The Scandal cast had a busy night as they attended the Costume Designers Guild celebration and the NAACP Image Awards where they ended up picking up three accolades for drama series, actress and supporting actor.

Outstanding Comedy Series
House of Lies
Modern Family
Real Husbands of Hollywood - WINNER
The Game
The Soul Man

Outstanding Actor in a Comedy Series
Andre Braugher – Brooklyn Nine-Nine
Cedric The Entertainer – The Soul Man
Don Cheadle – House of Lies
Dule Hill – Psych
Kevin Hart – Real Husbands of Hollywood - WINNER

Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series
Aisha Tyler – Archer
Mindy Kaling – The Mindy Project
Niecy Nash – The Soul Man
Tasha Smith – Tyler Perry’s For Better or Worse
Wendy Raquel Robinson – The Game - WINNER

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series
Boris Kodjoe – Real Husbands of Hollywood
Jerry “J B Smoove” Brooks – Real Husbands of Hollywood
Morris Chestnut – Nurse Jackie - WINNER
Nick Cannon – Real Husbands of Hollywood
Tracy Morgan – 30 Rock

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series
Anna Deavere Smith – Nurse Jackie
Brandy Norwood – The Game - WINNER
Nia Long – House of Lies
Rashida Jones – Parks and Recreation
Sofia Vergara – Modern Family

Outstanding Drama Series
Boardwalk Empire
Grey’s Anatomy
Scandal - WINNER
The Good Wife
Treme

Outstanding Actor in a Drama Series
James Pickens, Jr. – Grey’s Anatomy
LL Cool J – NCIS: Los Angeles - WINNER
Michael Ealy – Almost Human
Shemar Moore – Criminal Minds
Wendell Pierce – Treme

Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series
Chandra Wilson – Grey’s Anatomy
Kerry Washington – Scandal - WINNER
Khandi Alexander – Treme
Nicole Beharie – Sleepy Hollow
Regina King – Southland

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series
Columbus Short – Scandal
Guillermo Diaz – Scandal
Jeffrey Wright – Boardwalk Empire
Joe Morton – Scandal - WINNER
Michael Kenneth Williams – Boardwalk Empire

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series
Archie Panjabi – The Good Wife
Debbie Allen – Grey’s Anatomy
Diahann Carroll – White Collar
Taraji P. Henson – Person of Interest - WINNER
Vanessa L. Williams – 666 Park Avenue

Outstanding Television Movie, Mini-Series or Dramatic Special
Being Mary Jane - WINNER
Betty & Coretta
CrazySexyCool: The TLC Story
Luther
Muhammad Ali’s Greatest Fight

Outstanding Actor in a Television Movie, Mini-Series or Dramatic Special
Chiwetel Ejiofor – Dancing on the Edge
Danny Glover – Muhammad Ali’s Greatest
Idris Elba – Luther - WINNER
Malik Yoba – Betty & Coretta
Omari Hardwick – Being Mary Jane

Outstanding Actress in a Television Movie, Mini-Series or Dramatic Special
Angela Bassett – American Horror Story: Coven
Angela Bassett – Betty & Coretta
Gabourey Sidibe – American Horror Story: Coven
Gabrielle Union – Being Mary Jane - WINNER
Keke Palmer – CrazySexyCool: The TLC Story

To see the full list of winners and nominees head here.

Scandal is back and so are the twisty, back stabby storylines and fabulous clothes. Previously with these Scandal reviews I have talked through the episode via the costuming and that is going to remain the case. There will be one slight change as a handful of costumes will take the spotlight and then there will be a separate gallery at the end to highlight other outfits that catch our eye. As with everything on TV Ate My Wardrobe we want to keep these articles as fresh and relevant as possible; so while I don’t necessarily need to write a paragraph about Harrison’s amazing suits each week, we still want to show off the amazing tailoring. Feedback is always appreciated so if there is anything you want to see from these Scandal costume reviews then let us know in the comments.

The first of two staged photo ops in “Ride Sally, Ride” and this one comes with so many fake smiles and gritted teeth. Both Mellie and Olivia are wearing their power colors with Olivia in white Prada and Mellie opting for a red (you can see the color version in the gallery below). The black and white stills, a Scandal signature are even more pertinent in scenes like this one where the paparazzi are present. The goblet wine glasses are not quite the Olivia Pope ultra thin stemmed standard but they will do.

As seen later, Olivia is on a wine chugging mission in the appropriate wine cardigan attire as she questions exactly why she is doing all of this and what it means to be a patriot. Jake is unwavering in his devotion to his Commander-in-Chief and this is why he has taken the job as Command. Jake claims that it will be different now that he is in charge; for starters he is taking a much more relaxed approach to the suit wearing and the lack of tie reflects his more casual Command. Once again Scott Foley is looking pretty damn good in a suit – I’ve been watching a lot of Felicity recently so it took a moment to acclimatize to the older less plaid shirt wearing Foley – and he steps up to the patriot plate in a way I’m sure he doesn’t mind.

To the second staged photo moment and the bachelor Olivia has chosen as a cover is not from Mellie’s list. She won’t give Mellie the satisfaction. Matching coffee cups with well put together casual, yet stylish (of course) park walking attire and they look like a dream couple. Of course it’s WAY more complicated than that and there are real feelings at stake here, definitely for Jake and while it’s not the same for Olivia because of Fitz, there’s an attraction. Jake doesn’t throw whiskey glasses across the room, nor does he have door open/door closed tantrums, so you know he’s pretty good dating material. Even if it’s all for show.

Aaaaand things just got even more complicated with the new VP nominee choice Andrew Nichols as he spoke of a woman he was once in love with and lost. Of course that woman turns out to be Mellie and this love triangle just grew another side. It will be good to see Mellie lavished with attention and once again she looks stunning in red. Mellie’s wearing all the colors this week with green, royal blue and teal making an appearance. It’s all about the bold colors to emphasize a message of power; Mellie is no wallflower despite the endless Fitz rumors.

Another lady in red and it’s the mysterious Adnan Salif, the very person who Harrison has been terrified of and why he has been a wreck since finding out that she is back in the country. Harrison is also pretty attracted to her and instead of this ending in a bloody mess it ends up in a tryst on the desk. Oh and kudos show for the surprise that Adnan is a woman and shame on me for just assuming it was going to be a dude.

In the gallery below there is Abby in two more glorious Diane von Furstenberg wrap dresses (including a repeat of the snakeskin pattern she wore in episode 10), Olivia in a whole lot of roomy attire (to cover Kerry Washington’s real life pregnancy) with peplums and gorgeous coats on show, James in plaid as he plots to take Cyrus down and the tabloid with Olivia and Jake making news.

Scandal is constantly shifting the pieces and the players who are in control; you would think Fitz as the President is top of this long chain, but he’s just as much a pawn in the machinations of the show as much as anyone else. Jake currently sits in the prize B613 chair and he has access to everything, including Tom the ‘loyal’ secret service agent who delivers video from inside the Oval Office. Jake doesn’t have all the power as Quinn so smugly demonstrates and he’s also taking part in the boyfriend charade with Olivia.

What of Olivia? Olivia used to hold all the cards, however as the show has expanded her ability to control her surroundings has waned and at this moment she’s pretty much in the same position as Fitz. This has been a problem for Scandal and even though this is a much stronger outing than last week, it’s Mellie that comes out on top.

The episode opens with a post-sex argument between Olivia and Fitz – hey guys isn’t it meant to go argument followed by makeup sex? – as Fitz is pissed about the Jake of it all. This is where Olivia delivers a very powerful statement that is repeated throughout the episode and I’m glad that Olivia has finally laid out her feelings in this manner:

“I did not do this for you! I did this for me! So I could work on the campaign. So I could walk down the street and not be whispered about! So I could stop being known as the woman who screwed the president! So the scarlet “A” on my chest could be invisible! So I’m not a joke. I am a person. I am not a hen, I am not a prize and I have a business to run, people to support, a life to lead a desire to wake up and face myself in the mirror every day.”

One problem with this is that she has lost a lot of her agency and so while she claims she is now doing this for herself, there are others who are in control of her fate. The black and white geometrical jacquard Marni jacket is Olivia Pope at her most frantic and the uncontrolled nature of the pattern reflects her current situation.

Mellie is the star of this week and this is a sequel of sorts to “Everything’s Coming up Mellie” as we find out what happened after Fitz’s father raped her. In the present Mellie is once again all about the bold colors (I think they’re working through the color spectrum) and this coral Melinda Eng frock is beautiful. This scene with Olivia is problematic as it suggests that Mellie is better because she didn’t give into temptation with Andrew and it pits these two women against each other once again.

This color palette of the present is in contrast to the muted tones of her past as we see the bond between Mellie and Andrew Nichols develop. As far as we know Andrew is the only person that knows what really happened to Mellie and he protects her now as he did back then. Mellie finally succumbs to temptation as they discuss the portraits of the first ladies and plants one on Andrew and it looks like the best kiss of her life. So of course she bolts and leaves Andrew to touch the painting of Jackie Kennedy that he’s really not meant to touch.

In sleeping with people you probably shouldn’t with news, Harrison is still hooking up with Adnan and she’s now got him buying seats at fundraisers for him. All the power she has over him is linked to another mysterious name – this time Clearwater – and apparently it is totes bad. Adnan looks stunning in silver, but Cyrus is less than thrilled when he finds out who she is. If only he knew that she’s also in cahoots with Mama Pope. What’s their big plan? This is another reason why it’s no longer the show run by Olivia as there are too many other players who are 5 steps ahead with their diabolical schemes.

It’s an eventful week for Abby as she opens up to David and tells him she loves him, she also hacks his email (true love does this) and saves his life (with Huck’s help) and she does so while wearing another fabulous DVF wrap dress. David finally says his “I love you” all while fearing for his life; the big takeaway here is to never pause to look into a trunk that has just randomly opened. Oh and tell your girlfriend when you’re doing something dangerous.

Other things of note that occurred this week; Olivia is unsure if she has feelings for Jake, Cyrus continues to freak about who the leak is and is completely unaware that it’s James. Cyrus should look at little closer and realize his husband is sweating a lot. Sally sees red on the carpet and it triggers flashbacks to killing Daniel Douglas; she’s pretty much a loose cannon and Leo is trying to rein her in. Some stuff happens with Quinn as she tells Olivia that Huck licked her face. Thanks for that memory, show. Huck blames Olivia for what happened as he is a monster on a leash. Oh and Jake really wants beer and burgers, not red wine and popcorn. Maybe that’s a sign this fake relationship is doomed. James really should have said his cover name out loud before sending the first text and it gets funnier the more Publius is uttered.

The gallery below includes Olivia in this amazing Dolce & Gabbana tweed jacket, flashback and present Mellie in bold and somber tones  (including this Michael Kors frock), David Rosen rocking a beautiful silk scarf, the delightful power clashing of Harrison and Jake shirtless (because I couldn’t resist). Enjoy!

Absolution is sought by many on Scandal and everyone is guilty of something – David Rosen might be the only exception. The theme of this week is light and dark (timely after the True Detective finale), with confession topping the agenda for many. This includes wanting to confess in publicly for wrong doings, as well as sharing truths that might destroy relationships and yet some are made stronger from the truth.

As always I will be looking at the episode through the prism of costume and Olivia Pope’s wardrobe is forever drenched in the battle between black and white.

“No Sun on the Horizon” opens with Olivia learning the truth about Daniel Douglas’ murder and who all the players are in both the cover up and subsequent plan to reveal the whole thing to the world. Olivia is incredulous at first and she doesn’t believe that Cyrus would have done such a thing without calling her first. This Dolce & Gabbana floral embroidered top is pure Olivia Pope and while I’d like to see the whole thing, I know that certain camera angles and prop placement is necessary to avoid Kerry Washington’s bump. They’re doing a good job of this so far, even if it is a tad distracting at times and it means that we miss out on full costume shots, but hey I get it.

