RECAP & REVIEW: Scandal “Enemy of the State” S1 E4

This is very quickly becoming one of my favorite shows on TV.  This show is on fire.  While we continue to have our case of the week, it’s the Amanda Tanner/President Fitz case that has me on the edge of my seat dying to know what is going to happen next.  Who’s good, who’s bad?  Who’s right, who’s wrong?   Who’s telling the truth?  Who’s lying?  Every time we get an answer to one question, it leads us to another.  If you aren’t watching Scandal, what’s wrong with you?

I had many favorite moments in this episodes.  One of the most clever was how we received background on the team at Olivia Pope & Associates.  It’s been clear since the beginning that these people would run through fire for Olivia.   But we don’t know why.  These people could have prestigious jobs in any law or security firm in the country but instead choose to work for Olivia.  Why?  With war being declared between OP & A and the White House, Cyrus has a team come in and give him the background on each person working for Olivia including Olivia herself.  It made perfect sense and gave us a peek behind the curtain to each of Olivia’s team member.  The most revealing being that Abby came to work for Olivia after she got her out of an abusive marriage.  The second most revealing being that Quinn didn’t exist before 2009.  Finally, that character is getting interesting.

Another great moment (actually two moments) were Abby’s speech to Olivia and Cyrus’ speech to the President.  Both took a lot of guts and brutal honesty and both are what the individuals needed to hear.  I thought the same thing Abby thought.  Why in the world would Olivia take the case of a known dictator who is an enemy of the state?   Take that a step further, why would she side with said dictator after she learns that his “missing” wife isn’t missing at all.  She fled to a woman’s shelter because she is afraid of him and doesn’t love him anymore.  She wants to take her kids away from this horrible man.  So Olivia’s allegiance is to the dictator?  I don’t get it and I was 100% behind everything Abby did.  Including her talk with Olivia (which was more of a screaming match.)  She reminded Olivia that she was the one who helped her get out of her abusive marriage and that after her husband broke her ribs and dislocated her jaw, it was Olivia who took a tire iron to his kneecaps.  Now that’s an Olivia I would like to see more of.  It woke up something in Olivia and she decided to align with the wife and get her away from her marriage and get her children out of a dangerous situation.  Now the speech Olivia gave to General Flores was completely over the top and unrealistic but I can look past it because in the end, he leaves and Mrs. Flores and her children are granted asylum in the USA.

As for Cyrus’ talk with President Fitz, it was brilliant.  Jeff Perry has been sensational in these first handful of episodes. He lays out for the President exactly what will happen as this Amanda Tanner storyline progresses and the story ends with President Fitz putting a bullet in his head.  It was a brutally graphic but probably true depiction of what happens to people in situations like this.  But similar to Olivia, it was the kick in the ass the President needed to remind himself why he got into politics in the first place and that from now on, it is game on.  Sweet!

Now, we have Amanda Tanner.  Two HUGE things happened.  First, we learned through a phone call she placed that she is lying about something.  Second, is that after that phone call and after the President decides he is ready to play ball, Amanda is kidnapped.  You know who I think is behind this whole thing?   The First Lady.  Mellie Grant is one tough lady.  We know she knew about the affair and when Fitz asked her if she could walk away from all of this, she was vehemently against it.  She basically bitch slapped him and told him to get his head out of his ass.  One.  Tough.  Lady.   So I wouldn’t be surprised if she is behind getting Amanda to lie about whatever she’s lying about.  Why would the First Lady want to do this?   To destroy Fitz and Olivia’s relationship which was obviously affecting him in a way that could negatively impact his status as POTUS.  The question is, what is Amanda lying about?  It’s not the pregnancy because Olivia made her take 5 tests.   It could be the fact that the President is the father of the baby.  But you would think the people behind this would know that is so easy to disproved with a paternity test so it makes me think it’s something else.  Something bigger.  Maybe Amanda was talking to someone else (not the First Lady but someone in her regime) about how she can’t lie to Olivia anymore.  Is the lie the fact that this was set up from the beginning by the First Lady?  Meaning she wanted Amanda to seduce her husband to set this all in motion.  But it would take a lot of planning and things to fall just right for it to land in front of Olivia and therefore move her plan forward.  It’s not impossible but it’s a little harder to believe.  Regardless, I think Mellie is behind this whole thing.

