Ah, Scandal. You have returned to me! And you did so with the exclusion of the two who dominated last week’s episode. Bless.
The campaign is back, people, and things are gotten a bit crazy. Let’s not waste any time and dive right into it.
War of Wills
Olivia is back on the campaign trail and it is war between her and Abby as they work to spin the narrative in favor of their respective candidates. Some states have already cast their vote, and as of the most recent count, Mellie has a slight edge over Susan in delegate numbers while Hollis is far behind. With there not being much distance between the two women in the race, both the Mellie and Susan camps are looking to snag the endorsement of the governor of Florida so as to boost their chances of snagging all of her state’s 99 delegates.
The tension between Olivia and Abby is so thick that you would need a jackhammer to cut through it. The two women are riding up in an elevator and they don’t bother to acknowledge one another as they keep their attention focused on their phones. At one point, Abby does look Olivia’s way but her bestie isn’t paying her any mind.
The next morning, Elizabeth has come to wake up her candidate...and David, who has been made to sleep on the floor. Susan isn’t ready to get out of bed, but Elizabeth insists. When she reluctantly climbs of bed, David tries to coax her into speaking to him by proposing a card game, but Susan ignores him and continues on her way.
Elizabeth derides him for his failed tactic, which prompts David to say to her that maybe locking Susan up in a hotel room with him wasn’t the best idea. She is unhappy about it and he is barely getting any sleep. In response, Elizabeth tells him that this is all about keeping up appearances for the press. When he asks her to convince Susan to allow him to sleep on the sofa, Elizabeth quips that “dogs aren’t allowed on the furniture”.
LOL! That’s cold, Liz. So very cold.
The scene then alternates between the Susan and Mellie camps as they prepare their candidates to meet the governor of Florida. She is someone who is considered to be very influential in the state and whose endorsement they absolutely must get in order to keep from being forced out of the presidential race. The governor has invited all three Republican candidates to a dinner that she is hosting and by the end of it, she is expected to announce the one that she will be supporting. The pressure is on!
We next see Olivia marching down the hall of the hotel with Quinn by her side, their luggages in tow as she fires off directives as to what needs to get done once they land in Miami. Once they get to the elevators, Olivia pushes the call button and then sees Abby approaching with her own luggage. Olivia turns away while Abby focuses on her phone. Quinn, meanwhile, is standing there awkwardly as she looks from one woman to the other. When Olivia looks her way, Quinn directs her attention to the ceiling.
Once the elevator arrives, Quinn steps in first and Olivia follows. Before Abby has a chance to follow suit, Olivia uses her bags to block the entrance and then says to Quinn that Abby can take the stairs. She pushes the button for them to head down and as the doors are closing, Quinn mouths an apology to Abby. When Olivia glances over her shoulder at her, Quinn quickly falls back into formation.
LOLOL!! The petty dial is set to 100.
Now at the airport, there are plenty of press camped out. The President makes his way towards Air Force One with Abby following closely behind him. As Fitz starts up the stairs to board the plane, Abby stops to look over at Mellie and her team as they are heading towards their plane. Fitz asks Abby why she isn’t coming up and she tells him that she has a phone call to make. Once she sees that Mellie and company have made their way into their plane, she turns to the pilot of Air Force One and asks him if no other planes can land or take off and if Susan’s plane has already departed. To both questions, the pilot answers in the affirmative.
Oh boy. What are you about to do, Abigail?
Sitting on the plane with everyone else, Olivia suddenly wonders why it is that they are just sitting on the tarmac. She gets up to investigate the delay and she is told that they cannot leave until Air Force One departs. Olivia says that she understands this protocol, but she would like to know what the holdup is. When she is told that AF1 is having “mechanical issues”, Olivia becomes suspicious.
She calls up Abby, but Abby isn’t forthcoming with what is wrong with the plane or how long it will take before the plane is set to be in the air. She tells Olivia that it could take a while and that maybe Team Mellie could go to Florida tomorrow. Ha!
Olivia is incredulous. She’s also quick to figure out Abby’s play here. Keeping Mellie on the ground would be advantageous for Susan. Olivia pleads with Abby to allow their plane to take off, but Abby refuses, citing rules that say that she can’t do this. Olivia, however, counters by pointing out that the rules say that airport traffic is to be halted while AF1 is in transit and as it currently stood, AF1 was not moving. Abby tells her in response that AF1 could be moving at any moment.
Olivia tells Abby that she cannot do this and Abby says to her that she can do whatever she needs to in order to protect the President, even if it means that they have to sit there for a week. Abby then hangs up on Olivia.
Well. I see the petty game just got turned up to the point of silly. Ruthless ploy, Abby, but this really isn’t you protecting the President. This is you flexing your muscles in an attempt to show Olivia that it is you who is boss now. I find this to be both amusing and side eye worthy.
Later we see the team working to find some other way to get to Florida, but flying commercial won’t get Mellie there in time. Mellie asks if maybe they could have the governor postpone making her decision until later, but Olivia tells her that the governor has already publicly stated that she’ll be announcing her decision that night.
This sends Mellie into panic mode and she starts to ramble about how Susan is going to take advantage of the situation. She’s reaching peak decibel levels when Marcus says her name in warning and she instantly pulls back and goes silent. Quinn is as shocked as I am when I see this happen and Quinn wants to know how it is that Marcus was able to do that. Hell, I’d like to know, too!!
