February 1, 2024 • 47 mins
Written by Shonda Rhimes herself, Happy Birthday Mr. President is one of the most memorable episodes of Scandal, and Katie & Guillermo laugh, cry and swoon over all the iconic scenes of Olitz. In the hypothetical re-enactment of the episode, Katie thinks she’d be a better Fitz than Guillermo. And would G touch the declaration of independence if given the opportunity? Plus, memories of wrap presents from set.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Unpacking the Toolbox is a production of Shondaland Audio in
partnership with Iheartradiotshas Katie.
Speaker 2 (00:32):
Did you ever smoke cigarettes?
Speaker 1 (00:34):
No, only in like movies. I would sort of a
few days before a week before I because I wanted
it to look real, and I did it, But I
never got hooked. I never smoked them in real life.
Speaker 2 (00:43):
Wow, oh yeah you did. Oh yeah. My early twenties
was just like me thinking I was cool and like
doing theater and being in like theater, majoring in theater.
And it was like at experimental theater wing where we
would just roll around the floor naked and keep taking
cigarette breaks.
Speaker 1 (01:02):
Make noises, like become like different animals and trees.
Speaker 2 (01:06):
Yeah, and like making out and everybody was like had
very fluid sexuality. I love your shirt. I'd like to
also note at the airing of this podcast that Gambo's
wearing the most wonderful shirt that says homosexual tendencies with
a like a skeleton.
Speaker 1 (01:25):
Explain this the skeleton with a leather jacket and a
leather hat. Smoking a joint. I say it's a joint.
It could be a cigarette or a cigar. I think
it's a joint.
Speaker 2 (01:33):
Who is the brand.
Speaker 1 (01:34):
It's from a Lockwood fifty one. It's a queer brand
that does a lot of really cool, sort of edgy provocative,
like real sort of skateboarding. You know, Cake, gay Quel,
all that skateboarding you do, Yeah, for all that skateboarding
at but they have really really cool cool stuff.
Speaker 2 (01:52):
Hey, but you know what we do do? That's a
nice scandal. Do you do what we do?
Speaker 1 (01:57):
Do?
Speaker 2 (01:58):
Dooty, what do we do? We are fucking good scooters
scooting people.
Speaker 1 (02:03):
We do give a good scoot we do.
Speaker 2 (02:06):
And this is a nice scandal. Fun fact. Scott Foley
is a rap gift or a season premiere gift, I
can't remember. One of the fucking greatest, smartest, most amazing
gifts ever. He gave everybody a razor I think, yes, yep,
which is like adult scooter. And our base camp was
like a little bit further from our stages, and so
(02:28):
we scooted from stage to base camp where are where
our trailers are. And it's the greatest, it's one of
the best. See you live in the hills, g you
don't get to do this. But I use that scooter
a couple times a week because I scooted with Ali.
Oh my god, you have to come scoot with me.
Speaker 1 (02:45):
My scooter's been in the garage for years because you're right, Yeah,
it's fine because it was on a shelf that was
so good.
Speaker 2 (02:53):
Yeah, well, thank you Scott Foley for this gift. But
my son is a huge scooter person. He scoots with
his little fucking helmet. He's fast, ast shit. He does tricks,
he does circles, he does squatting one leg, I believe it.
And I scooted with him everywhere on that Scott fully scooter. Wow.
Speaker 1 (03:11):
Do you guys wear helmets? Oh? Yeah, fuck that shit.
I would wear a helmet too. I'm just thinking back
in like Washington Heights, like on a skateboarder, So we
didn't even have scooters back then or skates, like no
elbow pads, no helmets, nothing. People were scraped up and
falling on their heads.
Speaker 2 (03:26):
And I like to scoot without a helmet. I like
to run on the danger sign. But to be honest,
then Albi goes, how come you're wearing I have that helmet?
Speaker 1 (03:33):
And you do? I think I think it's it's necessary.
Speaker 2 (03:36):
And he's actually taken some fucking spills, so I'm like, yeah, yeah,
which is fine. I don't mind scraped ups. But like
he's wearing a helmet.
Speaker 1 (03:45):
Oh yeah, hell yah. There's another gift from Scott Foley
and it's a framed photograph of my parking spot.
Speaker 2 (03:52):
God damn it, Scot Foley. Those were two exceptional gifts.
Speaker 1 (03:57):
They were like like unique and creative.
Speaker 2 (04:01):
Did they super aarty, black and white big prince of
our parking spots with our name on it? Wait? Did
your say mindsets k dot load?
Speaker 1 (04:12):
Did you're saying just yeah, that's it? Yeah, But it's cool.
It's simple, it's like you know, it's it's clean, it's crisp,
it's it's such a cool, very arty, it's such a
cool piece.
Speaker 2 (04:23):
And it's such a statement, like you know, when you're
an actor coming up and it's a real shit show.
It's such a status symbol of making it that you
don't even realize how huge it is until you get
a parking spot on a Hollywood studio a lot that
has your name like spray painted onto it. That's your
(04:43):
parking spot. No one else is allowed to park in it,
and it is such a god it's such a moment.
Speaker 1 (04:49):
Well you think, all right, this is this is permanent.
That this is pretty permanent. I mean, of course they
got paint over that shit in two seconds. But in
our heads we think, all right, they like us, they
really like us, they want us to stay.
Speaker 2 (05:00):
They like me, you really like me. It's the same
as the status of getting a back of a chair. Also, Hollywood,
if you're on a show, you get your cast chair
that you sit in while you're waiting until your scene
is ready to shoot. And also along the back of
it is usually your name.
Speaker 1 (05:16):
Yeah, I have mine right here? Did you keep your
you do? Yeah? I have a director in my room.
Speaker 2 (05:22):
Oh you do.
Speaker 1 (05:23):
I'm not going to reach back because I'm going to
fall on my head. Yeah, I have it right, I
have it right here beyond you. And it says scandal
and like the you know, like when you yeah.
Speaker 2 (05:32):
Yeah, the red shredded paper.
Speaker 1 (05:34):
Yeah yeah, gave them to us. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (05:37):
After we wrapped, we also had scandal warming coats.
Speaker 1 (05:42):
Yeah. Oh I didn't keep that.
Speaker 2 (05:44):
I didn't either, and god damn it, I wish I had.
But look, we keep it real here on unpacking the
toolbox up. Now, tell the people, Tell the people, Tell
the gladiators what we're talking about today, which is episode
two eight entitled Happy Birthday, Mister President, which aired on
December sixth, twenty twelve.
Speaker 1 (06:04):
And it was written by the Shonda Rhymes.
Speaker 2 (06:07):
Wow. Yeah, that's why this one's so fucking hot, okay.
Speaker 1 (06:12):
And it was directed by Oliver Bolckelberg, who was our cinematographer,
our DP for years and then he started directing a
bunch of episodes. He's amazing.
Speaker 2 (06:20):
That's right, he's amazing. It was guest starring Kate Burton
as Vice President Sally Langston, Norm Lewis as Senator Edited
Edison Davis, Bryan Lesher Is Tom Samantha Sloyan as Janine,
Stony Westmoreland as Hal Virginia, Louise Smith as Secretary of State.
Speaker 1 (06:33):
Kavita Pattil as Doctor Number four, Kiko a Jenna as
Press Secretary Britta Kagan, Troy Winbush as Mars Lcott, Stephen
Collins as Reed Wallace, and Tyreese Allen as Doctor Carroll.
Speaker 2 (06:47):
Wow. I'm very excited to talk to me about this
episode because Shonda, she wrote the shit out of this episode.
Speaker 1 (06:53):
It's an oldie, but a goodie.
Speaker 2 (06:55):
Yeah, it's a banger. It's really fucking chock full, as
they all are but this one really okay, let's remind you,
let's jog you gladiators and your memory banks about what's
going on. So this is what's happening. In two o eight,
Happy Birthday, Misster President, the hospital is a buzz. In
the aftermath of Fits being shot, Olivia remembers the end
of the campaign trail and a significant pin she gifted
(07:15):
to Fits during his inauguration. In the present, Sally Langston
makes a play for a position as acting president, which
Cyrus and Olivia must shut down.
Speaker 1 (07:23):
In the past, we follow Fitz and Olivia's escalating affair
during the days following Fitz's election, with some frightening results
as Hollis takes care of a reporter looking into defiance.
The tension the affair and the lengths that Hollis and
Cyrus will go to scares Olivia into resigning.
Speaker 2 (07:40):
And finally, as Sally has sworn in his acting president,
we see who the suspected shooter is. Well. The episode
starts we're right where President Grant was shot, and we
are in the hospital, and we're seeing the whole gore,
and the whole perspective is from Olivia's and Bogelberg does
the best fucking cinematography DP work where he just slow
(08:03):
mows the entire hospital scene, so that Live is seeing
blood dripping on the floor, she's seeing Melly fucking screaming
at people, she's seeing Cyrus, she's seeing like everything is
slow mo. And you and I was brought to like
an emotional place.
Speaker 1 (08:19):
Oh hell yeah, he does. And he does that, like
you said, with the camera work. Even the shooting of
the president is done in such an amazing, like innovative way.
It's almost sped up, right, Yeah, like he speeds up.
It's the film shooting.
Speaker 2 (08:34):
Yeah, it looks like really weird. It's so powerful though.
Speaker 1 (08:37):
Yeah, and you see it's like the blood spray too,
when you see them sort of get hit by the bullets.
Speaker 2 (08:43):
Yeah, oh god. And we see Edison calls Olivia and
he's they're throwing him in the bunker and he's calling it.
He's like, what's going on? Live, Like they're putting me
in the bunker. And then I just wrote the line
Carrie's dress is amazing.
Speaker 1 (08:56):
Oh man, I didn't look up who made that dress,
but the dress is amazing.
Speaker 2 (09:01):
Oh my god, it's so ridiculous, Lin Paolo, It's like
it's insane, and she's got her hair all pressed out,
and she's got this like ridiculously beautiful, flowy white of
course dress that has like sparkly.
Speaker 1 (09:15):
In the front right on her booby. It's so fucking
fucking Edison. I was like, Oh, here's Edison again. I
had a question, had not Edison again? Jeez? How long
do they have to stay in that bunker? Those people
like they're like, let's go, We're gonna hide you guys away,
which happens in real life? Like this is crazy.
Speaker 2 (09:36):
I don't know, like if this were to well, I'm like,
if this were actually happened, this has actually happened. I
have no idea what protocol looks like in terms of
like I think they probably have to that's probably be
I'm gonna trust the scandal writers and say that this
shit is based in truth. They probably have to take
the Speaker of the House and they have to take
Congress or I don't know, and throw them in a
fucking bunker to make sure democracy like isn't right and
(10:00):
like the whole place isn't under attack.
Speaker 1 (10:02):
I don't know. Well, also, because the shooter is still
at large, right, they didn't catch the shooter so in
that case, I could see how they have to hide
these people away because if they're all killed, then we're
just you know, thrown into chaos.
Speaker 2 (10:14):
Chaos.
Speaker 1 (10:15):
Meanwhile, sometimes nobody shot and we're still in chaos.
Speaker 2 (10:19):
Okay. So then we see what causes the whole backstory
to unlock, is that we see the pin, this beautiful
American flag pin that fell off, you know, during the shooting.
We see what the origin of this pin story is,
which is Olivia gave Fits this pin on his inauguration day,
(10:42):
and we learned that the pin was actually an Eisenhower pin,
and it's so fucking smart, Shonda rhymes, of course she
wrote this episode.
Speaker 1 (10:51):
It's so beautiful, it's so beautiful. But of course, the
minute that Mellie walks in and sees the pin in
the flashback, you know scene on fits his lapel and
she's like, oh, where'd you get that? And he was like,
oh was Eisenhower's motherfucker's lying to her already, Ja.
