The penultimate episode of Scandal’s final season opens with a shirtless Fitz. We are all truly blessed. Look at that six-pack! Fitz and Olivia have that after-sex glow going on, and I’m here for it. Fitz and Olivia are just having a casual conversation about his presidential portrait. They’re just seem so happy. Content. Fitz does seem a little worried, though. Whatever happens with Mellie impacts his legacy, too.
To make this episode even better, SALLY LANGSTON IS BACK! The queen has returned! She is eating up Mellie’s scandal and itching to find out what happens next. Gosh, it’s good to have Kate Burton back. Later, Sally goes to Quinn to ask her to go on the air and tell her side of the Charlie story. Meanwhile, Olivia stresses to Mellie that she can’t plead the fifth during her testimony. “The truth is your armor,” she says to Mellie.
Mellie, Olivia, and her attorney walk to the testimony room. They pass right by Cyrus and don’t even glance his way. While Mellie is being questioned, Marcus runs into an old friend and realizes Mellie’s about to get played. Mellie’s asked — under oath — why she fired Olivia Pope. Fitz tries to call Olivia to warn her, but she lets it go to voicemail. Lonnie has Mellie and Olivia on tape talking about President Rashad. Mellie’s backed into a corner, so she pleads the fifth. Olivia is then subpoenaed. Lonnie tries to establish motive for the hijacking, believing Cyrus found out and when it became clear he wouldn’t stay silent about President Rashad’s death, Mellie had him killed.
Mellie, Olivia, Marcus, Fitz, and David convene to try and figure out what to do next. Olivia has to testify or be held in contempt. Olivia knows the narrative has been set, thanks to Jake and Cyrus. However, Lonnie starts to question Jake. The dude is shady, that’s for sure. Jake shows up at Olivia’s apartment and gives her a bottle of sand. “I was happy standing in the sun with you,” he says. But these two are too far gone. Olivia’s right. They never would have worked. Jake promises he’ll have Olivia pardoned as soon as Cyrus becomes president if she confesses everything. Olivia is not going to do that. She’s not caving. “If you starve a dog long enough, it will tear you to pieces,” Jake warns.
Before her testimony, Olivia reflects on everything that has led her to this. The decisions, the people, the cases. She’s immediately asked about assassinating Rashad. She tries to work her away around it, but Lonnie won’t let it go. When Lonnie asks if Mellie gave the order, Olivia drops a bomb. “I gave the order,” she says. Olivia exposes B613. “This deep state intelligence agency isn’t controlled from the White House, it controls the White House,” she tells Lonnie. He’s shocked beyond belief. He walks out and right to Jake’s lair.
A stunned Jake asks Olivia, “What the hell do you think you’re doing?” She replies, “Standing in the sun.” Jake acts quickly and has his B613 office cleaned out. He goes to Lonnie and stresses that he wants to make Olivia’s testimony disappear. Olivia’s confession puts everything on the line for him. Olivia believes that the only way to make things right is to bring all of their sins to light. It has has to come down. Now is the time. “We are not the heroes of this story,” Olivia says. “We are the villains.” The girl’s got a point.
Jake goes to Rowan, who basically tells Jake that he has nothing. “I will always be power,” Rowan says. Jake may be Command right now, but Rowan will always be Command. “It is trapped in my bones,” he continues. Jake pulls a gun on Rowan, but he’s unable to pull the trigger. Rowan says he’ll be around when Jake falls.
Fitz is total Team Olivia when it comes to doing what’s right. They share a sweet scene, mirroring the penultimate episode of the first season when they thought their affair was going to be exposed. Everyone, including Quinn, comes together to expose B613. Sally Langston opens up the can of worms on her show. Cyrus is completely blindsided. Here we go, Gladiators. The series finale is NEXT WEEK! I’m not ready!