Scandal (2012–2018): Season 3, Episode 16 - The Fluffer - full transcript

- She didn't send you.
- She sent me.

- She sent you?
- She sent me.

She's not dying in a hospital

or being held hostage
or in the North Korea prison

because those are
the only acceptable...

She sent me.
I'm her proxy.

- Her what?
- Her proxy.

There is no proxy.
You understand?

I'm your Olivia
- until she says otherwise.

She's not over the first-family
interview. Small of her.

She's licking her wounds.



I have no information on that.

All I know is I'm handling
the White House.

- I'm your...
- Olivia proxy.

Right. I'm calling her.
She said you'd say that.

- Did she? - She said to tell you
she wouldn't take your call.

The only call
she is taking is mine,

and I am not to call her unless

and this is a direct quote,
so let me be exact...

"Do not call me unless
the white house is on fire,

"in flames, burning to the
ground." End of quote.

I can do this, Mr. Beene.
Don't worry.

I'm very good.
I'll handle it.

- Gabby...
- Abby.

Gabby.



I almost feel sorry for
what's about to happen to you.

Abby:
Well, hello, everyone.

I thought we could start
with polling numbers.

How does that sound?

There was a sizeable bump
from the Grant-family interview.

We made a lot of headway
with women

in many key voting demos

and won no less
than three media cycles.

Well done.

Okay.

The bad news is that Sally's
still got a stronghold

on women who want
to break the glass ceiling.

Reston, well, he visits
his murdering wife in prison

every Sunday without fail.

Chicks dig that. I mean,
women seem to love that,

so we've got some work to do to
put us over the top with women,

which is why
this upcoming event

with the wounded
female soldiers...

The warrior women of America...
is so important.

- I've put together some
information... -Where's Olivia?

Olivia's...
I'm her proxy today.

So, back to these polls.

We're on the precipice of
something great here, people.

If we gain just three points
with women nationally,

we're looking at a potential
lock with Ohio, Michigan,

maybe even...
F-f-Florida.

Nice coat.
[ Door closes ]

if I'm going to work with you,

I need you to promise
me something...

That you won't harm
the president.

Ha.

It's not a joke, dad.

You looked me in the eye

and said he wouldn't see
his second term.

Have you seen the
poll numbers lately?

He's accomplishing that
all by himself.

Promise me you won't hurt him.

Dad.

Promise me.

I promise you, I won't touch
a hair on his head.

Good.

Mm-hmm.

So, B613.
Mm.

How is it funded, and where
do they keep their money?

To protect my agency from
the naysayers and bean counters,

it had to operate
off the books.

To that end, in the late '80s,

we staged a cyber-attack
on the O.M.B.

Its purpose was to siphon
small amounts of money

from all other
government entities.

We scanned
the entire federal budget

and rerouted tiny amounts of
funding to a black-box account.

Every agency, every taxpayer,

unknowingly had a hand
in replenishing this fund,

which few were aware of
and only I controlled.

So, if someone wanted
to get at that account,

how would they go about it?

We just need to find
the algorithm

and track it
to B613's secret account.

You're not gonna believe this,
but I was this close to saying,

"top-secret, money-siphoning
algorithm" yesterday.

Where did you get
this information?

Look in the O.M.B.'s
asset-execution code.

- It should be... - It didn't
come from Jake. He's the enemy.

So where did you get it?

My father.

I would have gone with

"anonymous former
government employee."

Huck.

- You're a mark.
- What?

Your father's treating
you like a mark.

Did he make you a promise, Liv?

He promised you something.

That means
- he's gonna take something.

That is what they do.

That is what we do.

- He doesn't want anything.
- Of course he does.

You just don't know what it is.

I know this is hard
for you, Huck,

but you have to trust me.

This is the job...

Hack into the O.M.B. sSoftware
and get the code.

My father says it's there.

If we get it,
we can shut down B613.

I don't work for your father.

No. You work for me.

This is the job.

I'm not gonna do it.

Yes, you are.

