Scandal - S4E11 - Where’s the Black Lady?

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Previously on Scandal, ‘Run’

Powerless Fitz

The episodes picks up, presumably, right after Andrew has dropped his bomb on Fitz. The president wants to call in his staff, but a few secret service men come in and threaten him on behalf of Andrew. One hints that there are many people on Fitz’s staff, all around the White House, who are watching him to make sure he doesn’t tell anyone what’s going on. Oh, and he mentions beheading Olivia.

Fitz heads to Cyrus’ office and says he wants to meet with all the joint chiefs first thing in the morning. War in West Angola might be back on the table. Cyrus is like, “Say what now?”

That night, Fitz helps Mellie out of her necklace and is about to tell her about the kidnapping and blackmail when she confesses she’s been sleeping with Andrew again. They’re partners now and she doesn’t want to keep secrets from Fitz. But she realized that Andrew can’t keep his dick in his pants either, so he’s not her happily ever after. She starts to spill all the presidential tea when Fitz is all:

She mistakes this for Fitz being jealous of her and Andrew and storms out.

Proof of Life

Fitz calls Andrew and demands proof of life before doing anything. Andrew resists, but the next thing you know, Ian has Olivia reading their hostage demands from cue cards. She needs a glass of water to get through it, but she eventually does.

Poor Fitz is residing in his feelings as he watches the video, which is quickly snatched up by one of Andrew’s secret service men as soon as it’s done. But don’t fret, he left Fitz a copy of it on a thumb drive so he has tangible proof of this blackmail. Smart.

Look at the Flowers, Lizzie

Lizzie is just tucking in her daughter when Huck grips her up outside the bedroom door. Damn. He didn’t even let her close the door good. I mean shit. He threatens to kill her and her daughter if she doesn’t find out where Olivia is. Lizzie immediately takes her ass to Andrew to complain, but he’s all, “Take a deep breath. Get your head on straight. And then get on board.” Oop! Basically, he told her, shit has gotten real.

Patriotic Cray Cray

Fitz is zoning out during a meeting where one of the topics of discussion is Tom’s pardon request. Fitz ain’t about that life, but he does want to see Tom. Tom gives a crazy patriotic speech - and by that I don’t mean very patriotic, I mean insane guy talking about being a patriot. Fitz wants to know who he can trust and he’s surprised when Tom already knows about Olivia’s kidnapping and the war demands - the face that launched a thousand ships. He tells Fitz the only place he can go to speak without being overheard is the same place that’s always been safe.

Olivia’s magical bedroom.

There he meets Jake and passes off the ransom video. While Team JHQ (Jake, Huck, Quinn) examines the video, they notice that Olivia paused to take a sip of water, and you can see Ian’s reflection in the bottom of the glass as she got turnt up. Huck will work his magic, and run it through some software because technology.

Olivia Pulls Some Strings

Ian bets Olivia a dollar Fitz will declare war because he heard on them D.C. streets that Fitz is a fuckboy. No. Seriously, all jokes aside. Why is Fitz so damn powerless? Anyway, after a slip of the tongue, Olivia suspects that Ian is not the boss at all - he answers to someone else. Then he gets a little rapey and I’m not here for that.

Florence from The Jeffersons shows up at OPA looking for “the black lady,” that being Olivia. Not seeing her, she leaves and says she’ll be back tomorrow.

During the joint chiefs meeting, Fitz is given his strategic possibilities if he decides to invade West Angola. Andrew has lots of input, which makes Cyrus nervous. It doesn’t help matters when Abby later brings up the Coalition For West Angola and Cyrus is all, “What’s that?”

The pic of Ian is a dead-end. Huck and Jake leave Quinn alone at the office without saying where they’re going.

Say Goodnight, Lizzie

Huck is back in Lizzie’s house. This time he’s in her daughter’s bed while she sleeps. And he’s brought his toolbox! Those are for grown-ups, little girl. Just go back to sleep.

Fitz finally tells Mellie what’s going on at my new favorite set piece: that presidential patio, y’all. He spent the whole day walking around the White House side-eye’ing the fuck out of everyone. He needed an ally so I don’t blame him for telling. Fitz is torn. He doesn’t know what to do. Mellie points out, “I thought you loved her. I’d hate to think everything we went through was for a cheap screw.” He tells his wife that he loves another woman, and Mellie - ever the badass - says then he knows what he has to do.

