Cyrus’s and Jake’s threat to Mellie’s administration is bigger than they initially thought; Liv realizes she has to be the one to drag them all into the sun… Full recap of this week’s penultimate Scandal!
“Standing in the Sun” opens with the aftermath of Olitz sexytimes *FLAILS* Liv is getting dressed, while Fitz lays in bed, nervous about sitting for his presidential portrait. Liv assures Fitz that this will be OK–besides, he’s chosen a phenomenal artist. There’s nothing to worry about. Liv has a little fun teasing Fitz, but leaves to help Mellie get ready to be questioned by the special prosecutor. Liv and Fitz both realize that whatever with Mellie affects his legacy and story too. But how will it end?
Liv joins Mellie and her attorney (Helena) for a strategizing session and there is disagreement about the best way to move forward. While Helena wants Mellie to plead the 5th to all questions, Mellie is concerned that it makes her look guilty. Liv concurs and encourages Mellie to answer all questions truthfully: “The truth is your armor.”
Mellie, Liv, and Helena meet Lonnie Mencken and his associates in a White House conference room for questioning. Mellie is sworn in and the video interview begins. They quickly realize that Lonnie is about to sideswipe them. He begins by asking about Mellie’s association with Charlie (whose real name is apparently Valentine… WHAT?!). But then Lonnie pivots to ask about Olivia and why she was fired as Chief of Staff. He follows up by accusing Liv of being responsible for President Rashad’s assassination and presents video of Liv and Mellie discussing it in the Oval. (DAMN IT JAKE!) Lonnie suggests that Mellie tried to assassinate Cyrus in order to cover up his knowledge of Rashad’s murder. So, in order to protect herself and Liv, Mellie reluctantly pleads the 5th. The session ends abruptly, but not before Lonnie serves Liv a subpoena.
Fitz, Marcus, and David Rosen join Mellie and Liv in the Oval to discuss what has happened. Mellie knows right away that this is Jake’s/B613’s doing. It turns out Jake has already shared the video Congress and impeachment discussions have begun. They’re in a corner. When Liv arrives at her apartment, Jake is there waiting for her. He hands her a vial of sand from the island they ran away to together: “My little piece of the sun, our sun.” (UGH! Olivia Carolyn Pope never should have gotten on that plane and went to the island with Jake. NEVER.) Jake offers Liv a deal, that if she tells the special prosecutor that Mellie ordered her to kill Rashad, Cyrus will grant Liv a pardon once he’s president.
As for Lonnie, he’s starting to question the plan. Why are he and Cyrus even involved with someone like Jake Ballard, someone clearly involved in nefarious deeds.
Sally Langston and her show The Liberty Report make an appearance and help narrate the shifting perspectives of the accusations against Mellie. Initially, Sally seems to be of the opinion that Mellie’s denial of hiring Charlie to assassinate Cyrus would be perjury under oath. Sally even goes as far as to visit QPA to ask them for comment regarding Liv’s subpoena to the special prosecutor. She offers Huck a meal and Quinn a lawyer for her “baby-daddy” Charlie. Sally leaves her card.
Liv and QPA/OPA try to strategize about how they can stop Jake and Cyrus. Perhaps they can expose some of their past misdeeds, like Defiance or Jake killing James. But everything circles back to implicate Liv, the White House, or B613. Liv leaves QPA and visits the National Museum for African American History and Culture. (YAY for actually filming on location in Washington DC!) While sitting at Contemplation Court, Liv remembers conversations with her father, Fitz, and Abby telling her she has to be twice as good; she has to be a gladiator, warrior; how everyone is worth saving and she has to be the one to drag them into the sun.
It all comes down to this. #TheFinalScandal pic.twitter.com/aNZVQsyck5
— Scandal (@ScandalABC) April 14, 2018
So at her interview with Lonnie, Liv confesses to giving the order to kill Rashad as the head of B613, a secret CIA-type organization that has been charged with preserving the Republic for 30 years. She exposes Jake as the current Command and currently operating in the White House pool. DAMN. Lonnie ends the interview and goes to Jake at the White House pool; he sees the entire command center.
Jake: “What the hell do you think you’re doing?”
Liv: “Standing in the sun.”
However, when Lonnie sends his team of FBI investigators return to the pool, Jake has already cleared all the tech equipment. Jake takes the video of Liv’s interview and tells Lonnie to forget it ever happened.
Meanwhile, when Mellie, Fitz, and David find out that Jake has suppressed Liv’s interview, they breathe a sigh of relief. But Liv has no intention of staying quiet anymore. She has her white hat firmly in place, and asserts that the truth about B613 has to come out. “It’s all we have now, to stop Jake and Cyrus.” But Mellie and Fitz are very concerned about being implicated… not to mention losing their legacies and potentially going to jail for treason. How did Mellie sacrifice for all those years in order to become the first female POTUS, only to have it be stripped away like this? Marcus sides with Liv–it’s time for the American people to wake up.
"It all has to come down. No matter the cost. We have to admit our sins." #Scandal pic.twitter.com/evWr9FY2FO
— Scandal (@ScandalABC) April 13, 2018
That night, Jake goes to Papa Pope… for his blessing, approval? Who knows. Yet, Papa Pope reeeeeaaaaads Jake, letting him know that he’s never stopped being Command. Papa Pope *is* power and has still been Command all this time: “You cannot take Command, son. It is trapped in my bones.”
Jake pulls a gun on Rowan, but we all know he won’t shoot. Jake tells Papa Pope to stay out of his way and leaves.
Liv then goes to QPA for help getting Lonnie to act on what he now knows. Quinn suggests that they go back to Sally Langston, but she wants evidence of B613. Quinn, Huck, and Abby decide that they will be the evidence they need and will testify on the record about that they know. And with evidence from these witnesses, Sally blasts B613 across the airwaves to all her Lovers of Liberty.
Here we go. #Scandal pic.twitter.com/use8QsNj7l
— Scandal (@ScandalABC) April 13, 2018
We’re all over the cliff, now! I just really need for all my faves to make it out OK.
Scandal’s final episode, titled “Over A Cliff” (written by Shonda Rhimes, directed by Tom Verica) airs this Thursday, April 19 at 10pm ET|PT.
With the existence of B613 exposed to the world, the Gladiators make the ultimate sacrifice in order to take down Cyrus and Jake – but how far will they go to get justice? (via ABC)
