After seven years of white hats, olitz, and Papa Pope, ABC’s Scandal aired its final episode on Thursday, April 19. So many gladiators anxiously waited for the season finale to find out how it all ends for Olivia and her team. While some fans were more than satisfied with the ending, others felt shorted. Now that it’s all said and done, here are my thoughts on the finale.
Good: Shonda Paid Homage to Grey’s Anatomy Fans
Actor Michael O’Neill played corrupt federal prosecutor, Alonzo ‘Lonnie’ Mencken on Scandal who is almost a complete parallel of Grey’s Anatomy character Gary Clark. O’Neill was last seen in Shondaland in 2010, and Rhimes brought the actor back to highlight a very important issue. Both Mencken and Clark’s characters are focused on gun control and gun laws; Clark was a mass shooter and Mencken was a prosecutor obsessed with gun control.
Bad: David Rosen Deserved Better
Attorney General David Rosen was a beloved character; he was the only figure on the show that never blurred the lines between good and bad. Rosen was a well-educated, honest lawyer which is why his death made absolutely no sense. Rosen did not deserve to go out like that. Period. As far as I’m concerned, Shonda will never be able to explain why Rosen would agree to go to Cyrus Cockroach Bean’s office in the middle of the night HOURS after Jake Ballard threatened to kill him under Cyrus’s orders. It almost feels like she just needed to off someone, so she did.
Good: Charlie and Quinn Finally Get Married
This twisted, beautiful romance finally got its happy ending and it was so cute! Even when the world is falling down around them, the gladiators still made time to celebrate love and that is just beautiful.
Bad: Cyrus Bean Got Off Scotch Free
One of the series’ biggest monsters literally walks away from the gigantic mess he created. After killing David Rosen, having Charlie arrested for a crime he didn’t commit, and almost ruining Mellie Grant’s Presidency for the sake of his own selfish agenda, Cyrus basically got let off with a slap on the wrist. And while this scenario is a more realistic one, it’s not the one the gladiators deserved.
Good: Olivia Didn’t Go Down As a Loser
Mama gladiator put her white hat back on and she did it with elegance. She even stepped away from the white house because she knew it would be detrimental to her mental health.
Bad: Jake Took the Fall For Everything
This by far was the most infuriating thing about the finale. Rowan threw poor Jake Ballard under the bus to save his precious Olivia from going to jail; as always. Jake Ballard was never a perfect character, but it’s not all his fault. The Pope family ruined Jake. Papa Pope turned him into a murderer, and Olivia broke his heart. And after all that, he ends up lying in a jail cell still dreaming about “standing in the sun.” *Inserts sarcastic eye roll*
-HCXO!