Scandal (2012–2018): Season 5, Episode 17 - Thwack! - full transcript
The election is in full swing, which means everyone is doing their best to take down their opponents, but when a potential leak threatens several candidates, they have to work together to ...
Looks like she's headed in
some kind of medical plaza.
Lillian Forrester is pregnant,
which explains why she hasn't been
working out as much in the mornings,
and it also explains why she's
made three incognito visits
to a medical center which houses...
count them...
Seven OB/GYN doctors.
You're following her?
You made that my job when
you started dating her,
and now that you've knocked her up...
You're sure about this.
Of course I'm sure.
You think I would just come
in shooting from the hip
on something of this magnitude?
Move past the denial stage quickly
so we can discuss how we're going to...
- Oh, hmm.
- What?
I, uh, false alarm. I was wrong.
She's not pregnant.
It's actually worse... Much worse.
I'm up eight points.
And did you see my numbers
with women under 40?
I could pass Susan Ross there, you know?
I might actually win this thing.
- Stop celebrating.
- What?
We need every vote you can get.
And I want you to get Latinos.
With Vargas as the
Democrat in the general?
That's exactly that Susan
and Hollis are thinking.
They're all but ceding
Vargas the Latino vote.
I think that's
shortsighted and ignorant,
as if they all vote as one group.
Do you know how diverse Latinos are?
There are plenty of socially
conservative Latinos
who see Frankie Vargas
as far too liberal...
Folks who would want to get
behind a Republican candidate,
and I think they're just waiting for
someone to pay them some attention.
I don't want to be one of those
candidates that tries to speak Spanish
and accidentally calls
someone a crocodile.
No, you never speak Spanish, ever...
to anyone.
Please.
You are for immigration,
you're a mother who lost her son,
you're for families...
and God.
You want me to go Catholic?
I want you to sit down
with Cardinal Suarez.
Get his endorsement.
I'm divorced.
The cardinal has backed
divorced candidates in the past.
I filibustered for 16 hours on
behalf of Planned Parenthood.
Will the Cardinal be
fine with my belief...
that every woman should retain control
of what happens in her uterus?
There's no way he takes a meeting.
- Hello.
- It's me.
No matter what I say next,
we never had this conversation.
Forrester is out.
We are clear.
Why are you meeting with
a reporter from the Times?
You look good.
Healthy.
Andrew.
I feel good, too...
Being able to speak again.
Especially now, when
I have so much to say.
What have you told Lillian?
Just a little tale about
a president going to war
for his mistress.
You tell her it was you
who had me kidnapped?
I believe I left my name out of it.
Why are you doing this?
I pee into a tube, Olivia.
Crap in a bag that hangs from my chair.
Yeah, because a piece of shrapnel
from a terrorist attack you
staged got lodged in your brain.
You really have no idea, do you?
I had a stroke
because your friends paid a goon
to jam a needle in my neck.
I don't know why you think that's true.
Because it is.
Anyway, this is not an old grievance.
This is a fresh frickin' wound,
and I'm going to make them pay for it.
Look.
This is not the way.
I assure you, Andrew.
It is not the way, because this time,
you're not just up against
Fitz and Cyrus and Mellie.
You are up against me,
the bitch you left for dead.
We'll kill the story.
Tell the Times it's a
matter of national security,
threaten to throw the book
at them if they publish.
- Not going to work.
- Why?
Because I would be the
one throwing the book,
and we don't have the
grounds to do that.
I don't get it.
Why would Andrew risk
his reputation like this
when the world thinks he's a hero?
Because someone put a needle
in his neck and he's angry.
Anyone care to cop to that?
Wasn't me.
Nope.
What's so funny?
- Nothing.
- What if I talk to him?
Why, because his love
for you runs so deep?
You have a better suggestion?
Yeah, you could drop out of the race,
spare yourself the embarrassment
when this all comes out.
You do realize Susan goes down, too.
Susan had nothing to do with this.
Technically, no,
but she's associated with you now,
and you, which means when
your names turn to dirt,
which they will, so will hers.
Cyrus.
I'm sorry.
It's just seeing you
all sweat like this.
You're neck's on the line, too, mister.
This story gets out,
you're going to jail.
Would you care to respond to that,
Mr. President,
or should I?
Cyrus has immunity.
You're kidding.
From any and all potential crimes
during his stint at the White House.
It was one of his
conditions before returning
to the White House and
taking his job back.
He was barely there a month.
I certainly got the better
end of that deal, didn't I?
Well, then go already.
- Get out of here.
- And miss this?
I'm still a member of this
distinguished club, Mellie.
Just a non-voting one.
You know, there is one way out of this.
Nobody's mentioned it yet,
but I'm sure we're all thinking it.
I'm gonna cover my ears now.
- We are not going to kill him.
- Why?
Did you just say, "Why"?!
Because we are not animals!
Because it's wrong.
The man had you kidnapped.
If we kill Andrew,
we are no better than he is.
Oh, great. So we'll all go to jail,
but at least we'll be better people.
You need to talk to him.
- I think I suggested that.
- It's not gonna work.
Mellie talks to Andrew.
I'm sorry. Is this your meeting now?
- Yes. You need to leave.
- Great.
You were expecting me to protest?
We need to shred
whatever physical
evidence is out there...
Documents, e-mails that prove
the president went to war for Liv...
They all need to be destroyed.
Lillian can't publish until she
corroborates Andrew's story.
The less that's out there,
the better off we'll be.
Thank you for coming when I called.
You didn't call. Abby did.
Paris, Beirut, you know, Iraq, Iran.
You know, I speak very,
very, um, fluent Spanish.
Huck. It was you, right?
You put Andrew in that coma.
It was you?
In case you're thinking about
finishing what you started, don't.
Understood?
What'd I miss?
Have you heard back from the cardinal?
Not yet.
I left two messages for him.
Leave him another.
- Another.
- Go.
We need to find and destroy
anything related to why we
went to war in West Angola.
Also, anything that could
link Andrew and Mellie...
Photos, e-mails, texts.
I don't care if it's a blank post-it,
we still make it disappear.
What do you want?
The Jefferson Institute of
Neuromuscular Rehabilitation.
Vice President Nichols
is a patient there.
