Scandal ‘It’s Handled’ Recap – Episode 03.01

The Breakdown

As the news that Olivia Pope is the president’s mistress comes out to the public. Her father (Eli) forces her into a limo and takes her to an airport where he has a private jet waiting for her to take her out of the country for the next eight months. While aboard the plane Cyrus calls Oliva encouraging her to get off of the plane so that they can fix this mess, also so that Fitz doesn’t think Cyrus has her killed.

Olivia gets off the plane and heads back to her office where her staff is in a frenzy because most of her clients have fired them. President Fitz wants VP Sally Langston to make his appearances so that he can buy time in order to tell him family about what is going on. Cyrus is trying to find out where the leak is about the presidents affair. He finds out from James that the secret service agents drink at a bar which is possibly where the leak is coming from. Mellie asks one of the agents (Tom) did the leak come from him and if he gave a name; he says that he didn’t. Back at Oliva’s office David Rosen comes in, then her team rushes in to get her to turn on the TV where a video is being shown of Fitz coming out of Olivia’s apartment giving real evidence of the affair. Cyrus starts a kill folder on Oliva.

Cyrus starts the kill folder on Oliva finding out everything in her past up to her childhood. Olivia wants to know where Jake Ballard is because Eli was trying to have him killed. Eli is still pushing Oliva to get on the plane to flee the country which she doesn’t do because she feels she has options. Oliva went to a safe and called a secret number equipped with the password providence. About a dozen black sedans roll out of the garage of her apartment so that the paparazzi can’t track her. She gets a military escort to a location where Fitz is waiting for her.

The number Oliva called was a program called the fire alarm; which should only be used in an emergency situation. Not only are Olivia and Fitz in this secret location Oliva invited Mellie. This meeting was called so that the three of them could clear the air about what is going to happen next. Fitz wants to come clean to the nation and Oliva and Mellie agree hesitantly. The only problem is Olivia wants to clear up how many times they tell the press her and Fitz had sex. They agree on a number of two, one after Fitz was elected and once after his assassination attempt. Mellie leaves and Fitz goes to embrace Oliva. Oliva repeated says “no” as she feels Fitz is going to try to have sex with her. Fitz embraces her with a hug while she cries on his shoulder.

President Fitz and VP Langston are in the oval office where Fitz is telling Sally that he is going to come clean and wants Langston to bury him in front of the press to be the good guy in this situation. Mellie comes to Cyrus with a plan so that the president doesn’t have to come out at his press conference. Harrison and Olivia’s team have a disk and some of the team is hesitant to use it, however they all agree too. While a White House aid is briefing reporters for the press conference, a report on the TV shows a video of said White House aide Janice Locke calling Fitz hot and a report leaks that she is the president’s mistress and not Oliva. Cyrus tries to console the Janice. Oliva runs into her office and asks her team “what did they do”.

Fitz and Mellie are in the oval office talking about the upcoming press conference and Mellie figured out that Fitz is the one that leaked Oliva’s name. Fitz says he did it so that Mellie couldn’t control Olivia and Fitz wanted to set Oliva free. Harrison admits to Oliva what the team did telling her that she is good. Olivia is now concerned with their new client Janice Locke. Cyrus comes home finding James drugged and Charlie holding a gun up at Cyrus. Cyrus is lead to a location where Eli is. Eli raises Cyrus’ clearance in order for Cyrus to read information about a classified mission that Fitz and Jake Ballard did in the navy.

The Analysis 

One of the reasons I love this show is the pace. Scandal leaves no room for down time and this episode was no exception. We knew from seasons past that this episode would revolve around Fitz and Oliva’s affair but now we must wonder what will become of it. Fitz has always proclaimed that he loves Oliva and even said so in front of his wife while they were discussing what to do going forward. It’s interesting to see Olivia’s father coming into the picture in more detail and seeing just the power he has and where Olivia gets her will from. The obvious question after this show is what did Cyrus read in the folder that was presented to him at the end? But also where is Jake Ballard and is he alive?