Scandal (2012–2018): Season 1, Episode 5 - Crash and Burn - full transcript
Olivia and her team help defend the pilot of a plane that crashed.
Amanda Tanner is pregnant.
What?
Previously on "Scandal"...
I want to tell the world
what he did.
Amanda.
I want them all to burn
for this.
You don't have to worry
about that sex tape,
because who needs a sex tape
when you've got a fetus full of
presidential D.N.A.? That's not my baby.
I'm out.
I'm gonna tell them the truth.
She's not our problem.
She's a kid.
Our real problem is
Olivia Pope.
President
Fitzgerald Thomas Grant III
has declared war on you, Olivia.
May God have mercy
on your soul.
(Muffled groans)
(Projector and camera shutter
clicking) Answers, people.
We need answers,
and time is of the essence.
Her phone's gone and her purse.
She ran away.
You told her she was gonna have
to go on TV, she freaked out,
and she ran away. I gotta say, as
crime scenes go, it's pretty clean.
No broken locks,
no signs of struggle,
and I'm not finding any prints
aside from yours and Amanda's.
Because it's not a crime scene.
Because she ran away.
There's someone watching you.
What?
Your trash is gone,
and it's not trash day,
and there's a sedan
parked across the street...
U.S. government plates,
tinted windows.
What about Amanda, huck?
Whoever it was came up through
the service elevator,
picked the lock on the back
door, sedated her, taped her up,
got her in a duffel bag.
In and out, probably seven
minutes, six if they were quick.
How do you know?
That's how I would do it.
(Projector and camera shutter
clicking)
My secretary has
a standing order
to stop you from walking
in here. Alissa, you're fired.
One of my clients is missing.
Have you looked in jail? You
often seem to find them there.
Her name is Amanda Tanner.
She's 27 and she was staying
in my apartment.
How long has she been gone?
Five, six hours.
You consider that missing?
That's barely enough time to rack up a good bar tab.
(Cell phone alert chimes)
Oh, God.
What's wrong?
I know I ask a lot of you,
but this Amanda thing is big.
She's a good kid
and she was under my protection.
Can you help me find her?
I'll see what I can do.
Thank you, David.
Don't fire Alissa. I snuck in
while she was in the bathroom.
(Projector and camera shutter
clicking)
(Panting)
You're late.
I keep trying Amanda's phone,
but it goes straight to voice mail.
When I say "all hands on deck"...
Harrison, she's our client. She's missing.
I mean all hands on deck.
We should be doing things.
Things should be happening.
Shouldn't we at least file
a missing persons report?
Just 'cause you don't see
things happening,
doesn't mean things
aren't happening.
With Olivia, things are always happening.
I just don't...
what could possibly be more
important than Amanda right now?
That.
(Indistinct conversations)
(Projector and camera shutter
clicking)
(camera shutters clicking)
I first met Paul ten years ago
at the governor's conference.
I thought my speech was
pretty killer,
so when Paul took me aside
afterward,
I was looking forward to simply
"congratulations, Fitz.
You moved me to tears."
And then
for ten very long minutes,
he told me, point by point,
why every word out of my mouth
was not only wrong
but potentially
the dumbest thing
any politician had ever said.
(Scattered laughter)
Senator Sanchez told you
the hard truth because he cared,
because he thought
we could all do better.
He scored no political points
and never asked
for anything in return,
but he earned
my profound gratitude,
and today, my profound sadness.
Of course the senator
would be the first to object
if I stood up here today
and talked about him
and failed to mention
the 119 other people who died
this morning.
This is...
A tragic day for all of us.
Our prayers are with all those
who lost loved ones
on flight 684.
(Indistinct conversations)
(Woman) Where's my daughter?
(Man) Any information at all?
I can't...
oh!
Ms. Pope, Nelson O'Shea,
pilots' union.
Nice to finally meet you.
Yes. I wish it were
under better circumstances.
Yes. Very sad.
So it's
a standard crash investigation.
We'll need you
to make a statement
on belief of the pilots' union
to the press
as soon as possible.
The airline P.R. is up there right now, so...
you let them go first?
I didn't think
it was a problem.
Sky national has
immediately activated
our emergency response protocol
and is in direct contact
with the F.A.A. and N.T.S.B.
Although our primary concern
at this time
is for the passengers on board
the aircraft and their families,
we're able to assure you,
this particular plane
has a perfect safety record.
And there it is.
They're saying it's the pilot's fault.
No, he didn't. He just said...
they're not saying it,
but they're saying it,
and this crowd's eating it up
with a spoon.
(Projector and camera shutter clicks)
Make sure we know when the memorial is
so we can clear my schedule. Sir,
we ought to take this chance
to bring the D.R.E.A.M. act
to a vote.
Cyrus.
The poor man's still scattered
across the Virginia countryside,
and you want to start using him
to leverage a vote?
Paul wanted this
more than anything.
A pathway to citizenship
for immigrant kids
who go to college...
he'd be honored.
It's a divisive issue,
even within our own party.
Let me put a call in
to his wife,
she if she'll reach out
to the fence sitters.
How close is the vote? Nose count
has us within four or five.
Ah, we're gonna look
opportunistic.
Never let a crisis go to waste,
Mr. president.
Make the call.
And how long was
her tour of duty
in the air national guard?
And she flew C-141S out of Dover?
(Camera shutter clicks)
Okay. Thank you so much.
How many times
do I have to tell you
you can't just walk in here
whenever you feel like it?
Look, Amanda Tanner is gone,
and that means my story is gone,
but it also means
your client is gone,
so I thought I could just
walk in here and talk to you.
If Amanda is gone...
and I'm not saying she is...
then I'm sure Olivia's working on it.
Well, I saw the news.
Doesn't she have her hands full
with this plane crash?
Sometimes just because
you can't see things happening
doesn't mean they're
not happening... or something,
you know, if she is gone.
There's a missing persons
report, Quinn.
There's a report?
Who... who filed it?
Amanda's father.
(Presses key)
(Sighs) So what are
you calling yourself now?
Huck. You?
Charlie.
Huck finn? That's funny.
Well, Charlie,
like Charlie brown?
I thought you were dead.
I'm not dead.
(Chuckles) Huck freaking finn?
Don't make fun of my name.
You out of business?
I was never in business.
It's lucrative
when you contract out.
I'm a retired
government employee.
Oh, really? You sure?
You know what they say...
"once you go black,
you never go back."
Ops, that is. Black ops.
You never could tell
a decent joke.
So what do you want then?
Female, 5'4", 105 pounds,
27 years old...
Amanda Lynn Tanner.
Don't know
what you're talking about.
You're getting sloppy
in your old age.
You crossed the street
at a light.
I got you on the traffic cam.
Well, then. You don't need
to ask me about her, now do you?
You got me on the traffic cam.
Yeah. But where is she?
No. No. That's just tacky.
That's tasteless.
You know better than to ask.
What did you think?
That you were gonna buy me
an assassin's brunch
and then we'd hold hands?
No. Jeez. Now you're off
looking for missing girls?
Come on. Ugh. Tacky.
Stop looking. She's gone.
Hey, you ever want
to come back,
make a little more money
than the U.S. govern pays,
you give me a call.
Talent like yours
should not go to waste.
And, uh...
It's not like Charlie brown.
Like manson.
Charlie manson.
Now that's a name.
Huck finn?
(Laughs) Come on.
Ah.
Hey, buddy.
(Door opens, bell jingles)
Welcome, everyone.
This is the preliminary
C.V.R. meeting
of all interested parties
to sky national flight 684.
This morning, I'll play
the black box recording
in its entirety
without stopping.
You'll hear it once
and once only.
The national transportation
safety board
prohibits you from recording
what you're about to hear.
You are allowed to take notes,
but you are prohibited
from taking those notes
from this room.
Any questions?
(Beep) (Woman) Here it is,
my special fruit drink.
(Woman) That's good.
What's in it?
Cranberry, grapefruit.
(Man) It'd be perfect
with some vodka.
(Laughter)
(Video fast-forwards)
(Man) Sky national 684,
you're cleared
to descend to
and maintain 5,000.
(Woman) Roger national 684.
We'll be out of 15 for 5.
(Video fast-forwards) (Man) ...National
684, you have a sky coast aerostream
4 miles away at 2:00.
Possible wake turbulence.
You may feel a bump or two.
(Video fast-forwards)
(Man) 684. Got the aerostream.
(Thumping) (Woman) And I
feel the bump or two.
(Loud bang) Hang on. I'm pitching down.
We're nosedown.
(Alert beeping)
(Man) Sky national 684, I show
descending. What's your status?
(Man) Kick rudder.
Lori, left rudder. Left rudder.
(Man) Sky national 684,
what's your status?
684. Emergency.
(Thumping and clicking)
Left rudder. Left rudder!
What the hell are you... aah!
Oh, here we go.
(Air whooshing, crash)
No, there was a loud bang
and the captain was saying
"hang on."
No, that was the first officer.
Fine. But I can't remember
if he said it before
or after the two thumps.