- Room 303.
- I don't do that anymore.
That's what you said last time.
Yeah, well, this time I mean it.
He's waving a machete, Huck.
The president, Mellie, Susan Ross, me...
We're all gonna get
our heads chopped off.
I don't care about that.
But you care about Liv.
You care about her.
Forget the rest of us.
This will ruin her.
He kidnapped her.
She was sold because of him.
- She was...
- Shut up!
In a dangerous world,
in dangerous times...
experience isn't optional.
Experience is essential.
I'm Governor Frankie Vargas,
and I approve this message.
Well? It is pretty powerful, huh?
I don't want to use the capitol stuff.
But this add tested very well
with seniors, women 25 to 55,
even the hunting crowd.
Those guys that usually
hate you love this version.
People died, Alex.
I'm not gonna capitalize on that.
It's how you stand out.
Look, McCain used his history as a POW.
- McCain lost.
- Oh, come on. Frankie.
I think there's a middle ground, here.
Governor, I agree.
This ad feels cheap,
desperate, opportunistic.
You may not be able to say
these things about yourself,
but someone else can.
Let's use our social-media
team and grass-roots folks.
Disseminate these
images of your heroism.
Give it a new life online.
Clog peoples feeds or
whatever they call it.
Smart. I like it.
This ad will win you the primary.
I guarantee it. It's a good ad.
Well-produced, but it's dead, bro.
Sorry. Can't use it.
So we scrapping it?
Wait, hold it.
Scroll back.
Stop.
There.
That guy.
You know, send me that raw footage,
will you?
Hey.
I should've come by sooner,
but so much has happened since...
I know exactly why you're here, Mellie.
So just stop.
Don't insult me by lying to my face.
You want the truth, Andrew?
You didn't choose me.
You chose him. Fitz.
I wanted to be with you.
I wanted to start a new life with you.
That's what we both wanted,
or at least I thought it was
until you said we could be friends.
Friends?
You broke my heart.
I'm sorry.
Mellie...
I really did care about you.
I cared about you, too.
I still do.
Your recovery,
this gift from God that
you've been given...
Maybe it's not about
getting back at Fitz.
Maybe... maybe it's about us.
Maybe this happened
so that you and I could
have another chance.
Maybe.
Andrew.
What's wrong?
I thought you cared about me.
I thought you wanted another chance.
Well, here it is.
It still works, Mellie.
Unless I disgust you.
Do I? Disgust you?
Don't worry.
The feeling is mutual.
Andrew's not gonna be happy
until he's burned
everything to the ground.
I mean, hell, why even bother
meeting with Cardinal
Suarez at this point?
Once Andrew tells the
world about our affair,
Suarez will tell us to take a hike!
We don't know that for sure.
The man wants to be Pope.
Praising an adulteress
is not how you move up
in that organization.
Calm down.
Nothing has come out yet.
That's right, Liv... "yet".
Yet. Nothing has come out yet.
You realize that doesn't
actually mean anything, right?
All it means is that we are living
in a constant state of agony.
Mellie.
It means we've got no idea
whether our lives are gonna end
in five weeks or five minutes.
You get that, right?
There is this guillotine hanging
over us, and you're just...
Mellie, sit down and shut up!
I am going to fix this,
but in order for me to do that,
I'm going to need you
to keep it together.
I'm going to need you
to sit down and shut up
and wait for me to do what I do best.
Olivia.
Come on in.
Lillian Forrester.
- She's the ticking clock.
- Mm-hmm.
If Andrew doesn't recant before
she publishes, that's it.
Game over.
I can put someone on her,
hack into her computer,
but if I want up-to-the-minute
intel on what she's doing,
who she's talking to,
what she's ready to print,
when she's ready to print...
It's nice having a friend in the NSA,
isn't it?
"Friend" might be putting it strongly.
We will do your bidding.
Listen in on Lillian.
Say thank you.
Thank you.
When it fails,
you'll be left with one option...
and one option only.
I am not you, Dad.
In my world, if someone's in your way,
you outthink them.
You don't end them.
It's not who I am.
You see what she did there, Jake?
How she referred to "her world"
like it's something different from ours?
It's as if she's forgotten
that we're her family
and this is her home.
We'll listen in on your reporter,
Olivia, do you that favor,
but when you reach the
bottom of your bag of tricks,
the ones that you use in your world
so you're still able to sleep at night
and Andrew is still talking
and the world is about to end
and there's no time left to stop it,
don't say... I didn't warn you.
factions along the
Israeli/Syrian border.
Anything else I can get you,
Mr. Vice President?
This'll do. Thanks, Ted.
Did you forget something?
No more talking.
Is he dead?
- You said he wasn't dead.
- He's out.
- He should come to in a few minutes.
- Liv.
We didn't have a choice.
Liz North asked Huck to kill him.
Get away from me! Get away from me!
Get away from me!
Where are we?
A-Are we in the White House?
Under the White House.
There are people who
are trying to kill you.
The only person who ever
tried to kill me is him.
I never tried to kill you.
I know how to kill people.
- Huck.
- Get me out of here!
Right now!
Listen to me.
I don't think you appreciate
the forces you unleashed
by talking about what happened to you,
what happened to me.
You are in danger,
and we are here to protect you.
If you don't want me to protect you,
I will wheel you out into
Lafayette Park right now.
Just say the word.
What do you want?
How much will it take to
get you to drop this story?
This isn't about money.
That's what everybody says
until they hear the
right amount of money.
- How much?
- You're in debt, Andrew.
We know you were in debt
before this happened,
and you don't exactly have a lot
of earning potential anymore.
I'm writing a book.
Nobody wants to read that book.
You tried to overthrow the
government of the United States.
You kidnapped me.
You're not a sympathetic character.
How much, Andrew?
$10 million.
Five.
- 10.
- 7.
- 10.
- 8.
10, and say anything other
than 10 and it goes to 15.
$10 million,
and... you represent
me in the book deal.
"Andrew Nichols:
Battle Scars of the American Hero."
Where have you been?
I've been trying to reach you.
Spotty cell service.
I don't even know why I asked.
Do you have something to tell me?
Cardinal Suarez has been
waiting for 25 minutes.
Oh.
Yeah. Oh.
Cardinal.
