SCANDAL Recap: The State of the Union

Jake and Olivia open this week’s Scandal with a jog and what do you discuss while you’re jogging – booty calls of course. Since they are back in DC Jake has gotten himself his own place, a hotel not far from Olivia’s. “I’m not going to live in your apartment waiting to service you. I have things to do. I’m busy.” I’m skeptical, what exactly does Jake have to do? Olivia insists she isn’t the type of girl that does booty calls. It has been my experience that when someone protests it’s because they do in fact do what they insist they don’t.

Cyrus is sitting on a bench not far from Olivia and Jake so Jake leaves her to go talk to him. Now I am sure Cyrus is saying something important but for the life of me all I can think about is his hair. What is going on? It’s flopping about his head like it is its own character! Focus Leah. Focus. He needs Olivia to do a job for him. Get the couple who are going to be Fitz’s guests of honor at the State of the Union address to DC. They are in New Mexico and so far have missed more than one flight. The State of the Union is tomorrow night. She has to work quickly.

Over at OPA Huck, Quinn and Olivia are running the mission. This couple is so important because they are there to support Fitz’s gun control policy. James Elliot is a war hero and Lisa was an elementary school teacher. There was a shooting at her school and while she saved a number of children she ended up shot, leaving her paralyzed from the waist down. No wonder Fitz wants them there for his gun control talk. Olivia heads to New Mexico. What she finds there is a couple who are not at all the perfect happy couple they are portrayed to be. Picture flying insults and glassware. Olivia tells them to suck it up and get on the plane.

Back at the White House RNC Lizzy and our dear VP are upset. Lizzy can’t believe the President is going to tout gun control at the State of the Union. He is a Republican for heaven sakes! First equal pay (which for some reason she is against) then a Democrat for Attorney General and now this. The horror! Lizzy wants to know where Fitz is but all Cyrus will say is he is busy.

He’s busy sitting in a car at his son’s cemetery while Mellie mourns. She has on her Uggs and sweats and has traded in her cereal box for potato chips. Unfortunately for her a reporter gets a few pictures of her in this state of mess. The story goes viral.

Across town Jake is talking to Rosen. Jake wants all of the paperwork associated with Harrison’s murder. He doesn’t think it went down the way it is being reported. For a second Jake is that badass B613 guy again and Rosen cowers. It works well for me. Poor Rosen.

Back from New Mexico, Olivia is doing press about how great a couple the Elliot’s are. She is of course questioned about the state of Mellie’s mental health and says, “Just because a private moment is made public doesn’t give us the liberty to pass judgment.” Unfortunately this is the same thing she said to Cyrus earlier who passed that same statement on to Abby. Abby sees the newscast and calls Liv. She is still mad apparently and tells Olivia not only does she not work at the White House anymore she doesn’t know everything and to stay out of her business. She brings up all of the things Olivia doesn’t know like, “Huck and Quinn were incesting all over the office…” That one gives Olivia pause and it makes me giggle.

Fitz and Cyrus try to talk a fried chicken eating Mellie into putting her chicken down and perhaps putting on a clean shirt so she can make an appearance at the State of the Union address. She thinks not, she will not be playing the dutiful wife.

Somewhere on the Hill the Attorney General confirmation hearing is taking place. It is not going smoothly for Rosen. The most vocal “opponent” is Al Watson. If they can get his vote Rosen is in. Unfortunately Watson is vicious. Rosen however has it under control. When Watson wonders why Rosen would leave a prestigious job to teach high school Rosen likens himself to Jordan leaving the Bulls to play baseball. It’s so similar. So very similar.

In a hotel room someplace in DC Huck and Quinn are babysitting the feuding Elliot’s. Mrs. Elliot poignantly states that, “We were in love.” Before the camera pans to Fitz in the Oval Office watching Olivia on TV. He has it muted and is just staring at her. Olivia isn’t thinking about Fitz though, she is thinking about Jake. She calls him but won’t admit it is a booty call. She wants him to come back to her apartment and stay with her, but he declines. She is welcome to mosey her way over there though. He however will not be summoned. Jake hangs up on her and continues going through all of the paperwork that Rosen pulled on Harrison’s case.

