Scandal Review: Watch Me (Season 7 Episode 1)

Olivia Pope is back with a vengeance, but she still can’t seem to put down the white hat! Scandal Season 7 Episode 1 “Watch Me” kicks off the final season with some tough decisions, political intrigue, and a vastly different Olivia Pope.

Season 7 opens with Olivia harnessing the power given to her by the Chief of Staff’s office as well as Command, and, to put it simply: the struggle is real.

While Olivia might have the wherewithal to blackmail senators into voting for a bill that would give free-college to all, she may not be ready for some of the tougher calls she has to make as Command.

Her can-do, no-nonsense, attitude is momentarily soured when Olivia faces her first tough call as the head of B-613, killing a CIA agent who has been captured by the enemy. Jake tells Olivia that there’s no other choice, but Olivia is determined to bring the spy home alive because he’s a patriot.

For a while, I thought that maybe Shonda Rhimes was putting Olivia on a Walter White trajectory, where a character is taken from “good” to “morally bankrupt” by the end of the series.

But, we see a bit of the “white hat” Olivia slipping through here. Remember the Olivia who was obsessed with doing the right thing? The one who broke the news about the stolen election to Mellie, and said that they had to “wear the white hat” and get the Electoral College to vote for Cyrus?

That’s the Olivia we see making this decision, and it’s a good thing that she hasn’t lost that side of her.

Despite her determination to change the B-613 rule book, Olivia gets lots of push back from Jake on her decision. While Olivia is the boss, and Jake should have followed orders, I can also understand his reticence.

The case Jake lays out before Olivia is a strong one. There is more at stake than just one life, but Olivia wants to do the right thing. But on a scale this large, sometimes the right thing isn’t always the smart thing.

Fortunately, after some bluffing, this call turns out okay, and in her favor, but if Olivia insists on wearing her white hat, she is going to run into trouble down the line, if she hasn’t already.

I have to be honest, I am enjoying this Olivia Pope. When she sets her sights on something, she goes for it, and she’s starting out strong this season with a clear view of what she wants. But I also feel like she’s standing right on the fulcrum of a very wobbly scale, and when she missteps, it is going to bring everything about Mellie’s presidency to a screeching halt.

I am crossing my fingers that Liv’s confidence can navigate this tricky political game that Mellie is in the middle of. Olivia’s speech at the end both terrifies me and reminds me that while Mellie has proven herself to be very capable, she is navigating a minefield. (Less we forget all of Season 6!)

At the same time, we have to remember that this is a story, so sooner or later the delicate balance of power in Mellie’s White House will start to wobble.

The other storyline I gravitate towards isCyrus’. After watching him go to prison for the murder of Frankie Vargas last season, and then be offered the job of Vice President and turn it down, I was wondering exactly what game he would be playing this season.

For a while I was worried, I thought that surely, Cyrus was going to be pitted against Mellie, attempting to undermine her at every turn. To my pleasant surprise, he’s supporting her.

The fact he is also discussing putting aside partisanship really hit home in this episode as well. Watching him go to the mat for the Frankie Vargas Act is a breath of fresh air and a moment where you have to think: why can’t all politicians solve their problems this way.

Stray Thoughts:

• The last scene with Mellie and Olivia has me asking excactly who is in charge here. The one downfall of this episode, to me, is that we were really focusing on Olivia Pope. Mellie as the President was just a fact from the Season 6 finale. I am hoping future episodes explore the dynamic between Mellie and Olivia more.
• Mellie in the situation room during the military strike is a great scene. At several points during this episode, it looks like Liv is trying to protect Mellie, and those scenes show that this confident character is capable of making the call, even if Olivia isn’t.
• I really hope that OPA, now QPA, doesn’t get pushed to the background. I feel like the Quinn and Charlie baby storyline only serves as comic relief right now, and while I am all for it, I want to see the people at QPA develop a little more before the end of the series.
• If I ever have a secret to keep I am going to Huck! Huck knows how to stay low profile, and will also go along with a bluff. That is always useful to have on your side.

What did you think of this episode of Scandal? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below!

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Scandal airs Thursdays at 9/8c on ABC.

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