Scandal (2012–2018): Season 4, Episode 22 - You Can't Take Command - full transcript

Mr. Bainbridge!

Please. I am not Mr.
Bainbridge. Not to you.

Call me... Damascus.

Damascus, it's so lovely of you

to take time out of your busy schedule

- to sit down with me.
- No, no, no, no, no, no, no.

It's lovely of you to sit with me.

I am so happy to be
here with you in person.

I am a fan.

You are by far the most
interesting first lady

we have ever had.



You have set quite an
example for my daughter,

I can tell you that.

And now... Senator Mellie Grant?

Well, what is a billionaire to do?

Now, I do not want to
take up your whole day.

I do want you to know that
I have and will continue

to support your campaign unreservedly.

There are just a few causes
that are important to me

- that I hope will also be important to you.
- Yeah.

- Perhaps we can take a few minutes to discuss them?
- Absolutely.

That is what I'm here for, Damascus. Ah.

Ah. Hmm.

Does it interest you?

- It does.
- Ah.



Liz...

Can you go get us the
White House literature

on poverty and childhood hunger?

Did you want those right now?

Perhaps I could send that
data to Mr. Bainbridge.

- Because that will take at l...
- Now.

Thanks.

Of course.

Mm.

Who are you?

You do not ask me who I am, Mrs. Grant.

You ask me what I need.

We've got radio spots in
20 with local affiliates,

then the literacy event
at the Turner library

in Manassas.

And then you have dinner tonight
with the mayor of Newport News.

Um, both of you.

Whatever Mellie needs.

What's nice is that you
don't have to do much.

The media loves Mellie. She was
on every channel this morning.

What is this?

Those... uh, photos of you
and Vice President Nichols

doing things you shouldn't be doing.

And there is your husband's Remington File.

He's doing things he
shouldn't be doing, too.

Mellie?

I'm tired.

You are so close, which is good

because you can smell the victory.

And bad because it's out of your hands.

You feel like climbing the walls.

Fitz...

You are doing great.

You'll go down. Your husband will go down.

It will be a bloodbath.

This is it, Mel.

This is your moment.

Ask me what I need.

I am the first lady of the United States.

That's not going to work
on me, so don't bother.

Ask me what I need.

Ask me.

What do you need?

- A list.
- Ma'am?

- A list?
- Is there something I can do for you?

Uh, anything you need?

A list of names.

There is something you can do for me.

I need you to get me a list.

We're in this together.

We're in this together.

State your name for the record.

- Uh, Jake Ballard.
- Is that your given name?

- No.
- It's time.

The Grand Jury needs
to hear about Remington.

Rosen, maybe we hold Remington.

- Only use it when we really need it.
- Oh, we really need it now.

There's never a time we don't need it.

Okay, so, maybe I reframe Remington

to minimize the blowback
on the White House, on Fitz.

No. No, no reframing, no minimizing.

Remington, the president
shooting down that plane,

that whole mission?

It's not spies killing spies.

It's not some dictator being murdered

or disappearing some bad guy.

It was the taking of 329 innocent lives

by a future world leader.

It was the covering up of that atrocity

by a United States senator

so that his son could be
governor and then president.

It was king-making at the highest level.

And it was the birth of B613.

It's not the big gun. It's
the only gun worth firing.

I'll do whatever you want me to do.

Do you think I'll make a good president?

I think you'll make a great president.

We have one goal.

To bring down my father and
to shut down B613 for good.

To do what is right.

No. He asked me to join a
mission. After you passed...

So you tell the truth. The
whole truth... To be a Navy Seal.

No matter what happens.
No matter who gets hurt.

Well? I think it went okay.

Okay? It was great. He was great.

The jurors loved him.

They were sympathetic, engaged, connected.

Keep it up after the break, and we're good.

Liv?

I caught Mellie's Springfield speech.

You must be feeling good.

I am feeling good.

Senator Mellie Grant.

Senator Mellie Grant.

Guess where I'm headed right now.

Where?

To stand with Clarence Parker

on the spot where they gunned down his son

and sign the Brandon bill into law.

I forgot that was today.

Not bad as far as legacies go, right?

The historians will give
you full marks for this one.

Clarence Parker... if it weren't for you,

that man never would have
made it into the Oval Office.

