Scandal Season 5 Episode 18 Review & After Show | AfterBuzz TV

Hosts discuss Scandal for the episode 18 "Till Death Do Us Part"
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AFTERBUZZ TV -- Scandal is a weekly "after show" for fans of ABC's Scandal. In this show hosts Emile Ennis Jr., Sofia Stanley and Bamm Ericsen break down episode 18.

ABOUT SCANDAL:
Scandal is an American political thriller television series starring Kerry Washington. Created by Shonda Rhimes, it debuted on ABC on April 5, 2012. Kerry Washington's character, Olivia Pope, is partially based on former George H.W. Bush administration press aide Judy Smith, who serves as a co-executive producer. The show takes place in Washington, D.C. and focuses on Olivia Pope's crisis management firm, Olivia Pope & Associates, and its staff, as well as staff at the White House.

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[selamt]

Wow! You guys were finally able to look past olitz and give a fair review?? 😳 I'm surprised

[Ladygothii]

There's an analysis here. Jake going into his "sisters"room this time. Jake not being able to kill his "father". Jake's room still being next to his "sister's"" room. His "sister"not being able to save him from from their abusive father. Him still not being able to save his "sister".

Also, I kept getting this feeling that Jake was going to die.

[LadyJay]

Totally agree. Last night's episode had all Olitzers second guessing their allegiance.

[jadamc]

I feel so bad for Jake, I love him and I hope Olivia and Jake can find each other again

[bsbgirl]

I wish Kennilla was here for this episode but y'all pleasantly surprised me, no biases and you just brilliantly reviewed the episode.  Thank you so much!  Great episode, and one of my faves.  When it comes to S5 the only good episodes as a whole are this one, Thwack, and I See You.  I always stood by the fact that going by Liv's actions: She loves Jake, they especially drove that home in S4 the most.  They even gave them couple staples like their own theme song, stand in the sun, Gettysburger, and beer.  I always said one of the many reasons Jake and Liv have this bond is cause of their issues with Rowan and their broken family lives, they have so much in common and that's one of them.  I loved all the flashbacks, the best one was when Rowan was screaming at Jake about how his father beat his mother, raped his sister, got her pregnant, and she committed suicide.  I felt so awful for Jake in that moment, it broke my heart as he cried as Rowan hugged him.  It's always been shown but Rowan is nothing but a mental abuser and manipulater, Liv also always turns into a scared little girl around him and I'm sick of seeing it.  Sick of him always being so unrealistically unbeatable, please.  I agree Rowan is the main reason many characters have issues, especially Liv.  She has such huge mental issues cause of Rowan, he's why she's so messed up now and doesn't really know what love is or how to express it, verbalize it, etc.  I hope he dies one day too but even in the series finale I don't see it, they will just keep repeating the same tired storyline of him always beating Liv.  I've always loved Liv's natural hair, wish she would wear it more.  I have said before that when they were on the island, Liv wearing her natural hair in front of Jake was them standing in their truth, all natural, no polish and makeup, just THEM and ONLY THEM.  Jake always sees Liv for who she really is and the natural hair on the island and this episode was another part of that.  OMG, I loved their hallway scene.  How gentle Jake was with her, stopped her trying to get rough, and they both so gently kissed.  I loved when Liv kissed his hand, it was all so sweet.  I also loved how at ease and happy Liv was about being with Jake (like she's always been, she has never smiled and laughed, had fun as much as she has with Jake) the kiss at OPA was so cute, along with her aura when she walked in her office before Huck walked in.  Jake being Edison's VP with Vanessa as the perfect political wife was so predictable.  When Liv dumped Jake (and with that song in the background) was so heartwrenching, Jake knew she was saying it only cause Rowan got to her.  Liv went there cause she was saving his life, she loves him too much to lose him but she has always gone to war for Jake's life, freedom, and happiness.  Hell I'm still not over how she had Tom shanked to get Jake out of prison for something he didn't do.  You could tell it destroyed her to say all that to him, her face and demeanor as she walked away was heartbreaking too.  This episode was also nice cause I've always said Jake and Liv have had a growing evolution and narrative heading somewhere since S3.  Some always chose to ignore that but it's always been building.  I could always tell by Liv's actions she deeply loves Jake but after this episode I'm 100% sure they are holding back her saying ILY to him so when she DOES say it to him it will be a huge moment for him.  I even said last season when Jake told Fitz Liv loves him it had truth to it.  He can read Liv and knows her, he knows she loves him but is too scared to admit it and won't force it out of her cause he's usually patient and gentle with her.  He said twice that she loves him, he knows the truth.  I still think Liv will end the series alone but this episode showed even more Jake is a very possible endgame for her.

[BlairWaldorf]

I'm so SURPRISED that these 3 didn't have just 'so what, who cares' session. I've ALWAYS said Olivia has a certain love for Jake that she has never had for Fitz and I think seeing their 'fathers' in this side be side was what the audience needed to see WHY Jake has a way of seeing her that no one else can.

It's two people seeing how the other COULD have been normal but do to their 'fathers' they never had a chance and I feel like we all say we want to be powerful, rich, etc. but at the end of the day we all really just want to be accepted and loved and that is what they were going to FINALLY have with each other acceptance and love and when Olivia felt it LITERALLY slipping through her fingers as Papa Pope held her hand she just couldn't take it.