Before, I think.
Maybe after.
I don't know.
I-I should've written
the whole thing on my arm.
Before...
(Pounds table) The two thumps.
It was loud thump, loud thump,
long clicking sound,
short clicking sound,
then three faint thumps.
The first officer saying,
"left rudder. Left rudder.
What the hell are you... aah!
Here we go."
I got a good ear.
But I'll tell you what I didn't
hear in the last ten seconds...
the pilot.
As soon as they hit the wake
from the aerostream,
I think she panicked, maybe overcorrected. It
was like she didn't hear. She... she froze.
Which is exactly
what the airline will say.
If sky national
can prove pilot error,
they save millions of dollars.
They don't have to ground their
fleet, do extra maintenance.
They have every reason to want
to trash Lori Mackelson
who can't handle
a little turbulence.
Lori had 16,000 flight hours
under her belt.
She didn't panic.
She was a great pilot,
under any conditions.
She did not freeze.
Can I help you, sir?
Not unless you can bring
my wife back.
All I want them to do
is to get out there
and say she didn't do this.
Believe me, Andrew.
We're gonna do everything we can
to clear your wife's name. Why
haven't you said anything?
The news has already said
the plane was perfect.
Can't you just call
a-a press conference?
If I get up there
and play defense,
hold my gloves in front
of my face,
it confirms their narrative.
We need to change
their narrative.
We need to anticipate what
they're going to say about Lori
before they say it and then hit
back with evidence.
So lay it on me.
What is the worst thing
they can say?
(Clicking) She's been
sober for over 20 years.
She still goes to a.A. Meetings
from time to time.
So she's an alcoholic. That's
not how I would phrase it.
Which is why they will.
(Sly & the family stone's
"everyday people" playing)
(Woman) Sources say
that the flight crew,
including the captain and first
officer, were drinking
at their hotel the night before the flight...
(Man) F.A.A. regulations prohibit
the consumption of alcohol
12 hours before
a plane's scheduled departure time. The crew
was in direct violation of these regulations.
(Woman) Boy, were they hammered.
Not the pilots, though, right?
Two pilots,
six flight attendants...
hammered.
Even...
(Clicking) I said "y'all better
not be flying tomorrow."
She says to me, "don't worry.
These planes these days...
they fly themselves."
Can you believe it? (Man)
According to the manufacturer,
the mw-85 has
a perfect safety record.
(Woman) It's one of the top
performing passenger planes
in the world. The plane has
met with nothing but praise
from the aviation community.
(Woman) I could lose my job.
I just need a quick peek
at the mechanic reports.
You're asking for a lot. You're
not offering much there, Stevie.
No one will ever know.
Oh, our little secret, huh?
Maybe if you want to come by
my apartment around 8:00?
I'd like to get in a workout
and have some time to rinse off.
(Chuckles)
(Man) Early indications
from the black box recording
indicate that the airport tower
tried to communicate
with the pilot...
Damn it. They already leaked
what was on the black box?
Somewhere in that recording is
the truth. We need our own copy.
I'll get huck on it.
...taken to the tower.
Pleas from the first officer
also appear
to have been ignored.
(Steven exhales deeply)
(Door closes)
I was this close to getting
the mechanic's report.
What happened?
I lost my superpowers.
I'm engaged. I can't use
every tool in the box anymore.
And by tool,
you would mean your...
okay. Just find another tack,
Stephen. We need those reports.
Abby.
The bartender confirms
that both pilots and all six
flight attendants were drinking.
Six? Manifest listed five. You think
one of 'em didn't make the flight?
(Huck) Black box recording.
How'd you get it?
N.T.S.B. server. Kid's play.
Olivia, may I talk to you?
Check the airline schedule.
See what attendants
were supposed to fly 684.
Got it.
In your office? See what other flight
crews were passing through Philly
that night.
Got it.
Where's Quinn?
Has anybody seen Quinn?
I think she went out. Where's
the manifest? On my desk.
(Huck) She's dead. If there is a
missing flight attendant who is alive
right now, we need to find her
before the airline does.
Amanda Tanner is dead!
Are you sure?
(Scoffs)
Pull down your window.
You tell your boy... you talk into
that little radio in your sleeve
and you tell the president
I know.
I know what he did to her.
I know!
Shanker and holiday are
both on board,
but we're still
three votes short.
You'd make it a lot easier
on the V.P.
If you could throw in a few
carrots for border security.
It might give us
something to work with.
Come on now, Billy. Are you
telling me you can't work
with bright, energetic
young people earning their way
to citizenship through
good grades and hard work?
It's not that, Mr. president.
Great. Then I will count on
the vice president's
active support.
Yeah?
(Whispers indistinctly)
(Projector and camera shutter
clicking)
(Quinn speaks indistinctly)
Quinn. Who is this?
Hank Tanner.
I'm Amanda's father.
Uh, it's a pleasure
to meet you.
I stopped by Amanda's place
and found Mr. Tanner outside.
Amanda said that she came
to work for you
after she left the White House.
Yes, that's right.
I don't mean to be
a bother here, but, uh,
I've... I've been talking
to Mandy every day
since she was in the hospital,
and then I haven't
heard anything from her,
so I decided to come up here
and make sure
that everything was all right.
Her mother is really worried
about her.
It's okay, Mr. Tanner.
Everything's going to be fine.
I promise.
Mr. Tanner, you look like
you could use a cup of tea.
Quinn, would you help me
get some tea for Mr. Tanner?
Thank you.
What you did back there?
You made a promise.
We don't make promises.
But...
Amanda Tanner is dead.
Wh...
she's dead.
How do you know?
We know.
But we can't tell him we know
because we're not supposed
to know, and there is no body.
So right now,
we're gonna go back in there
and give that nice man
a cup of tea and tell him we are
doing everything in our power
to find his daughter.
And don't ever promise
an outcome we can't deliver.
(Cell phone rings)
(Ring)
I have to take this.
(Beep)
Are we on a secure line?
Why the hell are
you threatening my agents?
You mean the men you sent
to follow and scare me?
You told them that you know
what I did to her. To who?
Amanda Tanner?
Playing dumb doesn't suit you.
Olivia, either say
what you mean or stop...
war is war? Fine.
But murder... is murder.
Amanda's dead?
She has a dad...
a really nice man who's looking
for his daughter.
How do you think he's gonna feel
when he finds out
that the man he voted for
had his daughter killed?
I didn't do this.
You know me.
You know I didn't do this.
I don't know anything.
Trust your gut.
(Scoffs)
Your gut's never wrong.
I don't have a gut anymore.
Livvie...
Come to the White House
and look me in the eye.
We need to talk about this
face-to-face.
Face-to-face is over.
That girl is dead.
This wasn't...
Me.
You know me.
And the thought
that I would ever,
that I could ever...
You know me.
If you didn't kill her,
we both know who did.
Tell me I'm wrong.
You let a pit bull off
his leash, he mauls a baby.
No one blames the dog.
You let Cyrus off his leash.
That's on you.
(Snaps cell phone shut)
Carly Reston?
Yeah?
You're a flight attendant
for sky national?
Oh, God. Look, I called in sick
before I went to bed last night,
which is more than
six hours in advance,
so if you couldn't find anyone
to cover, it's not my fault.
You're not from corporate,
are you?
(Crying) All of them?
Everyone?
Yes.
Sammi?
All of them. Everyone.
I need to know
if Captain Mackelson
was drinking at your party
at the bar last night.
Lori? No way. She's been sober
for, like, a million years.
Goes to meetings
at every city on the route.
She almost never comes out
with us anyway.
The only reason she even
came out with us last night
is 'cause it was my birthday.
(Projector and camera shutter clicking) You didn't
tell me Amanda Tanner used to work in the White House.
You didn't tell me she had
a previous suicide attempt.
You pretty much didn't tell me
a single thing
about the girl whom
you tasked me with finding.
So if I'm about to step
into political quicksand here,
I'd like to know it
before I sink.
I can't tell you any more than
I've told you.
But you know more.
If you can't tell me more,
then you're actually obstructing justice.
I'm sorry, David.
(Projector and camera shutter
clicking)
You know what the flags
are for?
Yellow's where they picked up
pieces of the fuselage.
Red's for body parts.
I heard one of the emergency
workers talking.
It's how they keep track
of whose parts are whose.
Andrew, you should
really get back...
when my mom died,
we had an open casket.
When my dad died,
we had an open casket.
It's how we say good-bye.
What are my kids gonna see
when they look
in Lori's casket?
A red flag?
(Metal creaks)
I'd like to correct...
(Camera shutters clicking) In
the strongest terms possible...
The idea that the pilot,
Lori Mackelson,
had been drinking the night
before the crash.
She had not,
and we have a witness
to that effect.
(Reporters murmuring)
A little history about Lori...
she was married to
Andrew Mackelson for 17 years.
They have two boys...
Carter, age 15,
and Jonathan, age 12.
(Projector and camera shutter
clicking)
I don't want to ask you
to do this
because it's...
Not what you do anymore.
You want the body.
