a whole new low, and it definitely begs for a schism in the repaired relationship between Olivia and Rowan. Olivia has to come back and dismantle B-613 all over again because it cannot be allowed to stand, with Rowan at the head or otherwise, as leadership for this organization is corrupting, as seen in Jake this year.

I’m sure Olivia’s organization will be glad to have Olivia back. Abby (Darby Stanchfield) can’t run things herself, and that’s the position she’s in. Harrison (Columbus Short) may very well be dead, at worst, and in B-613′s clutches, at best. Quinn (Katie Lowes) and Huck (Guillermo Diaz) are in the middle of their kinky, sick romance, so they won’t be of much use. That just leaves the redhead to handle things on her own, and she doesn’t seem quite up to the task.

What could happen, is that Abby puts her resources in the hands of boyfriend David Rosen (Joshua Malina) to help take down B-613, as Jake leaves Rosen some tools with which to do so. Again, I don’t think the two of them could accomplish this without Olivia’s brain- and will-power, but at least they could start. This is a hero’s journey, the knights off to slay the dragon, so it will be something to root for them on.

Rowan didn’t kill the mother of his daughter, Maya (Khandi Alexander), though he says he does. This is a good thing because she’s a terrific character and door remains open for her to return. But why does Rowan choose to let her live? She’s a terrorist and a woman that broke his heart. There’s definitely no going back for the couple, and she isn’t of much value alive. She doesn’t have lots of useful information, being out of the game for so long. She has murdered many. Rowan’s reasons for keeping her are unclear and puzzling.

“The Price of Freedom and Fair Elections” is a heck of a wild ride and that’s a good thing. A lot happens in the installment, but that’s how Scandal works best, rocketing along at top speed. Somehow, it manages to keep story and characters balanced while doing so, rarely knocking off anything and leaving it behind, and always going just slow enough to avoid missing its stops. I greatly look forward to see what Rhimes and company cook up for season four.

Scandal will return next fall on ABC.

The SCANDAL? "It's Handled"

Article first published as The SCANDAL? "It's Handled" on TheTVKing.

ABC's Scandal's season three premiere, "It's Handled," ranks among the top five episodes of this series so far, and that's saying something. It's an intense, twisty piece of drama, with some surprises, at least one big revelation that absolutely makes sense, and some wonderful extended, character-driven scenes. In short, it's everything you want from the show.

"It's Handled" picks up right where last spring's finale left off, with Olivia (Kerry Washington) on her way out of town, courtesy her estranged father, Rowan (Joe Morton, Eureka). Rowan has a plan: have Olivia lie low for eight months, then he'll set her up a new life anywhere in the world, other than D.C. Shocked and speechless, Olivia allows him to put her on a plane.

We know Olivia cannot leave, but it's Cyrus (Jeff Perry) of all people that talks her into staying with a quick phone call. These two have a strong, strange friendship. Sometimes, their purposes are at odds with one another, and that creates major conflict. But it's clear Cyrus still wants her around, even when she causes him a headache. He hasn't figured out how to deal with the fallout of Olivia being outed as Fitz's (Tony Goldwyn) mistress yet, but he insists that she remain in town, and then he'll formulate a plan.

It's very surprising that the help Cyrus gets to make said plan comes not only from Mellie (Bellamy Young), who has her reasons for not wanting the real story out there, but also from Olivia's own team. Harrison (Columbus Short), Abby (Darby Stanchfield), Huck (Guillermo Diaz), and Quinn (Katie Lowes) go into damage mode, considering Olivia as they would any client. Their solution is to throw the press onto some poor, innocent girl, leading them away from Olivia's scent, and Cyrus helps them put it in place.

The team isn't trying to act against Olivia's wishes. But her wishes are that they just stay out of it, as she says "It's Handled," and that is not in their nature. They can't sit idly by and let things happen, no more than can Cyrus, who first puts together a kill file on Olivia before embarking on this path. All of these people care about Olivia and are trying to protect her. Inadvertently, they do the opposite, screwing everything up. From her perspective, anyway, as her reputation and business may be the better for it.

