Now that the Gladiators are back in business (minus the dead Harrison and the White House-employed Abby) and Olivia is off the beach, "Scandal" returns to normal, in a sense.
This episode, though, felt oddly flat. For a "Scandal" episode, this one was devoid of great quotes or interesting plot twists. (ABC didn't even provide press photos for this episode so the one on the left is for next week!)
This means it will be a short recap and you'll all be able to get on with your day!
Story of the week: A war hero and a paralyzed teacher in a wheelchair from a school shooting get married and are going to be the featured couple for Fitz's State of the Union address. Cyrus blackmails her (somewhat) to do a "favor" for the White House and check in on the couple after they don't get on an airplane to D.C. when they were supposed to. Liv finds out they hate each other and are only staying together for the fame and fortune. She convinces them to divorce and be happy rather than fake it, and she'll help them maintain their images going forward. Why? Because she's Liv and she fixes things. And she naturally gets them to the State of the Union in one piece.
Quinn vs. Huck: Huck is peeved that Quinn reunited him last season with his family. So he won't talk to her. But Olivia pairs them up to watch over the State of the Union couple. Huck gets drunk with the dude and Quinn gets annoyed so they go into a bathroom to hash things out. ("I pulled your teeth out because you couldn't mind your own business!" he says.) They are about to kiss each other in the heat of their intensity. Then they hear the man yelp in pain. The woman in the wheelchair stabbed him with a wine opener. Also, Olivia finally finds out that Quinn and Huck were an item months ago.
David Rosen takes the blackmail route: Now that Fitz has inexplicably named a Democrat as attorney general, David faces a tough Senate hearing. Elizabeth, the evil-looking Republican National Committee chief, tries to sabotage his nomination with photos of him beating some woman up that he said were fake. So he blackmails a key Republican member of the Senate committee to ensure he gets nominated. This whole storyline is just dull. Move on.
Jake's booty call option: Aware he is just second best for Liv, he tries to draw boundaries. He is getting his own pad and reserves a hotel room in case they want to knock boots. Instead, while he figures out that Quinn's former squeeze Charlie killed Harrison, she comes over to his place in a jacket and fine wine. She then drops the dress to reveal she came in her birthday suit. You know what happens next. "This is not a booty call," she proclaims. "If I want to summon you, I will summon you. Come to me."
Only the lonely: Cyrus had buried his grief over James' death with a new hairpiece and work (plus given his health, he now has gone vegetarian!). He hangs at a bar and a hot Matthew McConaughey lookalike flirts with him. Cyrus is normally suspicious and probably should be when he finds out the man is a just a gigolo. Sure, he doesn't sleep with him but he's still tempted. Oddly, he doesn't realize this man might be an RNC plant. This is not one of Shonda Rhimes' more inspired plotlines.
Pass the chips! Mellie continues to walk around in a robe, eating junk food, sad about her son's death. The press takes a photo of her by her son's grave looking crazy. She resists efforts by Fitz and the gang to get her to go to the State of the Union speech. Over fried chicken, she even says her grief is greater than that of Cyrus because her death involves a child. Cruel. Then it takes an unconvincing speech by Abby to change her mind and she shows up at the State of the Union in a lovely red dress. Later, in the most emotional scene of the night, she breaks down and Fitz comforts her.
A world we don't live in: In a move that is pure fantasy, Fitz (a Republican) embraces gun control in a State of the Union address. He uses the elementary school shooting (a la Newtown) as a rationale for some sort of unspecified gun control measure and gets a (gape!) standing ovation from the entire room.
The reunion: Fitz and Liv finally reunite right before the State of the Union speech. They are keeping their walls up the best they can but Fitz wants her to read his speech. She informs him to go off teleprompter and speak from the heart. He does and it's effective. She leaves before his speech is even over. Rhimes wants to delay a true reunion for a bit, of course.
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