Scandal – Tick Tock

By starrymag | May 25, 2017

By: Nicole Dintelman

On the last episode of “Scandal” we learned that none other than Maya Pope (Khandi Alexander) was holding the purse strings for the rogue group that took out President-elect Frankie Vargas (Ricardo Chavira). Olivia (Kerry Washington) got her father (Joe Morton) to agree to help bring her mother down so they could question her to see if she was working for anyone else. It wasn’t like Maya to be the ringleader of such an operation so they knew she had to be working for someone. Rowan was reluctant to help. He didn’t want to be mixed up in anything else having to do with Olivia or the White House but when he saw it was Maya, he agreed.

 

Quinn (Katie Lowes) is also the new face of OPA. Olivia put her through a test to ensure she was capable of leading the team since she will be Mellie’s (Bellamy Young) Chief of Staff. She had to be sure that Quinn could take on the White House if push came to shove. Quinn did so and passed with flying colors. Quinn was able to get Fitz (Tony Goldwyn) to issue a pardon for a man that was serving a life sentence for a crime that he didn’t commit. It wasn’t a popular pardon and Olivia wouldn’t back Quinn on the issue, but Quinn went over Olivia’s head to get it done and that’s exactly what Olivia needed her to do.

 

This week’s episode starts off with David (Joshua Malina), Fitz, Olivia and Rowan tracking Maya through DC. Jake (Scott Foley) is out with his team ready to nab her when the opportunity presents herself. They’ve raided a warehouse, but Maya is nowhere to be found. However, they do find pictures and a map of her next target –  Mellie’s inauguration parade route. They’ve figured out that Mellie is Maya’s next target. Olivia breaks the news to Mellie and tells her that they may need to swear her in behind closed doors. Mellie tells her that’s unacceptable, not an option. Olivia tells her she’s going to make sure it doesn’t come to that.

 

OPA is on it to track Maya to find out where Maya is and upgrade their security. Jake, Rowan and David are also tracking their movements. Maya also left photos of a suspended secret service agent. It turns out she’s meeting him in a hotel for a little sexy time and that’s when Jake and his team nab her. Maya says that she’s not behind it, she’s trying to help Olivia. She’s only trying to protect Olivia. Yeah, we’ve heard that before. Maya tells Eli, through the glass, if something happens to Olivia it’s his fault.

 

A confined Maya is not a good thing. She knows that Eli is behind the glass watching her and she’s putting on quite a show. She has songs, ramblings of a truly crazy person, and pure hatred. Olivia wants her father to go in, but he says he has to let her wear herself out. Maya starts talking to herself like she’s trying to convince herself of something, including evil laughs and baby talk. She wants to know if she’s admirable or ridiculous. We’re thinking ridiculous. Maya starts saying “tick tock” over and over again. Okay, she’s totally lost it now.

 

Charlie (George Newbern) isn’t handing Quinn being in charge very well. Thankfully, before they can get too far into the discussion, Olivia comes in to give them a case. She’s hiring them to find out why Maya is really there and who she hired to shoot Mellie. Olivia goes back to the White House and Maya is still saying tick tock over and over. When she stops she starts talking about a trip they took to Ocean City. It was a family trip they took when Olivia was a little girl. This clues Rowan in that it’s now time for him to go in. Maya has finally cracked. Or at least he thinks she has.

 

Maya asks Rowan how she looks. We don’t think he wants to flirt Maya. He wants to know why you’re here. Maya tells Rowan that she’s there to do the job she trusted him to do: Protect their daughter. She tells him that he needs to listen instead of acting like he knows everything when he doesn’t. Rowan tells her that she left Olivia and she is not her mother. Maya says that she wouldn’t have risked her freedom if she knew she couldn’t make up for what she’s done to help her daughter. She would have stayed her ass at home. Maya swears she isn’t involved. She’s trying to get in his head and it’s working like a charm. Some women have it and this one does. Not many people can break Rowan but Maya Pope can.

 

Women from all over the United States are coming to D.C. to witness Mellie’s inauguration. Seeing the first woman being sworn in as President is truly historic. OPA is coming up empty with leads until they realize that there is someone still alive that was paid by the Super PAC to do dirty work. Quinn calls Abby (Darby Stanchfield) to bring all of the documents she has. Abby tells Quinn she wants to help and she never used any of the money that the group gave her.

 

Olivia tells Rowan that Maya will say anything to get under his skin. He tells Olivia to convince Mellie to take the swearing in underground and leave her mother locked away and forget about her. Rowan says it’s what’s best for her. Olivia tells him to go home and get some rest. Mellie goes to see Fitz to get his advice about the inauguration. Fitz says he would cancel. Mellie says she’s dreamed of this her entire life. Fitz tells her he wouldn’t cancel because he’s been through this before, he would cancel because he knows what it feels like to be shot. He also tells her it’s not up to him, it’s her decision. Isn’t it nice to see these two getting along so well? They get along better now than they did when they were married.

 

Charlie, Abby and Huck (Guillermo Diaz) still can’t find a link between Maya and the Super PAC that killed Frankie Vargas. Charlie says that people can change and Quinn says that people don’t change to which Abby agrees. Abby tells them that they’ve been looking in the wrong direction. She says they need to look at who was getting money, not who was giving money. Huck goes to tell Olivia what they’ve found. Maya wasn’t the one who was in charge. Maya is the assassin. Olivia goes to Maya for information, but she’s not giving her any information. What Olivia does next is truly shocking.

 

Olivia is choking her mother to death. If Jake hadn’t come in and pulled her off of Maya she would have killed her. Maya tells Olivia she understands and it’s okay. Jake tells Fitz and Mellie that things got out of hand and Olivia attacked Maya. Mellie goes out to check on Olivia and Olivia apologizes to Mellie. Mellie again tells her that she’s not canceling the inauguration. She tells Olivia that there are millions of women coming from all over the United States to see this accomplishment. Not only is it her accomplishment, it’s their accomplishment.

 

Fitz wants to press charges against Maya but Olivia wants to release Maya. She tells Fitz that they release her and track her. Fitz tells Olivia and Jake they figured out who is paying Maya, but they are not to release her. If we’ve learned anything about Olivia Pope it’s that she does what she wants, when she wants, and no man is going to control her. She did not listen to Fitz. Olivia releases Maya with Jake’s help. Jake is still doing whatever Olivia tells him, even if it gets him into trouble with the President.

 

Quinn tells Abby that she’s pregnant. She doesn’t know how far along she is or if she’s keeping the baby. Quinn tells Abby that she’s not sure if she’s fit to be a parent and thanks her for her help with the case. Abby needs a friend and it’s nice to see Quinn reaching out. Rowan comes over to yell at Olivia, but she tells him that she can’t tell him anything because his security clearance has been revoked. Rowan goes straight to Fitz to tell him what Olivia did. He also tells Fitz that he needs to reinstate B-613. Fitz says that he’d never give that power back to Rowan and Rowan tells Fitz that he doesn’t want it. Rowan tells Fitz that he should run it, someone needs to keep Olivia in check.

 

Jake lets Maya out of the van and asks her when they will know something and she tells him that they’ll know when they know. Well if that’s not ominous. Why are they trusting her again? Mellie is worried about the inauguration but Olivia tells her not to worry she has it handled. Olivia, we’re worried too. What have you done?