Scandal Season 4, Episode 19
“I’m Just a Bill”
Posted by Kim
God GOD, this was a jam-packed episode, Gladiators. Halfway through my initial viewing, I texted Sage wailing that everyone was speechifying and I couldn’t keep up. Episodes like “I’m Just a Bill” exemplify everything we LOVE about Scandal. It had intrigue, monologues that were delivered as if they were operatic arias, and one HELL of a shocker at the end. Why am I still talking? Let’s get to the gifs!
Papa Pope pours himself a giant glass of wine as if he wasn’t a monster who terrorized his own daughter and currently has a gun strapped to his back.
“I see you have a few more locks, that’s good.” I love that he is making light of his daughter’s post-traumatic stress syndrome. Totally awesome.
“Since you’re a “fixer”, I thought I would come to you.”
“Have you ever heard anything so ridiculous?” I love how everything Rowan says just drips with condescension and barely concealed malice.
“I’m just a paleontologist who works at the Smithsonian!”
“I’m just giving you a chance. One chance.”
“I don’t care about any of that. I care about justice!” WHITE HATS.
“Is your hatred for me so great that you are willing to tear him down too?” Clearly.
“Did he disappoint you? Did you learn that he’s only human after all?” I mean he’s right, but I hate that Rowan is painting Liv’s righteous fury as the actions of a scorned woman.
“You want to dig into some Freud baby?”
“All men in fact are just like your father.”
“It is your friends who do not know you. You are a warrior.” I mean I am PRETTY sure the Gladiators know that. It’s why they are fucking called Gladiators.
“You will burn it down and then never look back.”
“The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree, Liv. Poison though it may be.”
“Thank you for the wine, Olivia.” And then we see that Russell is tied up behind the couch. Just a typical night, you know.
Liv laughing over Russell’s body as he comes to. “I think we had a little too much to drink.”
“If that’s the cost of taking out my father, yes.” David wants to fast track the case against B613 before Rowan kills all the witnesses. Liv is on board because she gives no fucks anymore.
Cy campaigning for votes on the Brandon Bill, which was inspired by the events that transpired in “The Lawn Chair”.
Meanwhile, in other ways to tie the events of “The Lawn Chair” into the rest of the seasonal arc, Marcus Walker (the activist who led the protests) is leading the D.C. mayoral race.
Liv gets a call from Marcus. She shows up at the CURRENT mayor’s house to find him and the dead body of the Mayor’s wife, who he was having an affair with. Because there are NO good people on Scandal.
“You were never here.” Liv and the Gladiators assess the situation and all their options and choose to mop up the scene, dispose of the body, and call it a missing persons case until they know what’s going on.
The vote on the bill is tied so they have to call in Vice President (and political unicorn) Susan Ross to break the tie.
Susan is presiding over a spelling bee and refuses to leave until the last word is spelled.
Susan says she has to read the bill before she votes on it. “I won’t vote on something I haven’t read, Cyrus.” At least someone in this town has a modicum of integrity.
“What should we do with the body?” “Dealer’s choice.” “Really? Thanks, Huck.” That’s quite enough with the foreplay over dead bodies, Huckleberry Quinn.
“I know this is hard for you. Prison is harder.”
“It takes a lot to surprise me. Because this is my job.”
“I don’t understand page 337.” Susan, precious unicorn that she is, was dead serious about reading every page of the bill.
“Right now we don’t have time for questions.”
“If I vote right now, I have to vote no.” INTEGRITY PEOPLE. (Also the internet has failed me because this scene ONLY made me think of when Annette Bening dumps Michael Douglas in The American President and tells him that he has bigger problems than losing her because he also lost her vote and it’s the BEST.) (The next best thing is ALL the JLD from Veep so get ready.)
Cy calls in David to mollify Susan but warns him not to provoke her to think because she won’t let it go. “Do NOT feed the pigeon.”
“Please tell me you’re not here to check up on me.” Olivia Pope doesn’t need a babysitter even if he DOES come in the delicious form of Jake Ballard.
“I’m here to tell you that I’m here if you need something.” I believe this is what is known as foreshadowing?
As an aside, I TOTALLY went to acting school with that guy and he’s in Taylor Swift videos now and it’s all very weird because OH DO I HAVE STORIES AND PICTURES.
The police bring Marcus in and interrogate him without arresting him which is just bad news.
“Do you see this man standing here?” “Yes.” “Wrong answer.” BAD ASS BITCH LIV IS MY FAVORITE.
“I am someone who gets answers to my questions.” Liv gives the police chief WHAT FOR regarding the treatment of Marcus and it’s glorious.
