Liv attempts to keep her role in Rashad’s death a secret, but things get complicated when Quinn disappears on her wedding day. Full recap of Scandal, “Vampires and Bloodsuckers” (first aired Thursday, November 9 at 9pm ET|PT on ABC).
“Vampires and Bloodsuckers” begins in the aftermath of President Rashad’s and Yasmeen’s deaths in the airplane explosion. We get flashes of those final moments as Liv comes to tell Mellie the bad news. Liv hands Mellie a file that must detail the explosion, because Mellie becomes agitated. She demands to see her Secretary of State, Directors of the CIA/FBI, and the Bashrani ambassador. Mellie refuses to let Liv touch her or offer support. The we get a flashback of Liv’s–when Jake comes to tell her that he’s arranged for the plane explosion. Yes, you guessed it! Liv and Jake made a separate arrangement with the rebels in power in Bashran. The would sign Mellie’s disarmament treaty in exchange for Rashad’s death.
Liv helps to make arrangements for Rashad’s and Yasmeen’s remains to be transported to Bashran, but she won’t actually be at Andrew’s Air Force Base to see the bodies off. Quinn and Charlie are getting married tomorrow and that’s Liv’s priority.
Elsewhere, Cyrus is doing the walk of shame thing, leaving Fenton’s home after sexy times and an offer for a $3,000 omelette. Booty calls are tough when you’re the VP, but Cy has to go. He’s just been called to the Oval regarding Rashad’s death. Fenton doesn’t want to be kept in the dark, even though he doesn’t have a security clearance. Cyrus agrees to talk… and tells him about a crypt beneath the White House where Warren Harding and Millard Fillmore get their vampire on.
That night, Liv meets Quinn at the Jefferson Memorial. Quinn has been trying to get in touch all day, and Liv believes it’s because of wedding jitters. She gives Quinn a gift, her “something borrowed”–a hairpin that belonged to Bess Truman (Harry Truman’s wife). But Quinn isn’t having any of it. She knows that it was Liv who had Rashad’s plane blown up, and Quinn is disgusted that innocent Yasmeen was caught in the crossfire. Liv tries to get Quinn to keep quiet about things she knows nothing about. Sometimes Liv will have to make the calls no one else is willing to make… including taking Lizzie Dwyer across the country and turning her into Quinn Perkins. Still, Quinn can’t believe she ever admired Liv. “Your OPA was never about justice. Mine will be.”
Liv tells Quinn she needs to focus on her family, Charlie, her baby, even Liv, herself. Quinn needs to go home, get some sleep, get married in the morning and move on. Liv gets back into her car to go home, but you can tell that the conversation was a tough one for her.
The next morning, Jake reassures Liv that they made the right call. The only way to salvage the treaty was the deal with the rebels. Liv agrees–everything will blow over soon.
When Mellie arrives at Andrews AFB to see Rashad’s and Yasmeen’s bodies off, the cameras record it all. Quinn watches this on TV as she’s getting dressed for the wedding, but she’s getting more and more distressed.
At QPA, Huck is being a bit of a bridezilla getting ready for the wedding. After all, he’s the MOH and Best Man!
Huck is the Best Man and the Maid of Honor!
"Cut him some slack." #sCANDAL pic.twitter.com/aON9aj16RM— Scandal (@ScandalABC) November 10, 2017
Charlie soon arrives and gives Huck a Best Man girl, cufflinks with the letter “H.” But things take a turn. Abby had gone to pick up Quinn from her apartment and she’s not there. Abby calls Huck and Liv because Quinn left her engagement ring behind too. She’s on the run! Liv locks herself in the bathroom for a mini-freak-out session.
Has Quinn gone missing…on her wedding day?! ? #Scandal pic.twitter.com/hkTBHL69qJ
— Scandal (@ScandalABC) November 9, 2017
Charlie refuses to believe Quinn has left him at the altar, so to speak. Marcus suggests that maybe Quinn is reacting to grief over Yasmeen’s death, but he’s doubtful. Huck has his own plan and leaves for Quinn’s apartment to do a B613-search for clues. Huck finds that on Quinn’s laptop there’s a secret file of her investigating Rashad’s murder (like photos of people who were on the tarmac when the plane exploded). Quinn didn’t run, she was taken.
Liv is so freaked out that she calls Jake to meet her at QPA. He believes that Quinn is buying herself time to build a case. Liv asks Jake to find Quinn and bring her in. For the time being, Liv will manage her old team to keep them from getting too close to the truth. Let me tell you, Liv is a masterful actress.