Hey, Mary Ann.
What's up?
Hey, how long you work at the capitol?
Harrisburg? Both terms, so seven years.
You ever see this guy?
Don't think so. Why?
Are you sure?
Could he be security or something?
If he worked there, I'd know him.
- Okay, thanks.
- Mm-hmm.
He's on the record and willing to sit
for additional interviews
if we need him to.
He's even willing to appear on TV.
Everything here has been double-sourced.
This story has been
rigorously fact-checked.
What about legal?
We've been through legal twice.
Have we reached out to the
White House for comment?
We can't do that. You know that.
- How long do you need?
- 48 hours.
We run it in 48 hours, then.
Good work, Lillian.
We are out of options.
- This isn't a good idea.
- It's not,
but Lillian is publishing
in less than 48 hours.
We are running out of time,
so it's the best bad idea we have.
And it's better than the alternative,
which someone in this
room already tried.
- How much?
- $10 million.
$10 million?
I'm in for my fair share.
My fair share... $1.
If we pay him,
how do we know he still won't talk?
We don't hand over the money
until Andrew signs a
non-disclosure agreement.
Fine. I'm in for $5 million.
- You have $5 million?
- I've been a Republican my whole life.
Liv is not paying her kidnapper.
David and I don't have any money.
- You're Democrats.
- So that leaves...
You and me.
No. That leaves you.
I didn't grow up on an
estate in Santa Barbara.
I don't have $5 million sitting around.
Yes, you do.
I gave it to you in the divorce.
You didn't give me
anything I didn't earn.
Let's get this done.
I'm not paying anything.
- Mellie.
- I have paid enough!
So what are we gonna do?
- I think...
- Abby?
This is worth a shot, Mr. President.
Okay.
I'm in!
$10 million.
Huck presses a key,
and the money transfers
into an offshore bank
account with your name on it.
Do it.
But first,
you're going to call Lillian Forrester
and recant your story.
And then you're going to sign this NDA,
which says you can never
talk about any of this.
It's the only way this works, Andrew.
One phone call and your
debts are fully paid.
Money first or no deal.
Make the transfer.
Huck.
It's done.
Dial Lillian's number.
You know what, on second thought,
I don't think $10 million's going do it.
Better make it 20.
Billion.
We're not going...
Come to think of it,
I'd also like an apple pie warmed up.
Oh, and I'd also like my own horse.
Not to ride, of course,
but to watch you two
gals clean the stable.
You need to be very
careful here, Andrew.
Or what?
What are you people going to do?
Oh, for the record...
I know you didn't really
transfer that money
into my account, and that's okay.
I don't want it.
- I don't need it.
[My name is Olivia Pope.]
The look on your faces right now
is worth more to me
than anything a few million
dollars could ever buy.
Now, is Lillian on the line?
I wouldn't mind checking in
and see how it's going...
I was thinking, sir,
maybe we offer Andrew
a cabinet position...
Even Secretary of Defense or State.
A job he could hold
for all of six months?
I picked Andrew as my Vice President.
I didn't see what was happening
to my party right under my nose,
and when I was threatened,
I put my personal feelings
before the good of the country.
Mr. President...
Here's what we're going to do now...
I am going to go before
the American people
and say that I faked the
assassination attempt on Andrew
in order to gin up public
support for the war.
There will be an investigation.
David Rosen will lead
that investigation,
and it will confirm what I've said.
Nothing will come out about
Liv or the kidnapping.
No one else will be
implicated in any way.
This will be entirely on me,
where it should be.
Andrew will accept this
because he comes out a
hero and I will go down,
and that will be enough for him.
- Sir...
- After the address,
I want to take Teddy to Camp
David while this shakes out.
He loves it up there.
Sir, respectfully...
this is not the time
to fall on your sword.
My mind's made up.
Go make the deal.
Mr. President.
Make the damn deal.
Yes, sir.
Say something.
Let's make a plan.
Olivia, I understand
it's a lot to take in,
but I don't have a lot of time here.
If I make this deal with Andrew,
POTUS is blowing his
political brains out.
I need to shut this down,
so you are going to come back
to the White House with me
and do whatever Olivia
thing it is you need to do
to get him to man up
and change his mind,
because this? This is weak.
He does not get to quit.
That's the thing. It's not.
Not what?
It's not weak.
Liv, he's giving up.
He's being the President, finally.
Finally, he's being the man we
sold to the American people,
and that's...
Abby, he's doing what a
leader is supposed to do.
He's taking responsibility.
He is taking the blame.
He's taking the hit for the team.
Mellie, Cyrus, me... His team.
The body count that has piled
up in pursuit of his Oval?
That's on him.
It may have been our hands...
Mellie's, Cyrus', or mine...
But it was for him.
Every bullet we took was for him.
Every time we nailed
ourselves to a cross,
it was so he wouldn't bleed.
This is on him.
A leader owns what
happened on his watch.
A leader stands up and
takes responsibility.
That is not weak.
That's integrity.
That's presidential.
Someone has turned the world inside out,
and I'm looking at the seams
and the tags and it's all wrong.
Abby...
A year from now,
I'll be an associate professor
at some college in
Indiana... Bargain bin.
You're not going to Indiana.
You are smart, talented.
You will rebound so fast in this town.
Rebound to what?
I'm a big dog, Liv.
The biggest.
A White House Monster.
I chew them up, I spit them out,
I own that place.
What's the point of being a
monster if you've got no teeth?
You were never a monster.
You're Abby...
and you can always come
back and work for me.
That would be fun, right?
Yeah, right.
That would be fun.
You bring me my warm apple pie?
Not quite.
- I can't believe Fitz is doing this.
- He is.
And you can't be smiling.
You can't be giddy and empathetic.
Yesterday my face was
danglingabove a wood chipper,
and now Fitz is taking
the fall for all of us.
Forgive me, I'm giddy.
What?
Just plugged into a call
between Lillian and her editor.
They've landed on a title
for the Times article.
Go on.
"Mellie Grant: One Affair, Many Lies."
But that means...
The story's shifted.
It's not about West Angola anymore.
Which means someone made a deal.
We have a problem.
Apparently,
Lillian Forrester's no longer interested
in West Angola.