You see, Olivia has a plan, and that's to come clean about her affair. She gets Fitz and Mellie in a room to talk about how to control the story, and plan on going with the truth. This is Mellie's nightmare, but she goes along with it to stall for time. Mellie worries that this story breaking is the first step towards Fitz and Olivia having a real, public relationship, and her being shoved out of the picture, which is exactly why Fitz is the one that leaks the affair in the first place; he wants to be with Olivia, not Mellie. Olivia's people sabotage this.

Is there a chance for Olivia and Fitz to ever be a full-fledged couple? Everyone around them seems to think that idea is crazy, as does Olivia. Yet, it's something that Fitz really, really wants, and I think she does, too, though she tries not to let herself. It could happen after he leaves office, but with a re-election campaign looming, that could be awhile and he's impatient. No one can have it all, though, not even the president, and this mess does not have a clear path through it.

I love Scandal because it creates these very complex situations with lots of moving parts, each affecting the others. Every character is operating through their own motivations and values, and those bump up against everyone else's, sometimes working together, and sometimes destroying. Somehow, the writers keep these all wonderfully balanced and juggled, providing a great big picture when one steps back.

Despite all this chaos, things will settle down soon enough, and the characters can move onto the next crisis. The only real fall-out I see caused by the events in "It's Handled" will come from V.P. Sally Langston (Kate Burton). Fitz and Sally have never gotten along, but they have a real, mostly honest conversation in this episode. Fitz apologizes for screwing up, and pledges to do the right thing. Sally believes him. Through it's not Fitz's fault that Cyrus, Mellie, and the gladiators screw up his plan, if he goes along with it, Sally will feel betrayed. And he has to go along with it to maintain his office.

What can Sally do? Might she campaign on the truth, using what Fitz tells her to try to beat him in the primary elections? That would make sense, and it seems like it would take a miracle to be able to combat that platform. Or, she could force Fitz to her will with the threat of such exposure, which she might do if she feels her goals are justified, even though that doesn't seem to be her style.

The scene between Sally and Fitz is a real, raw moment, a powerful bit for the series. As is the three-way meeting between Fitz, Mellie, and Olivia. And the moment in which David Rosen (Joshua Malina) comes to Olivia "as a friend" and seems to sincerely offer to help. It's all of these combined that ranks "It's Handled" among the best hours of television this week. Where will the story go next?

Scandal airs Thursdays at 10 p.m. ET on ABC.

SCANDAL Puts Its "White Hats Back On"

Article first published as SCANDAL Puts Its "White Hats Back On" on TheTVKing.

ABC's Scandal begins season two last fall with "White Hats Off" and ends it this week with "White Hats Back On." In between, we get a dark, twisted game of manipulation, struggles for power, torture, murder, and intrigue. The characters go to places lower than they consider possible before, and do things they will live to regret. It's a hell of a ride.

It's nice to see the "White Hats Back On" for Olivia (Kerry Washington) and crew. They've done enough, suffered more than their share. They need to refocus on a mission of helping people and making the world better, not participating in the kind of stuff they've been doing. Not if they want to hold their heads high and be proud of their work. Olivia's literal donning of a white hat late in the episode symbolizes this shift.

Olivia's turning point is motivated by selfish reasons. Going into the hour, she believes she can finally be with Fitz (Tony Goldwyn), coming up with a plan that will allow him to both stay in the White House and have her on his arm. It's smart, it's fairly simple, and it should be possible to enact it.

However, Cyrus (Jeff Perry) sabotages everything, not by ruining the plan directly but by poisoning the romance between Olivia and Fitz. Both have secrets to hide: Fitz murders Verna (Debra Mooney) and Olivia sleeps with Jake (Scott Foley). They, as a couple, could get past these latest setbacks when Cyrus tells each the hidden truth. But Olivia decides their relationship shouldn't be so hard, and calls it off.

Stepping back from the mess she's been embroiled in all season, stemming from the Defiance election rigging scandal, helps Olivia better live with herself. I do think she's sincere when she talks about how she's been bringing her team down, and wants to improve their situation. However, she wouldn't have the courage to do this just for their sake. It takes an epiphany, brought on by continued manipulation and rule-breaking, to change her mind.

The one person who may have a problem with Olivia's about-face is Harrison (Columbus Short). In her absence, he has often had to step up to fill the void. He isn't necessarily the de facto leader, and hasn't really served as replacement. But it's likely he thinks he has, based on the ego we've seen from him, and he may bristle against going back to being second banana.