Charlie finds it difficult to maintain his confidence. He sends the caterers away and reflects on how much time he spent putting his vows together (even though, in the end, he decides to wing it). Abby assures Charlie that they will find Quinn and they will have their wedding. He helps the team to put together a timeline of Quinn’s whereabouts, including a walk to the DC War Memorial (this is where she meets Liv!).
Interestingly, Curtis arrives at QPA looking for Quinn. She left him a message. Huck tries to get Curtis to leave, but Liv intervenes. If Quinn contacted Curtis, she must really be trying to expose Liv! Liv is able to convince Curtis to share what he knows (appealing to her supposed frienship with Quinn), but in the end he still plans to investigate Quinn’s claims about Americans being responsible for Rashad’s death.
Jake learns that Sergeant Brian Ladd is the one who said something to Quinn about Americans being responsible for Rashad’s death. Jake uses this as an opportunity. He kills Ladd and then Liv spins a tale to the rest of QPA about Ladd’s connection to Fenton Glackland.
Abby goes straight to Cyrus for information on Glackland and she learns of their relationship. He doesn’t at all think Fenton could be responsible to killing Rashad and kidnapping Quinn. Then Cy thinks back to his earlier conversation with Fenton and his wanting a security clearance. Fenton is the one who convinced Cy to vote against the war in Bashran and Fenton even has investments there. Cyrus shares all this with QPA… but Charlie is already on his way to go B613 all over Fenton’s behind with a bag of fruit. YIKES.
That night, David brings news that Ladd is dead. Did Fenton do it? Huck also links another call Quinn makes and they deduce that, when Quinn was at the War Memorial, her kidnapper was there too… Fenton. Cy takes the opportunity to vouch for the fact that Fenton was with him during that time. Fenton might be innocent! David Rosen suggests calling in a favor to the park police to help them get the surveillance video. And Huck is able to stop Charlie before he does permanent damage to Fenton (but any torture time with a former B613 agent is bound to leave a lot of scars).
But who has Quinn? Things get even worse when the surveillance footage cuts out before they can see who Quinn met at the memorial. Jake comes through for Liv again… Charlie freaks all the way out and demands that all the wedding decorations be removed.
Throughout the episode, Mellie has a tough time with Rashad’s death. When Ambassador Marashi comes to the Oval Office, he speaks on behalf of the new government to say they will agree to the disarmament treaty under two conditions. Dakal must also agree and Mellie must recognize them as Bashran’s legitimate government. Mellie is heated and has a message of her own. She refuses the terms and promises to hunt these rebels and make them pay for killing Rashad (which they deny). Jake watches this exchange and knows that the plan he and Liv worked to secure might be in trouble. From Mellie’s POV, she’s been all but abandoned by her Chief of Staff.
She tries to hire Jake to do a side-job for her (to kill Bashrani rebels), but Jake implies that he already has a side-job… and Mellie now knows his B613 affiliation. Instead, Mellie does to Marcus for his advice, but he’s hella confused. Why would Mellie want revenge against the Bashrani rebels for Rashad. He’s dead and he was just one man. Mellie had a chance to achieve peace in the region, why would she look for excuses to do the wrong time? “It’s lonely at the top.”
It can be very lonely at the top. pic.twitter.com/NZQnsrhcjK #Scandal
— Scandal (@ScandalABC) November 12, 2017
Mellie eventually calls Ambassador Marashi back and says that she will agree to the new government’s terms, but that she will be setting the terms of the new treaty, without negotiation.
In the end, Etta James “At Last” (a wedding song with no wedding) plays as Cyrus comforts Fenton… those damn vampires. Huck commiserates with Charlie over drinks. Despite trying to avoid David, Abby accepts his comfort and they share a kiss.
But Jake finds something, a single frame recovered from the corrupted security footage at QPA–Quinn in the elevator heading up to the wedding. She didn’t run and she really was taken… by who?!
"She was taken." ? #Scandal pic.twitter.com/lwZFlVl6jh
— Scandal (@ScandalABC) November 10, 2017
Next week’s episode is the midseason finale, titled “Something Borrowed” (written by Mark Fish and directed by Sharat Raju), promises “shocking revelations and jaw-dropping events that will leave everyone reeling.” Oh my!
What did you think of tonight’s episode? Share your thoughts and speculations in comments!
Scandal airs Thursdays at 9p/8c on ABC.
