Gladiator Creed

Gladiator Creed
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Saturday, November 23, 2013

Season 3: Episode #8 "Vermont is for Lovers, Too"

                                                  INAPPROPRIATE SEX!!!!
It happened! And it happened all up and through episode 308! I had to take an Ambien, a Clozapine, a shot of Tylenol Severe Cold AND a medium iced mocha latte before I could even attempt to write this recap…Jeezus!! Second, this episode was directed by the beautiful and talented Ava DuVerney so I didn’t expect anything less than jaw dropping scenes. Chile, just….. let’s get into it.

Episode 308 opens with Mama Pope demanding to see Liv before Papa Pope disposes of her for good. We find out that she has served Nelson Mandela time-like 20 plus years!! For a SPLIIIIT second we see something that resembles, compassion… kinda…sorta in Eli’s eyes but he quickly says “siiiiiiike! Girl you know that ain’t gonna happen but that was a real cute try.” Oh and real quick, I just want to say that Mama Pope’s lace front was laid like satin sheets! Yuuuussss!!

At Pope & Associates the crew is toiling away at finding surveillance footage that will show them who killed the security guard who was the link to Omar Dresden. Quinn pulls up in the Grand Marquis with Charlie coaching her on how to be a good mole. I know her heart was doing the Harlem Shake because mine definitely was! She’s obviously feeling the weight of what she’s gotten herself into. Note to fathers- this is why you need to hug your daughters and tell them they are beautiful because when you don’t, they end up signing up for gangs and top secret government goon squads.
Inside the office we see Quinn, often with a face that looks like she has an acute case of diarrhea as the Gladiators get closer to revealing the killer. She panics and tells Charlie that they are on the scent but he basically slaps her on the butt and says “it’s ok Toots, you’ll figure it out”

Back in the bowels of hell, Mama Pope is not going out like a chump so she sits there on the floor and chews through both her wrists until she hits the artery. What in the entire fuck? PINEAPPLES SHONDA, PINEAPPLES!! None of us were ready for that! Later in the show we find Mama has survived her self-cannibalism and is strapped down to the bed. Eli wants to make sure to get her out of there without any further incident so the doctor assures him that she’ll be HEAVILY sedated for transport.

Quinn, who I can’t even refer to as “Baby Huck” anymore goes into disguise and tries to capture the surveillance footage from nearby businesses before the Gladiators can get to the tapes. Sucks for her but she runs smack into Jake who is on the very same mission. He makes her hand over the findings before she can do away with the evidence. Foiled again, Quinn. Clearly you are not about this life ma’am. Oh, I love that Jake is an official Gladiator now and you know that man isn’t on the Pope & Associates payroll. He’s doing it just off the memory of that golden Pope Poon! I ain’t mad at you, Sir!

Mama and her luxurious lacefront are recovering and Papa Pope goes to see her with some newspaper clippings to show her of their daughter, how heartwarming! He manages to push his lips into something resembling a smile as they sort through the articles. Using her maternal instinct she wants to know where are the actual photos of the two of them. There are none to be seen since we know that he shipped Liv away as soon her mother was “killed” but he quickly flips the script on Mama and says that all of this is her fault in the first place. I can’t WAIT to get the backstory on this!!!!

Senator Marcus is still holding on to presidential hopes but someone has broken into their headquarters and stole her laptop. After receiving explicit instructions to stand down and let the Gladiators handle the press, Candace breaks rank and goes on air and passively aggressively places the blame on the Reston Camp. The Governor of Gingham, Harrison quickly says he’ll handle Candace and a few scenes later we find out why he was so eager. He handled it all right…. Everyone’s initial thought is that the Reston camp is behind it but the math just doesn’t add up. Liv and crew were quickly able to determine that it was a poorly executed inside job. Cue up INAPPROPRIATE SEX SCENE #1 with David Rosen and Abbey. They are soooooo awkward to me, but whatevs. Awkward folk need love too. They hash out the details of the stolen laptop and all manicured fingers point to Candace, Josie’s sister/daughter. Abbey jumps on the horn to inform Harrison and gahdammit! This is where I audibly screamed “NOOOOOOOO!!!!” at the TV. I literally shrieked! The first shirtless scene we ever see with Harrison is when he’s getting out of bed with Candace. REALLY SHONDA? Don’t let this form of high treason ever happen again! I can’t deal! INAPPROPRIATE SEX SCENE #2

Liv tells Josie that she could weather this political shit storm but when it’s time to fess up to the press, she takes the fall for the laptop job and resigns from the race and says she’s going back to Pennsyltucky or wherever the hell she’s from. It’s better this way. Josie you are about as interesting as a stump so I for one, am OK with you falling into obscurity. NEXT!