That was you.

That was all you. And Susan Ross.

If it weren't for you, Susan would never

have made it to the Oval Office.

I blame you for Susan, by the way.

Susan is a national treasure.

Susan's a Muppet.

She's amazing.

No, seriously.

You picked a good one.

You always do.

What's wrong?

I just wanted to say hello.

And good luck.

With Mellie's election.

And congratulations on the Brandon Bill.

That's...

That is the man I voted for.

I'm proud of you.

Liv...

I'm grateful.

Thank you.

Goodbye, Fitz.

Liv. Something happened.

Liv.

Olivia.

Police are now saying that the victims...

16 passengers and the
driver of their bus...

were jurors in a secret Grand Jury trial...

That list of names... it was those jurors.

- Stop talking. Stop talking!
- They're all dead!

16 grand jurors murdered.

My parting gift to all of you.

- Enjoy.
- David.

My justice department is
equipped to do everything

in its power to protect
federal grand jurors.

And they're all dead.

It doesn't mean we quit. We don't quit.

We fight harder.

We get those jurors justice.
We avenge their deaths.

And normally, I'd be
all "white hat whoo-hoo."

But I got a phone call an hour ago.

The court stenographer,
Fay... that's her name, Fay.

She knits hideous scarves
that I have to wear

so I don't hurt her feelings.

Fay was killed by a hit-and-run driver

while walking her dog.

Except she doesn't have a dog.

Everyone who heard Jake's testimony...

everyone who was in that
court room... is dead now.

Except for me.

And you.

And while I live for justice,
I don't want to die for it.

- Okay?
- Okay.

I told you not to speak to me. Not now.

I just want to make sure that you know

if there is anything you need me to do.

I need you to keep your
mouth shut. Can you do that?

- Yes, ma'am.
- Then start now.

Cyrus.

Whatever it is, Fitz can't do it.

He has a full schedule.

Your campaign is not the only thing... you!

Get me the media director...

what's his name?... Boggs,
from justice in here.

If Rosen isn't going to
return my phone calls,

I'm putting Boggs on the podium.

He can damn well face the press himself.

- Rosen's not returning your calls?
- Not the point!

Cyrus. He has a full schedule.

Cyrus. Take the V.P.

Susan's from Virginia.
Keep her as long you like.

I killed those grand jurors.

I didn't think you'd get far without these.

I'm so angry that I'm vibrating.

I can feel it in my bones.

- Okay.
- No, no! Don't hug me!

I'm sick of being comforted.

I'm sick of fighting and losing.

I'm sick of him being in
my way. I am not his victim.

I am not his child! And right now?

Right now, I don't want to
gladiate for everyone else!

I want this! I want this!

This is mine, Jake!

I want what's mine! I'm owed!

And watch me take it!

And then, for once in his life,

he's the scared kid and I'm command!

And then he's got nothing,
no one! He's trapped!

Because you can't take command, right?

Right.

You want to get out of
here, just say the word.

Any part of the globe is yours.

I go where you go.

It doesn't matter where I go or what I do.

I'm still trapped. I'm still his prisoner.

You okay?

I have to go.

Well, well.

They did a number on you, didn't they?

They did.

You got that "I been in the hole" look

all on your face.

I'm here to talk about my father.

Oh, for the love of... all right.

Go on. Mama's listening.

I tried everything,

every strategy, every tactic,

dedicated every fiber of
my being to destroying him.

And I still wasn't able to do what you did.

What I did? What did I do?

You played him. You controlled him.

You took down that plane and escaped.

You beat him. You won.

Boo, I'm living out the
rest of my days in this cell.

You call that winning?

You could have killed him if you wanted to.

So...

I want to know. How did you do it?

- You sure do love a problem.
- I don't know what you're...

You're so vain.

It's always about you, isn't it?

The problems you create
so that you can solve them.

The power you have to wield
so that you can feel important.

Did your father and I not tell you

you were special enough
when you were little?

Did we not give you enough hugs?

Aww, baby.

This uppity fantasy world

you've decided to be a part of...

it's not real, boo.

Now you need to come on
back down to this planet.

Where the world doesn't revolve around you.

I shouldn't have come.

You ever ask yourself why nobody else

is trying to take down your father?

Thank you for your time.