What’s your secret, Marcus? I want to know how you were able to reel that woman in when nobody else is able to settle her down. Y’all had a real moment during that Jimmy Kimmel appearance, huh? Umm hmm.
Marcus turns to Olivia to ask what it is that they can do since they can’t shove AF1 off of the runway. His question gives Olivia the idea to leak to the press that Mellie has been grounded due to bogus mechanical issues plaguing AF1. This strategy was meant to shame the President’s plane into the air.
Abby and some staffers are watching this be reported on the news when Fitz comes into the cabin to ask if the plane is actually having mechanical difficulties. He wants to know what is going on as the others in the room make their way out, leaving him alone with his chief of staff. Fitz is less than pleased when he is told as to why they have been on the ground for the past 90 minutes. He calls her move unethical and Abby agrees. She adds that it is also illegal to have lied to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and that if they took off now, they would be admitting that they broke the law. This would lead to investigations which in turn would blow back on Susan. Abby instructs Fitz to return to his office while she gets back to doing her job.
Okay, Abby. See, this is where my processor fails to compute your logic here. This is you doing your job? In what capacity? How was this move of yours to the benefit of the President? Having to stay grounded is now necessary to protect him, but your motives for pulling this stunt had nothing to do with Fitzgerald at all. This wasn’t you “doing your job”, Abigail. This was you exploiting your position and power to one up Olivia.
Abby goes to speak with the press corp that is on the plane with them and they have questions. Is the plane really having mechanical issues? Yes, she tells them, but she can’t give out the information or it would compromise the President. (Of course.) She then attempts to divert attention away from them and towards the Mellie campaign, stating that they are spreading lies about the opposition. Meanwhile, Olivia is on the other plane trying to spin the situation as one that has been an inconvenience to many who have been kept from flying to their respective destinations because of this little stunt by the White House.
Everything is just a steaming heap of mess. Olivia and Abby have allowed their personal issues to seep into their professional lives and it isn’t making either of their candidates look good. Tsk.
Later, the standoff between Olivia and Abby has entered its fourth hour with both plane still grounded. Mellie is going off about how Olivia’s plan isn’t working, that the gripes of a few stranded passengers aren’t going to get the President to move his plane. Olivia is stubbornly clinging to the chance that it will, but with an additional 2.5 hours having passed since her stunt, one would think that she would have come to the same conclusion as Mellie has. And maybe she has but refuses to acknowledge it.
Once Mellie storms off, Quinn turns towards Olivia and asks her why it is that she is doing what she is doing right now. Huck tries to warn Quinn against asking any questions, but Quinn says to him that she isn’t judging. After all, who among them could judge when they’ve all gone over the edge and killed somebody once, right?
Her questioning pulls Olivia way from the gazing she’s been doing outside of the plane window and it is evident in the question that she fires back at Quinn that she doesn’t appreciate being questioned. Quinn doesn’t back down though. She wants to know why Olivia is in a “contest of wills with Abby” and won’t admit that it isn’t working. She asks why they are there if they are going to sabotage all of the hard work that they’ve already put into Mellie’s campaign. Huck then interrupts Quinn to say that what Quinn really wants to know is why she’s here and not back home trying to save Jake.
Sigh. Huck, I understand where your question is coming from (it makes sense later on), but why exactly must she be tasked with “saving” this man when she can’t even save her damn self?
This question forces Olivia out of her seat and she says to them both that she shouldn’t have to explain herself to them, that they are gladiators and should thus be over a cliff with her. She then says that instead, she’s here and having them beg her to explain their jobs to them.
Um, Olivia, what? They asked you a simple gatdamn question. They weren’t asking you to explain their jobs. Secondly, they shouldn’t be expected to go over any cliff with someone who doesn’t even know where they are headed. The expectation that they will back you up no matter how foolish your tactics are is ridiculous.
Once Olivia storms off, Huck says to Quinn that he told her not to prod and Quinn asks him what the alternative to what she did was to be. Were they to just sit on the tarmac for the rest of their lives because Olivia refuses to budge? Quinn wants to know where Olivia is mentally because clearly she isn’t all there.
I have to say that in earlier seasons, Quinn’s constant questions used to annoy me, but now I welcome them. She’s more willing to speak up and challenge Olivia in ways that Huck ordinarily would not, though Huck, too, has done his fair share of pushing back against any of Olivia’s directives that he disagrees with. Maybe now Quinn is seeing that Olivia isn’t doing as great as she believed her to be in 518.
Elsewhere in the plane, Marcus has tracked down Mellie and wants to know if she’s doing alright. Mellie assuredly is not and she says to him that they have to do something. The longer this standoff drags on, the more she starts to look like some “ballbusting shrew who feels entitled to duke it out on the tarmac using planes.” Mellie tells him that the standoff needs to end and Marcus tells her that she should end it if that’s what she wants. Mellie doesn’t know how she’s supposed to do that when Olivia and Abby are “locked in a deathmatch.”
You know what image came into my head then? MTV’s Celebrity Deathmatch.
Marcus reminds Mellie that Abby does not control AF1, the President does. Mellie says that Fitz won’t talk to her, but Marcus counters by asking her if she really believes that Fitz is going to snub the mother of his kids on national television.
Okay now, Marcus. I see you and Mellie. Bump those rooting for Mellivia. I’m here for Marlie!