I can’t wait for next week’s episode!  If you haven’t watched Scandal yet, please, I implore you to go check it out on-line or on demand so you can watch these last three episodes with me and enjoy it as much as I do!

 

QUICK REVIEW: Private Practice

During Charlotte’s storyline earlier in the season, I was reviewing this with more regularity because of the severity of the story and the amount of substance to discuss.  But I hadn’t watched PP since the beginning of March so I had to catch up so I could review the upcoming wedding of Charlotte and Cooper and of course the eventually season finale.

Addison

Addison has had 2 major things happen to her…Bizzy killed herself and she has realized that she wants a baby and isn’t going to wait any longer because she has waited long enough.   Addison is slowly dealing with the loss of her mother and as a result has decided she wants a baby.   Addison has mentioned this before and this is not news to us but it coming more to the forefront now.  Sam, who she is still dating, has mentioned that he isn’t sure he wants anymore children.  So Addison gives him an ultimatum…either stay with me and we have a baby now or we go our separate ways.

This is tough because I see both sides of this argument.  While I am not a big believer in ultimatums (in fact I hate them) I can understand why Addison is doing what she is doing.   Her speech last week really highlighted the dilemma  a lot of women face….do I stay with the man I love even though he may not want to have kids, he’s unsure about having kids (or more kids in this case), or he just isn’t ready right now.  Addison is in her mid 40s and physically, she cannot have a child.  It isn’t possible for her.  But she could adopt or go the surrogate route.   She has several options.  What she doesn’t have is patience because she feels she has been patient long enough and now this is a priority for her.  I don’t blame her at all.  However, she decided to fall in love with a man who was married before (to her best friend) and already had his child who is now grown, married, and has her own child.  He mentioned that he doesn’t want anymore children.  I’m not sure if Addison knew that going in, but knowing Sam’s situation she had to wonder.   Now she is pressuring him to make a decision.   This isn’t something you can rush into or decide on quickly.  It’s obvious Sam made up his mind to not have anymore children yet he is in love with someone who wants kids.  He may need time to think about that one.  But Addison has made it perfectly clear that she isn’t waiting anymore so he needs to decide.  He asks if they are breaking up then.

I never liked Addison and Sam.  First, I don’t think there is any chemistry there.  Second, I had a HUGE problem with her dating her best friend’s ex-husband.   Major no-no in my book.  So I think they should break up.  Add in the fact Addison wants a kid like yesterday and Sam doesn’t want a kid (or at least wants more than a few days to make up his mind), they should part ways now while they can still be friends.  I hope that happens.

Sam and Naomi

When last I had seen, they slept together.  I think they slept together.  Well they at least kissed.   Now here is a couple with chemistry.  And while it seemed to me that Sam was excited about exploring what that meant between them, Naomi didn’t want to look back and in fact, wanted to forget what happened.   Bummer.   I know I shouldn’t get my hopes up since Audra McDonald is leaving but I always loved Sam and Naomi.

Naomi right now is having a crisis of conscience.  She doesn’t want to be at Oceanside anymore.  In fact, she doesn’t want to be in the Los Angeles area any more.  She has been very unhappy and she realizes that when she was most happy was when she was traveling the world building hospitals and saving children who really needed her help.   So she decides to leave and go back to that life.  I couldn’t be happier for Naomi.  Sad for me as a viewer that she is going away but thrilled for her character.  I’m also glad that the annoying Fife is now gone.  I never liked him.  I never saw the appeal.  So I’m glad that she will go off ALONE and leave Fife behind.  And she said “you’re part of my past Gabriel.”   Thank God!

Pete and Violet

These two have annoyed me during various parts of the season but Pete more so than Violet.  He has been a complete and utter hypocrite that thankfully Amelia called him out on being.   During one episode, he lied about a patient’s health so that she could keep her baby.  It could have been dangerous for the baby but Pete thought it was what was right so therefore, lied so he could get the outcome he wanted.  I have issues with Cooper about this as well but Cooper is VERY different from Pete (more on that in his section.)  While Cooper and Pete both push their patients to do what THEY think is right, Pete sometimes goes overboard…like conspiring with a patient to lie to her family so she can keep her baby.  In the meantime, also completely disrespecting Amelia as a doctor for not thinking she would figure it out.  But the tables turned and a friend of Amelia’s came in for a test to see if she had Huntington’s disease.  The test confirmed she was positive but Amelia lied to her and told her it was negative.  The reason why…her friend said she would kill herself if it was positive.  She wanted to protect her friend so she lied.  Also WRONG.  Pete was giving Amelia all kinds of grief about keeping this from her and he wouldn’t let it go.  At one point, Amelia reminded him that this is coming from the same guy who lied to his patient about being able to see so she could defraud her family into keeping her baby.  He immediately shut up.