More Dolce & Gabbana and another coat to add to the covet list as Olivia confronts Cyrus, finding out that David was telling the truth about Cyrus’ level of involvement. In terms of lighting Olivia is bathed in it in this shot as she rails against Cyrus and tells him that she will not help him; she wants to walk in the light. This comes after a hysterical laughing fit as she realizes they have a “Murders’ Row” of presidential candidates and really there are very few people on this show who haven’t killed someone. Olivia has lived in the moral ambiguity for so long that this desire to be free of this lifestyle is understandable, but I’m not sure how much I buy her longing for the normal life.

Olivia puts on her best TSE wine cardigan and heads to Jake with a bottle of wine (all for her) and burgers (that don’t get eaten, shaking my head at the waste of good food). The question of a normal life and wanting to be free from this one is raised once again, with Jake role playing as the paper seller that is B613′s cover and all I can think about is Michael Scott’s screenplay in The Office and how Jake is the Agent Michael Scarn that Micheal Scott dreamed he could be. Scranton this isn’t and Jake points out that this is a pretty dull conversation. Then he asks Olivia to run away with him as he doesn’t really love what’s through the looking glass.

Running away isn’t really an option, instead drinking all the wine and sleeping with Jake is the conclusion Olivia comes to. Once again taking a quick look at the lighting of this scene and while all the kitchen lights are on Jake and Olivia are both shrouded in darkness, just like they are in life. Quick note – Jake’s wine glasses are nice, but they are nowhere near as impressive as the one in the next shot.

More wine and Olivia is bathed in blue light as she rings Fitz to tell him the sordid details about Cyrus and Daniel Douglas’ murder. Olivia wants to lift the curtain and make this election an honest one, but they are way beyond that point now. Olivia asks Fitz to throw the debate, something he initially refuses to do. This is an act of dishonesty, but it’s one that serves the greater good of getting Fitz re-elected in a sorta clean election. Everything is a big blurry moral mess behind the curtain. Olivia’s pajamas are even spelling out the whole black and white thing; what you can’t see here is that the bottoms are black. Olivia also shows her superior wine drinking skills by not spilling a drop.

Jake tells his family story to an unseen person and I’m guessing whoever it is, is instrumental in the events that occur at the end of the episode. We learn that Jake had a pretty shitty upbringing – abusive father, dead sister, mother who was emotionally absent – and he views B613 as family. He can’t imagine another life, which contradicts his earlier running away suggestion. So who is Jake spinning his origin story to? The obvious choice is Quinn as he’s brought her back into the B613 fold and Quinn has already mentioned Olivia’s family speechifying, but it could it be someone else. The lighting used here is reminiscent of the previous scene I discussed as Olivia tells Fitz everything and Jake is also making a confession of sorts as he justifies who he works for; spilling your secrets should always come with a blue or green tint.

Now I’m sure Olivia has worn this baby soft pink before, but it’s rare and this Prada coat is ultra feminine and really stunning. This is Olivia telling Fitz that she’s not going to say sorry for what they have done to keep him in office. Fitz mentions that he is the only adult around here, which has to be a joke considering his whisky glass throwing tantrum a couple of weeks ago. They’re all culpable in this as “There is no clean. Just like there is no Vermont.”

There is still smooching and doing it in front of window is probably not the best idea. The cuffs on this coat are amazing.

Also not so subtle is all the open locations that everyone on this show holds their secret meetings in, has no one watched All the Presidents Men? Here Cyrus and Jake are illuminated by the Washington Monument (light and dark again) and while I enjoy a good Cyrus monologue, I also admire Jake’s quick mouse on a wheel analogy followed by his dismissive “I don’t have the time and you wouldn’t understand.”

Jake’s got crazy/sad eyes going on here as the episode closes with the mystery of who Jake shoots. My prediction is that it is someone behind David and James; Jake is here to save them and someone else called the meeting. He’s wearing the perfect all black spy/assassin outfit, available at all good spy stores.

Other moments of note that you can see in the gallery below include Mellie in regal purple as she plays Sally in debate prep, complete with a southern accent. As with Josie Marcus, Sally’s flag pin gets a feminine spin as it’s been made into a bow and Kate Burton delivers yet another excellent performance as Sally mental state is less than stable (“Yum yum crispy piggy. Yum yum”). Quinn unhappily plays receptionist and then remembers that she probably shouldn’t sass off the boss, not always the smartest are we Quinn?! Oh and David comes up with a side business idea while in bed with Abby – a range of What Would Olivia Pope Do bracelets – right before he pisses Abby off by making jokes about his current situation. David definitely doesn’t end the episode laughing as his glasses have been sprayed with someone else’s blood and now he has a gun pointed at him.

What’s the point? That’s the question Olivia Pope is asking on this week’s Scandal after the dramatic events that went down at the end of the last episode and as predicted all my predictions are wrong. We don’t find out who Jake was talking or if he was monologuing to himself as he rattled off his family history and reasons for joining B613. What we do find out is that Jake did indeed shoot three people dead, leaving one witness to clear up his dirty work. Yep, I thought it was all going to be some massive fake-out cop-out resolution, so kudos Scandal writers with going through with the deed. That’s enough stalling with the big reveal, unlike “Kiss Kiss Bang Bang” which went straight for the kill so to speak as Jake wearing his best spy black turtleneck attire shot James. That’s right, James is dead. And Jake did it.

Olivia calls on her father s he can explain why any of this matters. At first Rowan is very much “ugh” about the whole thing, offering up a “what” instead of a “hello” as a greeting. Olivia practically begs for him to act like her dad and show her some guidance; a reason why everyone she knows is a monster. Last week Olivia had a hysterical laughing fit upon her realization that all the presidential candidates are murderers. This week there is no more laughter with the death of her friend at the hand of her sometimes lover. Rowan gives her a reason to continue, a point to all of this if you will and that’s because everyone is worth saving, no matter what they have done – Joe Morton delivers yet another fine monologue and there’s a reason he keeps getting them, just listen to the way he says 183. Jake explains that he is different because he actually pulls the trigger, but Rowan still claims that he is responsible for the 183 people who have died because of him; Jake just cuts out the Huck-like middle man.

One aspect Olivia laments is the lack of white hats and how the deck is always stacked; Rowan points out that there are exceptions, exceptions like Olivia who in the face of darkness drags them into the light. This is why Olivia’s power color is the one she is wearing in this scene (an amazing Alberta Ferretti white coat) and Rowan dressed in black is in direct contrast to her.

Rowan’s exit is as warm as his arrival, but it has done the trick and Olivia has renewed faith in both her abilities and she turns to one of the only non-murders she knows. David Rosen is deeply affected by what has occurred; he ended up as the sole survivor with a face splattered with someone else’s blood and now he’s got to send an innocent man to jail. David is a skittish mess and he’s visibly nervous when Jake stops by his office. Going it alone is not going to work and the first step is to tell Abby what is going on, after all they are the most stable couple on Scandal. All roads lead to Olivia Pope and now as well as a presidential campaign Olivia has vowed to take down B613; in her eyes Jake is not the problem, the institution is. White hat back on.

White isn’t only worn by Olivia this week and in this shot of Jake nothing seems to be wrong, he’s just on the phone wearing a white tee. When the camera pans down we see just how muddy this once white shirt was and how he’s burying Vanessa and Shelby in the woods. This battle has been won, but there’s a war coming to B613.

The story of James and Cyrus gets played out in a series of flashbacks including their first semi-flirtatious encounter where James thankfully points out that Cyrus’ neck beard is a big pile of terrible and Cyrus isn’t a fan of James’ leather jacket (well not for reporting). Gone are beards and the a suit jacket replaces the leather one; flirtation leads to smooching and soon they are a secret couple. It’s sad to see what they once were and how Cyrus took a leap, only to use and manipulate James. This latter part is why Cyrus breaks down in the press briefing room as we go from a quick montage of all the recent deceit to their public coming out. Their relationship started in secret because of who Cyrus is and it devolved into secrets because of his job and desire to stay in the White House.

James’ death is particularly brutal because Jake had to make it look like a carjacking, no bullet to the brain for him and end of the episode takes us to a very dark place. Too dark perhaps, I’m not sure how much we needed to see him gargling on his own blood, but I guess they got their point across that bad things happen to good people at the hand of whoever is Command.

Mellie is stepping out of her usual dress/cardigan twins sets and is swapping them for some Town and Country threads as she teaches Andrew how to shoot a shotgun. Of course Mellie is an excellent shot. They look like a couple here in matching plaid flannel shirts and vests; Mellie in purple and Andrew in blue. Later on as they debate gun control legislation they’re wearing these colors that complement each other and this time Mellie succumbs to temptation. This is all going to end horribly – it is Scandal after all - but at the moment Andrew is paying her the kind of attention that has been absent for far too long in her marriage.

Another pair mirroring each other are Harrison and Adnan both in teal (Adnan’s coat is Vivienne Westwood). Adnan is in over her head after partnering up with Mama Pope and she just witnessed her shoot someone in the heard during negotiations. This is enough for anyone to rethink their current position and while Adnan doesn’t reveal why she is so afraid to Harrison, he’s already turned to Olivia. Olivia chose Project David, but both Project Adnan and Project Quinn have been brought to her attention. The less said about what transpired between Huck and Quinn, the better.

In the gallery below you can see some of the black and white still shots from “Kiss Kiss Bang Bang” of Cyrus being comforted by Fitz and his flower filled office. James and Cyrus dancing together is a poignant reminder of their happier days. There’s also Olivia in another black and white jacket; this time it is by Lafayette 148 New York. When Mellie isn’t in her hunting gear she’s wearing raspberry Giambattista Valli and amethyst Escada.

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Big things are maybe happening with The Comeback and there’s a chance Valerie Cherish may grace our screens once again. The timing of this announcement is pretty perfect as we’ve finally finished our “Summer Rewind.” That majority of this discussion with Kerensa Cadenas took place long before this announcement and it’s something we only address at the end. We’re both pretty excited about this possible return as we’ve become pretty attached to this character. We’re looking at the final four episodes; “Valerie Gets a Magazine Cover,” “Valerie Stands Out on the Red Carpet,” “Valerie Shines Under Stress” and “Valerie Does Another Classic Leno.” For more from our Summer Rewind head here.

Emma: So it’s been a few months since we last talked about The Comeback as various other projects/moving house/all the TV that is on has got in the way but we’re finally back to talk about the last four episodes of The Comeback. I’m pretty devastated that unlike Valerie’s own reality show, the actual Comeback didn’t get a second season and I completely understand why it is put alongside Freaks and Geeks and My So-Called Life as the one season wonders we wish there was more of.

In the final four episodes Valerie’s long standing battle with Paulie G comes to a vomit filled head (did not see that coming), her reality show premieres, the cast head to the People’s Choice Awards, Valerie gets a magazine cover and a Scandalous publicist. One thing I want to note is how each episode title is pretty much the Valerie version of what happens – “Valerie Saves the Show,” “Valerie Demands Dignity,” “Valerie Stands Out on the Red Carpet,” “Valerie Shines Under Stress” – Valerie tends to ignore negative aspects and tries to make the best out of a situation. We see this time and time again throughout The Comeback and instead of making things better, the opposite occurs. This is why her actual reality show is such a hot mess and a hit.

