Following the twist that reveals who Maya really is, Olivia may show more 'compassion for what her dad has been through' now that she feels they're both victims of her mom.
- Dec 13, 2013
AceShowbiz - Things are getting complicated for Olivia after the shocking truth about her mother was revealed in the midseason finale of "Scandal". As hinted in a preview for the new episode, everything "rises to a whole new level of crazy" as all eyes are on Olivia again.
An official synopsis for the episode is not available yet, but lead actress Kerry Washington has talked about the possible implication of the twist as she has learned that Maya was a terrorist. She lied to Rowan about a bomb on the plane, which led Rowan to order Fitz to shoot down the plane.
"I was really shocked," the Emmy-nominated actress tells The Hollywood Reporter of her reaction when reading the script. "I used to say Olivia is so successful, I don't understand why in her personal life she's not more together...Now, I look at her upbringing and the relationship with her parents and think we're lucky she's not a drug addict in prison somewhere! She's actually turned out to be extremely functional in her relationships given her upbringing."
Asked how this revelation will affect Olivia's relationship with her father, Washington elaborates, "There is that moment in the [midseason] finale when she puts the pieces together with her dad and reconnects to her gut and her ability to understand that she knows what's going on, regardless of what people are saying to her."
"That's an important moment where it's a power shift between Rowan and Olivia, and she figures out that her dad is a victim of her mom in similar ways to how she is. In Olivia's mind, that levels the playing field a bit and gives her more compassion for what her dad has been through."
Still, the father and daughter may not immediately grow closer as the actress says, "I think he's been so hurt by his wife, and you wonder if he's holding some of that against his adult female child. There are clearly boundaries in the way of their relationship, and he's just not able to be vulnerable, honest and open with her."
Another game changer in the midseason finale was Fitz appointing Jake as the new head of B613 to replace Rowan. While she's not sure if Fitz did it to keep Jake and Olivia apart, she says that "it's shocking for Olivia" to find out that Jake, who has "always been on the same page [with Olivia] about the evils of Command," would step into that position.
"Scandal" is taking a winter break after the December 12 episode and will return February 27 on ABC.