All she's doing now is writing
a hit piece on Mellie Grant.
Obviously, it's Elizabeth North.
She got to Andrew.
Who knows how she did it
or what she offered him.
It doesn't matter. It worked.
Andrew's changed his story and
we have to put a stop to it.
I think that you should inform Fitz,
I'll track down Liz.
Clearly, you'll have to move back
the President's statement to
the press until we know more.
What time is the President's statement
to the press scheduled... for?
Abby.
Abby.
Abby.
Oh...
Abby.
The President won't
be making a statement.
Who did this to you?
What did they threaten you with?
You tell me and I'll...
Who talked me into this?
You.
You talked me into this.
The body count... It's for him.
That's what you said.
The team works for him. Every bullet...
You take every bullet for him.
Every time you nail yourself to
the cross, you do it for him.
This is what you do for him.
That's what the team is for.
You all work in pursuit of the
Oval, protecting the president.
Well, he's still the president.
His term is not up.
Your job is not done...
and I run the Oval now.
He's mine to handle, I'm his leader,
and I say the team keeps on
going until the very last day.
I don't work for you.
You work for me.
Security will revoke your hard
pass at the gate when you exit.
You are no longer welcome
here without my permission.
The door is right behind you.
Please close it on your way out.
You did it.
Marcus.
The Cardinal's secretary just called. Not
only is he going to take the meeting,
he made room in his schedule
to sit down tomorrow.
Set it up.
That's it?
I get there's other business
happening around here
that's apparently above my pay grade,
but getting Suarez to back
Mellie is a minor miracle...
and you don't look
the least bit pleased.
What is it?
Are you okay?
I'm not looking for a therapist, Marcus.
Okay.
Jake, I need you to get
me into the White House.
Have you gathered the press?
No.
No?
In a second, I'm gonna close the door,
and you're going to yell at me
and try to undo something
that can not be undone.
But I'm going to explain myself,
and you're going to realize
that I did not betray you.
I just... did my job.
You again? What do you got?
More money?
I'm guessing Abby made you an offer.
I wanted to give you a
chance to change your mind,
to do what's best for you.
You're wasting your time.
I'm sure it felt good,
Abby convincing you
that you could somehow rectify
your terrible condition.
She knows how helpless you are,
and she found a way to exploit that.
Good for her.
She probably learned that from me.
But Abby doesn't know you like I do.
See, we have history, you and I,
so I know. And you should
know that hurting Mellie
or hurting me isn't gonna
make you feel better.
I mean, how could it?
Someone like you...
who did the things you did.
It's impossible.
So let's talk about
what you really want.
Let's discuss your best outcome here
and how I can help you achieve it.
You talk this much in bed?
You do this... chatty on
your hands and knees?
That big mouth of yours work
as hard as it does right now?
Tell me.
I'm curious.
You think you can take Mellie down
without me burning
everything to the ground?
Exposing everything you did?
No, I don't.
You say you know me? Well...
I know you, too.
Underneath those expensive clothes...
you're just another cheap slut
who thinks she's something
better than that.
Always surprised me
how much you went for.
[My name is Olivia Pope...]
- $2 billion, was it?
Wonder what I'd get now...
if I auctioned you again,
- put you back on the open market.
[taken against my will...]
I mean, now that you're not
the president's side piece,
now that you're just a novelty act.
[To ensure my continued safety...]
What do you think you'd go for?
What's an aging porn star go for?
The kind that work the strip
clubs in Reno, Atlantic City...
The ones available for private meetings.
What do they go for? $500?
[Olivia Pope... you must declare war...]
- $1,500?
Somewhere in that range?
Get out. You're done.
Over.
You go down with Mellie.
Back to paying off knocked-up
hookers for low-level politicos.
You've got nothing to offer me.
[My name is Olivia Pope, taken against my will...
How could you?
[Declare war...]
I already got everything I wanted.
[taken against my will...]
Everything I needed and
deserved... revenge.
I got revenge.
You.
You think you get revenge?!
You don't... get revenge!
That's mine!
That's mine!
Mine!
Are you okay?
Liv... are you okay?
Liv.
It's gonna be okay.
I promise.
Oh, my God.
In one hour, you will
issue a press release
saying former Vice President
Andrew Nichols is dead.
That means you will have one hour
to find Lillian Forrester
and convince her that there is no story,
that there never was a story...
Just the distorted machinations
of a sad individual
suffering from a few lingering
repercussions of his stroke.
Never...
cross me...
again.
One hour.
Tonight, the nation mourns the death
of a genuine American Hero.
Vice President Andrew Nichols
passed away this evening
due to complications from a fall.
Did you bring me a changes of clothes?
Right here.
You have blood on your face.
Let's go.
I first met Andrew Nichols
when I was running for
governor of California.
He was smart, courageous,
full of integrity,
but more importantly,
Andrew Nichols was my friend.
Andrew once told me...
Here?
Here.
The Vice President had been staying
at the Jefferson Institute for
Neuromuscular Rehabilitation
for the last two years, recuperating
from a debilitating stroke.
This is an unspeakably tragic loss.
My thoughts and prayers
are with his family.
A stroke stemming from
injuries sustained
as the result of a terrorist attack.
Andrew's loss is heartbreaking,
and as I grieve my dear friend,
I'm grateful to have
Cardinal Suarez's support
and spiritual guidance.
Today, I lost a friend,
but America lost a true patriot...
Someone who devoted their life
to making this country as
great as it can possibly be.
He will be missed dearly.
Hey.
- Alex Vargas... Frankie's brother.
Right, right. Cyrus isn't home.
- Yeah, I know.
He's at the Grand District
Hotel with his boyfriend.
They checked in about an
hour ago under fake names.
Mind if I come in? Just to chat.
I think we can be helpful to each other.
Why do I have a sinking feeling
we had something to do with this?
No, you heard the reports.
He died from complications after a fall.
Is that why you've been keeping me out?
You've been plotting a murder?
He died from complications after a fall.
I thought we were done with this.
I don't need you protecting me.
Trust us, okay? It's for your own good.
No. It's insulting
and it has to stop.
Otherwise, what am I doing here?
Andrew didn't believe
himself to be exceptional.
He believed that we are all...
