‘Scandal’ Recap: Cyrus Frames [Spoiler] For The Plane Hijacking

The old Cyrus Beene is back. He continues to slowly take control after the plane hijacking, but Olivia and Abby are hot on his trail.

Mellie needs Cyrus’s help right now, even though she’d rather do just about anything else. Jake doesn’t trust him. He knows something’s up with this hijacking. He’s having someone look into it and hoping to pinpoint Cyrus as the culprit. But this isn’t going to be easy. It’s Cyrus we’re talking about.

Olivia pays Marcus a visit mainly because she has no other friends. A man comes in for help regarding his missing daughter, Alisha, who idolizes Olivia. Alisha had recently gotten fired after an intense internship with a congressman. Her father knows in his gut that something is wrong. Olivia and Marcus manage to get Fitz on board. The look on Fitz’s face when he realizes the old Olivia is back is just everything.

Olivia and Marcus find a “fresh meat” list of interns where male employees rank and rate women sexually. This list isn’t anything new in Washington. Olivia discovers that Alisha wouldn’t put out, and it prevented her from getting a job on the Hill. Things don’t look good for her.

After Olivia talks with Abby about the theory that Cyrus hijacked his own plane, Abby takes the idea to the rest of the Gladiators. She doesn’t mention her talk with Liv, so the team gets right to work. While watching an interview, Abby notices that Cyrus seems to have sold the expensive painting from Fenton to possibly pay for the hacker.

A mysterious man, played by actor who was also the Grey’s Anatomy shooter, is working with Cyrus. Cyrus paid him with the painting to hack the plane so there would be no money trail. The man knows Olivia is investigating Cyrus, and he doesn’t want this leading back to him.

Olivia confronts the congressman Alisha was interning for. Suddenly, Olivia and Marcus get shocking news. Alisha is dead. She committed suicide. Her father blames Olivia. “She was better than you,” he says. “And she wouldn’t play this sick game, and she died because of it. She followed you into the swamp and it sucked her under.”

Olivia wants Alisha’s roommate to come forward and report workplace harassment. If she doesn’t say something, these men are just going to keep on doing it. Marcus takes the case to Mellie. She says it’s harder to enact change than Marcus thinks. Marcus gets extremely frustrated with Mellie. Mellie reveals to Jake that she’s planning on introducing legislation about how this country handles sexual harassment in the workplace. Jake thinks it’s a good idea, but one to take on in a few months when the new budget is passed. Later, Mellie and Jake continue to work on the new budget. While she’s lying on the ground after throwing out her back, Jake makes a move. While I would have loved Mellake a few seasons ago, Mellie is far too good for him. Their hands touch and there’s a connection for a split second, but Mellie stops them before it goes too far.

Abby finally admits that this Cyrus theory is coming from Olivia. Quinn immediately stops their investigating efforts. Huck still has hope for Olivia. “The old Liv is dead,” Charlie maintains. Dude, chill.

Fitz has a heart-to-heart with Olivia. “Was I inappropriate?” he asks her. “Did I cross a line?” He wants to know. “No,” Olivia says. “We crossed that line together.” Fitz asks Olivia if she regrets crossing that line. “No,” Olivia says. “I would cross that line again.”

I am deceased. Olitz is on the rise once again. THEY. ARE. ENDGAME.

Alisha’s roommate, Megan, comes to Olivia and says she’s ready to speak out. She slams the congressman on live television. Alisha’s dad proudly watches on as someone finally takes a stand against the harassment. Megan coming forward ignites a movement.

Mellie lets Jake know that she’s going forward with legislation to stop workplace harassment, even though her new budget proposal is at stake. She also lays down the law with Jake regarding their relationship. This is not going to be another Fitz and Olivia situation. She’s not going to have a romantic relationship with a subordinate. She also doesn’t want to sleep with someone who has also slept with Olivia. Jake tries to explain, saying that he only made a move because he is attracted to her, but Mellie doesn’t believe him. She senses a power play.

Abby and Olivia meet up again. Abby hasn’t given up on Olivia. She wants to work alongside her again with dismantling the patriarchy. YAS!

Jake’s employee and Huck simultaneously discover who made the virus that led to the hijacking — Charlie! When Quinn confronts Charlie, he swears he didn’t do it. Someone framed him. Before Quinn can think, Charlie is arrested. Cyrus gets another notch in his belt. Right now, Quinn needs Olivia, and she doesn’t hesitate knocking on her former mentor’s door.