Scandal – The People v. Olivia Pope

By starrymag | February 8, 2018

By: Nicole Dintelman

 

 

Olivia Pope (Kerry Washington) has a bit of a morning afterglow at the start of this week’s “Scandal.” Fitz (Tony Goldwyn) asks her if she wants to go to Vermont. Liv is so blissfully happy, she agrees to go without much convincing. They walk up arm in arm to Fitz’s house in Vermont. The one he built for himself and Olivia. Olivia is genuinely happy to be there. That is until Huck (Guillermo Diaz)  pops up from one of the chairs.

 

Yes, that’s right. Olivia has had the wool pulled over her eyes. She asks Huck what he’s doing there. Huck tells her that they know. Abby (Darby Stanchfield), Marcus (Cornelius Smith Jr.), and David (Joshua Malina) join the party. Charlie (George Newbern) is still at Rowan’s (Joe Morton) choking the life out of him. Quinn (Katie Lowes) pulls Charlie off of Rowan and tells him that Rowan is protecting her. Charlie can’t believe his eyes. Remember, he doesn’t know Quinn is still alive.

 

Quinn tries to talk to Charlie. He’s having a hard time with the fact that Quinn is actually alive. He doesn’t understand why she didn’t call him. Charlie tells her that he went to her funeral and she couldn’t even pick up the damn phone. Quinn tells him that it’s over now. She finally gets him to calm down by leading him out to meet their daughter.

 

Cyrus (Jeff Perry) is filling Mellie (Bellamy Young) in on all of Olivia’s recent shenanigans. Mellie doesn’t believe him. She wants to know if there is proof. Cyrus also tells her that Liv is responsible for Quinn. Mellie tells her secretary that she needs to see Olivia. Rachel tells her that Olivia isn’t in yet. Mellie demands that she’s found. Going to be a little hard since she’s in Vermont.

 

Huck asks Olivia if he killed Quinn. Fitz tells her to answer the question. He says they’re trying to help her. Olivia asks if this is some kind of intervention. Abby tells her to think of it as a second chance. If she leaves the White House then David will not prosecute her for all she’s done. Huck tells Liv that Quinn recorded everything that was said between them. Abby and David have the tape.

 

Liv says that Quinn’s death wasn’t on her. Abby asks how she can even say that. Liv tells them that B613 was handling a situation. Quinn should have trusted that B613 and herself were only doing what was necessary. Olivia tells them to stop looking at her like they are. Everyone in the room has had to get their hands dirty. Fitz tells her that she can try to justify her answers all she wants but she doesn’t have any power there.

 

Fitz has instructed his Secret Service to keep her there until she gives them what they want. David is prepared to start the process to file charges. Olivia begs Fitz not to do what he’s doing. Fitz tells her that she poses a threat to herself, others, and the country so she’s staying put. Jake is trying to get a hold of Olivia but she’s not answering her phone. That’s because it’s been disabled, Jake!

 

When Jake goes into the B613 office he finds Mellie waiting for him. He asks her how she got in but Millie reminds him that she’s the President. Mellie wants to know why Rashad (Faran Tahir) had to die. She wants Olivia back at the White House immediately. She wants Jake to bring find her and bring her there. If she’s not, she’s going to fill in the B613 office with cement with Jake inside.

 

Charlie is having a little trouble getting his baby girl to calm down. He tells Quinn that he’s no good at this. Quinn assures him that the baby is just fussy then she and Rowan break out in song. They sing Britney Spears’ “Baby One More Time.” Yes, this is a weird side of Papa Pope. They even have a dance routine to go with their song.

 

Olivia is desperately trying to text someone. When that fails, she picks up the landline. That also fails. Abby knocks on the door but Liv isn’t opening it for anyone. Abby tells Olivia that she did whatever she had to do to hold on to her power. Abby understands. Abby says that Olivia needs to let them save her.

 

Jake goes to visit Cyrus. Cyrus is really nervous. He tells Jake that he didn’t know they had a meeting. Jake says that they didn’t. He tells Cyrus that he thought they had an understanding. Jake says that bad things happen to people who don’t leave well enough alone. Cyrus says that everything wasn’t well. Nothing was normal. Jake tells Cyrus to go back to Mellie and shut this thing down. Cyrus reminds Jake that he doesn’t give him orders and kicks him out.

 

Jake grabs Cyrus and puts him up against the wall and holds scissors against his throat. He tells Cyrus that he will make it look like a suicide. Cyrus tells him to go ahead and kill him. Jake asks what would make Cyrus think that he’s bluffing. Cyrus says he’s been at this a long time and this isn’t his first game of chicken. He tells Jake that he’s not scary. Luckily, Cyrus walks away with a small cut from the scissors.