Over on AF1, staff is watching the television when Abby walks into the room with a directive, but she is stopped when she sees what everyone else is watching. Mellie is stepping off of her plane. Abby wonders at what it is that Mellie is doing and she rushes to the window to take a look outside. Mellie walks halfway towards AF1 and then stops. The press is going crazy as they clamor to get shots of what is happening. Mellie raises her hand to the plane and then waves. The press states that she is waving to her ex-husband.
Abby can’t figure out what it is that Mellie is doing until Fitz comes into the cabin to say that Mellie is waiting for him. He instructs Abby to tell the Captain that he is getting off of the plane. Abby is in disagreement and tells him that he can’t go out there, stressing the optics of this move and how bad it would look for him to be seen being reprimanded by his ex-wife on television. Fitz wasn’t about to leave Mellie standing out there alone, so he did his own thing and deplaned.
I’m trying to understand how Abby thought leaving Mellie to stand out on that tarmac alone was going to go over well with the public. Fitz being reprimanded on television was far better than the damage that would be done should he had listened to her and ignored Mellie. That’s not to mention the backlash that Susan Ross would suffer because of it. Clearly neither Abby nor Olivia are thinking straight.
On the other plane, Quinn and Huck are watching the news and Quinn remarks that the move by Mellie is “kinda badass” when Olivia comes over to ask who let Mellie out of the plane. Both Huck and Quinn deny that it was them, so that left Marcus. Olivia turns to him and he’s completely unapologetic. She tells him to go out there and bring her back in and he refuses. That answer peeved Olivia as she asked him to repeat himself and he did just that. No.
Olivia, girl, you don’t scare nobody. Well, he also doesn’t know that you killed a man with a metal chair, but that’s beside the point. You are a hamster on a wheel who is going nowhere fast. SMH.
Huck remarks that it is too late to bring Mellie back in anyway because the door to AF1 was opening. Olivia turns to look at Marcus then as if shocked that the ploy worked and he’s watching the television in triumph. The someone emerging from AF1 is President Fitzgerald Grant III himself.
And this is where I had to hold myself together because his emergence had me like...
Once Fitz is on the ground, he approaches Mellie as they greet each other. He asks if she would like to talk and she tells him that that would be great idea. The news media are busy clamoring over what’s unfolding on the tarmac in the distance. There has finally been something other than them all collectively sitting there and watching two parked planes.
Fitz says to Mellie that coming out there was a bold move, especially given all the cameras that are trained on them, but Mellie denies that she came out for the photo op. Fitz is dubious but moves the conversation along by telling her that it turns out that she didn’t need him after all, that she’s doing a great job. He tells her that he heard about Cardinal Suarez, saw her appearance on Kimmel and mentioned her polling better than they are. He congratulates her on the job she’s doing and tells her that he’s proud of her.
Aww...look at Fitz acknowledging how well his ex-wife is doing with her campaign. What a nice moment. That is until Mellie continues to talk and dashes it all to hell. She manages to direct the conversation to the reason why she was out there in the first place, which was to have him move his plane so that she can get to Florida. Fitz tells her that he can’t do that and then Mellie proceeds to mock him by saying that he’s unwilling to do it because his Chief of Staff is controlling him. (Here we go.)
Mellie goes on to say that she’s all about women’s empowerment now and has even joined the cause. Matter of fact, she says, she is the cause, but despite this, she finds Abby controlling the President of the United States to be a bit of a problem.
Of course, she finds it to be a problem. If it was Cyrus pulling this stunt, she wouldn’t have made this sexist “you’re less than a man” remark about Fitz allowing his Chief of Staff to run him. This is all par for the course with Mellie though, for she has made similar statements about Fitz when it was Olivia that he was listening to. Ain’t it unfortunate that she never managed to be a woman that he gave much of an ear to? Women’s empowerment, my ass.
Fitz responds to her by saying that Abby is doing her job, but Mellie counters by saying that Abby is actually causing problems with Olivia. If this thing goes on any longer, one of them is bound to go “full Tonya Harding on the other” and that when that happens, Mellie says, her bet is on Olivia to leave Abby in a “blubbering mess on the floor.” She then adds that Olivia would kill her.
If only Mellie knew. LOL!! At least she knows which horse to back in this race.
Her words instantly puts Fitz on alert and he warns her about the press being nearby. Mellie is absolutely clueless as to why he’s even saying this to her. When Fitz realizes that Mellie is in the dark, he gives her enough to allow her to draw the appropriate conclusion as to why he was trying to warn her about the press. Olivia killed Andrew. Eek!
As soon as it dawns on Mellie, her shock is evident, but then she recalls that the press is nearby, so she forces a smile onto her face. She then says to Fitz that she believed that Elizabeth had been behind Andrew’s elimination since she kept bring it up during their meeting, but Fitz assures her that it was actually Olivia and that she did it with her “bare hands.”
Well, that knocked the wind right out of Mellie. She tells Fitz that he should have told her about it and he says to her that she should have asked. Boom. She really should have instead of making the assumption that it was Elizabeth. I mean, what exactly did Mellie think was going on with Olivia when she went MIA for a few weeks while they are in the middle of her campaign and immediately following Andrew’s death? What excuse was she given?
