#olake commentary

In this scene, Jake wreaked of desperation. He smelled of a person whose back was against the wall; at least now he does for me. Someone who was anxious. (I had a few prior perceptions of this scene, but I never felt confident about it until now!) Why all the desperation now? Why now when he was able to set her free and live in silent hope, prior? Willing to risk the fact that she may never return? I’ll get more in depth on this point in another post, but currently, Jake’s access to Olivia was in great danger of being sealed up in his being forced to marry another woman. Anything severing Jake & Olivia's total access to one another brings on a state of panic and anxiety, expressed in their very own way. Marriage seals up exits, preventing access to what’s on the other side. Jake believed that Olivia really did love him and would have no problem embracing him if not for her suffering/being bound by the mental and emotional invasion upon her by her father and Fitz. You have to think about Jake's mental/emotional state before he engaged in the manipulation; something he wholly refused to do, to the extent that his life was put in danger for disobeying the order to do so. I believe he wrestled inside with what he knew he was ultimately going to do, something he despised and tried to protect Olivia from. But, losing her again was not an option this time, not after so much life was given to his hope. He couldn’t bear it again. It’s my belief that knowing deep down that Olivia truly did love him and WOULD be with him if not for all the internal confusion, Jake was able to rationalize the engagement of manipulation against his love as being doable. It made him feel more comfortable this time when he so desperately needed it.  In his mind, he was just “helping her along” to where she “should be” and would be if not for all the mental tampering. If he truly believed Olivia did not love him, or would not be with him, free of the barricades, he would not make this effort to take what she would never give. For him, she was stuck. So, he would make the effort to un-stick her. After all, time was running out; he was scheduled to “leave on the midnight train” very soon. He’d be without her. Desperation. It is also my belief that, if he were not getting married, he’d have continued to be patient with Olivia; staying by her side in the way they were, until she finally came around. Of course, that presents its own negative consequences, since what they had at this point was taxing to the soul.

What were the manipulative tactics Jake employed? Jake exploited 4 emotional weaknesses within Olivia that have the effect of drawing her closer to a man; intensifying her desire for them: 1. Jealousy 2. Physical seduction. 3. Need 4. Liv’s competitive nature in not wanting to lose to anything or anyone 5. Conceit: the arousal of Liv’s vanity in being chosen over another grand female, especially a beautiful Caucasian with everything going for her. Oh, Jake KNOWS his Olivia! This is why Jake told Olivia all about Vanessa, her beauty, her pedigree, her achievements, etc. Then, he capped it off with, “But, she’s not you.” He went for FILTH in his tactics! This man isn’t playing around; it’s PERSONAL, and he’s going for it! Down to the most seductive, dripping, arousing, “I… NEED…. YOU…” directly in her ear, over a bed of soft, slow, most accentuated kisses to the neck and face…. Rowan's Jake Ballard, people! Lol!! A most important rationalization that eased Jake’s mind in deciding to manipulate the woman he loves was his decision to clearly and carefully explain to her how to overcome his storm of manipulative tactics:

“Yes, I’ll manipulate her, but I’ll provide her the antidote to my success.”

A true testament to Jake’s desperation at the thought of being severed from Olivia. He knew deep down that providing her an antidote to his efforts didn’t make it any less manipulative (which is partly why he said in 5X18 that they've both done terrible things to one another), but… he’d do it anyway, and honor her antidote if called on. A version of rock bottom for our Jake... As we know, Olivia mustered up the power to say "STOP", above and beyond the power of the tactics used to bate her. Jake obeyed and stopped, immediately. His desperate fight failed; hopes plummeting to the ground. He left heartbroken with a barely audible, “Goodbye Liv”, that she would come to understand the reason behind and regret later on. The somber music, the biting of Jake’s lip as he held back his emotions, hovering over her in silent sadness, knowing that he had to leave her now; It was very sad. He left heartbroken with a barely audible, "Goodbye Liv." As confused as Olivia was, she'd come to understand the reason behind all this later on; her own panic to mirror his. It’s like they were in two different dimensions in this scene: One walking the green mile, the other sitting in total confusion, upset, and wonder. Honestly, it was good this plan didn't work out for him; he'd be burdened by it forever.

