Scandal – Pencils Down

By: Jamie Steinberg

We join Sally Langston cheering for Hollis Doyle’s entry into the Presidential race. We then cut to Olivia (Kerry Washington), Doyle and Elizabeth discussing preferences for the upcoming Republican debate. When Olivia balks at some selections, she walks out only to be asked back by the debate official caving to her demands.

Susan (Artemis Pebdani) is practicing for the debate with the President and Abby (Darby Stanchfield). Abby heads out to speak with Olivia about recruiting her over to Susan’s side, but despite her stubbornness she would make a great President. Abby asks if she knows whether or not Edison will be running, but Olivia isn’t sure. She heads out to meet with Edison, assuring him that she’ll keep his confidentiality. She says he’ll be a great candidate. He thanks her and says he thought it was about time for the first black President and she says it’s about time for the first woman President.

David Rosen (Joshua Malina) shows up at Abby’s office hoping to talk about his dating life. Abby doesn’t want to hear about it and he begs her to help him choose. On his way out, Elizabeth finds him to let him know he’s going to have to announce he’s in a relationship with Susan at the debate.

At Vargas’ campaign headquarters, we find Cyrus (Jeff Perry) pinned down. His campaign strategy is being contradicted by Vargas’ brother, Alex (Danny Pino). Cyrus speaks to Vargas (Ricardo Chavira) about this complication, but his candidate doesn’t know what to do since this is his brother. He won’t make a move against him.

A focus group shares their opinions on Mellie, much to her dismay. They find her cold, smug and arrogant. Olivia wants Mellie to take it down a notch but Mellie thinks that people are benefiting by seeing how smart she is. She doesn’t want to dumb herself down, but Olivia pushes for her to be “Mellie Grant: Woman of the People.”

Still keeping tabs on Jake (Scott Foley), Quinn has all eyes in his direction. Quinn (Katie Lowes) says that when he’s not at work, Jake is usually meeting with Rowan (Joe Morton) or at home with Vanessa (Joelle Carter). Olivia thinks this is not enough to find out what is happening so she orders “Plan B.” This has Quinn in attendance at an event Vanessa is hosting where she pretends the two went to school together. They make nice and Quinn sucks up asking about the wedding. She offers to give her some wedding books and recommends a photographer, asking Vanessa what her schedule is like for the rest of the week.

In Abby’s office, Susan shows up to thank her for helping with her practice debate. Susan finds Rosen’s schedule on Abby’s desk, where Abby blurts out that David often stops by to complain about “juggling his women.” Susan is shocked and pissed. A practice debate begins again, but Susan is lost and unable to concentrate. Doyle (Gregg Henry) cares less about practicing for the debate and says he is more focused when he is eating a hearty breakfast (cue the photo of tons of bacon) and holding a gun (cut to him at a target range holding a giant one). Mellie is as cold as ever during her trial run and Olivia has to work harder to tame it.

At Olivia Pope & Associates, Vargas’ brother arrives with a gift. He’s willing to give her some dirt on Susan Ross if she is willing to give him dirt on Edison Davis. He tries explaining that they can play nicely with each other until there is only Vargas and Mellie left standing, but Olivia isn’t interested. Heading over to Huck, we find out that Alex does anything necessary to help his brother win campaigns – intimidation, connections, etc. Olivia sees this as the time to get Mellie out in public so she doesn’t get sideswiped with comments about hiding during the debate. Suggesting Mellie (Bellamy Young) head to a Gettysburger Restaurant, Olivia tells her to sit in a specific booth and chat with the other patrons. The media gets wind of Mellie’s visit and grill her over her meal. When the press asks her about her “frequent visits” to Gettysburger, Mellie decides to overshare that she and her family would eat there every Sunday after church. One of the patrons points out that is impossible as Gettysburger is closed on Sundays, Mellie finds herself red in the face. Back at OPA, Mellie leans in on Olivia for making her do this stupid appearance in the first place and angrily orders her to figure out a way to fix this fast.

Cyrus lets Vargas know that Edison is definitely running for President. Vargas says that Alex told him about it already and that Alex is working on a new strategy. Cyrus is shocked, but Vargas assures him that his brother has some good ideas.