I know what I'm asking.
And if it's too much for you,
if you don't want to,
you can say no.
That'll be the end of it.
We'll find another way.
I'll take care of it.
Huck,
you need reeling in,
you call me.
I'll come for you.
I got this.
I'm good to go.
No problem.
Digrazzo flipped!
It took a lot of pork
and a guarantee
of heavy campaigning from you
in New Jersey come mid-terms.
We're only two away now.
Amanda Tanner's dead.
How sad.
Aren't you gonna ask
how it happened?
No. Should I?
A young woman died.
A member
of this administration.
I said how sad I was.
You didn't hear me?
I'll say it again. How sad.
Let's lower the flags.
For God sakes, Cy,
show some respect.
120 innocent Americans...
children, mommies and daddies
and best friends
and husbands and wives
died in that plane crash
yesterday. That's sad.
We lost one of the few sane
and worthy members
of the senate yesterday.
That's sad.
Four Navy S.E.A.L.S died
in Afghanistan,
and... that doesn't even touch
Sudan, Congo, northern Mexico.
That's sad.
But the disturbed girl
who made it her life's mission
to take down
this administration,
the one who was happily...
no, gleefully...
carrying your illegitimate
bastard child...
she's no longer with us?
Well, I'm sorry
if I'm not sitting shivah.
I'm sorry
if I can't help but see
the millions of people that
we'll actually be able to help
now that Amanda Tanner is gone.
I am sorry,
but this is a good thing.
It is a good thing for us.
It is a good thing
for the country.
(Door closes)
What happened to McKinley?
I was just getting used to
seeing his judge-y face
every morning.
He's being restored.
His judge-y face got flaky.
What's your preference...
Madison or Van Buren?
Van Buren has
a certain wisdom about him.
What's bothering you?
I think we're gonna pass
the D.R.E.A.M. act.
Cyrus is on it
like a dog with a bone.
You know he called Sanchez' widow?
Good. It needs to be passed.
Still, there should be limits.
We're political animals.
We're not animals.
Sometimes I think he's
too willing to go to extremes.
Tom, hal,
would you come here, please?
Tom?
Yes, ma'am?
You would take a bullet
for the president, wouldn't you?
Yes, ma'am.
Hal?
Yes, ma'am, I would.
Thank you. That's all.
There isn't a person
in this building
who isn't willing to go
to extremes for you.
(Projector and camera shutter
clicking)
(Stephen) I got ..
You got it?
Got what?
Mechanic report - I got it.
How'd you get it?
I got it.
I bet you did.
I looked through 200 reports,
every inspection made
on this plane in the last year
thee are two separate reports,
this one is signed and dated
by a mechanic in Phoenix last fall...
(Clicking)
This one's signed and dated
by a mechanic in Philly
a week ago... the last inspection
before the crash.
No problems reported in either.
That's bad for us, right?
That means the plane was fine.
Read line four...
"power control unit."
Notice anything?
He misspelled "control," but...
Line four.
(Abby) Oh,
it's misspelled here, too.
What are the chances?
Identical reports
submitted by different mechanics in
different cities, months apart?
The Philly report is fake.
The last inspection of the plane
before it crashed was forged?
(Man) ...Descending. What's your status?
(Alert beeping)
(Man) Kick rudder.
Lori, left rudder. Left rudder.
Sky national 684,
what's your status?
684. Emergency.
(Thumping and clicking)
Left rudder. Left rudder!
What the hell are you...
(tape rewinding)
684. Emergency.
(Thumping and clicking)
(Curtis Mayfield's "pusherman"
playing)
(Tape rewinds)
(Thumping and clicking)
Thank you.
♪ Ain't I clean? ♪
(Tape rewinding)
(Man) 684. Emergency.
(Thumping and clicking)
♪ Superfly, here I stand ♪
♪ you know me, I'm your friend ♪
♪ your main boy,
thick and thin ♪
(Keys jangle)
(Door opens and rattles)
♪ I'm your pusherman ♪
(Door closes)
(Man grunts)
(Thud)
(Tape rewinds)
(Thumping and clicking)
That is your signature.
No, it is,
but that's not my report.
That's not my handwriting.
I wouldn't misspell "control."
I won
my sixth grade spelling bee.
You were the last one to inspect
the plane before it crashed.
Can you tell me what you said
in your report?
Hey, I just turn 'em in, all
right? This thing's not on me.
I'm not here to blame you.
I just want you to remember.
Look, it's important.
First, I would've checked
the P.C.U.,
then the summing levers. And you
want to make sure they're okay,
'cause if they're not,
you risk the rudder deflecting
to full blowdown limit.
I'm just trying to think
if something was going on
with the levers.
If there was, I would've put the plane down.
(Tape rewinds)
(Thumping and clicking)
I seem to remember recommending
that for one of my birds.
Slow down. Just...
(Chuckles) I don't want
to miss any of this.
What exactly are you saying?
(Tape rewinds)
Are you saying... there's
something wrong with the plane.
What? She didn't panic.
She didn't freeze.
She was... she was doing
everything right.
That's what the noises are.
It's her responding,
but it didn't matter,
'cause there was something wrong
with the plane.
(Man panting)
I know. I know.
Just showing up at someone's
house... it's so tacky.
But we really do need
to talk about what happened
to Amanda Tanner.
(Speaks indistinctly)
Okay, Charlie?
(Man) Lori, left rudder.
Left rudder.
Right there. Hear that?
Those three soft thumps.
They're there. Trust me.
Trust him. It's the sound of
Lori pushing on the left rudder,
but the pedal won't move.
It won't let her go left.
Why not? The thing that makes
the rudder go left or right...
according to the mechanic,
one of its parts was bent.
It'd be like making
a right turn in your car
and having the steering wheel
lock up on you.
The mechanic mentions
the bent lever in his report,
but... that report is gone.
This is good, Andrew.
We can use this. It means Lori
did everything in her power
to stop that plane
from going down.
It means it wasn't her fault.
Then whose fault was it?
My wife is dead.
120 people are dead.
Who's to blame for that?
(Projector and camera shutter
clicking)
Well, we really appreciate
your help.
And I know senator Sanchez
would, too.
This is a great way
to honor him.
We'll have you and Lynn
over to dinner
at the residence next week.
Okay. Thank you, senator.
Yeah. Bye.
Jankowski's in.
(Laughs)
(Staffers murmur)
Well done, everyone!
All right!
As long as brownhill's
gallbladder keeps him at home,
we have got a tie.
And the deciding vote is cast
by the vice president.
I'm sorry. I tried again
this morning, but...
don't do this to me, Billy.
We're gonna need one more.
Get your boss up here.
This has gone far enough.
I don't want you to think
that I'm doing this
because I'm mad at you. I'm not.
I'm not. You trained me,
but it was the agency, really.
They... took stuff from me,
and not just my name
or my ability to ever contact
my family again.
I was young,
I was fresh out of college,
and they made it sound fun.
(Gloves snap)
We had fun, didn't we?
That's the problem.
It's horrible
and it's sickening,
and just when you think
you can't take any more,
it gets fun.
The U.S. government really knows
its stuff, yeah?
Something in you
just falls away,
and it gets fun.
There's a high. It's good.
It's so good,
which is what I wanna remind
you of... how good it can get.
You think about that.
Okay, I'm thinking about it
'cause I'm rusty.
I'm sober.
This is gonna be bad for me
for a while,
but I'm gonna push through
the horrible and the sickening
and then something's
gonna fall away,
and I'm gonna
start enjoying myself.
All right?
And we both know...
Mnh-mnh.
What an artist I can be.
(Sighs)
And like any junkie,
I'm gonna enjoy the high
for as long as I can.
Okay?
(Groans)
Are you ready, old friend?
(Whirring)
(Muttering)
(Muffled screaming)
(Flesh tears)
Madam vice president.
Thanks for coming
on such short notice.
It's an honor to be invited
to the party, sir.
I just came
from a prayer meeting.
You know how my people
like to pray.
I do.
My Cassidy was only 12 years old
when I was deciding
whether or not to take
the V.P. slot,
and she said, "do it, mama.
Governor grant walks
with the lord."
Can you believe
she was only 12 years old?
Very... precocious,
that Cassidy.
(Chuckles)
We did it, Sally.
The D.R.E.A.M. act is tied
in the senate,
and you will have
the great honor
of casting the deciding vote.
Sir, I'm afraid that I...
we made a hell of a team out on
the campaign trail, didn't we?
The children of illegal
immigrants should not be allowed
to take part in the bounty
of America, Mr. president.
That is not God's plan.
I will never forget
the way you brought those people
to their feet in Utah.
Rain pouring down
on 10,000 tired people,
and they jumped up
like a baptist choir.
That is the closest I've ever
seen to political magic.
I'm not saying that they
shouldn't be allowed to partake
in certain paths
to legal immigration...
you're an experienced politician
and a woman of God,
so I'm not gonna waste your time
by trying to talk you
into something
that you've obviously given
a lot of serious thought to.
So let's just get right to it.
