Did you see that big Jennifer twist coming?

On Scandal Season 6 Episode 5, it was revealed that Jennifer was very much alive and Jake was trying to turn over a new leaf.

TV Fanatics, Jasmine Blu, Jim Garner, Sarah Hearon and Christine Hinton discuss the big twist, Jake's new take on killing and Rowan's new boss.

Jennifer is alive. React!

Jasmine: I know this is Scandal, and these sort of "gotchas" happen all the time, but they got me. I genuinely thought she was dead. I was pleasantly surprised-- shocked, that she is alive and kicking. I cannot wait to hear what she has to say.

Jim: Ok, first, I'm shocked that Jake didn't actually kill her. However, I have to ask about the reveal. What was she doing sitting in the dark in a cabin all alone? How did she not have a light on in the other room, or the TV, or something?

It was just so odd for them to walk into this dark cabin in the woods and for her to step out of the other room like she was in storage.

Sarah: I agree with both of you! I was actually shocked that she was alive and Jake didn't kill her. It felt good to be surprised by Scandal; it's been a while. Jim also rises a good point about how she survived out there.

Christine: My question is, what does Jennifer really know? Why is she important? If Cyrus is really being set up, then how does Jennifer fit into the mystery of who killed Vargas?

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How do you feel about Rowan no longer pulling the strings?

Jasmine: I LOVE this! What the fudge?! Who could possibly have Rowan being submissive? Command shaking in his shoes? I need to know more. This is what the show needed. I enjoyed Papa Pope, probably more than most, but he was too invincible.

Jim: The Greek Gods feared the Titans. Looks we just met Papa Pope's personal titan. Keep in mind that power abhors a vacuum, so it stands to reason that in the absence of B613 someone would have filled in the gap.

Sarah: I'm very interested to find out who is pulling the strings now. I feel like ever since Papa Pope joined the show, all roads lead back to him. It's time for a change.

Christine: I don’t think we’ve ever seen Rowan look scared, and that was definitely fear in his eyes when he saw that someone set up Olivia and it wasn’t him. This is a twist I didn’t see coming.

I think the show needed a new villain. and someone who can make Papa Pope quake in his shoes should fit that bill nicely.

Are you enjoying Jessalyn Gilsig as Vanessa 2.0?

Jasmine: You know, I actually am. For a while, the character was barely on my radar. I really enjoyed her in this installment, though. Vanessa is a hot mess, but definitely entertaining.

Jim: She’s interesting. I'm still not sure why the change, but she does play a hot mess very well!

Sarah: I was having flashbacks to the first season of Glee! She plays a crazy wife well.

Christine: Where the original Vanessa was boring but sincere, this one is all over the place. It will be interesting to see if she can pull it together like Mellie encouraged, or if she’ll continue to be a serious liability for Jake and Olivia.

Will Jake ever be able to lead a normal life?

Jasmine: Haha! Does such a thing exist in this world? Normal is overrated. He couldn't be normal if he tried, and boy has he tried. It's not in his DNA. The sooner he accepts it, the better. So, no. He'll never have a normal life. Whatever that is.

Jim: What is normal? I feel like we are seeing normal for Jake. Anything else I feel like it would be boring and he would end up just going out to find excitement.

Sarah: No way! I laughed when Vanessa asked him if he ever had to kill someone. Jake has seen, heard and done too much to ever be normal.

Christine: He always said he wanted the normal life, a wife, kids, and the white picket fence. Unfortunately, spending years as a killing machine have taken “normal” off the table.

React to Mellie's speech to Vanessa.

Jasmine: I love a good rally cry. It was very timely, and very Shonda Rhimes. Mellie was the perfect person to give Vanessa a talking to.

I half expected Mellie to smack her in the face with a rolled up paper while yelling "Pull yourself together" a la Edna Mode from The Incredibles.

Jim: OMG Jasmine, I had the same visual! Mellie has known what she wanted for a very long time, and she is very close to finally getting it. Now, if Vanessa can do the same, those would be two women you would not want to mess with.

Sarah: Haha that visual is perfect Jasmine! I love seeing Mellie deliver one of her big speeches, and Vanessa needed to hear it.

Christine: Mellie’s monologues are always a show highlight. I loved when she told Vanessa that she could want to kill Jake with a golf club at home, but out in the world, she needs to figure out exactly what she wants and then do what it takes to get there.

Over to you, Scandal fanatics. What did you think of all the twists?

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