Scandal Pace

I’m of the Donald Miller school of thought when it comes to this matter. I’m prolife personally, but a prochoice voter…always. So while I would never consider having an abortion unless my life was on the line, I don’t expect everyone else to hold that same view. While I believe life starts at conception, I recognize that in many ways, it’s a philosophical argument. And many disagree. That’s okay. I’m just not sure it should be up the government to be the decider of when life starts. So again, prochoice voter. 

That being said, I think it’s really unfortunate that Olivia didn’t think she could have gone to Fitz and talk to him about her decision before making it. I think it’s unfortunate that prior to the mistress reveal, Fitz and Olivia had better communication with each other. That fact alone is just quite unbelievable because they’ve never been great communicators.(Remember when he was the person she conversed with on the phone before Jake randomly started occupying that role? But I digress)

However, despite their horrendous lack of communication, I don’t think not telling Fitz is betrayal. I think that’s it very selfish, but I also think it’s her body, which is quite honestly the thing she can be the most selfish about. No woman who does not want to be a mother should be a mother. Awful things happen to beautiful babies who deserve better when women who don’t want to mother are forced to mother. That’s reality. Olivia may have been financially stable enough to take care of a child, but mentally? I don’t see it. She’s not depicted as being as being mentally ready (I know the idea of being “ready” is relative. Who is ever ready?) for a child. Plenty of women push past their mental demons and carry children, and raise great ones. But it’s not for everybody. Given what we’ve seen of Olivia’s mindset about love and relationships, seeing what we’ve come to understand as an abusive relationship with her parents, at this point of the show, I’m not sure a pregnancy story line would have felt organic.

However, neither does an abortion story line. It was so unbelievably random.  No scenes of pregnancy scares, no shots of pregnancy tests or nontaken, birth control, barely any sex depicted between them. So I’m confused as to how we got to this place.So so terribly confused…and a bit shocked if I’m honest.

This episode, the abortion scene in particular, is just not going to work for everyone. We’re all bringing our own history, beliefs, judgments, attitudes to the table when we’re watching a show, which influences how we read the narrative. Fitz and Olivia breaking up aside, I can completely understand the viewers who are forever turned off and disappointed by the show. Again for me, I don’t disagree with her choice, but the story line felt inorganic. It felt like a Planned Parenthood after school special. I understand using your platform, but I’m doubtful that this episode is going to change the minds of viewers on the topic of abortion. Americans are pretty entrenched in their beliefs about the matter. This episode isn’t starting a conversation about abortion. We’ve been having a dialogue about it since Roe v. Wade at least. We didn’t see her struggle or contemplate the decision. It just happened. So I’m not sure how effective this story point can or will be. But who knows, I wrote an abortion plot in a fanfic, and got quite a few PMs and reviews stating that my story helped them see abortion in another light, which was so far from my intent. And I’m just writing FF. 

In terms of what this might mean for Fitz and Olivia, I don’t know, and I don’t think it matters. I’m very glad it didn’t come up during their argument because given all that was said between them, every hurtful word, it would have felt a bit too melodramatic, which is saying a lot considering how operatic Scandal is. Their fight also seemed a bit inorganic.They went from zero to sixty so quickly it was hard for me to figure out what was going on. I’m not sure how effective that fight was to be honest. Splitting Fitz and Olivia up is far from the issue for me. It’s that the split felt incredibly rushed. I think the show could have benefited from just one more episode in between where we got to see the extent of Olivia’s frustration in the White House. We literally saw a one minute montage and a one minute conversation with the senator’s wife. It’s not quite enough time for me to believe that Olivia saw a different side to Fitz. We honestly didn’t see the “we tried” part of the story, which is a shame because it would have made their split all the more powerful and less slapdash. We saw Olivia move-in. We saw her get outed as the mistress. We saw her choosing Fitz. We saw him publicly out with her. We saw the beginnings of an impeachment hearing. We saw a failed proposal. We saw her release her father. We saw Fitz move her in. But we did not see them try. Personally, last week’s reveal of Olivia releasing Rowan felt like a more organic “ending” for the two.

