Tonight on ABC Scandal starring Kerry Washington, returns for yet another exciting episode in an all new Thursday October 2, season 4 episode 2 called, “The State of Union.” On tonight’s episode Fitz prepares to speak about gun control in his State of the Union address, so Cyrus reaches out to a power couple who can provide assistance with this topic. Elsewhere, as Mellie deals with her private strife, she garners the nation’s attention.
On the last episode, nearly two months after Olivia and Jake boarded a private jet to stand in the sun together, everything had changed. With another four years in the White House, Fitz and Cyrus were doing everything they could to make a positive impact on the nation. Meanwhile, Mellie struggled to cope with the loss of her son and the gladiators felt the impact of Olivia’s absence. Did you watch the last episode? If you missed it, we have a full and detailed recap right here for you.
On tonight’s episode in order for Fitz to make the biggest impact with his State of the Union address on gun control, Cyrus sets out to recruit a power couple (Mary McCormick and Josh Randall) who are influential on the issue. Meanwhile, Mellie’s personal struggle gets national attention.
Tonight’s episode of SCANDAL is going to be absolutely incredible and you won’t want to miss even a minute. We’ll be recapping it for you here live. In the meantime hit up the comments and tell us how excited you are for this fourth season!
Tonight’s episode begins now – Refresh Page for Updates
Olivia and Jake go for a jog and he tells her he booked a hotel suite for them for booty calls. He says he can’t live in her apartment waiting to service her. She says she doesn’t do booty calls. He points to Cyrus and says that’s a political booty call and refutes her statement. Cyrus complains to her that he’s a vegetarian now and says he’s a prisoner of his health crisis. He tells her she looks like crap and she says she doesn’t. He asks why she didn’t call when she got back to town and then asks for a favor. She says no favors and he says it’s a job and she says no to that too.
He tells her that the US government has already put a big pile of money into her account and threatens her with the IRS. He shows her a headline about James and Lisa Elliot who are coming to the State of the Union as part of his gun control policy. But they’ve missed two flights and aren’t taking calls. He tells her if she doesn’t do this, he’ll tell Fitz that she calls every day asking about him and pining for him. He apologizes for being such a bastard and says craving meat brings out the worst in him.
Huck and Quinn give Olivia the 411 on the power couple. He’s a bona fide war hero and she was a teacher. She took a bullet during a school shooting after saving a bunch of kids. She was paralyzed and have dedicated their lives to getting guns off the street. Olivia heads to New Mexico to find them. She finds them brawling. Lisa sets off a fire extinguisher in his face. James says he’s tired of being the guy who gets the girl in the wheelchair what she wants.
He says it’s like her throne and she rules over a little kingdom. He calls her a whiner and reminds her he was tortured by the Taliban. She calls him a whiner and he says the Taliban is better than her. Olivia tells them both to shut up. She says the President needs them there as the face of gun control. She says the law and lives depend on it. She tells them to pack their bags and go serve the country. Lizzie complains about gun control being the center of the speech.
Andrew rants and leaves but Cyrus tells him job tomorrow is to stand and clap. She asks where the president is and Cyrus says busy. The secret service guy knocks on the door of the limo and asks him for the first lady’s chips. He hands them over. She’s sitting on her son’s grave. Someone snaps photos and it’s on the front page of the tabloids calling her “Mental Millie” as she sits there in her Uggs and sweats eating junk food on the ground of her son’s grave.
News shows wonder if she’s been diagnosed. Abby holds a press conference and says she’s grieving. Olivia calls Cyrus and says Abby is adding fuel to the fire. The press wants to know if she’s been officially diagnosed. She tells Cyrus what need to be said but he tells her to worry about the gun control people. She says they hate each other. They hang up and he goes and repeats what she said to Abby as if it’s his own advice.
Jake meets with David and says he needs info on the murders of Harrison and Adnan. David says the investigation is clean and Jake says he wants to see the paper trail. He tells him that Rowan was at his funeral and that’s sketchy. David says he’s about to go through Senate confirmation hearings and has to be careful but then agrees to do what he can. Quinn finds Huck and tries to talk to him about them having to babysit the Elliots.