It's not for lack of enemies, baby.

There are more than enough
people around to hate that man.

Goodbye, mom.

If only those people realize

there was actually someone to hate.

Nobody even knows there is
an enemy to be taken down.

Nobody even knows he exists.

Cyrus, say something.

Oh. Are you waiting for
me to tell you what to do?

How to fix this? 'Cause I got nothing.

I am not in this. I'm not.

All I did was pass along a few names.

I had no idea what any of it
was about and I still don't.

You told me you are personally responsible

for an actual busload
of innocent people dying.

My God.

Virginia's in for a real treat
should you actually get elected.

- Cyrus...
- I'd say that's a long shot now,

especially if this ever leads back to you.

This cannot lead back to me.

You! You! You!

It's always that, ain't it, Mel?

You think I did this for me?

Here we go. I did this for us.

Fitz, you, the entire administration.

Oh, that's right. I forgot
you and Fitz are a team.

I did this for all of us.

Well, where's your teammate now?

Are you gonna tell your teammate

you've added slaughter to your r?sum??

What was I supposed to do?!

You tell me what was I supposed to do.

That man was standing there
with our lives in a file.

Me and Andrew. Fitz and
Liv. He had pictures.

He knew about defiance.

He knew what we did to Sally's husband.

He knew about some secret mission

Fitz was involved with called Remington.

- Remington?
- Yeah.

You're sure he said Remington?

If you had seen what was
in that file, Cyrus...

I'll take care of it.

What?

I'll... Take care of it.

- You... you will?
- Yes. I will.

I'll see to it that
everything's gonna be all right.

Okay?

Shh. Don't tell Fitz.

Is that all of them?

Yeah. And the originals from Kim.

You want to tell us what's going on?

We shouldn't be here.

- I have a plan.
- Yeah, I figured that.

- This is the CIA, Liv.
- I'm aware of that.

It's crawling with B613 agents.

- Huck.
- He's right, Liv.

When I was command, I
was in regular contact

with several sources here.

But not the director herself.

Wait. I don't understand. Are you saying...

I'm saying, what if the director found out

there was a rogue element
operating under her nose

without her knowledge or approval?

The reason my father is
able to operate with impunity

is that so many of the people
whose authority he undermines

have no idea he exists. Why not tell them?

A top-secret spy organization

operating outside of my jurisdiction

- and it is run by your father.
- Yes.

Forgive me for smiling, Miss Pope,

but that may be one of the
most preposterous things

I have ever heard.

2011 uprising in Yemen,

assassination of the president.

A band of militant students.

That was me.

Bombing of the Sheffield Hotel in London.

An Al-Qaeda offshoot.

B613. Remember Senator Cromwell?

Chairman of the Senate
Intelligence Committee?

His plane crashed into the Rockies.

After two pounds of C-4
blew the cockpit wide open.

Libyan revolution.

School shooting in cherry hill, New Jersey.

Distraction for the media while B613

blew up the presidential palace in Kenya.

- Olivia...
- B613 is real.

And I think, from that look in your eye,

you already knew that.

So the question I have for you now is...

what are we going to do about it?

Marvin, I'm going to
need my team assembled.

Code Bravo Alpha Five.

Stay here. This may take a while.

Damascus Bainbridge?

Am I not allowed a sense of humor?

I didn't think it was
funny. You're never funny.

Cyrus, don't bite the hand that helps you.

Helps us?

You call that stunt you pulled
with the first lady help?

That Grand Jury's sole purpose
was to expose my organization

and everyone with ties to it,

including the president, including you...

favor number one.

I didn't kill your Attorney General

as an added personal favor to you

'cause I know that confirmation
hearings can be laborious...

favor number two.

Come on, Damascus.

You saved your own hide
as much as you saved ours.

Be that as it may, they were favors.

And now you owe me.

Mrs. Grant?

What?

I just wanted you to know...

What is it, Elizabeth?

That if there's anything I
can do for you, I'll do it.

I mean it. Anything.

I'm fine with giving you
those names. I'm fine...

I'm fine with what
happened to those people,

if it means you're gonna
win... I'm fine with it.

But you need to tell me
everything, Mrs. Grant.

You need to tell me

exactly what happened with Mr. Bainbridge

so I can do my job and make sure you win.