Olivia's decision comes not a moment too soon for Quinn (Katie Lowes). The delight she takes in torturing Billy (Matt Letscher) is disturbing. Huck (Guillermo Diaz) is very worried about Quinn, but still dealing with his own failings and struggles, is not in a very good position to lend her a hand. Thus, Olivia coming back into the fold, concentrating on her own people, whom she has mostly stood apart from this season, could be just what Quinn needs. Maybe Olivia can salvage Quinn's soul, restore Huck, and do what she has done for her team before.

Which isn't to say that Scandal is now going to be "White Hate Backs On" all the time. That isn't the way this series works, and before this season finale comes to an end, a new problem rears its head: Olivia's affair with Fitz is outed. This takes her, and those connected with her, right back into the muck, and should provide an interesting conflict to begin season three on.

Who is responsible for outing Olivia? It's doubtful that Cyrus is behind it. He is so stressed with the White House politics that he has a heart attack, surprising only in that it doesn't happen before now. Cyrus fights to stop Olivia and Fitz's coupling, and telling the press about them will only drag the issue out, hurting Fitz's chances of  re-election. So he's likely innocent of this.

It could be James (Dan Bucatinsky), Cyrus's "better" half. The concern in James's eyes when he comes to Cyrus in the hospital bed is genuine, but he also still asks about Fitz's marriage, furthering his career as a reporter. James and Cyrus's marriage is rocky and fraught with complications, but there is love in there, which is why it's my favorite element of the series, tied with Cyrus and Olivia's friendship.

It would not be above James to hurt Cyrus's career for the sake of his own, as a journalist, but considering we don't see James finding out above Olivia yet, the exposure will probably come as a shock to him, too, throwing more flame to the fire fight in his union. Cyrus doesn't keep James in the loop, and James is just as likely to tell Cyrus before the rest of the press, to rub his snooping abilities in his husband's face, which is something that doesn't happen. It's probably not James.

Jake, who could be jealous of Olivia and Fitz, most likely isn't responsible, tossed in a pit and left to rot. I hope Olivia learns about Jake's fate, maybe through Huck, even though Huck wants to get away from that world, and saves him. With Fitz and Olivia on the outs, Olivia could use a new, steady love interested, and Jake has that potential.

It could be Mellie (Bellamy Young). Earlier in "White Hates Back On," Fitz makes it clear their marriage is over. This is before Olivia sends him right back to Mellie's arms. Mellie can be self-destructive, and thinking everything is ruined, she may have taken the nuclear option and leaked Olivia's name. Though that would work against her own professional goals, so while she is a serious possibility, I wouldn't rank her at the top of the list.

David Rosen (Joshua Malina) is also a suspect. He plays Olivia and the group to get back into his old position, with even more power. In doing so, it proves he is susceptible to the same game playing everyone else in the cast engages in, even though it's something he despises in them before. This could be a parting shot as David leaves the group, looking for some justice against Olivia. Though, David doesn't seem super vindictive, and may still harbor feelings for one of the gang, Abby (Darby Stanchfield), so like Mellie, while it could be him, he isn't my first choice.

No, the most likely culprit is Rowan (Joe Morton, Eureka). He is introduced recently, has tendrils in many places, is behind the locking up of Jake, and is shown to be plotting against Olivia. At first, it seems his scheme could be to kill her, as someone tries to shoot Olivia this week. However, now that we know, because of the shocking ending, that Rowan is Olivia's father, it is likely his techniques against her would be less lethal.

What is Rowan's goal? Why is he after Olivia? What does he want her to do? Would outing her help him accomplish this? There is still so much mystery surrounding who Rowan is and what his mission is that Scandal could go in any number of directions from here. This is a rich vein to tap.

Or it could be someone else, someone we may not even have met. Maybe it's a secret service agent with a beef against the president, or who considers themselves well versed in morality. Maybe it's a political rival. Maybe it's an old foe. Who knows?

This is a wonderful, exciting season finale, concluding some arcs, but also leaving the door wide open for any number of new stories. Scandal doesn't operate on a week-by-week basis, and in keeping with its serial nature, much is not wrapped up. Life goes on, and the past will continue to haunt the present.

Scandal, thankfully, has been renewed and will return to ABC next fall.

