A Few Good Women: Scandal Episode 421 Recap
When we left off on the last episode of Scandal, Liv had a gun to Russell’s head, wanting to find out what Operation Foxtail is. Let’s talk about it!
Near Death – Jake is recovering from his injury and near death experience in Liv’s bed, and he is having nightmares before he wakes up in a jolt. I do wonder if he hasn’t come near death before, seeing as how he’s B613 and they were forever doing something dangerous. Across the hall, the Gladiators have turned Sister Alma Mae Jenkins’ (aka Lois. May she rest) apartment into a torture chamber, where they’re having a good time making Russell bleed. They want to find out about Foxtail but the dude ain’t giving them a damb thing, even when Liv ensures him that he won’t die, because that would be far too kind. Welp.
Assault Bloodhound – VP Susan Ross is doing one of her duties and shaking the hands of sailors on a boat. A female Naval officer salutes her and she notices a bruise on her wrist. Susan gets her alone and realizes that the woman has been raped. Next thing we know, Ross the Boss is getting yelled at in the Oval Office by Cyrus and Fitz for stepping outside her jurisdiction and pulling an officer off her base. The guys are all “this ain’t your business and it’s ain’t ours either” but she lets them know that 1 in 3 women in the military are subjected to sexual assault. Those women do not get protection, but persecution. This ain’t no game! Beene lets her HAVE IT, doe. “You, the largely powerless figurehead of the United States are some sort of sexual assault bloodhound in your spare time?” She has to take Ensign Amy Martin back and she does, but then she goes to see Olivia. Fix it, Liv.
In the torture chamber, Papa Pope calls Liv’s phone and Huck tells Quinn to pick it up because if they have him on the phone for 12 seconds, they can track his location. AND THEN DO WHAT WITH THAT??? Well, he hangs up after 11.54 seconds, and they realize he’s on to them. DUH, NUMBNUTS! When will y’all know that Command knows everything? Of course he knows you got his boy. Smdh.
Rape was the case – Liv goes to the base to speak with Amy, who is clearly afraid but she admits that her rapist is Admiral John Hawley. He’s a 4-star, celebrated, powerful dude who is basically untouchable. Since the White House isn’t touching it, Liv does a press conference where she calls for non-military investigation into Amy’s case. “How can Amy Martin expect fairness from a military judicial system in which everyone. From the investigators, to the judges, to the jury all salute and take orders from the man she’s accusing of a crime.”
Preach!
Of course it’s illegal because of old ass laws so it does have to be tried within the military. Still, President Ghost is still not trying to touch it. Until Mellie (in this bad ass purple blazer) stomps into the Oval Office and insists that he ensures it’s investigated.
Jake 2.0 – The Gladiators catch Russell just as he’s about to take a kill pill because he is that much of a Rowan soldier that he’d rather die than spill any tea about his boss or this Foxtail mission. Liv has to hold him down for Huck as they fish it out, and when she gets back to her apartment, her usually spotless white has some red on it. Jake figures it’s Russell’s blood, because he be knowing. He proceeds to open a library of truth on Liv, telling her that they are all wasting their time because that dude ain’t gon never tell them about Foxtail. He is a Rowan Robot, just like he was, and he is all part of Papa Pope’s pattern of planning.
“A guy runs into you in a public place. It seems random, casual. He flirts a little. And then, what a surprise? You run into him again. You’d be bothered by the coincidence except he says all the right things. He’s nice but with a bit of an arrogant edge… persistent but aloof. It’s all just enough to pique your interest and you don’t even think about the fact that he’s been studying you for months, surveilling your every move, listening to your every call, getting a PhD in Olivia Pope because your father told him to. He’s been hand-picked, groomed, trained. He’s exactly like me. Your father made Russell and he made me. We both came off the same assembly line. The only difference is I’m in love with you! Command would call that a defect. Russell does not have that defect. With Russell, Rowan built a better me.”
WELP. He is nothing if not self-aware. Knowing that Russell is a better version of Jake makes me think if he wanted Jake dead, he would have killed him the 1st time. Hmmmm…
JAG Sabotage – The Navy sends some wack ass weak ass young lawyer named Virgil to serve as Amy’s attorney in a meeting with the Admiral and his peeps. Liv is present, and if not for her, Virgil woulda just spent the whole time bumbling because he was sitting across from his hero. Talk abut being set up to fail. Liv literally puts words in his mouth to ask Admiral Hawley if he slept with Amy, but of course he denies it. He popped off on our girl too. “This country has a lot of enemies. Most of them are overseas, but some of them are right here on our own shores. And that woman sitting next to you, counselor, is one of them. A barnacle on the ass of every loser with a mouth big enough to say boo hoo.”