Each and every one of us...
capable of greatness,
and it was this belief in
our country and its people
that made Andrew Nichols
such a tremendous leader.
Welcome home.
some kind of medical plaza.
Lillian Forrester is pregnant,
which explains why she hasn't been
working out as much in the mornings,
and it also explains why she's
made three incognito visits
to a medical center which houses...
count them...
Seven OB/GYN doctors.
You're following her?
You made that my job when
you started dating her,
and now that you've knocked her up...
You're sure about this.
Of course I'm sure.
You think I would just come
in shooting from the hip
on something of this magnitude?
Move past the denial stage quickly
so we can discuss how we're going to...
- Oh, hmm.
- What?
I, uh, false alarm. I was wrong.
She's not pregnant.
It's actually worse... Much worse.
I'm up eight points.
And did you see my numbers
with women under 40?
I could pass Susan Ross there, you know?
I might actually win this thing.
- Stop celebrating.
- What?
We need every vote you can get.
And I want you to get Latinos.
With Vargas as the
Democrat in the general?
That's exactly that Susan
and Hollis are thinking.
They're all but ceding
Vargas the Latino vote.
I think that's
shortsighted and ignorant,
as if they all vote as one group.
Do you know how diverse Latinos are?
There are plenty of socially
conservative Latinos
who see Frankie Vargas
as far too liberal...
Folks who would want to get
behind a Republican candidate,
and I think they're just waiting for
someone to pay them some attention.
I don't want to be one of those
candidates that tries to speak Spanish
and accidentally calls
someone a crocodile.
No, you never speak Spanish, ever...
to anyone.
Please.
You are for immigration,
you're a mother who lost her son,
you're for families...
and God.
You want me to go Catholic?
I want you to sit down
with Cardinal Suarez.
Get his endorsement.
I'm divorced.
The cardinal has backed
divorced candidates in the past.
I filibustered for 16 hours on
behalf of Planned Parenthood.
Will the Cardinal be
fine with my belief...
that every woman should retain control
of what happens in her uterus?
There's no way he takes a meeting.
- Hello.
- It's me.
No matter what I say next,
we never had this conversation.
Forrester is out.
We are clear.
Why are you meeting with
a reporter from the Times?
You look good.
Healthy.
Andrew.
I feel good, too...
Being able to speak again.
Especially now, when
I have so much to say.
What have you told Lillian?
Just a little tale about
a president going to war
for his mistress.
You tell her it was you
who had me kidnapped?
I believe I left my name out of it.
Why are you doing this?
I pee into a tube, Olivia.
Crap in a bag that hangs from my chair.
Yeah, because a piece of shrapnel
from a terrorist attack you
staged got lodged in your brain.
You really have no idea, do you?
I had a stroke
because your friends paid a goon
to jam a needle in my neck.
I don't know why you think that's true.
Because it is.
Anyway, this is not an old grievance.
This is a fresh frickin' wound,
and I'm going to make them pay for it.
Look.
This is not the way.
I assure you, Andrew.
It is not the way, because this time,
you're not just up against
Fitz and Cyrus and Mellie.
You are up against me,
the bitch you left for dead.
We'll kill the story.
Tell the Times it's a
matter of national security,
threaten to throw the book
at them if they publish.
- Not going to work.
- Why?
Because I would be the
one throwing the book,
and we don't have the
grounds to do that.
I don't get it.
Why would Andrew risk
his reputation like this
when the world thinks he's a hero?
Because someone put a needle
in his neck and he's angry.
Anyone care to cop to that?
Wasn't me.
Nope.
What's so funny?
- Nothing.
- What if I talk to him?
Why, because his love
for you runs so deep?
You have a better suggestion?
Yeah, you could drop out of the race,
spare yourself the embarrassment
when this all comes out.
You do realize Susan goes down, too.
Susan had nothing to do with this.
Technically, no,
but she's associated with you now,
and you, which means when
your names turn to dirt,
which they will, so will hers.
Cyrus.
I'm sorry.
It's just seeing you
all sweat like this.
You're neck's on the line, too, mister.
This story gets out,
you're going to jail.
Would you care to respond to that,
Mr. President,
or should I?
Cyrus has immunity.
You're kidding.
From any and all potential crimes
during his stint at the White House.
It was one of his
conditions before returning
to the White House and
taking his job back.
He was barely there a month.
I certainly got the better
end of that deal, didn't I?
Well, then go already.
- Get out of here.
- And miss this?
I'm still a member of this
distinguished club, Mellie.
Just a non-voting one.
You know, there is one way out of this.
Nobody's mentioned it yet,
but I'm sure we're all thinking it.
I'm gonna cover my ears now.
- We are not going to kill him.
- Why?
Did you just say, "Why"?!
Because we are not animals!
Because it's wrong.
The man had you kidnapped.
If we kill Andrew,
we are no better than he is.
Oh, great. So we'll all go to jail,
but at least we'll be better people.
You need to talk to him.
- I think I suggested that.
- It's not gonna work.
Mellie talks to Andrew.
I'm sorry. Is this your meeting now?
- Yes. You need to leave.
- Great.
You were expecting me to protest?
We need to shred
whatever physical
evidence is out there...
Documents, e-mails that prove
the president went to war for Liv...
They all need to be destroyed.
Lillian can't publish until she
corroborates Andrew's story.
The less that's out there,
the better off we'll be.
Thank you for coming when I called.
You didn't call. Abby did.
Paris, Beirut, you know, Iraq, Iran.
You know, I speak very,
very, um, fluent Spanish.
Huck. It was you, right?
You put Andrew in that coma.
It was you?
In case you're thinking about
finishing what you started, don't.
Understood?
What'd I miss?
Have you heard back from the cardinal?
Not yet.
I left two messages for him.
Leave him another.
- Another.
- Go.
We need to find and destroy
anything related to why we
went to war in West Angola.
Also, anything that could
link Andrew and Mellie...
Photos, e-mails, texts.
I don't care if it's a blank post-it,
we still make it disappear.
What do you want?
The Jefferson Institute of
Neuromuscular Rehabilitation.
Vice President Nichols
is a patient there.
- Room 303.
- I don't do that anymore.
That's what you said last time.
Yeah, well, this time I mean it.
He's waving a machete, Huck.