At the Beene/Novak residence the coldhearted snake Cyrus informs James that he hooked his boo up with an exclusive interview with Daniel Douglas. James is so happy to have a gig, he doesn’t even see the trap that was set with himself as the bait. Poor guy. Cy and Mellie talked it through and figured that once James and Daniel were alone, Daniel would make a pass at James and the Fitz camp would have some dirt to stop Sally Langston from running on the Independent ticket. To make certain that Daniel makes a grab for Jame’s bootymeat Mellie puts the bug in Daniels ear, saying that Cy and James have an open marriage. Ooooooh Mellie, you tried it!

ATTENTION ALL SIDEPIECES! If your “man/woman” doesn’t send for you in a private helicopter, YOU’RE DOING IT WRONG! Fitz sends for Liv to meet him in the mountains of Vermont. She reluctantly agrees to meet with him for just one hour. They’re in a dazzling modern log cabin house and he tells her how heartbroken he is that she never told him about her father. Liv throws a few verbal gut punches before she finally asks where they are. He tells her that it’s the house he made for the two of them. All Liv hears is “made this house…..make jam….grow old together” and it was FUCK YOU, MAMA! She couldn’t get Fitz out of his crew neck Chaps cable knit sweater fast enough. Damn! I guess the part about him killing her mother is inconsequential now. Oh yeah and side pieces, don’t get excited cuz your boo bought you dinner at the Red Lobster. I know cheddar bay biscuits are EVERYTHING but if you’re man/woman ain’t buying you a log cabin in Vermont, YOU’RE DOING IT WRONG! Lawd hammercy, INAPPROPRIATE SEX SCENE #3, TO THE SOUNDS OF BILL WITHERS! I DIED! Poor Mellie is trying to track Fitz down because Teddy said “balloon” and she wanted him to know. After having Fitzy’s receptionist call every phone number in the directory with no answer, she has her call Liv’s phone. Why you play yourself like that, Mellie?? The receptionist looked like she wanted to say “Bish, you know damn well the two of them are in somebody’s broom closet having sex.” But she remains professional.

The next morning Liv has to get back to work and Fitz is left sitting there with the sheets clutched under his chin looking violated and used. Before she leaves, she tells him not to sell the house. THAT my friends, is how you win back your woman. BUY HER A FREAKIN CABIN IN VERMONT! It changes everything. Cuz last week Liv was all like “fuck you and your perfectly trimmed hair” and this week when Fitz says he’s going after Eli she’s all like “Bay I know you gotta do what you have to do, I support you in all your endeavors.”

Back in DC:
James gets back from his “interview” at Daniel’s man cave. Daniel did indeed make a pass at James and it finally slipped that Daniel was led to believe that James had an open marriage. Visibly hurt, James figures he’ll give Cy a little more than what he bargained for. He went on and slept with that big burly piece of redneck man-meat, all while the photog that Cy hired snapped pics of it. INAPPROPRIATE SEX SCENE #4. The photog forwarded the pics to Cyrus and all he could do was muster a single sad tear as he witnessed his husband giving it up to Daniel. THIS IS WHY YOU CAN’T HAVE NICE THINGS CYRUS!

Quinn arrives at her house, exhausted from all her double crossery. She steps into the foyer and finds an 8x10 photo on the floor of the night she killed the security guard. It’s an image of her reflection leaving out of building. SHe senses someone is in the room and calls out “Huck?” and baaaby, Huck was like “yep, we need to talk about who you’re working for” and when she flips on the light, we see he has neatly arranged his power drill, scalpel, pliers, wrench and a bottle of Purell. HUCK IS BACK YA’LL!!!