He ignores her and she says he doesn’t have to treat her like this but he says – yes I do. Olivia is interviewed about the Elliots and is asked about the state of the first family. She repeats what she told Cyrus and Abby realizes she was talking to him and calls her to rant. She tells Olivia she says she knows nothing and says she didn’t even know about Quinn and Huck. She’s shocked.
Mellie sits eating fried chicken on the balcony and Cyrus shows her a photo and says she looks crazy. She’s appalled and Fitz says he doesn’t know how they got past security. He asks her to go to the SOU to put an end to this and the focus back on the gun control law. She cackles madly and asks if thinks she gives a damn what anyone thinks. She says this is all about him and it’s the Fitz show and she’s just the costar that has to smile and look proud.
He walks off as she laughs more. Cyrus sits and grabs a piece of chicken. She reminds him he’s a vegetarian and says if he dies of a heart attack he’ll be with James. She says it’s not the same and he says he keeps hearing that. He says the loss of a child is great but he’s never lost one. He says he resents losing the love of his wife but says it’s no less a loss than her loss. He says he’s broken and not him. He says he’s undone – a broken heart is a broken heart and it’s cruelty to take a measure.
Mellie says she won’t go to the speech. She says she’s done and won’t put on a dress and wave for the cameras. She says they are not the same. She goes back to her fried chicken. Abby meets with David to talk about the Senate confirmation hearings. She’s prepping him. Next we see him at the real hearings. They ask the hard questions she prepped him for. She tells him to focus on Al Watson and says he’s the one to win over.
They ask him about being fired for a loony conspiracy theory. David says Michael Jordan left the Bulls to play basketball. Lizzie watches with interest as he’s questioned. Huck sits with James Elliot and Quinn with Lisa. She talks about how he came home from the war with no bitterness. She says they were in love before all this and points to the chair. Quinn and Huck both look very uncomfortable.
Fitz watches Olivia on the news show with the sound off. She sits at home and calls Jake. He takes her call and he asks if it’s a booty call. He says he won’t sleep in her bed like a kept man and he asks if she’s summoning him and she says possibly. He says no and she tells him to get over here. He gives his room number and says he’s available for booty calls. She says he doesn’t like it but he tells her tough.
He’s busy looking through the murder files he asked for. Lizzie shows up to see Cyrus. It’s a domestic abuse file with photos against David. She says she intercepted it. She tells him he has to have David decline the nomination. She says she’s sorry and he says he doesn’t believe it. He throws the file, furious. David tells Cyrus and Abby that the story is fabricated. He says Harrison planted it at Olivia’s request.
Cyrus says it’s over and tells him sorry and leaves. Abby tells him she’s really sorry too. He thanks her and says that Olivia gets what she wants no matter the collateral damage. He tells her to admit that Olivia wants to win no matter what. She asks where he’s going and he says he’s going to go win. Cyrus is at the bar drinking when a guy tries to buy him drinks.
He asks Cyrus if he’s with someone and he says he just can’t. The guy says it’s okay. He takes his drink and goes. James and Huck are drinking and singing the Army song. Quinn goes in and she and Huck argue. That leaves James and Lisa staring at each other. Quinn rants at him and he tells her she could never mind her own business. They hear James scream.
They come in and find that Lisa stabbed him. James says to put him on the next plane. He says he’s done and screw her and gun control both. Olivia asks Huck and Quinn what happened. Quinn walks off and Olivia asks what’s going on between him and Quinn. He says it was only a couple of times. She touches him and he tells her not to. He says he’s fine.
David goes to his secret file storage place and leafs through boxes. He pulls out a file and looks at it. He then goes to see Senator Watson and shows him the proof he has of him taking bribes. Watson says this is blackmail but David says to think of it as winning. We see Watson endorsing him heavily the next day and encouraging the vote. Lizzie calls Watson’s office angrily. The press is talking jointly about the SOU and Mellie’s erratic behavior.