This is what we're doing.

We all do things
we don't want to do.

This is what we're doing.

Good morning.
Hi.

Mellie.

Andrew.

You haven't returned
any of my calls.

You need to stop calling me.

Is that what you want?

That's what needs
to happen, yes.

Is that what you want?

I can't walk past you
in the hallway

and smile
like nothing's happened.

This is real, Mellie,
and after all these years,

after everything
you've done for him,

you deserve something real,

someone who's not
just playing the part

of the man who loves you...
Someone who actually does.

I have to go.

[ Indistinct shouting ]

I will always love my wife.
She made a terrible mistake...

-Marrying you... - One that
most people wouldn't forgive.

So I will continue
to visit my wife here in prison

till she finishes
serving her time. Thank you.

Reporter: Turmoil surrounding
the re-election campaign...

Someone turn that up. Now.

[ Cellphone rings ]

Abby.

Turn on your TV.
Turn it on, Liv.

Turn it on now.
Now, now, now.

Jeannine Locke, the former
White House communications aide

who had a sexual relationship
with president Grant,

is now an author.

In her upcoming memoir,

set to be released
later this month,

Ms. Locke claims
that she was taken for granted.

I don't want
to hurt the president.

In fact,
I want the world to know

what a special man
Fitz Grant is...

A strong, satisfying...
Impressive man.

Female reporter: What do
you mean by "impressive"?

I think you know
what I'm talking about.

Male reporter:
- Oh, come on. Don't be coy.

Give us a sneak peek, Jeannine.

At least tell us whether the president
is a breadstick or a baguette.

[ Laughter ] I'd have to say

the President
of the United States

is definitely... a baguette.

[ Laughter ] And what else can
you tell us about the president?

Well, you'll just have to read...
Liv.

All about it in my new book. I
think the house is burning down.

And do you still feel...

Today, Ms. Locke is back in the
news with a sensational memoir

that's causing
a stir around the world

thanks to her response
to a local reporter's question.

I'd have to say the president
of the United States

is definitely... a baguette.

[ Laughter ] Baguette?

This is how we go down?!
This is our legacy?!

Turn it off.

I thought there was a clause.

I thought she couldn't
talk about it.

We negotiated
her original contract, but...

Looks like
someone bought it out

and brought jeannine
to another publisher.

- Someone being Langston or Reston.
- Hold on.

I must say, I'm shocked
and appalled by all of this.

It's unfortunate
that the president continues

to be plagued by this indecency.

My family and I will keep him
in our prayers.

That bitch.

We've got Cassidy's abortion.
Time to pull the trigger.

- No. - Times or the post?
Who gets it?

Cyrus, we are not leaking
the abortion.

It's wrong on every level.
This is old news.

We ignore it and continue
with business as usual.

Mr. president, this is not
the time to put down our sword.

Stay above the fray, Cyrus.

We need to hit back!

Cyrus... Olivia and
I need the room.

[ Sighs ]

This Jeannine Locke
thing is big.

You can't underestimate it,
but it can be counteracted.

It means you're going
to have to make nice

with Mellie and Andrew.

You sent Gabby to me
in your place?

- Abby.
- What?

Her name is Abby.

I don't care what her name is.

You sent her to me
in your place?

- What is that?
- Well, I'm here now.

What do you need?

I want Andrew Nichols
off the ticket.

We're not taking Andrew
off the ticket.

I want a list of new V.P. picks
on my desk by the morning.

You're not getting
a new V.P.

I am not running
with that son of a...

You knock Andrew off the ticket
now, it's an amateur move.

It's too late.
It'll ruin you.

You picked him, he's your guy,
so too bad for you.

He stays on the ticket.
That's final.

What else do you need?

What else do I need?

What else do I need?

What else do you need?

What service
can I render for you today?

Am I here to stroke your ego?

Am I your cheerleader?

Am I here to wipe your tears?

Am I your nanny?

Am I here to fight the bullies?

Am I your bodyguard today?