Looking at their split from a practical standpoint. I truly don’t think this is the end for Fitz and Olivia. I don’t see her choice as some egregious, heinous action. I see it as a deeply personal, ideological decision, one that so many women make without regret, without a single person knowing. And that is quite okay. We may not like it, but it’s not about Fitz. It’s about her. Period. And that goes for any woman, real or fictional, in a situation like this. If the show never brought up her abortion again, I would not be mad because that’s often the lived experience of women all over the world. If Olivia is written as sharing her decision with Fitz so be it. If not, I think it’s an equally realistic choice. 

In terms of their split, the positive is that it gives them a chance to have a new beginning, one that’s not marred by a sex scandal or spy drama. As a person who likes to write, but does not consider myself a writer, I honestly think the Scandal writers are in a very interesting, creatively fruitful place with Fitz and Olivia. Fundamentally, Fitz and Olivia give the show a lot of heart. But I think the heart of Olitz has been missing since season three because it’s been so fraught between them. I think breaking them up in a mutual way allows them to come back together in a healthier way. The writers have the opportunity to write a slow-build between them if they so choose. Having them mutually split means there’s less animosity. It’s not Defiance 2.0. Having them mutually split means Fitz isn’t pining over her. Having them mutually split means we can potentially see them grow as individuals before coming back together. Having them mutually split means they can become friends. They can work together and have flirty tension, friendly tension, sexual tension. All things that are more enjoyable to watch then them fighting constantly. Kerry and Tony obviously have insanely beautiful chemistry. Their best partner work is with each other…and it’s not even close. I can’t imagine that the writers wouldn’t use that to their advantage. It would be a super silly, missed opportunity. There’s a reason why Fitz and Olivia had phone call after phone call seasons 2 to 4. So much chemistry. Even when it makes no sense for them to be together, the writers find a reason to exploit their chemistry. 

 I think the most powerful and effective thing the writers could do is let the audience see and the characters see why they’re good for each other. These particular set of circumstances just weren’t in their favor. Most of us called them splitting up in some form or fashion after Olivia’s speech on the Truman Balcony in 501. It was the most obvious foreshadowing. We were bound to get to this place. It’s been unnecessarily rocky getting here. But we’re here. 

I completely understand why so many people are simply done with the show after this episode. Scandal is guilty of not paying off story in satisfying ways or just paying off story at all. And this episode is an example of that. In many ways, Scandal’s narrative privileges some characters over others. Mellie makes out as a hero and faces absolutely no consequences for her part in releasing Rowan. But for Olivia, we see a struggle to keep her identity, we see a painful break-up, we see an abortion. Over and over again, Olivia takes Ls. And that’s difficult to watch. The last scene Olivia smiles to herself, staring at a beautiful Christmas tree while sitting on her new couch. I think as a viewer, we were supposed to assume she’s happy, at peace in her solace. But I can’t help, but to think how incredibly lonely that is, how familiar that is. In this set of circumstances, it doesn’t feel like growth. It feels like more of the same. It feels like her putting on the white hat at the end of 222. It feels like the choosing “me” moment at 409 before she was kidnapped. It feels redundant and super sad to me.

Increasingly Scandal has become very bleak and grim-dark. I would imagine that many people tuned in to season five because 422 signaled that some of the fun would be coming back to the show. And in some ways it has. In some ways, Scandal is telling more interesting stories than seasons past. But these past four episodes or so have highlighted the fact that there’s not enough of a balance between the fraught and the fun of this show.

If indeed it was an abortion,  should she have told Fitz? In my opinion? No. I am yet to come across a boyfriend/girlfriend relationship which has survived this sort of revelation. Men can be be very shady when it comes to some things (rape being another example) it beggars belief therefore, based on this, I would never advise any woman to tell a man, unless you really, really have his number.

“ I think the most powerful and effective thing the writers could do is let the audience see and the characters see why they’re good for each other.”

There is a saying “start the way you mean to go”. Sadly, Olitz was birthed in deceit and a lot of their misfortune is borne from that fact. Granted, they have tried to remedy their situation, unfortunately, they are in too deep…too mired in filth to ever attain sufficient cleaniless. I don’t think there will be any respite for them as long as Olivia remains mother, father, lover and chief strategist to Fitz.

