Scandal Season 5 Episode 18 Review: Till Death Do Us Part

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Could Rowan Pope get any worse?

On Scandal Season 5 Episode 18, Olivia was at her father's house in shock about her big chair smacking incident, but she had an ulterior motive. 

If you thought that Olivia was only living with her dad because she felt broken after murdering Andrew, then you were very wrong. 

An Agonizing Choice - Scandal

She was scheming with Huck and Quinn to figure out what Jake and her father were really up to. I had to give props to Liv; she had me fooled. 

It's always good when shows play with your expectations, so I was thankful for that development.

Jake's a great character and all, but those flashbacks were not required. His past was pretty much like anyone would have expected. 

Olivia: Are you still getting married?
Jake: Do you want me to get married?

He had a horrible home life, so Rowan acting like a real father to him helped him develop into the man he is today. Rowan is always doing things to benefit himself, not others. It was evident that he had big plans for Jake, but they weren't as juicy as one would have expected. 

The whole storyline about him becoming Vice President just seems a bit off. Hopefully it doesn't come to fruition and his character is taken in a different direction. Jake is a fantastic character, but all this B6-13 nonsense has been stale for a long time. 

It's been going on for so long and could be a reason that viewers have been fleeing the show this season. That's probably why the election storyline has been such a strong point. 

The highlight of the hour has got to be Liv trying to get Jake to open up to her when she was, apparently, drunk. She seemed to think she had it in the bag, but he made it clear in a hilarious way that she did not. 

After this hour, I can't help but wonder who Liv loves more. She was all set to go on the run with Jake, but Rowan let her know that he'd murder Jake if she went near him. The scene with her screaming at Jake that he isn't good enough for her was heartbreaking to watch. 

Kerry Washington's acting range was perfectly showcased in that scene. She effortlessly pulled off being a a horrible person, before walking away a broken woman. 

Olivia seems to be Jake's constant. She's the one person that's been getting him through this mess without an ulterior motive, so it's horrible that she had to do this to him. It was great that they both pointed out they have done some horrible things to one another. 

Olivia will probably keep her distance from him to keep him safe, but it seems like she'll probably take her father out of the equation for good by the end of the season. He's a liability and just can't be trusted. It's almost like his sole purpose is to make poor Liv's life a living hell.

I feel bad for Jake that he had to actually marry Vanessa. She's got to be one of the worst characters on TV. Every time she's on screen, I just can't bare to watch. She and Jake have zero chemistry, so she must know that their relationship is some sort of business arrangement. 

It seems like there could be hope for Olitz after this big episode. I don't mind which of the two guys she ends up with at the end. There are pros and cons to her going with both of them, but she does have more chemistry with Fitz.

"Till Death Do Us Part" was a decent episode, but it was let down by a relatively slow pace. We only have three more episodes this season, so things should soon pick up.

What did you think of the episode? Should Olivia take Rowan out next? Hit the comments below!

Remember you can watch Scandal online, right here on TV Fanatic. Get caught up on all the latest drama now. 

Here's your first look at the next episode:

Till Death Do Us Part Review

Editor Rating: 3.0 / 5.0
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User Rating:

Rating: 3.1 / 5.0 (73 Votes)

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

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