The first of our four episodes is all about Hollywood/celebrity fakery when her new publicist Billy (Scandal star and long time Lisa Kudrow producing partner Dan Bucatinsky) gets her the cover of “Be Yoga.” It’s not Redbook like Valerie wants, but it’s a step and the only issue is Valerie doesn’t really do yoga no matter how much she says she does. Thanks to Mark’s painkiller truth bombs Valerie has to keep correcting him on camera. Drugged up Mark is wonderful and I really like his character now after being so unsure for the first half of the season. He’s pretty genuine which is unusual in the world of reality TV and he’s not trying to be someone that he isn’t. In this episode he is even more blasé thanks to the painkillers and it makes Valerie’s sudden interest in yoga more transparent.

Turning the gym into a place of sanctuary involves a whole lot of remodeling which costs a fortune and this also feels like the show is passing judgment on the ridiculous amount of money people will spend on tranquility. It is a fad after all and after this magazine shoot how much time will Valerie spend with a $12000 Buddha?

Of course Valerie is doing this as a reaction to Juna’s very Rolling Stone Rolling Stone cover, the mock up looks like an actual issue and they’ve perfectly captured what kind of wet t-shirt image they would use for someone like Juna. And there’s a terrible pun to boot “Got Millken?” Valerie’s been saving all of Juna’s press clippings and this is part supportive co-star and part wish fulfillment. Hollywood’s such a breeding ground for competitiveness and longing, particularly when it comes to who is in demand that Valerie’s actions probably aren’t all that uncommon when there is someone who is considered the hot new thing versus someone who is in the second half of their career and it’s probably really hard to maintain a healthy, balanced attitude towards these things. This is why they need yoga and this also turns into a Juna thing as she’s invited along to Valerie’s yoga session. Juna of course ends up in US Weekly’s Stars They’re Just Like Us feature – this is my favorite part of this magazine because of how damn ridiculous it is. Valerie isn’t included and so her shining moment gets usurped by the younger star once again.

Valerie brings in a poster of when she posed in a barely done up shirt, super cleav and undone jeans from her It days and I’m glad that it didn’t come across as this desperate attempt to hold onto her youth. I think she just wanted to show that she is more than just a frumpy tracksuit. What did you think of this scene and particularly Tom and Paulie G’s reactions to it?

Kerensa: I really like the relationship between Valerie and Juna–while it does have those undertones of Valerie being jealous of Juna’s newly minted “it” girl status (I wonder if the show has got a second season if they would have explored this) it does seem based in a pretty genuine place.

I think that Valerie bringing in her poster to the set kinda straddles the line of that. She looks great in the picture (although I loved the line about her hair being 90s–when it looks exactly the same) and Tom and Paulie G’s reactions were pretty priceless. I thought Paulie G’s was creepy and condescending seeming per usual. I can’t with him, especially in these last episode. Holy crap.

What did you think about this scene?

Emma: The Juna/Valerie dynamic is one of my favorites on The Comeback as it really wasn’t what I expected, this notion applies to a lot of this show. I’m not sure if Malin Akerman’s work on Trophy Wife has influenced my feelings (because I love that show), but I’ve really grown to love Juna and all her naïveté. She could have been the bitch of the show and her super sweet persona feels pretty genuine. I’m really sad that we won’t get to see if success and fame would change her, from the looks of things I’d say probably not and she’s always been very supportive and thankful for Valerie’s presence.

It’s the writers after all that play the role of mean girl and their reaction to Valerie’s poster is typical of how they have been in every other way – Tom is sheepish and Paulie G is repulsive and yet he can’t quite bring himself to admit that he finds Valerie attractive. Paulie G has consistently used silence as a way to put her down.

After watching the penultimate episode I said on Twitter that Paulie G would feature on a most despised list and his systematic bullying has been the hardest aspect of this show to watch. When Valerie finally loses it and punches him in the stomach I definitely cheered, even when it was followed by the double vomit comet. I mean this also becomes her reality show defining moment even if it’s for the wrong reasons.

We’ve got a lot to talk about when it comes to these writers and especially Paulie G, what do you think they were intending to say with Paulie’s nice guy routine in his one on one?

Kerensa: I agree with you on everything about Juna and Trophy Wife which I love so much. It was really great that Juna’s character didn’t fall into the stereotype that it very well could have.

I cheered so loudly with the punch scene as well. It was just SO satisfying to see Valerie stand up for herself against him after everything she’s taken from him.

Honestly, with Paulie G’s sudden “nice guy” transformation in his one on one, I didn’t believe it for a second. My first thought was that he got paid to say that or threatened/told that the Room and Bored ratings would suffer–pretty much anything along those lines. While we’ve been aware that Valerie’s show would be spun into something unfavorable towards her, it sucked to see her witness it and Paulie G’s sudden respect for Valerie really was another double vomit punch in the gut. What did you think?

Emma: I just hope Trophy Wife doesn’t go the way of The Comeback with one season only.

That’s a really great way to describe how Paulie G’s kind words felt and it highlights how these testimonials are the most fake aspect of reality shows.

As soon as Jane returned from doing Paulie G’s interview it was obvious that something was up and one aspect we haven’t discussed too much is the role of Jane and this final episode shows that as a producer Jane is here to interfere when it helps the narrative like asking Valerie to start a sentence with “I feel” but she also withholds information as she doesn’t tell Valerie that Paulie G was nice about her. This is why Jane prentends she’s sick for Valerie’s viewing party as she’s aware of all the behind the scenes aspects, no she didn’t edit the piece but she feels complicit.

For a brief moment I thought Jane was in cahoots with Paulie G, especially when she wouldn’t let her in her apartment, but then I remembered that Jane has been just as repulsed by Paulie G as we have been. The relationship between producer and reality star is a complicated one I’m sure and of course the timeouts that Valerie implemented are timeouts on her end only. I think Jane probably thought Valerie was an idiot at first, but she’s definitely grown to like her. It’s little things like Valerie giving her the gift bag she got at the People’s Choice awards (how I would love an wards gift bag) or how Jane tears up as she hears Valerie’s story about her scoliosis – I definitely want to talk more about this in relation to Valerie.

Despite being screamed at by Valerie and Mark, Jane looks really happy for Valerie at the end of the final episode and if there had been a second season *sob* I would have liked to see them explore Jane and her relationship as producer with Valerie. What do you think of the whole Jane aspect?

Also have you seen any of Kroll Show? PubLIZity nails everything about these kinds of reality shows.

Kerensa: I love Kroll Show and PubLIZity is the best! Jenny Slate should be in everything! And it really does.

I think the relationship between Jane and Valerie is really interesting. And it became apparent that they bonded in small ways throughout the show. The first moment of that to me was when Valerie got her that gift bag from the People’s Choice Awards. I never thought that Jane was in cahoots with Paulie G. because she obviously hated him so much too. So I do think Valerie’s betrayal felt kinda justified especially because Jane disappeared because she had seen the final cut and felt ashamed. But I know Valerie plays herself off as being naive, but I mean how could she not have expected the show to turn out like that? I know that we are jaded with the amount of reality television we’ve both seen and by now we are aware of the editing tricks used, but did Valerie really think that it was going to portray her in a positive light?

And then when she kinda at the end of the show seems to accept this new public persona of Valerie–I wonder if the second season would have explored her doing the kinds of things she refused to do in this season? Would have it turned Valerie into a monster? I do hope that Jane would have stayed on in the second season to explore that relationship between the two of them because it became SO apparent how much Valerie ended up relying on her especially when the creepy mic guy showed up again.

Emma: Now I want to take a look at the evolution between reality shows first and second seasons – how they evolve because of what the audience responded to in the first season. I mean it goes for scripted shows as well – the first season is written in a bubble of sorts as it hasn’t been seen by anyone so at that point no one knows what people will like/dislike. I mean Girls is a prime example as cable shows tend to have most of their season written/filmed before any of it has aired so they can’t respond to criticism until the second season. Network is different as they can tweak as the season goes along and this can be very beneficial. With reality shows I’m guessing it’s more of the cable model in that it’s all filmed prior to airing. With something like the Kardashians I find it so surreal that they make a huge deal about plot points that we already know the ending to – like the big engagements/breakups. In fact this is a show I’d like to watch S1 of just to see how different it is to the way they are now.

So slight digression there and my favorite Valerie moments are the ones where she is truly herself, like all of the smoking scenes in the finale are hilarious, as is every single time that Mark mentions the coke they did that one time. Speaking of Mark, I really changed my opinion of him over these last four episodes and think he’s really pretty great. He goes all protective over Valerie whenever Paulie G is mentioned and offers to come to the studio and when she turns him down he doesn’t go all macho man and let’s her deal with it herself. He’s also pretty hilarious when he’s high on pain killers. Mark isn’t part of the Hollywood scene and so his reticence at the start is totally understandable, especially when you factor in his own career as a lawyer. I don’t think he’s more reality TV savvy than Valerie, I just think it’s his natural instincts as a lawyer to not trust anyone, especially in this town. How do you feel about Mark now the show has ended?

Kerensa: I ended up really loving Mark too. And like you mentioned, I think he’s really good for Valerie because he isn’t involved in Hollywood. Those smoking scenes were HILARIOUS. But I really do like the relationship that became established between them and how supportive he was of Valerie even when she was being nuts.

And I think that evolution would be super interesting especially in terms of The Comeback. Like if it had got a second season–would the show have hinted that Valerie’s sudden fame was because of the show that they were shooting? Also, if there was a second season, how would Room & Bored even be on the air still? Right?

Emma: Room & Bored did very much seem dead in the water even if they did get a People’s Choice nomination and I loved how this whole episode pointed out how BS this awards is and how it’s all decided before the night. And while I’m on the subject of this episode, it’s another occasion where they incorporate someone from another reality TV show; first it was The Amazing Race and this time it is Project Runway. So they’re skewering reality TV, while also writing a love letter of sorts to it. Valerie looks stunning in this red dress, even when it’s on back to front. What did you think about this episode and how it portrays the People’s Choice Awards?

A couple of things that probably would save Room & Bored for a second season – Juna’s level of fame (as long as she doesn’t) leave and the success of The Comeback. I would imagine they would want to keep Paulie G on as a writer (and by extension) Tom as there is a high level of conflict here which is good for The Comeback. There’s a lot of variables and it’s easy to see why a reality show about a sitcom star would be a logistical nightmare.

What are your other highlights from these final four episodes?

Kerensa: I agree–I do think that it would maybe get another season because of Juna and The Comeback but I bet it would be done after that. I loved that episode and how it looked at the People’s Choice Awards—while I’ve never covered or been to an awards show I bet it’s probably pretty similar to how it’s portrayed there.

On the topic of reality TV, how do you think The Comeback would have fared in the reality TV landscape? Because when the show aired–The Comeback would have been on the cusp of reality TV really blowing up–as acknowledged through the EW cover and the other reality type shows that were shown at the upfronts. I kinda don’t think it would have lasted very long, what about you?

I can’t think of anymore highlights other than Valerie Cherish is our new spirit animal and I miss her terribly already. You?

Emma: It’s hard to say how The Comeback would have fared and for every Keeping Up with the Kardashians there is a Living Lohan or Pretty Wild (I would watch more of either of these two) so like you I don’t think it would have gone beyond a second season. Hopefully Valerie wouldn’t have been too humiliated and she would have more opportunities beckoning.

One other thing I did want to address is Mickey and his big coming out. Mickey has been one of the overall highlights of the series for me and I’m glad he got a happy ending of sorts. His story is also still very relevant and while he is out to people like Valerie, it’s not a something that everyone in his life knows. On the clip package on The Comeback it infers that Mickey has a thing for Jesse so he hasn’t hidden his sexuality very well and Mickey uses the finale to come out to the world. The response is pretty much “well obviously” and yet because Mickey is a gay man he has to make a public declaration. On the one hand it’s frustrating that this happens, on the other as we saw with Ellen Page at the weekend (ed. note this was written last month) it is incredibly powerful.