With no due respect, watch your gahtdamb mouth, sir! Right after the meeting, Liv gets a call and it’s from Amy, who wants to see her immediately. She’s pregnant with Hawley’s baby and needs to get off the ship to get an abortion immediately. The Gladiators (with no real help form useless ass Virgil) get her off with the excuse of a relative who is in dire health.
Red Hot – Lizzie is trying to make Mellie go to Springfield to regain some points in her campaign but the FLOTUS is not trying to hear it. That is where her son Jerry was killed a year before, and going there for political gain is making her stabby. So when Liz tells her to “lean in” and go, like this is some job negotiation, she tells her to GTFO her face with gritted teeth.
Rowan’s Robots – Anywho, Jake rolls up to the torture chamber and excuses Huck. I’m thinking he wants to get a piece of Russell himself. Instead, he unties one of his hands, removes the duct tape from his mouth and hands him a bottle of beer. He is there to get tea, not about Foxtail, but about how it is to be another one of Rowan’s minions. Russell tells him that Papa Pope is actually quite fond of his prodigal Ballard and talked about him all the time. WORD? They both do Rowan impressions that are spot-on and hilarious, as they share their common ground as robots for the devil himself.
But they both know good and damb well that if he were to walk in right there, they woulda pissed their pants. So Jake hips Russell up on Rowan’s game with Olivia. She’s basically his play-doh and she has never stood a chance at a normal life.
Occupational Hazard – Amy is at Liv’s place when they find out that their request for the Naval base’s security logs have been denied. They needed evidence to see where Admiral Hawley was on the night he assaulted her, and of course they aren’t given access to it. What now? Pull out the big jokes. Olivia calls President Bae and tells him to do something. “What do you think about a system of justice that doesn’t allow the defense to see the evidence? If you aw this kind of blatant disregard for the truth in any other country in the world, you would condemn it out of hand…” True tea.
And then the fact she dropped that made me gasp. “Do you know that if you’re a member of the military, you can’t sue the U.S. government if you’re raped because it is considered the same as an injury on the battlefield?” Rape is basically considered an occupational hazard in the military, as if penises just accidentally fall into non-consenting vaginas or other orifices. Chile, I can’t even.
Pro-Amy – Amy gets her abortion, as Olivia holds her hand. I appreciated how Scandal handled this sans judgment, not making her defend herself or making people try to convince her otherwise. The show made a strong pro-choice statement, and one that shows women supporting other women when they make tough decisions. I hella respect it.
Grant Love – President Ghost gets to bed late and when Mellie asks what he’s been up to, he says Liv called and she was basically like “cool.” Talk about an evolution in their dynamic. He notices that she’s kinda down and asks why. The 1st anniversary of Jerry’s death is coming up and she will be going to Springfield afterall.
He offers to clear his schedule for her, while holding her to his chest and she says she has to do it by herself. AAWWW. Can I just say how I love their partnership right now? They’re as supportive of each other as ever, and they are showing that they genuinely care about each others’ growth. They’ve come such a long way that Fitz even advises her to get on the stage and throw him under the bus to get women on her side. Re: how he’s handled the rape case.
Evidence – Fitz made the right move and had the White House request the security logs, which Abby hands to Olivia. Admiral Hawley has an alibi but come to find out, his second-in-command was just covering for him, because security tapes exist and they show him dragging Amy into his office. He is forced to confess and Amy is affirmed and her clearance is restored. The White house promises to look into overhauling the system of reporting in the military. I cheered, because once again, Scandal gives us the justice we don’t typically get in real life.
One Year – Mellie dons a dope ass cobalt blue suit as she takes the podium on the exact place where her son died the year before. But instead of talking about the painful episode, she uses it the opportunity to talk about how rape in the military is handled poorly, pointing out that she disagrees with how her husband, the President, did it. “What I believe is that our daughters and our sons deserve better than the way the military treats them when they’ve been assaulted. When I am senator, I am going to make it my mission to create an independent judicial body devoted exclusively to sexual assault claims. It’s wrong that members of our military can’t seek justice without fear of persecution.” PREACH, MELODY GRANT! The crowd goes wild.
