(ABC)
On Thursday’s “Scandal,” Olivia and Fitz had to deal with the possibility of his impeachment as Mellie and other senators investigated their relationship. Here are the most important things to know about “You Got Served,” the fifth episode of season 5.
The episode began with the news that the Senate voted to open a committee investing Fitz’s involvement with Olivia, which Mellie voted for. Fitz maintained that he didn’t commit any “impeachable offenses,” but David urged him to get a no-nonsense lawyer named Patty to guide him through it all. He was further told that he couldn’t talk to Olivia about the case, or he could end up in jail.
Olivia, who would have to testify before Congress, wrapped herself up in the “mistress mania” media coverage, and sought Leo to be her political advisor, who said they should spin the affair into the greatest romance of all time. Instead, she took Quinn’s advice to show her as a “woman of the people,” and then asked Edison, her former fiancée and the Senate Majority Leader, to vouch for her character. He angrily called her a “criminal, a whore, an idiot, and a liar,” and demanded to know the full truth, given that she previously denied such a relationship to him.
She apparently told him what he wanted, as Edison later gave a television interview calling her “honest” and of the “highest moral conviction.” Fitz was happy, thinking the appearance might have “saved” them both. The next day, Patty came in like a tornado, shooting down all of Liz and Abby’s reservations, and telling Fitz he had to testify. Meanwhile, Mellie was stunned to find out she would have to recuse herself from the investigation committee because of her marriage to Fitz, and sought comfort from Cyrus, who was eating up every moment of the scandal.
Leo flipped out after word broke that Olivia received a ring from Fitz (leaked by Mellie), saying “woman of the people” would no longer work, and she had to now go with his “lovestruck” angle. Olivia went to Jake for counsel, but and he was forced to introduce Elise, calling her an “old friend” before they had a smooch. Jake encouraged Liv to go with the love story plan, but suspected her reluctance was over her realizing that by doing so, she’d be forever tied to Fitz and the White House with no “exit.” “Just tell the truth. Tell your story. Tell the world how you really feel about him,” Jake told her.
Olivia did a TV interview with Noah, saying the ring was not a symbol of engagement, but a sign of affection via a family heirloom. She teared up when asked if she regretted the affair, and said, “I wish I never laid eyes on him. I wish we never met,” explaining she regrets what other people are going through because of their actions… and because she could lose her business. “If I never laid eyes on him, I never would’ve fallen in love,” she said, going on to acknowledge the “pain” of Mellie, her kids, and the country.
She went on to repeatedly blame herself for being “weak,” but said she can’t ask for “forgiveness” for following her “truth,” and said she can’t “fall out of love” with the president. The interview was called a “home run,” with it being said Olivia succeeded in making herself seem “relatable.” Mellie sighed to Cyrus, “That’s the one thing Olivia and I agree on. I wish they’d never met, too.” Cyrus apologized to her, saying he’s responsible for it all because he introduced them.
Senator Gibson confronted Marcus, demanding he share what he knows and be their spy, or they’ll go after him and his family. Quinn and Huck told Marcus they wanted a backup plan, such as planting evidence and using coercion, because they didn’t believe in Leo’s moves. That was enough to get Marcus to agree to help Gibson. As it turns out, though, he was being a double agent, and found out the committee had learned of her kidnapping and its ties to the war with West Angola.
Olivia feared it would bring them all down, and she and Fitz got it on with loud music playing (actually, “Let’s Get It On”) so they could discuss the situation without being heard. He said he would lie about ever seeing the tape, but they knew Cyrus could say otherwise. His drunken night with Mellie was interrupted by a call from Fitz, asking him to come to the White House. Upon his arrival, Cyrus was asked back to the White House as a “high-level senior advisor” to help with “unfinished business,” putting behind their past “difficulties.”
Cyrus quickly saw through Fitz’s request, realizing the Senate had the West Angola tape and the president was offering the job in exchange for his silence. Cyrus gave a long speech about his devotion to Fitz’s career, pointing out that while he knows every detail, the president just wants to use him for a “rescue” one more time. “That’s the deal on the table, and I’m not going to take it, because this band is never, ever getting back together,” he tearfully old Fitz. “I don’t need you. Not anymore.”
Fitz responded by sharing a heartwarming story of what he did remember about their long history, and tearfully said he was “truly, deeply sorry” about how he ruined their relationship. “My biggest mistake was forgetting that we were family,” he told Cyrus. He ended by begging Cyrus to take the job, and Cyrus said he would only be chief of staff, with Liz gone immediately, along with getting a pardon for any crimes committed during his service. After Cyrus said how he would handle the West Angola controversy, they shook on it, and Cyrus was welcomed back, with Fitz calling for Liz.