Then there was the whole story with his mother.  I know this sounds terrible, but I don’t really care about this and FF through most of it.  Pete’s always hated her (and right fully so based on the stories told about how she raised him) and his brother always supported her and gave Pete grief when he wouldn’t.  She was in jail but now she’s out because she was so sick (due to Pete’s brother drugging her) she had to get help.  Everyone was pushing Pete to make up with his mother before she died and he sort of kind of did.  Then she died.  Why was everyone pushing this on him?   He had a right to feel the way he felt.   If he chose not to forgive his mother, so be it.  I know that sounds cold, but I’m not in his shoes.  I can’t begin to understand how that woman made him feel but I should respect it and let him handle it how he sees fit.  Why push him to forgive someone he doesn’t want to forgive and quite frankly, doesn’t deserve it?

Violet has been promoting her book.  As a result, Katie, the woman who attacked Violet and took Lucas from her and left her for dead, is suing her for breach of patient/doctor confidentiality.  Violet goes to see her and tries to talk her out of it.   But Katie explains that she is trying to move on with her life after tons and tons of counseling.  Violet tries to explain to her that her book was part of Violet’s healing process.   But Katie tells her, that people aren’t stupid and are able to figure out that the person in the book is her and therefore, she can’t move on with her life.  I have to side with Violet here.  If I have to give the nod to anyone having a leg up in the healing process, it’s Violet.  If that is what she needed to do to heal, so be it.  If it makes it harder for Katie, oh well.  Katie violently attacked her and while I believe she deserves to get help, her healing comes second to Violet’s.  Sorry.  Eventually Katie realizes this as well and she comes to Violet to apologize for projecting her issues onto her and that she will drop the lawsuit.  She also gives a very heartfelt apology to Violet for what she did to her and I believed her.

Cooper and Charlotte

The wedding is coming and they are prepping for their happy day.  Charlotte still had a picture of her ex-husband lying around which of course Cooper had an issue with.  So he goes to see the ex-husband and we learn that Cooper has nothing to worry about because Charlotte’s ex-husband is gay.  It leads to a great conversation with Charlotte and the ex because he explains to her that the reason he cheated on her was to see if it was her he had an issues with or all women.   Turns out, it’s all women.  She’s beating herself up for not seeing it and he reminds her that if he wasn’t 100% sure himself, how could she know?  It was a great moment and it confirmed what we already know…Cooper is THE one for Charlotte.

I’ve always really liked Cooper and if I were a kid, I’d want him as my pediatrician.  However, like Pete, he can get a little tunneled visioned on what is best for the patient.  Unlike Pete, he doesn’t lie to them.   I really do believe Cooper pushes so hard because he cares so deeply for his patients and just wants what is best for them.   The problem is, you can’t disagree with him.  He thinks he always knows what is best and will do whatever it takes to get his patient to do what he wants.  I thought doctors were supposed to present the options, talk about the rewards and risks of all options, and then let the patient decide.  If the patient doesn’t do what he wants, he will talk to them till he is blue in his face until they change their mind.  Like the case where the minor is one of the best pianists in the world.  The one operation (brain surgery) will save his hand so he can continue to play but he could POSSIBLY be paralyzed as a result.  Not definitely, possibly.  The other procedure is safer but he would lose all feeling in one hand and therefore never be able to play again.  The patient wants the surgery that will spare his hand.   Cooper is so against this but in my opinion, it’s not his choice.  He and Amelia presented the options and the patient chose.  He didn’t like it so he is trying to change his mind.   Not your call dude.  It’s not a matter of life of death.   it’s a matter of losing ability of a hand or a possibly leg.  What do you think the concert pianist wants?  And the leg thing wasn’t a guarantee…only  a possibility.   I just wish that sometimes Cooper wouldn’t be so pig-headed and respect his patients’ choices even though they may disagree with what HE thinks they should do.