I mean, way back in S1 The writers did let audience/characters  see why the characters were supposedly good for each other. We were treated to an Olivia who seemed to have a good understanding of Fitz the man and Fitz the politician. However, cometh Defiance we began to see them for what they were nevertheless, many in the audience (and Fitz) decided to hold on to the myth that was Olitz.

Olivia knows they are broken, she knows that Fitz doesn’t see her for who she is/ he doesn’t see the world for what it is. He acts as if politics is not a dirty game, he is  interested in what he gets from her and then proceeds to judge her for her underhand ways, never mind that he is the beneficiary. How come he never really questioned her on how she managed to shut down the Inquiry? Instead, we saw him take to the podium to let the masses know that it was back to business as usual. Fitz seems to think that all is well as long as he has Olivia propping up his ineffectual ass, sadly he doesn’t realise that his inability to make decisions at “Olivia pace” reduces her to making decisions for him.

Fitz likes strong women but only when they are bending to his whim. Just like with his relationship with Mellie, the relationship between Olivia and Fitz is such that  the personal and the political are incredibly intertwined, unfortunately, there can be no peace until the two strands are separated and yet what are the chances of that happening? Fitz will always remain Olivia’s favourite pet project to be fixed at every turn and Olivia…well Olivia remains Fitz favourite… everything.

“Eritrean-American Haben Girma, who is the first deaf-blind graduate at Harvard Law School’s story is a true inspiration.

Girma’s extraordinary story highlights her courage and determination despite physical challenges, and she is living proof that disability is certainly no barrier to achieving academic excellence.

Girma is an attorney who ‘advocates for the civil rights of persons with disabilities. A celebrated speaker, she provided the introductory remarks for the 25th Anniversary of the ADA [Americans with Disabilities Act] at the White House’.

…Girma appreciates the opportunities she has been offered and ‘the hard won power of the ADA.’” by Arthur Chatora, This is Africa

“Haben Girma is our new hero. The 27-year-old lawyer is the first deaf-blind alumna of Harvard Law School.

After graduating magna cum laude with an undergraduate degree from Lewis & Clark College in 2010, Girma went on to earn her Juris Doctor (JD) degree from Harvard in 2013.

…Haben, who was also on Harvard’s Ballroom Dance Team, is originally from the East African country of Eritrea. Her older brother was also born deaf-blind, and the pair was told their disabilities were ‘…a curse on the family.’

…The budding activist and civil rights attorney currently works for the Disability Rights Advocates law firm in Sacramento helping others fight for their rights under the ADA.

Haben said that her grandmother, who still lives in Eritrea, believes her success is ‘like magic.’ She closed her speech by saying, ‘…People with disabilities succeed not by magic, but from the opportunities afforded by America and the hard-won power of the ADA.’

President Obama then said, ‘Thank you Haben for making sure students with disabilities have access to a world class education just as you have.’ Zon D'Amour, HelloBeautiful/Global Grind

“By the time Girma was born in 1988, six years younger than her brother, her mother had made a refugee’s journey from Eritrea to the United States. And in California, a deaf-blind girl like Girma had a legal right to an education.

In public schools in Oakland, she was educated alongside other students, leaving her mainstream classes for an hour a day to learn Braille.

…In the winter of 1983, Girma’s mother, Saba Gebreyesus, left Eritrea. The war of independence with Ethiopia was going on. It was a two-week trek to Sudan, ‘walking at night to try to avoid the different military groups fighting in that area.’ At one point she slept in a tree surrounded by hungry hyenas.

A Catholic resettlement agency helped Gebreyesus move to the United States.

In the United States, disability civil rights laws provided opportunities to Girma. TheIDEA law says every child with a disability is guaranteed an education, and the ADA bans discrimination based on disability.

…At the White House, Girma talked to the president one on one, telling him ‘that technology can bridge the gap for people with disabilities.’ The president typed on a silver, wireless keyboard, and Girma read the message on a digital Braille device (the technology that enabled us to conduct our phone interview with her). The back-and-forth was instantaneous….

…Today, her brother, Mussie Gebre, travels around California, teaching people with disabilities how to use technology — like the devices that help him and his sister.

