Less melodramatic farce than last week's episode and more action propelling the season storyline forward, "The Key" is a step up after hitting rock bottom last week. Washington, Goldywn, and even Morton in his big concluding scene are not painted in a becoming light from an actor's standpoint. Scott Foley is the most believable actor in "The Key", selling his lines with more sincerity than usual. Something did not shift correctly from the page to the screen with those three decently dependable actors in "The Key". But the area where "Scandal" created traction was when it reclined into its harder-hitting season arc storyline. "The Key" ends on a strapping note with Fitz finally duking out his assumptions onto Jake. My biggest point of technical criticism is the overuse of close-up shots and the corny transitions from subplot, to plot, to subplot. But there's not as much to reprimand when Scandal sticks to action of the main plot, not the corrosively soapy love story.
Grade: B-
Grade: B-