Finally the last scene shows Liv walking to her building and out of the shadows pops Mama Pope. Before the doctor could inject her with a sedative, she was able to turn the needle around on him and escaped out of her cell. You cannot keep a mother lion from her cub. You just can’t. She calls out “hi Livvy” and Liv turns around to stand face to face with her mom for the first time after over 20 years.

I am no more good. Ava and Shonda have snatched all the edges from my hairline. I am bald. And dead. Good show ladies, good show!!!

Thursday, November 14, 2013

Season 3: Episode #7 "Everything's Coming Up Mellie"

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I.CAN’T.  I am fresh out of “can”.  I went to the “can” store and they  were sold out.  “Can” don’t live here anymore!  I CAAAAAAN’T!  I didn’t  think it was possible for this show to get any better but, here we are  after another jaw dropping episode of Scandal trying to pick up the  pieces of our mangled bodies. This episode had everything- Liv in the  most sickening black and white contrast full length coat, inappropriate  sex (but not the kind we were hoping for), and a lot of back story on  Mellie and Remington.  Stay with me as I try to untangle the deets.

Episode 307 opens with this gorgeous coat, oh an Liv too, walking out  the door and trying to ignore the Fitz phone which was ringing on her  table.  She runs to grab it on the last ring because yeah, you put the  POTUS out of your house but there’s only so many times you’re going to
ignore him. He’s all like “boo, I love you so much” and Liv is like  “So!? You kind of killed my mother AND I am NOT having any inappropriate sex with you!” Fitz wants her to stop her investigation on account of  Papa Goon not knowing that Liv is his daughter and she already knows  that he is the Grand Wizard of Boogeymen. Even knowing all that she  knows, she still loves her Mush Man. I’oneeeeem wanna know what THAT  kind of love is like. Sheesh!

This week we get a peek into  Mellie’s history with Fitzy via a series of flashbacks.  Mellie
is the  personification of a ride or die chick ok? I mean, she sets the bar for riding and/or dying and quite frankly, I’m taking myself out of the  running for that title.  Any woman who gets raped by her husband’s  father then turns around and uses it as a bargaining chip, keeps all his secrets, and smiles next to her man long after he’s mentally checked  out of the marriage is some kind of bad girl.  WHO CAN COMPETE WITH  THAT?? Sheeeeeit, I would have stabbed everybody in that mother*$%#$  years ago!  Seeing her history with Fitzy made me feel sorry for  her…briefly.  Until they brought in a 15 years younger Cyrus wearing a  wig that looks like it came out of Rod Stewarts costume closet.  Lawd,  23 strokes sure will age a person! Anyhoos, In these flashbacks We are  able to see the grand hustle as it unfolds.  Mellie, Cy and Papa Creep  AKA Fitzgerald Grant II are all conspiring to get Fitz to run for  governor and then eventually POTUS.None of them really believe in him  but his dynamic team of charlatans and shysters ain’t worried.  They  have their puppet in Fitz, now it’s on with the show. It’s actually  quite tragic when you think about it. Fitz has at least three hands up  his ass at all times, controlling his every move.  But he thinks he runs the world with his little presidential balls. PSSSSH!

At Pope  and Associates, Liv introduces the gladiators to their newest client-  her mother…and we all collectively fainted.  She quickly gets the team  plus Jake up to speed on the mission and the key players involved and  she also gives them an opportunity to back down if the assignment is too much of a challenge. Everyone remains loyal and presses on. They also  find out that a passenger was taken off the plane by an Air Marshal  before Fitz shot it down. Quinn is obviously missing from many of the  gladiator meetings but nobody even takes notice. Note-This is why you  need a sign in sheet for meetings.

Over at the gun range, Baby  Huck is getting more tricks of the trade from Charlie who is
showing  some personality this season. I had to be careful because I almost found myself liking him for a hot second. I mean hell, it was miiiighty  amusing watching him hydrate Quinn’s thirsty ass with spontaneous kisses and high school make-out sessions. He had Quinn following him around  and signing up to kill folk and she ain’t even get the “D” yet!  Oh  helllllzz naw!  I mean, Charlie
led her into the trap like lemmings  running off a damn cliff.

