Liv, Charlie, Huck, and Abby struggle with the possibility that Quinn is dead. But when Liv finds out who is responsible for the kidnapping, getting Quinn back becomes even more complicated. Full recap of Scandal, “Something Borrowed” (first aired Thursday, November 16 at 9pm ET|PT on ABC).
“Something Borrowed” begins with a flashback of Quinn arriving at QPA on her wedding day and getting into the elevator. As she makes her way up, it isn’t long before the elevator jerks to a stop, the lights go out, and a masked man drops in from the shaft and knocks Quinn out. She really has been taken.
None of the Gladiators are doing well in the aftermath of Quinn’s disappearance. Charlie searches through profiles of unidentified women who have been found by police. Huck tries to distract him by discussing his design for a fidget-spinner with razor blades (WHAT?!). Huck even offers to let Charlie test it on the people who took Quinn when they get her back. Charlie is less optimistic about that possibility, but Huck has hope. But if they do rescue Quinn, Charlie just plans to be old-school with beating up those responsible and watching them contract tetanus. They’re interrupted by Abby who has news about a body who was found in Germantown who matches Quinn’s description.
At the White House, Liv is prepping Mellie for another round of interviews. The disarmament treaty has been agreed upon by all parties and they’re just a few days from signing. Mellie asks about Quinn, but Liv assures her that other people are taking care of the search. When Liv returns to B613, Jake reports that there aren’t any leads. She is adamant that every single resource they have be committed to searching for Quinn, to which Jake agrees. Liv is struggling though. When she returns to her apartment that night, Charlie is waiting with news of the body that was found. Charlie is falling apart and likens his feelings to playing Russian Roulette. How many more dead bodies of pregnant women can he look at? Maybe Quinn really is dead. While they’re talking, he gets a phone alert that Quinn’s due date is tomorrow. Liv refuses to confirm that for Charlie and tries to encourage him to have hope that Quinn will be found. He thanks her and leaves, but Liv… she’s so overcome, she can barely fit the key in the door, her hands are shaking so much.
When Charlie goes to Germantown, he insists on seeing the actual body. It’s not Quinn. Huck and Abby are waiting for Charlie, who is even more demoralized.
Cyrus invites Abby to meet him at the White House. He wants to confirm that Fenton won’t file charges against Charlie. Fenton has gone out of town to his ranch in Montana to recuperate (though he gives Cyrus a scented candle to remember him by). Cyrus feels guilty about ever thinking that Fenton could be a killer. Abby reminds him that the intel linked someone who was on the tarmac when Rashad died as a former employee of Fenton’s. The intel came directly from the NSA, AKA Jake Ballard. This rings a bell for Cyrus. Soon after Cy meets up with Jake in the hallway and suggests that maybe Jake is overwhelmed with responsibilities. After all, the intel regarding Fenton was wrong. Cy did some digging of his own and there was no connection between that guy on the tarmac and Fenton. Jake admits that mistakes can happen, and Cy suggests power-napping to help keep him sharp. Yet, Cyrus is still suspicious.
Jake meets Liv at her office and tries to absolve her of blame. Besides, he’s more concerned about Curtis Pryce. What has Quinn told him? They’re interrupted by Liv’s assistant with a message that Papa Pope needs an urgent meeting. Liv meets him at a restaurant and she’s clearly impatient. She tells Papa Pope that Quinn is missing, so she doesn’t have time to chat. But Quinn isn’t missing–Papa Pope has her. (OMG) The reckoning Papa Pope promised is here. He wants his freedom and his bones back, and if not, he’ll kill Quinn. Papa Pope believes this is a checkmate because Liv loves Quinn and is the godmother of her child. Liv tries to seize control of the situation. She tells her father to never to waste her time again, to sit and wait until she tells him the next steps. But Papa Pope isn’t bluffing.
According to Jake, they shouldn’t be waiting around. He can lead a raid on Papa Pope’s house to liberate Quinn. Liv believes they can wait her father out. He’ll give Quinn back. Jake decides to go visit Papa Pope himself. Jake issues a warning that Rowan can’t win this. If Rowan isn’t careful, he, Quinn, and the baby will all end up dead. Papa Pope insists he’ll see this plan through to the end. When Jake returns to the B613 command center, Liv is livid. Now Papa Pope thinks she’s scared and they’ve lost the upper hand. Jake can’t believe Liv still doesn’t know that Rowan will kill Quinn without batting an eyelash. Liv needs to make a decision and do so now.
Liv does make a decision. She goes to get advice from someone who might know how to get out of this situation with Papa Pope. MAMA POPE. Yep. Liv is keeping her mother under lock and key, with security guards, in a swanky apartment. Mama Pope seems happy to see Liv and confirms that she has access to good food and TV. Mama is impressed that Liv seems to have it all, Chief of Staff and Command. Liv tells Mama Pope everything about Papa Pope, Quinn, and the bones. Mama gets a good laugh out of it. When Liv asks for help, Mama Pope asks what she’d get out of it. Liv responds: “You can either be my mother, or a bitch. What’s it gonna be?” When Mama Pope stays silent, Liv gets up to leave. Mama Pope tells Liv to sit her “dramatic ass” down and then she spills all the tea. According to Mama, the truth is that Liv wants Papa Pope to kill Quinn. It would tie up all the loose ends with the Rashad assassination, plus Papa Pope would know that he can’t extort her. Mama Pope says Liv has come to her for permission to let the clock run out. And it’s true, that’s how Liv can beat Rowan and stay Command, “let her die.”