You intend to be president
one day.
Sir, I...
and whatever our disagreements,
this country could use
a woman president.
But of the 14 vice presidents
in our history
who have gone on
to assume the presidency,
do you know
how many have done so
without the endorsement
of the president they served?
None, sir.
We are going to do great things
together, you and I.
Great things.
And we're going to start by
passing the D.R.E.A.M. act.
(Door opens)
(Cyrus) Sir?
It's my honor, sir.
(Whispers) Cyrus.
She's in. Deal closed.
We're good.
The bill will pass, no problem,
or I will tear
her right-wing guts out.
I'm back.
I am back.
(Sighs)
Cyrus?
Cyrus.
We got a blackmail letter.
A demand.
It's not Olivia.
It's not Amanda.
Olivia's not this crazy,
and Amanda is dead.
Which means there's
someone else, a third party.
Olivia did not send us
that sex tape. Someone else did.
Cyrus, what's the demand?
(Muffled screaming)
Oh, Charlie, you make
a beautiful noise.
They did, you know,
take stuff from me...
the U.S. government.
After I started
not being able to sleep
after I started crying
when I wrapped a guy in plastic,
they put me in a hole
nobody wants to be in.
And I don't mean
a metaphorical hole.
I mean, an actual hole.
They took stuff from me,
Charlie.
So much stuff, that I was
homeless, on the subway,
begging for change
when Liv found me,
which is why I'm breaking
my sobriety,
'cause she asked, okay?
And I'm telling you this because
I want you to understand
that I owe her,
so I'm not gonna stop until
you tell me where Amanda is.
You get that?
(Grunting)
(Groans)
Tell me where she is.
(Speaks gibberish)
Charlie, I have a scalpel,
a 10-blade.
I will peel you like a grape.
(Gurgling)
You're gonna retire to
new Mexico. It's nice there.
But first, you're gonna tell me
where Amanda Tanner's body is.
All right?
(Muttering)
All right.
Okay.
(Projector and camera shutter
clicking)
Alissa, you're fired again.
What?
14th street bridge.
You're gonna need
a diving team.
You okay?
Not really.
Okay.
(Whispers) Okay.
(President Nixon) Good evening.
This is the 37th time
i have spoken to you
from this office.
I would have preferred to carry
through to the finish
whatever the personal agony
it would have involved.
Therefore...
I shall resign the presidency
effective at noon tomorrow.
As we look to the future,
the first essential is
to begin healing
the wounds of this nation,
to put the bitterness
and divisions
of the recent past behind us.
I hope
that I will have hastened
the start
of that process of healing
which is so desperately needed
in America.
What exactly are
you insinuating, Ms. Pope?
I don't like to insinuate.
I'd rather deduce
likely scenarios.
And in my scenario,
you get a mechanic's report
that says you have to ground
all your mw-85s,
which would cost you millions
and send your customers
running to your competitors.
You'd worry about what your
stockholders are going to say.
You'd worry about your job.
That's understandable.
If I'm C.E.O.,
it's the last thing I'd want.
So one report goes missing...
no harm, no foul...
that is until 120 people
fall out of the sky.
This is not some kind of
conspiracy. If that's what...
she doesn't insinuate.
She deduces.
(Sighs) I started this airline
with one plane, two pilots,
and an old furniture warehouse
converted to a hangar.
I lost seven employees
yesterday.
The senior flight attendant,
Sammi Tyler,
was one of my first hires.
Believe me, I want the truth
just as much as you do.
So why did this report
disappear?
Why didn't it get passed
up the line?
I don't know.
Somebody does.
(Indistinct conversations,
telephone rings)
Phyllis Hayes?
I'm, uh, Harrison Wright.
I'm here to...
I know why you're here,
Mr. Wright.
Two people used to do my job,
and now it's just me.
That's not an excuse.
It just means things pile up.
I had a huge backlog
of mechanic reports
from all over the country
and I had to get them out,
push them up the ladder.
They fire you if you don't get
them in on time to headquarters.
But my youngest daughter was
having a piano recital
and I didn't want to miss it.
I-I already missed one
this year.
So I duplicated
one of the reports.
I didn't think
it was a big deal.
I believe this is
what you're looking for.
I'm never going
to hear her play
without thinking about...
(Crying) All those people.
She's very good at the piano...
My daughter.
I'm sure she is,
Ms. Hayes.
(Sighs)
I've come here tonight to
express my sincere condolences
to the victims and the families
of flight 684.
As of this afternoon,
sky national has
participated fully
in the N.T.S.B. investigation,
and we understand
and accept our role
in the events
leading up to the crash.
So I would like to take
this time to apologize
to all those who lost loved ones
in this tragic event,
including the families
of the crew,
and of captain Lori Mackelson,
who fought so valiantly
until the end to prevent
this terrible tragedy.
Thank you.
Mm.
That's Mandy...
That's my daughter.
(Sobs)
She didn't suffer.
How do you...
'Cause I know what you do
to people to make them suffer.
She didn't suffer.
It was a...
Good... death.
(Footsteps retreat)
Thank you.
(Whispers) It's okay.
Hal? Tom? Can you guys
come in here a second, please?
What if I wanted
to get out of here?
Sir?
The press corps lid is on.
The staff has all gone home.
What if I wanted to leave?
I don't think...
that's not possible, sir.
You're gonna tell me 41
never left?
43 never went out for a drink?
Okay, seriously. 42?
Bill Clinton.
William Jefferson Clinton
never left?
I wouldn't know anything
about past presidents...
Kennedy never left
the White House in secret?
What am I, born yesterday?
Sir, we have no knowledge of...
fine. I want to go somewhere
spontaneously. How do I do that?
I would inform
our immediate supervisor
at the secret service,
who'd inform the head
of the secret service
and the White House
press secretary,
who'd inform
the White House press corps.
150 individuals would assemble,
along with your bulletproof
presidential limousine,
your chase and follow car,
your ambulance,
two unmarked vehicles,
as well as the sharpshooters
and the marine guard...
no.
Sir?
What if I wanted
to go somewhere alone,
no secret service, no press,
no anything?
Technically, the president
of the United States is
allowed to refuse the protection
of secret service, but, uh...
"but, uh," what?
It needs to be approved
by the secretary
of the treasury, sir...
(Sighs) And recorded in
the national record.
(Chuckles) I'm not a prisoner.
(Both) No, sir.
I am the most powerful man
on the planet.
(Both) Yes, sir.
But I can't leave my house.
(Both) No, sir. You see where I
might be a little bit annoyed?
(Tom and hal) Yes, sir.
I am a grown man.
I am going to leave here.
If I have to walk out
to the staff parking lot
with you two following me,
jump into someone's 1994 civic
and drive off without
protection, I am going to leave.
I would like to be safe
and not jeopardize the economy
of this country when I did so.
Can you come up with a way
to make that happen?
Two sedans, covered parking,
one sharpshooter,
and your ambulance.
One sedan and covered parking.
No sharpshooters
and no ambulance.
One sedan, covered parking,
no sharpshooters,
we keep the ambulance
and add two agents.
Sold.
Just like 43.
(Sighs) Yeah.
(David) Personal belongings
on her body,
no sign of foul play,
slashed her wrists a month ago.
Cops want to rule it a suicide.
Coroner wants to rule it
a suicide.
So it's gonna be ruled
a suicide.
Yep.
So... who do you think
killed her?
See, I've got
this nagging feeling
you've got a pretty good idea.
I know I give you a long leash
on a lot of things,
and I like to, because
despite my better judgment
and all my protests
to the contrary,
I really do consider you
a friend.
But I can't look the other way
here, not on this.
I'm an assistant U.S. attorney,
Liv.
I prosecute crime.
I get the bad guys.
So at some point, even with you,
I gotta draw the line.
I gotta do my job.
Gotta be the sheriff.
The white hat looks good
on you.
(Johnnie Walker's
"I believe in you
(You believe in me)" Playing)
Lisa.
I'm gonna need
that autopsy report
fast-tracked
as soon as you can.
Well, I can tell you right now
it's gonna be a suicide.
I'm still gonna need
that report.
♪ I feel sorry ♪
Are you still engaged?
♪ I feel sorry ♪
(Chuckles)
Not so engaged that I...
I don't remember the freezer.
Hey.
I left you ten messages.
I just heard.
It's horrible. I couldn't reach
you. I didn't know what to do,
so I-I just started
making grilled cheese,
because it's literally the only
thing I know how to make,
and it's comfort food,
and I figured you'd be hungry,
and you...
Quinn, are you okay?
(Crying)
(Sniffles)
♪ For any woman out there
who can say ♪
(Woman) ...Congressman
Mike pence of Indiana...
(Cell phone ringing)
Welcoming the compromise,
but cautioning against
taking too much credit...
(Knock on door)
(Turns off volume)
What? Wait. Hold on. Coming!
Stephen.
It's not his.
What? I just got the
coroner's report.
The blood type's not a match.
Amanda was pregnant,
but the baby was not
the president's.
Liv?
Liv, you...