Foxtail – As Liv and Quinn escort Amy out, they peep a picture of a Naval officer, with the name Virgil Plunkett. But that picture doesn’t match the attorney they’ve been working with all along. “Virgil” knocks on the apartment door torture chamber and tells Huck he needs to be let into Liv’s apartment because he left files in there. After a quick pause, Huck turns his back to go get the key and gets stabbed in the neck with a syringe. He falls down and we see that this guy has killed the real Virgil (his body is in the trunk of a car). FIRGIL (fake Virgil) goes over to Russell and removes his duct tape. Another one of Rowan’s minions! He asks him if he mentioned anything about Foxtail and Russell says he didn’t.
The Gladiators hightail it back to the apartment and Jake is already there, assuring them that Huck isn’t dead. Russell is gone, of course.
The crowd is chanting for Mellie as she exits the stage and Liv tells her there’s a big donor she’d like her to meet. As she enters a room, a secret service agent says “Foxtail is secure.” In that room is Rowan Pope, who shakes her hands while grinning like a fool.
AW SHIT.
LAWDDDDDT. MELLIE, YOU IN DANGER, GIRL! Rowan don’t give nary a fuck who he takes out on his way to getting whatever he wants so this is just not good news. And Mrs. Grant has no idea that this is the conniving bastard who killed her son to get his job back, because keep in mind that they haven’t even given her like half of the truth.
Meanwhile, Huck is slipping so hard. Why would he be so sloppy as to turn his back on some dude? He coulda just closed the door and said he’d be right back but NAWL! His ass got knocked the fugg out like a punk. He coulda died so I’m shaking my head at him. The Gladiators gotta tighten up operations, man. They’re making far too many mistakes.
Also, when Quinn said that they might never know what Foxtail is, the camera panned to Jake who looked like he might know something. I wonder if Russell gave him some tea. He might have.
Now on to Liv. She is a PRO at spotting patterns but she never quite figures out her father’s. She shoulda BEEN KNOWN Russell was sent by him. Rowan Pope is a spider for real and the dude got arms and legs EVERYWHERE. For her to be so sloppy when it comes to (un)dear old dad after all the trifling things he’s done is weak on her part.
Anywho, next week is the season 4 finale of Scandal. What is gonna go down? Gladiators ROAR in the comments!
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AND… To set up that meeting in the place that Jerry was killed, pure EVIL. Rowan the ruthless.
This: “Rape is basically considered an occupational hazard in the military, as if penises just accidentally fall into non-consenting vaginas or other orifices.”
I was not as happy with the “justice” and resolution to that. The admiral resigned because THE VIDEO LEAKED ONLINE? Ensign Martin seemed happy enough, but she’s in that video too. . .
I live for these recaps! Nobody can make you holler, cuss, cry, and laugh all in one fell swoop. YAASSS! Anyhoo, Olivia and nem do need to get their ish together and tighten up. Too many mistakes being made. Lawd, what the hell is Daddy Pope up to now?!
Rowan is an evil, evil, man. He crossed over into Hate Phi Hate with the devil himself. Who hurt you man?!?!
Whitley Gilbert.
That’s who hurt him. When she left him at that altar and married Dwayne Wayne, look what happened! He was a good senator until them. Man, how awesome would it be for Jasmine Guy to appear on Scandal just once as someone with the key to taking down Papa Pope! (not that I want that to happen because I’m in love with him, buti’msayindoe)
I KNEW something was up with “Virgil” when Liv brought him to her place! When she asked about next door and he asked what was going on next door, she said “Renovations. My friend Jake is a contractor.” MA’AM. Can you shut up some of the damn time??? It’s none of his business what’s going on next door! And why is she talking about it in front of him anyway?
And then he needed to somewhere to take his call “from the office” and he went in her kitchen. All unsupervised. Has she learned NOTHING???
Soooo, last episode b4 this one, Jake From State Farm was NEAR DEATH still. There is nothing wrong with my memory. I specially heard Liv say, “ok, let’s get Jake to a hospital”! Quinn said it as well. Now, Jake was on a respirator, just had surgery, bleeding out cause he was moving when he saw Ole Fine Russ! You telling me that he recouped enough to be in ICU at LIV’S APT?! Talk about “healing hands”! He also was drinking beer! Shouldn’t he be on antibiotics? You can’t (in your right mind) drink alcohol while on antibiotics. Whatever! I’m just glad he’s still alive and it wouldn’t shock me AT ALL if Jake is made “new command”! As for PapaPimpinPope, I love every bone in his body and every word that comes out of his mouth! When will they learn that possibly the ONLY person who can give Eli a run for his money is…. MrsMamaPope! Liv is smart but she can’t out think the ole man. All she gotta do is THINK! 2and does NOT equal 8 Olivia Carolyn Pope!! Love me some new VP!! She Rocks! There is something up with what’s her face…Ellen’s bae! She has something up her sleeves! She’s being too meek and mild mannered. Papa Pope got everybody in the U.S. On his payroll… Virgil! That one got by me! Quinn sure has come into her own and I’m lovin it! What is WRONG with Huck? He of ALL ppl know not to turn your back on a stranger. And to allow himself to be punctured in the neck?! His carelessness will get him killed next week
*2and2 does not equal 8 (is what I meant to say)
Glad to see this recap.