Maybe I'm here
to make you feel good.

Maybe I'm your dealer.

Or maybe I'm here to make you
feel hot and manly and ready

so you're not jealous
of your wife's boyfriend.

Is that it?
Am I your fluffer today, Fitz?

Is that what I am?

What service am I
billing you for today?

You're being disgusting...

- Oh, I'm being disgusting?
- ...And petty...

- Right. I'm the petty one.
- ...And jealous.

What else am I supposed to be?!

I lie in bed every night,

and I play our relationship
over and over in my head,

like a movie.

We meet, we fall in love,

we can't stop ourselves,
we're meant to be,

I give up everything inside me,
and then it stops.

The movie just stops.

I don't know how it ends.

It's just me waiting for a house
in Vermont that I can't live in

and a man who makes me promises
he can't keep.

I am not the bad guy.

I am not the guy who lured you
into some degrading...

I am not the bad guy.

I know that.
You want this to be easy.

You want this to be simple.
It is not easy or simple.

I know that.

So you can't just stand here

staring at me with dead eyes
like I'm some...

This didn't happen to you.

I didn't happen to you.

I know.

I should go.

[ Hands slap legs ]
Fine. Go.

If Andrew leaves the
ticket, you lose.

If Mellie doesn't stand
by you, you lose.

And losing is not an option.
We're winning this election.

So make nice with
Andrew and Mellie.

[ Door opens ]

[ Door closes ]

[ Knock on door ]

Morning, boss.
What's on the schedge for today?

The two of you are to relieve the
agents surveilling this target.

You are not
to approach the target

under any circumstance
without my authorization.

Agent Perkins,
is everything all right?

This is Maya pope,
Olivia's mother.

Will that be a problem for you?

God, I've missed you.

Mmm. 22 years
is a long, long time.

Remember when
you used to bring me flowers?

I do.

Who's buying?

- Ivan Yushkin.
- Ah.

And what do you
and Mr. Yushkin like?

A single rose or a garden?

Surprise us.

Whew.

[ Chuckles ]

JFK? Yeah. Sure.

Let's assume
- Kennedy was a bigger cheat...

Something
we can't really determine

till all of Grant's
illicit flings

are plied out of the woodwork
in the next decade or two,

but putting all that aside,

for all the skinny-dipping
and starlets,

the man got stuff done.

This guy, he's got
no Cuban missile crisis,

no man in space,
no... oh!

Cyrus Beene,
ladies and gentlemen.

Get a picture with him now
while he's still around.

See you folks.

[ Ringing ]

Ethan.

It's time to join the fray.

I'll get that.
And a scotch, neat.

Some things never change.
It's good to see you again, H.

How's your neck?
I was worried.

Adnan tell you
what she's been up to?

Who she's been
working with? Hmm?

Maya pope, Marie Wallace,

whatever she's calling herself
these days...

I need to find her, Clare.

Yeah, here's the thing.
Marie Wallace is a trailblazer.

She's a role model.

There just aren't
that many women

as high up in our
business as she is,

and she is the best,

so am I willing to piss off
a potential mentor

just to help you out?

- I don't think so.
- Come on.

I'm leaning in, Harrison,

making an investment
in my future.

Sorry.

[ Cellphone rings ]

Jake.

Jake: I'm outside your door.
- What?

I'm standing outside your door.

What do you mean?

I mean I'm drunk,

and I'm... standing
outside of your door.

I'm not letting you in.

- Liv.
- You can't come in.

[ Sighs ] I could come in
if I wanted to come in,

- and we both know it.
- But you won't.

No, I won't.

I miss you.

Says the spider to the fly.

No.

I miss you.

We can't be together
because, you know,

you kill my friends.

James wasn't your friend.

I'm godmother to his child.

He wasn't your friend.
I would never kill your friends.

Can you hear it?

What?

The B613 in your brain.

"I would never kill
your friends"?

Yeah, I can hear it.

I wish you'd just stood
in the sun with me.

Sometimes I wish that, too.