The Comeback definitely deserves to sit aside the one season wonders of My So-Called Life and Freaks and Geeks; it’s been a joy to watch Valerie Cherish and I’m definitely going to miss her. And hey, we have a new catchphrase in our repertoire and if I ever hear “I don’t want to see that” it will be a huge reminder of this show. Can we get more Lisa Kudrow on Scandal please?

Emma: Woah regarding the news that this might be making an actual comeback?!?!  Any thoughts and feelings on this real chance that we’ll be getting more Aunt Sassy? And where do you think she’ll be in 2014?

Kerensa: God I hope it happens! Well, there’s no way that Room & Bored could still be running right? I feel like The Comeback would have gone in a couple ways.

1. Re-kickstarted Valerie’s sticom career and she’s having a Julia Louis-Dreyfus-esque renaissance and playing “unlikeable” women.

2. Or it’s relegated her to the dregs of reality television where she’s been a contestant on any celebrity reality show i.e. Dancing with the Stars, etc.

What do you think?

Emma: If there’s no more Room & Bored I hope this means Paulie G had bottomed out somewhere.

While I hope it’s your first suggestion, I think the second one is more likely and she’ll have done every reality show offered to her. Wherever she is I’d like to see a Valerie with some edge like the one we saw in the finale chain smoking her way through her feelings. I expect it will be quite the opposite and she’ll be putting a brave face on everything.

At the start of the series I didn’t really care about Mark, but I’d really like them to be together still. If not there better be Mickey, he’s her constant so I can’t see it any other way.

I’m so excited that this is a real possibility and here we were lamenting the loss of our spirit animal. This is one occasion where more feels like a good idea, there’s still plenty more to get from this well.

I do need to see that.

Kerensa Cadenas is a writer living in Los Angeles. She is an Editor for Snakkle. She also writes for Women and Hollywood, The Week, This Was Television, Forever Young Adult, and Bitch magazine. She was the Research Editor for Tomorrow magazine. You can follow her on Twitter and read her ridiculous thoughts about teen television at her website.

Olivia Pope will always been on the outside when it comes to Fitz family matters; even though she has his heart there are doors that will always be closed to her on Scandal. “Mama Said Knock You Out” is a tough watch at times and even though it didn’t include anyone gargling on their own blood, it rivals last week for heartbreak and pain. I don’t know what to make of B613 anymore and while I understand that shows have to evolve beyond their original premise, I do miss the case of the week aspect especially as the web of conspiracy continues to expand to everything. The parts of this episode that worked are the ones that deal with the emotional implications of the secrets that have been kept and the examination of what family and work means.

Starting with the First Family and this homecoming is far from happy. It’s rare to see both Fitz and Mellie nervous, but in the opening scene they are both apprehensive about their kids visiting. This is for a variety of reasons; it’s going to impact the campaign and they’ve both been largely absent in their role as parents. Karen and Jerry are less than subtle when it comes to showing their disdain and Olivia figures out that Jerry has been using the internet as a tool against his father, Karen’s just pissed that her mom has stuck by Fitz despite the cheating. Karen’s rage increases tenfold when she walks in on Mellie in a very compromising kneeling position (she wasn’t praying) and this opens up a whole new can of Grant family worms.

Mellie and Andrew’s affair is both a new and an old one; emotionally it goes back 15 years, physically it’s only a couple of weeks old. Fitz is enraged and shows his truly ugly side with a tirade about how he cheated first, but Mellie killed their marriage long ago when she shut him out physically. Of course we have the knowledge that she was raped, but even if this wasn’t the case the blame and vitriol that Fitz spits in Mellie’s direction is unacceptable. Olivia enters the room and this is when it becomes apparent that there are some doors she can’t just walk through as Fitz screams at her that “I’m talking to my wife?” This is a terrible display from Fitz on every level.

This comes on the heels of Mama Pope telling Olivia that “You think you’re family. But you’re nothing but the help.” This is a knife twisting assessment of Olivia’s role in Fitz’s life and it underlines the notion that there is no Vermont or jam no matter how many times they steal away kisses in the Oval Office. Olivia is there to clean up, it used to be a different person each week, now it is all Fitz and B613. It’s her job as she emphatically tells Fitz later on, after she has had a heart-to-heart with a still grieving Cyrus as he confirms that yes, they are pretty much the help and even though he resents it, he also knows it’s important. This is another stellar week for Jeff Perry who expresses rage at Jake, followed by a heartbreaking understanding of why James died. Plus there is the cutest scene with Ella – it’s a banner week for the children of Scandal.

Family is a repeated theme this season as we have come to know both of Olivia’s parent (both shadowy and duplicitous with so much blood on their hands) and their beyond dysfunctional relationship with their daughter. No wonder Olivia likes to pound so much red wine. Rowan at first refuses to help with the B613 money trail investigation and for some reason they decided to 24 the editing, all that is missing is the ticking clock in the middle and two other shots showing what else is going on at this moment (I vote Mellie and Andrew in one box, Abby investigating something in the other).

Rowan is not a very tender father, but one thing that pushes him into darling daddy territory is Jake paying him a visit threatening him and if there’s one thing Rowan won’t stand for it is being told what to do by Jake. Jake is acting like the big I am and this power and arrogance is going to be his downfall if he isn’t careful. No one likes a smug leader Jake and while you look rather fetching in your Command suit you’re still not invincible. Joe Morton delivers yet another word twisting monologue and I don’t think I’ve heard the word alone be uttered in this way before. It’s as if the word was a bullet and he shot it through Jake’s heart.

In terms of costuming and color there is a mirroring between Karen and Mellie, however the different shades of green (Mellie in teal, Karen in emerald) show they are not quite on the same page. For the interview Karen wears the blue dress Mellie described as crafting a sweet and wholesome image. Mellie is also in blue, but hers is on the purple end of the scale with a bold print showing where the power lies. The children have relented and the Grant’s are presenting a united front; baby Teddy gets to be involved even if he is just a super cute prop.

For some reason Fitz and Olivia keep getting it on in front of windows, which for a secret relationship isn’t very smart. I guess the lighting is better here, but still. There are multiple sexy shenanigans this week including close ups on side zips being undone, hands going up dresses and underwear being taking off while still wearing everything else.  Adnan is guilty of the latter seduction move and it turns out she is playing Harrison, manipulating him so she can get all the information on Fitz, his campaign schedule and his security detail. They really need to lock things up in the OPA office. There is also some stuff with Quinn and Huck, this show needs to retire anything that even hits at face licking.

In other news Olivia wore the most spectacular Dolce & Gabbana cape; perfect for strutting with purpose. Oh and for bump cover, which is why there is sadly no good full shots of this outfit. Olivia should definitely get more capes in her closet.

Season 3 of Scandal is nearing the end (there’s two more episodes after this one) and like Olivia Pope, I’m feeling a tad fatigued and the push/pull of “The Fluffer” didn’t do much to aid this weariness. The campaign is still full steam ahead as they try to get the female vote and it doesn’t help that everyone either wants to sleep with each other or inflict some form of misery. Destroying B613 is another priority and elsewhere Marie Wallace is looking to get some flowers with a side order of bomb. The soapy hijinks fun has turned into a bit of a drag and everything is verging on the self serious. What Scandal needs is to return to the twisty, breakneck paced storytelling that doesn’t involve layer upon layer of conspiracy; it’s the character stories that matter and these have got lost in the shuffle.

Abby fills in for Olivia at the White House and no one gives her the time of day, because she’s not Olivia. Abby tries to be the best Olivia Pope she can be, even down to the gorgeous white coat (by Escada), but they can’t even get her name right. This would be hilarious if they weren’t trying to get more female votes, which they don’t deserve when they don’t even have the decency to remember Abby’s name. Abby does a valiant job considering the room is cold, unfriendly and unwilling to hear her talk. The only person who responds to Abby putting on the Olivia hat is Olivia herself as Abby gives her a “You don’t run” gladiator speech when Olivia contemplates her decision to stay instead of her father’s offer to “be somebody new, somebody that wasn’t.”

One thing this show has been missing is some Olivia/Abby time and because the story has been focusing so much on both B613 and the presidential campaign, this relationship has been pushed to the sidelines. While Olivia isn’t one for sharing and Abby would definitely disapprove of Olivia’s back and forth relationship with Fitz, it would be better to hear Olivia hash out her feelings to a third party rather than going in circles with Fitz.

“What do you want?” is what Olivia asks Fitz and she’s still smarting from the realization last week that on one level she is no more than the help, even if she has both the ear and heart of the president. It’s a discussion which quickly escalates into an argument as Olivia calls Fitz out on pretty much everything “Maybe I’m here to make you feel hot and manly and ready so you’re not jealous of your wife’s boyfriend. Is that it? Am I your fluffer today Fitz, is that what I am? What service am I billing myself for you today?” Olivia’s got a lot of feelings about how she is being treated and once again Vermont or the lack thereof is raised and how the story of them has no end, it just stops. This tackles the heart of the Fitz/Olivia relationship issues because the world their relationship lives in means they can’t be together publicly, especially if Olivia is so determined to get Fitz in the White House for a second term. Is there a chance that Fitz might not win or the bomb will go off and therefore stop this storyline from repeating? Is there still a Scandal with a different person as president?

Olivia being defined by her romantic relationships is the least interesting aspect of the show for me (I know I might be in the minority on this one) and while I normally love a good tragic love story I find it hard to be invested in this one. Even the Jake aspect which was intriguing at first has soured; pounding on Olivia’s door and grabbing her by the throat is not an endearing quality. I mean it’s pretty shitty that Olivia used Jake’s emotional connection with her to get what she wanted and bring down his shady organization and put lives at risk, but there are much better ways to go about showing your displeasure. I guess these B613 guys are pretty similar in how they communicate and at least he didn’t lick her face (*shudder*), but still.

Being rescued, walking into the light are phrases that have been repeated throughout this season and if B613 is dead then I am hopeful that Scandal can go back to basics and sort out the tangled web it has woven this year. Marie Wallace is running around town with the “Mona Lisa of boom” and she has the campaign schedule so while one Pope parent promised they wouldn’t touch Fitz, the other one has different plans. This incredibly dysfunctional family gets its very own reunion as Marie brazenly interrupts the daddy/daughter dinner just as Olivia is waxing lyrical about when she will be able to walk away from this life. There are threats of violence between Marie and Rowan, with Marie daring to drink some of Olivia’s wine while delivering some career advice as she tells her to find another line of work. Pleasantries are shared – “You’re a monster” – and Joe Morton gets to deliver another line in that amazing, threatening way he does “I’m a patient man, but a vengeful one and I have a very long memory.”

Olivia might not have any impact on her mother, but she can get what Fitz wants and on this occasion that is stopping the affair between Mellie and Andrew. Olivia gives Andrew a choice between being Vice President or Mellie and if he chooses the latter she will publicly destroy him. The tragic thing here is that Andrew really does love Mellie and yet through circumstance they aren’t together, instead she is with a man who is indifferent to her and her thoughtful tie choices. There is a moment where Fitz does look proudly at his wife which doesn’t come across as staged as Mellie is speaking to the Warrior Women of America about sacrifice. This of course being one of the overall themes of this season as each character has sacrificed some part of themselves, in this episode alone Olivia talks about giving up everything inside her, Jake no longer has a sense of who he is beyond his role as Command and Andrew gives up the idea that he can be with Mellie. Mellie accuses of Fitz of taking everything from her, slapping him in front of a group of staffers – oh the memoirs these aids could write might top the exquisitely titled “Taken for Granted.” It’s all about weighing up what you can handle losing and justifying it.

Some of the photos in the gallery below represent some of the things discussed above such as Mellie on TV, Jeannine Locke’s amazingly titled book and the Pope family dinner. Other moments include a whole lot of serious phone face, another incredible jacket collar, Abby’s return to her wine color DKNY coat after she’s done being Olivia’s proxy and the saddest late night booty call.