(Snaps cell phone shut)
Hi.
Hi.
(Projector and camera shutter
clicks)
What?
Previously on "Scandal"...
I want to tell the world
what he did.
Amanda.
I want them all to burn
for this.
You don't have to worry
about that sex tape,
because who needs a sex tape
when you've got a fetus full of
presidential D.N.A.? That's not my baby.
I'm out.
I'm gonna tell them the truth.
She's not our problem.
She's a kid.
Our real problem is
Olivia Pope.
President
Fitzgerald Thomas Grant III
has declared war on you, Olivia.
May God have mercy
on your soul.
(Muffled groans)
(Projector and camera shutter
clicking) Answers, people.
We need answers,
and time is of the essence.
Her phone's gone and her purse.
She ran away.
You told her she was gonna have
to go on TV, she freaked out,
and she ran away. I gotta say, as
crime scenes go, it's pretty clean.
No broken locks,
no signs of struggle,
and I'm not finding any prints
aside from yours and Amanda's.
Because it's not a crime scene.
Because she ran away.
There's someone watching you.
What?
Your trash is gone,
and it's not trash day,
and there's a sedan
parked across the street...
U.S. government plates,
tinted windows.
What about Amanda, huck?
Whoever it was came up through
the service elevator,
picked the lock on the back
door, sedated her, taped her up,
got her in a duffel bag.
In and out, probably seven
minutes, six if they were quick.
How do you know?
That's how I would do it.
(Projector and camera shutter
clicking)
My secretary has
a standing order
to stop you from walking
in here. Alissa, you're fired.
One of my clients is missing.
Have you looked in jail? You
often seem to find them there.
Her name is Amanda Tanner.
She's 27 and she was staying
in my apartment.
How long has she been gone?
Five, six hours.
You consider that missing?
That's barely enough time to rack up a good bar tab.
(Cell phone alert chimes)
Oh, God.
What's wrong?
I know I ask a lot of you,
but this Amanda thing is big.
She's a good kid
and she was under my protection.
Can you help me find her?
I'll see what I can do.
Thank you, David.
Don't fire Alissa. I snuck in
while she was in the bathroom.
(Projector and camera shutter
clicking)
(Panting)
You're late.
I keep trying Amanda's phone,
but it goes straight to voice mail.
When I say "all hands on deck"...
Harrison, she's our client. She's missing.
I mean all hands on deck.
We should be doing things.
Things should be happening.
Shouldn't we at least file
a missing persons report?
Just 'cause you don't see
things happening,
doesn't mean things
aren't happening.
With Olivia, things are always happening.
I just don't...
what could possibly be more
important than Amanda right now?
That.
(Indistinct conversations)
(Projector and camera shutter
clicking)
(camera shutters clicking)
I first met Paul ten years ago
at the governor's conference.
I thought my speech was
pretty killer,
so when Paul took me aside
afterward,
I was looking forward to simply
"congratulations, Fitz.
You moved me to tears."
And then
for ten very long minutes,
he told me, point by point,
why every word out of my mouth
was not only wrong
but potentially
the dumbest thing
any politician had ever said.
(Scattered laughter)
Senator Sanchez told you
the hard truth because he cared,
because he thought
we could all do better.
He scored no political points
and never asked
for anything in return,
but he earned
my profound gratitude,
and today, my profound sadness.
Of course the senator
would be the first to object
if I stood up here today
and talked about him
and failed to mention
the 119 other people who died
this morning.
This is...
A tragic day for all of us.
Our prayers are with all those
who lost loved ones
on flight 684.
(Indistinct conversations)
(Woman) Where's my daughter?
(Man) Any information at all?
I can't...
oh!
Ms. Pope, Nelson O'Shea,
pilots' union.
Nice to finally meet you.
Yes. I wish it were
under better circumstances.
Yes. Very sad.
So it's
a standard crash investigation.
We'll need you
to make a statement
on belief of the pilots' union
to the press
as soon as possible.
The airline P.R. is up there right now, so...
you let them go first?
I didn't think
it was a problem.
Sky national has
immediately activated
our emergency response protocol
and is in direct contact
with the F.A.A. and N.T.S.B.
Although our primary concern
at this time
is for the passengers on board
the aircraft and their families,
we're able to assure you,
this particular plane
has a perfect safety record.
And there it is.
They're saying it's the pilot's fault.
No, he didn't. He just said...
they're not saying it,
but they're saying it,
and this crowd's eating it up
with a spoon.
(Projector and camera shutter clicks)
Make sure we know when the memorial is
so we can clear my schedule. Sir,
we ought to take this chance
to bring the D.R.E.A.M. act
to a vote.
Cyrus.
The poor man's still scattered
across the Virginia countryside,
and you want to start using him
to leverage a vote?
Paul wanted this
more than anything.
A pathway to citizenship
for immigrant kids
who go to college...
he'd be honored.
It's a divisive issue,
even within our own party.
Let me put a call in
to his wife,
she if she'll reach out
to the fence sitters.
How close is the vote? Nose count
has us within four or five.
Ah, we're gonna look
opportunistic.
Never let a crisis go to waste,
Mr. president.
Make the call.
And how long was
her tour of duty
in the air national guard?
And she flew C-141S out of Dover?
(Camera shutter clicks)
Okay. Thank you so much.
How many times
do I have to tell you
you can't just walk in here
whenever you feel like it?
Look, Amanda Tanner is gone,
and that means my story is gone,
but it also means
your client is gone,
so I thought I could just
walk in here and talk to you.
If Amanda is gone...
and I'm not saying she is...
then I'm sure Olivia's working on it.
Well, I saw the news.
Doesn't she have her hands full
with this plane crash?
Sometimes just because
you can't see things happening
doesn't mean they're
not happening... or something,
you know, if she is gone.
There's a missing persons
report, Quinn.
There's a report?
Who... who filed it?
Amanda's father.
(Presses key)
(Sighs) So what are
you calling yourself now?
Huck. You?
Charlie.
Huck finn? That's funny.
Well, Charlie,
like Charlie brown?
I thought you were dead.
I'm not dead.
(Chuckles) Huck freaking finn?
Don't make fun of my name.
You out of business?
I was never in business.
It's lucrative
when you contract out.
I'm a retired
government employee.
Oh, really? You sure?
You know what they say...
"once you go black,
you never go back."
Ops, that is. Black ops.
You never could tell
a decent joke.
So what do you want then?
Female, 5'4", 105 pounds,
27 years old...
Amanda Lynn Tanner.
Don't know
what you're talking about.
You're getting sloppy
in your old age.
You crossed the street
at a light.
I got you on the traffic cam.
Well, then. You don't need
to ask me about her, now do you?
You got me on the traffic cam.
Yeah. But where is she?
No. No. That's just tacky.
That's tasteless.
You know better than to ask.
What did you think?
That you were gonna buy me
an assassin's brunch
and then we'd hold hands?
No. Jeez. Now you're off
looking for missing girls?
Come on. Ugh. Tacky.
Stop looking. She's gone.
Hey, you ever want
to come back,
make a little more money
than the U.S. govern pays,
you give me a call.
Talent like yours
should not go to waste.
And, uh...
It's not like Charlie brown.
Like manson.
Charlie manson.
Now that's a name.
Huck finn?
(Laughs) Come on.
Ah.
Hey, buddy.
(Door opens, bell jingles)
Welcome, everyone.
This is the preliminary
C.V.R. meeting
of all interested parties
to sky national flight 684.
This morning, I'll play
the black box recording
in its entirety
without stopping.
You'll hear it once
and once only.
The national transportation
safety board
prohibits you from recording
what you're about to hear.
You are allowed to take notes,
but you are prohibited
from taking those notes
from this room.
Any questions?
(Beep) (Woman) Here it is,
my special fruit drink.
(Woman) That's good.
What's in it?
Cranberry, grapefruit.
(Man) It'd be perfect
with some vodka.
(Laughter)
(Video fast-forwards)
(Man) Sky national 684,
you're cleared
to descend to
and maintain 5,000.
(Woman) Roger national 684.
We'll be out of 15 for 5.
(Video fast-forwards) (Man) ...National
684, you have a sky coast aerostream
4 miles away at 2:00.
Possible wake turbulence.
You may feel a bump or two.
(Video fast-forwards)
(Man) 684. Got the aerostream.
(Thumping) (Woman) And I
feel the bump or two.
(Loud bang) Hang on. I'm pitching down.
We're nosedown.
(Alert beeping)
(Man) Sky national 684, I show
descending. What's your status?
(Man) Kick rudder.
Lori, left rudder. Left rudder.
(Man) Sky national 684,
what's your status?
684. Emergency.
(Thumping and clicking)
Left rudder. Left rudder!
What the hell are you... aah!
Oh, here we go.
(Air whooshing, crash)
No, there was a loud bang
and the captain was saying
"hang on."
No, that was the first officer.
Fine. But I can't remember
if he said it before
or after the two thumps.
Before, I think.
Maybe after.
I don't know.
I-I should've written
the whole thing on my arm.
