Episode Rewind: Scandal Episode 411 ‘Where’s the Black Lady’

SPOILER ALERT! (stop reading if you don’t want to know what happens in this episode)

It was all about saving, or trying to save, Olivia this week. I don’t know about you, but if I ever end up kidnapped I would want it to be with Olivia Pope because then maybe just maybe I’d survive. Check out the recap below!

We open in the White House with Fitz asking for Jake. The Secret Service walks in the office to make sure that he’s following Andrew’s orders and not enlisting help to look for Olivia. They let him know that this is bigger than him and everyone is watching. Fitz goes about his every day duties obviously detached but he can’t tell anyone, including Cyrus or Mellie what’s going on. He’s helping Mellie with her necklace and is about to tell her about Olivia when she lets him know that she started sleeping with Andrew again but he didn’t make her happy. She thinks that what they have, their partnership is good enough but he tells her to stop talking.

Andrew calls Fitz to make sure he goes through with starting the war in West Angola but he wants proof that Liv is still alive and he won’t move forward until he gets it. He sends him a video of Olivia being fed lines saying that she’s safe, she hasn’t been abused or tortured and to insure her safety he must declare war on West Angola.

Lizzie walks out of the room from tucking in Lizzie when she’s snatched up by Huck who threatens to kill her daughter unless she tells him where Olivia is. Shaken, she tells him that she’ll find out where she is. She confronts Andrew about kidnapping her and he tells her that this was the way to get what they both want and for him to become the next president.

Tom petitions to be pardoned for killing Jerry but Fitz wants him to talk to him face to face and not through papers. Tom tells him that both he and Jerry were sacrifices but Fitz wants to know who he can trust in the White House. Tom pretty much tells him that he knows and the only place he can speak privately is the only place he’s always been able to speak privately. He goes to Olivia’s house and Jake is there. He hands over the USB of Olivia and tells him that he has two days to find her.

Jake takes it to Huck and Quinn but they can’t figure out where it was filmed. Huck notices a light and they realize she asked for the glass of water to show a reflection of Ian’s face. Back over with Olivia, she tells Ian that Fitz won’t start a war over her. He bets her that he will because when it all boils down he’s a man– love says so and history says so. She realizes that he’s not the person in charge and someone else is making the demands, he’s just a pawn.

Fitz is in a meeting on how to infiltrate West Angola and suggests a 4-6 week plan but Andrew interrupts. Cyrus tries to intercept but Andrew tells Fitz the decision is up to him but remember that waiting has consequences. Abby walks in on Cyrus who’s frustrated because he doesn’t understand why Fitz is listening to Andrew when he doesn’t like him. Mellie finds Fitz on the balcony and asks him what’s wrong. He gets all up in her personal space so it looks like they’re being intimate and tells her that in 24 hours he’s going to kill Olivia because Andrew has her and won’t let her go unless he declares war on West Angola. He tells her that he can’t do it and Mellie asks him if he loves her. He tells her that he does and she tells him that he knows what he has to do.

At OPA, they’re trying to use facial recognition on the reflection but nothing is coming up and Huck is upset because he believes he failed. Both Jake and Huck leave the office leaving Quinn alone. Lizzie checks on her daughter and Huck is just chilling in her bed. He tells her that she didn’t do what she promised and walks to a red toolbox showing her his tools.

The following day Fitz holds a press conference and tells the American people that they will go to war with West Angola for their attacks on the Vice President. Of course Ian totally rubs it in her face that he was right. Fitz returns to his office to find Andrew at his desk. He demands to know where Olivia is and he tells him that if he released her she’d have them out of West Angola by the end of the day and that they should work together. Fitz asks if he’s ever going to let her go and he tells him it completely depends on him.

Rose comes to OPA asking about Olivia and tells Quinn that her friend Lois is missing and that Olivia knew her because she lived across the hall. Huck, Jake and Quinn go to the apartment and find Olivia’s ring while Huck realizes that this is where whoever abducted Liv were set up and that they used the internet. He traces it to the guy who Olivia killed in the previous episode which leads to a picture of a group of men which includes Ian. They try to track his cellphone but he’s bouncing it off of multiple satellites.

Ian brings Olivia her dinner but she demands beef stew and an orangesicle because she wants to be shot and killed. He tells her that he’s not going to kill her and it’ll probably be about 2-3 years before he does because that’s about how long they’ll be together. Lizzie goes to Mellie to tell her that she had nothing to do with Olivia’s kidnapping. She tells her about Huck visiting her and shows her back which Huck destroyed. Mellie tells her that Andrew has his war so he’ll let her go but Lizzie tells her that they both know he won’t do that.

Mellie goes to Andrew and tells him that she knows about Olivia and his relationship with LIzzie. He tells her that his plan is for both of them because it’s going to be them in the Oval Office. Meanwhile, Cyrus finally reads the report that Fitz demanded he read and sees his note telling him that they have Olivia.

Ian gloats and shows Olivia the press coverage on the war so far. She asks him what he wants a question that she asks her clients. She tells him that she knows he wants power but he’s just sitting around watching her. She suggests he sells her, get rich and she can take her chances in the open market. She tells him that it’s not up to her, it’s up to him– does he want to be a babysitter or a boss?

Cyrus meets Fitz on the balcony and tells him that he read the report as Mellie appears and tells him that she took care of it. She confiscated his cellphones and gave them to Lizzie who gives them to Huck and crew. They us it to pinpoint a location Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Jake takes the information to David who calls in a drug raid on the location. Jake goes with the DEA but they’re too late because no one is there.

Fitz is watching footage of what’s going on in West Angola when he gets a call from Olivia. Ian takes the phone and tells him that he doesn’t care about the war, he’s a business man. He tells him that he plans to sell her, the woman who controls the president, someone who his enemies would want. He tells him he’ll let him know when it begins before hanging up.

Back at OPA Huck starts seeing his map fluttering. He calls Quinn over and tells her that it’s chatter and that it’s Olivia, she’s alive and she’s leaving them breadcrumbs.

Some takeaways…

– I’ll give it to the writer’s, they sure can come up with some storylines although they’re getting a little out of pocket.

– I loved the way Fitz handled telling Mellie and Cyrus about what was going on. My biggest complaint last week was that I wanted to see everyone’s reaction to Olivia being missing and I got that tenfold this episode.

– Ian is a very interesting character. It’ll be interesting to see how this whole “Sell Olivia Pope” thing will go because I don’t think it’s going to go off without quite a few hitches.

– It also looks like, at least for a while, we’re putting the case of the week formula on hold. I’m okay with it as long as we’re moving the main plot forward.

– Lastly, because I just can’t help myself. Huck had Lizzie allllll the way shook. He was not playing any games!

What did you think about this episode? Let me know in the comments!

Like what you see? Then share with your friends and followers by hitting the ‘Like’ button above and using the social media links below!

Where’s your glam? Find inHer Glam on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Instagram and stay connected to all things glam wherever you go!