As I said in the introduction, this is a rather tiring episode for both the characters and us as an audience. Now the pieces have been moved into their places for the final two episodes of this season hopefully it will propel the momentum and stop Scandal from losing what made it special in the first place.

“I’m a patient man, but a vengeful one and I have a very long memory.”

This declaration came from Rowan on last week’s Scandal and if nothing else he stayed true to his word as he showed little mercy for the man he believes to be responsible for the entire lie that was his marriage to Marie Wallace. Time is a something that can heal old wounds, alternatively it can build up the desire for revenge and there’s a mixture of this in the somewhat messy (both in structure and story) penultimate episode of this somewhat messy season.

As I mentioned last week the focus turning to all things B613 and Olivia’s family has been problematic as the serialized story has got more ridiculous each week and it has me clamoring for case of the week episodes. The setup is still the same in a way with montages set to 70s funk and the window of photos; unfortunately protracting the story in this manner has woven a complicated web that leaves Olivia shouting in the wind every week.

In terms of short memory it looks like Fitz stopping by the OPA office has meant that everyone forgot how Jake made his entrance last week – by grabbing Olivia’s throat – and Olivia is more pissed off about being accused of treason. All while wearing an Escada coat which is reminiscent of this Scandal shredded paper promo shot. Olivia has lost her agency in a way and while she effectively shut down B613, it also leads to B613 past and present duking it out in her office. Everyone else is making the decisions and Olivia only gets to decide which Command gets to stay, sorry Jake you’re outta here. The other matter in which she lays down the law is with grounding Fitz, but this doesn’t stick when he sees he’s losing to Sally Langston. Oh and somehow the election is only six days away.

Olivia butts heads with all the dudes in her life; when Jake leaves she tells him she has set him free, but he insists that even without an actual B613 this is still who he is and you never really escape. As with Fitz and Olivia, the Olivia/Jake pairing goes in circles so when things go bad at her office, Jake is the person she rings. This never ending dance goes the same way; she loves Fitz, but she also feels something for Jake (she still doesn’t mention the throat grab) and it’s all becoming a bit love triangle tiresome.

The whole back and forth between Fitz and Olivia has never really interested me (I know there are many viewers who disagree) and at first the Jake angle added something new to this dynamic, now that’s old hat too and I can’t see a way out of it. Olivia tells Jake about her realization regarding her mother’s inability to love and how it must be easier to feel nothing and care about no one. Now I don’t want Olivia to become this nihilistic, but I hope that something happens in the finale to propel the love story forward that stops the merry-go-round we are currently stuck on.

It’s nothing new to see Olivia fighting with her dad about the right way to do things; it doesn’t normally end up with a dead body in her office. Rowan gets his long awaited vengeance and thanks to the longest car park hook up – seriously how long were they down there for? – Mama Pope gets to walk into OPA with no one noticing. Other questions on this matter include where is Charlie? Plus, why must there be so much licking and spitting this season? Not cool, show. More blood is shed as Rowan takes what looks like several bullets to the chest and it doesn’t look particularly good for him.

Olivia’s main contention with Fitz this week is far less dramatic, in that they only really argue about whether he should be on the road or not as there is a bomb with his name on it out there somewhere. That somewhere isn’t the school in Defiance as they expected, but in a church basement that is about to hold a funeral Fitz is meant to go to. The twist comes in the form of Cyrus going full monster as he wants to win the election at any cost and so he withholds the information Jake has just told him about the bomb location and goes on his merry way, smiling ever so eerily to himself about the potential easy win if Sally dies. Now, why can’t Jake just call in an anonymous tip to the police about there being a bomb in the church? I also get that Cyrus made his peace with what happened with James, but he is still being way too courteous over the phone with the guy who murdered his husband. Another case of short term memory on the show.

Other big story developments include Mellie spending the episode drunk and inadvertently revealing to Olivia what happened to her with Fitz’s father. Mellie’s a mess partly because the Andrew thing is over – Andrew is at the church and I’m going to be so mad if he gets blown up – and she doesn’t really care about anything at the moment. Leo wants to find out if Jerry is Fitz’s thanks to a loose lipped White House doctor and Olivia confronts Mellie with this news. It turns from a shouting match to Olivia’s realization that Mellie isn’t that stupid or reckless and Mellie’s heartbreaking secret is out. Olivia gets Mellie the test results on the sly and it’s hard to gauge from Mellie’s reaction shot who Jerry’s father really is.

In the gallery see how Mellie and Fitz are in sync in wardrobe only (purple tie, purple Michael Kors dress), the Grant fake smile parade, so much serious phone face from Olivia, the cushion fort that has been built on her sofa, a close look at Olivia’s trusty Prada purse and the eavesdropping OPA team.

The Scandal season 3 finale showed who the real monsters are and while Olivia takes responsibility for her part in this tangled mess, she’s just a by-product and it’s both of her parents that are behind pretty much everything. Rowan’s declaration that he is “the hell and the high water” came into play as he showed just how far he will go to protect his daughter and get regain his power. It’s a revenge plot more than anything else and one that boils down to the playground mentality of you took something of mine so I’ll do the same to you, but instead of this being about something trivial Rowan did a deplorable thing and killed Fitz’s son Jerry. Well, Rowan didn’t commit the actual deed sending in head stooge Tom (who also dispatched of Adnan), but really it’s a much of a muchness.

One of the most problematic aspects this season has been how little agency Olivia has; she’s become a pawn in a much larger game. Olivia deciding to make a break for it is satisfying on one level as she wasn’t dragged to the airport kicking and screaming; she made the choice. It’s somewhat sullied as she has only made this decision based on a whole lot of tragedy at the hands of her parents and she’s giving Rowan the one thing he wants; getting Olivia far, far away from Fitz. In terms of the love triangle Olivia lets Jake know that she loves someone else and he still goes with her anyway. Jake wants to be free of this life, he wants to be rescued and this is more important than being first choice at this point. Jake has always stood on the periphery and while he isn’t the man Olivia loves, the promise of Vermont and jam is a fantasy and will remain like this for at least another four years. Olivia owes it to herself to not be in a relationship that is this dysfunctional, though I’m not entirely sure that Jake is the answer. A break from all of this would have been the preferred solution, no matter how good Jake looks in that grey tee.

Early in the episode when it looks like Fitz will lose the election – the bomb turned into a huge MacGuffin – the Vermont fantasy briefly became a possibility. Until Olivia revealed the truth about Mellie and Big Jerry, which could be viewed as an act of self sabotage, but I also don’t think Olivia would want to keep something like this secret from Fitz even if it means sacrificing potential happiness. For a brief moment he thinks Mellie is lying, but why would she lie about something like this? Thankfully Fitz uses the reason part of his brain and he goes to Mellie; it’s probably the most tender we have seen him be towards his wife. There’s a renewed unity and it transpires that Fitz is indeed Jerry’s father. One brief moment of Grant family togetherness before the first casualty of Rowan’s rise to power.

The Grant children have only been recently introduced so I should have figured that one of them was doomed and Jerry takes the hit; the child that Mellie has always held at a distance because of what he represented and now he has gone. By killing Jerry, Rowan laid the double whammy of getting Fitz re-elected and taking away one of his kids. This is the hollowest of victories. Four more years of Fitz in power, maybe now we can see what a great politician everyone claims he is and yet we have never seen for ourselves. It’s going to be hard for him to get past this grief as we see him collapsed on the floor of the Oval Office and with no Olivia to reach out to.

Olivia hasn’t just left Fitz, she’s left everyone else at OPA and Abby’s the one to voice her rage and disappointment. Abby feels let down by Olivia and how they have done everything for her; now they are getting left behind. Abby’s behavior is understandable as Olivia was the one who created all of this, but I also can’t help but think how they will all be better off without it. Sure they will have to find new careers, but Abby’s media exposure during the election could open a wealth of avenues. There is of course the many files in David’s office that Jake sent him to “Go get the bad guys” so if she wants to continue to pursue this line of work then she can.

Everything is a little bit more complicated for the spit twins and I even beat Abby with yelling “MY EYES” first at the sight of them banging on the conference room table. Please let this be the end of whatever the hell this is and let Quinn and Huck become characters rather than caricatures in season 4. The reintroduction of Huck’s family is a step forward that I appreciate. Now to the last member of the OPA team and it’s so long to Harrison, who thanks to figuring everything out with Rowan’s plan is now a loose end that needs to be tied up. I’m disappointed that this character didn’t amount to much, but considering everything that is going on off-screen with this actor it is something that needed to happen. There’s no gun shot on screen so there is always the chance that Harrison could come back next season.

Where does this leave everyone now? Scattered and without Olivia. There will no doubt be something that pulls Olivia back and she’s not going to hit ignore every time that phone rings, but I am glad to see Olivia acknowledge that she is accountable, even if she isn’t the one who is doing the bad deeds. Olivia is still part of this machine and if time away from Washington D.C. allows for this character to regain her agency then this can only be a good thing.

This season has been messy in places and the focus on B613 has taken away some of what made watching Scandal fun as it got too complicated for its own good. Focusing on questions of power and what people to do to obtain and keep it is at the heart of Scandal and how to make things better in the face of monsters like Rowan and Marie (who is currently residing in the Huck/Jake hole of despair). The puppet masters have already been targeted this season and Rowan ends the season in power and this finale signifies a lack of hope; it’s not all doom as Huck takes a huge step with reconciling his past with his present and David still stands representing one white hat wearer. Maybe Olivia just needs a good old fashioned vacation and then she will be able to fight the real monsters.

The White Correspondents’ Association Dinner attracts an eclectic assortment of star power with journalists, politicians and actors all rubbing shoulders. Instagram is awash with selfies of the casts of Scandal and Veep posing for photos in the environment they pretend to work in for a living and there are plenty of starstruck expressions. We’re going to take a look at the best red carpet looks on display last night.

The red carpet featured several classic black gowns including a super chic looking Julianna Margulies in vintage Jean Dessès. Sometimes keeping it simple gives the best results and accessorizing with black pumps, Roger Vivier clutch and silver jewels does just this. A simple updo and a splash of crimson lip color is the perfect way to set off this ensemble.

Veep’s Julia Louis-Dreyfus also opted for black in Antonio Berardi with a bodice adorned with crystals adding a slight hint of shimmer to the frock. Adding more glitz to this outfit is the gunmetal pearl Edie Parker clutch with a sparkly silver trim. Julia Louis-Dreyfus looks radiant.

Polka dots and peplum for Lupita Nyong’o as she also does the black gown trend with a twist in Oscar de la Renta from the Fall 2014 collection, which TV Ate My Wardrobe adored. Lupita continues to take the fashion world by storm and the hot pink lip color is another excellent and striking choice. And there’s more from Lupita…

“They fought crime with a bold lip.” As this photo from Mindy Kaling’s Instagram shows, Mindy went with both strong lip and dress colors, with Zooey Deschanel and Lupita Nyong’o doing monochrome in two very different ways. I would definitely watch a show based on this simple crime fighting premise.

It’s not just black dresses on the red carpet with Scandal’s Darby Stanchfield showing green gowns and red locks makes for an excellent combination. From the Alberta Ferretti Spring 2014 collection this ethereal look is enhanced by the embroidered floral beaded waist and shoulder accents.

Costume designers from some of the shows TV Ate My Wardrobe covers extensively took part in a panel at the inaugural Vulture festival a few weeks ago and it is about time a roundtable like discussion went beyond just the actors, directors and writers. It is a discussion I have been highly anticipating and it doesn’t disappoint as the costume designers talk about their process and the shows they work on in an insightful and detailed manner.