No one wins in a Scandal

Article first published as No one wins in a Scandal on TheTVKing.

I admit, I was growing tired of ABC's Scandal last fall. The case-of-the-week format was tedious, and the characters were growing less interesting to me by the minute. I had a hard time motivating myself to watch it.

Then came the voter rigging scandal arc. A vast conspiracy among many of the top people in the presidential administration, steeped in lots of cover up and mystery, information being leaked to us only in tiny bits. As the plot gets thicker and thicker, and the focus moves to the offenders, rather than Pope's team and their regular job, the series gets better and better.

All of this culminates in the most recent episode, "Nobody Likes Babies," as all of the truth is finally revealed, at least to certain parties, and the guilty have to face their sins. This episode is a lot about loss, and not just for those who deserve it. In a situation like this, there is plenty of collateral damage, and the fall out is devastating.

First, there's David Rosen (Joshua Molina). He loses everything: his career, his credibility in his field, a little bit of his sanity, and even the women he loves. Rosen may be a little more zealous than some would like, but his mission is justice, and he is trying to right a wrong. Yet, he makes the mistake of trusting the wrong people, something easily forgiven by viewers, but not by Rosen's peers. The lies of a few are enough to ruin him.

Will Rosen recover during the rest of the season? I hope so. He's a good man, and he deserves a break. Fans are often put in the position to root against him because Rosen's actions could hurt other main characters whom we adore. And yet, at this point, it's hard not to care about him, too. Knowing he is in the right only makes the situation more difficult.

Abby (Darby Stanchfield) loses Rosen. She learns that he really loves her, and while she wants to be with him, her loyalty to her colleagues wins out. Abby could be perfectly happy in a relationship with Rosen, but it would cost others she cares about dearly, and so she betrays him by stealing evidence, then denies it, though he sees through her.

Can Rosen ever forgive her? Abby only did what she thinks she has to to protect those she loves. Can't Rosen understand that? Even if she chooses Olivia (Kerry Washington) over him, Abby's feelings for Rosen are valid, too. If Rosen can find it in himself to take her back, it's likely this conflict of interest wouldn't come up again, and they would never have to be tested this way as a couple. The hard part is getting over this particular instance.

Quinn (Katie Lowes) loses her chance for revenge. She has the option to take out Hollis Doyle (Gregg Henry), but when Huck (Guillermo Diaz) makes her pick between her new life and her old, she chooses the new. After all, murdering Hollis won't undo what has been done to her, and she has come to rely on her current support system. It might feel good temporarily, but what Huck is trying to teach Quinn is that evil has great cost. I think she gets the message.

Huck should know. He has lost just about everything that he possible can. He struggles every day with who he is and what he has done. Huck doesn't suffer a particular loss in "Nobody Likes Babies," but he is far from making up for his past. He wants to spare Quinn the same price, and by doing so, he heals just a little piece of himself.

Olivia gives up the chance at a happy life as a senator's wife when she turns down Edison's (Norm Lewis) proposal. Edison doesn't understand why she would seek pain rather than serenity. Is it really love if it hurts? He has a point, and even though Olivia cannot stop herself, one has to wonder if it's worth it, even in that moment, before what comes after. Is she in a bad cycle she needs to break, or is there really a hope of something more if she can hold out just a little longer?

The best executed plot on this theme, though, belongs to Cyrus (Jeff Perry). He is faced with an impossible choice: his husband, James (Dan Bucatinsky), or his freedom and professional identity. There doesn't seem to be any clear way out for Cyrus, as he can't continue to lie to James and save his marriage, but telling the truth could land him in jail, disgraced.

Perry excels in several scenes, first with a raw confrontation, in wish the nakedness is emotional as well as physical, and then later, as he is forced to decide if he should order James's death to protect himself. Neither is easy, and I'm amazing at the way Perry plays it. Cyrus is a character who starts out as such a cut-and-dry cold SOB, but has quickly grown into a fully fleshed out, sympathetic man, warts and all.

In the end, Cyrus can't kill James. It's a good thing, as I don't think Cyrus would ever recover in the eyes of Scandal fans had James been shot. Somehow, though, I am surprised when Cyrus calls off the hit. I didn't expect to see the depth of his love for his husband, and all of the sudden, I am a huge fan of the actor and the character, much more so than previously, and that's saying something.


