(The Root) — On Thursday night the level of intrigue got ramped up even higher on the Shonda Rhimes-produced series. And later that night, Conan matched wits with rising funnyman and fellow talk-show host W. Kamau Bell. And check out our recaps.
Scandal (Thursday, 10 p.m. ET; ABC)
"You killed seven people?!" —Olivia
Highlight: Last week's Scandal was the biggest shock anyone could have imagined. Fitz was shot. And this week we get some answers that require going back to the very beginning — when Fitz was elected.
First things first, Fitz isn't dead. He's in a coma.
We also learn that the the vice president has some qualms about him, so when she makes a move for the presidency and is successfully voted in as acting president, it's not as big a surprise. We also discover that Hollis Doyle was behind the seven murders that were pinned on Quinn Perkins. Surprise, surprise.
And the final surprise: who shot Fitz. It was Huck.
Watch here.
Kamau Bell on Conan (Thursday, 11 p.m. ET; TBS)
"My wife is white, and I'm trying to end racism one white wife at a time." —Bell
"When she was born, she was Dangerous. Then later she became Bad. We're aiming toward Thriller. It's never going to Off the Wall." —Bell
Highlight: On Conan, comedian W. Kamau Bell (host of his own FX show, Totally Biased) discussed family — specifically, his white wife and his mixed-race baby. In fact, he explained, his 18-month-old daughter has thankfully become browner with age. He admitted to tracking her color progress using Michael Jackson album covers. And he said he's observed how, if he's holding his daughter, she looks more like a black person. But if his wife holds her, she looks whiter — kind of like a "broken chameleon." Hilarious.
Plus: Earlier this week we tracked the progress of a variety of shows. In case you missed it, here's what we reported in this week's other Black TV Watch posts.
On Monday we recalled how Kim made loads of excuses to get out of going on a trip with her Real Housewives of Atlanta castmates. And we hit the highlights on season finales for The Walking Dead and Broadwalk Empire. Read more: Black TV Watch: Kim Bails on Brunch and Anguilla Trip.
Tuesday's column recalled the reality shows on VH1's Monday-night lineup. We don't know how the Game deals with his over-the-top fiancee. Read more: Black TV Watch: Maybe Not Marrying the Game?
On Wednesday we mentioned how Mariah Carey had brought some serious holiday cheer with the Roots, Jimmy Fallon and a few very cute kids. Read more: Black TV Watch: Mariah Sings 'All I Want for Christmas Is You' on 'Fallon.'
Then, on Thursday, we reported on T.J. Holmes' new time slot on BET and how his guests assessed black opportunities in Hollywood. Read more: Black TV Watch: Hopes for Black Hollywood on 'Don't Sleep!'
Celeste Little is an editorial intern at The Root.