From the Hip: Television and politics are in full swing -- and taking cues from each other

First things first. Did you see that midseason finale of The Haves and the Have Nots?! It had more cliffhangers than I can recount. But you know us, we're going to try: Will Candace get the money and run? Is Wyatt Cryer dead? If so, will Wyatt's mother, Catherine, have the DA shot like a dog in the street? Did Maggie get shot? Will Veronica stay with her natural hair?

It's almost too much.

And then, have mercy, we remember that Empire is returning to rescue us from the shenanigans on Scandal. Empire doesn't take itself so seriously. Scandal wants you to believe and take it on faith. Empire might want some of that, too, but really it just wants you to watch.

Then, politics decides it wants to mirror TV and TV decides that it has to mirror politics. It's like we're living in Bizarro world. Plus, an extended discussion on what exactly is in a name ...

Reall, y'all? Wife-gate? You gots to do better. One of them just looks like an older version of the other ... There, I said it. And now I think I've written enough. Just listen.