Scandal Season 4 Episode 21 Review: A Few Good Women
Miranda Wicker
at
.
Updated at
.
Shonda Rhimes continues her foray into social justice, public service announcements tonight with Scandal Season 4 Episode 21.
The story of a naval officer who accuses her superior of rape and the subsequent statistics about how uncommon it is for a woman in the military not only to come forward but to get justice was on point.
This episode just served up a piping hot plate of Girl Power for dinner and dessert and it was delicious.
For a show like Scandal where so much of what happens week to week seems so far outside the realm of possibility and reality, episodes like "A Few Good Women" that deal with relevant, current topics are always a treat, particularly when they come from Shonda Rhimes, a woman notorious for having her finger on the pulse of both current events and women's issues.
While I can't speak to the specifics of the real military and rape culture inside that establishment, I can definitely speak to rape culture at large and those who believe they're untouchable, too rich or famous or whatever to pay for their crimes against women. Not personally, but from a sociological standpoint.
It's always good to see writers and directors and producers using their platforms to make a stand about issues which affect not just women but all people. It might seem trivial to think about a show like Scandal changing anyone's opinion on a topic, but some people watch these fictionalized accounts of life and infer their own meaning after determining the relevance of the topic at hand.
Having just come back from a conference designed to empower women and given the recent breaking news about 214 of Boko Haram's captives being returned, pregnant, this feels like a pretty fantastic way to help shape and change the nation's hivemind about women's rights. It's easy to look at something like Boko Haram and say that it's abhorrent, but stories like the one in tonight's fictionalized account are commonplace and we overlook them every day.
You get it, Shonda! Thanks for making us pay attention.
It was amazing to watch the women come together tonight in support of Ensign Martin. Olivia with Quinn as her right hand, Abby stepping into the game, even Mellie getting in on the action thanks to Fitz being willing to find another way to get justice were all fantastic aspects of the night. "A Few Good Women" indeed. This show has them in spades and tonight was their turn to shine.
Speaking of shiner, Russell has one of those, plus myriad other bruises to last him a good long while. Or until Rowan kills him and frames Olivia for it, which I in absolutely no way at all would put past him, by the way. The man is evil enough to put her behind bars because then he knows where he an keep her, like a caged bird.
Watching Jake and Russell sit down and talk about the ways they're the same because Command created them both was interesting. Jake wants to walk away from that life, or at least that's what he tells himself. Russell is happy being Rowan's imperfect minion. Both of them seemed to be disgusted at the way they were used against Olivia.
I definitely didn't see the JAG being the one to rescue Russell from Huck. I didn't see that coming at all.
Ultimately, we're no better off now than we've ever been in figuring out how the heck to cut the head off this snake and have it stay dead, but it's beyond time for that to take place. We cannot start Scandal Season 5 with Papa Pope still on the loose, still killing people, still interfering with his daughter's intimate life. Never have I ever wanted a character to get a comeuppance so terribly. Never ever.
My fingers are crossed that Scandal Season 4 Episode 22 brings about the end of Papa Pope.
What did you think of "A Few Good Women"? Are you a fan of the PSA episodes like this one? Jump into the comments below with your answers and remember to watch Scandal online ahead of next week's finale.
Miranda Wicker was a Staff Writer for TV Fanatic. She retired in 2017. Follow her on Twitter.
