As most of us know by now, the 100th episode of Scandal, airing next week April 13th, will be set in an alternate universe, one where we get to find out what life would have been like if Olivia Pope didn’t fix the election that got Fitz elected all those years ago. But what does that mean in terms of timeline for the show? For the past few episodes, we have seen the buildup and aftermath of Frankie Vargas get shot over and over again, discovering along the way that many of the characters we love were actually involved. However, what that means in terms of timeline is that we have been in the same place for the past several weeks. From the promo, it looks like we are finally moving forward this week with OPA’s search for Huck. But what does that mean for episode 100?
First of all, Scandal‘s episodes have never been episodic, and especially not this season. You had to watch every single episode and you had to watch them in order to understand what was happening. Therefore, to reach a point where you can have an episode set in an alternate universe, something drastic must occur. We already know that Olivia finds out about Frankie Vargas’ assassination, but what about everyone else?
The first option is if somehow Scandal wraps up most of the election storyline. When we see episode 100, it will be a standalone and just feel like the start of going back to everyday business. However, in order to do so, there are many loose ends to tie up, namely Cyrus, Rowan, Huck, and Abby. In 40 minutes, Scandal will have to bring all that together so watching the alternate universe episode feels natural, and not like we are stepping away just to celebrate the milestone. Episode 100 will just be the first step in moving on.
The second option is the other extreme in this scenario. All must go to hell. Scandal will get to a point where Olivia Pope regrets everything. Right now, she is pretty out of the loop in terms of the Frankie Vargas shooting. We already know she finds out the truth by episode 100, but what happens in between? She must be so down that she regrets having stepped into the White House in the first place. And after her “what if?” moment? If it’s anything like the AU episode of Grey’s Anatomy, Olivia will discover that all things are meant to be. In the second option, episode 100 is just a moment of doubt in Olivia’s mind, and she’ll be back full force afterwards.
Will either option happen? Only the cast and crew of Scandal know. Who knows? Maybe they will decide to throw that episode in there to celebrate their accomplishments for an episode, and bring us back to reality the week later without explanation. “The Decision,” episode 100 of Scandal, airs April 13th.
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