“This life of pretending.” – Scandal Gif-Cap

Scandal Season 6, Episode 10
“The Decision”
Posted by Kim

Scandal turned 100, you guys. 100 episodes of crazy town bananapants political drama. (And we’ve gif-capped approximately 70% of them….SO MANY GIFS.) In this day and age of short order series, this is cause for celebration. It’s a freaking accomplishment to have THAT kind of sustainability, especially with a show as twisty and ridiculous as Scandal.

Many long run shows choose to mark their 100th episodes with momentous occasions or a break from their usual format. Phoebe had her triplets on Friends. Bones both took us back to Booth and Brennan’s first meeting AND blew up their present day dynamic. Alex and Izzie got married in a church while Derek and Meredith wrote their infamous Post-It vows on Grey’s Anatomy. The X-Files chose to devote their 100th episode to fan favorites The Lone Gunman, while The West Wing gave us a Toby-centric story. How I Met Your Mother got Ted closer to his future wife than he ever had been before and gave us the spectacular “Nothing Suits Me Like a Suit.” So what would Scandal choose to do? AN ALTERNATE UNIVERSE. It’s no secret that the Defiance storyline was PROBABLY the strongest arc that the show has ever done, so it was so interesting to go back and revisit it and see what would have happened had they NOT fixed the election? How different would all their lives be? Let’s get to the gifs to find out!

“He’s literally sleeping with the enemy.” Jake and Liv decide to fill Fitz in on the whole conspiracy, down to the fact that David Rosen is dating Sarah Ponytail, so he’s compromised.

“We don’t even know what they want. Or how many of them there are.” I like to think of Sarah Ponytail as leading some sort of X-Files level syndicate and people are EVERYWHERE.

“There may be another option: doing nothing.” Jake is ready to wash his hands of the whole mess. He’s basically the most sane out of this whole bunch.

“They want Mellie in the White House. So do we. Why are we fighting this?” GOOD POINT.

“Mellie can’t take the Oval this way.”

“You think the world would be that much better off if Samuel Reston had been elected?” I CAN FEEL THE AU SEQUENCE COMING.

“I am going to clear Cyrus’ name and put him behind that desk. All I need from the two of you is to know if you’re in or if you’re out.”

“I guarantee that Fitz’s life would be a million times worse if you hadn’t rigged that election.” LET’S DO THIS.

“Defiance County, Ohio Or, as I like to call it, America’s clitoris. Tiny, hard to find, but if you blip it just right, the whole damn country’s yours.” Hollis Doyle, crude as ever. Also the clitoris is NOT hard to find.

Past Olivia’s bangs though.

God, remember how MIND BLOWING it was when they revealed everyone conspiring to rig the election? Season Two was LIT. BUT NOW LET’S REWIND.

“No. We are not fixing the election. Yes, the race is tight, but we can win this. Fitz can win this.” AU Olivia is so optimistic and not jaded, I hurt.

“Then at least we lose with our souls intact.”

Fitz loses the election, and much like it happens with Mellie in the real universe, it came down to one county. Defiance, Ohio.

“All you had to say was yes.” Mellie is NOT happy that she’s not gonna be first lady. Also look how big her hair is.

“Were you just gonna leave? I sent you an e-mail. It says I’m sorry I let you down.” OLIVIA RUN GURL. Also Fitz doing that over e-mail is SO TYPICAL.

“America chose and they didn’t choose me.”

“There is a guy in D.C., Marcus Walker. He is trying to get a bill passed Criminal-justice reform. Seems like he could use some help. I’m gonna go help him.” OH MY GOD YAS.

“Good luck with Mellie, Governor.” I LOVE how AU Olivia is like you’re not President, I don’t care about you, bye.

Oh my God, Huck is a bushy mountain man of little words.

In this universe the great Ship Abby and David (Dabby? Rolen? NOTHING WORKS.) is alive and well.

OLIVIA IS GOING ON A DATE WITH LEO BERGEN.

Except Fitz shows up at her door as she’s getting ready to leave. Because of course.

“I left Mellie.” “Congratulations.” Listen AU!Liv is FUELING me.

“Next time make an appointment.” Fitz doesn’t get why she’s not FAWNING over him, so clearly Fitz has these qualities across all universes.

“I came here to ask you to marry me.” Oh.

She lets the elevator close but then it opens and they share a Rom Com Kiss. Sorry Leo.

JAMES OH MY GODDDDDDD HE’S ALIVE.

James and Cyrus are in the closet still.

“Super unattractive, Cyrus. Grow up.” James takes no shit.

“This is happening.” Mellie hides outside of Fitz and Olivia’s wedding. She’s not handling this well.

Cyrus and Mellie drinking. Bless.

“You are a brilliant woman. He’s a fool.” PREACH.

“And there’s not one man out there, there are many. And better. And you will find one, or he will find you. And he will be luckier than he could ever dream because you are perfect.” THIS SPEEEEEEECH.

OH MY GOD OH MY GOD MOUTH KISSING WHAT MY EYES.

