Recap: The Best and Worst of Scandal Season 4 Episode 3: Inside the Bubble

Every time I think I have this show pegged, it surprises me...

Scandal was really good last night! It felt a lot like classic Scandal. The tone of the show felt like it used to during Season 1 and 2, which are the seasons that made me a Gladiator.

Anyway, let's get into what went down:. Here's the best and worst of what happened last night

THE BEST

Olivia gets her groove back: Seriously, Liv was looking, acting and speaking like she was back to her old self. Her old self that takes control and handles cases. This week, she's asked to locate the missing daughter of an old friend. Everything seems cut and dry until the daughter is found, dead. The mom, Catherine, (aka Penny from Lost) is implicated because she was sleeping with her daughter's boyfriend and there's a sex tape to prove it. It seems that Catelyn, the daughter, found out about her mother's statutory adultery and was threatening to raise hell. Now she's dead and mommy is looking like a murderess!

The murderous adulteress herself!
Olivia soon connects the dots....
and realises that she may have been hired to facilitate a murder. She backs Courtney up onto a wall and gets in her face, Pope style. Rowan would have been so proud! When Olivia demands answers, Catherine claims that she didn't do it. Yeah, ok girl.

Olivia was like, "WHAT DID YOU DO?! Don't play with me!"
Her name is not Gabby: Meanwhile, Abby is really treading water at her new job as the White House Press Secretary. She not only has to coordinate the the President's agenda but she seems to have become Mellie's errand girl. Shouldn't the First Lady have a Chief of Staff to do that? Obviously there have been budget cuts.*side-eye to Fitz*

This week, Mellie has become obsessed with proving that a woman didn't push her husband off a cliff. The incident has become a national story and Mellie is determined to champion her. It's actually really great to see Mellie passionate about something. It motivates her to brush her hair, put on a clean pair of underwear and her best First Lady dress.

She convenes a meeting of most of Fitz's Cabinet to discuss the issue. She has this whole presentation planned: slides, hand-outs, the whole works.Unfortunately for Mellie, the wife has already been vindicated. Eyewitnesses have already stated that it was an accident.

The four stages of Mellie's Humiliation
WOMP! Mellie has done all of this work for nothing and it's hella awkward. (Side note: the whole "wife pushing husband off cliff" is obviously a metaphor for Mellie's relationship with Fitz and probably foreshadows things to come.)

Back to Abby. Even though she's basically juggling two jobs, Fitz still can't even bother to get her name right. *side-eye number 2 for him* She finally confronts him on it, over a glass of scotch and Fitz takes the criticism on the chin. But without skipping a beat, he begins to pump Abby for info on Olivia. This simpleton! He ain't never going to change

Yes, Abby! Make him remember your name!
David and The B613 Files: David is finding out more and more that the Attorney General job requires getting his hands very dirty. This week, he goes dipping into the B613 files again to get some dirt on a judge who's blocking the gun control bill from going through.

David know he ain't really about this "black hat" life
After finding out that said judge killed someone while driving drunk, David confronts him with the evidence and gets the result he needs. The gun control legislation moves forward. While he's relishing the feeling of being the hero of the Grant administration, David learns that the judge that he threatened killed himself with -ironically-a bullet to the head. Oh David! When will you learn that wearing the black hat has its consequences

Guess who's coming to dinner. I love Rowan. Only a real G would invite his daughter's boyfriend, who he tortured, over to the house for roast and act like it's nothing. At this point, Jake has pretty much figured out that Rowan was responsible for killing Harrison. He lets Command know he knows and vows to take him down. Rowan is all "I wish you would. You and what army?" and slams a steak knife into the table, barely missing Jake's fingers. Please note that I got my entire life from this brief exchange!

The,"I wish you would. You and what army?" face

Jake won't be easily discouraged, though. Olivia has been swerving on him for 2 seasons now and he still takes her calls.

The WORST

Charlie and Quinn: Jake kidnaps Charlie and his sweet tooth to get information on what happened to Harrison. Charlie agrees to spill all the tea but on one condition: Jake has to bring Quinn to him.
Quinn goes reluctantly and basically tells Charlie to fuck off before they both begin to tongue each other down. Ew.

This is Quinn's "mean" face. Still not convinced
Meanwhile at Pope & Associates, no one has realised that Quinn has been gone for 24 hours and she is pissed about it. She lets them have it about how she kept the lights on at the office while Olivia was MIA.

Honestly, I can't blame them for not missing her. I hardly even notice when she's not in around either. There's never an episode where I go, 'You know what this needs, a little more Quinn." She could be an extra for all I care. Moving on to...

Cyrus and his horny self: Cyrus' instincts are so off this season! It must be his new weave! Got him thinking he's Beyonce and above all this Washington B.S. No sir! You're the Chief of Staff and you're in danger.

Nothing good will come of this!
After sleeping with the gigolo they planted right in his path, he's left himself and his new rug wide open to being blackmailed by the gun lobby, who are seeing red after the gun control law was pushed through. Cyrus, bruh, get it together!

So, that's basically what happened in the crazy world of Scandal this week. Next week, Liv and Fitz will be in the same room again. It will be interesting to see if their relationship will have a different dynamic or if it will be more of the same longing stares and lip quivers.

Did you watch Scandal last night? What did you think of the episode. Let me know in the comments below!

Your fellow gladiator,

Pat G.

(PS Many thanks to this dude for the screen caps. You #therealmvp)