Last week’s episode of “Scandal” picked up where the previous week’s left off with a BANG as we learn who was shot, it was James as he ran from Jake. Thankfully Jake spared David as he agreed to work with him in covering up the murder. They have set up James’ murder to look like a car-jacking gone wrong.
Having learned of his husbands death, Cyrus is having flashbacks of how he and James came to meet and begin their relationship. The scenes play out through the first Grant Presidential campaign where they both met and fell in love.
The shooting came at an awkward time in Fitz’ campaign trail as it is the weekend they are due to meet with the gun lobby. How can he support them when his press secretary has been shot dead. As Sally calls she lies to Fitz telling him she will skip the Gun Lobby in solidarity with the Fitz Campaign to respect the death of James but she has decised to use his absence to her advantage. Sneaky sneaky Langston.
Olivia notices Vanessa Chandler missing from the press conference and sets her team on the task of locating her and Shelby Moss, seeing through the cover up immediately. A panicked Abbey goes to find David knowing he didn’t return home last night, relieved to find him, David asks Abbey to let him get through this difficult time by doing his Job. Olivia calls Jake with her theory that James was a hit to cover-up Daniel Douglas’ death, as they talk he is burying the bodies of Vanessa and Shelby. If only she knew!
We are surprised to learn that Adnan Salif has hired Maya pope to find her a terrorist! What are they up to? Two men are sent to meet with Adnan and Maya on behalf of someone called Ivan, Maya irritated that Ivan has not turned up himself shoots one of his men sending the other away with a message for Ivan – “Marie Wallis sends her condolences for his loss and she looks forward to meeting with him soon”. Adnan feels in over her head having gotten herself involved with Mamma Pope goes to Harrison with her concerns but before she can tell him anything a car speeds away and she backs off and leaves!
Looking for answers Olivia asks Huck to look through the file in her safe on Daniel-Douglas’ death, little does she know Huck has set up a camera in the safe so he can find exactly who has been accessing it, he sees Quinn! Uh-oh not very B6-13 of her getting caught! Olivia knowing this has something to do with B6-13 goes straight to Jake asking him who made him do this? He looses his temper with her telling him this was his call he was protecting the republic, he was doing his job but he is different to his father rather than have someone else do the shooting he did it himself to save someone else from the pain. Telling her she must accept the lie because if she doesn’t “Bad things happen to good people all the time”. Wow! A threat from Jake!
Quinn and Charlie visit an ex-con with a failing liver convincing him to take the fall for the ‘car-jacking’, he agrees as inmates get free transplants and medical care. David however, is hesitating on arresting him. Is the guilt getting to him? Jake believes he is having doubts on working with him and tells him to enforce the arrest soon.
Cyrus avoiding his loss, realizes Sally is intending on going ahead with meeting the gun lobby. Fitz and Cyrus decide to send Mellie and Andrew as they intercept Sally’s travel plans in order to have the Grant Campaign arrive first. While there Mellie impresses Andrew with her shooting skills and teaches him a thing or two. The gun lobby are siding with Sally Lagston but have agreed to switch sides if Fitz speaks out in support of them. Cyrus tries to talk Fitz out of the speech believing he must come out in favor of Gun Control as both he and James are victims of gun violence. Taking Cyrus’ advice he disappoints Mellie who talks her frustrations out with Andrew and their talking turns into a kiss with appears to turn into something more.
Olivia meets with her Father at their place. Olivia asks him to just be her dad right now, she needs her dad. She does not know the point of democracy and everything else she believes in if there is only evil. Rowan tells her 183 is the number of people he is responsible for killing as command, being command means you become the hand of god. He knows all of their names, their families, he suffered a bit with each death. So whatever she thinks of Jake, however she wants to punish him he cannot be punished anymore as being the hand of god is the worst punishment possible. Her father tells her everyone is worth saving, and he believes that is the point of Olivia. She is the good to rid the evil. Rowan leaves as his daughter sits on the bench in tears, his dad time is over!
Abbey is annoyed with David believing he is lying to her and something major is going on. He poorly lies to her telling her he is sick but Abbey knows better. He cracks and tells her he must send an innocent man to jail as a price for being alive while Shelby, Vanessa and James are dead.
Quinn returns home to find Huck waiting for her with his tool box, he says he has come to kill her as she is a threat. Pushing her up against the wall and holding her there he tells her he knows wanted to be seen on camera, wanting Huck to see her and know what B6-13 was doing. He tells her somewhere in there she is still a gladiator, Quinn’s reaction to this is to spit in Huck’s face. How ladylike! Huck then shockingly KISSES Quinn, things get heated between the two before Huck leaves. OMG how insane is that, we have to say we are in favor of this crazy coupling.
As Olivia sits in her office mulling over the days events her gladiators all need her and come running to her office at once. Abbey tells her about David, Harrison about Adnan and Huck about Quinn but Olivia is unresponsive leaving them to meet with David. Olivia tells David he must arrest the ex-con, Lance. They need to focus on taking down B6-13 together, little by little with a lot of patience. David finally goes ahead with the arrest.
At the White House, Cyrus speaks to the press against Olivia’s advice. The heart breaking scene includes a flashback to the night he and James made their relationship public as Cyrus begins to cry hysterically in front of the White House press room as the loss of James finally hits him. Fitz must step in and take him away from the podium. Incredible acting from Jeff Perry in tonights episode, seriously incredible. Olivia then takes to the podium to finish the press conference as everyone watches on.
The episode ends with a flashback from Jake of the night he killed James, he stayed by James’ side and talked with him until the end, apologizing for having him suffer, telling him his daughter, Ella will be okay, she is safe. It appears Jake has compassion after all.
“Scandal” airs Tonight Thursday at 10/9c on ABC
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XQxZMKCPTJI]