Huck walks Olivia down the aisle, I cry. (Also KERRY LOOKS BEAUTIFUL.)

Rowan lurks in the back of the church. Clearly he doesn’t have a relationship with Olivia here.

Fast forward a year and Fitz is all like “Let’s get a house.” Olivia is not into it.

OH MY GOD THE GRANT REPORT FITZ IS SALLY LANGSTON.

“What’s that moron talking about today?” BY THE WAY CYRUS AND MELLIE GOT MARRIED.

“You were always the one who had the ideas. You made him.” I mean as twisted as the marriage is, this Cyrus and Mellie ARE perfect for each other because of their ambition.

Jake and Fitz have a bro dinner where Fitz bemoans his marriage. “There is a way she used to look at me. Before.”

OPA gathering to watch ~~The Bachelor~~ The Prince.

Of course Huck is a super fan.

OH MY GOD QUINN IS ON THE BACHELOR EXCEPT SHE’S STILL LINDSEY BECAUSE DEFIANCE NEVER HAPPENED.

“That’s your thing right? Torturing men?” I AM ON FIRE.

HEY THE OFFICE SPACE. “It’s perfect we’ll take it.”

“I could have sworn I mentioned it.” Fitz is all pissed they aren’t getting a house because GOD FORBID Olivia put her work first.

“I thought you’d be happy for me,” she snaps. BUT IT DOESN’T INVOLVE HIM SO OF COURSE NOT.

“I already found us the right reporter. He’s here.” JAMES IS READY TO START SOME SHIT.

Meanwhile, Olivia and Marcus are nerding out at the White House and it’s precious.

James is being deliciously passive aggressive. “What can the two of you possibly disagree on?”

“How can you be okay living this lie, Cyrus?”

“I need one more shot.” Things that comfort me: Cyrus always being power hungry.

MELLIE OVERHEARS THEM.

Olivia and Marcus get turned away from meeting the President about their bill. “This meeting shouldn’t have been scheduled.”

“You’ll beat Sally Langston in this race.” Two ladies running for President, bless you Shonda.

“In what world does she think she can be President?” Fitz is being a bitch baby about Mellie running.

“It’s not always about you. Good for Mellie. America could use her.” #Mellivia4LYFE

“I’m trying to accomplish something, Fitz. I’m trying to get into the room.” (Where it happens.)

“You used to be a big dog and now I barely recognize you.” I AM ALIVE.

“You wanted the Oval, and I didn’t give it to you.” “No, I didn’t give it to YOU.” Oh my GOD, Liv, yes.

“How’s Marcus Walker? You screwing him?” Yes, because her discontent with your sorry ass IMMEDIATELY means she’s doing someone else.

“You never had a chance at becoming President.” Put this fight in the Smithsonian.

“I could have given it to you. I could have made you President. That was the only way you’d ever be President. Because of me. And I said no.”

“If I had said yes, it would have destroyed us.” “At least I would have been President.” Olitz falls apart in any universe, this is amazing.

Ahhh Daniel Douglas. REMEMBER HIM?

Cyrus is working with Rowan who has a fake accent and calls himself Damascus Bainbridge. THAT NAME.

“I am not outing someone else’s husband, Cyrus. You of all people should know why.” Mellie, my queen.

Lindsey-Quinn is the new ~~Bachelorette~~ Princess. 100% would watch.

“This bill is becoming a law.” Olivia and Marcus’ victory dance though.

“We can’t all be you and David.” I love how in this world they are such a banner couple when the ship is at the bottom of the ocean with the Titanic in the prime universe.

“He chose being a celebrity over making a difference.” Yep.

“He’s a disaster. I know that. I see it. But he’s also your husband. Look, I hope I’m wrong. If I am, sign the papers. Put Fitz out of his misery. Just ask yourself why you never moved out of your apartment.” Abby doing some truth telling and ALSO I miss them being friends so much.

“And I’m just a small town girl looking for my prince…” OMG Lindsey-Quinn is putting the moves on Fitz.

She drops to her knees and basically what I’m getting from this episode is that everyone in the cast wanted to make out with each other for it.

Fitz kicks her out mid-blowie and Lindsey-Quinn is like “Whatever I can do so much better.”

Cyrus leaks the Daniel Douglas story, much to Mellie’s dismay.

“If I had known…” “You did know! You knew the entire time.” This is very true.

“It was an arrangement. It was pageantry. You knew exactly what game you were playing.”

“You’re never going to fall in love with me, and I’m never going to fall in love with you. And you can be damn sure another woman will never come between us. How freeing is that?” I mean…he has a point. But also that’s no way to live. Not for Mellie anyway.

“I owe you an apology. You were right.” “About what?” “Defiance.” I love that it’s so important to these writers that Mellie and Olivia always eventually wind up together.

“You saved him. Fitz. I thought you should know that.” I GUESS?

“We may never know what the governor knew or when she knew it, but this life of pretending. Of pretending…I’m sorry.” Fitz has a revelation and walks off set. NO ARE WE GETTING A HAPPY ENDING?