Before...
(Pounds table) The two thumps.
It was loud thump, loud thump,
long clicking sound,
short clicking sound,
then three faint thumps.
The first officer saying,
"left rudder. Left rudder.
What the hell are you... aah!
Here we go."
I got a good ear.
But I'll tell you what I didn't
hear in the last ten seconds...
the pilot.
As soon as they hit the wake
from the aerostream,
I think she panicked, maybe overcorrected. It
was like she didn't hear. She... she froze.
Which is exactly
what the airline will say.
If sky national
can prove pilot error,
they save millions of dollars.
They don't have to ground their
fleet, do extra maintenance.
They have every reason to want
to trash Lori Mackelson
who can't handle
a little turbulence.
Lori had 16,000 flight hours
under her belt.
She didn't panic.
She was a great pilot,
under any conditions.
She did not freeze.
Can I help you, sir?
Not unless you can bring
my wife back.
All I want them to do
is to get out there
and say she didn't do this.
Believe me, Andrew.
We're gonna do everything we can
to clear your wife's name. Why
haven't you said anything?
The news has already said
the plane was perfect.
Can't you just call
a-a press conference?
If I get up there
and play defense,
hold my gloves in front
of my face,
it confirms their narrative.
We need to change
their narrative.
We need to anticipate what
they're going to say about Lori
before they say it and then hit
back with evidence.
So lay it on me.
What is the worst thing
they can say?
(Clicking) She's been
sober for over 20 years.
She still goes to a.A. Meetings
from time to time.
So she's an alcoholic. That's
not how I would phrase it.
Which is why they will.
(Sly & the family stone's
"everyday people" playing)
(Woman) Sources say
that the flight crew,
including the captain and first
officer, were drinking
at their hotel the night before the flight...
(Man) F.A.A. regulations prohibit
the consumption of alcohol
12 hours before
a plane's scheduled departure time. The crew
was in direct violation of these regulations.
(Woman) Boy, were they hammered.
Not the pilots, though, right?
Two pilots,
six flight attendants...
hammered.
Even...
(Clicking) I said "y'all better
not be flying tomorrow."
She says to me, "don't worry.
These planes these days...
they fly themselves."
Can you believe it? (Man)
According to the manufacturer,
the mw-85 has
a perfect safety record.
(Woman) It's one of the top
performing passenger planes
in the world. The plane has
met with nothing but praise
from the aviation community.
(Woman) I could lose my job.
I just need a quick peek
at the mechanic reports.
You're asking for a lot. You're
not offering much there, Stevie.
No one will ever know.
Oh, our little secret, huh?
Maybe if you want to come by
my apartment around 8:00?
I'd like to get in a workout
and have some time to rinse off.
(Chuckles)
(Man) Early indications
from the black box recording
indicate that the airport tower
tried to communicate
with the pilot...
Damn it. They already leaked
what was on the black box?
Somewhere in that recording is
the truth. We need our own copy.
I'll get huck on it.
...taken to the tower.
Pleas from the first officer
also appear
to have been ignored.
(Steven exhales deeply)
(Door closes)
I was this close to getting
the mechanic's report.
What happened?
I lost my superpowers.
I'm engaged. I can't use
every tool in the box anymore.
And by tool,
you would mean your...
okay. Just find another tack,
Stephen. We need those reports.
Abby.
The bartender confirms
that both pilots and all six
flight attendants were drinking.
Six? Manifest listed five. You think
one of 'em didn't make the flight?
(Huck) Black box recording.
How'd you get it?
N.T.S.B. server. Kid's play.
Olivia, may I talk to you?
Check the airline schedule.
See what attendants
were supposed to fly 684.
Got it.
In your office? See what other flight
crews were passing through Philly
that night.
Got it.
Where's Quinn?
Has anybody seen Quinn?
I think she went out. Where's
the manifest? On my desk.
(Huck) She's dead. If there is a
missing flight attendant who is alive
right now, we need to find her
before the airline does.
Amanda Tanner is dead!
Are you sure?
(Scoffs)
Pull down your window.
You tell your boy... you talk into
that little radio in your sleeve
and you tell the president
I know.
I know what he did to her.
I know!
Shanker and holiday are
both on board,
but we're still
three votes short.
You'd make it a lot easier
on the V.P.
If you could throw in a few
carrots for border security.
It might give us
something to work with.
Come on now, Billy. Are you
telling me you can't work
with bright, energetic
young people earning their way
to citizenship through
good grades and hard work?
It's not that, Mr. president.
Great. Then I will count on
the vice president's
active support.
Yeah?
(Whispers indistinctly)
(Projector and camera shutter
clicking)
(Quinn speaks indistinctly)
Quinn. Who is this?
Hank Tanner.
I'm Amanda's father.
Uh, it's a pleasure
to meet you.
I stopped by Amanda's place
and found Mr. Tanner outside.
Amanda said that she came
to work for you
after she left the White House.
Yes, that's right.
I don't mean to be
a bother here, but, uh,
I've... I've been talking
to Mandy every day
since she was in the hospital,
and then I haven't
heard anything from her,
so I decided to come up here
and make sure
that everything was all right.
Her mother is really worried
about her.
It's okay, Mr. Tanner.
Everything's going to be fine.
I promise.
Mr. Tanner, you look like
you could use a cup of tea.
Quinn, would you help me
get some tea for Mr. Tanner?
Thank you.
What you did back there?
You made a promise.
We don't make promises.
But...
Amanda Tanner is dead.
Wh...
she's dead.
How do you know?
We know.
But we can't tell him we know
because we're not supposed
to know, and there is no body.
So right now,
we're gonna go back in there
and give that nice man
a cup of tea and tell him we are
doing everything in our power
to find his daughter.
And don't ever promise
an outcome we can't deliver.
(Cell phone rings)
(Ring)
I have to take this.
(Beep)
Are we on a secure line?
Why the hell are
you threatening my agents?
You mean the men you sent
to follow and scare me?
You told them that you know
what I did to her. To who?
Amanda Tanner?
Playing dumb doesn't suit you.
Olivia, either say
what you mean or stop...
war is war? Fine.
But murder... is murder.
Amanda's dead?
She has a dad...
a really nice man who's looking
for his daughter.
How do you think he's gonna feel
when he finds out
that the man he voted for
had his daughter killed?
I didn't do this.
You know me.
You know I didn't do this.
I don't know anything.
Trust your gut.
(Scoffs)
Your gut's never wrong.
I don't have a gut anymore.
Livvie...
Come to the White House
and look me in the eye.
We need to talk about this
face-to-face.
Face-to-face is over.
That girl is dead.
This wasn't...
Me.
You know me.
And the thought
that I would ever,
that I could ever...
You know me.
If you didn't kill her,
we both know who did.
Tell me I'm wrong.
You let a pit bull off
his leash, he mauls a baby.
No one blames the dog.
You let Cyrus off his leash.
That's on you.
(Snaps cell phone shut)
Carly Reston?
Yeah?
You're a flight attendant
for sky national?
Oh, God. Look, I called in sick
before I went to bed last night,
which is more than
six hours in advance,
so if you couldn't find anyone
to cover, it's not my fault.
You're not from corporate,
are you?
(Crying) All of them?
Everyone?
Yes.
Sammi?
All of them. Everyone.
I need to know
if Captain Mackelson
was drinking at your party
at the bar last night.
Lori? No way. She's been sober
for, like, a million years.
Goes to meetings
at every city on the route.
She almost never comes out
with us anyway.
The only reason she even
came out with us last night
is 'cause it was my birthday.
(Projector and camera shutter clicking) You didn't
tell me Amanda Tanner used to work in the White House.
You didn't tell me she had
a previous suicide attempt.
You pretty much didn't tell me
a single thing
about the girl whom
you tasked me with finding.
So if I'm about to step
into political quicksand here,
I'd like to know it
before I sink.
I can't tell you any more than
I've told you.
But you know more.
If you can't tell me more,
then you're actually obstructing justice.
I'm sorry, David.
(Projector and camera shutter
clicking)
You know what the flags
are for?
Yellow's where they picked up
pieces of the fuselage.
Red's for body parts.
I heard one of the emergency
workers talking.
It's how they keep track
of whose parts are whose.
Andrew, you should
really get back...
when my mom died,
we had an open casket.
When my dad died,
we had an open casket.
It's how we say good-bye.
What are my kids gonna see
when they look
in Lori's casket?
A red flag?
(Metal creaks)
I'd like to correct...
(Camera shutters clicking) In
the strongest terms possible...
The idea that the pilot,
Lori Mackelson,
had been drinking the night
before the crash.
She had not,
and we have a witness
to that effect.
(Reporters murmuring)
A little history about Lori...
she was married to
Andrew Mackelson for 17 years.
They have two boys...
Carter, age 15,
and Jonathan, age 12.
(Projector and camera shutter
clicking)
I don't want to ask you
to do this
because it's...
Not what you do anymore.
You want the body.
I know what I'm asking.
And if it's too much for you,
if you don't want to,
you can say no.