Marcus’ email was hacked and now it looks like he sent threatening e-mails to Natalie. Huck traces the hack back to the mayor’s office so now it looks like the mayor had his own wife killed BECAUSE THIS IS SCANDAL.
“If I don’t have anyway to make her clean her room, then I’m just asking her to clean her room.” Susan has realized that the whole bill is basically bullshit because POLITICS
“This whole bill is a bunch of requests.” MURICA!
“I fed the pigeon.”
“If I were to mention Operation Remington, you’d be familiar with that?” Shit just got REAL on this investigation cause Jake and Olivia just had to implicate the President for shooting down a plane with civilians.
Later, Russell calls out Liv on her lies regarding the other night. “I’m looking for something more stable.” Aren’t we all?
“My life is very…complicated. I want it to not be complicated.” In other words, do me up against this wall please.
Russell obliges.
“Weren’t you first in your class? I read that somewhere.” Susan knows EXACTLY how to play Mellie…by stroking her ego.
“And YOU need this bill now so you can announce your senate run.” SUSAN IS NO FOOL AND SHE WON’T BE PLAYED AND I LOVE HER SO MUCH.
“You’d make an excellent President, Mrs. Grant.” CAN THEY BE RUNNING MATES?
“I was going to order dinner. You hungry?” Mellie/Susan Season Five has my vote.
The gladiators track down Natalie’s assassin. He works for the mayor and is nicknamed “Mickey” because of his big ears.
“You have to testify if what you want is justice.”
“Justice or career. I can only get you one.” I feel like Liv says this all the time and she’s ALWAYS hoping the people choose justice. They usually choose career.
We cut to a pow wow with the Mayor in the limo, proving that Marcus chose career. Sigh.
“My whole life has been about justice…” Marcus chooses JUSTICE after all, as he spills the beans at the press conference. Liv’s faith in humanity is SOMEWHAT restored, lighting a fire under her.
“I am a sinner, but he is a murderer. That is the truth.”
“You are the VICE president, Susan.” Oh and see here I thought we would go a whole episode without Fitz trying to assert his power over women.
“You are a fetus in the world of Washington politics.” Yet she is already more savvy than you so who is ACTUALLY the idiot, Fitz?
“I will not allow you to derail it. Get up to the hill and vote the way you are supposed to.”
“I understand what my role is SUPPOSED to be…but I was clear with you on the person you were getting when you asked me to take this job.” Susan takes NO shit from Fitz and she’s the best and this only means that’s going to die tragically, right?
“I am not here to advance my own agenda. I am not here to be your lap-dog.”
“This bill is not about real change.” CALLING FITZ ON BULLSHIT POLITICS 4-EVA.
“This bill is wasting your time. This bill is wasting America’s time.”
“We’re making it better Mr. Beene. We’re making it right this time.” Fitz listens to Susan and actually works with her and it’s a television miracle.
To distract everyone from the fact the Brandon Bill was pulled from the floor, Mellie announces her Senate Run.
Liv watches Mellie’s press conference and smiles. My one hope for next season is that these two women can team up because they would be unstoppable.
“What you did took courage. You should be proud.”
“I am done.” “You did the right thing. That’s more than something. That’s everything.”
“You do the wrong thing, THEN you’re done. You are NOT done.” I mean let’s be honest, he’s probably done on this SHOW, but he’s not DONE.
“I picked a side. But not yours.” Olivia is officially taking on her father and I am excited and scared.
“This case is good. It’s right.” It’s going to end in all my friends getting killed but IT’S RIGHT.
“They want justice. They deserve justice. Justice is in fact the POINT of the Republic.”
David toasts the Gladiators. “It’s because each of us in this room decided to do not what is easy but what is right.”
“I’m proud of you. Surprised, but proud.” Is he REALLY surprised though? I think not.
“At least you’ve become a worthy opponent.”
Later that night, Jake goes by Olivia’s office, where he is attacked.
(This is the ONLY time anything from that piece of shit Man of Steel is relevant.)
“I know you.” AND SO DO WE BECAUSE IT’S FUCKING RUSSELL.
RUSSELL STABS JAKE IN THE GUT.
“I’m disappointed. Rowan always went on and on about how special you were…”
“You’re not even making this a challenge.”
STAB STAB STAB.
Yup, we’re definitely barrelling into May Sweeps guys. How many more bodies will Rowan leave in his wake? Will the gang ever figure out that Rowan will ALWAYS be one step ahead of them? Leave your thoughts in the comments!
This was wonderful. Susan is the FUXING BEST. Liv’s police station asshole-ripping was beautiful. AND WHY DOESN’T SOMEONE JUST MURDER ROWAN ALREADY. (also I miss Jake already)
I HOPE Rowan dies in the finale.