Abby comes to see Cyrus and she says Olivia called to say the Elliots aren’t coming to the reception which kills the b roll on love over guns. He says Olivia will take care of it. She asks why he’s not concerned and he says he’s concerned about Mellie and her fried chicken and their enemies sharpening their knives and saying Fitz’s home life is affecting his ability to lead. He says he’s not concerned with Olivia will feel – he says that is never a concern. He’s more worried about getting Mellie there.
Olivia asks James why he’s not dressed and he says he can’t do this any more. She tells the two of them they need a divorce. They tell her they can’t. She says they’ll have to pay back their book advance and their houses. She says she will spin it and make it so they can each afford a living. She says if they are only together for fame she wishes them a long and miserable life. That shuts them both up.
Abby comes to talk to Mellie who is on the porch reading magazines. She tells Abby she knows she’s a hail Mary about the SOU and tells her to go away. Abby snatches the magazine away and says children die. She says she doesn’t have children herself but it’s a fact. She says of the millions that will be watching, tens of thousands had kids die but didn’t get to sit doing nothing for three months eating fried chicken.
She tells her if Jackie can stand beside LBJ while he was sworn in 90 minutes after her husband died, she can do this. She says she needs to offer parents hope that she’s okay whether or not it’s true. She leaves Mellie with her strong words. Olivia escorts the Elliots and tells them this is the finish line. Olivia introduces Fitz and Abby to the Elliots.
An aide comes to get them to take them to their seats. Fitz thanks her for the Elliots and he asks to have the room with Olivia. She tries to say no but he won’t hear it. She says it’s a bad idea. He says he needs to know what she thinks before talking to the country and says she owes him that much. Fitz is introduced and talks about the lives that have been lost and says not every life lost makes sense. He talks about Lisa’s heroism.
We see Olivia take his speech to look it over. She tells him it’s fine and he says he knows that means it’s not. She points out something and says it’s not right. He asks how to fix it. We see him go off speech. Olivia tells him that no one will care about the Elliots when they are wondering about he and Mellie. He speaks about his son’s death and says they are dealing with their loss the best way they know how.
He calls Mellie amazing and strong. She’s there and those assembled break into strong applause and a standing ovation. We see her in her red dress earlier telling Fitz she chose red because the Elliots would be in blue. He says Jerry’s death was a horrible fluke, an accident, and that thousands of people last year lost their loves in avoidable ways – from guns. He says the right to bear arms was part of the Constitution but so was slavery.
He says it seems indisputable until the shooter comes and you’re Lisa Elliot holding a small girl while the life goes out of her eyes. He says that is where the argument ends and the debate is over. Olivia watches his speech then leaves. Fitz says his son is dead and he asks them as a husband, father and an American, how many others children will die before they put a stop to this. Mellie is the first to stand and applaud.
After, Mellie cries and then kicks off her shoes. She pulls off her jewelry and collapses to the carpet sobbing. Fitz comes to her and holds her and tells her he’s sorry. He rocks her and tells her it’s over. Jake looks at the murder files then security footage. He sees a face in the footage and freezes on it but then Olivia is at his hotel room door with a bottle of wine – the last from the island.
She says they aren’t on the island and this isn’t a booty call. She says if she wants to summon hims she will. She drops her jacket and is naked. He rushes to her and grabs her up against him. He pulls off his clothes and they fall onto the bed. Cyrus goes back to the gay bar and kooks for the guy from the night before. They head to a hotel room. Cyrus says he hasn’t done this in a long time and says actually he has never done this at all.
The guy undresses him and says he’s done it before – he says it’s kind of what he does. He throws off his shirt. Cyrus asks if he’s a pro and the guy says sex worker is the politically correct term. He says his name is Michael. Cyrus pulls up his pants and says he’s sorry to waste his time. He says he can’t stay. Michael asks if he wants to and Cyrus says it’s not that. Michael goes to him and pulls off his briefs and asks what’s stopping him. Cyrus thinks again.
Michael heads out to Lizzie’s limo and tells her that she was right – he’s lonely. She asks if they did it and he says no, but he’ll keep at it.
The End!