Just let me in.

Get away from my door.

Let me in.

Jake, go home.

[ Voice breaking ]
I don't have a home.

Goodbye, Jake.

No, don't hang up.
Don't hang up!

Liv... damn it!

Let me in, damn it!

I asked you to save me...

And you said no.

[ Elevator bell dings ]

[ Footsteps approach ]

Liv.

You found the algorithm?

Huck: Right where your father
said it would be.

All I had to do was follow
the sublist to its result array.

Is it an account?

Are you telling me
we have B613's money?

It's empty.

The whole thing's
just some legacy code

left over from an abandoned
treasury department project.

He played us.

He played you.

I played you?

To what end?

You tell me.
Are you working with Jake?

Is that what's happening?
[ Sighs ]

It's not a preposterous idea, dad.
B613 is your life.

Helping me destroy it... I'm
helping you put down an animal,

a dog that isn't mine anymore,

a dog that is sick
and malnourished

because its new master
doesn't know how to care for it.

So rather than sit here
and watch it starve to death,

I've chosen to euthanize it,
to show it mercy,

not because I hate it,
but because I love it.

- So the money...
- Jake Ballard moved it.

That's the only explanation.
Why did he move it?

I presume
so this wouldn't happen.

He knows I know their secrets,

and he knows
I'm not his friend.

The good news is
the money exists somewhere,

most likely on the agency's
private network.

If that's the case, though,

you'll have your hands full
trying to find it.

Why?

Because the B613 network can
only be accessed from within,

and that's just accessed.

If you want
to change something,

like the algorithm
- that controls the flow of money,

[laughing] Well, for that,
you'll need a code...

A code that is in the possession
of one man and one man alone.

Jake.
- Mm-hmm.

You may not trust me,

but at least be smart enough
to know my priorities

and predict my behavior
accordingly.

[ Cellphone rings ]

I need you back here, Liv. Why?

'Cause things
are about to get ugly.

[ Indistinct shouting ]

Facing my dear Cassidy's
predicament,

I know why women must be allowed

to make that painful choice
for themselves.

[ Indistinct shouting ]

What did I say?

Cyrus:
The woman's a hypocrite.

She spent her entire
political career

telling women
they can't have abortions

while letting her daughter

"d" and "c" till the cows
come home,

then she flip-flops
on the issue

when it's politically
convenient.

Or personal experience helped
to change her mind on the issue.

Most mothers
of a 13-year-old daughter

would do what Sally did, Cyrus,

and now all those women,
they feel for her.

Yo did that!

You can't just lie
down on the job

and send some amateur in here

because your boyfriend
was mean to you

and then expect us all
to fall in line

when you've licked your wounds
long enough to come home.

I can expect you
to listen to my directives

as the manager
of this campaign.

The president is meeting

with senator Ramirez
right now, you know,

to give her the V.P. slot.

So no one here is listening
to your directives...

Just FYI

Having Puerto Rico, so...
Right.

Senator Ramirez.

[ Door closes ]
So lovely to see you again,

but we're going to have
to cut this meeting short.

Ramirez: But I just...
- Excuse me?

Very important
national-security matter.

You understand how that is.
I know how busy you are.

Yes, but...

And we wouldn't want
to leave you waiting.

Thank you so much.
Goodbye.

What the hell was that?

You were vetting her.

You were unspeakably rude
to a United States senator.

You were vetting her
as a potential vice president.

What, did you think
I wouldn't find out?

Senator Ramirez
can deliver votes.

I told you, you are not
replacing Andrew.

Ramirez brings women,
hispanics, christians,

she's a team player,
a working mother of four.

She'd make a great V.P.

You are not replacing Andrew!

You don't tell me what to do!

[ Sighs ]

[ Sighs ]

I don't want to fight with you.

I don't want to fight
with you, either.

Fitz, I'm going
to ask you again.

What do you need?

- I need Andrew gone.
- No.

That's what you want.

What do you need?

[ Sighs ]

Fitz.

