If you would like to read my review of last episode, click here.
Synopsis: On the heels of her commitment to turn over a new leaf, personal turmoil strikes Olivia once again when Mellie demands that she get rid of Cyrus once and for all. (TVGuide)
Writers: Chris Van Dusen
Director: Joe Morton
Rating: TV-14
Running Time: 43mins
Airs: Thursdays at 10pm on ABC (United States)
“People like me”starts off right where we left off. Mellie is trying to goad Olivia into killing Cyrus Beene to solve their problems. She says she’s not killing anyone, but Mellie reminds her that they are at war and Cyrus is the villain. While they have their meeting, Cyrus and Jake discuss what their next step is. Jake wants to attack QPA to take them down, but Cyrus wants to bide their time and Jake does not seem too happy. As Lonnie discusses Mellie as a person of interest, she cuts off all communication with anyone not named Olivia Pope.
Olivia goes to QPA in the hope of kidnapping Cyrus to try to make peace before Mellie tries something. They have a plan to get in contact but just in case QPA is looking for alternatives if things go south. At home, Vanessa (that’s Jake’s wife since we haven’t seen her in forever) is questioning the sanity of the White House and their safety, but Jake reassures her that everything is fine. Cyrus receives some flowers with a note: Need to meet. He thinks it’s Lonnie, but it turns out it’s Olivia and Huck who are there to have a chat.
Mellie watches as her name is thrown into the dirt on TV when Marcus joins her and comforts her. He starts to question her sanity when she starts talking about being paranoid, but she won’t have that and escorts him out. Back downstairs, Olivia is giving Cyrus his options: confess or she will force it. He won’t back down and the two of them are stuck in a stalemate. And we know how stubborn they both are. Back at QPA, Quinn and Abby hack Cyrus’ phone to try to find something incriminating.
Marcus goes to Fitz to discuss defending Mellie because she looks like she’s going insane. In the Oval, Mellie looks crazy talking to herself, but she’s actually speaking to Jake via the cameras he set up. She lets him know that they are coming for him. You are screwed Jake, picked the wrong side. Outside the bunker, Huck confronts Olivia about her choice of wine figuring out that she poisoned one of them. He doesn’t want her to do anything, and she tells him that Plan A will work. Olivia starts talking about Ella, Cyrus’ daughter, to which he counters and brings up Fitz. They discuss their relationship with him and Cyrus says he would be the same, but Olivia maybe not. This talk stops her from poisoning him.
Back at QPA, Abby and Quinn discover the hacker in Cyrus’ phone, but unfortunately he’s dead. Cyrus killed him to cover his tracks, so it’s back to Plan B for Olivia. They hope the bunker location will point to Lonnie and Charlie will be free, but Huck will not let Olivia do it. In the Oval, Mellie calls Fitz because she’s feeling lonely and asks for some advice. He tells her she’s better than him or anyone and she has to find another way around this. In the bunker, Olivia pours a glass of wine for her and Cyrus and brings it over to him. As he is going to drink it, Jake rushes in and saves Cyrus. She tries to force him to drink it, but Jake grabs the wine and replaces it with a gun, putting the barrel in his mouth and ordering her to shoot. In the end she can’t and Jake exclaims how Olivia isn’t a killer, but merely the person who directs other people to do so for her.
When Jake gets home, he talks with Lonnie about what’s going on with Olivia, but gets an earful from a wine-drunk Vanessa. Olivia confesses to Mellie that she couldn’t follow through, but they console each other about knowing they are better than that and they will win in the end. Love the confidence. That evening, Olivia visits Fitz and reminiscences about the past before having a bottle of whiskey and a quick kiss.
The episode ends with Cyrus deciding to drop-in at Jake’s. He answers the door out of breath and says everything is okay. Cyrus discusses the Olivia problem, but Jake explains he got Olivia implicated in both the hijacking and assassination. Cyrus feels like Jake is no longer following the rules of the game, but Jake leads him to the kitchen where Cyrus sees something disturbing. Jake brings up the idea of partnership, both of his with Cyrus and with his wife Vanessa. He says that his partnership with Vanessa needed to be dissolved and he is not a lackey, but his own entity working alongside Cyrus. They toast to their partnership overtop of Vanessa’s body. “I think we better get someone to clean up this mess because we have our work cut out for us, partner.â€
Questions
- Is Olivia really on the road to redemption?
- Why is Lonnie Mencken so focused on siding with Cyrus?
- Will Rowan return before the end of the series?
- Will Jake and Cyrus take down Olivia and Mellie?
- How will Olivia and the team stop Cyrus?
- Will Charlie be freed?
Overall, this was a great episode. Olivia was given the choice to be consumed by her dark side again, but she pulled through showing she wants to be good and stay good. Everyone’s slowly forming an alliance to take on who has been undoubtedly the series antagonist and it will be exciting to see where this conclusion takes us. Between the monologues, various character moments, the looming impeachment and setting the stakes at an all-time high; everyone is being pushed to their limits. With only three episodes remaining, no one is safe and that makes this the most exciting Scandal has been in a couple seasons.
Score: 9/10
What did you think of “People Like Meâ€? Let me know in the comments below!
If you liked this, check out my other reviews here and my website! Don’t forget to follow me on Twitter and like me on Facebook.