It was clear during their meeting in 517 that Mellie wasn’t thinking about anyone but herself when it came to the Andrew saga. She didn’t even take a moment to wonder about how any of this was affecting her campaign manager, the very woman who Andrew kidnapped during his failed attempt at a power grab. Mellie was too busy doing her best impression of Beaker the muppet with her “me, me, me” in that moment.
Anywho… Mellie is taken aback by this news. She does manage to say “Props to Liv” for killing the man and Fitz goes, “Something like that.” LMAO! I can’t.
Mellie is emotional at this point as she thinks on Olivia’s recent behavior, and she remarks on how Olivia is a different person with this business she has going on with Abby and says that at least now she is aware of the why. Fitz is watching Mellie closely and then expresses his surprise that Mellie is worried about Olivia.
Hell, it surprised the heck out of me, too. Who knew she could be capable?
Mellie tells him that Olivia is now “missing.” She is present but she isn’t. This sends Fitz into concerned mode and he asks Mellie if Olivia has been sleeping. Mellie tells him that she doesn’t think so, and then he wants to know if Olivia is exercising and mentions that she runs whenever she needs to decompress. Mellie tells him that Olivia has given up running and swimming, but that she managed to get Olivia to take walks with her. Mellie adds that she also has had to make her eat because Olivia forgets to do so, especially when she’s working, which Olivia seems to be doing a lot of lately.
Having received this update on how Olivia is faring, Fitz appears visibly shaken and fights to contain his emotions before he addresses Mellie again. He tells her to make sure that Olivia is taken care of; that she sleeps, eats, runs. As he is speaking, Mellie watches him and seems to come to a realization that this long running thing that Fitz has for Olivia is very real.
Was it just me? Her expression was one that mimicked the clouds parting and the sun finally shining through. The man ain’t even with the girl anymore and he’s damn near ready to cry over the fact that she’s having a difficult time after murdering a man.
Having agreed to taking care of Olivia, Mellie returns to her main predicament, which was for him to move AF1. She adds that he needs to do it and do it now and not only for her sake, but for Olivia’s as well. After a moment’s contemplation, Fitz nods his agreement and then heads back for his plane.
Abby had been watching the whole thing unfold from within AF1 and when he gets back on, she stands to meet him. Fitz instructs her to tell the captain to put the plane back in the air and to do it now. Abby tells him that it is a bad idea and Fitz says to her that he wasn’t making a request. The plane is to be put in the air and that he didn’t want to hear anything from Abby until they land in Washington.
AF1 is finally in the air, yet Mellie’s plane hasn’t yet prepped for take off. Mellie is explaining to Olivia why she did what she did, and Olivia is lambasting her move, asking her if she gave any thought to how any of that would play to the press. Mellie tells her that all that matters is that it worked and that they will be on their way to Florida shortly. Olivia counters by saying that they are still going to be an hour late to dinner and Mellie won’t be able to land Governor Baker’s endorsement. Mellie interrupts her to ask if she’s going to spend the rest of the flight telling her how her plan isn’t going to work or does Olivia have a plan herself.
The question gives Olivia pause and she appears to not have a plan at all, but within seconds, she thinks something up as she picks up her phone and instructs whoever is on the other end to turn their plane around. Who was she speaking to?
Over in Florida...
David is in the hotel room putting together what he is going to wear for the dinner when he hears a knock at the door. He is surprised to see that it’s the governor of Florida. He invites her in while telling her that she just missed Susan, but the governor is there to see him. She says to him that she really likes Susan, but that she believes her to be too idealistic to be president. Mellie, on the other hand, is a backroom brawler who will do whatever is necessary to get things done no matter the cost. The governor tells him that Mellie is more like herself and so if she was going to endorse anyone at that very moment, it would be Mellie.
David is confused as to why the governor is there and asks her if she means for him to pass on this news to Susan because that isn’t something that he really wants to do. The governor does not immediately answer his question, but instead asks if he is familiar with Tamarac Sugar. David tells her that the entity is currently under investigation by his Office, so he is indeed familiar with them. The governor tells him that she would like for him to drop the investigation in order for Susan to get her endorsement.
Astonished by her proposal, David asks if she understand what it is that she is asking him to do and says to her that maybe she’d like for them to chalk her request up to a “mistake”. Madam Governor was like, nope. No “mistake”.
Later David shares with Susan and Elizabeth the proposition that was brought to him by Governor Baker. Looking into Tamarac Sugar, David discovered that Governor Baker had pocketed thousands of dollars in kickbacks from the entity and says that he can’t drop the investigation. Elizabeth says that he has to because 99 delegates are at risk. David tells her that as much as he wants Susan to become the next president, he isn’t willing to sacrifice the integrity of the Justice Department just so that it happens.
It looks like there is at least one person on this show who is still wearing the white hat. In Elizabeth North parlance, David is a “special snowflake.” I can’t.
Susan is listening to all of this and doesn’t say anything until Elizabeth asks if David can’t just take one for the team. Susan tells her that David is right and that he shouldn’t have to sacrifice his principles in order for her to get Governor Baker’s endorsement. Elizabeth stresses that this is a big endorsement, but Susan doesn’t care. She will go to the dinner as is expected, but if the governor is dirty, she isn’t interested in the endorsement.
Go Susan! White hat wearer #2.