Sit.

Is this why Olivia Pope
was being auctioned off?

Is this why you wanted her killed?

Because of what she knows?

She knows fairy tales
told to her at bedtime

by bogeymen who don't exist.

Don't play games with me, Cyrus.

We all knew about B613,

but it was supposed to be a small team.

Four or five men.

Kills only. This?

This is an enormous secret
intelligence organization

operating behind the CIA's back...

for who knows how long.

About 30-ish years, if it
did exist, which it doesn't.

Well, it stops now.

I am having this Rowan arrested,

brought in, and brought down.

I won't have it.

Honey... I'm gonna call you honey

because I can't remember your
first name and I don't care.

Honey, you want to be
reasonable about this.

Because a shadow intelligence organization

operating quite happily and powerfully

in secret for decades
inside the FBI, CIA, NSA,

if there was such a thing,

well, that would be like a sleeping lion.

And isn't it safer...

To tiptoe around the lion?

What do you think happens
if you poke the lion?

Whose face does the lion rip off first?

I think it rips off honey's face first.

What's going on?

Hey! What is happening?

Director Lowry, what is happening?
Hey, are you arresting us?

What is happening??!

Okay.

And now we turn to First Lady
Mellie Grant's historic bid

to become the next united
states senator from Virginia.

I want to thank you all
for coming here tonight,

to spend election day
Eve with Mellie and me.

Your support has been invaluable,

and we couldn't be more grateful.

Hear, hear.

Mostly, though, I'd like to thank my wife.

When you've been married to someone

as long as I've been married to Mellie,

you think you know them.

And maybe, if you're as
flawed a person as I am,

you start taking them for granted.

Never again.

This past year has been a
complete revelation to me.

Mellie's desire to take a more
active role in public service,

the drive she's shown,
her leadership skills,

her ability to inspire
people... breathtaking.

Though not nearly as breathtaking

as the way she was able to
put the pieces of our lives

back together after our son Jerry died.

Losing a child?

Most people never recover from that.

It destroys families, upends marriages.

Not ours.

Her love, her friendship...
Means everything to me.

As a team, we've never been stronger.

So please join me in raising
a glass to my best friend

and Virginia's next senator, Mellie Grant.

- To Mellie!
- To Mellie!

Thank you all. And thank you, Fitz.

Okay. Mm.

I know what this is about.

I don't think you do. Just go ahead.

Fire me, because I did
what I thought was right.

I'm not gonna fire you, Rosen.

Why would I fire you?
You're the Attorney General.

My Attorney General.

A new one?

They'd be asking questions
and be all honest.

Plus I would waste months
hunting for their weaknesses,

their pressure points.

With you, David, I already
know your pressure point.

You only have one... Abby.

She's banging that Leo guy like crazy

and it's going great.

They're talking about moving in together,

but you still carry a sad
little torch for her redness.

You still love her.

So if something were to happen to her...

suicide, aneurysm, car accident.

You can't threaten me like that.

Actually, I can.

You see, when you know
someone's pressure point,

you can make them do just about anything.

David?

- What are you doing here?
- Did you see Liv? And is she okay?

David, who sent you? What's this, Rosen?

The affidavit before you
hereby formally withdraws

and effectively repudiates
the statements regarding B613

you provided this afternoon.

- Wait. You want me to recant?
- Upon signing this document,

you will be released from this room.

If I agree to lie, I'm set free.

So this is "I saw goody
Johnson with the devil,

Joe McCarthy, let's name the
communists" sort of thing.

Rosen.

- Do you understand?
- What happened? What did they do to you?

- Do you understand?
- Was it Cyrus?

Is that who's watching us right now?

This guy's gonna come through for us?

He better.

Margaret Cooper.

133 Ridgeley Drive in Bloomington, Indiana.

You want to be very careful right now.

She lives off the money you send
her every month, doesn't she?

We have her bank statements, Jake.

If you don't sign this affidavit,

you will be convicted
of treason, terrorism.

That money will be
considered terrorist funds

and your mother will be jailed.

- Jake signed.
- David, what are they threatening you with?

Here's the thing. You both have to sign.

So if you don't sign,
then even though Jake did,

he will still go away.

You'd be taking away Jake's freedom.

Then they'd have to bring in Huck, Quinn.

