Season 4, Episode 5: The Key
Posted by Sage
Olivia’s case-of-the-week stretched over two this time. The disappearance and death of the daughter of Liv and Abby’s law school chum Katherine had more twists and turns than OPA expected. (Maybe it’s time to just start expecting that – always.) Meanwhile, Fitz and Rowan have Jake locked away with a mind to pressure him into confessing to Jerry’s murder. As usual, we’ve got plot coming out of our ears, so let’s get going.
“It’s Jeremy’s security guy at the firm.” Dan Kubiak, the man who manhandled Katelyn in an elevator, is a disgraced police captain and also maybe a sociopath. Highly functioning, natch.
“You’re getting your expensive pants dirty. Seriously, what are you doing here?” The longer Olivia and Quinn work alone together, the harder it is for Quinn to keep her freak flag under wraps.
“Remember? Insta-besties? Lady wood?” I get it.
“Why isn’t she running?” Olivia and Quinn look on helplessly from their surveillance post as Kubiak murders Katelyn’s friend Lauren.
“Body decomposing in DC this time of year would probably really start to stink badly enough in about four of five days and office workers around would-” “I wasn’t actually asking.”
“I want an update on Jake Ballard.” Fitz broods around his office, demanding things. I want to slug him in his smug-ass face. Or smug ass-face.
“I needed a nightcap and I hate drinking alone.” Rowan shows up at Olivia’s door with a bottle of wine because this is their relationship now?
“That’s a lotta birds.”
“There’s something about Jake that reminds me of myself at his age.” He says, to terrify Olivia into dumping him.
“Olivia – what could possibly have happened to a man like Jake?” A big, strong man like Jake…mmmm….Jake.
“These handcuffs are just a suggestion to me. I’m being very nice. Stop talking.” That is, until he kicks the interrogator square in the chest and the suity-gun squad came running in.
“Damn right, whatever.” Mellie has given zero fucks for so long that she doesn’t even remember what giving one feels like.
“Why don’t you just leave?” “Because Jerry’s here.” STOP TORTURING YOUR GRIEVING WIFE YOU D.
“How many times have I told you not to ask about my work, boss?” Caitlin’s dad has no control over Kubiak.
“Your daughter is dead. Your wife is rotting in jail for a crime she didn’t commit. Enjoy your fruit.” Pope out.
“I work at the White House, David. The White House never closes.” David drunk dials Abby to talk about showering together. He calls her “Abbs.” I weep.
“They were gonna kill you and Javi.” Huck tries to explain to his wife why he went missing. But because he looks and sounds remarkably like a crazy person, she’s not buying it.
“There wasn’t a single word in that sentence I understood. Except ‘cowbell.'”
“I reserve my favors for my friends.” “Abby, not now.” OKAY, YOU’RE NOT FRIENDS. WE UNDERSTAND.
“You should stand.” “What?” “You stand for the President, Bill.”
But WHY do you trust him, Jake?
“Sittin’ on the dock of the baaaay…”
I’m uncomfortable.
“You have been waiting for this moment since the second I got in bed with her.”
“You are a decent human being.” I’m about to burst a blood vessel trying to think of one decent thing Fitz has ever done.
“I’m one too – it’s why she loves me!” Meanwhile, Liv is convinced that Jake is avoiding her for some reason. And she calls him her “boyfriend,” which means he’s definitely in a storm of fuck.
“I just want to see my son.” Huck’s wife tells him to come back tonight. She’s unusually calm about it.
“Can you reaaaaad? Reading is fundamental, Lauren.” Lauren is like:
Huck wraps a present for his kid. It’s profoundly depressing.
Quinn pulls a bloody key out of Lauren’s dead body.
“Kim called me – thought maybe we could talk.” It’s an ambush. And even though the narrative has us on Huck’s side, what would you do if your troubled ex-husband sat outside your house with binoculars every night?
“I saw it – it was CLEAN, LIV.” Rowan tells Olivia that Jake confessed and that he wasn’t coerced. Cause B6-13 would NEVER.
“Jerry Grant? No, Olivia. That was you.” Switching tactics, Rowan tells Olivia that Jerry’s death was HER fault, because she wanted to win the election.
“I just want you to be happy. That’s all I’ve ever wanted.” Um. Sure.
“You are such a monument! Such an idea, such a king. Such a holy father for the people to pray to. And you yell at me? I’m the shame? I’M THE SHAME?” SMELLY MELLIE TAKES A STAND. She’s raving like a Southern preacher and I’m INTO IT.
“We have to stop doing this to each other. We just have to stop.” Toooooo late, Fitz.
“I’m sorry, I never wanted you to know.”
THIS WOMAN DESERVES TO KNOW HOW HER CHILD DIED.
“Jerry’s death was…” “Meaningful.”
“He died for our sins!”
Fitz looks at Mellie like she’s grown additional heads. And he’s right: this is disturbing.
“Have you been drinking?” “When?” “Recently?” “Yesss.”
Drunk David Rosen can stay.
“Many of my predecessors were distinguished alcoholics.” Real-life Drunk History.
“I killed him, Abby. I was trying to be Olivia Pope and I killed him. Why are we all trying to be Olivia Pope?”
Bless David Rosen and his idealistic heart. He’s too fragile and perfect for this world.
“You are poison. And everyone who touches you pays the price.”
Abbie stands up to Liv, finally saying what she’s meant to all season.
“Jake killed Harrison.”
I hate that Olivia is taking Rowan’s word. Has she retained nothing?
Mellie finally takes a shower.
“Did you kill my son?” Fitz beats Jake to a bloody pulp. The only way he can: when Jake hasn’t eaten or drunk in three days and he’s chained to a chair. Fitz continues to be the worst kind of bully and coward.
Thoughts on the episode, my precious Gladiators? Leave them in the comments!
I almost just can’t with Fitz anymore. He’s so self-righteous and just UGH! I’m madly in love with your bird and cat gifs. Both have made me laugh a lot this morning. 🙂