To start off, this episode got me a bit emotional and so much happened that I feel the need to use headers like I'm doing a paper for school. Not that things were that complicated, but what you take away from the episode has that type of impact that usually only an Oscar caliber movie do to you. So, with that said, let's begin.
The Need to be Wanted, Needed, and Loved
The focus for this episode is largely on Lisa Kudrow's character, Congresswoman Josephine Marcus, and we focus on the reveal of her child having a child at 15. Now, Cyrus knows and then Olivia finds out through the associates spending time in Montana. What this leads to is a reveal of Congresswoman Marcus' daughter never truly leaving her side, and she tries so hard to hide this for the impact doesn't just affect her, and the way Kudrow handles her scenes make you believe she at least deserves a nomination for an Emmy or Golden Globe (I forget which one has the category for best guest spot). For, as with most of the people Olivia serve, her scenes setup something which reveals aspects of the overall show. Such as the idea of how much relationships matter, be it platonic, those in love, or those who seek the need to be wanted and loved, even if not the way they want to be or deserve.
Take Eli for example. He released Jake on the sole reason of trying to get his daughter back. Unfortunately though, he gets as much out of her as he could an escort. He gets her company yes, but the daughter he grew up with, took care of, and assisted in raising, he is cut off from that and strangely you feel sorry for him. Be it because you know he cares, but is like many a parent who is unsure how to show it without going too far, it is hard for me to hate him as her father. At the same time, he isn't the only one pushed out. Quinn has basically become an intern with a desk at this point. Possibly due to digging too far into Huck to the point where she made the rest of the associates uncomfortable, it seems the amount of trust she had built last season is gone and now she does miscellaneous work and when she catches onto something she is, as Harrison says, "grounded" and the more senior members take over.
But the real meat of this whole topic is the need loved as you want to be. To start off simple, take Abby and David's relationship. Though we have seen the sex is good for them, they have an issue with stuff outside of that and part of the issue is communication. Abby is good at manipulating, but her own feelings are largely hidden if they aren't superficial. So when she avoids David to get out of the White House Correspondence Dinner, it is misunderstood as a game, and not her trying to avoid her ex-husband.
Then there is Mellie who we saw possibly having a glimmer of hope in getting her husband back when Fitz defended her, but such got quickly dashed once more as Olivia was the one he turned to when it came to his jokes for the correspondence dinner. Which leads to Olivia's need to be wanted and loved herself. Jake, as we have seen, has stepped up and been far more kind than we often have seen Fitz, but Olivia can't shake the need to hear Fitz's voice and be wanted by him. She even tries to reassure Jake by throwing away her Fitz phone, but as soon as he calls she is like a teenager again waiting for her boyfriend to call after their first date. She is all smiles, and Kerry Washington herself looks so youthful like she is 16 and in love again. And Jake realizes this as he sits through the dinner and goes through the motions. He realizes that ultimately he can't compete, and Mellie does as well. So, while she doesn't necessarily admit defeat, she does admit Olivia can't be taken out of Fitz's life and expected to be all he can be. Thus, leading Mellie to ask Olivia to be Fitz's campaign manager.
The Betrayal
However, as Fitz makes moves, as does Congresswoman Marcus, so does Sally. She looks into Leo Bergen for being her campaign manager for a 3rd party campaign, but perhaps the biggest betrayal comes from Project Remington. As we know, Fitz was involved with the piloting, but according to Jake, he was only seen at debriefing. What we learn is that Fitz was flying a plane during Remington, but not one in, or to, Iran. He was flying one in Iceland and remember in episode 4 when I mentioned Olivia's mom's death being hinted at, well surprisingly I hit the nail on the head. For, seemingly Fitz piloted the plane which crashed and killed Olivia's mom. Now, how will Olivia take this is unknown, but considering Fitz's association with B6-13, it makes you wonder the exact details of what lead to Mya Lewis, aka Olivia's mom, dying.
The Need to be Wanted, Needed, and Loved
The focus for this episode is largely on Lisa Kudrow's character, Congresswoman Josephine Marcus, and we focus on the reveal of her child having a child at 15. Now, Cyrus knows and then Olivia finds out through the associates spending time in Montana. What this leads to is a reveal of Congresswoman Marcus' daughter never truly leaving her side, and she tries so hard to hide this for the impact doesn't just affect her, and the way Kudrow handles her scenes make you believe she at least deserves a nomination for an Emmy or Golden Globe (I forget which one has the category for best guest spot). For, as with most of the people Olivia serve, her scenes setup something which reveals aspects of the overall show. Such as the idea of how much relationships matter, be it platonic, those in love, or those who seek the need to be wanted and loved, even if not the way they want to be or deserve.
Take Eli for example. He released Jake on the sole reason of trying to get his daughter back. Unfortunately though, he gets as much out of her as he could an escort. He gets her company yes, but the daughter he grew up with, took care of, and assisted in raising, he is cut off from that and strangely you feel sorry for him. Be it because you know he cares, but is like many a parent who is unsure how to show it without going too far, it is hard for me to hate him as her father. At the same time, he isn't the only one pushed out. Quinn has basically become an intern with a desk at this point. Possibly due to digging too far into Huck to the point where she made the rest of the associates uncomfortable, it seems the amount of trust she had built last season is gone and now she does miscellaneous work and when she catches onto something she is, as Harrison says, "grounded" and the more senior members take over.
But the real meat of this whole topic is the need loved as you want to be. To start off simple, take Abby and David's relationship. Though we have seen the sex is good for them, they have an issue with stuff outside of that and part of the issue is communication. Abby is good at manipulating, but her own feelings are largely hidden if they aren't superficial. So when she avoids David to get out of the White House Correspondence Dinner, it is misunderstood as a game, and not her trying to avoid her ex-husband.
Then there is Mellie who we saw possibly having a glimmer of hope in getting her husband back when Fitz defended her, but such got quickly dashed once more as Olivia was the one he turned to when it came to his jokes for the correspondence dinner. Which leads to Olivia's need to be wanted and loved herself. Jake, as we have seen, has stepped up and been far more kind than we often have seen Fitz, but Olivia can't shake the need to hear Fitz's voice and be wanted by him. She even tries to reassure Jake by throwing away her Fitz phone, but as soon as he calls she is like a teenager again waiting for her boyfriend to call after their first date. She is all smiles, and Kerry Washington herself looks so youthful like she is 16 and in love again. And Jake realizes this as he sits through the dinner and goes through the motions. He realizes that ultimately he can't compete, and Mellie does as well. So, while she doesn't necessarily admit defeat, she does admit Olivia can't be taken out of Fitz's life and expected to be all he can be. Thus, leading Mellie to ask Olivia to be Fitz's campaign manager.
The Betrayal
However, as Fitz makes moves, as does Congresswoman Marcus, so does Sally. She looks into Leo Bergen for being her campaign manager for a 3rd party campaign, but perhaps the biggest betrayal comes from Project Remington. As we know, Fitz was involved with the piloting, but according to Jake, he was only seen at debriefing. What we learn is that Fitz was flying a plane during Remington, but not one in, or to, Iran. He was flying one in Iceland and remember in episode 4 when I mentioned Olivia's mom's death being hinted at, well surprisingly I hit the nail on the head. For, seemingly Fitz piloted the plane which crashed and killed Olivia's mom. Now, how will Olivia take this is unknown, but considering Fitz's association with B6-13, it makes you wonder the exact details of what lead to Mya Lewis, aka Olivia's mom, dying.