Speaker 2 (11:07):
Is lying to Melly. She's just like, where's this pin from?
And they don't even say like, oh, Olivia got it
for me, or.
Speaker 1 (11:13):
Like he just said, oh, it belonged to Eisenhower and
that was it.
Speaker 2 (11:16):
She but that pin she learns in this episode having
an affair.
Speaker 1 (11:22):
Oh yeah, she learns.
Speaker 2 (11:24):
This is the episode where Melly figures it out because
of that fucking pin, so he's sworn in. We see
a fight between James and Jeff James and Jeff James
and Cyrus because James can't go to the inaugural balls
because Cyrus isn't out yet that he's in a committed relation,
committed homosexual relationship.
Speaker 1 (11:45):
And Olivia is sort of lurking in the hallway like
hearing this argument right.
Speaker 2 (11:49):
Right, And then Fitz goes to the inaugural balls and
all that, but guess what he leaves early and he
meets Olivia Pope in the oval Oof office and she says,
mister President, I could never shoot a scene like this
with a straight face.
Speaker 1 (12:07):
Doesn't he say say it again or something like that,
mister President?
Speaker 2 (12:11):
She say it again and she says, mister President.
Speaker 1 (12:14):
Trying to get those inaugural balls worked up?
Speaker 2 (12:17):
Yeah's right? Then the ass inaugural old balls. All the
crazy thing is like I the whole time, this scene
is so hot because and we know because we had
Shonda Rhimes as guest on this first and the first
episode of this podcast we ever did, and she said,
I'm gonna have Olivia and Fitz have sex on the
desk in the Oval office. Well, here you have it, folks,
(12:39):
because Fitz gets down on his knees and he goes
to sloppy third yo.
Speaker 1 (12:46):
But if first, Olivia is a resisting, resisting, resisting, and
she's like, we cannot do this anymore. She even says,
look at where we are. We can't do this anymore.
We have to stop. And I love when Fitz is like, no,
I can't stop. I'm not gonna stop. Can you stop?
And she's like m mmm. And that's when she saddles
(13:06):
on the desk and he just that skirt up real cute,
real slow. She's like, oh so hot.
Speaker 2 (13:18):
Could they have shot this scene? I would have broken
one thousand, wouldn't have made it past calling him mister
President with a straight face like there's no fucking way
in hell. So kudos to carry Washington.
Speaker 1 (13:33):
Kudos, yes, But it's it's a steamy, steamy, fucking scene.
It goes there like she's unbuckling his belt, he has
her hand up her skirt like you could see it.
It's it's super like it.
Speaker 2 (13:47):
Was for like network television. I mean the ones are
where a ten PM show?
Speaker 1 (13:53):
No wonder we were, I mean.
Speaker 2 (13:55):
It was it was really really hot, and I was uncomfortable.
I like look away a couple times because I was.
Speaker 1 (14:01):
Like, I know these people, you know what Katie I
did the how stupid? I was like, how stupid are you? Girmo,
why are you like looking down? Like I literally caught
myself looking.
Speaker 2 (14:10):
Down at it too. It was like too much to ta, Yes,
it's too much to take. I think I wonder if
our gladiators listening felt that way. They probably were right
there with them. But I think it's probably because we
personally know the two of them and it's fucking weird,
Like yeah, I mean, it's just bizarre. And then we
backflashed to the present day. Sally's acting president and it's
(14:31):
all on news channels and she fucking lands on the
front lawn of the White House, which is such a
power play move. She lands on the front steps and
Olivia steps up and she starts fixing. She basically leaves
Opa and all the White House staff comes in and
they're like, are you back, And she's like, go to
my house, get my suits, get my outfits. Get my
(14:51):
toothbrush on back.
Speaker 1 (14:53):
Meanwhile, Yo, I wrote in my notes Homegirl listed off
like eight things. I was like, wait, what bring my suits,
my stockis, my socks, my toothbrush, my my my onesie, like.
Speaker 2 (15:06):
What my songs, my underwear, my toothbrush, my flat iron,
my Cricks concealer, my moistrising. And that's funny because I
heard it and I was like, oh wow, that's really not.
Speaker 1 (15:18):
A lot like conservative. You were like yeah.
Speaker 2 (15:20):
I just was like, oh wow, that's like exactly what
someone would need to be at work for four or
five days and nothing more. And also they listed no makeup,
and I'm like, well, yeah, Kerry Washington doesn't need any makeup.
She's fucking perfect.
Speaker 1 (15:31):
Oh.
Speaker 2 (15:31):
There's tons of going back to after he's been elected president,
but he's preparing for his inauguration day and he's preparing
for his inauguration speech. They go and move to Camp
David to prep his inauguration speech. And the reason they
do this is because that night on the Oval office
in the desk was caught on the camera and Fitz
(15:54):
is running with his navy shirt and Hal is like,
there are cameras, sir, and he's like what He's like,
there's cameras, and Fits is like, where am I going
to go to? Like, yeah, fuck my woman as much
as I.
Speaker 1 (16:05):
Want, yes, but I love that Fits has sort of
his first reaction is like, oh shit, there's cameras. They
saw everything. But then he's like, Okay, where are there
not cameras? Like he's like, I want to know where
I can screw in the White House. I was like, oh.
Speaker 2 (16:19):
Man, they move Cyrus, Olivia and Fits but not Melly
to Camp David so that they could just like write
and work on his speech and his plan of his
first hundred days and do it.
Speaker 1 (16:31):
This is all in the flashback, right.
Speaker 2 (16:34):
Flashwake, But like there's gotta be cameras in Camp David.
This is total bullshit. I call bullshit on this, right.
Speaker 1 (16:43):
Man, I don't fucking know. But also, is that like
a you know what I mean? Is that like fucking
with someone's privacy if the cameras are like inside like
in the bedroom, and like you know what I mean,
maybe there aren't. Maybe there are cameras.
Speaker 2 (16:57):
Oh yeah in the bedroom, in the bathrooms they can
now right there's there, yeah, right, so that they could
they couldn't screw in the bedrooms in the White House
because Melly's in there. Right, that's right, I get it.
I get it. Okay, okay. So they're having so much
sex and it's so cute. They're laughing, they're coming up
with his plans for the first hundred days. They're arguing, but.
Speaker 1 (17:18):
It likes up against the wall.
Speaker 2 (17:20):
She's pushing against no you, no you, no you gives
me a gag.
Speaker 1 (17:29):
But it's hot. It's hot. They're naked, like, yeah, it's
it's so steamy, it's so it's a lot.
Speaker 2 (17:35):
It's really cute. And then that all comes to a big,
fat end because Nelly shows up at Can't David with
a nice cooked lasagna.
Speaker 1 (17:45):
This motherfucker said, h I live.
Speaker 2 (17:47):
She's like, how the dinner? The kids went to school,
and I figured I would just like check up on
how it's going.
Speaker 1 (17:53):
And it's that look on his face like, oh God,
I did this is not my doing.
Speaker 2 (17:59):
Live and Live is like feels like the other woman.
Speaker 1 (18:04):
Yeah, really is the other woman.
Speaker 2 (18:08):
She feels really bad, and so he's pissed. She's pissed.
She's pissed. She's pissed, and they haven't really spoken in
a few days. They returned back to the White House.
They're not talking, and this is actually a huge moment
for Scandal, I feel like, because fits is like, what's wrong,
what's going on? And She's like, you know what I'm feeling,
just really Sally Hemmings Thomas Jefferson about this?
Speaker 1 (18:31):
Is that what was? Tell me what that? Tell me?
What that is?
Speaker 2 (18:35):
Well, Sally Hemmings was the black slave that Thomas Jefferson
was in love with. Oh sh and I'm pretty sure
I want to say she had some babies, but she
is the black slave that Thomas Jefferson was sleeping with
for I think a really long time. I think he
was like in love with her.
Speaker 1 (18:54):
And they loved each other, like they truly loved each other.
Speaker 2 (18:57):
So Sally Hemmings had five babies with's Thomas Jefferson. Yeah.
And so what I think is so amazing about Scandal
is like, this is episode two oh eight, and so
we've been watching an affair between a white president and
a black woman for fifteen episodes, and this is the
(19:19):
first time that Shonda is bringing up this very very
very famous relationship that in some ways like really mirrors
what's going on here. I remember being on the show
at the beginning and being like, I wonder if it's
ever going to be addressed, Like I wonder if race
is ever going to be addressed in dialogue, Like is
(19:42):
Carrie ever going to say or Olivia ever going to
say something like, oh, my god, not only you are
a president and I'm a civilian, but like I'm a
black woman and you're a white guy. And it was
not mentioned until this line, And my god, Shonda nails
it so hard. They're in this horrible fight and she's like,
for the first time, I'm feeling like a fucking piece
of shit, Like I'm feeling like like a slave to you.
Speaker 1 (20:06):
But also, if I'm not mistaken, Katie, it was. Race
was never brought up again. I mean, it might have been.
I could be wrong, but I don't think it was.
It was really they made it a thing which I really.
Speaker 2 (20:18):
Loved, not in their relationship. We did it for the
lawn Chair episode with forty b bands. We talked about
police brutality, We talked about that there.
Speaker 1 (20:28):
If it's in.
Speaker 2 (20:28):
Olivia, no, this is I want to say. I mean again,
guys listening, we've only watched the first two seasons of Scandal,
so we'll correct ourselves if when we're wrong, but it's
really my only memory of it too. We will be
back with more after the break.
Speaker 1 (20:48):
Katie tell me, is this the scene where she says,
we can't do this? Like and fit has this ridiculously
fucking the best acting I've seen, so fucking that's coming.
Speaker 2 (21:01):
The best acting on the show is coming right now.
So she gets in his face in the hallway and
she says, like really quietly, like in his face, like
I don't know, I'm feeling really sallly hmming is Thomas
Jefferson about this whole thing right now? And he is
taken aback, like you see him like this, And then
again we don't see them together until like the fucking
winning scene of this episode, in one of the greatest scenes.
(21:23):
It is the garden scene Gladiators, that's what we're talking about,
and he to Tony Goldwin's acting in this is.
Speaker 1 (21:33):
You can see his like lip quivering and his eyes
are watery. It's like beyond like fucking kiss.
Speaker 2 (21:42):
I didn't write some of the writing in this, that
Shonda rope, but it's like she Olivia is saying to
him and the Rose Garden like I can't do this anymore.
I can't live like this. All I live, breathe and
thinking is your thoughts. You own me, and it's all
about this slavery thing. It's like bringing about this slavery situation,
like you own me. She says, like I can't do
(22:04):
anything you want me. I'm there. You want me to
next to you, I'm there. You tell me to meet you,
I meet you like I've lost myself.
Speaker 1 (22:10):
You owe me sooga. But then Fitz says, and I
did write down some of these lines.
Speaker 2 (22:14):
He tell me, maybe tell me, tell me belongs.
Speaker 1 (22:16):
You own me. You're the love of my life. I
belong to you. And he oh, looks so fucking good.
And she's like, what the fuck? But you know, at
the same time, it's making her fall in love with
him even more. Oh my, because she's like, oh my god,
this guy really really loves me. He fucking he nails
(22:36):
this scene. I mean they both do, him and Olivia,
but it's this. This was my favorite scene in this episode.
Speaker 2 (22:42):
Me too. This is the winning scene. This is krem
dela Creme and honestly one of the best, most passionate.
You know why this scene is so amazing and why
it's because we believe and know that they love each
other so much despite race, fite president not president, despite
(23:03):
despite it all, it's like they are sick in love
with each other, and like they're acting and her writing
and the commo of it all and being a prose
garden is like till the end of time people were
olits through and.