Mellie is busy trying to reconstruct  her public image because right now she looks like a
schizophrenic, loose lipped, woman scorned instead of a composed regal First
Lady. You won't evahhh see Michelle Obama airing their dirty laundry or getting caught  talking shit about candidates with the mic on, take note Mellie! You've  come too far to be caught slipping.  She has cameras following her  around, showing the world a glimpse of the fascinating life of a First  Lady- planning charity events, making executive decisions on which fine  china to use etc. She
hopes to catch Fitz in the office so the cameras  can see them operate as a family but dammit when she burst into the Oval Office, it was empty. Damn Fitz. Do you have to carry her so hard??  He redeems himself in an interview where Mellie found herself in over her  head. She was flustered and wasn’t able to answer the interviewers  questions with ease. Fitz stepped in and took one for
the team, drawing  the attention away from her and back on him since he is the one who was  lickin’ and stickin’ our Liv and Savior all these years.  Gold star for  you, President Mush!

In another flashback, we learn why Fitz  is at the mercy of his father- basically papa Creep had to play cleanup  man after he shot down the passenger plane. So Fitz gotsta do whatever  "Big Jerry" wants him to do. But it's really Mellie with the colossal  balls. After Big Jerry raped her, she didn't tell a soul.  She just used it as a way to get Papa Creep to be decent to his son.  As a feminist,  this scene was hard for me to digest.  We learn just how strong Mellie  is but unfortunately her strength and power stem from her being  victimized by her husband’s father.  Ugh! UBER SIDE EYE
HERE!

Bringing us current, we see Cyrus and Mellie trying to find a dame to  seduce Sally Langston’s husband except he really isn’t checking for  “fish” in the traditional sense of the word.  At a White House event, an exasperated James tries to tell Cy that he had been fired but Cy didn’t waste a minute further peeling back his already bleeding scalp from  last weeks EPIC reading by
Senator Marcus.  Poor James walks off and  ends up finding friendship with Sally’s husband. Ah ha!  So last week he really wasn’t flirting with Mellie, he just wanted to know who did her hair and where she got her pearls from.  Haaaaaaaay!

So the  Gladiators find out who the Air Marshal was from the plane crash and  they send Jake out to talk to him.  Yes!  They are getting closer to the truth!  Exceeeeeept no.  Quinn has her nose wide open and her eyes wide shut because Charlie gave her a chance to tag along on one of his  “private
investigating” jobs.  He tongued her down real good in the car  and sent her into an office building to “sedate” the security guard at  the front desk. So she sashays into the building, lipstick smeared,  skirt all twisted thinking she is doing the damn thing but per usual,  it’s a set up.  She stabs the security guard and begins to rejoice that  she carried out her mission but the poor old
guy started foaming at the  mouth and died on the spot.  He WAS (at least this is what I think.  Ya’ll can correct me if you believe otherwise) the only witness left  from the crash. She goes back to the car looking like a blithering idiot and Charlie welcomes her to B-613. WHY YOU SO STUPID FOR, QUINN?!!

After however many years of boning Olivia Pope, Fitz finally  decides to look into her past.  You’re madly in love with this woman but you ain’t never ask her about her mother and father or nothing Jesus  until she stopped giving you the straw to her juice box.  You ain’t  shit, Fitz!  So naturally, POTUS nearly gags to death when his staffer  brings him a file on Liv’s dad and he
see’s that it’s Papa Hooligan.

Cut over to Papa Pope making his way into a highly secure facility,  supposedly to see Omar Dresden and after going through a series of check points he sits down at the prisoners cell to say that
their daughter  has been asking about her.  And I basically blacked out at this point  because when the “prisoner” rolled over we see that it’s Liv’s mom.  I  told ya’ll, I.CAN’T.  Goodnight! 
Written By- Bree Maria

Thursday, November 7, 2013

Season 3: Episode #6 "Icarus"

First of all, the devil is a LIAR. I was NOT going to let daylight savings time make me fall asleep before Pope & Associates.  NO ma’am, no sir. I propped my eyelids open and pressed my way.  I’m a gladiator afterall.  So anyway… on with the show!Did ya'll die? Cuz I D-I-E!!! Episode 306 was everything.