I liked this episode for all sorts of reasons.
First off, them handing over torture duties to Huck and Quinn.
I have to say that before last night’s episode, I didn’t think much of Russell. But, he took his torture like a BOSS, and didn’t give up anything to Huck and Quinn.
The New VP?
People keep on sleeping on her – and she is not to be messed with. The way her mind rapidly went from seeing the bruise, to ‘ wanting to see the living quarters’ to getting her off the ship to the White House – I loved it. Her heart is in the right place, and she’s not a clown – Cyrus better get hip to that – and fast. He read her the riot act, and while Plan A – getting her to the White House didn’t work – she just went onto Plan B – Olivia Pope.
Now, how many folks LOL at Liv trying to pretty herself, thinking that the Secret Service arriving at her office meant that Fitz was there? The look on her face when she saw it was the VP – LOL.
Jake from State Farm told all sorts of truths in this episode. He told Olivia the truth about Russell. He told her that they were one in the same – made in that Command Factory. Olivia didn’t want to hear it.
But, I totally loved the Jake/Russell scene. They had me LMAO at their Rowan impressions. It was like two older kids, sitting around, talking about the hell that was ‘ Dad’.
I also loved the Mellie I saw . It was the Mellie of old.
When she put Lizzie in her place – the pure rage of Mellie – I loved it.
The hurt and devastation from Mellie about Fitz not intervening in the rape case in the Oval Office – that was real.
Her talking with Fitz about Jerry and the overwhelming ‘what might have been’ that was cloaking that bedroom, was so sad and heartbreaking.
To her final speech where Mellie found her voice, and everything she uttered was true and genuine for Mellie, and I FELT IT – loved it. Been looking for it in Candidate Mellie from the beginning.
Then we get to the WTF moment of Mellie meeting Rowan?!?!?!?!?!
OMG!!!
And, all this happened outside of the case of the week, which was real, honest, brutal, taken from the headlines.
Good job, ShondaLand.
Thanks, Luvvie!
I said when Jerry 1st was killed Mellie had something to do with it…I really think she knows Rowan and its gon come out she sacrificed her son since he wasn’t Fitz kid anyway…..
I also drink a lot of wine so…
I’m not totally convinced Mellie’s not in on Foxtail either. When Fitz offered to go with her to Springfield, she said it HAD to be her, by herself. Why? I don’t know. Just seems fishy.
Remember right before Fitz got shot, Mellie was trying to get him to change his mind about going. I always felt like she knew he was about to get shot. I think she may know more about what’s going on than she lets on.
Oh yeah! I thought she totally knew he would get shot, but I don’t remember why I definitively thought that even before that scene. May need to rewatch…
1) Thanks for this recap, Luvvie – I was afraid of going to the weekend without it.
2) A meme from my all time fave film “Citizen Kane?” OMG!
3) In the previews, Mama Pope is front and center.
Laying in wine and popcorn for next week – and I don’t even DRINK!!
Ross the Boss would have been an awesome Gladiator. She would have looked at all the cases through a different lens and annoyed the crap out of the enemy. She does not miss anything not even why they selected her as VP. Go head VP Ross.
Waymenent! Why are these B613 former agents getting caught off guard and not made dead at the given opportunity? Everyone in Command’s command knows how to get the job done so Jake AND Huck should be dead. Command is playing us all for fools and has us exactly where he wants us.
Is it any coincidence that Mellie is in Springfield with Papa Pope almost an exact year afor Papa Pope had Lil’ Jerry killed in Springfield? No, it is not a coincidence.
He’s got Liv and company running every withchaway looking for Foxtail. Of course Jake should have heard that code name for Mellie when he was in the WH with Fitz. Lawdy lawdy!
Mellie and Fitz are now a true power couple. I love how she seems to care less about his convos with Liv. She just wants that intelligence.
Will Command take Mellie and get Fitz on his side to turn off the heat on him from OPA and David? Same bat time. Same bat channel.