The only way I'm going to sign
this thing is if Liv signs.

And seeing how that's not gonna happen...

So much for being the
good guys, huh, Rosen?

All right, so, we're done
here. Send them on home.

Have you spoken to Olivia?

Olivia?

Pope, Cyrus.

No, I have not spoken to Olivia Pope.

I was on my way out,
Red. Busy day, lots to do.

I can't keep doing this with you, Cyrus.

It's getting old. Aren't you tired of it?

The lying, the scheming, me running around

like I'm Nancy Drew with my fingers crossed

hoping you haven't killed Olivia.

Have a-a soul.

- Be a human being.
- I can't tell you.

Does it have to do with the dead jurors?

- I can't tell you.
- Why not?

Because you don't have the clearance.

It is getting old. I am tired of it.

But it's my job

to protect his interests
and serve his needs,

to spin the world and raise the sun.

I can't have a soul.

If I had one, I would
never accomplish a thing.

What?

Olivia, welcome home.

What do you want?

Simply to say "good game."

Your little plan? Your hail Mary?

So simple, so smart. Heroic.

Well done.

I didn't get you this
time, but someone will.

And as long as command's fingers
are on the puppet strings,

then there's a link...
a way to take you down.

But now I'm confused. You succeeded.

If your goal was to take command down,

then you were successful.

You did it... you destroyed command,

wiped away command's existence.

There were only a few agents left

who could identify me as command.

I know what you're thinking.

The remaining B613 files
will prove I'm command.

Those have been, shall we say, archived.

And in case you were still hoping

your mother was an ally, don't.

She loves you... just not as
much as she loves her freedom.

- Is that it?
- That's it.

You agree to deny the existence of B613

for the rest of your life, and you walk.

Well, I'm gonna need a pen, baby.

Your little stunt? Wiped B613 off the map.

You killed command. You
shot command to death.

Luckily, your father didn't
get caught in the crossfire.

Rowan is dead. But Eli Pope?

Well, now, I'm just an old,

innocent, doddering paleontologist

who works for the Smithsonian.

No one is looking at me.
No one is searching for me.

No one would ever even think
to wonder what I'm up to.

I am free.

And for that, baby, daddy thanks you.

Sleep well, Olivia.

Your new Junior Senator, Mellie Grant!

Thank you! Oh, thank you, everybody!

Wow, this is just...

I am so thankful and honored and humbled

to be able to serve the
great state of Virginia

as your new Senator.

Whoo! Yes!

Virginia is a special place to me.

Congratulations, Mister President.

Congratulations to you.

You did good work, Liz. Thank you.

Well, we survived.
Hopefully, it's all behind us.

What's behind us?

What are you talking about?

I-I'm sorry. I've overstepped.
I thought you knew.

Knew what?

Uh... The donor.

What donor?

I guess nobody told you.

There was a donor to Mrs. Grant's campaign.

He came to her in the last few days.

He knew things about her, about you.

Things people don't
know... terrible things.

He... Asked her to do something.

Who was he?

I-I don't know who he was exactly,

but maybe you'd recognize him.

Oh, here.

And I would also like to
thank all those volunteers.

Yes!

What did he ask her to do?

So many of you have worked so hard,

but I have to say a special thank-you

to the one person without
whom I wouldn't be here.

He is my hero, my inspiration,
and my biggest supporter.

Ladies and gentlemen, the
President of the United States,

Fitzgerald Grant.

Thank you all so much!

So that's it?

Rowan just walks away... Scot-free.

Quinn, I signed an agreement.

Even if I talked, it wouldn't do any good.

He's destroyed any and all evidence

that could point to the existence of B613.

As far as the world
knows, it was never there.

Really? Because we've got
$2 billion that says it was.

What?

The money Huck stole from B613.

That money doesn't prove anything.

No, it came from their
accounts. You can trace it back.

That money has been run through
so many offshore accounts,

it could have come from anywhere.

Say that last thing again.

What? The money could
have come from anywhere?

Really?

- Anywhere?
- Yeah.

Anywhere. Why?

Elijah Pope?

Yes.

You're under arrest.

Let me tell you about the terrible mistake

you're about to make.

Allow me... you know what, chief?

I hear this story like five times a day.

Go ahead and cuff him.