All of these situations make us questions ourselves. Everyone wants it all, but no one can have that. These are stories on a screen, to be sure, but the best such ones make us think. When there is no black and white right or wrong, it challenges our preconceived notions and ideals. "Nobody Likes Babies" does this as surely as considering the title of the episode does, over and over again throughout the hour.

One big shocker comes when we learn that Verna Thornton (Debra Mooney) is behind the attempt assassination of President Grant (Tony Goldwyn). Many, including the president himself, assume that the first lady, Mellie (Bellamy Young), is to blame. The evidence points to her, and she's heartless enough to do it. Verna is portrayed as being kind and compassionate.

However, the other thing to take into account is that Verna is dying. Arguments can be made whether her most recent missteps come from a place of guilt or a desire to protect herself. Is she ashamed? Is she arrogant? The fact that she calls Grant and Rosen to her death bed hint that she could be good, but the writing dances around motivating factors enough to leave everyone in doubt.

Then we get the second shocker: Grant murders Verna before she can confess to Rosen. Why does he do this? Is he not stupid, as Verna challenges, and knows about the conspiracy the entire time, even if he struggles to convince himself that he is wrong? Is he furious at her? Is he feeling so betrayed by Olivia that he has to lash out at the person in front of him? Is he complicit in the atrocities committed before?

This levels the playing field. Grant is held up as a noble leader throughout all the mud in this season. Others around him break the law so that he can stay clean. This calls into question if he ever was pure, and makes him more complex. Also, he could never really be in a fully equal romantic relationship with either Mellie or Olivia when still being so much more holier than they are.

It's interesting that Grant chooses Mellie over Olivia in the end. Again, the reason why isn't completely clear. Is he seriously mad at Olivia for lying to him, or for not believing in him? Does he find Mellie's honesty, brutal or not, refreshing, or is he trying to hurt Olivia by choosing Mellie? Except, Mellie isn't always honest, as Grant tells Olivia he knows Mellie induces labor and thinks she is hiding it from him. There are definitely negative emotions in play here, and the truth could well be a little of everything. I am curious as to how this will play out.

This episode, curiously delivered in February, rather than season's end, is huge. It's the best of the series so far, and all of the various twists and reveals make it extremely memorable. Sprinkled with Emmy-worthy performances, "Nobody Likes Babies" delivers everything fans of the show want, and more. This is definitely an A+ installment.

Next week, rumor has it, we get a big time jump, and then mostly go back to case-of-the-week stuff for the rest of the season. This is disappointing news. Yes, it's hard to follow up something so big as these past few months, but does that mean Scandal shouldn't try? Can it really go back to being an average series after such a triumphant story? Or will it surprise me, taking the time to really delve into the emotional fallout of "Nobody Likes Babies," and build into something great slyly, even as the main stories are smaller? Hopefully, the latter.

Scandal doesn't take a breath, picking right back up this Thursday at 10 p.m. ET on ABC.

Want to read some of my fiction? It's on my website, JeromeWetzel.com! Also, for the latest updates and article links, as well as commentary on episodes I don't fully review, please follow me on Twitter.

Not quite "Blown Away" by Scandal

Scandal - "Blown Away"
Grade: 88%

ABC's Scandal has a clever concept, big scales stories, and a terrific cast. But it still fails to deliver on its potential week in and week out. The issue may be the episodes that tackle large issues, and then seek closure at the end of an hour, keeping the series from breaking out into a true serial. Or it could be that when larger tales do play out, the situation keeps seeming worse and worse.

This week's fall finale, "Blown Away," is thankfully much more serial than procedural. Huck (Guillermo Diaz) is set up for shooting President "Fitz" Grant (Tony Goldwyn), but while his friends try to protect him, he doesn't do himself any favors, tracking down the real killer, Becky (Susan Pourfar), whom he is in love with. All of this plays out admist struggles for power, as the players in Washington won't even wait for Fitz to die before taking control of his office.

The action and mythology parts of "Blown Away" are what Scandal should be every week. The 'B' grade for the episode stems mostly from the fact that it doesn't feel like much of the rest of the season, and only now, well into a second year, are things ramping back up, as they did in season one. That, and things do get a tad predictable. As well as a couple of other issues that I'll get to shortly.