Speaker 1 (23:17):
Through and again we've we've mentioned there's a million times,
but the chemistry between Tony Goldwin and Kerry Washington is
just it's you know, it's spectacular, like if that wasn't there,
And of course including Seanna's writing and the act all
of it, but their chemistry is just so present. It's
so real that you can't you can't look away. You
(23:38):
believe it, You believe it one hundred percent, you know
what I mean.
Speaker 2 (23:42):
Oh god, Tony's acting, it's so good. You own me,
you own me, I belong to you.
Speaker 1 (23:47):
Yes, I'm sick too.
Speaker 2 (23:48):
I can't eat, I can't think, I can't like all
this shit.
Speaker 1 (23:51):
Is made me cry. Oh my, oh man, it's so good.
But again, and Olivia has that look on her face
like like she cannot believe the words that are coming
out of his mouth, but she's loving.
Speaker 2 (24:03):
We should start. I just had a real brain inspiration.
I think we should start re enacting other characters scenes
from this, says Quinn and Hauck, or is just Katie
and Geirmo because I love.
Speaker 1 (24:16):
That so much and I think our listeners will love it.
Just think.
Speaker 2 (24:25):
Joe Morton, some of those monologues.
Speaker 1 (24:27):
I want to be Sally Langston, like sh talk about
great acting. You hate her more than ever in this episode,
like she is a hateful, hateful double woman.
Speaker 2 (24:39):
That's horrible to tell you, guys, what Sally Langston is
doing in this fucking episode. So she was promised on
the campaign trail that she was going to nominate the
next Supreme Court justice. But ha HAA a little bit
of a conflict here is that Verna Thornton was promised
for being part of the goons who rigged the election,
that she would be the next Supreme Court nominee. So
(25:00):
they've got a lead little bit of an issue, and
fucking Cap Burton has a monologue where she comes into
Cyrus and Olivia where they have killed her Supreme Court nominee.
They've put in some like they let it be known
that he was arrested when he was fifteen, So there's
no way that her nominee would be elected. And she
comes in and she's so pissed. She was like, they
(25:21):
found this on campounds that's supposed to be locked, and
I know who did it. It was you. It was
you, you did it.
Speaker 1 (25:27):
And her voice Katie reaches a pitch that I have
never heard before.
Speaker 2 (25:34):
It was yes, it's like very animalistic rage.
Speaker 1 (25:38):
Yes, yes, wait he got very.
Speaker 2 (25:40):
What you said animalistic like an animals like it was crazy.
It was so crazy.
Speaker 1 (25:46):
And it was It also made me think, okay, homegirl
says a Supreme Court justice nominie cannot come back from
that I'm air quoting scandal, which was like he committed
a little crime when he was fifteen. Meanwhile, now thinking
too thousand fucking you know twenty twenty, twenty two, twenty three,
like the shit, that's the scandals that are happening within
(26:07):
the Supreme Court justices and they're already on the bench
and nothing. Nobody's bat in an eye, you know what
I mean. Shit is still moving along like always. Nobody's
getting kicked off. So it's just funny to see these
scenes in this you know, here and nowhere.
Speaker 2 (26:19):
It was like people are they they were writing the
show to have some moral compass. Of course, we even
though Olivia Pope kills someone with a chair, but like whatever.
Speaker 1 (26:28):
But also Katie, like, during this time, it still wasn't
crazy in our world. So it was it was real,
you know what I mean? This shit was it was real.
Speaker 2 (26:36):
Yes, And then Sally's all pissed. They go to Melly
and they say, Sally Langston is making a play for
the White House. She just landed on the lawn. Go
leave this hospital, find something to wear, get on the
podium and tell the American people that we don't need
Sally Langston. Our president is still alive in kicking. Don't
(26:56):
pretend like he's not. And my god, does Melli it
up her pull on her bootstraps.
Speaker 1 (27:02):
Yo, tell Mellie that she can maybe not be in
the White House anymore, and that bitch will be like,
what do I have to do? She like she like
she conjured up some inn and was like, yeah, I'm
gonna shut this down.
Speaker 2 (27:19):
Animal, she's a political animal. But getting ready for that,
Olivia has to go and get her clothes of what
she's gonna wear, and so she walks past all of
Fit's clothes and he's like in the midst of possibly dying,
and she sees that navy sweatshirt, you know, the one
that says Navy on it, and she just gives it
a whiff and cries.
Speaker 1 (27:38):
Oh, she said she gave it, gives it a whiff
and cries, she sure does.
Speaker 2 (27:43):
Man.
Speaker 1 (27:43):
That's another there's a lot of powerful scenes in this episode.
When she takes that whiff from that that sweatshirt. Yo, Katie,
did you notice? And that see she breaks down, but
then she has this moment where she's like, she stiffens
up and she's like, I cannot do this shit. Pull
it together, Olivia, And she pulls herself together, and she
shakes the sweatshirt and folds it really sort of sternly
(28:06):
and puts it. Oh it was so good.
Speaker 2 (28:10):
Yeah, she's she's so amazing, bringing it back to the
Sally Hemmings Thomas Jefferson line of it all when she
is smelling the navy sweatshirt. After that, we flashed back
to inauguration time and Fitz has invited Olivia to look
at the Constitution and they touch it and it says
(28:33):
we the People. And at the time of the Constitution,
black people weren't included in We the people, and I
can't help but think, like that's what was so cool
about this episode is like Fitz is like touch it
and she's like, no, I'm not going to touch it,
and he's like touch it, and it's like so cute,
how the whole dialogue is so durable, and she's like, no, you,
(28:53):
let's touch it together, and he's like, I already touched
I already was the person who touched it.
Speaker 1 (28:57):
I already touched it, touching it.
Speaker 2 (28:58):
I've been touching it. And then she touches it, and
I don't know, like I really had a moment like
to see a TV show where a black woman touches
the constitation you see her finger, like yes, yes, you
see her finger touched the Constitution where it was like
all these white men who wrote it, and I don't know,
(29:19):
I'm so glad Shonda wrote this episode and wrote it
like this. And I mean I was moved like multiple
times over. I just was like super moved and really
felt and proud.
Speaker 1 (29:32):
I felt really proud, yeah to be on the show
because in moments like this.
Speaker 2 (29:36):
Like I was such a small cog in the wheel
of this show that was yes, it was like you know,
water cooler and OMG moments and binge worthy and we
were tweeting and all the things. But what's so great
about Shonda Rhymes is that she was actually also like
moving the needle in the way that she knows how
(29:56):
you know.
Speaker 1 (29:57):
Yeah, there was some real stuff in these in these
episodes that were lessons too or or reminders that people
needed to be reminded of certain things, and she does
it in such a beautiful way. But I feel like
there's a story behind when they shot that scene. Did
they shoot that? I feel like, did they shoot that
scene in They couldn't have shot that in DC? Right?
Speaker 2 (30:20):
No?
Speaker 1 (30:21):
That I don't think is that recreated that?
Speaker 2 (30:23):
Yeah? Totally, I think. I mean I could be wrong,
but I think I don't think we ever. I don't
think anyone ever went to d C until the final
the second to final episode of the whole series.
Speaker 1 (30:34):
I don't know.
Speaker 2 (30:35):
But it was fucking real. Yeah, I mean did they
did a great job. And when they do touch the Constitution,
she cries and says, I'm in love with you too,
and it's over the Constitution and it's so lovely.
Speaker 1 (30:47):
Yeah, Constitution made her say it.
Speaker 2 (30:49):
Yeah, Yeah, she's like, my boyfriend took me on a
date to touch the Constitution.
Speaker 1 (30:56):
I love you, and that's where the pin goes miss right.
Speaker 2 (31:01):
So the pin goes missing in that constitution scene, and
then Melly comes to Olivia and says, oh, I wanted
to give this back to you, and how told me
that Fitz didn't bring his wife to see the Constitution.
He chose to bring you. And it's the first.
Speaker 1 (31:24):
Which because I would have wanted to be there, been there.
Speaker 2 (31:28):
And then she has the most amazing dialogue that's like
we all did This is all passive aggressive too. She's like,
we all did what we needed to do to get
fits in office, and now it is our job to
keep him there, meaning like I will keep playing wife,
you keep playing mistress, whatever we have to do to
keep the president president. And it's like this is all flashback,
(31:52):
but this is when the whole charade and all the
cards start to crumble. It's a combination of like Melly
knowing and Olivia of being like, this is the most
fucked up shit in the entire world. Hollis gives the
okay to blow up Cytron and kill seven people just
so that the election rigging storyline doesn't get out, and Cyrus.
She goes to Cyrus says, Hollis is a fucking problem.
(32:14):
He killed seven people, that's on us. And Cyrus has
this huge monologue where he's like, those people died, they
are patriots.
Speaker 1 (32:21):
They're patriots, they died for us, for fits to be
have been in office, die for.
Speaker 2 (32:25):
A greater cause. And Olivia is just looking around like
all these people are fucking out of their minds.
Speaker 1 (32:30):
And he also Cyrus mentions Lindsay Dwyer, which is Quinn
Perkins of course, and says she's gonna you know, she
she's doing her country a service.
Speaker 2 (32:39):
Lindsay Dwyer is doing her country services, doing her patriotic duty,
all for the greater good of this country.
Speaker 1 (32:45):
But also it all goes back to Olivia again because
Olivia is the one that gives the Jesse Tyler name
right to Hollis Doyle, which Huck gives to her because
she knows that somebody has been sort of meddling and
asking questions and sort of in there, so she wants
them out. So it all goes back to Olivia. So
Olivia is somewhat responsible for this explosion, for Jesse Tyler dying.
Speaker 2 (33:08):
It's why she saves Lindsay Dwyner because she feels so sad. Yes,
she will not let another person die for this sin
that she did, this choice she made of bringing the election.
She will not let anyone else go and that's why
she sends Huck to get Lindsay.
Speaker 1 (33:28):
Oh man, we'll be right back, guys.
Speaker 2 (33:35):
Okay. In the ending of the episode, Olivia resigns. She
writes a resignation letter she signs Olivia Pope. She includes
the Eisenhower pinn that she gave on the inauguration day.
She leaves it on the fucking desk of the O office.
She pieces out and she starts Olivia Fucking Pope and associates.
Speaker 1 (33:52):
Yes, uh so good. But do you think that Olivia knew?
Because Lindsay Dwyer slash Quinn Perkins is an exceptional worker
at OPA, do you know what I mean? She has
that drive.
Speaker 2 (34:04):
I didn't know.
Speaker 1 (34:05):
So do you think she knew or she just took
a chance. She just wanted to save this girl.
Speaker 2 (34:09):
Because I hope she wanted to save her and felt like,
I'm just gonna keep her in my keeper round, under
my wing, to keep her around to make sure she's safe.
And then it sort of like ends it up that
all right, Like now this is just how it is,
Like I'm watching this girl like she's mine.
Speaker 1 (34:24):
Oor man score for Olivia that Quinn Perkins ends up
being this freaking you know boss Chiller.
Speaker 2 (34:32):
Yes, it's so crazy. And the very very end of
the episode they're swearing in Sally Langston and like the
BackFlash of his pin that fell off. They have the
pin and Melly picks it up off the floor in
the hospital where it fell off where he's like bleeding out,
and she puts it next to his shot up body.
And then the very very end, the last two minutes,
(34:52):
you know how he scanned do those last fucking thirty
seconds they go but crazy that they dream at it's
Huck that shot the press?
Speaker 1 (35:02):
Oh man, how did you like Huck's work?
Speaker 2 (35:06):
At the end?