Sheldon

The only thing I really want to say here is how awful a friend I thought Violet was to him.  This man has twice fallen for someone (Violet and Charlotte) who was in love with someone else (Pete and Cooper.)   Now he finally found someone who he likes and because it happened to be the woman who gave her book a bad review, she thought he shouldn’t see her.  She said if they were really friends, he wouldn’t pursue it.   I think that’s horrible.   Get over it Violet and stop being an asshole.   If you were really his friend, you would see how happy he is and put your own insecurities behind you and let him be happy.   She eventually does but I thought she was awful for how she was treating him.

Amelia

I love this character and I really wish we could give her more storylines.  Also a love interest.  This girl needs some loving!!!!   But I’m really happy she’s been added to the cast and now I am ready to see her character grow to the next level.

Still have to watch the wedding episode from last week and the season finale will be here before you know it!!!!  Boy it was a fast, but strong season for PP!!!

 

REVIEW: Private Practice “Can’t Find My Way Home” S4 E9

I have very mixed feelings about this week.  I am very happy that Charlotte picked that jerk out of a lineup and decided to put him behind bars.   But I am really not sure about how Cooper found out.  I am so pissed about it but happy at the same time, if that makes any sense.   Let’s clear out the other cases first.

Pete/Adam/Mama Wilder

During the Halloween episode, we found out why Pete is estranged from his family…his mom was a drunk and skanky ho who always had a different man around all the time and his brother always made excuses for her.  The one man who stuck around, Henry, and was the closest thing Pete ever had to a father, she killed him and was sent to prison for manslaughter.    Pete never forgave her and Adam stood by her side.   Now she is dying and Adam has come to see Pete to ask for his help.  Adam is an attorney and he wants Pete to find a way to get her released from prison, medically, which is apparently possible if she has a condition that can’t be treated in prison.  Pete is really struggling with what he should do and Violet is being very supportive by not pushing him but offering up different reasons for both sides and having his back on whatever he chooses.  He decides to visit his mother and he agrees to come up with a reason to get her out.  But when he goes back to see his mom and she says she’ll tell Pete whatever he wants to hear because she doesn’t know what he wants from her, he realizes he knows exactly what he wants from her….absolutely nothing.   He leaves her and decides he will not lie to get her out of jail because she deserves to be there.  When he is back at home, Adam stops by and is pretty upset with Pete.  He asks once again to help their mom and Pete refuses.  Adam gives him an ultimatum and says if he doesn’t help their mom, then they are done.  It’s not much of an ultimatum since they hadn’t spoken in about 20 years.  Pete sticks to his guns (good job Pete) and Adam leaves.

Addison/Amelia/Seizure Case

A woman and her daughter come in to see Addison because the daughter hasn’t gotten her period and all her other friends have.  When Addison tells her she’s fine and not to worry, her mother collapses and has a seizure.  Her daughter knows exactly what to do and is able to help her mom through it.   Turns out the seizures started after a car accident they had in which her father was killed and her mother suffered head trauma resulting in the seizures.  Amelia wants to perform a surgery on the exact spot that is causing the seizures so they will stop and her mother can live a seizure free life.   Addison is there to tell the patient all the side effects and all the things that can go wrong and that maybe waiting and seeing if the seizures can be managed without the surgery.  The mother decides to opt for no surgery stating that she and her daughter are managing just fine.   Amelia asks to see Addison private and they have it out about their different sides.   Now I have to agree with Amelia on this.   Addison isn’t a neurologist.  Even though she’s a physician, what gives her the expertise to tell this patient what is the right course of action?   She doesn’t.  She should have deferred to Amelia’s judgement and discussed her opinion with her in private or suggested and second neuro consult.  In the end, the daughter just wants her mom to do whatever makes her happy but the daughter would rather her have the surgery.   She tells her mom this and they decide to go for it.   Amelia performs successful surgery and the mom will be just fine.  She is really excited and wants to go celebrate and she sees Cooper in the elevator and asks if he wants to go out.   He tells her that when Charlotte was attacked, he was with her, flirting with her, and getting drunk with her.   He doesn’t want to go out with her and basically wants Amelia to never be near him ever again.   Ouch.     That’s not fair.   However I can understand his reaction (but I hope he apologizes to her later) which leads us to….

