Season 3: Episode #2 "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner"

After this episode I had to go back to the 80's to get this signature duet that so aptly describes our thoughts right now:

WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE?

(Stacy Lattisaw and Johnny Gill)

There comes a time when love can fade away
And it came across for you and I
And I don't know how or where to go from here
I really don't know just what to do
So baby, can you tell me

Well my fellow Gladiators in Suits, you asked for more SCANDAL and you got it...in high dosage! We learned a lot this evening as Shonda and the writers gave us a glimpse via flashbacks on Liv and Daddy Eli's relationship.

Flashback 5 years ago. Liv and dad move from civil uncomfortable dinners to world class chess players with calculated moves, counter-moves, countermeasures, and ultimatums. All over Sunday dinners with a stellar Cabernet. (Dad is the impetus for Liv's love of red wines....hmmmm). You may not like Eli but he's got style. Dad is singly responsible for putting Huck in the hole, releasing him and leaving him alone (a B6-13 no-no), breaking up the engagement between Liv and Edison (I know most of y'all didnt wanna see that wedding anyway, but I digress), putting Jake in the hole and his ultimate release from the hole. SUNDAY DINNERS at Dad's - dont be late!

Where do we go from here
My love 

 Do we walk away or do we keep on trying?
After the feeling's gone 

 My love

Liv's new client as we know from last week is the lady who got her out of the spotlight - Janeen Locke. But what I love is the way Fitz and Liv use the "Bat-cellphone" via secret service hand-off to keep communications going.  They are smooth as butter! Liv let's him know she is representing Janeen and she will not hold back, bringing her full force against the White House. Fitz says BRING IT ON!  And Liv Does..."I have personally been brutally affected by this slander. Yesterday I was having an affair with the President, today it's Janeen, who will it be on tomorrow?"  YES GAWD LIVVIE!! Cue crickets at the White House...Did you all see Cyrus' facial expression (PRICELESS).

Cyrus, Cyrus, Cyrus. You and FLOTUS thought you had it together but it appears that you were stuck in the middle like Jan Brady between Marcia and Cindy. Mellie called an audible that left you complimenting her with 'you're evil' to which she responded 'you're welcome'. One of these days you are gonna learn not to put your trust in FLOTUS. One day she is for Fitz, the next day for TEAM FITZ and MILLIE, and the day after that Mellie alone. Her loyalties change quicker than a chameleon in a paint factory.  And if that wasn't enough Cyrus, Fitz also called an audible complete with a "How ya like my Presidential Ball's now" read that left you feeling as useless as a pork chop in a Muslim restaurant.

Now there was a time when I thought I knew you well
That's when we were young and satisfied
Now I don't know what or how to go about it
Shall we take the chance and patch it up,
Or just leave it for a million years, yeah, yeah, yeah

The five year flashback also gives us glimpses not only into Liv and Daddy ELi, but also Liv and Huck. It appears that the chemistry and love between those two have been longstanding even before she knew of his abilities/capabilities. I sure hope the info he found out (thanks to Quinn's nosey ass) don't destroy this relationship.  And speaking of Miss Quinn/Lindsey (that's a test for you new Scandalites) she just won't stop, but pretty soon she's gonna get herself into some deep shiggady that even Huck, Olivia, Harrison, Abby, David Rosen, POTUS and FLOTUS combined won't be able to get her out of. Nor will Judge Cancer (moment of silence for Verna)..................................................
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Miss Quinn gonna end up MIA and we wont be able to bury her next to Verna.  Or even worse, in Wonderland. *sigh*

Can you tell me, baby?
Somebody tell me
Where did we go wrong?
Heeeeyy, should we just mooove on, yeah

When the feeling's gone
Tell me, baby, tell me, baby
Where do we go
Should we just walk away?
Should we just walk away, baby?
Can you tell me, tell me, tell me, baby?

Where do we go from here, my love
Do we walk away or do we keep on trying?
After the feeling's gone, my love

The more Liv visits the morgue the more she is confident he is alive. Liv gives dad the ultimatum to release Jake as she is convinced that B6-13 has him. She puts Fitz in check, ruining their fantasy life in Vermont where they have four kids, he's the mayor and she is making jam. JAM??? Really Livvie? I'm with daddy Eli on this one, "WHY MUST YOU BE SO MEDIOCRE"?

Although mostly silent, Pope and Associates spring into action to counter the White House's accusations to confirm several occasions for the affair between Fitz and Janeen. Abby confronts another White House aide armed with all of his porn download history and he does a 360 better than a X-games skateboarder. But before the messages can be confirmed to corroborate Janeen's alibi, good ole FLOTUS in her "me mode" offers Janeen $2 million in a Cayman account to get her to confirm the rumors of the affair. She is all set to do so, when Liv gets wind and has a "Liv chat" as only she can; however, the most powerful man in the country trumps everyone and interrupts all press conferences for one of his own and acknowledges the affair to the press and then just for good measure chews up VP Sally in the hallway and spits her out.....There's a new sheriff in town at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue and he has balls! BIG HUGE, PRESIDENTIAL COJONES!

We've been trying to work it out all the summertime long
I can't figure it out, where did we go wrong?
Ohhhhh
Where do we go from here, oh
What do we do?
Ohh, baby..
Where do we go frome here, baby?
Did we just walk away, baby?

Should we just take our time, and take it step by step, step by step?
The feeling's gone, the feeling's go-o-o-one, ohh
  Where do we go?
Where do we go from here
My love 

 Do we walk away or do we keep on trying?

After it is all said and done we end the episode with Daddy Eli telling Livvie to open her front door, and there is ...wait for it....wait for it...Jake. Now, what in the hell will happen next? You know this isn't fairy tale land. Shonda and the crew will not let anyone live happily ever after - wrong show. Fasten your belts Gladiators in Suits, it's gonna be a BUMPY RIDE (in my best Bette Davis).

Humbly Submitted, 

Willie J. Broussard, Jr.

Gladiator in Suit

twitter: @ScandalitePoetL