The president, Mellie, Susan Ross, me...
We're all gonna get
our heads chopped off.
I don't care about that.
But you care about Liv.
You care about her.
Forget the rest of us.
This will ruin her.
He kidnapped her.
She was sold because of him.
- She was...
- Shut up!
In a dangerous world,
in dangerous times...
experience isn't optional.
Experience is essential.
I'm Governor Frankie Vargas,
and I approve this message.
Well? It is pretty powerful, huh?
I don't want to use the capitol stuff.
But this add tested very well
with seniors, women 25 to 55,
even the hunting crowd.
Those guys that usually
hate you love this version.
People died, Alex.
I'm not gonna capitalize on that.
It's how you stand out.
Look, McCain used his history as a POW.
- McCain lost.
- Oh, come on. Frankie.
I think there's a middle ground, here.
Governor, I agree.
This ad feels cheap,
desperate, opportunistic.
You may not be able to say
these things about yourself,
but someone else can.
Let's use our social-media
team and grass-roots folks.
Disseminate these
images of your heroism.
Give it a new life online.
Clog peoples feeds or
whatever they call it.
Smart. I like it.
This ad will win you the primary.
I guarantee it. It's a good ad.
Well-produced, but it's dead, bro.
Sorry. Can't use it.
So we scrapping it?
Wait, hold it.
Scroll back.
Stop.
There.
That guy.
You know, send me that raw footage,
will you?
Hey.
I should've come by sooner,
but so much has happened since...
I know exactly why you're here, Mellie.
So just stop.
Don't insult me by lying to my face.
You want the truth, Andrew?
You didn't choose me.
You chose him. Fitz.
I wanted to be with you.
I wanted to start a new life with you.
That's what we both wanted,
or at least I thought it was
until you said we could be friends.
Friends?
You broke my heart.
I'm sorry.
Mellie...
I really did care about you.
I cared about you, too.
I still do.
Your recovery,
this gift from God that
you've been given...
Maybe it's not about
getting back at Fitz.
Maybe... maybe it's about us.
Maybe this happened
so that you and I could
have another chance.
Maybe.
Andrew.
What's wrong?
I thought you cared about me.
I thought you wanted another chance.
Well, here it is.
It still works, Mellie.
Unless I disgust you.
Do I? Disgust you?
Don't worry.
The feeling is mutual.
Andrew's not gonna be happy
until he's burned
everything to the ground.
I mean, hell, why even bother
meeting with Cardinal
Suarez at this point?
Once Andrew tells the
world about our affair,
Suarez will tell us to take a hike!
We don't know that for sure.
The man wants to be Pope.
Praising an adulteress
is not how you move up
in that organization.
Calm down.
Nothing has come out yet.
That's right, Liv... "yet".
Yet. Nothing has come out yet.
You realize that doesn't
actually mean anything, right?
All it means is that we are living
in a constant state of agony.
Mellie.
It means we've got no idea
whether our lives are gonna end
in five weeks or five minutes.
You get that, right?
There is this guillotine hanging
over us, and you're just...
Mellie, sit down and shut up!
I am going to fix this,
but in order for me to do that,
I'm going to need you
to keep it together.
I'm going to need you
to sit down and shut up
and wait for me to do what I do best.
Olivia.
Come on in.
Lillian Forrester.
- She's the ticking clock.
- Mm-hmm.
If Andrew doesn't recant before
she publishes, that's it.
Game over.
I can put someone on her,
hack into her computer,
but if I want up-to-the-minute
intel on what she's doing,
who she's talking to,
what she's ready to print,
when she's ready to print...
It's nice having a friend in the NSA,
isn't it?
"Friend" might be putting it strongly.
We will do your bidding.
Listen in on Lillian.
Say thank you.
Thank you.
When it fails,
you'll be left with one option...
and one option only.
I am not you, Dad.
In my world, if someone's in your way,
you outthink them.
You don't end them.
It's not who I am.
You see what she did there, Jake?
How she referred to "her world"
like it's something different from ours?
It's as if she's forgotten
that we're her family
and this is her home.
We'll listen in on your reporter,
Olivia, do you that favor,
but when you reach the
bottom of your bag of tricks,
the ones that you use in your world
so you're still able to sleep at night
and Andrew is still talking
and the world is about to end
and there's no time left to stop it,
don't say... I didn't warn you.
factions along the
Israeli/Syrian border.
Anything else I can get you,
Mr. Vice President?
This'll do. Thanks, Ted.
Did you forget something?
No more talking.
Is he dead?
- You said he wasn't dead.
- He's out.
- He should come to in a few minutes.
- Liv.
We didn't have a choice.
Liz North asked Huck to kill him.
Get away from me! Get away from me!
Get away from me!
Where are we?
A-Are we in the White House?
Under the White House.
There are people who
are trying to kill you.
The only person who ever
tried to kill me is him.
I never tried to kill you.
I know how to kill people.
- Huck.
- Get me out of here!
Right now!
Listen to me.
I don't think you appreciate
the forces you unleashed
by talking about what happened to you,
what happened to me.
You are in danger,
and we are here to protect you.
If you don't want me to protect you,
I will wheel you out into
Lafayette Park right now.
Just say the word.
What do you want?
How much will it take to
get you to drop this story?
This isn't about money.
That's what everybody says
until they hear the
right amount of money.
- How much?
- You're in debt, Andrew.
We know you were in debt
before this happened,
and you don't exactly have a lot
of earning potential anymore.
I'm writing a book.
Nobody wants to read that book.
You tried to overthrow the
government of the United States.
You kidnapped me.
You're not a sympathetic character.
How much, Andrew?
$10 million.
Five.
- 10.
- 7.
- 10.
- 8.
10, and say anything other
than 10 and it goes to 15.
$10 million,
and... you represent
me in the book deal.
"Andrew Nichols:
Battle Scars of the American Hero."
Where have you been?
I've been trying to reach you.
Spotty cell service.
I don't even know why I asked.
Do you have something to tell me?
Cardinal Suarez has been
waiting for 25 minutes.
Oh.
Yeah. Oh.
Cardinal.
Hey, Mary Ann.
What's up?
Hey, how long you work at the capitol?
Harrisburg? Both terms, so seven years.