Susan sits alone at a table in her office when Rosen walks in. She asks him if he is cheating on her and he assures her it is not true. She tells him that she can take it, but he says again that he isn’t cheating on her. She wants to know why she had heard differently and he tries pushing it off on rumors that come with political figures. He says that he just wants to be with her and that he isn’t smooth enough to be juggling more than one woman.

Rowan and Olivia meet up where he explains that she sounded helpless in her voice mail. She shares that Alex Vargas came to her with dirt on Susan and she turned him down. But now that Mellie is in third place in the race thanks to the Gettysburger incident she’d like his opinion on whether or not to take the dirt. She is actually just waiting for him to give her a pep talk, but instead gets a lecture on not going there because Edison had always been nothing but nice to her. He knows her issue stems from hurting someone she respects and that this time it would be hurting someone for the greater good. He says that Mellie’s issue arose because Olivia was trying to make her into someone she isn’t so he’d hate to see that happen to Olivia as well.

Quinn and Vanessa meet for another girl’s gab session where Quinn (not too blatantly) asks about the investigation that Vanessa went through when she first started dating Jake. Vanessa shares that they went through her laptop, bank statements, etc. and that he knows all of her secrets.

Tom (Brian Letscher) meets with Cyrus to say that Edison Davis has no dirt. Cyrus assures him that because Edison is from Florida there has to be something he is hiding. Tom explains he is still working on Alex Vargas, but Cyrus says that because he is family that Vargas is only one step away from demoting him if issues arise.

Elizabeth surprises Rosen in his office and wants to “thank him.” Rosen breaks up with her, which completely sets her off. Rosen says that he is in love with Susan so things have to stop between them.

Quinn shows up to OAP with scoop. She downloads Olivia on what Vanessa shared, which she realizes means that Jake was using Vanessa’s money to fund a superpack. With this news, Olivia heads over to see Edison to have a chat. She clues him in on the real Rowan and explains that he has been secretly funding his superpack – thus, he’ll be asking for a favor in the future. Edison doesn’t seem phased, which demonstrates to Olivia that he already knows the real deal. Edison says that when a man of his stature can make you the next President that it is hard to turn down. Olivia tries to get Edison to understand that he is making the wrong decision, but he seems sure he knows what he is doing. Olivia tells him that he is getting in bed with a monster, which garners the reply, “Correction. I’m getting in bed with the monster’s father.”

Pre-debate, Susan is going over her notecards. Fitz (Tony Goldwyn) interrupts to tell her to go home so she can be rested. She doesn’t think that she’d be able to sleep though and then apologizes for being off her game due to a “silly little personal issue.” She pushes him to ask her a question because she’s now back in her right mind, but when he does she asks him what made him want to cheat on his wife. She confesses about her boyfriend giving her the feeling that he’s been cheating and Fitz assures her if she feels it then it is probably real.

Vanessa has dinner with Jake when he gets interrupted by his pager. He heads to the hallway where he is pulled into the restroom by Olivia, kissing him. He pushes her away because Vanessa is just outside. Olivia wonders if Vanessa knows that Jake is using her money to fund Edison’s superpack, but he denies it. She explains that because he said he wanted something “normal” and she’s just a sociopath and gets him all hot and bothered…only to tell him to pass along a message to her dad that she plans on winning whatever game they are playing.

It’s about time for the debate to begin when Rosen finds Susan outside smoking. She explains how she warned her daughter against being seduced into smoking. Rosen says that it is good advice and wonders why she isn’t taking it herself. Susan says that it is because she is dumping her boyfriend. Rosen is shocked, but she explains she knows he has been cheating. He tries to tell her that for what it was worth he ended things because the thought of losing her made him ill. She is adamant though and the love is lost.

Mellie is frantic and Olivia assures her that it is too late for a strategy so just let her handle the rest. As the debate begins, Sally (Kate Burton) begins her introduction. Elizabeth shows up to tell Susan that if Rosen is going to join her on stage afterwards he needs to head into makeup. Susan explains their breakup and that he was cheating on her. Elizabeth is in shock and Susan breaks down. Elizabeth begins to cry too and the two comfort one another. Olivia heads over to meet with Alex about the dirt on their rivals. With that, the debate begins…