What Is It Good For

Fitz gives a press conference and announces small attacks on West Angola. Cyrus and Abby have their best WTF faces on. When Fitz gets back to the Oval Office, he finds Andrew in his chair and drinking his liquor.

Andrew gotta die, y’all.

They’re not letting Olivia go. They’re going to milk this to control the rest of FItz’s term.

Oh, THAT Black Lady

Marla Gibbs is back and she finally explains that she’s really looking for her friend Lois, who lived across the hall from Olivial, and she can’t reach her. She came to Olivia’s to get Lois’ spare key. A-ha! Team JHQ break into Lois’ house, find Olivia’s ring, and trace activity on Lois’ WiFi to figure out who Ian is.

Fitz calls Cyrus into the Oval Office and gives him a brief on West Angola. He wants Cyrus to read it. Cyrus is butthurt and says it’s too late to want his opinion now. But Fitz is insistent. Just go read the damn report, Cyrus! 

Olivia demands beef stew and an orange creamsicle because Olivia thinks she’s at the Radisson or something. Just kidding. She knows she’s going to die now that they have their war and she’s seen everyone’s faces. If she’s going to die, may as well go out after eating your favorite meal. I’m surprised she didn’t ask for wine. Ian confirms what we already knew: Olivia ain’t going nowhere for three years, the rest of Fitz’s term. They will use her to get him to do whatever they want until he’s out of office. THEN they will put a bullet in her head. So, eat the grub you’re given and relax.

Ride or Die

Lizzie comes to see Mellie. She insists that she had nothing to do with Olivia being kidnapped. Then she shows Mellie what Huck did to her back. Her back looks like shredded chicken. Mellie is horrified, but tells Lizzie that Huck won’t kill her because Olivia will be let go now that the war is on. Then Lizzie tells Mellie what we all already knew. Say it with me: ANDREW GONNA MILK THIS SHIT FOREVER AND EVER.

Mellie goes to Andrew’s office and pretends to be upset that Andrew made this play with Lizzie and not her. He promises that it’s about them and that he’ll have the White House with Mellie - it’s all meaningless without her. Then they do it in his office.

Olivia plants seeds in Ian’s head that she’d be more beneficial to him if he sold her on the black market. Wait. What now? Right now, she says, he’s just a glorified babysitter. But he could be the boss. Or the massah. Whatever.

It’s Handled

Cyrus meets Fitz on the balcony and they speak in code for:

“Shit, I didn’t know it was like that, son.”

“Yeah, it’s like that. They got bae.”

Then Mellie saunters up and whispers to Fitz that she took care of everything because Mellie is the best.

Turns out: Mellie’s vagina has sedative properties and left Andrew out cold on his couch like a hungover frat boy. She swiped his cell phones (real and burner) and gave them to Lizzie.

Lizzie took them to OPA and begged Huck to leave her, and what’s left of her back, alone. Homegirl could barely walk and it was hilarious.

Team JHQ track Andrew’s calls to Ian to somewhere in Pennsylvania. But they can’t just bust in there alone and they can’t ask the White House for help. Jake has an idea.

David Rosen! Remember him? Jake gets David to work with the DEA and authorizes a “drug bust” in the building they believe Olivia is being held. Of course, when they get there, Liv is gone. All Jake finds is that funky sweater in her cell.

As Fitz looks at footage of his soldiers dying in battle, he gets a call from Olivia… and Ian. Ian announces (from a fancy private plane) he’s going to sell Olivia to the highest bidder, and he thought it only fair to get Fitz in on the bidding.

And then chatter opens up on Huck’s spy network and he realizes that Olivia is alive and they’ll now be able to track her.

Thoughts and Questions:

• I was not a fan of Mellie sleeping with Andrew. It felt like she was, once again, sacrificing herself in some way to help Fitz. After watching the episode a second time, I think her actions were more about making sure Jerry’s death wasn’t in vain - their son died so they could remain in the White House. You don’t then let someone else take control of the presidency. Also, I think she took some personal satisfaction in being able to screw Andrew over - no pun intended.
• I want Marla Gibbs’ character to move into Lois’ apartment and then when Olivia comes home they can be neighbors. Marla will randomly drop over for gurl talk and wine.
• I’m just gonna go on record as saying this black market sale storyline is bullshit.
• Fitz needs a complete overhaul of the entire White House and his administration. Clearly, he has no power and few allies. Where’s Sally Langston’s crazy ass?