The panel consists of Lyn Paolo (Scandal, Shameless), Jenn Rogien (Girls, Orange is the New Black), Jenny Gering (The Americans) and Tom Broecker (SNL, House of Cards). Scandal and The Americans are two shows we cover extensively on an episode-by-episode basis and Girls is another TAMW regular. We’re also pretty excited that season 2 of OITNB lands on Netflix in just over a week!

A variety of genre, time period and socioeconomic situations provide the backdrops these costume designers work on. One of them has to deal with a live show and the parameters for that are very different from working on a pre-filmed comedy. Live TV is generally chat show based which is all about wardrobe rather than costume design, not SNL where a sketch can get changed at the last minute and Broeker’s 20 years working on the show has informed how he handles these quick turnarounds. Time constraints are something all panelists have to work with as scripts can come in very late; Lyn Paolo mentions this can be as late as the night before on Scandal, so she preps a lot ahead of time.

One important aspect they all agree on is what is on the page is the biggest influence and it is the writing that informs their design process. Sometimes this can be incredibly vague and Jenny Gering mentions how the disguise descriptions on The Americans are often sparse in detail. The disguises are not meant to call attention, they should be invisible and this is part of the reason why it will say “generic bureaucrat” and nothing more. As it’s a period show, costume helps establish time and place without distracting from the story they are telling. It’s why their version of the 80s is not about the big trends, especially on the adults as this wouldn’t be how a regular mom in 1982 would dress and especially one who is trying to fit in. Gering goes on to talk about the evolution of Paige and how as a 13/14 year old girl this is a very transitional period in her life where she wants to look older and be taken seriously. In the season finale while they are on their impromptu mini-vacation Paige very much looks like a mini version of her mother in similar sweaters and heeled boots; the slight tightening of her clothes/heel addition reflects her desire to look older.

Evolution of a character through costume is something all the panelists talk about and Jenn Rogien mentions color palette and silhouette changes over the three seasons of Girls. Shoshanna started with a very feminine shape and cosmetic color scheme of blush pinks and pastels, in season 2 yellow and purple were added and by the third year she has graduated to stronger color and way more black. Shoshanna has become more aware of her body and so her very feminine style has been altered in response to this sexual awakening. Silhouette and color reflect how the “emotional landscape” has either become looser or tighter. Marnie has relaxed over the seasons and so her costuming reflects this. It might explain the beanie.

Rogien has a lot more restriction on how she portrays character evolution on Orange is the New Black as everyone pretty much wears the same thing and the prison uniform reflects the loss of identity through the khaki color and baggy fit. Some characters have altered their uniform, but only the ones who would have the ability or inclination to do so and Sophia is an example of this as her khakis are a lot more fitted and feminine.

On Scandal Abby and Quinn’s style has shifted the most from where it was in the pilot; Abby fell in love and so there’s less structure and Paolo uses lighter fabrics on this character now – all those scarves and wrap dresses I love – with Quinn as she’s got darker so has her attire. Some of these shifts aren’t meant to be all that apparent and it can act on a subliminal level. With Olivia Pope we associate the color white with her wardrobe and as Paolo points out Olivia doesn’t wear all white all that often. Gray is her staple and the reason we remember the white is because these outfits tend to come at heightened moments like the amazing Burberry trench from the season 3 premiere.

The absence of costume is discussed and nude scenes take place on most of these shows; it hadn’t occurred to me before watching this panel that the costume designer would play a pivotal role in this process. This even includes being the one who tells an actor how much skin they are showing. On OITNB they have had to come up with inventive ways to solve their modesty cover issues as a lot of their nude scenes occur in the shower room and water/adhesive don’t work well together. They also have to think about clothes coming off during sex scenes so while on Scandal you might want that top to come off with ease, on Girls or Shameless the more awkward this undressing act the better.

It’s an incredibly insightful and fun conversation, to watch the whole thing (and I’d highly recommend it) head over to Vulture.

“This is no fireside chat. It’s not just you and me. This speech is filmed and streamed and tweeted and uploaded” *waves*

Shonda Rhimes gave an incredibly powerful commencement speech at Dartmouth this past weekend and not only does she write powerful monologues for Kerry Washington and Joe Morton; she does so for herself. This is the second such address that has appeared on TV Ate My Wardrobe in the recent weeks and while Mindy Kaling’s skewed a more comedic edge (naturally), Shonda Rhimes opts for a more serious tone (there are still jokes and the word ‘poop’ is used several times). It’s inspiring as Rhimes emphasizes doing over dreaming and I’ve highlighted some of the standout moments below, however it is a speech worth watching in its entirety.

On dreams: 

“Dreams are lovely. But they are just dreams. Fleeting, ephemeral, pretty. But dreams do not come true just because you dream them. It’s hard work that makes things happen. It’s hard work that creates change.

So, Lesson One, I guess is: Ditch the dream and be a doer, not a dreamer. Maybe you know exactly what it is you dream of being, or maybe you’re paralyzed because you have no idea what your passion is. The truth is, it doesn’t matter. You don’t have to know. You just have to keep moving forward. You just have to keep doing something, seizing the next opportunity, staying open to trying something new. It doesn’t have to fit your vision of the perfect job or the perfect life. Perfect is boring and dreams are not real. Just … do. So you think, “I wish I could travel.” Great. Sell your crappy car; buy a ticket to Bangkok, and go. Right now. I’m serious.”

On doing it all (or not):

“So women and men of Dartmouth: As you try to figure out the impossible task of juggling work and family and you hear over and over and over again that you just need a lot of help or you just need to be organized or you just need to try just a little bit harder … as a very successful woman, a single mother of three, who constantly gets asked the question “How do you do it all?” For once I am going to answer that question with 100 percent honesty here for you now. Because it’s just us. Because it’s our fireside chat. Because somebody has to tell you the truth.

Shonda, how do you do it all?

The answer is this: I don’t.

Whenever you see me somewhere succeeding in one area of my life, that almost certainly means I am failing in another area of my life.”

On the example she wants to set for her daughters:

“And yet. I want my daughters to see me and know me as a woman who works. I want that example set for them. I like how proud they are when they come to my offices and know that they come to Shondaland. There is a land and it is named after their mother. In their world, mothers run companies. In their world, mothers own Thursday nights. In their world, mothers work. And I am a better mother for it. The woman I am because I get to run Shondaland, because I get write all day, because I get to spend my days making things up, that woman is a better person—and a better mother. Because that woman is happy. That woman is fulfilled. That woman is whole. I wouldn’t want them to know the me who didn’t get to do this all day long. I wouldn’t want them to know the me who wasn’t doing.”

Roundtable discussions tend to focus on leading or supporting characters and so this guest star panel from SAG is a real treat especially as it features pretty much my favorite guest star – Carrie Preston plays the magical TV unicorn Elsbeth Tascioni on The Good Wife.

Guest stars can go from a three episode arc to becoming a central figure (see Michael Emerson on Lost) or they might do a short run and gain legend status. The phrase “potentially recurring” is often mentioned to guest stars and as Annaleigh Ashford can testify with Masters of Sex it can happen; Betty departed early in season 1 and she’s been upped to a regular for the new season.

Taking part in this SAG panel are Annaleigh Ashford (Masters of Sex), Sarah Baker (Louie), Aimee Carrero (The Americans), Joe Morton (Scandal), Carrie Preston (The Good Wife) and Pablo Schreiber (Orange is the New Black).

Levels of experience vary, as does the way they were cast on the shows they have most recently been on with some getting offered the part without an audition like Carrie Preston and others having to go through multiple callbacks, or getting a part that is different from the one they originally went for. Pablo Schreiber was originally offered Larry on OITNB and he didn’t see him playing this role. Schreiber had already worked with creator Jenji Kohan on Weeds and so that relationship was already there, but it was actually a friend on the writing staff that suggested Pornstache.

Schreiber also goes into how they developed the Pornstache look including the process of picking out the right moustache and how bushiness was an issue. Pornstache’s hair is influenced by Dolph Lundgren in Rocky IV and while the ‘stache is fake; the hair is all Schreiber’s.

Carrie Preston mentions the amazing reputation The Good Wife has when it comes to guest stars (both Joe Morton and Pablo Schreiber have also appeared on the show) and how after appearing in the first year she didn’t get called back for a season. Thankfully the writers found an organic way to bring Elsbeth back on multiple occasions; including this very special moment in season 4.

One of the most discussed episodes of this TV season has been Louie’s “So Did the Fat Lady” and while I haven’t seen the actual episode yet (I know, it’s still sitting on my DVR) I have read a lot of the discourse surrounding it, so hearing Sarah Baker talking about the auditioning and filming process, as well as her general experience is really fascinating. Yes, I need to watch this episode.

In terms of how much the actors know when taking on these parts and how long their guest arc will be varies and someone like Shonda Rhimes doesn’t tend to share too much, although Joe Morton did know that his character was Olivia’s father on Scandal. What he doesn’t know is how long Papa Pope will be around for and generally the guest star rule is “If you don’t die there’s always a way.” As we know from other shows, even if a character does die there is still a way.

Watch the whole discussion below for more on general guest star feelings and the shows they have been on.

One hashtag you might see popping up on a Thursday night when an episode of Scandal is airing is #ScandalFashion and discussions dedicated to what Olivia Pope is wearing are just as prevalent as those talking about what crazy twist has just occurred. On TV Ate My Wardrobe we write our Scandal reviews with a specific look at the costuming and where possible we share where you can buy these items. A Scandal inspired clothing line from a national retailer isn’t too surprising, however this is the first time a lead star and head costume designer from a hit network show has collaborated with a store in this manner.

It isn’t just the Scandal cast who have embraced Twitter and costume designer Lyn Paolo is just as interactive with fans and when it comes to finding out where the clothing that we see on screen is from, she is more than happy to oblige. Now you will be able to buy your very own Scandal inspired clothing from The Limited (in store and online) from the end of September and the 42-piece collection ranges in price from $42 to $248. Paolo explains that “The whole team took great care in creating a collection that reflects Olivia Pope’s unique style. We believe the collection tells a story of confidence and professional sophistication as well as maintaining a strong feminine point of view.”

As Kerry Washington has been an advocate for Twitter interactions with fans, particularly when the show airs (meaning there is a constant dialogue when an episode is on) there is a strong focus on Scandal viewers. Not everyone can afford Burberry trench coats or Prada purses and so this affordable selection of clothing allows fans to experience the Olivia Pope style for themselves through both Kerry Washington and Lyn Paulo’s involvement. In a statement from Washington she alludes to this notion “By creating a line inspired by the show, we are introducing a collection that embodies the elegance and power of the Scandal aesthetic for real-life gladiators and everyday fashionistas. The collection is a nod to our devoted fans, to fans of fashion and to women everywhere who are inspired to boldly pursue their passions and look good while doing it.”

If you’re wondering what you might be able to purchase come September than we have a couple of sketch photos (courtesy of Women’s Wear Daily) and wide legged pants, belted outerwear and tailored jackets are on the menu (this makes me very happy). It wouldn’t be a Scandal inspired line without some white items that for reasons I have previously outlined (okay I spill) I might have to avoid. We will keep you updated when more pictures get released so keep checking back.

Blake Lively’s lifestyle site Preserve is launching soon (rumored to be July 23) and other than having a name that conjures up images of jam or something to be looked at and not touched, it promises to “focus on artisans and products, many hand-made one-of-a-kind items all selected by Blake. Items will be available for purchase through the site. Preserve is all about story-telling through video. Blake will be in some of these videos.”

Now as someone who subscribes to the Goop newsletter (who doesn’t want a Hamptons summer update in their inbox?!) one ridiculous and extravagant lifestyle blog from an actress is probably enough. Blake disagrees and told UK Vogue last year that “the main element of it is that it’s about storytelling and it’s about living a very one-of-a-kind, curated life, and how to achieve that. There’s nothing like it out there – it’s without a genre.” Ah, it’s “without genre” other than being a lifestyle blog, which I *think* is already a genre. Flashbacks to Serena’s blogging storyline on Gossip Girl is not helping and for some reason I’m contemplating a Gossip Girl rewatch. Send help.