Olivia had to either put up or shut up and either admit she loves him or let him be her daddy's 'son' and it came down to basic human instinct of not being able to see the one you love be with another but in the end it wasn't enough.

[LadyJay]

So no one in the world of the show thinks it's strange that the head of the NSA is living with some random black guy? Or worse Olivia Popes father?? I imagine there'd be a few questions about this.

[knowledgegizmo]

😯 I was really looking forward to Kennelia's assessment of Jake and Olivia

[ila]

This episode was the first time Olake was given a chance to be on the same level as Olitz. The show so far has concentrated on Fitz and Olivia, their backstories, the development of the relationship so much and just skipped over everything to do with Jake, like who he is, what they got up to on the island. Now that we've got more about Jake and the Olake relationship - it's so tough not to root for them

[DeanStHill]

In part this was the battle of the prodigy (Jake) versus the progeny (Olivia). There is such great writing in this series.

[lisalightx]

All in my feelings. Oh my God, I just can't.

[kimberlyb.]

Surprise, surprise...you guys gave an excellent recap for a great Scandal episode!! 👏👏👏 Shocked the mess out of this Olake fan!😎 However, I know next weeks recap you guys will be back with the hate, but at least you saw the light with this one episode. 😜

[litafanforlife]

Just want to say that I really enjoy the panel here. I love Scandal but just recently came across this after show. You guys are all great, and I really like how kinda deep into things Sofia went. I'll definitely tune in again. And not that this has any importance to anyone lol, but I've been rooting for Jake/Olivia for a long time (not an Olivia/Fitz hater, just don't love them). I've always felt something special with Olake, but in this episode they just killed me. I'm still rooting for them. The acting was wonderful from all of the main three characters, the writing was wonderful. The episode was wonderful(ly heartbreaking).

[dancingjoy]

it's hilarious how many olitz shippers will detest this episode simply because it focuses on olivia being in love with someone else, especially jake. i'm pretty indifferent towards all of olivia's relationships so i was able to watch the episode objectively. and i agree with emile and sofia. it was heartfelt, well written, and gave some interesting backstory regarding jake and rowan's history. the connection between olivia and jake actually makes sense now.

[LadyJay]

I agree. They can't make Olivia a mistress again, so I think they'll have to go ahead and kill Jakes new wife. Maybe Olivia will do it since she's a murderer now. In some twisted way it might show Jake just how much she loves him.

[toniwalker]

I love this episode i felt so bad for Jake and Olivia. Rowan is the devil and I can't wait till he dies. Amazing review you guys.

[thebooky]

Sophia, how did it take until this ep for you to realize how evil Papa Pope is? Lol what greater good was there when he murdered Mellie's child & told Fitz it was because he was screwing his daughter?

Agree with everything else. Excellent episode, slow, sad, perfectly written, everything. The flashbacks were amazing yet awful. I really wanted Olivia to be done with both Jake & Fitz for good but there was this sadness, this beauty to Olake & I found myself rooting for them. Jake has always loved her, he always chosen her above everything else & this was the one time she really chose him. She tore out his heart at the end, it was beyond cruel & the reasoning just felt silly, even if she wanted to protect him. She should've just told him.

[alguemalguem]

I have to say, I came to watch this particular aftershow with a sense of dread. When I saw Kennelia was absent, I've braced myself for disaster. However, to me, this was the aftershow during which hell froze over. There was no dumb blind Jake hate. And for the first time in ages, I did not think Sofia was talking over everyone every time, despite as usual being the one who talks the most. She and Emile waited for Bamm to talk, and asked his opinion multiple times, and he essentially told them to keep going. She still did it a few times, but not nearly as much as usual.

[LiveNBreathMusic]

There is a quote  I saved because it applied to my life, and I think it applies to this: "Try not to confuse attachment with love. Attachment is about fear and dependency, and has more to do with love of self than love of another. Love without attachment is the purest love because it isn't about what others can give you because you're empty, it's about what you can give other because you're already full." OLIVIA IS EMPTY. JAKE IS EMPTY. Their "love" is attachment that has been bred from abusive childhoods.
People who are unhealthy and afraid of happiness find comfort and 'love' within their unhealthy worlds. Both Jake and Olivia live in their unhealthy worlds. While Fitz has been overly needy in the past, his love for Olivia is a healthy love- it's based in respect- it's why Olivia ran because she doesn't know how to accept that. To her it's clingy, needy, SCARY. Post 5x09, she ran back into the arms of what she knows is 'safe' (Jake) because it's rooted in abuse and unhealthy cycles. What Olivia said to Jake last night was the TRUTH, but I don't think she is in the right mind to accept that truth. She does (or did) deserve Fitz's love and she does deserve to pick herself up outta her abusive father's grasps and accept the world and her life as her own. But she's afraid. And that's cool...but if this is supposedly her journey, and we supposedly only have one more season left...why didn't she have this mental breakdown shit during S4? It's a little late into the series for her start this decent toward the bottom. Btw, this is not a pro-Olitz post....I'm not convinced anymore this show will end with Olitz. But this episode did NOT convince me what Olivia and Jake have is 'love' or what we saw may have been comfort ...but it's not healthy love and I will never ship it!

[nitsrah]

with that song I felt Jake and Olivia's sweet moment.