I thought the secret service agent was also B613 and was telling other B613 agents that “Operation Foxtail” was working because they were able to lure Mellie to Papa Pope…I didn’t think that was her secret service code name but a double agent report.
Forgot to add
Command must be holding high school job fairs? Cause Firgil must have been 17.
Right?! Mr. JollyGeeWillickers couldn’t be more than 22! Looking like Doogie Howser, B16 up in there. Boy was good doe!
Mr. JollyGeeWillickers?
hahaha
I’m not convinced that Ross isn’t B613 – who would suspect her? And now that Jake has put that bug in Dead Man Walking’s ear about all his predecessors actually being pre-deceased, all he has left to do is choose who’s gonna kill him. He’s gotta be wondering how Rowan will describe him to his next “son.” And I saw that fox in the henhouse smile when Blondie listened to Mellie go off-script. She still wants revenge and might have gotten it thanks to Rowan. This show has more twists and turns than my colon – only with more surprising results.
Chile! At a time that I can’t get to my DVR, your recaps give me MY ENTIRE LIFE!!!!
I just don’t understand how Liv is NOT figuring out her dad’s moves and countermoves, YET, she always seem to see the real motives under her client’s (and others) actions. It’s like he has some kind of invisible shield around him that she can’t really break through.
Mellie is sho nuff in danger and I HATE the fact that this WHOLE time she has never known the real identity of Liv’s father…..not that there has been any reason for her to know, but I mean dayum….she stay in the dark like she processing film or something.
I was DEAD at “come to find out”.
This is why I lurrrve these recaps — it’s like somebody gave my best friend a wordpress account and she’s just talking about the show we both just watched, kiki-ing it up the next morning.
Did y’all notice Jake talmbout, “You and Lois share a wall.”?
How is that? Alma Mae Jenkin’s door is across the hall, with windows to the exterior across from the front door. Sometimes they do a little too much in the name of “television, that’s why”. Don’t stretch basic plausibility and I’ll believe the crazy coincidental shit. Jake and Russell need to team up. But that’s still too many men that’s been in Liv’s coodiecat that are besties4lyfe.
The nasty incestuous vibes that Papa Pope gives off is so disgusting.
Jake and Russell sitting around talking bout Rowan like their father. He trained his “sons” to go go sleep with his daughter? I can’t…
I get the impression my beloved Papa Pope is psychologically training Live to BE the next Command. Think about it. Everything about him is serving the Republic. Now imagine a woman who is the daughter of him and Extreme Terrorist Makeover winner, Momma Pope. THAT person, with the proper education, skills, talents and incentive, could be waaaaaayyyy better than Papa at being Command. Liv has the goods. She just needs more training. I think that’s what Papa Pope is doing. Training her. She just don’t know it yet.
Shas I like how you think. Remember when we said Mel must’ve told Rowan about Fitz’s attempt to read ha? “You don’t want to be on the wrong side of history, blah blah Olivia will be first lady…”
And guilt/coverup would explain over the top crazy grieving Nellie. Especially when Fitz figured out the boy was murdered
“He died for our sins…”
Bish whet?
Oh you mean cause you Judas and made a deal with the devil himself.
K den.
I really hope this turns out to be canon.
Here’s a crazy ass theory: Mellie will find out that Rowan killed her son. And then she’ll be the one to kill him.
Never did I think I would enjoy watching a republican mother kill a black man, but in this case I would.
Oooh! That WOULD be the ultimate comeuppance for Command: death by a debutante. Hell hath no fury…
I was initially suspicious of Virgil and I began mistrusting Russell shortly before he was exposed. I think this was the best episode of the season, especially Jake’s and Russell’s riffing off Rowan.
Rowan and Mellie in collusion and Ross B613? Hmm. Haven’t considered that. But of course it’s Shondaland, and really, nothing would surprise me, unless Liv turns out to be B613 all along…
What if Rowan’s endgame includes absorbing OPA into B613? Just make it all one family owned company. Or what if he’s sneakily grooming her to be Command one day?
Love this recap! Coming back to read comments.
Is Ebae B613? Didn’t she just deliver Mellie to Papa Pope? We didn’t know Tom was B613 for years. She looks kindof hard in the face like she could be an agent, and she took that torture from Huck like a bawse! Even in here I remember people talking about how she was wearing that silk shirt over those grated cheese back wounds like it was nothing. All that walking around the next day like she wasn’t even there when Huck pulled out the red toolbox. It’s not that farfetched. IJS.
No one mentioned how Huck was licking his lips while Quinn was torturing Russell. He was getting turned on. #Gross