PRIMARY JOURNEY:

While the Olake journey’s path focuses on prior to the island and after the island, it is my belief that Olivia’s primary journey – the journey to freedom, self-embracing, self-empowerment, living out loud, etc. – focuses on prior to the red door (mental/emotional barricade), after the revealed existence of a red door, and the final unlocking of the real red door. We finally see the door open at the very end of 5X17 as Olivia walks through it into her father’s home, after killing Andrew. This red door barricade signified dimensions of her truth that she would not and could not allow herself to experience; truths about herself that she would not and could not face. This barricade gave rise to a woman who was masked; a very tight woman who was severely bound up within a facade! This is who we met in season 1, which the season 1 poster expressed very well. There was no title or message attached to season 1’s poster, as with all the others; simply a face shrouded in darkness with the words “Scandal” written across the face. A beautiful face looking so formidable, fierce, confident, and most presentable, yet you knew there was something hidden in the darkness. We just didn’t know what. Season 1’s Olivia came with a meticulously crafted identity residing within a world that was not forgiving to those who defied its rigid protocols. The people of her class were the faces of the most powerful nation in the world, and appearances MUST be kept up! Whatever you do behind closed doors, in the dark, clean public appearances must be kept up in the form of a presentable identity aligning with protocol. Otherwise, you are ejected; the fall from which they don’t intend for you to recover from! This is why a man from Fitz’s Republican Party confronted him on his massive screw up in being caught with a mistress, a BLACK mistress at that; not because he cheated per se, but because his transgressions made it to the public eye. As he told Fitz, “You got caught.” He broke protocol in not keeping up appearances. The major difference between Olivia and Fitz is that Fitz is a white male who “naturally” belonged; there is far more forgiveness for him, especially a king, but Olivia was a black exception within that world, a black FEMALE exception. Twice as hard! Not so forgiving! Stricter protocols since such a world would have no problem ejecting her and dragging for as long as possible! The fall for her would not be the same as for the others; it’s longer and the crash even more vicious. This is what her father taught her. They don’t REALLY care about her, he’d inform her. So, to say the least, the Olivia Pope public identity was a full time job in maintaining in and of itself, ESPECIALLY with the particular skeletons she was hiding! This identity wasn’t something she simply put on and took off like a costume, to exist as true self behind closed doors, no; this was something she believed in, WANTED to believe in, WANTED to be true with every fiber of her being. Nothing behind that barricade, nothing that could be associated with her father’s reprehensible nature and ways could be embraced.

Anything residing on the primary journey path side of the path prior to the opening of the red door would be a problem for Olivia to fully embrace, so long as she was plugged into her world where the Olivia Pope identity reigned. Generally speaking, everything had its “place” in that world, so returning from that island with Jake, even after all the legitimate bonding, was still a problem since the barricade was still up. Unplugging to be on the island was separate from D.C. When Olivia received a letter while on the island, Jake gave her a look to which Olivia looked knowingly at him for as he walked past her. As happy as they were, they still knew what would inevitably happen in returning to D.C. Sure, she tried to maintain their relationship in D.C., by themselves, but it wasn’t wholly embraced by Olivia in D.C., which Jake understood. Yes, she wanted him in her life, but she still had problems reconciling a man into that world, who was meant to exist behind her barricade. The power of what she FELT for this man contrasted with her programming and all that she had built; all she deserved. And, there was indeed a massive attraction to her world and its benefits; it wasn’t like she hated it and felt imprisoned. She just didn’t know how to reconcile things since she saw things in black and white; she had trouble with grey areas. However, Jake only signifies something much greater that she is hiding from. The embracing of him exists in the embracing of a part of herself that she was ashamed of, denied, and afraid to face; a part of herself imprisoned behind her internal barricade. She would need full ownership and embracing of herself, unashamed of all that is her in its full glory before she could ever fully embrace someone like Jake. That couldn’t happen so long as that door stayed locked. This is why everything looked so confused and conflicting and twisted in that relationship. This is how she can be happy with Jake on an island, but still wear Doux Be Be the entire time. This is how we get such confusion and struggle between Jake and Liv in season 4 where they tried in the beginning, only to separate by the end, because Olivia’s internal problem still existed and wasn’t being dealt with. This is how relationships in real life that have a world of potential don’t make it, because they are sitting on a bed of serious, destructive relationship issues that are not being addressed, but ignored. This doesn’t mean that they can’t have wonderful times together that they never want to end. People say, “But, man… They were so in love, I saw it! How could something like this happen to THEM?” Unaddressed problems going into a relationship, especially embedded for years in one dysfunctional participant, is a formidable enemy to relationships that could otherwise have been out of this world and enjoyed for years! It is death patiently waiting to strike. Jake and Olivia are no different.