Speaker 1 (35:07):
I really liked it. Again, this was one of those
scenes where I had to learn how to assemble and
disassemble a motherfucking rifle, which is so not me. I
can barely send like a video text to someone like I'm.
Speaker 2 (35:24):
Just scared for links for Google link because he doesn't
know how to get it off his phone. He doesn't a.
Speaker 1 (35:30):
Picture of me and I'm the most impatient person. When
I get frustrated, I'm not good at something and I
can't learn it. I get frustrated and I get mad,
and I remember being there and be like, Okay, let's
do it again. I was just so because I wasn't
getting it. And God bless Jeff Props, who just was,
you know, the nicest and the most patient person, and
just little by little, one piece by one piece, and
(35:54):
I learned how to. You know, Thank God for our
wonderful editors too, because they edited the shit out of this.
Speaker 2 (36:01):
Like you had an assemble of an automatic rifle.
Speaker 1 (36:05):
Yeah yeah, but I I love it. I love that moment.
I love the moment where he Huck turns around to
look for the bullet and you see that it's Huck. Oh.
I was so excited. Man, this is gonna get good.
And this is also I think this is where the
hashtag what the huck started. Oh, this is really one.
And then the next episode is where it's sort of
(36:27):
you know, a lot because people were like, oh, what
the heck, oh.
Speaker 2 (36:32):
Oh oh, let's see if there are any fun fucking facts.
Speaker 1 (36:36):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (36:36):
Well, Mark Harrolic did not reprise his role as Press
Secretary Marvin Colegate. Did he get fired.
Speaker 1 (36:45):
From the season. I don't know. You know, sometimes people
get jobs.
Speaker 2 (36:50):
I'm gonna say that that's what happened because he's so talented.
I've worked with them before. He's amazing. And he's also
friends with a casting director and Jeff. I feel like
they've worked together a million times.
Speaker 1 (36:58):
And listen, when you get it, when you get a
curring role or a you know, a featured role or
a guest starring role, there's no guarantee of continued work.
So as an actor, you have to continue searching for work.
And he probably booked a show or a movie where
he couldn't get off and he was working, so they
have to recast it.
Speaker 2 (37:16):
And that's when they replaced him with Keko a Gina,
who replaced him as press secretary Britta Kagan, who tragically
in this episode her character was killed as a result
of your fucking girlfriend, Becky.
Speaker 1 (37:29):
What a bit bitch. But also, can I just take
a moment and speak about Kaiko I hope I'm saying
her name right. Kaiko A Jenna, who is another regular
on a beloved show of mine, Gilmore Girls. She's one
of the leads in gilmart Girls. Yeah, play your name
is Keiko Keiko. She plays Rory's best friend Lane on
(37:52):
Gilmore Girls.
Speaker 2 (37:53):
For she did one hundred and kidding me, one hundred and.
Speaker 1 (37:56):
Fifty four episodes on Gilmore Girls. And that girl can
talk faster than any of us.
Speaker 2 (38:01):
Oh yeah. I remember auditioning for Gilmore Girls and they
would tell me to talk faster, and then the casting
director gave me the note, you talk out of the
side of your mouth.
Speaker 1 (38:08):
Two. So does Milo into Meglia, what is she talking about?
He's the biggest side mouth talker in the world and
it's the sexiest thing ever.
Speaker 2 (38:15):
I remember auditioning for Gilmore Girls and they were like,
you need to talk faster, and I was like, oh honey,
I got this and I'm talking so fast. She was like, also,
you only talking to the side of your mouth? Can
you not do that?
Speaker 1 (38:24):
Are you cute? I'm so confused right now because again, Miglia,
who is a regular on Gilmore Girls. Who's hot Rory's
you know, boyfriend? For is any Yes, he's on this
is us and he's on a name Vinimiglia. I could
be KAMLEI.
Speaker 2 (38:42):
I think that's right. I think that's it.
Speaker 1 (38:44):
I could be completely wrong, Lea, but I think it's
Vini Meglia. But homeboy has the cutest lisp and he
just talks out of the side of his mouth. Is
always funny that you know they were telling you, producers
was telling you not to do that.
Speaker 2 (39:02):
Okay, Keo is killed and I'm so bummed. She should
have had like a much bigger party. And then I
have continuity error. Referenced in Dirty Little Secrets, we learned
that as a part of the Defiance Conspiracy Lia deal,
Verna Thornton was to receive a seat on the Supreme Court,
the first Supreme Court justice to be nominated by the
(39:23):
Grand Administration. But in season one, episode two, a news
anchor reports that Patrick Keating is to be the president's
first Supreme Court nominee during his term. That's a continuity.
That's a continuity error, people, That's what that is.
Speaker 1 (39:40):
So how do we expect these writers to keep all
these facts together? Like that's a teeny tiny continuity or
that I would never catch unless our producers for this
podcast told us, you know what you read.
Speaker 2 (39:53):
And also we're not even in season five six yet.
I bet these continuity errors are going to get imagine
if you were on Gray's Anatomy like season twenty.
Speaker 1 (40:04):
Can you imagine?
Speaker 2 (40:05):
No, I can't. I cannot imagine. Guess what time it
is now? Scandal Scandal, Scandal Scannel tweets of the talent.
Speaker 1 (40:20):
Oh, I get very gassy when we do our tweets
at the time portion of this podcast.
Speaker 2 (40:25):
Katie, me too, Germo and hungry. Okay, Yes, the Scandal writers.
Oh my god, I forgot that the Scandal writers had
their own handle.
Speaker 1 (40:35):
Oh yeah, they were.
Speaker 2 (40:37):
Yet god, everybody was so everybody was on Twitter. It
was the costume department, the wardrobe, the hair, the makeup,
the writers, everybody, Scandal writers wrote, The Scandal writers just
watched tonight's episode together on a big screen and it
is amazing. Ten nine Central people, big screen not required.
(40:57):
That is such a writery writ tweet. I've upseid.
Speaker 1 (41:01):
Really, it's so well written. Yes, okay, and then we
have Chan at my friend Chan tweets one thing you
won't do is text slash call me while Olivia Pope
is on I need to find out who shot her
boo hashtag scandal agreed, Chan agree.
Speaker 2 (41:16):
Reed at Dresshon on December sixth, tweeted first lady set
him up at jerm meets World. Fits done, been shot,
dead to the earth. Who y'all think did it? Hashtag
scandal I love and this person thinks the first lady
set him up, which, by the way, we haven't really
talked about that.
Speaker 1 (41:35):
That's right.
Speaker 2 (41:35):
Yeah, they really did make it seem like she did it.
You think, how well, what before he gets out of
the car, she says, yes, yes, we shouldn't go. We
shouldn't go. I have a weird feeling, let's not go.
And then when he gets shot. They did a shot
in this episode where she lifts up her head and
she's like looking around kind of weirdly. I don't know.
(41:57):
I think they kind of framed her a little bit.
Speaker 1 (41:59):
I never thought that when she's in the limo in
the previous episode saying let's not go. I don't want
to go. I just chalked that up to woman's intuition,
Like I thought, she feels something, she feels something's off,
it doesn't feel right. I almost respected her and loved
her even more because of because of that little piece
and that in the limo where she didn't want him
(42:20):
to go. I never equated that with her possibly setting
him up. Interesting, but well that that also speaks to
this next tweet by Focus at Shabina three, she says
that's why she didn't want to go to the dinner.
She knew he was getting shot. Hashtag scandal, which she's
speaking about Melly of course, which, well, there you go,
(42:42):
there you having another person thinks that she was possibly involved.
Speaker 2 (42:45):
People thought that Mellie was possibly doing it. At Marvine
XO tweeted with hashtag scandal, Milly I love when people
call her Milly. Milly knew some shit was gonna go down.
Speaker 1 (42:58):
I don't care. I don't care.
Speaker 2 (43:00):
I don't care, I don't care. He just tweeted IDC period,
IDC period, which is I don't care, and I never
knew that till today period. Yes.
Speaker 1 (43:06):
Yeah, but also you'll check it out. It's funny how
it's all women that are saying this about another woman.
I wonder as a guy, I thought, oh no, she
just she feels something's off, so she doesn't want to go.
I never But of course the women are like, mmm,
she knew something was up.
Speaker 2 (43:22):
She's yeah, right, that's right, Oh yeah, I mean yeah.
At Samantha D. Godwin tweets, haha, you know it's a
spicy episode. When at Scandal four, when one informs everyone
to not tweet at Tony Goldwyn tonight, well done, sir,
well done. Hashtag scandal.
Speaker 1 (43:41):
And then we got that about I don't know not
to tweet Tony tonight. I don't know what that. I
don't know what that.
Speaker 2 (43:47):
Oh, because it's so sexual. This episode was so sexual.
Speaker 1 (43:50):
Oh, perhaps well. And then we have Golden Girls six
seventeen and she says, everyone at work is trying to
figure out who shot the president hashtag scan So it
was me, everybody, it was a Huck.
Speaker 2 (44:02):
You guys all remember, like we're about to go down
a really dark journey with Huck. We're talking warderboarding. We're
talking dark and dark darkness underneath the Pentagon and what's
really going underneath the streets of DC. The next episode
we have up is called blown Away.
Speaker 1 (44:18):
Little did I know that I was gonna venture out
into the world of nudity on prime time television.
Speaker 2 (44:26):
You guys just weren't lucky enough to see it. But
everybody who was in the room who shot with Huck
that day when he was getting tortured Sawyrbo's dick and balls.
Speaker 1 (44:36):
My country breakfast, two eggs and a Dolson.
Speaker 2 (44:42):
You've never heard that.
Speaker 1 (44:44):
You're welcome, Katie qlows, You're.
Speaker 2 (44:46):
Welcome a country breakfast, country breakfast. Look out. I'm teaching
that to my son right away because I think it's
fucking hilarious. He's not gonna get it.
Speaker 1 (44:56):
Folks, this has been a pleasure and a dream.
Speaker 2 (45:00):
We can't wait to be back again for Blown Away.
We may or may not have a guest. You may
or may not hear about the country breakfast that Hucks
serves up while he's getting tortured in the Pentagon. What
a dream?
Speaker 1 (45:15):
What is awesome? Thank you, Thank you guys, Thank you
gladiators for listening and going on this journey with us.
This is like creating Hello.
Speaker 2 (45:22):
Should we say, oh, Fiva la vida, everybody, Viva la vida.
And thank you Shonda Rhymes for writing this episode or
this episode was five years This is.
Speaker 1 (45:37):
A good one. Go watch this. If you guys haven't
watched it and you heard the podcast episode, go to
the episode on Hulu.
Speaker 2 (45:43):
Happy birthday, mister President. Could you imagine doing that? Mister President?
Say it again? And then he says, wait, no, what
did you say say?
Speaker 1 (45:52):
I like it?
Speaker 2 (45:53):
What you say say it again. Oh good. So you'll
play Olivia and I'll play fits.
Speaker 1 (45:59):
We gotta put we gotta do that, We gotta pitch that.
If we could like read.
Speaker 2 (46:02):
That scene me, I belong to you.
Speaker 1 (46:07):
That was so good, That was so good. I got
cho Bye, y'all, bye everybody. Thank you guys for joining
us on Unpacking the Toolbox. If you enjoyed the show,
please subscribe, share with your friends, rate, or leave us
a review.
Speaker 2 (46:28):
Scandal is executive produced by Sandy Bailey, Alex Alcea, Lauren Homan,
Tyler Klang, and Gabrielle Collins. Our producer and editor is
Vince de Johnny, with music by Chad Fisher.
Speaker 1 (46:39):
Scandal is a production of ABC Signature, and you can
follow along by rewatching Scandal on Hulu.