Mama's back! #Scandal pic.twitter.com/ZL5wKGnp1m
— Scandal (@ScandalABC) November 17, 2017
That night, Liv has a massive panic attack in bed. Can she actually let Quinn be killed?
Fitz and Marcus are still in DC working on their foundation. They watch Mellie’s TV interviews and Marcus is excited. She’s going to have so much political capital from the success of the treaty negotiation. Marcus suggests that Fitz reaches out to Mellie for help bringing attention to their work on criminal justice reform. Fitz is quite hesitant. It’s clear that the dressing down he got from Mellie (and Liv) has taken a toll. Later, Marcus goes to see Mellie to ask for her help getting traction on Fitz’s projects about issues of mass incarceration. When Mellie hesitates, Marcus suggests that it’s only because Fitz’s name is attached. Isn’t she better than this? Mellie doesn’t appreciate being lectured by Marcus and tells him to leave. Eventually, Mellie does decide to work with Fitz on criminal justice reform.
Elsewhere, Abby and David decide to take a risk and give their relationship another go (though David expresses some concern with the violence and death circle QPA).
Curtis Pryce receives a call from Liv’s assistant saying that she has a scoop for him about Liv. He meets her at a hotel room, where they have drinks before talking. She must have put something in his drink because the next time we see Curtis, he’s passed out. The assistant places a call to Jake to let him know Curtis has been handled. (So B613 agents are literally everywhere!) The next day, as Cy waits for a meeting with Mellie and notices a news report that Curtis Pryce is missing. Jake walks up on him and expresses his condolences. It’s a shame that this is what happens with people snitch and make enemies. This is clearly a message to Cyrus. WELPS.
Liv and Jake share some wine and commiserate. She shares how tired she is of playing this never-ending games and secrecy involved with being Command. Jake tries to focus her on the fact that Papa Pope’s deadline is tomorrow. Liv knows that she can’t let Quinn die, but she can’t give Papa Pope his bones back either. It’s about power that she can’t let her father exercise over her. Then Jake says she should just kill Papa Pope, and get rid of the problem. Liv needs to decide for once whether she’ll be Command or not. She tells him to get out.
The next day, Liv is with Mellie preparing for the treaty signing. Mellie wants Liv to be at the event with her to celebrate what they’ve achieved. Six U.S. presidents tried to achieve this, but thanks to Liv, Mellie is the one to achieve the greater good. Mellie reminds Liv that she is a champion: “You and me together, nothing, no one, no man standing in our way.”
When time runs out, Papa Pope summons Liv to his house. Papa Pope demands her choice (Quinn’s life or his freedom) and even pulls a gun on Liv. She isn’t phased though. Papa Pope won’t kill her–and he does put the gun down. Though Liv insists that killing her is the only way out of this situation. She shouts and him to point the gun at him and pull the trigger, but Papa Pope’s hand is shaking. He can’t kill his girl. Liv says that is he isn’t willing to kill her then he has no other cards left to play. Papa Pope has lost this one. He insists that she still has a soul left. Liv won’t let Quinn die. Liv takes it to another level by calling for a kill order on Eli Pope. 20 minutes, all federal services, shoot-to-kill, unless Liv calls back. Liv tells Papa Pope that there’s nothing soft about her–he’s the one that has taken everything she’s loved, her mother, Fitz, her ambitions. All she has left is the Republic, so yah, Liv will left Quinn die. “The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree, poisoned though it may be.” Liv is her father, as Papa Pope intended. Liv gives her father 60 seconds, he can kill Quinn, hand her over, or Liv leaves and he spends the next 20 minutes waiting to die. Is Liv bluffing?
Papa Pope grabs his gun and leaves the room. We hear him a gunshot, we hear Quinn screaming, then we hear another gunshot. Liv is devastated, but holds it together. Papa Pope returns and asks if Liv wants to see the body. HAVE MERCY.
Now, my fellow Gladiators, we’re on break until January 18, 2018. Truth be told, the more I think about it, the more I think Quinn and Papa Pope are in on this scheme together. Rowan goes to Fitz in order to appeal to Liv to let go of the dark side and Command. However, this plan fails spectacularly. Perhaps, in Quinn’s frustration about Liv ordering Rashad and Yasmeen to be killed (with no remorse!), she goes to Papa Pope. Both of them want to break though to Liv’s humanity and a fake kidnapping might be way to do it. What do you think?
Share your thoughts in comments, and we’ll see you back here next year for more Scandal!
Scandal airs Thursdays at 9p/8c on ABC.
