Cyrus really isn’t keeping it a secret that he hijacked his own plane on Scandal. After the incident, he all but told Olivia outright that he did it. And now, he’s basically telling anyone who he thinks he needs on his side to take down Mellie. In “The Noise,” questions arise about Olivia’s motives to bring down Cyrus, while Quinn has to make a tough decision between her country and her family.
Scandal Recap: Who Is the Real Threat in the White House?>>>
A Traitor Deal
While in custody, Charlie gets beat up to get a confession. Finally, Special Prosecutor Lonnie Macon, who is working with Cyrus, offers Charlie a deal. If he signs a confession, he’ll be able to walk away a free man. One catch, though, the confession states that Charlie was hired to assassinate the vice president, and the person who hired him was President Mellie Grant. Charlie tells Macon he won’t be a traitor and won’t take the deal.
A Partnership
Quinn goes to see Olivia after Charlie gets arrested. She says the QPA office is filled with federal investigators and is shut down during the investigation. Quinn can’t really stand to look at Olivia, but she suggests a partnership to save Charlie. Olivia agrees, and Quinn makes a point to say she’s doing it for Charlie, not Olivia.
The pair head to Olivia’s new partners, Fitz and Marcus. Okay, they aren’t really her new partners, but it sure does feel like that lately. QPA, Olivia, Marcus and Fitz put their heads together to prove that Cyrus staged his own assignation. Fitz suggests talking to Mellie to warn her what Cyrus is up to, while the rest of the team look into Macon’s past. Unfortunately, Macon has a clean record.
Later, when David Rosen confronts Macon about why he’s working with Cyrus, Macon tells him the story of his son getting killed in a mall shooting. He explains that while Mellie may be a very progressive president, she’s just like the rest when it comes to gun control. Mellie loves her guns.
Fitz goes to talk to Mellie, who doesn’t believe what he’s saying. She thinks Olivia is just trying to get back into the White House, and she doesn’t want to hear it. Meanwhile, Quinn gets a text from Cyrus, who she secretly meets with. He admits his plan, and wants her to get Charlie to sign the confession. She obviously tells him no, so then he plants the seed that the only reason Olivia wants Mellie to stay president is to get back into the Oval, not because she cares about Charlie. The words stick with Quinn as she goes back to her friends, and she gets into a fight with Olivia about choosing between Mellie and her family, which makes everyone uncomfortable.
After the heated argument, Huck goes to see Fitz. He questions whether the old Olivia is really back or if he’s just imagining it because he wants to believe she’s back. Fitz tells him he feels exactly the same way.
A New Plan
Even though she tells Fitz she doesn’t believe the Cyrus theory, when Mellie watches a brief interview of Cyrus on television and she starts to question whether it may be true or not. She asks Jake to see what he can dig up. Though he does warn Mellie this could be Olivia’s way to get back into the Oval.
Jake goes to see Cyrus, who pretty much immediately tells him that the rumors are true, and that he hijacked his own plane to bring Mellie down. He tells Jake that he has a plan that ends with him in the Oval Office, and there is a job for Jake in the Beene administration to work with him not for him. Jake tells Cyrus the plan is flawed. Cyrus then goes for the jugular, telling Jake that if he tells Mellie about his plan, then he will prove Olivia is right, and then she and Mellie will be a team again and he’ll be out. Cyrus tells Jake that he’ll always be the consolation prize. The wheels start turning in Jake’s head as Cyrus tells him the offer is only available for a limited time.
Later, Marcus decides to take a stab and getting Mellie to believe that Cyrus is trying to take her down. He promises her that Olivia is not trying to trick her, but rather, she’s trying to save her. Mellie admits she misses having Olivia in her corner. Marcus says that he’ll always be in Mellie’s corner, and the two share a moment. A moment that Jake spies on with the cameras in the Oval. That moment leads to Marcus and Mellie sleeping together, and makes Jake’s decision to side with Cyrus easy.
Meanwhile, Olivia asks Quinn to meet her at the QPA offices. After the two go into some detail about why Olivia did what she did at Rowan’s when Quinn was in the basement, Olivia apologizes. She tells Quinn that she no longer trusts her gut, but that she knows Quinn never lost her way. She adds that she will support Quinn with whatever she decides to do.
Quiz: Who Is Your TV Boss?>>>
Next Move
Quinn decides to tell Cyrus that she won’t tell Charlie to sign the confession. Cyrus tells her he no longer needs her help and that he has made alternate arrangements. He then tasks Jake with getting Charlie to sign the confession by any means necessary. Jake goes to see Charlie, who initially thinks that he’s there to get him out. Jake lets him know he’s working with Cyrus. Jake tells Charlie that he likes him and he likes Quinn, but he will kill Quinn to get Charlie to sign the confession. He tells Charlie that he broke the number one rule of B613 — no family. If you have family, you lose control. He adds that Charlie is no longer in control, so he must sign the confession, which he does.
The next day, after her night with Marcus, Mellie is served with a subpoena for her role in the plane hijacking. She rushes to Jake and tells him to fire Macon and bury the story before it hits the press. However, Jake tells Mellie she’s going down, and B613 no longer serves her. He then tells her good luck and walks out, as news of the subpoena hits the airwaves.
While speaking with Huck about what happened, Olivia gets a call to meet someone. Before she goes, Huck tells her that her next move is very important. And then Olivia goes to meet Mellie, who says she wants Olivia to be her Command again. And she wants her to kill Cyrus Beene.
Wow. The first half of the last season of Scandal was all about Olivia getting too big for her britches and now, everyone wants Olivia back in their lives. So, the question remains, is she really, truly sorry for what she’s done? Or is this really her way back into the Oval Office? Olivia is a great liar, and a great manipulator. Hell, that’s how she made her career. So, I really wouldn’t be surprised, if in the end, this was all just a power play to get her way back into the White House.
It’s interesting how easily Jake can flip sides. First, he’s with Fitz. Then, Olivia. Then Cyrus. Then Mellie. And now Cyrus again. He flip flops. He’s a “yes” man. But he’s also very interesting. Is he as power hungry as Olivia? He is Mellie’s number two. That’s a pretty good gig. It’s clear, he also believes that Olivia is just trying to worm her way into the Oval, which is why he sided with Cyrus.
Will Olivia kill Cyrus? Olivia has killed before, even if indirectly. So, why wouldn’t she kill Cyrus? Even though she wanted him as Mellie’s vice president, it’s clear she made the wrong call. So, maybe this is her way of fixing it all? With just three episodes left, I sure hope things get wrapped up. At this point, I’m rooting for Olivia to just move to Vermont already.
Do you think Olivia will kill Cyrus for Mellie? Are you surprised Jake sided with Cyrus? Do you think the old Olivia is back? What will happen now that Mellie trusts Olivia again? And do you think it was a smart idea for Mellie to sleep with Marcus? Let us know in the comments below.
Scandal airs Thursdays at 10/9c on ABC. Want more news? Like BuddyTV’s Scandal Facebook page.
(Image courtesy of ABC)
Contributing Writer, BuddyTV