Speaker 2 (46:44):
Unpacking the Toolbox is a production of Shondaland Audio in
partnership with iHeartRadio. For more podcasts from Shondaland Audio, visit
the iHeartRadio app or anywhere you subscribe to your favorite shows.
Speaker 1 (47:00):
Ye
Unpacking the Toolbox is a production of Shondaland Audio in
partnership with Iheartradiotshas Katie.
Speaker 2 (00:32):
Did you ever smoke cigarettes?
Speaker 1 (00:34):
No, only in like movies. I would sort of a
few days before a week before I because I wanted
it to look real, and I did it, But I
never got hooked. I never smoked them in real life.
Speaker 2 (00:43):
Wow, oh yeah you did. Oh yeah. My early twenties
was just like me thinking I was cool and like
doing theater and being in like theater, majoring in theater.
And it was like at experimental theater wing where we
would just roll around the floor naked and keep taking
cigarette breaks.
Speaker 1 (01:02):
Make noises, like become like different animals and trees.
Speaker 2 (01:06):
Yeah, and like making out and everybody was like had
very fluid sexuality. I love your shirt. I'd like to
also note at the airing of this podcast that Gambo's
wearing the most wonderful shirt that says homosexual tendencies with
a like a skeleton.
Speaker 1 (01:25):
Explain this the skeleton with a leather jacket and a
leather hat. Smoking a joint. I say it's a joint.
It could be a cigarette or a cigar. I think
it's a joint.
Speaker 2 (01:33):
Who is the brand.
Speaker 1 (01:34):
It's from a Lockwood fifty one. It's a queer brand
that does a lot of really cool, sort of edgy provocative,
like real sort of skateboarding. You know, Cake, gay Quel,
all that skateboarding you do, Yeah, for all that skateboarding
at but they have really really cool cool stuff.
Speaker 2 (01:52):
Hey, but you know what we do do? That's a
nice scandal. Do you do what we do?
Speaker 1 (01:57):
Do?
Speaker 2 (01:58):
Dooty, what do we do? We are fucking good scooters
scooting people.
Speaker 1 (02:03):
We do give a good scoot we do.
Speaker 2 (02:06):
And this is a nice scandal. Fun fact. Scott Foley
is a rap gift or a season premiere gift, I
can't remember. One of the fucking greatest, smartest, most amazing
gifts ever. He gave everybody a razor I think, yes, yep,
which is like adult scooter. And our base camp was
like a little bit further from our stages, and so
(02:28):
we scooted from stage to base camp where are where
our trailers are. And it's the greatest, it's one of
the best. See you live in the hills, g you
don't get to do this. But I use that scooter
a couple times a week because I scooted with Ali.
Oh my god, you have to come scoot with me.
Speaker 1 (02:45):
My scooter's been in the garage for years because you're right, Yeah,
it's fine because it was on a shelf that was
so good.
Speaker 2 (02:53):
Yeah, well, thank you Scott Foley for this gift. But
my son is a huge scooter person. He scoots with
his little fucking helmet. He's fast, ast shit. He does tricks,
he does circles, he does squatting one leg, I believe it.
And I scooted with him everywhere on that Scott fully scooter. Wow.
Speaker 1 (03:11):
Do you guys wear helmets? Oh? Yeah, fuck that shit.
I would wear a helmet too. I'm just thinking back
in like Washington Heights, like on a skateboarder, So we
didn't even have scooters back then or skates, like no
elbow pads, no helmets, nothing. People were scraped up and
falling on their heads.
Speaker 2 (03:26):
And I like to scoot without a helmet. I like
to run on the danger sign. But to be honest,
then Albi goes, how come you're wearing I have that helmet?
Speaker 1 (03:33):
And you do? I think I think it's it's necessary.
Speaker 2 (03:36):
And he's actually taken some fucking spills, so I'm like, yeah, yeah,
which is fine. I don't mind scraped ups. But like
he's wearing a helmet.
Speaker 1 (03:45):
Oh yeah, hell yah. There's another gift from Scott Foley
and it's a framed photograph of my parking spot.
Speaker 2 (03:52):
God damn it, Scot Foley. Those were two exceptional gifts.
Speaker 1 (03:57):
They were like like unique and creative.
Speaker 2 (04:01):
Did they super aarty, black and white big prince of
our parking spots with our name on it? Wait? Did
your say mindsets k dot load?
Speaker 1 (04:12):
Did you're saying just yeah, that's it? Yeah, But it's cool.
It's simple, it's like you know, it's it's clean, it's crisp,
it's it's such a cool, very arty, it's such a
cool piece.
Speaker 2 (04:23):
And it's such a statement, like you know, when you're
an actor coming up and it's a real shit show.
It's such a status symbol of making it that you
don't even realize how huge it is until you get
a parking spot on a Hollywood studio a lot that
has your name like spray painted onto it. That's your
(04:43):
parking spot. No one else is allowed to park in it,
and it is such a god it's such a moment.
Speaker 1 (04:49):
Well you think, all right, this is this is permanent.
That this is pretty permanent. I mean, of course they
got paint over that shit in two seconds. But in
our heads we think, all right, they like us, they
really like us, they want us to stay.
Speaker 2 (05:00):
They like me, you really like me. It's the same
as the status of getting a back of a chair. Also, Hollywood,
if you're on a show, you get your cast chair
that you sit in while you're waiting until your scene
is ready to shoot. And also along the back of
it is usually your name.
Speaker 1 (05:16):
Yeah, I have mine right here? Did you keep your
you do? Yeah? I have a director in my room.
Speaker 2 (05:22):
Oh you do.
Speaker 1 (05:23):
I'm not going to reach back because I'm going to
fall on my head. Yeah, I have it right, I
have it right here beyond you. And it says scandal
and like the you know, like when you yeah.
Speaker 2 (05:32):
Yeah, the red shredded paper.
Speaker 1 (05:34):
Yeah yeah, gave them to us. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (05:37):
After we wrapped, we also had scandal warming coats.
Speaker 1 (05:42):
Yeah. Oh I didn't keep that.
Speaker 2 (05:44):
I didn't either, and god damn it, I wish I had.
But look, we keep it real here on unpacking the
toolbox up. Now, tell the people, Tell the people, Tell
the gladiators what we're talking about today, which is episode
two eight entitled Happy Birthday, Mister President, which aired on
December sixth, twenty twelve.
Speaker 1 (06:04):
And it was written by the Shonda Rhymes.
Speaker 2 (06:07):
Wow. Yeah, that's why this one's so fucking hot, okay.
Speaker 1 (06:12):
And it was directed by Oliver Bolckelberg, who was our cinematographer,
our DP for years and then he started directing a
bunch of episodes. He's amazing.
Speaker 2 (06:20):
That's right, he's amazing. It was guest starring Kate Burton
as Vice President Sally Langston, Norm Lewis as Senator Edited
Edison Davis, Bryan Lesher Is Tom Samantha Sloyan as Janine,
Stony Westmoreland as Hal Virginia, Louise Smith as Secretary of State.
Speaker 1 (06:33):
Kavita Pattil as Doctor Number four, Kiko a Jenna as
Press Secretary Britta Kagan, Troy Winbush as Mars Lcott, Stephen
Collins as Reed Wallace, and Tyreese Allen as Doctor Carroll.
Speaker 2 (06:47):
Wow. I'm very excited to talk to me about this
episode because Shonda, she wrote the shit out of this episode.
Speaker 1 (06:53):
It's an oldie, but a goodie.
Speaker 2 (06:55):
Yeah, it's a banger. It's really fucking chock full, as
they all are but this one really okay, let's remind you,
let's jog you gladiators and your memory banks about what's
going on. So this is what's happening. In two o eight,
Happy Birthday, Misster President, the hospital is a buzz. In
the aftermath of Fits being shot, Olivia remembers the end
of the campaign trail and a significant pin she gifted
(07:15):
to Fits during his inauguration. In the present, Sally Langston
makes a play for a position as acting president, which
Cyrus and Olivia must shut down.
Speaker 1 (07:23):
In the past, we follow Fitz and Olivia's escalating affair
during the days following Fitz's election, with some frightening results
as Hollis takes care of a reporter looking into defiance.
The tension the affair and the lengths that Hollis and
Cyrus will go to scares Olivia into resigning.
Speaker 2 (07:40):
And finally, as Sally has sworn in his acting president,
we see who the suspected shooter is. Well. The episode
starts we're right where President Grant was shot, and we
are in the hospital, and we're seeing the whole gore,
and the whole perspective is from Olivia's and Bogelberg does
the best fucking cinematography DP work where he just slow
(08:03):
mows the entire hospital scene, so that Live is seeing
blood dripping on the floor, she's seeing Melly fucking screaming
at people, she's seeing Cyrus, she's seeing like everything is
slow mo. And you and I was brought to like
an emotional place.
Speaker 1 (08:19):
Oh hell yeah, he does. And he does that, like
you said, with the camera work. Even the shooting of
the president is done in such an amazing, like innovative way.
It's almost sped up, right, Yeah, like he speeds up.
It's the film shooting.
Speaker 2 (08:34):
Yeah, it looks like really weird. It's so powerful though.
Speaker 1 (08:37):
Yeah, and you see it's like the blood spray too,
when you see them sort of get hit by the bullets.
Speaker 2 (08:43):
Yeah, oh god. And we see Edison calls Olivia and
he's they're throwing him in the bunker and he's calling it.
He's like, what's going on? Live, Like they're putting me
in the bunker. And then I just wrote the line
Carrie's dress is amazing.
Speaker 1 (08:56):
Oh man, I didn't look up who made that dress,
but the dress is amazing.
Speaker 2 (09:01):
Oh my god, it's so ridiculous, Lin Paolo, It's like
it's insane, and she's got her hair all pressed out,
and she's got this like ridiculously beautiful, flowy white of
course dress that has like sparkly.
Speaker 1 (09:15):
In the front right on her booby. It's so fucking
fucking Edison. I was like, Oh, here's Edison again. I
had a question, had not Edison again? Jeez? How long
do they have to stay in that bunker? Those people
like they're like, let's go, We're gonna hide you guys away,
which happens in real life? Like this is crazy.
Speaker 2 (09:36):
I don't know, like if this were to well, I'm like,
if this were actually happened, this has actually happened. I
have no idea what protocol looks like in terms of
like I think they probably have to that's probably be
I'm gonna trust the scandal writers and say that this
shit is based in truth. They probably have to take
the Speaker of the House and they have to take
Congress or I don't know, and throw them in a
fucking bunker to make sure democracy like isn't right and
(10:00):
like the whole place isn't under attack.
Speaker 1 (10:02):
I don't know. Well, also, because the shooter is still
at large, right, they didn't catch the shooter so in
that case, I could see how they have to hide
these people away because if they're all killed, then we're
just you know, thrown into chaos.
Speaker 2 (10:14):
Chaos.
Speaker 1 (10:15):
Meanwhile, sometimes nobody shot and we're still in chaos.
Speaker 2 (10:19):
Okay. So then we see what causes the whole backstory
to unlock, is that we see the pin, this beautiful
American flag pin that fell off, you know, during the shooting.
We see what the origin of this pin story is,
which is Olivia gave Fits this pin on his inauguration day,
(10:42):
and we learned that the pin was actually an Eisenhower pin,
and it's so fucking smart, Shonda rhymes, of course she
wrote this episode.
Speaker 1 (10:51):
It's so beautiful, it's so beautiful. But of course, the
minute that Mellie walks in and sees the pin in
the flashback, you know scene on fits his lapel and
she's like, oh, where'd you get that? And he was like,
oh was Eisenhower's motherfucker's lying to her already, Ja.
Speaker 2 (11:07):
Is lying to Melly. She's just like, where's this pin from?
