SCANDAL – “Over A Cliff” – The ABC Television Network. (ABC/Eric McCandless) KERRY WASHINGTON
This was it, the series finale of Scandal. Did it deliver? Kinda. Did it wrap everything up a little bit too nicely? Yep. Did it have a last death that really didn’t need to happen at all just for a final twist? Also yep. It was an interesting concept for a finale, but I don’t think the execution was fully there. It was like they attempted to go for a overall happy ending, but also wanted to throw in some negative elements just cause. Also, there’s one last ass pull that I just decided to say “Yeah, sure” to because what can you expect from Scandal at this point?
The suicide of the head prosecutor that I always forget the name of forces the case of Olivia’s B613 accusations to be put in front of the Senate. This is a positive for Olivia’s team, even though the head prosecutor committing suicide based off the promise that Olivia will get Mellie to sign a gun control law is weird, though I guess he had lost faith in everything his career stood on once he learned about B613. Anyway, everyone gives their best explanations to the Senate about the business of B613 and what they did for the shadow corporation. Everyone resigns to their inevitable fates in prison or worse as even David isn’t entirely sure where the Senate will lean in this case, but he will help the decision to the best of his abilities. He even allows everyone to visit Charlie in prison and have Quinn finish the wedding that never was.
Sadly, things don’t fully look up and David is threatened by Jake in a parking garage, but in a surprising moment, David doesn’t stand for Jake’s shit and talks some back. Him listing off all the things that would make Jake tick and seemingly not being afraid of the consequences is a bold change in David’s typical timid behavior, so I was sure that he was a goner, but Jake decides that David is right and departs. Him paying a visit to Cyrus and informing him that he won’t be Cyrus’ pet anymore and that if he wants David dead, he’ll have to do it himself was all I needed to know that David will indeed be a goner, just not from Jake. And so it was, Cyrus takes the pussy way out and poisons David in a meeting that seemed like Cyrus was fessing up. Sad that as smart as David was to be in the job he’s in, he was also stupid about certain details, like trusting Cyrus about anything.
SCANDAL – “Over A Cliff” – The ABC Television Network. (ABC/Eric McCandless) JOSHUA MALINA, JEFF PERRY
So with that, everyone quickly realizes they could be fucked. The bad guys have prevailed once again and now the final true white hat has fallen. Olivia and the rest of QPA refuse to fully believe this though and decide they need to continue being the white hats they once were. This just mostly results in them panicking and dreading the next day, as the current one could very well be their last as free people. Luckily, Papa Pope sees the news of David’s death just as he’s about to leave town for good and figures he could help his daughter one last time.
The following day arrives and news comes that the Senate has delayed their decision seeing as one last witness has come forward and it’s Eli Pope, though he prefers to use Rowan – his kill name. Here he lists off why B613 was necessary for the Republic and why he created it, even going through why types of crimes he committed over the past 30 years. The part where this becomes bullshit is that I expected that Rowan was doing this and fully prepared to take the fall as Command, but instead he somehow manages to persuade the Senate to go after the current Command instead – Jake.
Everyone else gets off completely scot free. Hell, even Cyrus just has to resign as the Vice President and that’s about it, though he does mention that he can no longer drink as it doesn’t help keep the darkness away and I assume he’ll be reminded of David’s dying face whenever he tries. So only Jake ends up taking the fall for everything and yet he’s oddly fine with things. When Olivia visits him, he states that prison is nothing and he’ll always be free. Also, he has the memories of Olivia and him on the beach to keep him company for the rest of his life, a reminder of when he tried being a good guy for the only time in his life.
SCANDAL – “Over A Cliff” – The ABC Television Network. (ABC/Eric McCandless) GUILLERMO DIAZ, DARBY STANCHFIELD, KERRY WASHINGTON, TONY GOLDWYN
And that about it. Everything is capped off with a final montage of Olivia heading out of the White House to do whatever the fuck she wants with her life after declining Mellie’s offer to become the new Vice President. Fitz meets up with her and it seems he’ll probably be a factor in whatever her new life becomes, satisfying Olitz fans everywhere. Meanwhile, Quinn and Charlie are happily ever after with Charlie finally being pardoned, Mellie signs the gun control law that Olivia promised she’d get her to do, and Abby gets to be depressed at David’s grave alongside Huck, who apparently couldn’t get a final scene to himself. Apparently there was originally suppose to be a scene of him heading to Cyrus’ home with his trademark red toolbox, but it was sadly cut. I’ll just take it as canon in my head.
“Over A Cliff” had every element of Scandal in it, for better or for worse. It reminded me that there will be parts I’ll miss about, while also knowing that I won’t have to suffer through some of the garbage it conjured up during other points. I still think there should’ve been a little more punishment for our heroes, possibly a reduced sentencing for everyone before being free to do whatever, but Rowan magic bullshit made it so that didn’t need to happen. If I had to pick what I’ll take away most from this finale, it’d be that I wish David didn’t have to randomly die just for the sake of a final death. Abby deserved a happy ending too if everyone else got one.
Over A Cliff – 3 out of 5