That'll be the end of it.
We'll find another way.
I'll take care of it.
Huck,
you need reeling in,
you call me.
I'll come for you.
I got this.
I'm good to go.
No problem.
Digrazzo flipped!
It took a lot of pork
and a guarantee
of heavy campaigning from you
in New Jersey come mid-terms.
We're only two away now.
Amanda Tanner's dead.
How sad.
Aren't you gonna ask
how it happened?
No. Should I?
A young woman died.
A member
of this administration.
I said how sad I was.
You didn't hear me?
I'll say it again. How sad.
Let's lower the flags.
For God sakes, Cy,
show some respect.
120 innocent Americans...
children, mommies and daddies
and best friends
and husbands and wives
died in that plane crash
yesterday. That's sad.
We lost one of the few sane
and worthy members
of the senate yesterday.
That's sad.
Four Navy S.E.A.L.S died
in Afghanistan,
and... that doesn't even touch
Sudan, Congo, northern Mexico.
That's sad.
But the disturbed girl
who made it her life's mission
to take down
this administration,
the one who was happily...
no, gleefully...
carrying your illegitimate
bastard child...
she's no longer with us?
Well, I'm sorry
if I'm not sitting shivah.
I'm sorry
if I can't help but see
the millions of people that
we'll actually be able to help
now that Amanda Tanner is gone.
I am sorry,
but this is a good thing.
It is a good thing for us.
It is a good thing
for the country.
(Door closes)
What happened to McKinley?
I was just getting used to
seeing his judge-y face
every morning.
He's being restored.
His judge-y face got flaky.
What's your preference...
Madison or Van Buren?
Van Buren has
a certain wisdom about him.
What's bothering you?
I think we're gonna pass
the D.R.E.A.M. act.
Cyrus is on it
like a dog with a bone.
You know he called Sanchez' widow?
Good. It needs to be passed.
Still, there should be limits.
We're political animals.
We're not animals.
Sometimes I think he's
too willing to go to extremes.
Tom, hal,
would you come here, please?
Tom?
Yes, ma'am?
You would take a bullet
for the president, wouldn't you?
Yes, ma'am.
Hal?
Yes, ma'am, I would.
Thank you. That's all.
There isn't a person
in this building
who isn't willing to go
to extremes for you.
(Projector and camera shutter
clicking)
(Stephen) I got ..
You got it?
Got what?
Mechanic report - I got it.
How'd you get it?
I got it.
I bet you did.
I looked through 200 reports,
every inspection made
on this plane in the last year
thee are two separate reports,
this one is signed and dated
by a mechanic in Phoenix last fall...
(Clicking)
This one's signed and dated
by a mechanic in Philly
a week ago... the last inspection
before the crash.
No problems reported in either.
That's bad for us, right?
That means the plane was fine.
Read line four...
"power control unit."
Notice anything?
He misspelled "control," but...
Line four.
(Abby) Oh,
it's misspelled here, too.
What are the chances?
Identical reports
submitted by different mechanics in
different cities, months apart?
The Philly report is fake.
The last inspection of the plane
before it crashed was forged?
(Man) ...Descending. What's your status?
(Alert beeping)
(Man) Kick rudder.
Lori, left rudder. Left rudder.
Sky national 684,
what's your status?
684. Emergency.
(Thumping and clicking)
Left rudder. Left rudder!
What the hell are you...
(tape rewinding)
684. Emergency.
(Thumping and clicking)
(Curtis Mayfield's "pusherman"
playing)
(Tape rewinds)
(Thumping and clicking)
Thank you.
♪ Ain't I clean? ♪
(Tape rewinding)
(Man) 684. Emergency.
(Thumping and clicking)
♪ Superfly, here I stand ♪
♪ you know me, I'm your friend ♪
♪ your main boy,
thick and thin ♪
(Keys jangle)
(Door opens and rattles)
♪ I'm your pusherman ♪
(Door closes)
(Man grunts)
(Thud)
(Tape rewinds)
(Thumping and clicking)
That is your signature.
No, it is,
but that's not my report.
That's not my handwriting.
I wouldn't misspell "control."
I won
my sixth grade spelling bee.
You were the last one to inspect
the plane before it crashed.
Can you tell me what you said
in your report?
Hey, I just turn 'em in, all
right? This thing's not on me.
I'm not here to blame you.
I just want you to remember.
Look, it's important.
First, I would've checked
the P.C.U.,
then the summing levers. And you
want to make sure they're okay,
'cause if they're not,
you risk the rudder deflecting
to full blowdown limit.
I'm just trying to think
if something was going on
with the levers.
If there was, I would've put the plane down.
(Tape rewinds)
(Thumping and clicking)
I seem to remember recommending
that for one of my birds.
Slow down. Just...
(Chuckles) I don't want
to miss any of this.
What exactly are you saying?
(Tape rewinds)
Are you saying... there's
something wrong with the plane.
What? She didn't panic.
She didn't freeze.
She was... she was doing
everything right.
That's what the noises are.
It's her responding,
but it didn't matter,
'cause there was something wrong
with the plane.
(Man panting)
I know. I know.
Just showing up at someone's
house... it's so tacky.
But we really do need
to talk about what happened
to Amanda Tanner.
(Speaks indistinctly)
Okay, Charlie?
(Man) Lori, left rudder.
Left rudder.
Right there. Hear that?
Those three soft thumps.
They're there. Trust me.
Trust him. It's the sound of
Lori pushing on the left rudder,
but the pedal won't move.
It won't let her go left.
Why not? The thing that makes
the rudder go left or right...
according to the mechanic,
one of its parts was bent.
It'd be like making
a right turn in your car
and having the steering wheel
lock up on you.
The mechanic mentions
the bent lever in his report,
but... that report is gone.
This is good, Andrew.
We can use this. It means Lori
did everything in her power
to stop that plane
from going down.
It means it wasn't her fault.
Then whose fault was it?
My wife is dead.
120 people are dead.
Who's to blame for that?
(Projector and camera shutter
clicking)
Well, we really appreciate
your help.
And I know senator Sanchez
would, too.
This is a great way
to honor him.
We'll have you and Lynn
over to dinner
at the residence next week.
Okay. Thank you, senator.
Yeah. Bye.
Jankowski's in.
(Laughs)
(Staffers murmur)
Well done, everyone!
All right!
As long as brownhill's
gallbladder keeps him at home,
we have got a tie.
And the deciding vote is cast
by the vice president.
I'm sorry. I tried again
this morning, but...
don't do this to me, Billy.
We're gonna need one more.
Get your boss up here.
This has gone far enough.
I don't want you to think
that I'm doing this
because I'm mad at you. I'm not.
I'm not. You trained me,
but it was the agency, really.
They... took stuff from me,
and not just my name
or my ability to ever contact
my family again.
I was young,
I was fresh out of college,
and they made it sound fun.
(Gloves snap)
We had fun, didn't we?
That's the problem.
It's horrible
and it's sickening,
and just when you think
you can't take any more,
it gets fun.
The U.S. government really knows
its stuff, yeah?
Something in you
just falls away,
and it gets fun.
There's a high. It's good.
It's so good,
which is what I wanna remind
you of... how good it can get.
You think about that.
Okay, I'm thinking about it
'cause I'm rusty.
I'm sober.
This is gonna be bad for me
for a while,
but I'm gonna push through
the horrible and the sickening
and then something's
gonna fall away,
and I'm gonna
start enjoying myself.
All right?
And we both know...
Mnh-mnh.
What an artist I can be.
(Sighs)
And like any junkie,
I'm gonna enjoy the high
for as long as I can.
Okay?
(Groans)
Are you ready, old friend?
(Whirring)
(Muttering)
(Muffled screaming)
(Flesh tears)
Madam vice president.
Thanks for coming
on such short notice.
It's an honor to be invited
to the party, sir.
I just came
from a prayer meeting.
You know how my people
like to pray.
I do.
My Cassidy was only 12 years old
when I was deciding
whether or not to take
the V.P. slot,
and she said, "do it, mama.
Governor grant walks
with the lord."
Can you believe
she was only 12 years old?
Very... precocious,
that Cassidy.
(Chuckles)
We did it, Sally.
The D.R.E.A.M. act is tied
in the senate,
and you will have
the great honor
of casting the deciding vote.
Sir, I'm afraid that I...
we made a hell of a team out on
the campaign trail, didn't we?
The children of illegal
immigrants should not be allowed
to take part in the bounty
of America, Mr. president.
That is not God's plan.
I will never forget
the way you brought those people
to their feet in Utah.
Rain pouring down
on 10,000 tired people,
and they jumped up
like a baptist choir.
That is the closest I've ever
seen to political magic.
I'm not saying that they
shouldn't be allowed to partake
in certain paths
to legal immigration...
you're an experienced politician
and a woman of God,
so I'm not gonna waste your time
by trying to talk you
into something
that you've obviously given
a lot of serious thought to.
So let's just get right to it.
You intend to be president
one day.
Sir, I...
and whatever our disagreements,
this country could use
a woman president.
