“Scandal” season 4 is heating up, and episode 2 was no exception. Jake and Olivia are taking a run, and Jake tells her that he’s booked a hotel suite so that they can do “booty calls,” which Liv says she doesn’t do, then runs off to meet Cyrus for the first time since she’s been back in D.C.
‘Scandal’ season 4, episode 2
Cyrus tells Olivia that he needs a favor/job, and that she’s already been paid for it, to which Olivia doesn’t take kindly to “blackmail.” Cyrus tells Liv that two people expected to be at Fitz’s State Of The Union have basically gone missing, and that if she doesn’t take the job that he’ll tell Fitz she’s been calling asking about him every day, wanting him back.
OPA gets right to work on the case of the couple, who are big on gun control. Liv goes to Mexico to find the couple, and find them in a very heated fight, and convinces them to go back to D.C.
Back at the White House, Lizzie is upset about gun control being the focus of the State Of The Union. Meanwhile, Fitz is off with Melie, who is at Jerry’s grave, where she’s been spending her days mourning her son, but a member of the paparazzi is watching, and gets her photos, making “Mental Mellie” the cover of the tabloids.
Abby holds a press conference about the state of Mellie’s mental health, but the press isn’t buying it.
‘Scandal’ recap: Mental Mellie
Meanwhile, Jake is working with David again regarding B-613, and suspects Olivia’s father is up to no good again. Over at OPA, Huck is busy with work when Quinn tries to talk to him, but he’s not responsive, which upsets Quinn.
When Olivia goes on TV to do damage control, Abby is upset that Liv seems to be doing her job for her, and calls her to tell her to butt out. Later, Abby coaches David for his big hearing to become Attorney General.
Unfortunately, Fitz is forced to tell Mellie that someone took her photo at Jerry’s grave, and that she needs to go to The State Of The Union to shut down the “crazy” rumors. Mellie tells her husband that she doesn’t care what anyone thinks about her, and laughs off his request.
Later, Cyrus and Mellie share a private moment, where they bond over losing the people who meant most to them in their lives, James and Jerry. However, Mellie still refuses to show up for Fitz and play the dutiful wife because she’s just “not the same” anymore.
Huck and Quinn are sent to babysit the gun control couple. Quinn hears how their love story turned sour after she was shot and paralyzed, while Huck is bored and ignoring her counterpart.
Fitz sits alone in his office watching Liv on television, and Liv sits alone in her apartment, so she calls Jake, who refuses to come to her, but will accept her if she comes to his hotel room, where he’s working on his B-613 theory and looking at the case files and photos on Harrison’s death.
Meanwhile, Lizzie wants David to decline his nomination, and blackmail’s Cyrus into seeing things her way, by digging up the planted fake photos of David’s ex-girlfriend.
Later, Cyrus hits the bar for a drink and meets a man, who questions him about his relationship status, as he’s still wearing his wedding ring, but Cyrus can’t bring himself to talk about James.
Later, Quinn finds Huck drunk, and is upset because he’s a recovering alcoholic. They head to the bathroom to talk, and when they return the gun control couple have gotten into a violent altercation, and the husband has a corkscrew in his leg, and not wanting to help out the president anymore.
All the while, David is determined to clear his name, and take the nomination. He does some research and then blackmails a senator for taking bribes.
Abby tells Cyrus that the gun control couple, The Elliots, aren’t planning to show, but Cyrus thinks that Liv will take care of it all, and that Mellie is the real problem to Fitz’s presidency.
Abby then takes it upon herself to visit Mellie, and give her a kick in the butt, telling her that she has a job, and that she has millions of American’s who can relate to her losing a child.
Olivia tells The Elliots that they need to get a divorce, and that she will help them retain the public, and still make a living without one another.
Liv gets the Elliots to the White House, and speaks to Fitz for the first time since returning to D.C. He asks to speak to Liv alone, and then asks for her opinion.
Fitz gives his speech, and it’s very moving. He also mentions Jerry’s death to help describe Mellie’s grief and mental state. Mellie is in the audience, as Abby’s words obviously got to her, as she channel’s her inner Jackie Kennedy.
Fitz ties in Jerry’s death to his gun control points, a point that Republicans usually stand firm on. Liv watches the speech on TV and then leaves.
After the speech Mellie is having a hard time pulling herself together and crawls into the corner of the White House and breaks down, with Fitz by her side.
Meanwhile, Jake continues his search and may have some new evidence when Olivia knocks on his door. She “summons” him and they make love.
After the speech, Cyrus goes back to the bar and finds the guy he met previously, and as the two are about to hook up he finds out that the man is a prostitute named Michael. Later it’s revealed that Lizzie is behind their meeting.