I don't love her.

I don't want her back.

I'm almost indifferent to her,
to the sense of betrayal.

You know the answer.

We both know
you know the answer.

You want me to humiliate you

to make it easier
for you to walk away.

I'm not gonna say it.

Please don't
make me say it for you.

Tell me.

I want to hear it from you.

What do you need?

I need Andrew
to stop screwing my wife.

Consider it handled.

[ Door closes, object clatters ]

[ Andrew sighs ]

- Thought we were having a strategy
session with the team. - No.

It's just you and me.

[ Chuckles softly ]
What do you want, Olivia?

Actually, I'm here
- to find out what you want.

Do you want to screw
Mellie Grant,

or do you want
to be vice president?

I'm not even gonna dignify that
with a response.

Two choices...
Screw Mellie, be V.P.

One or the other. Either/or.
Because you can't have both.

I'm not going to allow
you to have both.

He's not going to allow
you to have both.

So you can either
cozy up to Mellie,

or you can cozy up to Fitz.

Choose Fitz,
and I'll protect you.

I'll keep you on the ticket.

I'll ensure
your political future.

Choose Mellie,
and I'm sorry, Andrew,

but I will have to use
my considerable talents

to tear you down,
brick by brick,

because the only way
to do this,

the only way
- to drop you from the ticket

and be certain it doesn't
blow back on the president

is to make sure it's not just
Fitz chasing you out of town,

but all of America.

And while you might like

living out the rest of your days
teaching political science

at a small, second-tier
liberal-arts college,

I don't think Mellie
will be by your side for it.

She's more of a "run with
the big dogs" kind of woman.

So you need to make a choice.

Do you want to be vice president
of the United States of America

for the next four years,

because that's how long
it'll take

for her to lose interest in you
once I get done destroying you.

Screw Mellie, be V. P....
Your choice.

Tell me something...

'Cause I've always
been curious.

What's it like?

- What?
- Being you?

Cutting people's throats
and calling it politics?

Appealing to the lowest,
basest part of humanity,

scraping the bottom
of a person's soul,

carrying out these little
emotional assassinations?

- Governor.
- I'm in love with her!

I love her.

[ Chuckles ]

So choose Mellie.

I wish you would.

It would restore
my faith in humanity.

But if there's one thing I know,

it's that, given the choice
between power and love,

men like you will always,
always choose power.

What did he do to you?

24 hours, governor.

If you haven't ended
things with Mellie,

I'll have to do my job,

and life as you know it
will be over.

[ Door opens and closes ]

[ Sighs ]

Oh, forgive me.

No one told me
you were bringing

one of your degenerate,

chronic-public-masturbating
clients.

No, that one lives
right here in the White House.

I'm the awesome client
from Awesometown.

More like suck-it-town,
you pompous jackass.

- Get out of my office!
Olivia: Enough!

The sniping, the infighting,
it has to stop.

While we sling mud
back and forth,

Reston stays squeaky clean.

He's up five points overall,
eight with women.

That's just
in the last 72 hours.

Keep it up, and we're headed

toward mutually assured
destruction,

so from now on,
instead of fighting each other,

we gang up on Reston.

If we peel away
his support from women,

it's a two-candidate match.

And how do you propose
we do that?

By telling the truth.

♪ Unh, oh, Sookie, Sookie, now

be relaxed but firm...

Trustworthy,
like she can trust you.

I'm familiar with the definition
of "trustworthy."

We just don't want her thinking

this is some kind
of double cross

to take down
her husband's campaign.

Which it is.

And when she sees
what's in that file,

I'm guessing she won't mind,
so maintain eye contact.

Try not to look
so... shifty.

Do you have any advice that
doesn't involve insulting me?

No.

♪ Just can't get you
out of my mind ♪

Woman: On the gate!
[ Buzzer ]

Joan Reston,
as I live and breathe.

[ Door closes ]
Let me save you some time.

Yes, I support my husband's
candidacy for president,

I have no comment
on my own case,

and I respectfully refer
- any other questions you may have

to the office of my attorney.