The episode opens with a flashback of Liv's mom saying goodbye. All of us had it wrong as far as who would play her mother. No shade to Khandi Alexander but she wasn’t on my radar at all.
I know we talked about this before and we all fantasized about Phylicia Rashad, Jane Hubert, Janet Lewis and others playing Mrs. Pope but those phenomenal women are old enough to be her mother in present day so that just wouldn’t work anyway. 

Liv is in a trance as she recalls her last interaction with her mother and decides she has to know the truth and there are only 2 people who can give it to her-Papa Pope (and you might as well roll that beautiful bean footage because he ain't talkin') and President Mush soooo, off to the White House we go.

Leo meets with Sally to discuss their dirty campaign strategies which paradoxically, they are planning to run from a religious angle.  Those damn Tea Partiers are the SHADE masters all while hiding behind the robe of Jesus.  Goodbye!

Mellie is running around announcing Liv's arrival and is as excited to see her as an Oompa-Loompa would be to see Willie Wonka. It was downright piteous to see her like that. President Mush is overjoyed as well and demands a private moment. Mellie and Cy scurry out of the room like peasants before royalty but it is no reunion. Liv is thinking about her mom and wants answers but Fitz decided to show us his presidential balls this week so it was a no-go. As much as we wanted INAPPROPRIATE SEX, Fitz shut Liv down. So she upped the ante and quit the Grant
campaign for once and for all.  Damn son! 

Mellie is pissed cuz Fitzy blew it. And can I just say that this new dynamic with Mellie being all
“yaaaaassss Liv, go head girl, you gotta cuff the balls!” is making me uncomfortable.  I’m used to her taking shit so I’m not really feeling all the groveling she’s doing.  Even if it is at the feet of our Liv and Savior. 

Fitz tells Cy that Liv knows about Remington and Cy acts too cool for school about it.  This kind of sets a red flag off in Fitzy’s mind. 

Cut to Quinn at shooting range. Awwww she’s purchased her first killing utensil. So cute!  She’s all tense and missing her targets but dammit she is determined to become a crack shot.

Liv, wanting to take her mind off everything, dives all the way into Josie's campaign and tries to turn her from a kitten to a cougar with the media.  Nobody thinks Josie has the chops to take on the
conservative machine and the way she was acting all “you betcha” in front of the cameras, we didn’t think she had what it takes either!  But she acquiesces to Liv’s plan for her campaign and starts rubbing elbows with all the repulsive fat cats from different industries to drum up some donations.

Cy goes for his secret meeting with Father Hooligan to tell him that Liv knows about Remington. Papa has no fucks to give and has a plan already in place. Cy gets stuck with the light work of getting rid of Josie and he'll handle Jake because he knows that Ballard is the only one who would have tipped Liv off.

Cut over to Jake meeting with his female connection.  He’s trying to get recordings from the plane crash when Livs mom was killed. The sexy brunette agrees but tries to get Jake to come along for a roll in the sheets.  *pssshhh* Oh she ain’t know?  Once you go black…well, you end up in a hole for months being tortured by your boo’s father. In this scene we also see some creepy ass
cracker listening in on the conversation. 

Josie doesn't want to do the mudslinging thing for her campaign.  She wants to fight fair and equitable.  Awwww, isn’t she precious?  Liv and Abbey have a plan to get her to bring out
her inner badass. 

Cy calls the Prince of Paisley, the High Priest of Houndstooth, the Don of all things Dapper, Harrison to make him use his persuasive power and get Liv off the Marcus campaign otherwise he’s going to
have to unleash some Swiss goon on his ass.  Cy, don’t make us come and whip
your pock-marked legs for messing with our Sultan of Shepherd’s check!

In the next scene we flashback to the plane crash in between more colossal glasses of red wine. The liquid courage gives Liv the audacity to call up Papa Hooligan and find out the last thing he ever said to her mom.  Being the boogeyman he is known to be, he tells her again to back down from her
investigation but that he will grant her an answer to ONE question. Liv asks the
wrong damn question. GAH! 