And they don't even say like, oh, Olivia got it
for me, or.
Speaker 1 (11:13):
Like he just said, oh, it belonged to Eisenhower and
that was it.
Speaker 2 (11:16):
She but that pin she learns in this episode having
an affair.
Speaker 1 (11:22):
Oh yeah, she learns.
Speaker 2 (11:24):
This is the episode where Melly figures it out because
of that fucking pin, so he's sworn in. We see
a fight between James and Jeff James and Jeff James
and Cyrus because James can't go to the inaugural balls
because Cyrus isn't out yet that he's in a committed relation,
committed homosexual relationship.
Speaker 1 (11:45):
And Olivia is sort of lurking in the hallway like
hearing this argument right.
Speaker 2 (11:49):
Right, And then Fitz goes to the inaugural balls and
all that, but guess what he leaves early and he
meets Olivia Pope in the oval Oof office and she says,
mister President, I could never shoot a scene like this
with a straight face.
Speaker 1 (12:07):
Doesn't he say say it again or something like that,
mister President?
Speaker 2 (12:11):
She say it again and she says, mister President.
Speaker 1 (12:14):
Trying to get those inaugural balls worked up?
Speaker 2 (12:17):
Yeah's right? Then the ass inaugural old balls. All the
crazy thing is like I the whole time, this scene
is so hot because and we know because we had
Shonda Rhimes as guest on this first and the first
episode of this podcast we ever did, and she said,
I'm gonna have Olivia and Fitz have sex on the
desk in the Oval office. Well, here you have it, folks,
(12:39):
because Fitz gets down on his knees and he goes
to sloppy third yo.
Speaker 1 (12:46):
But if first, Olivia is a resisting, resisting, resisting, and
she's like, we cannot do this anymore. She even says,
look at where we are. We can't do this anymore.
We have to stop. And I love when Fitz is like, no,
I can't stop. I'm not gonna stop. Can you stop?
And she's like m mmm. And that's when she saddles
(13:06):
on the desk and he just that skirt up real cute,
real slow. She's like, oh so hot.
Speaker 2 (13:18):
Could they have shot this scene? I would have broken
one thousand, wouldn't have made it past calling him mister
President with a straight face like there's no fucking way
in hell. So kudos to carry Washington.
Speaker 1 (13:33):
Kudos, yes, But it's it's a steamy, steamy, fucking scene.
It goes there like she's unbuckling his belt, he has
her hand up her skirt like you could see it.
It's it's super like it.
Speaker 2 (13:47):
Was for like network television. I mean the ones are
where a ten PM show?
Speaker 1 (13:53):
No wonder we were, I mean.
Speaker 2 (13:55):
It was it was really really hot, and I was uncomfortable.
I like look away a couple times because I was.
Speaker 1 (14:01):
Like, I know these people, you know what Katie I
did the how stupid? I was like, how stupid are you? Girmo,
why are you like looking down? Like I literally caught
myself looking.
Speaker 2 (14:10):
Down at it too. It was like too much to ta, Yes,
it's too much to take. I think I wonder if
our gladiators listening felt that way. They probably were right
there with them. But I think it's probably because we
personally know the two of them and it's fucking weird,
Like yeah, I mean, it's just bizarre. And then we
backflashed to the present day. Sally's acting president and it's
(14:31):
all on news channels and she fucking lands on the
front lawn of the White House, which is such a
power play move. She lands on the front steps and
Olivia steps up and she starts fixing. She basically leaves
Opa and all the White House staff comes in and
they're like, are you back, And she's like, go to
my house, get my suits, get my outfits. Get my
(14:51):
toothbrush on back.
Speaker 1 (14:53):
Meanwhile, Yo, I wrote in my notes Homegirl listed off
like eight things. I was like, wait, what bring my suits,
my stockis, my socks, my toothbrush, my my my onesie, like.
Speaker 2 (15:06):
What my songs, my underwear, my toothbrush, my flat iron,
my Cricks concealer, my moistrising. And that's funny because I
heard it and I was like, oh wow, that's really not.
Speaker 1 (15:18):
A lot like conservative. You were like yeah.
Speaker 2 (15:20):
I just was like, oh wow, that's like exactly what
someone would need to be at work for four or
five days and nothing more. And also they listed no makeup,
and I'm like, well, yeah, Kerry Washington doesn't need any makeup.
She's fucking perfect.
Speaker 1 (15:31):
Oh.
Speaker 2 (15:31):
There's tons of going back to after he's been elected president,
but he's preparing for his inauguration day and he's preparing
for his inauguration speech. They go and move to Camp
David to prep his inauguration speech. And the reason they
do this is because that night on the Oval office
in the desk was caught on the camera and Fitz
(15:54):
is running with his navy shirt and Hal is like,
there are cameras, sir, and he's like what He's like,
there's cameras, and Fits is like, where am I going
to go to? Like, yeah, fuck my woman as much
as I.
Speaker 1 (16:05):
Want, yes, but I love that Fits has sort of
his first reaction is like, oh shit, there's cameras. They
saw everything. But then he's like, Okay, where are there
not cameras? Like he's like, I want to know where
I can screw in the White House. I was like, oh.
Speaker 2 (16:19):
Man, they move Cyrus, Olivia and Fits but not Melly
to Camp David so that they could just like write
and work on his speech and his plan of his
first hundred days and do it.
Speaker 1 (16:31):
This is all in the flashback, right.
Speaker 2 (16:34):
Flashwake, But like there's gotta be cameras in Camp David.
This is total bullshit. I call bullshit on this, right.
Speaker 1 (16:43):
Man, I don't fucking know. But also, is that like
a you know what I mean? Is that like fucking
with someone's privacy if the cameras are like inside like
in the bedroom, and like you know what I mean,
maybe there aren't. Maybe there are cameras.
Speaker 2 (16:57):
Oh yeah in the bedroom, in the bathrooms they can
now right there's there, yeah, right, so that they could
they couldn't screw in the bedrooms in the White House
because Melly's in there. Right, that's right, I get it.
I get it. Okay, okay. So they're having so much
sex and it's so cute. They're laughing, they're coming up
with his plans for the first hundred days. They're arguing, but.
Speaker 1 (17:18):
It likes up against the wall.
Speaker 2 (17:20):
She's pushing against no you, no you, no you gives
me a gag.
Speaker 1 (17:29):
But it's hot. It's hot. They're naked, like, yeah, it's
it's so steamy, it's so it's a lot.
Speaker 2 (17:35):
It's really cute. And then that all comes to a big,
fat end because Nelly shows up at Can't David with
a nice cooked lasagna.
Speaker 1 (17:45):
This motherfucker said, h I live.
Speaker 2 (17:47):
She's like, how the dinner? The kids went to school,
and I figured I would just like check up on
how it's going.
Speaker 1 (17:53):
And it's that look on his face like, oh God,
I did this is not my doing.
Speaker 2 (17:59):
Live and Live is like feels like the other woman.
Speaker 1 (18:04):
Yeah, really is the other woman.
Speaker 2 (18:08):
She feels really bad, and so he's pissed. She's pissed.
She's pissed. She's pissed, and they haven't really spoken in
a few days. They returned back to the White House.
They're not talking, and this is actually a huge moment
for Scandal, I feel like, because fits is like, what's wrong,
what's going on? And She's like, you know what I'm feeling,
just really Sally Hemmings Thomas Jefferson about this?
Speaker 1 (18:31):
Is that what was? Tell me what that? Tell me?
What that is?
Speaker 2 (18:35):
Well, Sally Hemmings was the black slave that Thomas Jefferson
was in love with. Oh sh and I'm pretty sure
I want to say she had some babies, but she
is the black slave that Thomas Jefferson was sleeping with
for I think a really long time. I think he
was like in love with her.
Speaker 1 (18:54):
And they loved each other, like they truly loved each other.
Speaker 2 (18:57):
So Sally Hemmings had five babies with's Thomas Jefferson. Yeah.
And so what I think is so amazing about Scandal
is like, this is episode two oh eight, and so
we've been watching an affair between a white president and
a black woman for fifteen episodes, and this is the
(19:19):
first time that Shonda is bringing up this very very
very famous relationship that in some ways like really mirrors
what's going on here. I remember being on the show
at the beginning and being like, I wonder if it's
ever going to be addressed, Like I wonder if race
is ever going to be addressed in dialogue, Like is
(19:42):
Carrie ever going to say or Olivia ever going to
say something like, oh, my god, not only you are
a president and I'm a civilian, but like I'm a
black woman and you're a white guy. And it was
not mentioned until this line, And my god, Shonda nails
it so hard. They're in this horrible fight and she's like,
for the first time, I'm feeling like a fucking piece
of shit, Like I'm feeling like like a slave to you.
Speaker 1 (20:06):
But also, if I'm not mistaken, Katie, it was. Race
was never brought up again. I mean, it might have been.
I could be wrong, but I don't think it was.
It was really they made it a thing which I really.
Speaker 2 (20:18):
Loved, not in their relationship. We did it for the
lawn Chair episode with forty b bands. We talked about
police brutality, We talked about that there.
Speaker 1 (20:28):
If it's in.
Speaker 2 (20:28):
Olivia, no, this is I want to say. I mean again,
guys listening, we've only watched the first two seasons of Scandal,
so we'll correct ourselves if when we're wrong, but it's
really my only memory of it too. We will be
back with more after the break.
Speaker 1 (20:48):
Katie tell me, is this the scene where she says,
we can't do this? Like and fit has this ridiculously
fucking the best acting I've seen, so fucking that's coming.
Speaker 2 (21:01):
The best acting on the show is coming right now.
So she gets in his face in the hallway and
she says, like really quietly, like in his face, like
I don't know, I'm feeling really sallly hmming is Thomas
Jefferson about this whole thing right now? And he is
taken aback, like you see him like this, And then
again we don't see them together until like the fucking
winning scene of this episode, in one of the greatest scenes.
(21:23):
It is the garden scene Gladiators, that's what we're talking about,
and he to Tony Goldwin's acting in this is.
Speaker 1 (21:33):
You can see his like lip quivering and his eyes
are watery. It's like beyond like fucking kiss.
Speaker 2 (21:42):
I didn't write some of the writing in this, that
Shonda rope, but it's like she Olivia is saying to
him and the Rose Garden like I can't do this anymore.
I can't live like this. All I live, breathe and
thinking is your thoughts. You own me, and it's all
about this slavery thing. It's like bringing about this slavery situation,
like you own me. She says, like I can't do
(22:04):
anything you want me. I'm there. You want me to
next to you, I'm there. You tell me to meet you,
I meet you like I've lost myself.
Speaker 1 (22:10):
You owe me sooga. But then Fitz says, and I
did write down some of these lines.
Speaker 2 (22:14):
He tell me, maybe tell me, tell me belongs.
Speaker 1 (22:16):
You own me. You're the love of my life. I
belong to you. And he oh, looks so fucking good.
And she's like, what the fuck? But you know, at
the same time, it's making her fall in love with
him even more. Oh my, because she's like, oh my god,
this guy really really loves me. He fucking he nails
(22:36):
this scene. I mean they both do, him and Olivia,
but it's this. This was my favorite scene in this episode.
Speaker 2 (22:42):
Me too. This is the winning scene. This is krem
dela Creme and honestly one of the best, most passionate.
You know why this scene is so amazing and why
it's because we believe and know that they love each
other so much despite race, fite president not president, despite
(23:03):
despite it all, it's like they are sick in love
with each other, and like they're acting and her writing
and the commo of it all and being a prose
garden is like till the end of time people were
olits through and.