Governor Baker’s Dinner
The dinner is underway and Mellie and company are still a no show. Governor Baker is connecting with Hollis Doyle while Susan sits unenthused by the discussion. The governor is interrupted by her staffer to inform her that Mellie has arrived, but the governor says that Mellie should that her presence is appreciated by dinner has already started and that she doesn’t seat latecomers. The staffer leans over again to tell her that dismissing Mellie in that manner isn’t quite that simple.
Just as the governor is saying that it is exactly that simple, the staffer looks up towards the doors and in comes the President with Mellie, Olivia and Abby in tow. What in the world just happened? LOL!!
Did y’all notice how Olivia was giving Abby the eye as they were talking into the room? It’s a real wonder how it is that she got them to turn AF1 around to come get them. What did she say? Who did she speak to? What did she say when she spoke to this person? The optics of them all walking into this dinner together is just all kinds of crazy. Team Mellie arriving with Team Susan. To top it off, Mellie is the ex-wife and Olivia the ex-mistress/girlfriend and they are working together against Fitz’s candidate. I just…
Fitz heads right for Governor Baker as he apologizes for Mellie’s lateness and takes the blame for the standoff that happened in California. Of course, the governor won’t turn the President away from her dinner. She may be a lot of things, but crazy doesn’t seem to be one of them. Governor Baker promptly has Mellie take the seat that is right next to her.
As Abby goes to claim a seat of her own, Elizabeth is confused by this turn of events and asks if the President is now in Mellie’s corner. Abby tells her that she will explain the whole thing later. I certainly hope she does because I’d like to know what in tarnation is going on myself.
With everyone seated, Mellie asks what the governor is talking about and she says that they are speaking on how the federal government is about to put sugar farmers out of business. Susan chimes in then to ask the governor if those sugar farmers that she is referring to is “Big Sugar”, the corporations that are polluting the Florida Everglades. When the governor denies that any polluting is going on, Susan smiles and then remarks on how great a governor Baker has been, but adds that this is an area where the governor lacks impartiality.
“Everyone has a blind spot. This is yours.” -- Susan Ross
Oh my damn. Everyone at the table realizes what Susan has committed a major faux pas. By speaking so forthrightly to the governor, she just tanked her own campaign. Mellie looks uncomfortable and David is resigned. Abby downs her glass of red wine and is about to pour herself some more when Olivia snatches the bottle before she can grab it and pours its remaining contents into her own glass.
LMAO! Petty Betty. Olivia didn’t even look like she wanted to be there. She appeared to be troubled by something, but it is unclear what.
Later that evening back at their hotel, David and Susan are preparing for bed. David is telling her that he thought that she did great by being honest with the governor and that he’s proud of her. (Awwww…) Susan doesn’t say anything in response as he takes the extra pillows that she tosses at the end of the bed. He drops them down to the floor where he will be sleeping. Susan then turns off the lights and they both just lay in the dark in silence.
After a moment, Susan begins to speak and says to him that she had forgotten the kind of man that he truly is after everything that had transpired between them. She adds that it is nice to know that despite it all, he is still the guy that she knew.
Damn it all to hell, Susan and David!! Coupled with this Nina Simone song, y’all got me tearing up. UGH!
Susan tells him that he hurt her more than anyone ever has and David apologizes for having done that. Susan then reaches her hand down over the side of the bed and David grabs a hold of it as he says to her that he will do his best never to hurt her again.
GAH!
Back in Washington
Elizabeth and David come rushing into Susan’s office to have her watch what is unfolding on the news. Governor Baker was giving a press conference. As it turns out, Governor Baker is endorsing Susan Ross! Her speaking candidly the other night didn’t kill her chance at the endorsement after all. David is proud and Elizabeth is elated. Susan is in disbelief. She has Florida in the bag!!
Meanwhile over at OPA, Olivia and the team are watching the conference in stunned disbelief. Olivia looks like she has tears in her eyes as she stands there vibrating. She turns around to cast a look over at Mellie and then she looks down at a cup sitting on the table, grabs it and then launches it at the wall.
Well then. Looks like Olivia’s exhibiting some dysfunction in her ability to manage her anger. We have never seen her exhibit such displays of rage prior to her taking that chair to Andrew, so her doing this now is yet one more sign that things just aren’t right with the Head Gladiator in Charge.
Later that evening, Olivia is pouring some bourbon for herself when Huck comes into her office. He just comes in and stands, which vexes Olivia who snips at him about his silent presence. She then takes her drink and puts some distance between them right as Huck says to her that she has no business being at work. He tells her that she isn’t ready. He tells her that the first kill stays with you, but that he was trained on how to do it and also on how to cope with it while she was not. He goes on to say that she doesn’t look like she’s sleeping and asks if she’s been having nightmares.
Olivia says that she hasn’t been having nightmares and insists that he stop talking, but he goes on by telling her that she ought to be at home grieving and finding some way to forgive herself for what she did. Finally at the end of the small bit of patience that she was holding on to, Olivia tells Huck that she doesn’t need to forgive herself because she isn’t grieving over what she did to Andrew. She reveals to him that she is satisfied by his death and that that night after she did the deed, she slept better than she ever had in a year.
Olivia done cracked, mayne. I understand the peace that she must have felt for having gotten justice on her own behalf and finally being able to get real sleep that had alluded her since she has returned from her kidnapping, but she’s sounding real deranged in his moment. It doesn’t help that the soundtrack over this scene dark and sounding like danger is around the bend. Hide all your chairs, folks.
