Scandal Season 5 Episode 17 Review: Thwack

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Can someone politely explain to Olivia Pope that chairs are for sitting and not for bashing out brains?

On Scandal Season 5 Episode 17, Andrew returned into the fold and brought a lot of drama with him. 

He was understandably out for blood because of his predicament, but he's clearly not heard that what goes around comes back around.

It was about time someone got revenge on him, but I had no idea it would be Olivia. I expected her to at least hit him in a fit of rage, but she literally swung that chair at him like ten times. 

It was evident Andrew wasn't making it out of the hour based on his actions. Elizabeth may be crazy, but I actually agreed with her that there was no way out for them. 

They'd all be put inside, and the election would be a dud. As if America's going to elect someone who had something to do with this. 

It would have made a lot of sense if Huck was the killer, but that would have been predictable, and it paved the way for us at home to see just how far Olivia is willing to go. 

The flashes of her time in captivity were very well done, but she's essentially going back into captivity by going to Papa Pope. She's in a world of trouble, and that probably isn't going to go away any time soon. 

Abby won't be forgiving her. Then again, Abby tested her, and as you probably know, Olivia Pope does not like to be tested. 

It has me wondering whether this is the beginning of the end for this friendship. They both have a lot of dirt on one another, but would it be worth taking public? I'm sure that's going to be the driving force for the next few episodes. 

Somehow I expected it to be a double murder and Elizabeth was going to go, too. She crossed the line by going to Huck. Maybe Olivia will become the go to person if you need someone killed. 

That's two people in two episodes for those keeping score at home. Maybe she and Jake have a lot more in common than they think. It's obvious she's going to get closer to him if she's back home because he's in her father's back pocket. 

Aside from that, Vargas is making it clear that he's a force to be reckoned with. Cyrus laughed pretty much the full hour, but he won't be when Scandal Season 5 Episode 18 airs. 

Cyrus is a master of playing more than one side in a war, but he's chosen his side, and it's going to come back to bite him. There's no way he's making it out of this one. Not while Vargas has him in his cross hairs. 

Will Marcus dig into the murder? That certainly seems like a strong possibility based on his skepticism that his team had nothing to do with Andrew's murder. 

I get his frustration about being left in the dark, but there's a positive to it: When the gladiators are all rotting in jail, he'll be on the outside enjoying his life. 

"Thwack" served as a good break from the election in order to tie up a long-running story line and set the wheels in motion for a solid conclusion to Scandal Season 5.

Other tidbits from the episode:

  • Mellie not wanting to part with any money was hilarious. She must have millions in her bank, but her bold statement about how she earned it won the night. 
  • Who on Olivia's team will be first to turn on her? Someone's calling the police on her soon. You heard it here first. 
  • Could Liv have gone to her father because she knows Fitz might reel her back in after everything that happened?

What did you think of the episode? Do you agree with how the team dealt with Andrew? How long will Liv be under her father's spell? Hit the comments below!

Remember you can watch Scandal online right here on TV Fanatic to get caught up with all the drama!

Thwack Review

Editor Rating: 4.2 / 5.0
  • 4.2 / 5.0
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User Rating:

Rating: 3.8 / 5.0 (61 Votes)

Paul Dailly was an Associate Editor for TV Fanatic.Follow him on X.

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Scandal Season 5 Episode 17 Quotes

You need to talk to him.

Abby

Fitz: Thank you for coming when I called.
Olivia: You didn't call. Abby did.