SCANDAL Recap: Where’s the Black Lady?

We waste no time getting to see just how crazy and thought out a plan the VP is running. This man traded out Secret Service agents all the way down to valets and butlers with people on his team. Fitz is basically a hostage in his own house. First Tom and now this – they need a better vetting process.
“It’d be a shame if Ms. Pope was beheaded.” Too far creepy Secret Service Spy, too far.

Fitz sounds all bad ass telling Andrew he won’t meet his demands until he gets proof of life but we see he’s shaking. That poor adulterous man. He gets his proof of life in the form of a video of Olivia, holding up a newspaper and reading from a script.

Across town Huck pays a visit to RNC Lizzy. He is scary Huck and threatens to cut her daughter open if she doesn’t tell him what she knows. She agrees to find out what she can about Olivia and confronts Andrew the next morning, genuinely surprised that this kidnapping has taken place.

Fritz is so desperate to get Olivia back he goes to see Tom for help. Tom tells him Olivia’s place is a “safe place” basically. Fitz meets Jake at Olivia’s and gives him the proof of life video to analyze. Jake and the Gladiators watch the video a million times before they see something. Now remember last week how I said Olivia was wily, well this time she is beyond wily. She uses a glass of water to get a reflection of Ian in the video. Thankfully she has Gladiators to pick up on this. “She’s dropping bread crumbs.”

No matter how often Huck runs the image of Ian nothing comes up. Huck can’t take this for an answer so he pays RNC Lizzy another visit. More threats ensue, along with a peek inside Huck’s tool box.

“We’re partners now.” Over at the White House Mellie finds Fitz drinking on the balcony. She wonders if he is still upset that she slept with Andrew. Nope that’s not it. He pulls her close and whispers what has happened to Olivia. “Your boyfriend has orchestrated a bona fide American coup.” Fitz says he has to let Olivia die, he can’t start a war, but Mellie questions his love and says if he loves Olivia he knows what he has to do.

The next morning Fitz announces the US going to war with West Angola rebels. Fitz confronts Andrew, who has the audacity to sit in Fitz’s chair in the Oval Office. He surmises Andrew is never going to let Olivia go. And why would he? He has a surefire way to get what he wants.

Back to bread crumbs – a friend of Lois (she is Olivia’s neighbor that was killed) comes looking for “the black lady” for help. Olivia has a spare key to Lois’s apartment and since Lois isn’t answering she wants that key to check on her. Quinn, Huck and Jake go check out Lois’s apartment and Huck finds Olivia’s ring, the one she left. Huck runs down one of the kidnappers from a wifi modem left in the apartment and discovers Ian’s identity.

RNC Lizzy pays Mellie a visit, she wants Mellie’s help so that Huck doesn’t kill her. Mellie has mercy on her and goes to see Andrew. Andrew says, “It’s gotta be me and you, in the Oval.” Like you can just “reuse” First Lady’s? Is that a thing? Just when it looks like Mellie is falling for his bullshit we see what really happened. She slept with Andrew and when he was passed out on the couch she stole his cell phones, gave them to RNC Lizzy, who gives it to Huck. The Gladiators use the phones to track where Andrew has been calling and triangulate where Olivia is being held.

David Rosen and his “ten gallon white hat” orchestrate a DEA drug raid on the facility they think Olivia is at. That gives them the manpower they would need should they be met with multiple hostiles. Jakes tags along with the DEA agents, since it was his idea, only Olivia isn’t there anymore. It was the correct building, they are just too late.

Olivia spends the episode “Poping” her kidnapper. She hears him say “their demands” and realizes Ian isn’t in control; he is working for someone else. Olivia asks him what he thinks she would be worth on the open market. Own Olivia. Own the President. “Do you want to be a babysitter or do you want to be a boss.” She has his attention. In fact Ian lets Olivia get cleaned up, puts her on a private plane and let’s Olivia call Fitz. She only gets to say “Hi” before Ian informs Fitz that he is auctioning off Olivia to the highest bidder and he’s welcome to join in.

Huck who is monitoring things at Pope & Associates starts to pick up on chatter, which was Olivia’s plan, another bread crumb. Now Huck can follow the chatter and find Olivia.

Scandal airs 9/8c on ABC