- Mrs. Reston...
- As I said,

I support my husband's
candidacy for president,

I have no comment... I'm not
here to ask you questions.

I'm here to let you know

that you're not the one
that belongs in prison.

Your husband is.

♪ Oh, yeah, now, unh

♪ come on

it's taking
everything you've got

not to whip out your phone

and tell Olivia Pope where
her mom is right now, isn't it?

What?
- Your loyalties.

Are you a faithful person,
Robin, to B613, to me?

I have n-never...

I mean, you've been faithful
in the past, right?

Who else have you dated?

Well, um, there was Jesse.

Why'd you and Jesse break up?

He died in an explosion.

And there was gideon.

Also dead. Scissors.

And now you.

- Who else have you dated?
- I don't date people.

Except you.

You're special.

Look.

Adnan: We're ready.

Clare just needs the paperwork.

Maya: When can we
expect these back?

Two U.S. passports?
24 hours.

- It's more than two.
- You said two.

That number's gone up.

My team.

Team?

How many people
are we talking about?

24 hours.

Clare.

After you drop these off,

you'll need to leave town
immediately.

- For how long?
- Forever, dear.

Do you have
a problem with that?

No.

If B613's account
is on their server,

there's only one way
to get into it.

I have to turn command's phone
into a transmitter

and use it to piggyback
onto B613's network.

This will upload
everything I need...

Passwords, log files,
serial numbers.

You just have to place
this device

on command's phone
for 30 seconds.

How am I supposed to do that?

How am I supposed to get

anywhere near Jake's phone
long enough to...

I think you can find a way.

[ Scoffs softly ]

Huck, no.

Do you have any idea
how many times

you've asked me to do things
that I didn't want to do,

but I did them
because you asked me to?

B613 took away my family, Liv,
my life, my name.

They destroyed me.

And now we can do
the same to them,

which is what you said
you wanted.

Don't you want that anymore?

We do what we have to do.

[ Door opens and closes ]

[ Door closes ]

[ Exhales sharply ]
[ Liquid pours ]

Olivia:
Go ahead. Shoot me.

It'd be the best thing
that happened to me all day.

[ Sighs ]

[ Gun thuds ] What do you want?

What do you [Sighs]

What do you want, Liv?
Why are you here?

[ Glass thuds ]

Is this why you're here?

Is this what you want?
Is it?

How do you think Liv's
gonna get what we need?

Oh. Oh.

Jake Ballard.
[ Laughs ]

Dude could probably kill you
with a bendy straw,

but at the end of the day,
he's just a normal guy.

- Put a fork in him.
- Or a needle.

[ Sighs ] Man.
Women, right?

[ Sighs deeply ] Once
you let 'em in...

You're lucky you're
not normal, man.

[ Panting ]

I missed you.

I missed you, too.
[ Chuckles lightly ]

Liv.

[ Door opens ]

Did anyone see you?
You made the bed?

Mellie.

I don't want the maids talking,

saying we don't sleep
together anymore.

That's the last thing we need
during this campaign,

so I need you to make
Jerry's bed every morning.

- Or I can do it.
- I made the bed.

- No one saw me.
- Fine.

I'm wearing the escada,

- so I put some ties that
match it out on the bed. - [ Sighs ]

I gave you three options.
They're all good.

They'll photograph well.

They're a subtle match

to some of the uniforms
of the female vets,

and the feel appropriately
sober, but patriotic.

Here. You want to take
a look and s...

[ Scoffs ]

[ Door slams ]

What's going on?

- Nothing.
- We're waiting.

- Waiting? - To hear back
from Clare about Adnan.

For Reston to make
his prison visit.

For Jake's phone to download
onto my hard drive.

Great.

[ Pen thudding ]

[ Cellphone chimes ]

Reston's at the prison.

This is Olivia Pope's
case file.

Where did he get this?

He's a political operative, Sam.
I'm sure he stole it.