And that right there to me is the death toll for Olitz. Not the lies, or the betrayals, but the fact that Olivia doesn’t want Fitz–not all of him at least. 

You can forgive someone for betraying you, and you can look the other way when they lie but when somebody doesn’t want you, the real you? There’s not coming back from that IMO. 

Olivia has not interest in being Fitz’s First Lady. She has no interest in being his wife or the mother of his children. That is not what she wants from him. She doesn’t want a white picket fence, or jam in Vermont. She wanted a part of Fitz when it was convenient for her and that’s pretty much it. 

The way Shonda (and the writers) broke down Olitz was something of a master piece. I know some people are acting all shocked and surprised that this is happening but Shonda has been planting these seeds since Season 1.  Olivia always ran because Fitz wasn’t what she wanted. She ALWAYS ran. This is not brand new information. The only difference now is that Fitz effectively caged her in almost every imaginable way until she had her back against the wall. At the point she was getting free by any means necessary, first by releasing her father (and removing the need for a wedding), then by the abortion, and finally by breaking things off with Fitz and leaving the White House.

 Fitz has spoken his truth, he thinks they are fit for purpose and he wants Olivia to don the mantle of mother, father, lover and stepford wife. 

Olivia has spoken her truth, they are broken (always have been), he is  ineffectual and she has zero interest in being Martha Stewart- in other words, First Lady? NO. Co-President? Yes.

I’m of the Donald Miller school of thought when it comes to this matter. I’m prolife personally, but a prochoice voter…always. So while I would never consider having an abortion unless my life was on the line, I don’t expect everyone else to hold that same view. While I believe life starts at conception, I recognize that in many ways, it’s a philosophical argument. And many disagree. That’s okay. I’m just not sure it should be up the government to be the decider of when life starts. So again, prochoice voter. 

That being said, I think it’s really unfortunate that Olivia didn’t think she could have gone to Fitz and talk to him about her decision before making it. I think it’s unfortunate that prior to the mistress reveal, Fitz and Olivia had better communication with each other. That fact alone is just quite unbelievable because they’ve never been great communicators.(Remember when he was the person she conversed with on the phone before Jake randomly started occupying that role? But I digress)

However, despite their horrendous lack of communication, I don’t think not telling Fitz is betrayal. I think that’s it very selfish, but I also think it’s her body, which is quite honestly the thing she can be the most selfish about. No woman who does not want to be a mother should be a mother. Awful things happen to beautiful babies who deserve better when women who don’t want to mother are forced to mother. That’s reality. Olivia may have been financially stable enough to take care of a child, but mentally? I don’t see it. She’s not depicted as being as being mentally ready (I know the idea of being “ready” is relative. Who is ever ready?) for a child. Plenty of women push past their mental demons and carry children, and raise great ones. But it’s not for everybody. Given what we’ve seen of Olivia’s mindset about love and relationships, seeing what we’ve come to understand as an abusive relationship with her parents, at this point of the show, I’m not sure a pregnancy story line would have felt organic.

However, neither does an abortion story line. It was so unbelievably random.  No scenes of pregnancy scares, no shots of pregnancy tests or nontaken, birth control, barely any sex depicted between them. So I’m confused as to how we got to this place.So so terribly confused…and a bit shocked if I’m honest.

This episode, the abortion scene in particular, is just not going to work for everyone. We’re all bringing our own history, beliefs, judgments, attitudes to the table when we’re watching a show, which influences how we read the narrative. Fitz and Olivia breaking up aside, I can completely understand the viewers who are forever turned off and disappointed by the show. Again for me, I don’t disagree with her choice, but the story line felt inorganic. It felt like a Planned Parenthood after school special. I understand using your platform, but I’m doubtful that this episode is going to change the minds of viewers on the topic of abortion. Americans are pretty entrenched in their beliefs about the matter. This episode isn’t starting a conversation about abortion. We’ve been having a dialogue about it since Roe v. Wade at least. We didn’t see her struggle or contemplate the decision. It just happened. So I’m not sure how effective this story point can or will be. But who knows, I wrote an abortion plot in a fanfic, and got quite a few PMs and reviews stating that my story helped them see abortion in another light, which was so far from my intent. And I’m just writing FF. 