 

David tries to talk to Olivia. He lets her know all of the things he can charge her with. She’s still not opening the door. Olivia is just sitting in the bedroom with her arms crossed. Abby tries to talk to Huck. She tells him she’s sorry that she didn’t believe him about Olivia. It was Quinn and she never thought Olivia could do anything to hurt Quinn. Huck says that he misses the old Liv and he wants her back.

 

Cyrus runs to Mellie to tell him about what Jake did. Mellie tells him to get his neck looked at and calm down. Mellie tells Cyrus that if Olivia did what he says she did, she did it for a reason. She has to find out that reason. She will then decide how to handle it. Cyrus tells Mellie that she’s scared. She’s scared of doing the job without Olivia.

 

Mellie says she’s looking for answers. Cyrus tells Mellie that Olivia tricked her. She tricked her with words. Cyrus says that Mellie is completely and utterly dependant on Olivia. Mellie kicks Cyrus out of her office for being a jackass. Jake tracks down Olivia’s detail wanting to know where Olivia is. They tell Jake they can’t say where she is. They must have orders from Fitz.

 

Charlie apologizes to Rowan for beating him up. He thanks him for protecting his daughter and Quinn. Rowan assures him that no thanks are needed. It’s been his pleasure. Charlie says he’s ready to take over. He wants to take Quinn and his daughter and leave. Rowan tells Charlie that’s not going to happen. They need to stay there because they think Quinn is dead.

 

Rowan isn’t backing down. Charlie tells him that he’s jealous. He lost his family so now he’s trying to take his. Charlie tells Rowan that he’s a threat to him. These two having a pissing contest isn’t solving anything. Rowan says that Charlie is no threat to him. Marcus joins Fitz out on his patio. Fitz asks how things are going inside. Marcus tells him to drink his beer then he’ll tell him.

 

Fitz gets the idea that things are not going well at all. Marcus said it would be different if they could see her face. They can’t really read a closed door. Marcus says that he forgot how quiet it was at the Vermont house. Fitz says that’s why he and Olivia picked it. When the world got too loud they would just stop and enjoy the quiet. He thought that someday he and Olivia would share that porch.

 

Huck brings Olivia something to eat. He’s the one she responds to. She opens the door and begs him to help her get out of the house. She tells him that she knows he’s angry and he has every right to be. She says that she needs him now more than ever. She tells Huck that she’s more than just a friend, or her co-worker, he’s her gladiator. She offers Huck a spot at B613 if he helps her leave.

 

Huck says they are not the same. She killed one of their own. Huck says that what she did was unforgivable. He tells her that he’s not going anywhere with her. Then he breaks all of our hearts by telling Olivia that he’s not her gladiator anymore. Too bad it doesn’t seem to faze Olivia. She goes back in the room and slams the door.

 

Quinn tells Charlie that Rowan is right and he needs to leave. Their friends need to believe she’s dead. Olivia needs to believe she’s dead. Charlie tells Quinn that if she’s worried about Olivia then he will go out there and kill her himself. Right now. Quinn says that Charlie won’t kill Olivia. Quinn says that she’s Olivia Pope. You can’t just run at her with a switchblade and a bad attitude. You take your time and have a plan.

 

Charlie says he’s not an idiot. He used to kill people for a living. Quinn says that they’re not killing Olivia. They’re better than that. She wants justice. She wants Olivia in prison. She says that she wants Olivia to pay for what she did to her, to them. Quinn tells Charlie that if she’s going to get her justice then he has to leave.

 

Jake lets himself into Olivia’s apartment trying to find her. He doesn’t find Olivia. He hears a noise and to his surprise he finds Mellie. He tells her that Olivia isn’t there. Mellie says she’s not there for Liv. She’s there for him. Mellie says that Jake has always been upfront with her. Even when it’s something she doesn’t want to hear. So she needs to know, did Olivia kill Rashad. Jake tells her that she already knows the answer to that.

 

Mellie asks him why. Jake says that she has to ask Olivia that. Mellie says that she’s asking him. She wants to know if it was a just kill. Jake says it was but Mellie knows he’s lying. Jake says that Olivia tried to get Rashad his country back but it was too late. To get the treaty she had to make a deal with the rebels. The treaty would be signed if Rashad was dead. Mellie still isn’t buying it.

 

Finally, Jake tells Mellie that Olivia murdered Rashad because Mellie couldn’t keep her damn legs closed. She was going to go to war for him. Everything Mellie was doing was for Rashad. Olivia did the right thing by eliminating him. Mellie tells him to stop talking. She then gets up and leaves.