What I want to know
is, is it true?

Did you shoot that man
knowing he was my lover?

'Cause if you did...

You'll what?
Call the police on me

- and file for divorce?
- Yes.

Who's going
to believe you, dear?

I am the governor of the state,

and I am about to become the
most powerful man on the planet.

Do you know how easy it would
be to have you boxed up

and shipped out
to a state mental ward?

One phone call, joanie.

You'd be having supper

with the rest of the lunatics
across the bay.

And I would make sure

that you would rot there
for many, many years to come,

so you, my loving wife,
had better do

exactly as I tell you
from now on.

Till death do us part.
Right, honey?

[ Cellphone rings ]

Clare.

I got it all... location,
travel docs, everything...

But I want out.
I'm gonna need your help.

Okay.
It's gonna be okay.

I thought about what you said,
about the light.

I keep trying to figure out
when I'm done,

when to walk away

when there's always more to do,
more darkness than light.

Is that an option for you,
walking away?

I don't know.
I-I just wonder I...

Olivia?

Maya: Olivia.

Eli.

In my 22 years in prison,

you know what I missed
most of all?

Really good wine.

We always did
have that in common.

Enjoy it.
It'll be your last.

I heard about
your forced retirement.

Sorry you lost
your little army.

Oh, please do, baby.
Please take a stab at me.

I wonder which one of us
is faster.

What are you doing here?

I'm your mother.
I love you.

I worry about you.

- No, you don't.
- I do.

I know it's hard
for you to believe

with him in your ear, but I do.

I love you.

And because I love you,
I want to warn you.

You need to find yourself
another line of work,

because what you do now
is too dangerous, baby.

I think you'd better get that.

[ Cellphone rings ]

Harrison.

They got to her.
Liv, I was too late.

Clare's dead.

Harrison, listen to me.
Get back to the office.

Hang up the phone right now.

[ Crickets chirping ]

You're a monster.

You forced my hand by refusing
to stay out of my affairs.

I hope you've learned
your lesson.

I'm a patient man,
but a vengeful one,

and I have a very long memory.

It's been lovely.
Truly.

Thanks for the wine.

Now, don't go saying
I was too mean

just because
Joan Reston didn't bite.

What makes you think
she didn't bite?

Oh, I don't know,
that today's news cycle

got up and running
at 6:00 this morning,

and I haven't heard a peep
about Reston's divorce

on any of the cable shows,
let alone network.

Samuel: Do you have any idea
how easy it would be

to have you boxed up

and shipped out
to a state mental ward?

One phone call, Joanie.

You'd be having supper

with the rest of the
lunatics across the bay.

Now, that doesn't sound
- very female-friendly, does it?

It's already got 100,000 hits,
and I just uploaded it.

I'm smarter than you are, Leo.

News cycle, here we come.

The Reston campaign suffered
a massive blow today

as a video of the candidate...

Male reporter: The video,

featuring governor Reston
with his wife, Joan,

has managed to go viral in less
than two hours, with over...

Female reporter:
With governor Reston's numbers

already down by 15 points
from last night's BNC poll,

it's clear that this election

has now become
a two-candidate race.

And now we're joining

one of those candidates,
president Grant,

where he and the first lady
are speaking

to the warrior women
of America.

All of you have made
a sacrifice.

All of you have had to suffer
far more than you deserve.

You have made a sacrifice
so that others may be free.

[ Sighs ]

Some of us don't have
that kind of strength,

especially at times like these,

when it's so easy to be consumed
by every salacious detail

found in a magazine
or heard on the news,

but seeing you women here
makes me realize

just how small and petty
those matters can be.

Standing in the presence
of such strength,

such grit and resilience,

i am reminded
of what's important,

what really, truly matters.

And that is all of you.
[ Chuckles ]

The very best of us.

The very women
we should all aspire to be.

[ Applause ] Male reporter:
Some much-needed humanity

by sexual innuendo
and political maneuvering.

[ Door closes ]

Mellie: Andrew!