Olivia goes on to tell Huck that killing Andrew felt good; that crushing his head, feeling his blood on her face, seeing the surprised look on his smug face made her feel free. She adds that she doesn’t regret anything about it and that she’s glad that he’s dead. What makes his death even sweeter for her is the fact that she eliminated him herself.
Olivia goes on to say that she feels whole and great now that Andrew is gone, but all this sounds to me like some kind of fiction that Olivia is telling herself. A person who feels the way that she claims that she doesn’t wouldn’t have been carrying on in the manner that she has all episode. This isn’t a woman who is free or whole or feeling great about anything, and Huck knew this.
Once Olivia is done telling her little tale about how she doesn’t regret what she did, Huck stands staring at her and says nothing. This leaves Olivia wondering as to why he’s just staring and he says to her that he’s waiting for the rest of her story, the part that she isn’t saying. This leads to the drop of the confident facade that Olivia was sporting just seconds ago and she comes glassy eyed.
Taking a seat against the edge of her desk, Olivia shares with Huck that Rowan had threatened to kill Jake if she attempted to save him or go anywhere near him, so she has opted to heed her father’s warning and keep her distance. One kill was enough for her.
Ah. So that Andrew kill did affect you, huh? One death at yours hands was more than you could take. No need to compound that with the blood of your surrogate brother, a man who you clearly care enough about to abandon him to your father so as to ensure that he keeps on breathing.
I do have to wonder about what it is that is truly bothering Olivia here. Is it her inability to see Jake again or her inability to play savior to his victim? By her not wishing to have his death upon her head, Olivia has been effectively neutered in the hero department. To top it off, she hasn’t been thriving in the fixer department either.
So was Olivia in mourning in this moment with Huck? She isn’t fixing, she’s not saving and she’s certainly not wearing the white hat. Stripped of everything that has defined who she is for most of her adult life, who is Olivia Pope now?
She proclaims to Huck that she isn’t Rowan, that she is better than her current predicament and better than her father. This poor thing wants to believe so badly that she hasn’t turned into an absolute monster. Somebody throw Livvie a life line. Just do it!!
As Olivia starts to break down into sobs, Huck goes over and embraces her. She fights him for a moment, but eventually allows him to hold her.
Ah, man. Why y’all gotta do me like this?
First Susan and David and now Olivia and Huck. This is tew much.
The next day at the White House, Abby is having an attitude with Fitz because he overrode her little power play with Olivia. I’d love to say that I understand where Abby and her little rant is coming from, but I’d be lying. Fitz overrides a decision that she made that wasn’t a sound one and now it has turned into how he doesn’t trust her judgement?
Hate to break it to you, Abbs, but your judgement in this situation was a bad one. You may go nurse your ego trip elsewhere.
When Fitz tells her that all he did what he did because she was making mistakes, Abby goes on a rant about how she’s the one who runs him so that he can run the country and how she has to make certain decisions so that he doesn’t have to. Fitz is sitting there with his hand over his eyes as if he’s been suddenly overcome with a tension headache. I feel ya, bruh. I’m half way to kicking this broad in the chest myself.
As Abby continues talking, she becomes feral and tells the President that he doesn’t get to catch his monster. Um, what? Girl, sit down.
Next she says to Fitz that he wouldn’t have done such a thing to Cyrus and that he wouldn’t have done it to her before, but now he is doing it as some way to punish her. Of course, Fitzgerald has no idea what the hell she is talking about. Abby goes on to say that she isn’t responsible for what happened to Andrew, that what happened is on Olivia.
Talk about projecting your feelings of guilt onto somebody else. Who ever accused you of being at fault, Abigail? So you believe that your moment of playing the monster is what pushed Olivia over the edge, huh? I guess Olivia telling you to never cross her again had an impact.
All of Abby’s big dog talk didn’t exactly help matters, but she really was only doing what she had to to protect the President. That much is understood...by folks who aren’t operating under the haze of PTSD. What she failed to take into account is how her actions would adversely affect her friend, the very person who was kidnapped by Andrew. She made a very Olivia Pope-like move and now she’s having a hard time dealing with the consequences.
Seeing that she was falling apart, Fitz comes from behind the desk as she is going on about how she was only trying to protect him and he affirms that she was only doing her job. Abby says that Olivia knows that if she were in her shoes that she would have done exactly the same thing. Fitz reassures her that Olivia would have done just that.Abby then asks him if he saw what Olivia did to Andrew’s head. She remarks about how it didn’t look like a face anymore and that Olivia must have been really hurt, mad and scared in that moment.
Abby is really torn up about the whole thing. You can see that she has been holding herself responsible for what Olivia did to Andrew and that she has given a lot of thought to how Olivia must have been feeling. Fitz directs her over to one of the sofas and he takes a seat on the table in front of her as he tells her this:
“Where you are, I’ve been there. I recognize it. I have spent time there. But now you have to climb out. You need a line, a rationale, a story you can tell yourself. It doesn’t matter what it is. It doesn’t even have to be true so long as you believe it. So long as it allows you to forgive yourself. Find that line. Find it, grab a hold of it and use it to pull yourself up and out of the darkness.” -- Fitzgerald Grant
Gatdamn it, Fitzgerald. When did you become the man with salient advice? What story did he use to climb out of this abyss that Abby now finds herself in? I imagine that he, too, must have felt some serious guilt over Olivia having killed Andrew since it was because of him that she was taken in the first place. Somebody ought to share these words with Olivia because she needs something better than the story that she’s telling herself.