Embezzlement, huh?

Now, this... this is worth
the price of admission.

I talked to the detectives.

Apparently, they got
an anonymous phone call

someone saying you've
been picking the pockets

of the Smithsonian since the day
they made you department head.

You think I can't survive this?

I've brought down regimes, Olivia,

assassinated dictators
with my own two hands,

shaped history with a single phone call.

Rowan did that. Command did that.

He had power, but you...

How did you describe yourself?

"An old, innocent, doddering paleontologist

who works at the Smithsonian?"

You were right. We couldn't take command.

But we can take Eli Pope.

Olivia, listen to me.

- Goodbye, dad.
- Olivia.

Olivia!

Why are you working with Rowan?

I don't know what you're talking about.

Yes, you do. Those bodies in the morgue.

I know your work. I'd know it anywhere.

That was you.

I was at that crime
scene. I was on that bus.

It was you.

Get out of my office.

Sit down.

- You're gonna shoot me?
- I will.

- You're not gonna shoot me.
- I will shoot you.

I will shoot you like the animal you are.

Do you want to test me?

Why are you working with command?

I didn't have a choice.

Of course you have a choice!

You always have a choice!

You could have asked for help.

You could have talked to me or Liv or Jake.

We could have helped you.
There were other ways.

I didn't want to do it.

That's a lie.

You're lying. I saw what you did.

You did want to. You're
not thinking anymore.

You're just killing
because you want to kill.

I didn't want to lose my family.

Your family?!

You can't be with Kim and Javi!

Who you are? What you've
become? You can't be with them.

- Stop it!
- You don't deserve them.

You don't deserve us...
me or Liv or any of this.

- Stop!
- I am done.

I am done defending you,
Huck. I am done protecting you.

The best thing I could do
for you is to shoot you...

Right here... right now.

Do it.

Please, Quinn. Do it.

Well, what's proper?

How long do I wait to form
an exploratory committee?

To run for president.

No, I mean, I need to get
sworn in first, obviously,

and see what committees I'm on

and introduce a couple of choice bills...

Go on some fact-finding missions,

get your pictures taken in combat zones.

Exactly, brilliant!

You, Cyrus,

when I am president, there's
still a place for you here.

Ha ha!

That's very funny.

Oh!

You think I'd let you be president?

After what you did.

What? What I did?

Fitz.

I know about the jurors.

Fitz, I was trying to protect you.

That man was blackmailing you,

and... I did what was needed for our team.

I made the sacrifice for us, for our team.

I did the only thing I could do.

We are not a team.

You don't even know what you did wrong.

You don't even know why it was wrong.

I was wrong to take care of us?

- Get out.
- Fitz.

Now, clearly,

we are not having this
conversation this evening.

- So let's just all...
- Get... Out.

Pack your bags and get out of my house!

Fitzgerald.

Fitz?

Before I throw you out.

What's going on? Did...

She... she knew about the jurors?

Cyrus.

Mellie came to you. I know that.

You went to the CIA. I know that, too.

You arrested Olivia. You released Maya.

You worked with the man who killed my son.

I know everything. So don't lie to me.

- Sir...
- Do not lie to me!

And do not tell me you
were trying to protect me.

Sir, please...

You're fired.

I know I have some Du Bellay
stashed away somewhere,

and there should be some beer
left over in the fridge...

Why are you just standing there?

Come inside.

This is where the ride ends.

What?

My mission is complete.

Your mission?

B613 is gone.

Command is in jail. I
have delivered you home.

Safe and sound. My mission is complete.

And it has been my pleasure.

Take care, Liv.

Jake... Jake, come on.

Don't you dare.

They asked me to look out for you.

Both of them...

your father, the bad guy,

and the president, the good guy.

They both asked me to keep you safe.

They both made you my mission.

And I went over the line on both accounts.

That's not...

I'm in love with you.

And if I am telling the whole truth,

no matter who gets hurt,

it goes like this... I am in love with you.

But you... are in love with him.

You are owed, Olivia.

You want what's yours?

Go and take it.

They're going to need
your access badge, too.

Do you want us to open the door, sir?

No.

Nice view.

Hi.

Hi.

You're here.

I'm here.

Charlotte is very helpful.

And informative.

What happens now?

Whatever we want.