Olivia’s father knows about this barricade, and he wanted it demolished! Ironically, he was part of the problem, which he won’t admit, yet and still, he wanted it open. He understood that his daughter was living something of a half-life in denying herself. This is why he develops this plan, utilizing the kidnapping, in helping to… push his daughter along the road to freedom. This is where the audience first witnesses the figurative, internal red door in the kidnapping as she goes through a B613 style simulation in freeing herself. As we know, she truly released in 5X17. So, this primary journey is leading Olivia to that very important turning point moment in 5X17. Yes, Jake is someone, a partner, who can be fully embraced and experienced on the other side, but this is not about Jake and their relationship per se; this is about the wholeness of Olivia Pope! A fully occupied Olivia Pope who WOULD embrace Jake Ballard and dare anybody to stop her! There are so many things that the unbound Olivia Pope would embrace, so many exciting things that we can see and experience of her that would happen so long as the barricade remained. This primary journey is about Olivia, FIRST and foremost. She has to be armed with her own self and right before she can be right for someone else, and that doesn’t just happen with the love of a good man, especially in a severe case such as Olivia’s where she refused to face her deeply imbedded issues. Jake, being mixed up with her father and sent to tamper with her even more, certainly didn’t help Olivia’s issues, as hard as he sincerely tried. Her problems were far bigger than Jake and not really about HIM per se, so all that he didn’t couldn’t wrench open a barricade that she refused to even acknowledge, well before he entered her life. Don’t get me wrong, Jake is a wonderful presence in Olivia’s life, and he helped her in so many important ways, but there is but so far he could get in helping someone who refused specific help for something she refused to acknowledge for fears that shouldn’t be undermined! There are things she had to go through and experience the hard way, and in the right time, triggered by her father’s hand in the kidnapping. Lastly, regarding the images at the end of 4X22, directly after Jake left her apartment. As I mentioned above, there is no peace with Jake without Olivia making peace with her own true nature. The island was a very happy place for Olivia when unplugged, with Jake and just happy for herself. In the initial island scene at the beginning of season 4, we initially see Olivia laying out on the beach alone, basking in the sun with a book next to her. After a bit, Jake makes his way to her. So, how I see it, there is Olivia first, by herself happy, and then Jake makes his way to her. We get to see Olivia by herself on the beach for a little bit. In the flash back of the finale, we first see Olivia lying on the beach alone, with a chair next to her, after which the red door is abruptly showed with the distinct sound of a lock and a quick up close shot of the lock. After the barricade of the red door and close up shot of the lock, we see the image of the plane taking off to paradise, and then two shots of Olivia alone on the beach; peace and content written all over her face. This to me shows what she is barricaded from; the life that is waiting for her on the other side of that barricade once she finally faces it to remove the locks and unleash herself. By not addressing her deeply imbedded issues, she is locking ALL of this away; a world that Jake is a part of… This is why you see her on the beach, followed promptly by the door, sound of the lock, and close up of the lock, followed by, again, images of what she is barred from. It’s really herself that she is denying; the paradise of the full experience of herself, which is why we see her on the beach alone, without Jake in those particular flashback images. It’s no mistake that Jake is not within those particular images, especially when he was on the island; it signifies that this primary journey is about OLIVIA and the barricading of herself. Olivia has to complete herself first before embracing Jake.