Here’s the thing: Mellie thinks the only way out of this mess is by killing Cyrus. Olivia doesn’t want Mellie to be a killer. “I kill every day being president,” Mellie says. She knows Olivia can get the job done. This is war. Olivia still wants to avoid murder because it’s, you know, MURDER. “Olivia where is your patriotism?” Mellie asks. ” I am the state. He is the enemy of the state.” Mellie is adamant that Cyrus isn’t going to get the opportunity to steal this from her.
Jake is ready to take a “targeted preemptive strike against Olivia and her team.” Cyrus wants Jake to cool it for a minute. They just need to defend their position for a minute and not overcomplicate things. Meanwhile, Olivia tells the Gladiators that she just needs to get Cyrus alone. She gives Cyrus a message, and he foolishly falls for it. He walks right into Olivia’s trap. Huck takes Cyrus’s phone and walks out. Olivia tries to make Cyrus an offer to save Mellie, but he doesn’t budge. He thinks that he can’t be beaten. Olivia brings up the idea of collusion between Cyrus and Lonnie, but Cyrus isn’t worried about that. If Liv had proof, she would have used it by now.
Marcus comes to see Mellie in the wake of the Cyrus drama to check on her. They have to be very worried with what they say in the Oval because Jake is watching them. She lets Marcus know that Olivia helping her and ushers him out. He heads straight to Fitz and says he’s worried about Mellie. Fitz understands the amount of stress Mellie is under. The life of the POTUS isn’t easy. He gives some tough love, but Marcus isn’t having it. As much as Fitz claims to have “survived” the White House, Marcus calls him out. Fitz didn’t come out of the Oval unscathed. Marcus says that Fitz seems “haunted” and “tormented.” Mellie deserves better than that. Later, Fitz does call Mellie and lends her some much-needed support.
Mellie rips Jake a new one in the Oval Office. While drinking her hooch, she lays into Jake via the ceiling cameras. She calls him an “insecure little boy.” He’s followed women his whole life. He’s never led a life completely on his own. “I see you. Olivia sees you. Cyrus sees you,” Mellie says. “Now see me.” Time’s up, Jake! Mellie, Olivia, and the rest of the gang are coming for you.
Olivia has three bottles of wine specifically for her meeting with Cyrus. One of those bottles is poisoned. Huck is disappointed that Olivia would even think of resulting to murder. He just got her back! Olivia is certain Plan A will work. She goes back in for another round with Cyrus, who goes right for the jugular. He asks Olivia whether or not she thinks she’d be a better person if she’d never met Fitz. She refuses to answer the question.”I’d be exactly the same,” Cyrus says. He knows exactly what kind of person he is. Olivia weighs her option with Operation Wine Kill. To kill him or not to kill him? That is the question! Meanwhile, Quinn and Abby track down Cyrus’s hacker, and he’s D-E-A-D.
Olivia ultimately doesn’t go through with her deadly plan. Olivia and Mellie are going to rise above Cyrus’s dirty ways. Mellie speaks to the nation in a press conference. “I am not guilty, and I will not be bullied,” she says to the world. Meanwhile, Olivia goes to see Fitz and Olitz is ignited once again!
Vanessa is extremely worried about Jake’s involvement in Mellie’s scandal. He swears he’s safe from any part of the scandal. “Everything I’m doing is for the two of us,” he says to her. Their relationship is so weird. The episode ends with Cyrus stopping by Jake’s place. When he walks in, he finds Vanessa dead on the floor. Jake killed her and didn’t break a sweat! Cyrus agrees to continue working with him, because he can’t exactly say no to a guy who just killed his wife.