You ever see this guy?
Don't think so. Why?
Are you sure?
Could he be security or something?
If he worked there, I'd know him.
- Okay, thanks.
- Mm-hmm.
He's on the record and willing to sit
for additional interviews
if we need him to.
He's even willing to appear on TV.
Everything here has been double-sourced.
This story has been
rigorously fact-checked.
What about legal?
We've been through legal twice.
Have we reached out to the
White House for comment?
We can't do that. You know that.
- How long do you need?
- 48 hours.
We run it in 48 hours, then.
Good work, Lillian.
We are out of options.
- This isn't a good idea.
- It's not,
but Lillian is publishing
in less than 48 hours.
We are running out of time,
so it's the best bad idea we have.
And it's better than the alternative,
which someone in this
room already tried.
- How much?
- $10 million.
$10 million?
I'm in for my fair share.
My fair share... $1.
If we pay him,
how do we know he still won't talk?
We don't hand over the money
until Andrew signs a
non-disclosure agreement.
Fine. I'm in for $5 million.
- You have $5 million?
- I've been a Republican my whole life.
Liv is not paying her kidnapper.
David and I don't have any money.
- You're Democrats.
- So that leaves...
You and me.
No. That leaves you.
I didn't grow up on an
estate in Santa Barbara.
I don't have $5 million sitting around.
Yes, you do.
I gave it to you in the divorce.
You didn't give me
anything I didn't earn.
Let's get this done.
I'm not paying anything.
- Mellie.
- I have paid enough!
So what are we gonna do?
- I think...
- Abby?
This is worth a shot, Mr. President.
Okay.
I'm in!
$10 million.
Huck presses a key,
and the money transfers
into an offshore bank
account with your name on it.
Do it.
But first,
you're going to call Lillian Forrester
and recant your story.
And then you're going to sign this NDA,
which says you can never
talk about any of this.
It's the only way this works, Andrew.
One phone call and your
debts are fully paid.
Money first or no deal.
Make the transfer.
Huck.
It's done.
Dial Lillian's number.
You know what, on second thought,
I don't think $10 million's going do it.
Better make it 20.
Billion.
We're not going...
Come to think of it,
I'd also like an apple pie warmed up.
Oh, and I'd also like my own horse.
Not to ride, of course,
but to watch you two
gals clean the stable.
You need to be very
careful here, Andrew.
Or what?
What are you people going to do?
Oh, for the record...
I know you didn't really
transfer that money
into my account, and that's okay.
I don't want it.
- I don't need it.
[My name is Olivia Pope.]
The look on your faces right now
is worth more to me
than anything a few million
dollars could ever buy.
Now, is Lillian on the line?
I wouldn't mind checking in
and see how it's going...
I was thinking, sir,
maybe we offer Andrew
a cabinet position...
Even Secretary of Defense or State.
A job he could hold
for all of six months?
I picked Andrew as my Vice President.
I didn't see what was happening
to my party right under my nose,
and when I was threatened,
I put my personal feelings
before the good of the country.
Mr. President...
Here's what we're going to do now...
I am going to go before
the American people
and say that I faked the
assassination attempt on Andrew
in order to gin up public
support for the war.
There will be an investigation.
David Rosen will lead
that investigation,
and it will confirm what I've said.
Nothing will come out about
Liv or the kidnapping.
No one else will be
implicated in any way.
This will be entirely on me,
where it should be.
Andrew will accept this
because he comes out a
hero and I will go down,
and that will be enough for him.
- Sir...
- After the address,
I want to take Teddy to Camp
David while this shakes out.
He loves it up there.
Sir, respectfully...
this is not the time
to fall on your sword.
My mind's made up.
Go make the deal.
Mr. President.
Make the damn deal.
Yes, sir.
Say something.
Let's make a plan.
Olivia, I understand
it's a lot to take in,
but I don't have a lot of time here.
If I make this deal with Andrew,
POTUS is blowing his
political brains out.
I need to shut this down,
so you are going to come back
to the White House with me
and do whatever Olivia
thing it is you need to do
to get him to man up
and change his mind,
because this? This is weak.
He does not get to quit.
That's the thing. It's not.
Not what?
It's not weak.
Liv, he's giving up.
He's being the President, finally.
Finally, he's being the man we
sold to the American people,
and that's...
Abby, he's doing what a
leader is supposed to do.
He's taking responsibility.
He is taking the blame.
He's taking the hit for the team.
Mellie, Cyrus, me... His team.
The body count that has piled
up in pursuit of his Oval?
That's on him.
It may have been our hands...
Mellie's, Cyrus', or mine...
But it was for him.
Every bullet we took was for him.
Every time we nailed
ourselves to a cross,
it was so he wouldn't bleed.
This is on him.
A leader owns what
happened on his watch.
A leader stands up and
takes responsibility.
That is not weak.
That's integrity.
That's presidential.
Someone has turned the world inside out,
and I'm looking at the seams
and the tags and it's all wrong.
Abby...
A year from now,
I'll be an associate professor
at some college in
Indiana... Bargain bin.
You're not going to Indiana.
You are smart, talented.
You will rebound so fast in this town.
Rebound to what?
I'm a big dog, Liv.
The biggest.
A White House Monster.
I chew them up, I spit them out,
I own that place.
What's the point of being a
monster if you've got no teeth?
You were never a monster.
You're Abby...
and you can always come
back and work for me.
That would be fun, right?
Yeah, right.
That would be fun.
You bring me my warm apple pie?
Not quite.
- I can't believe Fitz is doing this.
- He is.
And you can't be smiling.
You can't be giddy and empathetic.
Yesterday my face was
danglingabove a wood chipper,
and now Fitz is taking
the fall for all of us.
Forgive me, I'm giddy.
What?
Just plugged into a call
between Lillian and her editor.
They've landed on a title
for the Times article.
Go on.
"Mellie Grant: One Affair, Many Lies."
But that means...
The story's shifted.
It's not about West Angola anymore.
Which means someone made a deal.
We have a problem.
Apparently,
Lillian Forrester's no longer interested
in West Angola.
All she's doing now is writing
a hit piece on Mellie Grant.
Obviously, it's Elizabeth North.
She got to Andrew.