Lizzy stops by Cyrus’s office to advise him that Watson is going to get the following file – it is the fake domestic abuse charge against Rosen. Lizzy assures Cyrus she feels bad but with this kind of issue, Rosen really isn’t Attorney General material. She wants Rosen to decline the nomination. So Cyrus and Abby talk to Rosen. Rosen reminds them that the whole story was fabricated by Olivia. Cyrus says it is over.

Cyrus ends his day in a bar drinking away his sorrows when he gets hit on by a good looking gentleman. Cyrus turns him down, but this is important so keep it in mind…

Things in the Elliot’s hotel room are deteriorating. Huck is drinking and he snaps at Quinn. Quinn pulls him into one of the rooms of the suite and apologizes for finding Huck’s family for him. She brings up the teeth pulling incident which Huck responds to by saying, “You could never mind your own business.” Basically that is what happens to nosey bitches – they get their teeth pulled out. They appear to be about to get all “incesty” as Abby would put it when they hear noise from the other room. Looks like Mrs. Elliot stabbed Mr. Elliot in the leg with a corkscrew. That’s not nice. Not nice at all.

Meanwhile, Rosen, tired of always doing the right thing and getting beat down for it borrows a B613 black = crap your pants and wait for someone to come kill you scary file and goes and visits Watson.
Watson: This is blackmail
Rosen: I like to think of it as winning.
And win he does. Watson puts his endorsement behind Rosen while a stunned and pissed VP and Lizzy watch.

Abby tells Cyrus the Elliot’s aren’t going to go to the pre-reception, Cyrus isn’t worried, Olivia is on it. Now this is something I don’t get, Abby can’t believe that Cyrus has that much faith in Olivia. Seriously? Until a few months ago Abby worked with Olivia she knows exactly what Olivia is capable of doing. She needs to stop being such a bitter betty. Anyway, what is bothering Cyrus is Mellie. She won’t stop eating her fried chicken long enough for people to stop focusing on the mental state of the First Family.

Of course Cyrus is right, Olivia heads over to the hotel room and talks to the Elliot’s. She has had enough. What the Elliot’s need is divorce and after they do divorce Olivia will spin their lives for them so that they maintain the public’s affection. In exchange they will get it together and get over to the State of the Union.

Now I’m not always a fan of Abby’s, however, she said everything right in this next scene. She goes to talk to Mellie who is not receptive to putting down her magazine and putting on a cocktail dress. Abby will not be deterred though. She snatches the magazine and proceeds to explain to Mellie that children die. There will be a lot of people watching the State of the Union who have been through the same thing Mellie has been through. They however don’t have the luxury of mourning for three months. Maybe, if they were lucky, they got three weeks, probably more like three days before they had to go back to work. Abby goes on to tell Mellie she may not think so but she does in fact have a job, she is First Lady.

It’s State of the Union time. Fitz shakes hands with the Elliot’s before requesting a moment alone with Olivia. He wants Olivia’s opinion on his speech before he goes out there. She suggests a few things and Fitz takes her advice and adlibs the beginning of his speech. He talks about his own grief for a moment. They pan up and Mellie is seen sitting next to the Elliot’s. She is done up and smiles and waves appropriately to the standing ovation she receives. Looks like Abby got through to her.

After the speech Mellie heads out into the White House only to break down. Fitz is there for her, holding her as she sobs uncontrollably. If Bellamy Young doesn’t get an Emmy nomination this year I will be upset. Her work as Mellie is amazing.

Jake is still in his hotel room looking at the Harrison file. Just when you think there is nothing to find he sees a video of Charlie. That doesn’t bode well. His find is interrupted by a knock at the door. It’s Olivia. She has wine. She insists this isn’t a booty call and if she wants to summon him she will. She drops the coat she’s wearing, “Come here to me.” Wearing nothing but her pretty boots Jake takes her on the desk.

Meanwhile Cyrus and his hair are in a hotel with the guy from the bar. Bar guy says he is a hooker. He says sex-worker but I’m going to stick with hooker. Cyrus can’t do this so the guy leaves only to walk up to RNC Lizzy’s car to tell her he is making progress. She’s wily. However Cyrus, having basically done this same thing to trap Sally Langston’s husband should know better.

And that’s that. What did you guys think?

Scandal airs 9/8c on ABC