In terms of what this might mean for Fitz and Olivia, I don’t know, and I don’t think it matters. I’m very glad it didn’t come up during their argument because given all that was said between them, every hurtful word, it would have felt a bit too melodramatic, which is saying a lot considering how operatic Scandal is. Their fight also seemed a bit inorganic.They went from zero to sixty so quickly it was hard for me to figure out what was going on. I’m not sure how effective that fight was to be honest. Splitting Fitz and Olivia up is far from the issue for me. It’s that the split felt incredibly rushed. I think the show could have benefited from just one more episode in between where we got to see the extent of Olivia’s frustration in the White House. We literally saw a one minute montage and a one minute conversation with the senator’s wife. It’s not quite enough time for me to believe that Olivia saw a different side to Fitz. We honestly didn’t see the “we tried” part of the story, which is a shame because it would have made their split all the more powerful and less slapdash. We saw Olivia move-in. We saw her get outed as the mistress. We saw her choosing Fitz. We saw him publicly out with her. We saw the beginnings of an impeachment hearing. We saw a failed proposal. We saw her release her father. We saw Fitz move her in. But we did not see them try. Personally, last week’s reveal of Olivia releasing Rowan felt like a more organic “ending” for the two.

Looking at their split from a practical standpoint. I truly don’t think this is the end for Fitz and Olivia. I don’t see her choice as some egregious, heinous action. I see it as a deeply personal, ideological decision, one that so many women make without regret, without a single person knowing. And that is quite okay. We may not like it, but it’s not about Fitz. It’s about her. Period. And that goes for any woman, real or fictional, in a situation like this. If the show never brought up her abortion again, I would not be mad because that’s often the lived experience of women all over the world. If Olivia is written as sharing her decision with Fitz so be it. If not, I think it’s an equally realistic choice. 

In terms of their split, the positive is that it gives them a chance to have a new beginning, one that’s not marred by a sex scandal or spy drama. As a person who likes to write, but does not consider myself a writer, I honestly think the Scandal writers are in a very interesting, creatively fruitful place with Fitz and Olivia. Fundamentally, Fitz and Olivia give the show a lot of heart. But I think the heart of Olitz has been missing since season three because it’s been so fraught between them. I think breaking them up in a mutual way allows them to come back together in a healthier way. The writers have the opportunity to write a slow-build between them if they so choose. Having them mutually split means there’s less animosity. It’s not Defiance 2.0. Having them mutually split means Fitz isn’t pining over her. Having them mutually split means we can potentially see them grow as individuals before coming back together. Having them mutually split means they can become friends. They can work together and have flirty tension, friendly tension, sexual tension. All things that are more enjoyable to watch then them fighting constantly. Kerry and Tony obviously have insanely beautiful chemistry. Their best partner work is with each other…and it’s not even close. I can’t imagine that the writers wouldn’t use that to their advantage. It would be a super silly, missed opportunity. There’s a reason why Fitz and Olivia had phone call after phone call seasons 2 to 4. So much chemistry. Even when it makes no sense for them to be together, the writers find a reason to exploit their chemistry. 

 I think the most powerful and effective thing the writers could do is let the audience see and the characters see why they’re good for each other. These particular set of circumstances just weren’t in their favor. Most of us called them splitting up in some form or fashion after Olivia’s speech on the Truman Balcony in 501. It was the most obvious foreshadowing. We were bound to get to this place. It’s been unnecessarily rocky getting here. But we’re here. 

I completely understand why so many people are simply done with the show after this episode. Scandal is guilty of not paying off story in satisfying ways or just paying off story at all. And this episode is an example of that. In many ways, Scandal’s narrative privileges some characters over others. Mellie makes out as a hero and faces absolutely no consequences for her part in releasing Rowan. But for Olivia, we see a struggle to keep her identity, we see a painful break-up, we see an abortion. Over and over again, Olivia takes Ls. And that’s difficult to watch. The last scene Olivia smiles to herself, staring at a beautiful Christmas tree while sitting on her new couch. I think as a viewer, we were supposed to assume she’s happy, at peace in her solace. But I can’t help, but to think how incredibly lonely that is, how familiar that is. In this set of circumstances, it doesn’t feel like growth. It feels like more of the same. It feels like her putting on the white hat at the end of 222. It feels like the choosing “me” moment at 409 before she was kidnapped. It feels redundant and super sad to me.

