Scandal Season 7 Episode 6: Vampires and Bloodsuckers Review

Dylan PhillipsNovember 11, 201761113 min

If you would like to read my review of last week’s episode, click here.

Synopsis: Quinn and Charlie’s big day is celebrated by the Gladiators. Meanwhile, Cyrus, Mellie and Jake deal with a new crisis in the Middle East. (TVGuide)

Writers: Chris Van Dusen & Tia Napolitano

Director: Jann Turner

Rating: TV-14

Running Time: 43 mins

“Vampires and Bloodsuckers”starts off dealing with the aftermath of last week where President Rashad and his niece Yasmin were blown up on their plane moments before taking off. Olivia delivers the news to Mellie personally and she wants retribution. And almost immediately after we learn that Olivia is behind it all. She’s teetering on that point of no-return.

Cyrus has to rush away from naked brunch with Fenton to go and help with the plane situation. Fenton wants to know more about the situation, but Cyrus keeps his mouth shut. Meanwhile, Quinn meets up with Olivia. She thinks that Quinn is just getting pre-wedding jitters, but Quinn has seen through Olivia’s facade. She knows she’s behind the bombing. Olivia threatens Quinn to stay in line, but Quinn tears her apart. Where has the Olivia that Quinn aspired to be like disappear to? She explains how OPA was never about helping anyone other than Olivia, but QPA will be better. Damn Quinn, you stand your ground.

Mellie bids goodbye to Rashad and Yasmin and while the news broadcasts Quinn is visibly upset. Jake and Olivia discuss how killing them was the only option and they discuss if Quinn will be a problem. Olivia doesn’t think so. I hope to hell she is a problem for you Olivia.  At the White House, the Bashrani ambassador urges Mellie to support the new government, but she wants revenge and plans to decimate the rebels with every American bomb she has. Damn Mellie, lead with your head and not your heart.

Meanwhile at QPA, the team is preparing for the big day with Huck doing double duty as both Maid of Honour and Best Man. However, Quinn hasn’t shown up to the office and it starts to worry people. They check her apartment, but she isn’t there and left her ring. They fear she ran away, but Charlie isn’t convinced. Huck disappears to Quinn’s apartment and finds she has been doing some digging into the plane bombing. It’s starting to look like someone took her. OLIVIA I SWEAR TO GOD.

Olivia goes to Jake who tries to convince her it’s merely a ruse and she wants Quinn found now. Okay maybe it wasn’t Olivia? Charlie is freaking out a bit and recites his very real vows to Abby which both reassures him and causes Abby to make eyes at David. Abby, you’ve been down this road. As  they figure out Quinn’s timeline, Curtis comes by to speak to Quinn who left him a message about how Rashad’s death is a conspiracy done by the US government. Olivia tries to convince Curtis not to follow this because it could put her in danger, but he’s a journalist and has to get the story out.

Mellie wants to know why Olivia is gone during this heated time, and she explains that Quinn has gone missing. She wants Mellie to slow down on her revenge plot so they can figure it out when her head is a little clearer. Turns out a man named Sergeant Ladd was on the tarmac during the bombing and had some information to tell Quinn. Well Jake quickly removes Ladd from the equation and hopes to pin the assassination on him. Turns out Ladd is an employee of Fenton and they want to set him up as the scapegoat. Find Fenton, find Quinn.

Abby goes to Cyrus to try to get information on his new secret boyfriend, but he isn’t convinced. As Abby talks about it more he starts to question Fenton’s loyalty. Turns out Fenton has gone missing though because Charlie got to him first and he is just as volatile as Quinn. This is not looking good for Fenton. David confronts Olivia about Ladd’s body being found and how he despises the world they live in.

Meanwhile, Mellie summons Jake to the White House to speak of his “extra-curriculars.” She asks if he can do something about the rebel leaders and, while he can, he doesn’t take orders from her. Jake, have a god damn mind of your own. Unsure on what to do, Mellie goes to Marcus and asks him what she should do. They talk it out and Marcus tells her to do the right thing and focus on the needs of the many, not on selfish revenge. He’s so pure, one of the few good people remaining it seems.

At QPA, Huck discovers that Quinn made a second call to Curtis and taped her meeting with the killer (aka Olivia) at the War Memorial. The team thinks it’s Fenton, but Cyrus explains he was with him all night and well into the morning. Oh my. Olivia starts freaking out about being caught and calls Jake to retrieve the footage. And thankfully Huck is able to find Charlie just in time to stop him from doing any serious damage to Fenton.

Back at the Oval, Mellie informs the ambassador that she will support the new regime so long as they sign her nuclear treaty and he accepts. Thinking with her head rather than her heart, thank you Marcus. The team receives the footage of the War Memorial, but when Olivia is supposed to arrive the footage cuts out. Damn you Jake. Charlie starts freaking out, throws out the wedding stuff and storms out.

The episode ends with Cyrus tending to Fenton’s bruises, Huck and Charlie sharing a silent drink, and David consoling Abby. Olivia goes into B613 where she and Jake review the footage showing that Quinn got as far as the QPA elevator, but was actually taken right on their doorstep. WHAT.

Questions

  • Who took Quinn?
  • When the kidnapper is found who will be more menacing: Olivia, Charlie or Huck?
  • Will Abby and David stay together for the remainder of the season?
  • Why was Marcus so absent in helping with the wedding?
  • Is Fitz back in Vermont or is he part of the people who took Quinn?
  • Was Quinn actually taken or is this still part of a bigger scheme?
  • Will Fenton question more about what happened to him?
  • Is the Bashrani situation actually solved?

Overall, this was an alright episode. Again, we were treated to the occasional monologue, but this episode dragged just as much as the last. Even with the Bashrani story line coming to a close, the narrative just hasn’t picked up with only bits and pieces of different stories being glossed over. While Charlie’s arc in this episode is certainly a highlight, the rest of the character seemed to do next to nothing. Hopefully with the end of the Bashrani story comes the end of this muddled narrative as the series can set its focus back onto the story lines that made the beginning of this season so good.

Score: 6.5/10

What did you think of “Vampires and Bloodsuckers”? Who do you think took Quinn? Let me know in the comments below!

If you liked this, check out my other reviews here as well as my channel and don’t forget to follow me on Twitter and like me on Facebook.

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