The Scandal Roundtable 2.11: A Criminal, A Whore, An Idiot, And A Liar

Kendra: After this episode though, I think it would be fair to say this relationship goes beyond the cheating. Fitz showed some pretty despicable behaviour with the drunken elevator assault.

T.F.: And to go back to Loree’s statement that it can’t just be the cheating that makes some people hate Fitz –I agree. I hate Fitz because I think he’s abusive and has zero respect for the women in his life or their physical and their emotional boundaries. We’ve already seen him ignore Liv multiple times when she’s saying no to his sexual advances. The elevator scene just took that same behavior a step farther.

Johnathan: This episode changed the game for me. Whatever romanticized ideas I had about “Olitz” quickly ended with the sexual assault in the elevator. Prior to last week’s episode, I was unsure about the nature of Olivia and Fitz’s relationship. When did they “fall in love”? How? Were they one another’s confidantes? I was Team Olitz. After seeing how much sex (I’m sorry, some people might call this passion) drives their relationship, eh.

Joe: Pretty much for me too, Johnathan. I’m holding on for dear life to my Olitz t-shirt, but I might have to take it off and burn it if this is how it really is. I wonder if Shonda really knew the gravity of that elevator scene, considering their romantic relationship is the basis of the show. And…I know that people make mistakes but–even at their most inebriated–if one hears “no,” they should stop. This says something about the inherent nature of Fitz that really makes me uncomfortable.

Kendra: That’s one of the reasons I was so glad to see Mellie’s reaction to catching Fitz and Olivia in the elevator–was it the reaction I was expecting? No, I thought Mellie was going to deck one of them. But it was a much needed reminder (for me, at least) that Mellie used to be at least somewhat in love with Fitz. Her decisions may not have been the best throughout the episode, but they seemed to come from a good place. I feel like the show hasn’t given enough reasons for the various relationships on the show, and sometimes I find myself wondering why Mellie and Fitz are together at all. Olivia and Fitz having sex drive their relationship is more than most characters have between them.

Loree: I used to despise Mellie because Shonda basically portrayed her as a the stereotypical politician’s wife who wants her own power in the beginning–and yes she may be that–but I think she is also a victim to her environment. This episode shows us how much she loved her husband before he was elected. It also showed how Mellie trusted Olivia to the point of apologizing for Fitz’s behavior for getting handsy with Olivia in the elevator.

Joe: This definitely paints Mellie as more than “the wrong girl I met first.”

Loree: Well, call me cynical, but when I saw her “defend” Fitz I didn’t see it from a place of love for him but rather a love for winning. That’s why she goes into her little monologue about how much Fitz and she need Liv to win. Plus, connecting to my earlier point, I think this scene shows us the beginning of a polyamorous relationship between the three.

Joe: Fitz wanting a divorce is the end of that triangle, however.

Loree:  Mellie no longer has a hold of Fitz’s heart, so she wants to hold on to her power as First Lady at any cost, it seems. Also, none of the other scenes into the past made me like Mellie anymore or see her as anything besides someone who is power-hungry. She knew how much Fitz dislikes his father, but yet she still allowed him to come onto the campaign–even brought it up!–while knowing the emotional assault it would have on him.

T.F.: I’m a bit uncomfortable with calling their relationship polyamorous, given that the relationship exists against Mellie’s preferences. It’s definitely unconventional and challenging easy assumptions about monogamy, but it’s still cheating.

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