Welcome to the last Scandal costume chat of 2013 and the season 3 midseason finale. As the Pope family secrets continue to unravel, Vice President Sally Langston encounters a problem of her own making (with a little hint of Cyrus and Mellie) and Fitz attempts to deal with Olivia’s father.
The frenetic editing of the opening sequence details the Sally and Daniel Douglas confrontation and we already know how this is going to end; the quick cuts of before, after and during the murder heighten the feelings of hysteria. It’s not premeditated and the impulsive reaction is emphasized by how it is shot. We see Sally wondering around in a daze blood-splattered and bare footed, we see the point she takes her heels off and loses the height and power she has been trying to exert over her husband (of course he is still about a foot taller than her even when she is in heels, but he’s lying on the floor dead at this point). It reminds of Mellie’s barefoot drunken Oval Office hangout and as someone who lasts about an hour in heels before I take them off, it makes sense to ditch them when something terrible has happened.
Back to the office wear of OPA and it’s a veritable pattern fest; Abby has been wearing a lot of Diane Von Furstenberg this season and here is yet another amazing DVF wrap dress this time in snakeskin, the animal print is another repeated theme emphasizing Abby’s feisty nature. Olivia is becoming increasingly buttoned up in both clothing choices and as she tries to protect herself from the infinite hurt caused by her parents’ duplicity. This charcoal woven jacket is by Armani and like all the coats/jackets in Olivia’s closet it is exquisite. Harrison displays his standard dapper pattern clashing in checks and polka dots. Harrison and Abby are the two associates that I’d want on my team, as at least they’re not going to bring out the pliers and duct tape.
Later on when Jake comes to say goodbye, Olivia wears yet another beautiful textured jacket – a Dolce & Gabbana garment combining lace and tweed.
If you’re wondering where Olivia gets her coat taste from we can look no further than…
Maya! Who also happens to be back in Washington DC and making phone calls from outside Fitz’s house (I’m not even going to start figuring out the logistics of how she got back here) and doing so in a gorgeous belted coat that could have come from Olivia’s extensive collection. Those leather gloves help add to the dastardly, but super stylish appearance of Olivia’s mother.
One thing Olivia is still doing is living off the snack her mom made her when she was sad and drinking copious amounts of red wine thanks to her father. So not only did Olivia’s parents abandon her when she was about to enter her teens, they also gave her some pretty bad eating and drinking habits. As always Olivia defies logic with the color and quality of her loungewear. Not a pair of sweat pants in sight.
Olivia’s father spends most of the episode hanging out with Fitz stripped of his coat and tie, which considering what Quinn didn’t get to wear during her interrogation with Huck last week he should consider himself very lucky. It’s all about attempting to strip him of some semblance of power, but for all the “I sleep with your daughter” digs that Fitz tries to drop, Eli is ten steps ahead of him with everything he says in his “You are just a boy” speech. It’s an incredible scene and it takes Olivia asking questions about her mother and the plane to make Eli look small in front of Fitz.
Fitz can’t usurp him face to face, instead he can twist Eli’s proclamation that B613 isn’t a person to gain power as he makes Jake the new Command and while it isn’t clear that this is within Fitz’s pay grade, it happens. Say goodbye to the hoodies and leather jackets as suited Jake is here and he looks good. Bonus points for the rugged stubble.
Here is said leather jacket as Jake tells Olivia that he loved her, scratch that he loves her and yet he has bigger things to do. That’s not before he plants a smooch on her. Jake needs his own storyline and he finally became more than just the jealous guy as he reinforced the notion that Olivia’s father is still the bad guy to the people that he kept in a hole in the ground for months.
Over at the White House Mellie is dominating in a royal blue Michael Kors ensemble and you can tell Mellie has her groove back as her costumes have been primary color focused. Mellie is ecstatic about the Daniel Douglas news and even when Cyrus tells her what really happened she uses it as an opportunity.
This is Mellie’s best mourning and caring face and the clickety-click inserts included this beautiful shot with Mellie’s game face on.
The blue has been swapped out for the more appropriate black and she informs Sally that she knows the truth and uses this to gain some advantage. I still have a feeling that Sally will ultimately run as Leo has just as much control at this point.
He doesn’t have red horns but Cyrus equates his part in the death of Daniel Douglas as being like the devil. Mellie played a much more passive role in the whole affair which is why she can distance herself from the blame game; Cyrus is right in the middle of it as he pimped his own husband out. In yet another excellent turn by both Jeff Perry and Dan Bucatinsky that rivals the wiretap strip from last season Cyrus asks “I’m standing here afraid in my underwear and without a soul and I’m asking you what happens now?”
James has the upper hand in all of this and his indignation is more than justified. Cyrus is hunched and his top is wrinkled, in contrast James is rocking the wax jacket scarf combo and Cyrus is at his mercy. James has tried to go to David Rosen, but after the election rigging debacle, David is reticent to help let alone believe this. A test from David’s substitute teaching job with penis drawings all over it is how David tells James he’s not interested.
Last time Cyrus bought James a baby to get him to keep quiet, now it’s the Press Secretary job – that’s not going to arouse suspicion is it?! Add to the mix the evidence that has been given to David Rosen that implicates both Cyrus and Sally, and it’s going to get a lot more complicated for Cyrus, James and Sally. I’m glad David will have a storyline in the second half of the season that goes beyond helping Abby out.
Scandal returns Thursday, February 27 and we talk about the importance of the white hat conundrum in the TV Ate My Wardrobe Best of 2013 series here.
Tags: "A Door Marked Exit, 3.10, costume design, Kerry Washington, Lyn Paolo, Olivia Pope, Scandal
The coats on display on Borgen rival any of the Scandal outerwear and like The Good Wife red is the color of power. Birgitte demonstrated her most political and strong self in the final episode, switching her black coat from the previous episode to the bold belted red. Birgitte’s has a huge decision that will impact the entire political landscape of Danish politics and she works through her options with mentor Bent, in the shadow of the magnificent building the show is named after (it’s the nickname of the Christiansborg Palace).
In an incredibly striking shot Birgitte stands alone in her red coat in the snow looking at her second home; the world of politics where she believes she can make a difference. Birgitte is different to the other politicians on the show (and those in real life) as she does admit when she is in the wrong and her idealism guides her decisions without being the sole driving force. For all the faults of this season (the Kasper/Katrine relationship resolution is a big letdown); one factor is consistent and that’s Birgitte Nyborg. As consistent as her bun of glory.
Sidse Babett Knudsen’s performance has been exceptional from the lows during the debate in which she floundered in a way we had previously not seen, to the portrayal of her breast cancer diagnosis as she at first went at this alone to the various personal and political victories. The reason why I mentioned Friday Night Lights in my intro is I realized last night while I was watching this finale is that both shows give me similar chest bursting feelings of happiness and I’m going to miss Borgen and Birgitte.
TV Ate My Wardrobe 