Poor Huck cannot be blamed for trusting Becky. His head is messed up as he struggles with his past and his addiction to killing people. It is because of the way he is trained by the government, and without Olivia (Kerry Washington) to keep a close eye on him, as she is wont to do, he begins to stray. It's no wonder he is easy pickings for another assassin on top of her game.

In the end, Huck decides to do the right thing, but like his relationship, he does so sloppily, giving Becky the chance at escape, but not before slaughtering people that Huck cares about, and leaving him on the hook for a serious crime. Viewers know that Huck will probably eventually be exonerated, even if Becky isn't caught. But that doesn't change the fact that he is in a dark place, and in no condition to handle what comes next. Hopefully, Scandal will allow Diaz to play out this plot to its fullest, taking Huck even deeper into the mire, and making it quite awhile before he can function as a full-fledged member of the team again.

Huck isn't the only one falling through the cracks. Quinn (Katie Lowes) is obsessed with figuring out what happened to her, finally having her suspicions that Huck and Olivia are involved confirmed in "Blown Away." Abby (Darby Stanchfield) is continually drawn towards what she sees as an unhealthy relationship with the "enemy," David Rosen (Joshua Malina). Harrison (Columbus Short) is basically left to run the group, a task he is not yet able to do effectively.

Perhaps a lot of the last few episodes have allowed the various members of Olivia's agency to stray because she herself has her attention divided. Back to flirting with Fitz, acting as the doting girlfriend, gossiping with Cyrus (Jeff Perry), and working at the White House, she has let other things slip, and she should blame herself at least as much as anyone else that her group is fracturing.

Not that I'm complaining about the Olivia / Cyrus scenes. They have been among my favorite parts of the fall run, revealing the depth of their affection for each other, and how they once worked together so well on the campaign.

But the fact of the matter is, Olivia's world is slimy. Politics are disgusting. Watching Vice President Langston (Kate Burton) assume the president's office, seeing Hollis Doyle (Gregg Henry, Bunheads, Hung) take control of the new leader, being betrayed by Justice Verna Thornton (Debra Mooney), it becomes more and more clear every day why Olivia left them behind. Her getting dragged back into it now makes her just as damaged as the rest of her team. Scandal is no West Wing by any stretch.

I do worry that the conspiracy story will ruin Olivia and Cyrus as sympathetic characters. Finding out that they rigged the election for Fitz, on top of everything else, and worked with the likes of Verna and Hollis, makes them difficult to root for. The more we learn about their actions, the more despicable they become. The writers may eventually try to smooth this over by giving a good reason why Fitz needed to win, but at that point, will it be too late to salvage their reputations?

There is also bound to be collateral damage before they can overcome their past. James (Dan Bucatinsky) is the most likely victim. It appears for a moment in "Blown Away" that he might be saved, when Cyrus agrees to give him a baby, and James vows to quit his job. But James is only fooling, knowing Cyrus is onto him. The love Cyrus has for James looks real, at least in as much as Cyrus is prepared to love another person. What will it do to Cyrus if James is killed? Or, at minimum, if their marriage is dissolved? Their union seems unrepairable at present.

By the end of "Blown Away," it appears that the writers have themselves in a corner. Will they be brilliant enough to get out of it, without tossing believability aside, or ruining all of the characters? Only time will tell, but there is no obvious path to redemption from here.

Scandal will return to ABC Thursday, January 10th at 10 p.m. ET.

Want to read some of my fiction? It's on my website, JeromeWetzel.com! Also, for the latest updates and article links, as well as commentary on episodes I don't fully review, please follow me on Twitter!

Article first published on TheTVKing

Scandal takes all hats off

Grade: 92%

ABC’s SCANDAL is back this week with “White Hats Off.” The episode title is a nod to the frequent reference the characters in the series make to ‘wearing the white hat,’ meaning, acting like a hero. But what does it mean to be a hero? Does one necessarily have to follow the law? What role does justice play in deciding the right thing to do, and does the end justify the means? These are just a few of the questions that SCANDAL explores weekly.

In season one, the overarching story was of Amanda Tanner’s accusations against President Grant (Tony Goldwyn). As season two begins, there are two major plots, which is fine, given the increased number of episodes in which they can play out. Grant still figures in prominently, as he prepares for re-election. His wife, Mellie (Bellamy Young), manages to get pregnant, as she’d hoped, and spin the baby into a way of controlling the campaign and the president’s policies. Grant doesn’t take too kindly to this, striking back in a public fashion, even while maintaining the illusion of a happy marriage.