I wonder if Blake will go the way of Goop offering aspirational and mostly unobtainable (for the average consumer) items and vacation suggestions or will she shock us with more affordable pieces. The phrase “one-of-a-kind, curated life” highly suggests the former. So while this doesn’t sound all that original, it has inspired this list of which TV characters I would like to see with their own lifestyle websites. Even if computers don’t exist in their world, parchment also works.

Abbi and Ilana, Broad City: From their incredible style, money making schemes, phone finding solutions, dating antics, city travel alternatives and general lady friendship awesomeness I would definitely want a weekly newsletter from this duo.

Sally Draper, Mad Men: Surviving boarding school, philandering/judgmental parents and pointers on late 60s teen fashion is what I would expect from this blog. And snark. So much snark and it would be glorious.

Mindy Lahiri, The Mindy Project: Dating advice, rom-com New York City tour spots and an endless supply of bright and bold clothing suggestions. Oh and a gym plan that involves celebrity saving scenarios. Mindy Kaling did have a lifestyle blog that she started in 2006 called “Things I’ve Bought That I Love” and it isn’t just crazy expensive items.

Olivia Pope, Scandal: Teach me how to wear white and not spill red wine down it and how to one might rock a white hat (metaphorical and literal) and still look stylish. Also includes sections on how to handle difficult parents and complicated relationships. And recipes for jam and Vermont vacation locations.

Cersei Lannister, Game of Thrones: How to survive a patriarchal society, manipulation skills, insults to use while drinking copious amounts of wine and intricate braid hairstyle solutions. Also tips on how to accentuate any gown with some armor. Dating advice should be ignored.

Dr. Hannibal Lecter, Hannibal: How to look exquisite no matter what the activity with a whole host of fashion advice like “How to wear a three-piece suit while partaking in your favorite hobby.” There is also a cooking section, but you might want to change the ingredients. Take special care to read the etiquette section as rudeness will not be tolerated.

Which TV character would you take lifestyle advice from?

Felicity, Episodes 2.18 & 2.19
“Party Lines” & “Running Mates”
Original Air Dates: Apr. 19 & 26, 2000

Emma: Last time we discussed Felicity you posed the question of how Ben might win Felicity’s heart and once again I did not guess correctly. Nope I didn’t see “is super adorable with a kid after he has used his basketball therapy technique” as Ben’s way back in. Not that anything has happened beyond lingering stares and a whole lot of tension.

Before I get into the next classic teen TV trope of student council, I want to talk about Ben some more as he continues his quest to find out who the real Ben Covington is. Ben wisely stops listening to Sean and goes to see a professional, Dr Pavone. Here he does a career test – I have to say that any career-related meetings made me get super twitchy and my response was always a shoulder shrug as I thought writer sounded far too fanciful – and the results are all over the place, much like Ben. So the choices are stock broker, teacher, tour guide or a captain of a ship. I want to see Ben as a captain, but he of course picks the one with the best financial prospects. Plus this means we get to see him in a suit, but because this is the year 2000 it is super baggy and unflattering. Why so baggy?

Ben is of course doing the gesture thing without doing it; this is all inspired by Felicity (she makes him want to be better), but he doesn’t want to show that he’s doing it for her. Plus it’s a total bust as he ends up as a babysitter rather than learning anything about stocks as his boss is caught up in work and pretty much ignores his visiting son. Ben, as we know, has a complicated history with his own father, though it’s not like this dude is Ben’s dad level of bad, he’s just caught up in his shit. When Ben finds out that Steven quit piano a year ago, they ditch the planned recital and go play basketball instead, because of course.

There’s a montage and it’s clear that Ben should be teaching (so the test was kinda right) as he’s really great with motivating and encouraging this kid. That is until he busts his finger and conveniently the NYU health center is the nearest place to the basketball court. Greg is reluctant to help and I think it’s more his concern for his job, rather than jealousy but, eh, he’s still a jerk so this didn’t win him any points. Felicity is super enamoured by this new side of Ben and I really wanted them to kiss (after the kid was gone of course), but alas I think we’re going to have to wait a few more episodes for that. Especially as there is other DRAMA that has got in the way. Before I get to that, what did you think about Ben in this episode? Do we know who Ben Covington is better than we did before?

Julie: I loved the way Dr. Pavone said, “Captain of ship.” I don’t know why Ben didn’t jump at that one. Ship’s captain = adventure!

But, yeah, he should be teaching (or coaching). It’s kind of obvious, isn’t it? He’s been mooning about all season, crying over the loss of his swim team. He’s helped Julie through tough times. He supported Noel during the whole Ruby debacle. He’s a fixer. He’s the guy who’s had all the experiences and he can help other people get through their own issues. Of course, teaching isn’t just being good with kids. He needs to understand the subjects he’s teaching and know how to present them to a class. So, when ti comes down to the nitty gritty of actually instructing kids, I don’t know how much he’ll actually dig the profession. But maybe counselor is a better job for him, working at a boys and girls club, hashing things out on the basketball court. Because isn’t that truly what Ben does best?

I am feeling more Team Ben after these episodes. I still think he’s an immature guy playacting as a mature one. He’s done all these “things” in his life, but has never reflected on what any of it means or where he might be going. I love that he’s finally taking life seriously. I still don’t know if he “loves” Felicity or if he just loves the idea of Felicity. I think a big chunk of his infatuation with her has to do with the fact that he’s trying to grow up, and a relationship with someone like Felicity would be a step in the right direction. Also, Felicity has never shied away from telling people what to do, and I think Ben thinks he needs that. He loves when people tell him what to do (hence Sean and Dr. Pavone’s test).

But, because Felicity’s with Greg and busy with her own life, she isn’t really biting, is she? She’s pretty much been staying out of the “Fix Ben” business, which is good for everyone involved. It’s forcing Ben to  think about what he wants for himself. We’re starting to see his true colors. And if his true colors are those of a guy who is nice to kids and wants to help his friends, I like it.

I also think Ben pushing Felicity to run for student council (which, this whole storyline has me SMH) is a bit of a role reversal. Felicity has always been the one to support Ben, to tell him to go for it. Now he’s returning the favor. And thank goodness, because we would’ve missed out on all the campaign speeches and chicanery.

Any other thoughts on Ben? And what did you think about Felicity’s deciding to run for president of the school?

Emma: One of my chief complaints about the first half of the season was how divided it was with Felicity/Noel/Elena on one side with Ben/Julie/Sean existing in another space and I’m so happy with how organically both groups now share stories. Part of this has been the focus on Ben and now that he is friends with Noel it’s made it a lot easier for the writers to mix up the groupings. With Ben especially and as we have seen in how much we have talked about him recently they have really found his footing and while it’s  still ambiguous in terms of who he is (which makes sense because he doesn’t even know) I’m really enjoying this meditation on the guy who had everything at high school and is now a big ball of confusion.

Normally with the high school stud it’s all about the burnout after they leave with the classic case being Tim Riggins from FNL, but I don’t know if I’ve ever seen TV deal with it in this manner. Maybe because high school shows that venture into college don’t have a character like this (I’m thinking The OC, Buffy, Gossip Girl) and so this feels very fresh. I guess I’m just very excited about the quandary that is Ben Covington.

I also think you’re right when it comes to Ben and Felicity; there is an attraction of course, but he’s definitely into the idea of this love and how she makes him feel. Like I said before I definitely want to see them kiss and when they were on their breaking and entering mission I was sure it was going to happen – hiding in a confined space normally leads to these kinds of shenanigans, but alas – and now Ben has fucked up his chance for now by being impulsive and outing Greg’s coke past.

Ah yes the election storyline and like you this had me shaking my head. Okay so I’ve never run for any kind of council or president and while I remember election stuff going on on campus I was never part of it of anyone’s campaign. But hey TV loves a campaign arc as they can use it as a backdrop to work through all the issues.

Greg of course wants to be president and he wants Felicity to be his campaign manager, which considering how passionate she is actually makes sense, plus I feel like there’s a slightly skeezy motive behind this. The problem is that Felicity disagrees with almost everything on Greg’s platform and it’s actually Leila (the girl who kickstarted the morning after pill protest) who’s campaign she’s all for. Now this is where it made me feel uncomfortable as Leila had a panic attack before her speech and she asked Felicity to save the day and I wish that if Felicity was going to run it wasn’t so she could take over from a WOC. It smacks a little of the white woman coming to save the day again and it feels like they did this just for the visual gags in the speech. What did you think about this moment?

Everyone, but Greg wants Felicity to run and so of course she decides to and Greg comes crawling back because he loves the feisty side of Felicity (it’s that pattern again). The second episode is all about dirty politics – shows also love using this as an analogy of what’s going on – and how far people are willing to go to win. Richard is pretty much the best in both these episodes and I wanted to point that out before throwing back to you. Also random observation, but it feels like the only character who is allowed to call anyone a dick is Ben, including about himself “she thinks I’m a dick.”

Julie: You’re right that Ben is sort of a novelty when it comes to teen TV. He hasn’t had a moment of complete collapse. While he was popular in high school, he didn’t seem like much of a golden boy (unlike Tim Riggins, who at least had football). Ben, I’m assuming, despite the swimming and running, kind of coasted through high school, and now he needs to figure out what else is out there. Oddly, Steve Sanders comes to mind. He was a bit more sinister and less serious than Ben, but kind of the same idea. He was the cool guy, but he was never the star athlete, nor was he a great student.

I basically liked nothing about the campaign plot. Except Richard. If I were running for school president, I’d run on the platform of “more Richard.” I ran for student council once in high school (lost) and basically paid no attention thereafter. I don’t remember anything about college elections. I don’t even know if we had college elections. I do know that if we did, the members of the council certainly did not wield the amount of power Richard, et. al. are banking on.

As far as the ickiness, yeah. Greg is all kinds of no (oh, and good call on him liking her again because of her feistiness). I don’t know if he had an actual angle in courting Felicity as his campaign manager, but it felt contrived somehow. And Felicity taking over for Leila was really unfortunate. Why couldn’t Felicity have just figured out she wanted to run on her own? Or why couldn’t she have jumped ship and just joined Leila’s campaign instead of Greg’s? Have a spine, woman. Know what you want. She’s worse than Ben sometimes in the flightiness department. One day she’s an art major. Then she’s back to medicine. Next she’s heading her boyfriend’s campaign, then she’s running on her own (stolen) platform. At least Ben’s honest about the fact that he has no idea what he wants.

Ben writing “Dick” on the poster was fabulous. “Dick” is a word that should be used more frequently on television.

I suppose we should talk about the Sadie Hawkins dance and (what?) are they trying to put Julie and Noel together? Is that really happening or are the writers just “trying it out?”

Emma: I am having so much fun talking about Ben in this manner and to be honest I didn’t expect there to be this much depth to him; they’ve done a really good job of fleshing him out beyond that super cute smile. If only he wasn’t so impulsive with the Greg info and in turn driving Felicity away. Ben’s not done though and he heads to Grand Central (obligatory Broad City gif dancing moment) to pursue her and it was the hardest thing to not stick on the next episode to see just what he is going to do. Felicity has of course only gone on this weekend trip as a reaction to Ben’s deception – Ben once again went to Sean for advice, because he never learns and Sean flip flopped with what Ben should do – and had previously told Greg that a weekend away was far too soon (what it is it with these older dudes wanting to do the big step stuff after a month together, eager beavers or what). As a way to punish Ben she changes her mind and Greg goes along with this sudden change even though he knows Ben is the reason, way to sell yourself short dude. This is not going to end with a weekend of happiness. As you mention Felicity can be just as flighty as Ben and this is the embodiment of that.

