SCANDAL Recap: Baby Made a Mess

Fitz misses Olivia so what does he do? He calls her every night. He just wants to spend time with her. She however does not want to discuss, at all, what may or may not happen with them until she is sure, super-duper sure Jake is being taken care of. Three meals, some sunlight, etc…

While Olivia is fending off phone advances from The President, Quinn heads over to Winslow’s house to question him about his daughter. She posits that Kaitlyn came to talk to him about the affair his wife was having and she must have over heard something that she wasn’t supposed to. She grabbed the folder of Olivia Pope pictures and took off, that’s why they killed her. Quinn wants to know what is going on but all he will say is, “You can’t stop what’s coming.” It’s all very apocalyptic of him, and then he SHOOTS HIMSELF, in the head. I am not sure I understand where this storyline is going or what the point of it is but the man shot himself right in front of Quinn. So that’s all kinds of bad.

Meanwhile at the White House Senator McDonnell resigns after a rather incriminating video of him surfaces. Rumor has it Putney is going to be the Presidents pick to run for the open Senate seat. The problem is Putney is Abby’s ex-husband. So that’s all kinds of bad. By the way that is going to be the theme of the episode, I can feel it.

Huck is at OPA still playing video games with his son via the internet but he is needed in the conference room. Olivia is worked up; she keeps calling Rosen – who isn’t answering her calls – to find out information about Jake. Quinn is there as well and she tells Huck she hasn’t told Olivia about the envelope or the fact that Winslow shot himself yet. So that’s all kinds of bad.

Olivia’s phone finally rings and it’s Abby. She calls Olivia to the White House where she finds Abby on the floor behind her desk. She may have smiled at her ex in the Oval Office but immediately after that she threw up in the bathroom, partly on herself. That’s how freaked out Abby is about seeing him. “What am I supposed to do, say Mr. President the man that you publically endorsed for the Senate used to beat the crap out of me?” Poor Abby and I actually mean that. Poor Abby. Olivia asks Abby what she wants and Abby says there is no way with everything else that is going on as well as how connected Putney is that Olivia can “fix” this. Olivia says, “Watch me.” Oh Abby of little faith.

At the VFW Olivia finds a campaign office of sorts set up for Susan, she is the person who will be running against Putney for Senate. It is a sad group of volunteers and handmade signs. Olivia takes charge. She pulls Susan aside and lays it out, “Do you know why that matters, Susan, that I think you have promise? Because I’m Olivia Pope.” And with that Olivia is running Susan’s campaign for free. She will take Putney down one way or another. So that’s all kinds of bad (for Putney). It’s too bad he’s such a woman beating ass too because he is played by the every swoon worthy Michael Trucco.

No time is wasted in putting Olivia’s plan in action. She has the team run it, makeovers, digging up dirt, etc…

Leo stops by Abby’s office and wants to know what the deal is with Abby and her ex. Did I mention Leo is running Putney’s campaign? He brazenly thinks Abby should address the sexual tension he is sure she feels between them. If the look on her face is any indication she is not as amused as he looks.

Cyrus and his hair are still doing Michael and his abs. However, now Cyrus is skeptical, so he tells Michael a few things that are untrue in order to see if RNC Lizzy ends up with the information. RNC Lizzy immediately goes to see Mellie. This is really going to piss Cyrus off.

Rosen finally gets back to Olivia, it’s still early but he may have the line of the night. “Dahmer was in Super Max. That place holds people who eat people. You want to what just waltz in there wearing all your white stuff, have a seat in one of the cells and drink tea with Jake.” At Olivia’s silence Rosen worries he’s been Poped already. She confirms that is true, oh and she doesn’t want to visit Jake. Next thing you see she is in the Warden’s office visiting Tom.

Tom is a little creepy in this scene. He calls Olivia Helen of Troy, the face that launched a thousand ships. Olivia just wants to know who put him up to killing Jerry Jr. Tom though isn’t listening to her. He goes on about how Fitz’s whole world revolves around Olivia so why did she leave him. Olivia wants to get back on track but Tom is having none of it. He tells Olivia how broken Fitz was when she left. He also mentions Fitz’s suicide attempt. “I could protect him from everyone but you.” Olivia is silent, well that is until Tom calls Command a god. Helen of Troy’s father was a god…That is where Olivia has had it. She offers to save his life, protect him from Command in exchange for the truth. Tom doesn’t break though. He just says Jake’s name and sits in silence as she leaves.

