Both of ABC’s Shonda-created dramas decided to go all #TBT this week. To be honest, I haven’t caught up on Grey’s yet, but I was way more excited to see what’s been going on with Fitz than for another depressing war flashback with Dr. Owen Hunt and the gang. Did “Day 101” disappoint? Let’s jump in!

Pluses, or It’s Guy Love Between Two Guys, Who Happen to Be The Former President and Press Secretary

-Did anyone else forget how AMAZING Fitz’s Vermont house is? He should clearly be spending his time post-presidency hosting a show on TLC. Those ceilings are high AF. Eat your heart out, Property Brothers or Chip and Joanna or….whoever… I don’t watch TLC… Plus 700 points.

-Tony Goldwyn is a fantastic comedian. We have all been there with the debit-card-activation blues. Well, maybe not literally in the grocery store trying to use an unactivated card because hopefully we’re not as out of touch with reality as Fitz is. But you get what I mean. That moment along with the supermarket cashier’s hair flip was just everything. Plus 300 points.

-I guess I shouldn’t have been but I was very surprised to see the controversial Confederate statue debate and the disgusting events of Charlottesville discussed on Scandal. I was also surprised at how organic it came up with Vermont being the prime location for such a statue to be a thing. Marcus’s guilt over turning his back on his life as an activist is something I imagine a lot of people in his position experience. You want to change the world so you try to move up in it, but you find that you’re only getting farther away from your original dreams. Good stuff. Plus 2,500 points.

-Mellie’s monologue about the stages of her relationship with Fitz is a beautiful testament to how she’s truly come full circle as a leader, a woman, and a character in general. She’s her own woman now, not divorced from her past and everyone who helped and hurt her on her journey to the White House. And she and Fitz have done a ton of shitty things to one another, so I imagine it’s pretty hard to keep hating him and vice versa. Plus 2,000 points.

-Yes, Scandal went meta with a #Olitz shoutout. And, yes I squealed. Plus 800 points.

Total: 6,300 points/Whatever it costs for supplies to paint #Olitz on my house

Minuses, or Topple the Papa Pope-triarchy!

-Seriously, Fitz? Olivia didn’t define your presidency? Remember that time you declared war on some fictional country when she was kidnapped? Or when you allowed Olivia to frame some poor innocent White House for being your mistress? Statements like this really have me concerned that Olitz is not endgame in Shonda’s mind. I find that entirely unacceptable, and I don’t care who knows it. They’re both so in denial about their relationship, it’s ridiculous. Olivia is your past, present, AND future, Fitz! Deal with it! We’ve got a full season ahead of us though, so I won’t pass too much judgment yet. Minus 3,000 points.

-Thanks, you brawling Neanderthals for proving why it’s necessary for women to be running the country right now. Minus 900 points.

-This was a weak, whiny, and kind of misogynistic Papa Pope-ologue, if you ask me. Papa Pope is definitely always all about protecting Olivia. He’s killed and threatened to kill seemingly every character on this show in the name of that pursuit. It just seems rich to me that now that Olivia is indeed that champion he raised her to be and has managed to surpass him when it comes to acquiring great power and influence that he’s concerned about her  poor, corrupted soul and the Republic. And that he’d actually go to Fitz for help is even more out of character. Disappointing stuff. Minus 4,300 points.

-The moment with Fitz and the guy protesting the statue was really sweet when it ended with Fitz handing him a new pair of gloves and a renewed sense of purpose. And seeing a victory for the good guys in the eternal fight against institutionalized racism definitely warmed my heart. But I think there’s a special place in white savior hell for whoever had the idea that the tearing down of the statue would happen as an immediate result of Fitz taking a selfie with the protester. Minus 5,000 points.

-Ugh! We have to wait ANOTHER weak for the aftermath of #hi! Not cool! Minus 650 points.

Total: 13,850 points/Poor Tad/Ted’s severance package

Even though my minuses are a lot high than my pluses, I swear I enjoyed this episode. I appreciate when long-running shows take a break from the main plot to conduct a character study of a few of its complex protagonists. I’m excited to see what’s going to happen when Fitz and Marcus return to DC after their brief Vermont vacay.  Althought, I’m definitely not buying this double love triangle thing that the trailer is pushing. Olivia’s and Mellie’s choices are obvious!

What do you think? Let me know! Until…later this week for a hopefully on time recap!