Over at the Beene/Novak residence, Cy tries
to convince James to slander Josie in his upcoming interview with the senator. 
He wants him to take her to task about her teenage pregnancy and James is like
“uhm, we’re gay, married, with our adopted black smushy baby and you want me to
do what? NO SIR!”
Josie is planning to have James handle her with kid gloves
when they have her interview and Liv was basically like “unless you want to be
the president of Candyland, you gonna have to say it witcha chest and go IN on
these fools!”

Harrison consults Huck for a favor. At ALL costs, he has to make sure that the Swiss goon does NOT get back into the states.  Huck being the adorable thug he is, is on it.

Lets go back over to the white house where dinner with the Grants, Sally and her man is taking place.  Who knew Sally had a boo! I always had her for a closet lezzzbian. And she’s got a young fellow too! Sally is making nice with Fitzy while Mellie and her fab strand of Chanel pearls and
perfectly coiffed bouffant is flirting with Daniel.  This scene cracked me all the way up because all four of them were gagging while trying to execute their personal plots. 

Cut to Quinn at range again and Charlie’s scary ass shows up. He gives her tips on how to shoot like a pro and she hits her target spot on. Back at Pope and Associates, she asks Huck about b-613. Cuz she wants to be down with the clique but she wants to know if she can just be a part time goon and still go out for pedicures and cosmopolitans with her girlfriends. No ma’am BLOOD IN, BLOOD OUT!

While Liv and Abbey are prepping Josie for her interview with James she sees sexist defamation ad about herself. Just the ammo she needed.  James ass needed a protective style after she got in front of those cameras because Josie snatched his edges CLEAN OFF HIS SCALP!  I LIVED!  And Cy nearly died as he watched in horror from the office. Cy has to clean up the work that his man wasn’t able to take care of.  He calls the big wig preacher who Cy had planted to make sure that he carries out his end of the deal.  He told him “you get to keep your righteous indignation AND I'll raise you some endorsements”.  Way to sweeten the pot, Cy!  If there’s anything the Evangelical Right LOVES more than fire and brimstone, it’s fire, brimstone AND sacks of money! 

Mellie reports to Fitzy that Daniel is a flirt and they should use it as a part of their campaign strategy.  I SEE WHAT YOU DID THERE, MELLIE.  Yeah, this might be a part of your plot but don’t act like you’re not enjoying the attention too. I ain’t mad at you girl.

Cut to Jake who is going to meet his homegirl for the deets when he finds out it was a double cross. Ole girl was gonna kill him on the spot but the creepy dude from the coffee shop saved his ass and shot her in the head. Damn! These B-316 mofos have NO chill!

Josie's endorsements jump after the interview and the money is pouring in! Her sister/daughter is obviously jealous at the political prowess of Olivia and Co. Oh well child. Just sit back and let the
pros handle it!

Harrison meets Cy to let him know that he can’t betray his friend and Cy is like **Kanye Shrug** and immediately gets the ball rolling on bringing the Swiss goon into the States. 

Since there’s now a position open for a B-316 female, Charlie turns up the heat with recruitment. 
Quinn is ripe for the picking since she’s already got the taste in her mouth and her big brother Huck is still ignoring her. AWWW HELLL NO!! This is about to be some MESS. And I am here for all of it! 

Episode 306 ends with Mush showing up at Liv’s trying to get her on the campaign trail. This fool keeps thinking that he is gonna burst in her space and it’s gonna be like old times.  No SIR!  This scene also gave me life because it was all about nonverbals and facial expressions. Liv has been holding this big joker all episode and finally gets to slam it on the table.  She asks him repeatedly about Remington and his ass keeps tryin to be hard saying he doesn’t know anything….until she said her mom was on that plane.  I though Mush was gonna collapse on the carpet into a pile of… mush.  And he did, in a way. His right eye just completely wandered off the set.  He was devastated but still played coy.  Aaaand Liv put him out.  You gotsta be one bad girl to put the POTUS out.  REPEATEDLY! 
Woooooo!!!  I got my life! Did you get yours?

Written by Bree Maria
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