Back at the Susan Ross for Senate campaign Olivia has a TV ad shot and run on channels everywhere. Cyrus watches the ad with Putney, Leo and Abby. Abby can’t stop smiling when Cyrus says Susan Ross is gaining traction. The smile isn’t lost on Putney who confronts Abby in the parking garage as she is leaving. He talks with a pretty unassuming drawl and keeps stepping into Abby’s space while spouting nonsense in a way I imagine wife beaters who think they are above the law would. Abby may be shaken but she isn’t the same Abby he was married to. She reaches into her car and pulls out a gun. Putney has enough brains left to leave without taunting her further. Good thing too because as soon as he turns around Abby starts to shake.

Abby runs right over to Pope & Associates to tell Olivia. She is still on adrenalin high but quickly starts to falter. The people that stand up and tell their story, the Anita Hill’s they fade away. She doesn’t want to fade away. I’m worried for Abby and her state of mind.

When Olivia gets home she barely has a moment to sit down before Fitz calls. He has a report about how Jake is doing, what he is eating and how he spends his time. Olivia brings up what Tom told her about his suicide attempt. Fitz is silent as their song starts to play in the background. Olivia wants to talk about this but Fitz just wants to know what exactly “hope” means. In fact he thinks if she wasn’t just saying that to save Jake’s life she should get her behind over to the White House to prove it. He may be a little tipsy but he has a very clear idea of what he thinks they could do together. You know to…make up. The gist is she would end up spread out on the desk in the Oval Office. It’s all working for Olivia. She is sucked into the conversation only to have Fitz hang up before getting to the “finish”. Poor frustrated Olivia.

In another part of the White House Ethan, on the order of Cyrus, has spent the last day or so watching everything RNC Lizzy had to say. Anything that would reveal the wrong information Cyrus and his hair told Michael and his abs. Ethan can find nothing. Cyrus is very pleased.

And in yet another part of the White House Leo pays Abby a visit. He has dug up some stuff on Susan Ross and he plans to use it to further Putney’s campaign. He actually uses the word, Yahtzee, to punctuate his point. Leo is so excited Olivia Pope is going to lose. That is until Abby tells him how she nearly died from Putney beating the crap out of her. Jaw wired shut for a month, two front teeth knocked out and other bad bad things. Leo is appropriately silenced.

Olivia gets home to find her Dad in her living room. Apparently people show up in her home so often she doesn’t even have it in her to look surprised. When she tells him to go home he has the nerve to yell that she doesn’t get to disrespect him. He is at the center of all that is evil but hey, she better use her manners. Messed up family. Messed up. “When I strike it is precise and it is for a reason.” Let’s go back for a second. He at this moment is striking out at Jake because he had the nerve to do his daughter and take his job. So his reason for striking out is really self-serving. He is going on though like he is the giver of life, the bringer of hope and the protector of the universe. If he pulled out a cape and named himself some sort of masked crusader I would not be surprised at all. This nonsense.

That night in jail Tom gets a visit from a guard who says he has a message from Command and then stabs Tom and leaves him bleeding on the floor of his cell.

Mellie the next morning is talking to a reporter about picking out china for the White House when she takes it upon herself to drop that untrue intel Michael and his abs told RNC Lizzy. Cyrus and his hair are watching this and he is so not happy. That may be an understatement. So that’s all kinds of bad.

Abby is sitting alone in the press room when Leo shows up to tell her the good news. Putney pulled his bid for Senator. Someone (Leo) leaked the fact that Putney set up the last Senator McDonnell, paid the girl in the video and everything. Leo did this for Abby. She shows her appreciation by sharing a kiss with him. Leo is an annoying ambitious man but he apparently isn’t a complete monster.

Fitz finds Mellie on the balcony. He wants to chastise her for her talk with the reporter earlier but she cuts him off. He wanted her back, she’s back. She supported him for 20 years and it took only 2 months for him to get tired of holding her up. She isn’t going to forgive and forget. There might have been more to say but Fitz’s phone rings interrupting. It’s Olivia.

Olivia visited Tom in the infirmary, he’s ready to talk. Olivia tapes the exchange and plays it for Fitz. Fitz wants to know why Tom is talking now and Olivia says she handled him. We see Olivia telling Tom he is a loose end and Quinn paying the guard that stabbed Tom. She set the whole thing up to get him to talk. Command is in trouble if Olivia puts her considerable talent for manipulating situations into full effect.

Speaking of like father like child…Huck gets a late night visitor at Pope & Associates, his son. He tracked Huck down by following his IP address. He knows Huck is his father. I’m wondering what kind of woman knows Huck is out there and a little unstable and lets her son wonder around DC at night. Not the point of this story though.

We end the episode with Jake being brought to that secret bunker of Fitz’s where Olivia and Fitz meet with him. It looks like they will plot Command’s demise together. So that’s all bad – for Command.

Scandal airs 9/8c on ABC