Mellie is more prominent in “White Hats Off,” which speaks to further sparring between the First Couple. On one hand, it’s great to see just how manipulative and selfish she can be, Bellamy playing the villain nicely. But it also brings out the worst in Grant, turning him into a worthy opponent for his shrewish spouse. This makes for very entertaining television.

On the other hand, though, it’s sad that a couple has to fight so much, and it will certainly make the election hard to win, as they risk imploding at any moment. They should be teaming up to concentrate on defeating Grant’s opponent, and instead, they are engaged in an internal struggle for power. It’s hard to say who will come out on top, but it definitely will not be the American people.

The worst thing about seeing President Grant go down this path is that it tears him away from the great man he can become. When he is with Olivia (Kerry Washington), it is true he is cheating on Mellie, but he is also inspired to be a better leader, to live up to what Olivia believes him to be. This isn’t so with Mellie, who tears him down. He will fail professionally, as well as personally, if he doesn’t cut Mellie off. His campaign could take a hit from a divorce, but by not seeking one, he is risking a bigger meltdown.

While the arrangement is not made one hundred percent clear in “White Hats Off,” it appears that Olivia is back at work on Grant’s campaign. As much as being with her makes him better, it sort of does the opposite for her. If he were single, it probably wouldn’t, but the doubts she has about herself because of her feelings for him and the in appropriateness of it all cloud her judgment in other areas. She has lost a lot of that brazen confidence first glimpsed in season one, and breaking away may be her only shot to return to form.

It can’t be easy for Olivia to find the strength to do the right thing, with everything else going on. Stephen (Henry Ian Cusick) has gone on to find his happiness, which is what she encouraged, but it’s taken him away. Olivia is in the business of helping people, and Stephen is a prime example of what she can accomplish. Unfortunately, by helping Stephen to grow, Olivia cost herself a confidante and close friend. This leaves her more vulnerable to her new, negative shift.

The second major arc this year involves Quinn (Katie Lowes), who we learned last season is not really named Quinn. As “White Hats Off” opens, she is being tried for murder by David Rosen (Joshua Molina). If she can be trusted, and given her position as a main character and Olivia’s faith in her, she probably can be, she is innocent. But that doesn’t mean that there aren’t a lot of questions about who she is and what happened to her.

Viewers get only a brief glimpse at the Quinn debacle in this premiere, but it is a rich taste. I won’t spoil who is involved for those who haven’t watched it yet, but suffice it to say, there is definitely a lot going on that we still need to know, and Quinn’s inclusion into the group does not come about by happenstance.

One does feel bad for Rosen. He is fighting hard for justice. Finding Quinn guilty might not be justice, but he doesn’t know that, and it’s not like Olivia is going to make it easy for him to lock Quinn up. Rosen just wants to solve a murder and put away the guilty party. And while Quinn may not have killed anyone (or maybe, as unlikely as it seems, the twist is that she did), she is guilty of other things, as is Olivia. Rosen wants to work with them because they can help him to do his job effectively. But listening to this group costs him a little bit of his soul each time, as even if they do right, they often do it while breaking the law.

SCANDAL worked last year because of the intricate, engaging mystery, the juicy plot twists, and the likeable cast of characters. All of these elements continue on par in season two, so fans should be satisfied with its return.

SCANDAL’s second season begins this Thursday on ABC.

ABC has a genuine 'Scandal' on its hands

ABC's Scandal, a new drama by Shonda Rhimes (Grey's Anatomy, Private Practice) premiered this week with "Sweet Baby." Quinn Perkins (Katie Lowes, Easy Money, Super 8) gets a job working for her hero, Olivia Pope (Kerry Washington, Boston Legal, Ray), and has to jump right in. That's because Olivia is currently jugging two cases. In the first, the firm defends an American military hero, Sully St. James (Wes Brown, Heart of Dixie, True Blood), who looks guilty of murdering his gal. Secondly, U.S. President Fitzgerald Grant (Tony Goldwyn, Ghost, Law & Order: Criminal Intent) asks Olivia to make Julia Tannen (Lisa Weil, Gilmore Girls), who claims she is having an affair with Grant, go away.