Increasingly Scandal has become very bleak and grim-dark. I would imagine that many people tuned in to season five because 422 signaled that some of the fun would be coming back to the show. And in some ways it has. In some ways, Scandal is telling more interesting stories than seasons past. But these past four episodes or so have highlighted the fact that there’s not enough of a balance between the fraught and the fun of this show.

If indeed it was an abortion,  should she have told Fitz? In my opinion? No. I am yet to come across a boyfriend/girlfriend relationship which has survived this sort of revelation. Men can be be very shady when it comes to some things (rape being another example) it beggars belief therefore, based on this, I would never advise any woman to tell a man, unless you really, really have his number.

“ I think the most powerful and effective thing the writers could do is let the audience see and the characters see why they’re good for each other.”

There is a saying “start the way you mean to go”. Sadly, Olitz was birthed in deceit and a lot of their misfortune is borne from that fact. Granted, they have tried to remedy their situation, unfortunately, they are in too deep...too mired in filth to ever attain sufficient cleaniless. I don’t think there will be any respite for them as long as Olivia remains mother, father, lover and chief strategist to Fitz.

I mean, way back in S1 The writers did let audience/characters  see why the characters were supposedly good for each other. We were treated to an Olivia who seemed to have a good understanding of Fitz the man and Fitz the politician. However, cometh Defiance we began to see them for what they were nevertheless, many in the audience (and Fitz) decided to hold on to the myth that was Olitz.

Olivia knows they are broken, she knows that Fitz doesn’t see her for who she is/ he doesn’t see the world for what it is. He acts as if politics is not a dirty game, he is  interested in what he gets from her and then proceeds to judge her for her underhand ways, never mind that he is the beneficiary. How come he never really questioned her on how she managed to shut down the Inquiry? Instead, we saw him take to the podium to let the masses know that it was back to business as usual. Fitz seems to think that all is well as long as he has Olivia propping up his ineffectual ass, sadly he doesn’t realise that his inability to make decisions at “Olivia pace” reduces her to making decisions for him.

Fitz likes strong women but only when they are bending to his whim. Just like with his relationship with Mellie, the relationship between Olivia and Fitz is such that  the personal and the political are incredibly intertwined, unfortunately, there can be no peace until the two strands are separated and yet what are the chances of that happening? Fitz will always remain Olivia’s favourite pet project to be fixed at every turn and Olivia...well Olivia remains Fitz favourite... everything.

I hear you. I get that Olivia is re-evaluating her life with Fitz. I get that, therefore, I’m not saying that the notion of an abortion under the circumstances would be preposterous, what with all that talk of planned parenthood/good vs bad parenting. Yeah, I can definitely see how an abortion can be woven into all these story lines. My main concern is, we never saw Olivia come to the realisation that she was pregnant...yes, I get she was having crazy sex with all sorts, Fitz in particular however, to have an abortion just thrown in there is a bit much if you ask me. Even on Grey’s at least we got to see Christina railing against the thought of having a child before she trotted Owen off to the abortion clinic. I get that Scandal is not Grey’s neverthess, I’d think it lazy writing for Liv to have an abortion round about the same time planned parenthood is front an centre.Please note: I’m not saying the notion of an abortion is preposterous. if anything I think it verges on the obvious. 

Also, I’d much prefer to imagine that if Shonda is pro-choice then she would go about championing the matter in a more subtle fashion...hence the cliff hanger that leaves the masses arguing as to whether it was an abortion or Olivia obtaining contraception...best believe when I say having a coil inserted is no joke!

At this point, me, I don’t care, I detest Olitz so much (more so that loathsome creature Fitz) that I don’t care if Olivia aborts his spawn or feeds him rat poison or drowns him in brown water everyday so that she can take over the Oval. I careless about Fitz. I’m all about Olivia finding herself, even if it means, she finally realises and gleefully embraces the fact that she’s Eli’s creation/ Eli’s rightful heir at B613. LOL

Does Olivia really love Fitz? I’ve been questioning that since Defiance. After Defiance I realised (in whatever order)

a) they didn’t know each other very well

b) they were not in the habit of having honest conversations

c) For Olivia, Fitz was first and foremost a project. A project that she was heavily invested in and would never be allowed to fail at any cost.