But of the 14 vice presidents
in our history
who have gone on
to assume the presidency,
do you know
how many have done so
without the endorsement
of the president they served?
None, sir.
We are going to do great things
together, you and I.
Great things.
And we're going to start by
passing the D.R.E.A.M. act.
(Door opens)
(Cyrus) Sir?
It's my honor, sir.
(Whispers) Cyrus.
She's in. Deal closed.
We're good.
The bill will pass, no problem,
or I will tear
her right-wing guts out.
I'm back.
I am back.
(Sighs)
Cyrus?
Cyrus.
We got a blackmail letter.
A demand.
It's not Olivia.
It's not Amanda.
Olivia's not this crazy,
and Amanda is dead.
Which means there's
someone else, a third party.
Olivia did not send us
that sex tape. Someone else did.
Cyrus, what's the demand?
(Muffled screaming)
Oh, Charlie, you make
a beautiful noise.
They did, you know,
take stuff from me...
the U.S. government.
After I started
not being able to sleep
after I started crying
when I wrapped a guy in plastic,
they put me in a hole
nobody wants to be in.
And I don't mean
a metaphorical hole.
I mean, an actual hole.
They took stuff from me,
Charlie.
So much stuff, that I was
homeless, on the subway,
begging for change
when Liv found me,
which is why I'm breaking
my sobriety,
'cause she asked, okay?
And I'm telling you this because
I want you to understand
that I owe her,
so I'm not gonna stop until
you tell me where Amanda is.
You get that?
(Grunting)
(Groans)
Tell me where she is.
(Speaks gibberish)
Charlie, I have a scalpel,
a 10-blade.
I will peel you like a grape.
(Gurgling)
You're gonna retire to
new Mexico. It's nice there.
But first, you're gonna tell me
where Amanda Tanner's body is.
All right?
(Muttering)
All right.
Okay.
(Projector and camera shutter
clicking)
Alissa, you're fired again.
What?
14th street bridge.
You're gonna need
a diving team.
You okay?
Not really.
Okay.
(Whispers) Okay.
(President Nixon) Good evening.
This is the 37th time
i have spoken to you
from this office.
I would have preferred to carry
through to the finish
whatever the personal agony
it would have involved.
Therefore...
I shall resign the presidency
effective at noon tomorrow.
As we look to the future,
the first essential is
to begin healing
the wounds of this nation,
to put the bitterness
and divisions
of the recent past behind us.
I hope
that I will have hastened
the start
of that process of healing
which is so desperately needed
in America.
What exactly are
you insinuating, Ms. Pope?
I don't like to insinuate.
I'd rather deduce
likely scenarios.
And in my scenario,
you get a mechanic's report
that says you have to ground
all your mw-85s,
which would cost you millions
and send your customers
running to your competitors.
You'd worry about what your
stockholders are going to say.
You'd worry about your job.
That's understandable.
If I'm C.E.O.,
it's the last thing I'd want.
So one report goes missing...
no harm, no foul...
that is until 120 people
fall out of the sky.
This is not some kind of
conspiracy. If that's what...
she doesn't insinuate.
She deduces.
(Sighs) I started this airline
with one plane, two pilots,
and an old furniture warehouse
converted to a hangar.
I lost seven employees
yesterday.
The senior flight attendant,
Sammi Tyler,
was one of my first hires.
Believe me, I want the truth
just as much as you do.
So why did this report
disappear?
Why didn't it get passed
up the line?
I don't know.
Somebody does.
(Indistinct conversations,
telephone rings)
Phyllis Hayes?
I'm, uh, Harrison Wright.
I'm here to...
I know why you're here,
Mr. Wright.
Two people used to do my job,
and now it's just me.
That's not an excuse.
It just means things pile up.
I had a huge backlog
of mechanic reports
from all over the country
and I had to get them out,
push them up the ladder.
They fire you if you don't get
them in on time to headquarters.
But my youngest daughter was
having a piano recital
and I didn't want to miss it.
I-I already missed one
this year.
So I duplicated
one of the reports.
I didn't think
it was a big deal.
I believe this is
what you're looking for.
I'm never going
to hear her play
without thinking about...
(Crying) All those people.
She's very good at the piano...
My daughter.
I'm sure she is,
Ms. Hayes.
(Sighs)
I've come here tonight to
express my sincere condolences
to the victims and the families
of flight 684.
As of this afternoon,
sky national has
participated fully
in the N.T.S.B. investigation,
and we understand
and accept our role
in the events
leading up to the crash.
So I would like to take
this time to apologize
to all those who lost loved ones
in this tragic event,
including the families
of the crew,
and of captain Lori Mackelson,
who fought so valiantly
until the end to prevent
this terrible tragedy.
Thank you.
Mm.
That's Mandy...
That's my daughter.
(Sobs)
She didn't suffer.
How do you...
'Cause I know what you do
to people to make them suffer.
She didn't suffer.
It was a...
Good... death.
(Footsteps retreat)
Thank you.
(Whispers) It's okay.
Hal? Tom? Can you guys
come in here a second, please?
What if I wanted
to get out of here?
Sir?
The press corps lid is on.
The staff has all gone home.
What if I wanted to leave?
I don't think...
that's not possible, sir.
You're gonna tell me 41
never left?
43 never went out for a drink?
Okay, seriously. 42?
Bill Clinton.
William Jefferson Clinton
never left?
I wouldn't know anything
about past presidents...
Kennedy never left
the White House in secret?
What am I, born yesterday?
Sir, we have no knowledge of...
fine. I want to go somewhere
spontaneously. How do I do that?
I would inform
our immediate supervisor
at the secret service,
who'd inform the head
of the secret service
and the White House
press secretary,
who'd inform
the White House press corps.
150 individuals would assemble,
along with your bulletproof
presidential limousine,
your chase and follow car,
your ambulance,
two unmarked vehicles,
as well as the sharpshooters
and the marine guard...
no.
Sir?
What if I wanted
to go somewhere alone,
no secret service, no press,
no anything?
Technically, the president
of the United States is
allowed to refuse the protection
of secret service, but, uh...
"but, uh," what?
It needs to be approved
by the secretary
of the treasury, sir...
(Sighs) And recorded in
the national record.
(Chuckles) I'm not a prisoner.
(Both) No, sir.
I am the most powerful man
on the planet.
(Both) Yes, sir.
But I can't leave my house.
(Both) No, sir. You see where I
might be a little bit annoyed?
(Tom and hal) Yes, sir.
I am a grown man.
I am going to leave here.
If I have to walk out
to the staff parking lot
with you two following me,
jump into someone's 1994 civic
and drive off without
protection, I am going to leave.
I would like to be safe
and not jeopardize the economy
of this country when I did so.
Can you come up with a way
to make that happen?
Two sedans, covered parking,
one sharpshooter,
and your ambulance.
One sedan and covered parking.
No sharpshooters
and no ambulance.
One sedan, covered parking,
no sharpshooters,
we keep the ambulance
and add two agents.
Sold.
Just like 43.
(Sighs) Yeah.
(David) Personal belongings
on her body,
no sign of foul play,
slashed her wrists a month ago.
Cops want to rule it a suicide.
Coroner wants to rule it
a suicide.
So it's gonna be ruled
a suicide.
Yep.
So... who do you think
killed her?
See, I've got
this nagging feeling
you've got a pretty good idea.
I know I give you a long leash
on a lot of things,
and I like to, because
despite my better judgment
and all my protests
to the contrary,
I really do consider you
a friend.
But I can't look the other way
here, not on this.
I'm an assistant U.S. attorney,
Liv.
I prosecute crime.
I get the bad guys.
So at some point, even with you,
I gotta draw the line.
I gotta do my job.
Gotta be the sheriff.
The white hat looks good
on you.
(Johnnie Walker's
"I believe in you
(You believe in me)" Playing)
Lisa.
I'm gonna need
that autopsy report
fast-tracked
as soon as you can.
Well, I can tell you right now
it's gonna be a suicide.
I'm still gonna need
that report.
♪ I feel sorry ♪
Are you still engaged?
♪ I feel sorry ♪
(Chuckles)
Not so engaged that I...
I don't remember the freezer.
Hey.
I left you ten messages.
I just heard.
It's horrible. I couldn't reach
you. I didn't know what to do,
so I-I just started
making grilled cheese,
because it's literally the only
thing I know how to make,
and it's comfort food,
and I figured you'd be hungry,
and you...
Quinn, are you okay?
(Crying)
(Sniffles)
♪ For any woman out there
who can say ♪
(Woman) ...Congressman
Mike pence of Indiana...
(Cell phone ringing)
Welcoming the compromise,
but cautioning against
taking too much credit...
(Knock on door)
(Turns off volume)
What? Wait. Hold on. Coming!
Stephen.
It's not his.
What? I just got the
coroner's report.
The blood type's not a match.
Amanda was pregnant,
but the baby was not
the president's.
Liv?
Liv, you...
(Snaps cell phone shut)
Hi.
Hi.
(Projector and camera shutter
clicks)