Meghan has the best reaction to all of this as it “makes he wanna puke” and after she wore a straw boater hat for Greg and everything.

Do Sadie Hawkins dances happen at college? This felt like an excuse to have a dance and create some awkwardness between the couplings and to set up whatever the Noel/Julie stuff is. I like Noel and Julie as friends and while I’m not opposed to something romantic happening it does feel a little incestuous with this group and that Felicity and Julie have swapped guys. The advice Julie gives with regards to Ruby is solid, though once again it feels like she is being defined by something dramatic that happened in her life; her storylines tend to focus on the rape or her adoption and I want more from her and for her. It does get a little flirty between them in both this episode and the next one and yeah, it’s a bit out of the blue. They even have a moment on that stairwell where big moments happen and that indicates to me that this is something they are trying out, which is fine.

I’m glad that there is no kind of jealousy at the moment between Ben and Noel regarding Felicity as they both help out with her campaign and I keep expecting there to be passive-aggressive comments that never come. I hope this continues, but when the inevitable happens I suspect this friendliness might not be so forthcoming.

Elena gets her own story! It’s tied to Tracy as their back and forth continues with something I didn’t expect to get in the way. What did you make of Tracy’s revelation?

Also I’m writing this while listening to a Felicity playlist on Spotify – there is lots of lady angst.

Julie: I don’t think we had any Sadie Hawkins dances in college, or high school, come to think of it. I love the addition of Tracy to the group, and I think they, yes, definitely need more guys. The whole man-swapping thing is starting to reek of 90210. There can be other guys besides Noel, Julie.

Honestly, I have no idea if they even let the Noel/Julie pairing go beyond the dance. I’m remembering vaguely what happens in Season 3 (we’ll get there soon!), and I just don’t think it’s feasible that Felicity would dick over Julie not once, but twice, in the guy department. Spoiler. Alert.

I really do love Ben and Noel together. They have great chemistry and Shonda Rhimes should definitely consider bringing Scott Speedman on as a Scandal regular. He needs work! Obviously the writers are on a FeliciBen trajectory now; and, I think, because of Ruby and because of Noel and Ben just generally getting along, he won’t have as big an issue with Ben and Felicity finally hooking up. The Noel/Felicity friendship ship is steady and on course.

I was a little surprised by Tracy’s virginity revelation the first time around. But when I think about it, most of my friends were still virgins when they got to college (by sophomore year? not so much). This show (and most teen shows) treat teen virginity as something sort of freakish, but I don’t think that holds up in reality. It will be interesting to see how Elena deals with this, though, because she’s all about “being the ball.”

What did you think about Tracy? And why didn’t anyone ask Sean to the dance?

Emma: Sadie Hawkins is definitely one of those things that in my head only exists on TV.

More guys would benefit the show, especially ones of the of the non-skeeze variety. Particularly for Julie. I like Tracy too and the energy he brings. The banter is fun and he gels well with the group.

It’s funny because while I know there will be Felicity/Noel shenanigans down the road (in the same way I knew she would get together with Ben at some point) it’s hard to picture that at the moment as the friends thing is working so well. And you’re right, I can’t see them doing that to Julie again. Widen your scope, show.

Yes, yes, yes to the Scandal idea. Maybe we should start a letter writing campaign. He could be an old college buddy of Jake’s, no backstory needed. The next two movies Scott Speedman has coming out are horror movies, come back to TV (still sad Last Resort got canceled). Also Noel goes to a dark place when they start discussing breaking and entering which felt very Jake on Scandal (fishing hookers out of the Hudson). All this spy talk also gave me all the Alias feelings. I do love how many people on Felicity have gone on to play spies in other shows.

The Tracy revelation was a surprise in that the typical virgin on TV doesn’t tend to look or act like Tracy, though this is of course a stereotype and not representative of reality. You’re right it is always treated like something bizarre and I liked the way he owned it. Elena has always been sexually confident (which I think is cool and I’m glad she’s never been painted as a harlot), she knows who she is and what she likes and her reaction/subsequent decision isn’t surprising especially after she made an issue of Felicity’s maybe hang ups. Going forward I am intrigued to see where this goes and I understand why this is asking for one commitment too many from Elena. That friends smooch suggests there is a lot more to come.

If only Richard and Sean could go to the dance together, although I guess Sean doesn’t technically go there (he’s like that girl in Mean Girls, note this is my first a Mean Girls reference in some time). Sean is still making his movie and he is trying to engineer a Ben/Felicity reunion. He’s going to be so pissed when he realizes that Ben’s gone to make a big declaration without the cameras present. What do you think Ben is going to do when he gets to Rhinebeck (upon googling I found this and it does seem like a fancy weekend away choice)?

Julie: How does poor college student Greg afford a place like that? Is he selling drugs? Embezzling from the clinic? There has to be something sinister going on here. Since I don’t remember, I’m going to guess that Ben shows up in Rhinebeck, catches Greg in the act of some bad deed, tells Felicity about it, and she blows him off because he’s just jealous of Greg.

I feel like Scott Speedman could find a really good home somewhere on TV. I’d love for it to be Scandal, but really he’d fit in anywhere. I don’t know why actors still think it’s more “prestigious” to make the move to film. TV is doing waaaay better stuff than movies these days. (Witness: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Would you really rather have that on your resume than Mad Men?)

I also found it very hard not to put on the next episode. I want to know what happens! (Even though I should already know what happens, considering I’ve seen it before. Old age.) I think probably the most important thing on the Felicity Season 2 docket is to figure out a way to get rid of Ruby. Down with Ruby!

Emma: Yeah the magical amount of money some characters have takes me out of a show sometimes, I get suspension of disbelief but sometimes it is truly ridiculous.

One thing I’ve found with pretty much every roundtable is the discussion of better roles on TV over film and not just for women. I guess it helps that there are so many platforms now with network, cable, Netflix plus long form and mini-series. The options are endless whereas in film it’s big studio movie or indie and both of those come with potential failure now. Casting directors you need Scott Speedman in your life.

Julie Hammerle is, according to Klout, an expert in the areas of both Morgan Freeman and glasses. Her writing can be found at chicagonow.com/hammervision and you can holler at her on Twitter as well.

Last week it was Chris Messina in a tux and now Mindy Kaling is sharing a sneak peek on Instagram of Shonda Rhimes on the set of The Mindy Project. It was announced last month that the Scandal/Grey’s Anatomy creator would be making a cameo as herself in a season 3 episode and photo speculation suggests it will involve a trip to Dartmouth. Rhimes not only went to Dartmouth, but also gave the commencement day speech back in June and Mindy Kaling also went to this school (Kaling also got in on the speech action this summer at Harvard).

Pete played by Adam Pally on The Mindy Project also went to this school and he is in this photo along with fellow Dartmouth apparel wearing Ed Weeks (Jeremy) and Ike Barinholtz breaks the trend in an excellent Beastie Boys tee (quite possibly not in costume and on set in a writing capacity). There’s no sign of Kaling and if her character misses out on the opportunity to ask those all important Olivia Pope questions – how does she keep her lounge wear free from red wine stains and popcorn grease? – Mindy Lahiri is going to kick herself.

And because he’s not in the shot above here is some Chris Messina related adorableness from Kaling’s Instagram (like I said before it is the gift that keeps on giving):

The Mindy Project returns in one week (Tuesday, September 16) and for more Mindy Project related stories check out Fantasy Costuming and the Season 3 artwork.

The rain fell down on the cast of Scandal for their season 3 promo shots featuring the incredible Burberry trench Olivia wore in the premiere; this time no one is getting soaked, but they have still delivered a striking image with everyone dressed in their fanciest threads. Yep even Quinn and Huck have ditched the plaid and leather for ball gowns and tuxedos.

For a closer look click on the image (which first appeared exclusively at TV Guide).

Olivia is of course at the center of the group wearing a beautiful black and white ball gown with the guys mirroring this color palette in dashing white tie. The other women stand out with Mellie in ultra feminine bubblegum pink giving off princess vibes, Abby in an olive green fishtail frock and Quinn wearing the deep blue that we tend to see in her costuming. This cast sure scrubs up well.

It’s not all fun and frolics. Far from it and at the end of season 3 Olivia flew into the sunset accompanied by Jake after everything has gone to hell thanks to Olivia’s mother Mia. It was a bumpy year and one that got weighed down by its own conspiracy; hopefully after a break away from Washington D.C, and the mess her parents have created Olivia will return to a scene that is less convoluted and more like the fast paced fun of the second year.

The individual photos suggest a less lavish affair with everyone in their standard day ‘uniform’ and it looks like Olivia might be ready to get back to work in a tailored grey jacket and black pants. The lack of white is worth noting in this shot as this is the color she tends to wear when she is feeling in control and defiant, grey is her more muddled/conflicted choice.

Mellie in red. Standard Mellie projecting a strong image garb; the new season is set two months after the events of the finale and while Mellie is an expert in hiding her heartbreak I’m not sure she will be able to pretend everything is okay after the death of her son.

Shonda Rhimes has promised that season 4 will finally shed more light on Abby’s backstory and while we already know that she was married to an abusive and powerful man there are still plenty of narrative blanks to fill in. Abby’s dressed a little darker in her individual shot and the peplum is slightly more fitted than the wrap dresses, draped cardigans, billowy blouses and palazzo pants we’re used to seeing her in.

Scandal returns Thursday, September 25. For the rest of the cast shots click on the gallery below.

Kerry Washington wants you to know that “You can be fabulous and fearless” and now you can look the Olivia Pope part in The Limited Scandal inspired collection. Kerry Washington and Scandal costume designer Lyn Paolo worked with the The Limited’s VP of Design, Elliot Staples to produce an array of pieces reflecting the style of Olivia Pope. This means there is a lot of neutral colors and tailored silhouettes that exude style, femininity and power.

The costume design on Scandal is one of the most talked about aspects of this show (we’re pretty much obsessed with all things Olivia Pope here at TV Ate My Wardrobe) and this collection includes pretty much everything we would want from a Scandal inspired line. Plus the prices aren’t nearly as crazy as the designer labels Olivia usually wears ranging from $49.95 to $248. The only thing that is missing is the ability to not spill red wine or get popcorn grease all over the clothes. Yes I am a serial spiller. Especially when it is either something new or on the lighter end of the clothing scale.

Some of the clothes will feature in the new season (which starts this Thursday, September 25); how about a game of spot The Limited among the Prada and the Armani?

So whether you want to boost your office wear, coat collection or Scandal watching attire there is something for you and here are our top 5 picks.

Olivia has the best collection of outerwear on TV and draped/belted coats are a staple. This one is available in either sage green or soft pink. I’m meant to be on a coat buying ban, but I might have to break my own rules for this beauty.

Capes are on trend this season and another Olivia signature item; just because Olivia wears mostly neutrals it doesn’t mean there isn’t room for tweed. You can get this version in both grey and khaki. I love the charcoal grey cape I got a few years ago (I broke my wrist in the winter and I needed a coat to go over my cast), but there’s no rules saying you can’t have more than one. A cape also gives you a most excellent shadow (I am easily amused).

Wine cardigan! Everyone needs one and The Limited knows this. Yes it is off white but hopefully you have better hand-eye coordination than I do.

Olivia only wears pants to work and there are a variety of styles and colors on offer. I’ve picked out a couple of pairs starting with the ‘Liv Flare‘ in light pink (also available in off white) and for office wear the more flared the better (this is why I love Abby’s palazzo pants so much).

A pair of black wide leg pants are a wardrobe staple and an easy way to look super chic and smart at work or even on a night out.

Browse the whole collection head here and be sure to check out all our Scandal costuming analysis starting with the season 4 promo photos.