Speaker 1 (23:17):
Through and again we've we've mentioned there's a million times,
but the chemistry between Tony Goldwin and Kerry Washington is
just it's you know, it's spectacular, like if that wasn't there,
And of course including Seanna's writing and the act all
of it, but their chemistry is just so present. It's
so real that you can't you can't look away. You
(23:38):
believe it, You believe it one hundred percent, you know
what I mean.
Speaker 2 (23:42):
Oh god, Tony's acting, it's so good. You own me,
you own me, I belong to you.
Speaker 1 (23:47):
Yes, I'm sick too.
Speaker 2 (23:48):
I can't eat, I can't think, I can't like all
this shit.
Speaker 1 (23:51):
Is made me cry. Oh my, oh man, it's so good.
But again, and Olivia has that look on her face
like like she cannot believe the words that are coming
out of his mouth, but she's loving.
Speaker 2 (24:03):
We should start. I just had a real brain inspiration.
I think we should start re enacting other characters scenes
from this, says Quinn and Hauck, or is just Katie
and Geirmo because I love.
Speaker 1 (24:16):
That so much and I think our listeners will love it.
Just think.
Speaker 2 (24:25):
Joe Morton, some of those monologues.
Speaker 1 (24:27):
I want to be Sally Langston, like sh talk about
great acting. You hate her more than ever in this episode,
like she is a hateful, hateful double woman.
Speaker 2 (24:39):
That's horrible to tell you, guys, what Sally Langston is
doing in this fucking episode. So she was promised on
the campaign trail that she was going to nominate the
next Supreme Court justice. But ha HAA a little bit
of a conflict here is that Verna Thornton was promised
for being part of the goons who rigged the election,
that she would be the next Supreme Court nominee. So
(25:00):
they've got a lead little bit of an issue, and
fucking Cap Burton has a monologue where she comes into
Cyrus and Olivia where they have killed her Supreme Court nominee.
They've put in some like they let it be known
that he was arrested when he was fifteen, So there's
no way that her nominee would be elected. And she
comes in and she's so pissed. She was like, they
(25:21):
found this on campounds that's supposed to be locked, and
I know who did it. It was you. It was
you, you did it.
Speaker 1 (25:27):
And her voice Katie reaches a pitch that I have
never heard before.
Speaker 2 (25:34):
It was yes, it's like very animalistic rage.
Speaker 1 (25:38):
Yes, yes, wait he got very.
Speaker 2 (25:40):
What you said animalistic like an animals like it was crazy.
It was so crazy.
Speaker 1 (25:46):
And it was It also made me think, okay, homegirl
says a Supreme Court justice nominie cannot come back from
that I'm air quoting scandal, which was like he committed
a little crime when he was fifteen. Meanwhile, now thinking
too thousand fucking you know twenty twenty, twenty two, twenty three,
like the shit, that's the scandals that are happening within
(26:07):
the Supreme Court justices and they're already on the bench
and nothing. Nobody's bat in an eye, you know what
I mean. Shit is still moving along like always. Nobody's
getting kicked off. So it's just funny to see these
scenes in this you know, here and nowhere.
Speaker 2 (26:19):
It was like people are they they were writing the
show to have some moral compass. Of course, we even
though Olivia Pope kills someone with a chair, but like whatever.
Speaker 1 (26:28):
But also Katie, like, during this time, it still wasn't
crazy in our world. So it was it was real,
you know what I mean? This shit was it was real.
Speaker 2 (26:36):
Yes, And then Sally's all pissed. They go to Melly
and they say, Sally Langston is making a play for
the White House. She just landed on the lawn. Go
leave this hospital, find something to wear, get on the
podium and tell the American people that we don't need
Sally Langston. Our president is still alive in kicking. Don't
(26:56):
pretend like he's not. And my god, does Melli it
up her pull on her bootstraps.
Speaker 1 (27:02):
Yo, tell Mellie that she can maybe not be in
the White House anymore, and that bitch will be like,
what do I have to do? She like she like
she conjured up some inn and was like, yeah, I'm
gonna shut this down.
Speaker 2 (27:19):
Animal, she's a political animal. But getting ready for that,
Olivia has to go and get her clothes of what
she's gonna wear, and so she walks past all of
Fit's clothes and he's like in the midst of possibly dying,
and she sees that navy sweatshirt, you know, the one
that says Navy on it, and she just gives it
a whiff and cries.
Speaker 1 (27:38):
Oh, she said she gave it, gives it a whiff
and cries, she sure does.
Speaker 2 (27:43):
Man.
Speaker 1 (27:43):
That's another there's a lot of powerful scenes in this episode.
When she takes that whiff from that that sweatshirt. Yo, Katie,
did you notice? And that see she breaks down, but
then she has this moment where she's like, she stiffens
up and she's like, I cannot do this shit. Pull
it together, Olivia, And she pulls herself together, and she
shakes the sweatshirt and folds it really sort of sternly
(28:06):
and puts it. Oh it was so good.
Speaker 2 (28:10):
Yeah, she's she's so amazing, bringing it back to the
Sally Hemmings Thomas Jefferson line of it all when she
is smelling the navy sweatshirt. After that, we flashed back
to inauguration time and Fitz has invited Olivia to look
at the Constitution and they touch it and it says
(28:33):
we the People. And at the time of the Constitution,
black people weren't included in We the people, and I
can't help but think, like that's what was so cool
about this episode is like Fitz is like touch it
and she's like, no, I'm not going to touch it,
and he's like touch it, and it's like so cute,
how the whole dialogue is so durable, and she's like, no, you,
(28:53):
let's touch it together, and he's like, I already touched
I already was the person who touched it.
Speaker 1 (28:57):
I already touched it, touching it.
Speaker 2 (28:58):
I've been touching it. And then she touches it, and
I don't know, like I really had a moment like
to see a TV show where a black woman touches
the constitation you see her finger, like yes, yes, you
see her finger touched the Constitution where it was like
all these white men who wrote it, and I don't know,
(29:19):
I'm so glad Shonda wrote this episode and wrote it
like this. And I mean I was moved like multiple
times over. I just was like super moved and really
felt and proud.
Speaker 1 (29:32):
I felt really proud, yeah to be on the show
because in moments like this.
Speaker 2 (29:36):
Like I was such a small cog in the wheel
of this show that was yes, it was like you know,
water cooler and OMG moments and binge worthy and we
were tweeting and all the things. But what's so great
about Shonda Rhymes is that she was actually also like
moving the needle in the way that she knows how
(29:56):
you know.
Speaker 1 (29:57):
Yeah, there was some real stuff in these in these
episodes that were lessons too or or reminders that people
needed to be reminded of certain things, and she does
it in such a beautiful way. But I feel like
there's a story behind when they shot that scene. Did
they shoot that? I feel like, did they shoot that
scene in They couldn't have shot that in DC? Right?
Speaker 2 (30:20):
No?
Speaker 1 (30:21):
That I don't think is that recreated that?
Speaker 2 (30:23):
Yeah? Totally, I think. I mean I could be wrong,
but I think I don't think we ever. I don't
think anyone ever went to d C until the final
the second to final episode of the whole series.
Speaker 1 (30:34):
I don't know.
Speaker 2 (30:35):
But it was fucking real. Yeah, I mean did they
did a great job. And when they do touch the Constitution,
she cries and says, I'm in love with you too,
and it's over the Constitution and it's so lovely.
Speaker 1 (30:47):
Yeah, Constitution made her say it.
Speaker 2 (30:49):
Yeah, Yeah, she's like, my boyfriend took me on a
date to touch the Constitution.
Speaker 1 (30:56):
I love you, and that's where the pin goes miss right.
Speaker 2 (31:01):
So the pin goes missing in that constitution scene, and
then Melly comes to Olivia and says, oh, I wanted
to give this back to you, and how told me
that Fitz didn't bring his wife to see the Constitution.
He chose to bring you. And it's the first.
Speaker 1 (31:24):
Which because I would have wanted to be there, been there.
Speaker 2 (31:28):
And then she has the most amazing dialogue that's like
we all did This is all passive aggressive too. She's like,
we all did what we needed to do to get
fits in office, and now it is our job to
keep him there, meaning like I will keep playing wife,
you keep playing mistress, whatever we have to do to
keep the president president. And it's like this is all flashback,
(31:52):
but this is when the whole charade and all the
cards start to crumble. It's a combination of like Melly
knowing and Olivia of being like, this is the most
fucked up shit in the entire world. Hollis gives the
okay to blow up Cytron and kill seven people just
so that the election rigging storyline doesn't get out, and Cyrus.
She goes to Cyrus says, Hollis is a fucking problem.
(32:14):
He killed seven people, that's on us. And Cyrus has
this huge monologue where he's like, those people died, they
are patriots.
Speaker 1 (32:21):
They're patriots, they died for us, for fits to be
have been in office, die for.
Speaker 2 (32:25):
A greater cause. And Olivia is just looking around like
all these people are fucking out of their minds.
Speaker 1 (32:30):
And he also Cyrus mentions Lindsay Dwyer, which is Quinn
Perkins of course, and says she's gonna you know, she
she's doing her country a service.
Speaker 2 (32:39):
Lindsay Dwyer is doing her country services, doing her patriotic duty,
all for the greater good of this country.
Speaker 1 (32:45):
But also it all goes back to Olivia again because
Olivia is the one that gives the Jesse Tyler name
right to Hollis Doyle, which Huck gives to her because
she knows that somebody has been sort of meddling and
asking questions and sort of in there, so she wants
them out. So it all goes back to Olivia. So
Olivia is somewhat responsible for this explosion, for Jesse Tyler dying.
Speaker 2 (33:08):
It's why she saves Lindsay Dwyner because she feels so sad. Yes,
she will not let another person die for this sin
that she did, this choice she made of bringing the election.
She will not let anyone else go and that's why
she sends Huck to get Lindsay.
Speaker 1 (33:28):
Oh man, we'll be right back, guys.
Speaker 2 (33:35):
Okay. In the ending of the episode, Olivia resigns. She
writes a resignation letter she signs Olivia Pope. She includes
the Eisenhower pinn that she gave on the inauguration day.
She leaves it on the fucking desk of the O office.
She pieces out and she starts Olivia Fucking Pope and associates.
Speaker 1 (33:52):
Yes, uh so good. But do you think that Olivia knew?
Because Lindsay Dwyer slash Quinn Perkins is an exceptional worker
at OPA, do you know what I mean? She has
that drive.
Speaker 2 (34:04):
I didn't know.
Speaker 1 (34:05):
So do you think she knew or she just took
a chance. She just wanted to save this girl.
Speaker 2 (34:09):
Because I hope she wanted to save her and felt like,
I'm just gonna keep her in my keeper round, under
my wing, to keep her around to make sure she's safe.
And then it sort of like ends it up that
all right, Like now this is just how it is,
Like I'm watching this girl like she's mine.
Speaker 1 (34:24):
Oor man score for Olivia that Quinn Perkins ends up
being this freaking you know boss Chiller.
Speaker 2 (34:32):
Yes, it's so crazy. And the very very end of
the episode they're swearing in Sally Langston and like the
BackFlash of his pin that fell off. They have the
pin and Melly picks it up off the floor in
the hospital where it fell off where he's like bleeding out,
and she puts it next to his shot up body.
And then the very very end, the last two minutes,
(34:52):
you know how he scanned do those last fucking thirty
seconds they go but crazy that they dream at it's
Huck that shot the press?
Speaker 1 (35:02):
Oh man, how did you like Huck's work?
Speaker 2 (35:06):
At the end?
Speaker 1 (35:07):
I really liked it. Again, this was one of those
scenes where I had to learn how to assemble and
disassemble a motherfucking rifle, which is so not me. I
can barely send like a video text to someone like I'm.
Speaker 2 (35:24):
Just scared for links for Google link because he doesn't
know how to get it off his phone. He doesn't a.
