Scandal: Top 7 Moments from “Pressing the Flesh” (Season 7 Episode 2)

A state dinner is never just a state dinner on Scandal. No, no, no, Scandal Season 7 Episode 2, “Pressing the Flesh,” is a mix of comic moments and political intrigue.

So far Season 7 is still character focused, but instead of focusing just on Olivia, broadens the scope to the other characters as well getting back into QPA. Even though I feel like this episode is setting up for some solid character growth, I don’t think I can predict where it’s going. In my book, that’s a good thing.

The way that this episode tries to walk the line between comedy and suspense ends up feeling like a bit of a mixed bag.

Here are seven top moments from Scandal Season 7 Episode 2 “Pressing the Flesh.”

1. Olivia Wears Three Hats

The rapid-fire dialogue we have come to expect from Scandal comes right out of the gate when Olivia starts going on about how she is the Chief of Staff and First Lady (at least where picking out China is concerned). That’s before her role as head of B613.

I find myself asking two questions. The first is when the heck does Olivia Pope sleep?

The second is, didn’t Mellie predict that they would hire someone (or make First Lady a paid position) to deal with the China patterns and other things? Unless, that only applies to married Presidents, which the country has never had.

Which brings me to…

2. Mellie: Single Female POTUS (aka a Human Chastity Belt)

One of the things I was concerned about after the Season 6 finale, was that we would spend a lot of time playing the “but she’s a woman” card. That did come up on this episode, but not in the way I expected.

The pre-State Dinner scene between Olivia and Mellie where Mellie says there’s a “famine in her lady bits” may be the best moment of the episode. Then as Mellie begins to think of how she could buy a vibrator it gets even funnier.

What I absolutely love about this scene is how Olivia and Mellie end up laughing at it in the end as they imagined how Ken Burns would immortalize this moment.

The thing about this scene is Mellie is the first female president, and while we saw Fitz be single in the White House, it does draw some distinct differences between their experiences. While Fitz had women smuggled into the White House through the back door, Mellie doesn’t have the same luxury and feels that her position of power makes her unappealing.

I like the way they’re navigating these issues so far, but I also really want to see this play out a little more. Sure, there is a little flirtation with President Rashad at the end, but that would be a relationship that would just bury her Administration.

It’s eary days yet. Surely, Mellie has a new love interest somewhere down the line.

3. Huck’s Failure at Small Talk

I love Huck, but his inability to chat up potential new clients makes me love him even more. Huck is a complicated guy, but what he can’t talk about is also what makes him great at his job.

It didn’t surprise me when he saved the Bashranini President from an assassination attempt because it would only be Huck that would see the metals out of order.

4. Jake, Olivia, and The FDR Pool

The tarp that led to F.D.R.’s pool has to be the coolest B613 outpost we’ve seen to date. The story Jake tells Olivia about FDR feeling like he could be himself in the pool mirrors Mellie’s sentiments about feeling alone and having to be the President all the time, and I liked that.

At the same time, a part of me wonders if they’re trying to foreshadow something regarding Olivia and absolute power, but that’s all speculation at this point.

I will say this though; Jake is acting like a puppy after Olivia’s rejection in the season premiere. The whole Jake or Fitz storyline was never my favorite part of Scandal, but I am not sure I like moping Admiral Jake Ballard either.

5. Cyrus Schools a Potential Governor in Politics (And the Work of Cezanne)

Cyrus looks like he would rather have emergency root canal surgery than sit next to a tech mogul who can’t appreciate a chef with three Michelin stars, and instead hits up a churro cart.

Fenton’s behavior is so infuriating that I was actually happy when Cyrus snapped and began to lace into him about his entitlement, and how he can never appreciate everything and would never win a governorship or a Presidential election.

Then, Fenton has probably the most rational response, which is to walk out and later send Cyrus Cezanne’s The Boy in the Red Vest, because clearly, Cyrus will appreciate it more than he does.

What really gets me about this scene is how choked up Cyrus is when he sees the painting. The painting was actually stolen in 2008 and then recovered in 2012 in Serbia. I wonder how that may play into the rest of this season.

6. Quinn and Charlie Fight (Then Tie the Knot)

I’m not sure where I stand with Quinn and Charlie’s relationship, but I liked their storyline this episode. I was concerned that Charlie and Quinn would end up being comic relief this season, but I’ve enjoyed seeing Quinn slide into her new role as head of QPA.

The fact that Charlie seems intimidated by her actually harkens back to Mellie’s speech with Olivia, about men not being attracted to women in power. In this case, it worked out for them, and they’re on their way to finally tying the knot.

7. OMFG! Fitz is Back!

If there was ever a time to use “#awkward” this moment would be the one. I can’t decide how to label Olivia’s reaction here, but my first thought was: “Oh, you’ve just been caught…”

Unfortunately, this is where the episode ends, but I have mixed feelings about Fitz’s return. While I expected that he would be back, and that Fitz would have a role in the final season, I am still not sure how I feel about Fitz and Olivia together.

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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