 

Fitz tries talking to Olivia but she’s not even opening the door for him. Fitz says that he keeps thinking about the day they met. He hated her. She told him in front of everyone that he was losing the election because he didn’t love his wife. He hated her because she was right. Fitz tells Olivia that she’s always right. It’s his least favorite thing about her. He tells her this time, for once in her life, she’s wrong.

 

Olivia is too smart and too right all of the time to not know what she did was wrong. Fitz sits down outside the door and tells her that he’s not going anywhere. He’s going to stay right there. He wants her to open the door whenever she’s ready. Charlie goes to say goodbye to his daughter. She starts to cry when he walks away so he picks her up. Rowan asks him if he’s leaving right now. He tells him that he can wait until morning.

 

Charlie says that he’s not any good at goodbyes so it’s best if he leaves now. Charlie asks Rowan to take the baby so she doesn’t wake up Quinn. She instantly stops crying. Charlie asks Rowan how he did that. Rowan shows him how to hold the baby and to hum a little if she starts to fuss. Charlie’s baby finally looks up at him and grabs his face. Rowan may be bad with adults but he sure is good with babies!

 

Olivia finally emerges from the bedroom. She has written her resignation. She’s giving them what they want. Abby tells her that the letter is good and smart. Olivia says that it keeps Mellie clean. She tells them it will take time for B613. Time for Jake to dismantle it. She can’t be a part of that part. Olivia says that she’s not admitting she was wrong. She tried to listen to everything they said but she still can’t admit she was wrong. She can admit that she has to stop.

 

Liv apologizes. She says she wishes she could say it to Quinn. She’s the person that needs to hear it the most. Olivia is going to announce her resignation at the White House briefing that day. She doesn’t know what will happen after that. Fitz goes after her when she retreats back to the bedroom. She tells him she’s fine. He knows that she’s not.

 

Fitz tells Olivia that she’s doing the right thing. She always does. Fitz says that he’ll make the arrangements and they’ll head back to DC within the hour. Mellie found out that Liv was in Vermont the past 24-hours and tells Jake all about it when he storms her office the next morning. She has set a meeting with White House counsel. Jake tries to tell her what a bad idea that is.

 

Mellie tells Jake that Fitz spilled his DNA all over the White House and no one did anything about it. No one said anything. Should they have blown up Olivia’s plane?  Mellie is ready to take Olivia down. Mellie says that it’s not about B613, it’s about Olivia. She’s bad for the country. She tells Jake that if he can’t see that then he’s as big of a fool as she has been. Jake is then dismissed without a word out of him.

 

Jake arrives asking Olivia about Vermont. Liv tells him that it’s not what he thinks. Jake says that’s a relief because he thought she was rolling around in the leaves all weekend with her boyfriend. Jake says a coup was happening in the White House. Liv says that she got his messages and she’s up to speed. Jake asks her what she means. Liv tells him that it’s tomorrow’s problem.

 

Olivia kisses Jake and you can guess where they ended up next. We will say this triangle is getting a little old. Pick one Olivia. Jake or Fitz. Olivia tells Jake that she’s about to lose every last friend she’s ever had, except Jake. The White House briefing has begun but there is no sign of Liv. That’s because she’s otherwise engaged.

 

The intervention gang can’t figure out where Olivia is. David says that Olivia played them. Fitz tries to call Olivia but she doesn’t answer. The next morning, Olivia tells him that they need to get to work. She orders Jake to put a kill folder together and go to Mellie to shut everything down. Olivia says that if they remind Mellie of her sins to get her back in line.

 

Huck says that they have to turn Olivia in. Abby says that they don’t have the evidence. Marcus says if they don’t have concrete evidence then Mellie could go down with Olivia. He doesn’t want to be the one to take down the country’s first woman president. David says that he will try to keep Mellie covered. Fitz reminds them that prosecuting Olivia means exposing B613. That will put everyone’s confidence in democracy at risk.

 

The United States will no longer be a nation of the people, for the people, and by the people. Fitz tells Huck that it’s just not worth it. Jake takes Mellie her kill folder. Mellie asks him what the hell he thinks he’s doing. Jake tells her it’s all compliments of Olivia Pope. Mellie asks if Liv sent him to threaten her. Jake tells her that she did.

 

Jake says that he doesn’t feel that Mellie needs to be threatened. He thinks she needs to be advised. Advised on her survival. Jake tells her that she needs B613. She needs someone who will listen to her. Someone she can trust. Olivia arrives at the White House to find her stuff being removed from her office. She asks Cyrus what’s going on. Cyrus tells her that she has to tell him. Jake is moving his stuff into her office. Jake double-crossed her!

 

Olivia bursts into Mellie’s office and demands to know what she did. We’ll have to wait until next week to get Mellie’s answer but we have a feeling this is only the beginning of the surprises for Olivia Pope.