Introducing: The Scandal Roundtable 2.10: “One For The Dog”

Jordan: I remain unclear about James’s endgame. He’s trying to expose this whole election tampering/rigging situation, and he knows his husband is involved. He lacks the innate cunning of Cyrus, but he’s a smart guy. How exactly does he think this will play out I’m not sure, and I surely hope he doesn’t think this baby (that Cyrus got to essentially keep him barefoot and pregnant at home) will keep them together when Cyrus finds out he is making moves against him. On this show, whenever there is a choice between love and work, everyone picks work.

Loree: I wouldn’t underestimate Cyrus’ and James’ relationship. I mean, when it looked like Cyrus was giving up on the possibility that Fitz would ever wake up, he was willing to throw in the towel and settle at home with his husband. I think there’s real love there and, as they always say, a baby changes everything.

Zach: I am sorry, but I am uncomfortable with the fact that the gay men are this unhealthy, kind of corrupt couple and are the only one’s that are getting a black child–it is just so unsettling to me. You give the black baby in a DC hospital to the evil, corrupt political gay men so the baby can act as bartering tool for them both to get what they want? Ugh. That just gives me bad feelings. But, hey, this isn’t the first time–nor the last time–that we see a primetime television show with a gay white couple getting a baby of color.

Joe: It looks like you watched Brothers and Sisters, too! Although it was the Republicans who got the black baby and the gay couple got the preteen Latina with some pretty stereotypical minority-in-the-system bonding issues…I’m going off topic. Someone say something relevant–

T.F.: I will! I definitely see that concern, Zach. At the same time, there isn’t a single healthy relationship on this show. It’s unfortunate that the optics of it are that this horribly dysfunctional gay couple are adopting, well, any child, but especially bringing a child of color into their home. But “horribly dysfunctional” is the show, basically. Less catchy than “Scandal,” though.

Kendra: It wasn’t so much the adopting of a baby of color that surprised me so much as it was the fact that they were shown doing it within America instead of going somewhere on the African continent. Not that there’s anything inherently wrong with international adoption (when it’s done morally and through the proper channels), but it doesn’t seem as common to see it portrayed in the media–fictionally or otherwise. And, certainly thanks to celebs like Angelina Jolie and Co., it’s not as glamourous. That said, this is the second show I’ve seen it on this season alone (Parenthood being the other).

T.F.: Worth pointing out that this is (at least) the third time Shonda has depicted a transracial adoption on one of her shows. Meredith and Derek have a black African baby on Grey’s, and Naomi adopted Betsy (who’s white) on Private Practice. It’s a pity that happened at the same time Audra MacDonald exited the show–it would have been really interesting to see a black woman as mom to a white girl. In any case, you could make the case that transracial adoptions are as much a theme in Shonda Rimes’s shows as interracial relationships.

Jordan: I don’t know if I would call James evil and corrupt. As I said before, he’s hell-bent on uncovering the truth without worrying if it destroys his life or his husband’s. He’s fairly tolerant of Cyrus’s general ridiculousness, but that seems to be the nature or their relationship. That conversation about the baby between Cyrus and James was horrible. Cyrus was certainly in his monster mode in trying to talk his husband out of looking into the miraculous awakening. Then again, evil people have spouses all the time and, at the end, James put the baby first.

Johnathan: I don’t know that evil and corrupt are how I see Cyrus’ and James’ exchange either. Certainly, they could communicate more, but I think that would undermine the overall plot here. There is a huge secret everyone is intent on hiding. Cyrus is no exception. Of course, there is going to be tension when his man knows he is withholding. In spite of the phenomena of white folks adopting babies of color,  I did find James’ immediate love and affirmation of his daughter endearing.

Loree: I agree with you, Johnathan, when James held his new daughter for the first time… honestly, color wasn’t even a factor. It was a love between a baby and the person who’s obviously going to protect and love her for life.

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