Re: Freeing her father vs the wedding.

First of all RE: The wedding. Olivia is not dumb (mute/slow in the head), she may not say much or engage in verbal fights with all and sundry (Mellie in particular), but that does not mean she is dumb. Olivia realised they (Olitz) were broken a long time ago,  she only chose not to verbalise it instead she opted to gloss over it, she chose not to place demands on Fitz. Now that they have beeen forced to confront issues, she has continuously told Fitz shit needs to change but dude doesn’t seem to hear or even see her. When he looks at her he sees what HE wants to see and hears what he wants to hear. He doesn’t have her number but Liv has his, she has had his number for yonks, she knows he is an ineffectual man-child to be handled in a particular fashion, until he gets out of office and then he can get out of her hair!

Olivia has got his number, she’s been keeping tabs on him- Amanda Tanner,  baby Teddy, when he dumped her on the altar and went back to Mellie, Surveillancegate. Olivia sees him for what he is, she sees their f*cked up relationship for what it is however, she has always had to swallow her pride and contain things in order to uphold her legacy and maintain her hold on power. 

 If she didn’t want to get married, all Olivia had to do was say no/ fall sick/ run away whatever. She freed her father because that was the most effective way to kill that Inquiry. The marriage was only going to offer limited immunity to two parties; herself and Fitz. The Inquiry would have easily worked around them and subpoenaed the whole of DC to the stand. Heck, I bet you some people would have volunteered to  come forward in the hope of currying favour with the next administration (e.g the intelligence officers involved in the ransom negotiations). The Inquiry was out to get Fitz..I mean, look at the way they butchered Mellie on the stand! Fitz would never have been able to withstand the drip...drip from the stand or the constant media reports. He would have become a lame duck president- unable to govern, unable to pass legislation, unable to uphold the standing of the country on the international stage. I mean, so beleaguered was Clinton at the height of the Lewinsky mess that in order to look robust and masculine, large and in charge, he took to bombing Sudan under the guise of smoking out Bin Laden (all this at the behest of fellow Democrats) *SMDH*. So  all this talk about Liv freeing her father in order to dodge the marriage is somehow inaccurate. She freed her father to save Fitz... to spare the Oval further embarrassment...in order to cover a hella of what had gone before...to ensure tht none of them ended up in jail...to protect her legacy. People, you forget that in Fitz, Olivia Pope actually has a legacy, that she has some serious cache from  having made a president!

tonight’s episode of #scandal was pro choice and AMAZING. screencaps from bustle.com

And that right there to me is the death toll for Olitz. Not the lies, or the betrayals, but the fact that Olivia doesn’t want Fitz–not all of him at least. 

You can forgive someone for betraying you, and you can look the other way when they lie but when somebody doesn’t want you, the real you? There’s not coming back from that IMO. 

Olivia has not interest in being Fitz’s First Lady. She has no interest in being his wife or the mother of his children. That is not what she wants from him. She doesn’t want a white picket fence, or jam in Vermont. She wanted a part of Fitz when it was convenient for her and that’s pretty much it. 

The way Shonda (and the writers) broke down Olitz was something of a master piece. I know some people are acting all shocked and surprised that this is happening but Shonda has been planting these seeds since Season 1.  Olivia always ran because Fitz wasn’t what she wanted. She ALWAYS ran. This is not brand new information. The only difference now is that Fitz effectively caged her in almost every imaginable way until she had her back against the wall. At the point she was getting free by any means necessary, first by releasing her father (and removing the need for a wedding), then by the abortion, and finally by breaking things off with Fitz and leaving the White House.

 Fitz has spoken his truth, he thinks they are fit for purpose and he wants Olivia to don the mantle of mother, father, lover and stepford wife. 

Olivia has spoken her truth, they are broken (always have been), he is  ineffectual and she has zero interest in being Martha Stewart- in other words, First Lady? NO. Co-President? Yes.