Speaker 1 (35:30):
Picture of me and I'm the most impatient person. When
I get frustrated, I'm not good at something and I
can't learn it. I get frustrated and I get mad,
and I remember being there and be like, Okay, let's
do it again. I was just so because I wasn't
getting it. And God bless Jeff Props, who just was,
you know, the nicest and the most patient person, and
just little by little, one piece by one piece, and
(35:54):
I learned how to. You know, Thank God for our
wonderful editors too, because they edited the shit out of this.
Speaker 2 (36:01):
Like you had an assemble of an automatic rifle.
Speaker 1 (36:05):
Yeah yeah, but I I love it. I love that moment.
I love the moment where he Huck turns around to
look for the bullet and you see that it's Huck. Oh.
I was so excited. Man, this is gonna get good.
And this is also I think this is where the
hashtag what the huck started. Oh, this is really one.
And then the next episode is where it's sort of
(36:27):
you know, a lot because people were like, oh, what
the heck, oh.
Speaker 2 (36:32):
Oh oh, let's see if there are any fun fucking facts.
Speaker 1 (36:36):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (36:36):
Well, Mark Harrolic did not reprise his role as Press
Secretary Marvin Colegate. Did he get fired.
Speaker 1 (36:45):
From the season. I don't know. You know, sometimes people
get jobs.
Speaker 2 (36:50):
I'm gonna say that that's what happened because he's so talented.
I've worked with them before. He's amazing. And he's also
friends with a casting director and Jeff. I feel like
they've worked together a million times.
Speaker 1 (36:58):
And listen, when you get it, when you get a
curring role or a you know, a featured role or
a guest starring role, there's no guarantee of continued work.
So as an actor, you have to continue searching for work.
And he probably booked a show or a movie where
he couldn't get off and he was working, so they
have to recast it.
Speaker 2 (37:16):
And that's when they replaced him with Keko a Gina,
who replaced him as press secretary Britta Kagan, who tragically
in this episode her character was killed as a result
of your fucking girlfriend, Becky.
Speaker 1 (37:29):
What a bit bitch. But also, can I just take
a moment and speak about Kaiko I hope I'm saying
her name right. Kaiko A Jenna, who is another regular
on a beloved show of mine, Gilmore Girls. She's one
of the leads in gilmart Girls. Yeah, play your name
is Keiko Keiko. She plays Rory's best friend Lane on
(37:52):
Gilmore Girls.
Speaker 2 (37:53):
For she did one hundred and kidding me, one hundred and.
Speaker 1 (37:56):
Fifty four episodes on Gilmore Girls. And that girl can
talk faster than any of us.
Speaker 2 (38:01):
Oh yeah. I remember auditioning for Gilmore Girls and they
would tell me to talk faster, and then the casting
director gave me the note, you talk out of the
side of your mouth.
Speaker 1 (38:08):
Two. So does Milo into Meglia, what is she talking about?
He's the biggest side mouth talker in the world and
it's the sexiest thing ever.
Speaker 2 (38:15):
I remember auditioning for Gilmore Girls and they were like,
you need to talk faster, and I was like, oh honey,
I got this and I'm talking so fast. She was like, also,
you only talking to the side of your mouth? Can
you not do that?
Speaker 1 (38:24):
Are you cute? I'm so confused right now because again, Miglia,
who is a regular on Gilmore Girls. Who's hot Rory's
you know, boyfriend? For is any Yes, he's on this
is us and he's on a name Vinimiglia. I could
be KAMLEI.
Speaker 2 (38:42):
I think that's right. I think that's it.
Speaker 1 (38:44):
I could be completely wrong, Lea, but I think it's
Vini Meglia. But homeboy has the cutest lisp and he
just talks out of the side of his mouth. Is
always funny that you know they were telling you, producers
was telling you not to do that.
Speaker 2 (39:02):
Okay, Keo is killed and I'm so bummed. She should
have had like a much bigger party. And then I
have continuity error. Referenced in Dirty Little Secrets, we learned
that as a part of the Defiance Conspiracy Lia deal,
Verna Thornton was to receive a seat on the Supreme Court,
the first Supreme Court justice to be nominated by the
(39:23):
Grand Administration. But in season one, episode two, a news
anchor reports that Patrick Keating is to be the president's
first Supreme Court nominee during his term. That's a continuity.
That's a continuity error, people, That's what that is.
Speaker 1 (39:40):
So how do we expect these writers to keep all
these facts together? Like that's a teeny tiny continuity or
that I would never catch unless our producers for this
podcast told us, you know what you read.
Speaker 2 (39:53):
And also we're not even in season five six yet.
I bet these continuity errors are going to get imagine
if you were on Gray's Anatomy like season twenty.
Speaker 1 (40:04):
Can you imagine?
Speaker 2 (40:05):
No, I can't. I cannot imagine. Guess what time it
is now? Scandal Scandal, Scandal Scannel tweets of the talent.
Speaker 1 (40:20):
Oh, I get very gassy when we do our tweets
at the time portion of this podcast.
Speaker 2 (40:25):
Katie, me too, Germo and hungry. Okay, Yes, the Scandal writers.
Oh my god, I forgot that the Scandal writers had
their own handle.
Speaker 1 (40:35):
Oh yeah, they were.
Speaker 2 (40:37):
Yet god, everybody was so everybody was on Twitter. It
was the costume department, the wardrobe, the hair, the makeup,
the writers, everybody, Scandal writers wrote, The Scandal writers just
watched tonight's episode together on a big screen and it
is amazing. Ten nine Central people, big screen not required.
(40:57):
That is such a writery writ tweet. I've upseid.
Speaker 1 (41:01):
Really, it's so well written. Yes, okay, and then we
have Chan at my friend Chan tweets one thing you
won't do is text slash call me while Olivia Pope
is on I need to find out who shot her
boo hashtag scandal agreed, Chan agree.
Speaker 2 (41:16):
Reed at Dresshon on December sixth, tweeted first lady set
him up at jerm meets World. Fits done, been shot,
dead to the earth. Who y'all think did it? Hashtag
scandal I love and this person thinks the first lady
set him up, which, by the way, we haven't really
talked about that.
Speaker 1 (41:35):
That's right.
Speaker 2 (41:35):
Yeah, they really did make it seem like she did it.
You think, how well, what before he gets out of
the car, she says, yes, yes, we shouldn't go. We
shouldn't go. I have a weird feeling, let's not go.
And then when he gets shot. They did a shot
in this episode where she lifts up her head and
she's like looking around kind of weirdly. I don't know.
(41:57):
I think they kind of framed her a little bit.
Speaker 1 (41:59):
I never thought that when she's in the limo in
the previous episode saying let's not go. I don't want
to go. I just chalked that up to woman's intuition,
Like I thought, she feels something, she feels something's off,
it doesn't feel right. I almost respected her and loved
her even more because of because of that little piece
and that in the limo where she didn't want him
(42:20):
to go. I never equated that with her possibly setting
him up. Interesting, but well that that also speaks to
this next tweet by Focus at Shabina three, she says
that's why she didn't want to go to the dinner.
She knew he was getting shot. Hashtag scandal, which she's
speaking about Melly of course, which, well, there you go,
(42:42):
there you having another person thinks that she was possibly involved.
Speaker 2 (42:45):
People thought that Mellie was possibly doing it. At Marvine
XO tweeted with hashtag scandal, Milly I love when people
call her Milly. Milly knew some shit was gonna go down.
Speaker 1 (42:58):
I don't care. I don't care.
Speaker 2 (43:00):
I don't care, I don't care. He just tweeted IDC period,
IDC period, which is I don't care, and I never
knew that till today period. Yes.
Speaker 1 (43:06):
Yeah, but also you'll check it out. It's funny how
it's all women that are saying this about another woman.
I wonder as a guy, I thought, oh no, she
just she feels something's off, so she doesn't want to go.
I never But of course the women are like, mmm,
she knew something was up.
Speaker 2 (43:22):
She's yeah, right, that's right, Oh yeah, I mean yeah.
At Samantha D. Godwin tweets, haha, you know it's a
spicy episode. When at Scandal four, when one informs everyone
to not tweet at Tony Goldwyn tonight, well done, sir,
well done. Hashtag scandal.
Speaker 1 (43:41):
And then we got that about I don't know not
to tweet Tony tonight. I don't know what that. I
don't know what that.
Speaker 2 (43:47):
Oh, because it's so sexual. This episode was so sexual.
Speaker 1 (43:50):
Oh, perhaps well. And then we have Golden Girls six
seventeen and she says, everyone at work is trying to
figure out who shot the president hashtag scan So it
was me, everybody, it was a Huck.
Speaker 2 (44:02):
You guys all remember, like we're about to go down
a really dark journey with Huck. We're talking warderboarding. We're
talking dark and dark darkness underneath the Pentagon and what's
really going underneath the streets of DC. The next episode
we have up is called blown Away.
Speaker 1 (44:18):
Little did I know that I was gonna venture out
into the world of nudity on prime time television.
Speaker 2 (44:26):
You guys just weren't lucky enough to see it. But
everybody who was in the room who shot with Huck
that day when he was getting tortured Sawyrbo's dick and balls.
Speaker 1 (44:36):
My country breakfast, two eggs and a Dolson.
Speaker 2 (44:42):
You've never heard that.
Speaker 1 (44:44):
You're welcome, Katie qlows, You're.
Speaker 2 (44:46):
Welcome a country breakfast, country breakfast. Look out. I'm teaching
that to my son right away because I think it's
fucking hilarious. He's not gonna get it.
Speaker 1 (44:56):
Folks, this has been a pleasure and a dream.
Speaker 2 (45:00):
We can't wait to be back again for Blown Away.
We may or may not have a guest. You may
or may not hear about the country breakfast that Hucks
serves up while he's getting tortured in the Pentagon. What
a dream?
Speaker 1 (45:15):
What is awesome? Thank you, Thank you guys, Thank you
gladiators for listening and going on this journey with us.
This is like creating Hello.
Speaker 2 (45:22):
Should we say, oh, Fiva la vida, everybody, Viva la vida.
And thank you Shonda Rhymes for writing this episode or
this episode was five years This is.
Speaker 1 (45:37):
A good one. Go watch this. If you guys haven't
watched it and you heard the podcast episode, go to
the episode on Hulu.
Speaker 2 (45:43):
Happy birthday, mister President. Could you imagine doing that? Mister President?
Say it again? And then he says, wait, no, what
did you say say?
Speaker 1 (45:52):
I like it?
Speaker 2 (45:53):
What you say say it again. Oh good. So you'll
play Olivia and I'll play fits.
Speaker 1 (45:59):
We gotta put we gotta do that, We gotta pitch that.
If we could like read.
Speaker 2 (46:02):
That scene me, I belong to you.
Speaker 1 (46:07):
That was so good, That was so good. I got
cho Bye, y'all, bye everybody. Thank you guys for joining
us on Unpacking the Toolbox. If you enjoyed the show,
please subscribe, share with your friends, rate, or leave us
a review.
Speaker 2 (46:28):
Scandal is executive produced by Sandy Bailey, Alex Alcea, Lauren Homan,
Tyler Klang, and Gabrielle Collins. Our producer and editor is
Vince de Johnny, with music by Chad Fisher.
Speaker 1 (46:39):
Scandal is a production of ABC Signature, and you can
follow along by rewatching Scandal on Hulu.
Speaker 2 (46:44):
Unpacking the Toolbox is a production of Shondaland Audio in
partnership with iHeartRadio. For more podcasts from Shondaland Audio, visit
the iHeartRadio app or anywhere you subscribe to your favorite shows.
Speaker 1 (47:00):
Ye
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