This is not Grey's Anatomy all over again. For those who claim Private Practice and, especially, Off the Map are just retreads of Rhimes's popular series, Scandal is something completely different. For one thing, there's only one new kid on the block. For another, it's in crisis management, not medicine, so the setting will involve more than just one building. There are antagonists, not diseases. It is doubtful everyone in this office will hook up. And there are clear political views trumpeted, such as that homosexuality should be accepted. Not that that should be political, but currently, it is.

That isn't to say that there aren't some similarities. Grey's Anatomy and Scandal both boast career-driven, strong personalities willing to go above and beyond the demands of a normal job. The characters in both shows live and breathe their work, and are very good at what they do. Both examine an elite group of professionals who are tasked with being above their peers, the heads of their fields. And both are highly entertaining pieces of drama.

Olivia Pope does not run a law firm. Yes, lawyers work there, but they are in the game of crisis management, which means that they are only concerned about their clients. They don't go to trials, though one supposes that they might, at some point, since that option is available. But for now, all their work and research is put into just making a problem go away, which viewers quickly learn, they are extremely good at doing.

Their focus on the client also means that crimes don't necessarily get solved. They clear St. James, but don't concern themselves with finding the real killer. As such, Scandal does not even come close to copying the various other dramas currently airing on television. Loose threads may sit a little uneasily with some fans, who would like to know what really happened. But that's hardly the point of "Sweet Baby," which concerns itself more with human drama than crime solving, so nothing feels missing at the end of the episode, even though the killer isn't caught.

Scandal inhabits a specific world. As "Sweet Baby" shows, the series takes place in Washington D.C., which many regard as a hub of sin and secrets. With all of the nasty stories about politicians that come out in the news on a regular basis, there should be no shortage of material that Pope and company can deal with. It's the perfect town for this series to take place in.

At first, the central character, Olivia Pope, may seem infallible. She goes with her gut, which we are told is always right. But in "Sweet Baby," she allows her heart, or something lower, to overpower her instincts. Turns out, Julia is not lying, and Grant is sleeping with her, just as Grant once did with Julia. Showing this opens up a vulnerability within Olivia, and makes her character at once relatable and human.

This will clearly be the start of an arc for Olivia, with Grant and Julia, as well as Grant's right-hand-man, Cyrus (Jeff Perry, Grey's Anatomy, Nash Bridges), appearing in next week's preview. Adding a serial plot to Scandal not only allows for further character exploration, but provides a reason to tune in week after week. Especially when the tale is only just beginning, and much of the back story remains to be filled in.

As the window in for viewers, Quinn is initially overwhelmed by the firm's staff, and has to adjust to their tactics. There's Harrison (Columbus Short, Studio 60 On the Sunset Strip), her assigned mentor. Huck (Guillermo Diaz, Weeds, Mercy) is the tech whiz. Abby (Darby Stanchfield) is a hot mess, and lusts after co-worker Stephen (Henry Ian Cusick, Lost), who is spoken for.

A theme made clear in "Sweet Baby" is that each member of Pope's team, including Pope herself, is damaged and needs fixed. This group of people is terrific at solving other people's problems, just not their own. Olivia does her best to seem like the one who has it together, assisting Stephen in his proposal. But she, of course, is in need of work, too. Which makes Scandal's main characters and their chosen career ironic and interesting.

Outside of this group resides prosecutor David Rosen (Joshua Malina, The West Wing, In Plain Sight). He cooperates with Olivia to some extent, apparently because she gets results. She doesn't necessarily make his job easier, but at least she finds the truth. Will David grow tired of the hindrance Olivia and her team are to his job, or will he become a trusted ally who can help guide them on their mission? Only time will tell, but seeing as how conflict builds intrigue, it will likely be the former.

Scandal may spend a bit too much time in "Sweet Baby" hand holding Quinn (and the audience) through what is going on, instead of dropping right into the world, like high quality cable shows do. However, it is probably the best network pilot that has aired this season, full of fantastic actors and enticing plots. Watch Scandal Thursdays at 10 p.m. ET on ABC.

If you like my reviews, please follow me on Twitter! Article first published as TV Review: Scandal - "Sweet Baby" on Blogcritics.