Mellie.

Andrew, wait.

Did you...
happen to watch

the event
at the veterans' hospital?

I did.
I thought you did well.

We should be tracking better
with women

by the end of the day.

I'm glad you think so.

In fact, if you have your own ideas

about what women
might respond to,

I have a few hours
before my next event.

We could talk.

I don't think
that's a good idea.

Since when?

Well, I've been thinking,
and, uh,

you and Fitz have been such
good friends to me for so long.

Friends.

[ Indistinct conversations ]

You take everything from me!

Okay. Everybody, out.

No!

I'll go.

[ Sighs ]

You just keep on
being president.

[ Sighs ]

Abby: You know,
I used to want your job,

but now I'm not sure.

Your job is really hard.

My father tried to put me
on a plane a few months ago.

He tried to put me on a plane
and disappear me

and let me start a new life
and get away from all this

and be somebody new,
be somebody who wasn't...

And I said no.

Why did I say no?

Do you want to know
what Olivia Pope would say?

What would Olivia Pope say?
[ Chuckles ]

You don't get to run.

You're a gladiator.

Gladiators don't run.
They fight.

They slay dragons.

They wipe off the blood
and stitch up their wounds,

and they live
to fight another day.

You don't get to run.

How was that?

That was good.

[ Keyboard clacking ]

I feel like
I'm watching Mozart.

Mozart couldn't
bring down B613.

[ Knock on door ]

I decided to meet you halfway.

Are you sure
you want to do this here?

Because we could wait
till we get to the safe house,

go over the plan
with Ivan and the team.

No. Let's stop
and smell the roses.

She's got a friggin' bomb.

[ Exhales sharply ] 15 pounds
of fully nitrated gun cotton

next to a lead-shielded
cobalt-60 dispersion capsule.

That's not just a bomb, Robin.
That is the Mona Lisa of boom.

I'll be damned.

It worked. I'm in.

Is that the budget?
That's everything.

The budget, isolated
B613 communication networks,

infrastructure, schematics,
continuity plans,

their power grid...
Everything.

Quinn: Why aren't we going in?
What are we waiting for?

Chief, we've got eyes on the prize.
Should we pursue?

Jake:
Negative. Wait for my go.

- She has a bomb.
- I see that.

I also want to see what
she's planning to do with it.

Okay, but shouldn't we...
Stand down, agent Perkins.

Copy that.

Look, I don't want to just
sit here doing nothing.

Of course you don't.

You want to race in,
wave your gun, be the hero,

and then run back to Olivia pope
and say, "caught your mom."

Friends again?
Can I come home now?"

Huck,
you... you did it.

Okay.

We're breaking out the booze.

I can blow it all up, Liv.

Right here, from my desk,
right now, I can shut down B613.

Let's head out.

Wait, we're gonna lose her.
We wait for command!

Should I?

Should I shut down B613
right now?

Shut it down.

They're asking
about the package.

Team needs to prep.

Are we going white house
or campaign trail?

Target is on the move!

Stand down.
Repeat, stand do...

[ Static ]

It's some kind
of internal malfunction.

Fix it.
I need it back up now.

[ Groans ] This is not good.

[ Keyboard clacking ]
The hell with this.

Wait! Come back here!

[ Panting ]

So now we know
whose side you're on.

Just call command.

[ Tone plays ]

Operator: We're sorry.
You have reached a number

that has been disconnected
or is no longer in service.

I know we haven't had

a lot to celebrate around here
in the last few months.

Sometimes, it seems
the battles weren't winnable,

or at least not worth
- the blood spilled fighting them,

but then a moment
like this comes around,

and it makes you feel
like it's all worth it,

that we're finally
stepping back into the light.

We did this, people.
We made this happen.

Gladiators.

[ Laughs ]
Harrison: Hear, hear.

Olivia: [ Gags, gasps ]

What the hell have you done?!

[ Strained ] I don't know
what you're talking about.

No? Then let me be the one
who breaks it to you.

You just killed the president.