Is there hope for Olivia?

On Scandal Season 5 Episode 17, our lead Gladiator went a little too far ... and murdered someone!

Below, TV Fanatics Christine Hinton, Jim Garner and Paul Dailly discuss her big kill, Abby's next move and whether Marcus should be in the know...

React to Olivia and the chair.

Christine: Who’s the monster now? How are we supposed to root for Liv when she does horrific stuff like this? Don’t get me wrong, Andrew was scum and I won’t miss him but for her to bash his skull to pieces and then order people around about how to handle it while covered in his blood was too much for me.

Jim: I was wondering why they kept throw up the parental guidance warning. While it horrifying at the same time we've all know that darkness was in Olivia. I'm not sure where she goes from here.

Paul: That was quite the shocker and it proved to use that this isn’t the same Olivia Pope we met a few years ago.

What will Abby's next move be?

Christine: I don’t know. Obviously she and Olivia will never be the same. Having once been in an abusive relationship, Abby isn’t about to give up the power she has now. Olivia was really condescending with Abby and Abby pushed back. Olivia has always been a role model for Abby. Something tells me that just changed.

Jim: I was surprised that Abby turned on Olivia so completely, to the point of kicking her from the White House. That certainly seems like something that would be impossible to come back from.

Paul: I have a feeling she’s going to focus her efforts on taking Olivia down, but Olivia won’t go down without a fight.

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How long will Olivia be under her father's spell?

Christine: He’s not about to let her go easily and we know she’s also drawn to Jake who is also under Rowan’s thumb. Olivia has definitely gone over to the dark side! I don’t know if she’ll ever make it the whole way back.

Jim: I agree Christine, she's tasted the power of the dark side and she's liking it at the moment. We knew the kidnapping was going to have a lasting effect, this certainly seems to be the way it is manifesting itself.

Paul: She’s going to be with him at least until the end of the season, but there’s no telling what her next move will be.

What's Cyrus really up to?

Christine: He really needs to be more subtle with ousting Vargas brother from the campaign. I don’t see how Cyrus having an affair is a big deal. Cyrus isn’t running for office and both he and his husband know this is a marriage of convenience so I’m not sure what will come of him being outed.

Jim: Christine, you're not seeing the whole picture. Once Vargas' brother can prove that Tom was at the capital building the night he got shot, it won't take long for him to put together that Cyrus manipulated the entire thing to get Vargas' name known.

Paul: I like your thinking, Jim! Vargas has got to be the most annoying character this season, but if he brings Cyrus down a few pegs, I’m sure I can watch.

Are the gladiators right to keep Marcus out of the loop?

Christine: Absolutely! Does he really want to know he’s working with a bunch of murderers because that’s what the gladiators have become! He’s the only normal one in the bunch and unless OPA is going to turn into assassins for hire, then they need someone normal in their midst.

Jim: Marcus is the "new Quinn" someone who is mostly normal. They are trying to help him not fall to the mess that Quinn eventually ended up getting into. But, I suspect it's just a matter of time before they "break" Marcus and he's wading waist deep in the muck like the rest of them... Only way to stay out of the mess is to not be anywhere near it.

Paul: I think so. I don’t think Marcus could handle the team’s wicked ways just yet.

What did you think of the episode? Hit the comments with your take on the questions!

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