I just love how this episode stands in contrast to the response Olivia’s actions garnered in the previous one where both Rowan and Jake were nonchalant about the whole thing and pretty much just told Olivia that she’ll eventually get over what happened. Neither man seemed at all concerned with her mental health. If anything, both added to her burden either by requiring that she give more of herself (Jake) or by causing more trauma (Rowan).
Here, Fitzgerald damn near cried over how she was dealing; Abby is carrying guilt over potentially being the cause of Olivia crossing the line; Huck is concerned enough to press her about her behavior and get her to open up; and Quinn is worried. Hell, even Mellie is troubled. When selfish ass Mellie Grant can muster up a modicum of concern for someone other than herself, you know things are dire.
It also goes to show who Olivia’s real family is. The jury, however, is still out on Mellie in this regard.
Later that evening, it is learned that Hollis Doyle pulled an upset in the Florida primary. It turns out that Olivia and Abby’s shenanigans turned voters off and away from their respective candidates. Despite the governor’s endorsement, Susan did not garner enough votes to carry the state. Susan goes off to write her press statement on the loss.
It is later revealed that David did indeed cut a deal with Governor Baker in order to have her endorse Susan, and David begs Elizabeth not to tell Susan of what he had done.
Welp. There goes that white hat. Didn’t he JUST promise that he wouldn’t hurt Susan again?
Over at OPA, Olivia is seen coming back into the suite and when she reaches the conference room, she finds Abby waiting for. Lawd, her face when she set eyes on her bestie was one of disgust. Abby says that she doesn’t understand why it is that Olivia was so mad at her and when Olivia starts to speak, Abby clarifies that she isn’t speaking about the latter situation with Andrew. She now understand why that made Olivia upset, but she doesn’t get why she had been upset prior to that.
Abby recalls when she had come to Olivia when she had first gotten the Chief of Staff job and when she had come to her with the Andrew dilemma. She tells Olivia that she had expected her friend to be there for her and console her during that time, but instead she got an Olivia who was thrilled over Abby’s predicament. Y’all remember how crazy Olivia was sounding when Abby told her that Fitz was about to take the fall for all of them in 517?
Olivia does not immediately understand what Abby is referencing until Abby again recalls for her what she said about how if things went south at the White House that Abby could come back to work for her. In response to her, Olivia says that she’s actually happy for Abby, but the fact of the matter is that she taught Abby and that it was she who built that Oval and the President. She says that she had to walk away from the White House because of him, but now she wants it back and adds that she earned it. She says that she is rooting for Abby, but not if it means that she loses.
Um, what?
Olivia, girl, you are sounding more and more crazed by the episode. You are rooting for Abby, but not if it means that you lose? What does that mean? Is Abby an enemy to slay until you regain what you lost?
And it’s Fitz’s fault that you walked away from the White House? Are we talking about the first, second, third, fourth…..or the last time that you walked away? I’m a tad confused as to which time that you are referencing. It’ll be a real change of pace when you finally take responsibility for your own actions and accept that all of your departures, especially the very last one, was no one’s fault but your own. It’ll happen. One day. I have faith.
And what is this business about how you earned the White House? Earned it how? Are we talking about the Oval Office itself or the man who currently commands it? Or both? Do you even know?
Y’all need to get this girl some help. You may need to place her in a padded cell for a little while because this chile is far from stable.
Abby states that they both lost today and that she doesn’t like losing. She says to Olivia that they need to do what they should have done a long time ago and that is to take down Hollis Doyle.
Ut oh. Hollis better enjoy his last celebration because with these two teaming up to come after you, you’re about to be left hobbling on stumps.
Now, if Olivia doesn’t intend to lose to Abby and Abby also doesn’t like losing, what exactly are the two of them to do? Band together? Should they successfully eliminate Hollis, they’re going to still have a problem. Hmm. We shall see how this works out.
When Politics Hits Home
The last time that we saw Michael, he was letting Alejandro Vargas into his home. Alex had come with evidence showing that Cyrus was having an affair with Tom Larsen and that that was the real reason why Cyrus had been coming home late.
In the first scene since that episode, we see Cyrus getting ready to leave for work and Michael would like to know how late Cyrus is going to be. Cyrus tells him that he doesn’t know, but that if he’s going to be later than midnight that he would give Michael a call. Little Ella is sitting on the floor with Michael, busy styling the hair of one of her dolls when Cyrus kisses her goodbye and heads out.
Once Cyrus is gone, Michael is able to answer the call that he had to silence when Cyrus was still in the room. It is Alex and Michael tells him to stop calling him. He isn’t interested in being part of Alex’s plot to take down Cyrus. Alex tries to appeal to Michael by evoking the lives lost during what Alex suspects was a Cyrus-orchestrated shooting, but Michael won’t bite.
The next day we see Cyrus coming into Francisco’s office with poll numbers that show him even with Edison Davis. Cyrus is saying how they need to figure out some way to put some distance between Francisco and Edison just as Alex comes into the room to join them. As things currently stand, the voters would be happy with either Francisco or Edison as the nominee. Cyrus is trying to figure out something that can be used to separate the two men. Alex chimes in then to say that the problem is that the two men mostly agree with all of the big issues and that the one thing that the two men don’t have in common are kids. Frankie has them whereas Edison does not. Alex suggests that they use Ana and her cancer as their wedge issue, but Cyrus cuts in to say that they should find another way. While still addressing his brother, Alex says that it is a reality for Frankie but Cyrus again interrupts by calling the ploy manipulative, distasteful and crossing a line.