Who knows how she did it
or what she offered him.
It doesn't matter. It worked.
Andrew's changed his story and
we have to put a stop to it.
I think that you should inform Fitz,
I'll track down Liz.
Clearly, you'll have to move back
the President's statement to
the press until we know more.
What time is the President's statement
to the press scheduled... for?
Abby.
Abby.
Abby.
Oh...
Abby.
The President won't
be making a statement.
Who did this to you?
What did they threaten you with?
You tell me and I'll...
Who talked me into this?
You.
You talked me into this.
The body count... It's for him.
That's what you said.
The team works for him. Every bullet...
You take every bullet for him.
Every time you nail yourself to
the cross, you do it for him.
This is what you do for him.
That's what the team is for.
You all work in pursuit of the
Oval, protecting the president.
Well, he's still the president.
His term is not up.
Your job is not done...
and I run the Oval now.
He's mine to handle, I'm his leader,
and I say the team keeps on
going until the very last day.
I don't work for you.
You work for me.
Security will revoke your hard
pass at the gate when you exit.
You are no longer welcome
here without my permission.
The door is right behind you.
Please close it on your way out.
You did it.
Marcus.
The Cardinal's secretary just called. Not
only is he going to take the meeting,
he made room in his schedule
to sit down tomorrow.
Set it up.
That's it?
I get there's other business
happening around here
that's apparently above my pay grade,
but getting Suarez to back
Mellie is a minor miracle...
and you don't look
the least bit pleased.
What is it?
Are you okay?
I'm not looking for a therapist, Marcus.
Okay.
Jake, I need you to get
me into the White House.
Have you gathered the press?
No.
No?
In a second, I'm gonna close the door,
and you're going to yell at me
and try to undo something
that can not be undone.
But I'm going to explain myself,
and you're going to realize
that I did not betray you.
I just... did my job.
You again? What do you got?
More money?
I'm guessing Abby made you an offer.
I wanted to give you a
chance to change your mind,
to do what's best for you.
You're wasting your time.
I'm sure it felt good,
Abby convincing you
that you could somehow rectify
your terrible condition.
She knows how helpless you are,
and she found a way to exploit that.
Good for her.
She probably learned that from me.
But Abby doesn't know you like I do.
See, we have history, you and I,
so I know. And you should
know that hurting Mellie
or hurting me isn't gonna
make you feel better.
I mean, how could it?
Someone like you...
who did the things you did.
It's impossible.
So let's talk about
what you really want.
Let's discuss your best outcome here
and how I can help you achieve it.
You talk this much in bed?
You do this... chatty on
your hands and knees?
That big mouth of yours work
as hard as it does right now?
Tell me.
I'm curious.
You think you can take Mellie down
without me burning
everything to the ground?
Exposing everything you did?
No, I don't.
You say you know me? Well...
I know you, too.
Underneath those expensive clothes...
you're just another cheap slut
who thinks she's something
better than that.
Always surprised me
how much you went for.
[My name is Olivia Pope...]
- $2 billion, was it?
Wonder what I'd get now...
if I auctioned you again,
- put you back on the open market.
[taken against my will...]
I mean, now that you're not
the president's side piece,
now that you're just a novelty act.
[To ensure my continued safety...]
What do you think you'd go for?
What's an aging porn star go for?
The kind that work the strip
clubs in Reno, Atlantic City...
The ones available for private meetings.
What do they go for? $500?
[Olivia Pope... you must declare war...]
- $1,500?
Somewhere in that range?
Get out. You're done.
Over.
You go down with Mellie.
Back to paying off knocked-up
hookers for low-level politicos.
You've got nothing to offer me.
[My name is Olivia Pope, taken against my will...
How could you?
[Declare war...]
I already got everything I wanted.
[taken against my will...]
Everything I needed and
deserved... revenge.
I got revenge.
You.
You think you get revenge?!
You don't... get revenge!
That's mine!
That's mine!
Mine!
Are you okay?
Liv... are you okay?
Liv.
It's gonna be okay.
I promise.
Oh, my God.
In one hour, you will
issue a press release
saying former Vice President
Andrew Nichols is dead.
That means you will have one hour
to find Lillian Forrester
and convince her that there is no story,
that there never was a story...
Just the distorted machinations
of a sad individual
suffering from a few lingering
repercussions of his stroke.
Never...
cross me...
again.
One hour.
Tonight, the nation mourns the death
of a genuine American Hero.
Vice President Andrew Nichols
passed away this evening
due to complications from a fall.
Did you bring me a changes of clothes?
Right here.
You have blood on your face.
Let's go.
I first met Andrew Nichols
when I was running for
governor of California.
He was smart, courageous,
full of integrity,
but more importantly,
Andrew Nichols was my friend.
Andrew once told me...
Here?
Here.
The Vice President had been staying
at the Jefferson Institute for
Neuromuscular Rehabilitation
for the last two years, recuperating
from a debilitating stroke.
This is an unspeakably tragic loss.
My thoughts and prayers
are with his family.
A stroke stemming from
injuries sustained
as the result of a terrorist attack.
Andrew's loss is heartbreaking,
and as I grieve my dear friend,
I'm grateful to have
Cardinal Suarez's support
and spiritual guidance.
Today, I lost a friend,
but America lost a true patriot...
Someone who devoted their life
to making this country as
great as it can possibly be.
He will be missed dearly.
Hey.
- Alex Vargas... Frankie's brother.
Right, right. Cyrus isn't home.
- Yeah, I know.
He's at the Grand District
Hotel with his boyfriend.
They checked in about an
hour ago under fake names.
Mind if I come in? Just to chat.
I think we can be helpful to each other.
Why do I have a sinking feeling
we had something to do with this?
No, you heard the reports.
He died from complications after a fall.
Is that why you've been keeping me out?
You've been plotting a murder?
He died from complications after a fall.
I thought we were done with this.
I don't need you protecting me.
Trust us, okay? It's for your own good.
No. It's insulting
and it has to stop.
Otherwise, what am I doing here?
Andrew didn't believe
himself to be exceptional.
He believed that we are all...
Each and every one of us...
capable of greatness,
and it was this belief in
our country and its people
that made Andrew Nichols
such a tremendous leader.
Welcome home.