Charlotte/Cooper/Violet

Cooper and Charlotte are at the police station because Charlotte was asked to identify the man they have in custody (thanks to Sheldon) in a lineup.  She refuses to do it and leaves.  Back at Oceanside, Addison, Violet, and Sheldon are all in the break room when Charlotte comes in to ask who else they told.  Sheldon admits he told the police and Addison admits she submitted the rape kit, Charlotte asked her not to do to being with, to the police as well.   Charlotte is livid at this point and I don’t blame her.   She storms out to her office.   Cooper, who is the only one besides Naomi who still doesn’t know,  goes to Violet and asks her to talk to Charlotte about going back to ID the perp so he can go to jail.  Violet goes to Charlotte and tells her the story about her rape trial and how she noticed one particular woman in the seats everyday of the case.  In the end, the woman thanks Violet because she had the courage to do what she couldn’t…face her attacker.   Violet’s rapist had raped that woman 6 months before.   Violet tells Charlotte she just wanted to punch her because if she had come forward and put the bastard away, Violet would never have been raped.  Charlotte tells her to get out.  Next, Sheldon comes to see Charlotte about doing the line up so they can arrest Lee.  Seriously people, can you leave this poor woman ALONE!!   She shoos him away too and he leaves dejected.  But something worked, because Charlotte tells Coop that she will go back to police station to ID the guy but that she wants Violet to go with her, because of her experience with Katie.  Coop is fine with that.

The go to the cop shop and Charlotte and Violet are going through the line up.  When Charlotte gets to #4, Lee, she says “he’s not here” and she leaves.  Outside, Violet asks her “it was #4 wasn’t it?”  Charlotte denies it but Violet sees right through it.   When Violet goes to bring up another one of her stories, Charlotte has had enough.   She lets her have it and tells her to back off and stop comparing their situations.   Violet is really frustrated with her and Charlotte is ready to kill Violet.   Now here is where things get fuzzy.  Back at the office, Coop sees Charlotte and asks how it went and she tells him the guys wasn’t there.   Coop is confused because the cops were so sure they had the right guy, but Charlotte says no.  Coop is really upset and Violet sees this.   She goes into Cooper’s office and announces she is going to break a promise  because the lie is wrong and it’s a bad thing.   She tells Cooper that Charlotte was raped and he is devastated.

Later that night, when Coop comes home and he looks at Charlotte, she knows immediately that he knows and she begins to cry.   Coop then sits across from her and says that he loves her and that he will always love her.   He tells her that the guy needs to pay.  She has to be able to sleep, and breathe, and be her again.  He’ll get a gun, he’ll make it look like a mugging, he doesn’t care what happens to him, but the man will not go free.  He says it calmly but firmly, but you know that he is dead serious.  Charlotte knows it too and she makes him stop talking, touches his face, and gives him a smile thanking him for his love and support.   I love how Cooper handled this situation.  It wasn’t about him or the fact that she didn’t tell him about this.   This was about wanting to punish the man who did this to her and to show Charlotte his never-ending love and support of her.  This was the kick in the ass she needed to get her strength to go back to the police station and positively ID Lee, while holding Coopers hand.   You the see the power, the control, the “Charlotte” back in her face as she IDs Lee.  And you start to notice that Charlotte will be Charlotte once again, eventually, with Cooper right by her side, not letting her fall.

Here is where my mixed feelings come in.  I think it’s great that everyone wants to rally around Charlotte and punish the bastard who did this to her, not only for Charlotte’s state of mind, but for the safety of other women.  I think it’s great that she has so many people who love and care about her that they will put their friendships on the line to make sure she is protected and safe.   BUT, they have no right to force her to handle this how they think she should handle it.  I understand wanting justice and wanting to make sure he doesn’t do this to someone else.   But that is Charlotte’s decision, not theirs.   And however she chooses to handle it, they should support it.    After some time has passed, if they want to try to broach the subject of her fighting her attacker again, that’s fine.   But respect her wishes and choices.   And how DARE you tell her fiance?  She should tell him when she is ready.   And if she is never ready, so be it.  Again, HER decision.  Not Violet’s.   But I guess you can’t argue with how it turned out because had it not been for Violet doing what she did and Cooper reacting the way he did, Lee may never have been IDed and gone free.  So was it really wrong?  I still think it was.   Even though the result is what we all wanted, Lee getting arrested for the crime, I don’t like the way it went down.  And I’m sure down the road when Charlotte starts to recover and get back to part of herself, she will thank everyone for pushing and showing their support.   And what really is the right thing to do?   Ignore the wishes of your colleague/friend and submit evidence to the police and tell her fiance so that she can start to heal and they can protect this from happening to someone else?  Or support her decisions, whether you agree or not, and be there for her and not judge her.  It’s a tough call.