Ha! Cyrus of all people speaking out against manipulation and crossing a line. That’s rich.
Ha! Cyrus of all people speaking out against manipulation and crossing a line. That’s rich.
Frankie suggests that both men find a different wedge issue that he can use.
Much later that night, Cyrus returns home to find Michael still awake. Michael asks Cyrus about when he returned home the night before and Cyrus gives him a vague “pretty late” response, explaining that Vargas wanted to go over some talking points. Michael then asks him if it was after midnight and Cyrus replies that he believes that it was. Cyrus wants to know why Michael is asking and Michael reminds him that he said that he would call if he was going to be home past midnight and that he hadn’t.
Cyrus is now short on patience as he tells Michael that he has had quite the day and would like to go to bed. After a brief pause, Michael asks Cyrus if he is cheating on him. Cyrus wants to know where the question is coming from, but Michael wants him to answer the question that he posed to him. He tells him that all he wants is for Cyrus to let him know if he is indeed sleeping with someone else, and Cyrus confesses that he is.
Michael stands there shell shocked as Cyrus tells him that he doesn’t know what else Michael wants him to say. Michael tells him that he wants him to say that they can fix this situation and get their marriage back on track. He has even looked into counselors who can give Cyrus the help that he believes that Cyrus needs.
Cyrus goes off on him and says that he is too busy trying to make the next POTUS and that what he really needs is someone who knows how to accept his “role” in the relationship, who doesn’t talk all the time, who isn’t so “pathetically needy”, who will put in the effort to bring him sexual gratification so that he may be able to do his job.
Wow. Cyrus has always been and forever will be an unmitigated asshole.
Cyrus manages to paint what he does as being more important than whatever gripes Michael may have about him stepping out on their marriage. He’s investing in the country’s future and Michael ought to get with the program.
Michael calls Cyrus disgusting and asks if he really doesn’t believe that what he does for him around the house is enough. He points out the amount of time and energy it takes to raise their daughter Ella, but before he can complete what he is saying, Cyrus interjects to say that Ella isn’t Michael’s daughter, but James’s. The crestfallen look on Michael’s face at that moment broke my heart.
Sigh. Michael, you sweet man, you. You really don’t deserve to be attached to Cyrus Beene. He destroys everything good that ever comes into his life. I’d tell you to ask James, but….he’s dead.
Michael carries on with his inquiry, asking Cyrus if the name of the man that he has been sleeping with is Tom. Cyrus pauses in what he is doing as it dawns on him that Michael actually has specifics. Now he wants to know who it is that Michael has been talking to. Ut oh.
Cyrus comes up off the bed and returns to where Michael is standing. Not only does Cyrus insult Michael further, but he also threatens him by saying that if Michael doesn’t stop going down this path that he would be forced to put him out. Michael stands there looking sad and defeated.
Later on, we see Michael in a car with Alejandro. He’s handing over a flash drive that he has has voicemails, emails and text messages of Cyrus’s from the week of the shooting in Harrisburg. Alex tells Michael that he’s doing the right thing and that he knows that it may not feel like it at the moment, but Michael tells him that he’s fine with the decision. Cyrus deserves what’s coming to him.
The next morning, Cyrus is in the office with Frankie when there is breaking news featuring pictures of Frankie and his daughter Ana in the hospital. The media is now reporting on Ana’s cancer. Both Frankie and Cyrus are surprised by this, and Cyrus is quick to pick up the phone to query as to the source of the photos and the story.
Frankie is then seen confronting his brother who denies sending the photos, but Frankie says that Cyrus just got off the phone with the BNC who confirms that the information came from his email account. We are then shown a flashback to Alex attempting to get into the flash drive and hitting a snag. He encountered an error while trying to copy the information on it.
Man, Alex had been set up and set up good. What must have happened when that error occurred was a loading of malware of some sort that automatically attached photos into whatever email client available on the computer that the drive was accessed on.
Alex tries to plead his case but Frankie orders him out and tells him that they are done. Yikes! Him trying to take down Cyrus was not playing the way that he hoped it would.
Once Alex leaves campaign headquarters, Cyrus gives Michael a call and leaves a message on his voicemail, thanking him for doing this for him. He says that he’ll do his best to carve out more time so that they may go to counseling together. Uh huh.
Returning home later, Cyrus is looking about for Michael, but when he goes to look in their closet, he finds that Michael’s clothes are gone. Finding a note that was left for him back in the bedroom, Cyrus gives Michael a call and is asking him where he has taken Ella. Oop. Michael is like, I’ll show you who isn’t this girl’s father.
So what in the world is going on with Olivia, y'all? Did she sound as nutty to you as she did to me? What did you think she was talking about regarding wanting the White House back? Was she speaking in regards to the power that she left behind? How do you see this pairing up with Abby turning out? Has Olivia buried the hatchet? What in the world is going on with Mellie and Marcus? Where has Michael disappeared to with little Ella?
Share your theories in the comment section below or you an tweet me your thoughts.
Thanks for reading this recap/review of Scandal episode 519! Two more episodes to go. See you all next week!
