Olivia answers her door to Steven, who hands her a bottle of wine. He left his fiancée to answer her call. Olivia is obviously upset. She slams several pregnancy tests on the counter and tells him about the baby. Quinn calls her at that moment and tells Olivia that there is an army in the office. Everyone meets at the office. Quinn apologizes for not standing firm and standing up to the army. Huck and Abby offer to get guns. Olivia walks in speaking Spanish to the army and meets with Dictator Flores, a ruthless dictator and sworn enemy of the United States. Hmm… should you talk with this guy?? I know that my self preservation would have me running for cover.

Flores asks Olivia to help find his family, who was abducted from a restaurant. He feels that the FBI is behind it. Huck tells Quinn that the U.S. has been trying to overthrow him for years. Someday another country is going to pull that crap on us. Olivia takes the case and Abby points out they didn’t vote on it. That seems to be happening a lot lately.

Olivia stands at a door. A man answers and tells her that it is Sunday and his husband doesn’t work on Sundays unless there is a war. Since there is always a war somewhere, Olivia walks in and goes out to the garden to chat with Cyrus. She tells him that it is bad. Cyrus offers ten million, but tells Olivia they are not friends anymore. Yikes, all this is because he thinks she is the one behind the blackmail?

Olivia talks to Amanda. She tells Amanda that she will never be allowed to be alone with the president again. Originally all Amanda wanted was five minutes. But that is a princess dream that will never happen. Olivia asks her what she wants again. Amanda will keep the baby and wants everyone to burn for this.

David walks in and wants a favor for a friend: “I want you to save my newsstand.” Olivia slams the door. She tells Huck that she needs five minutes. Um… you worked so hard to make this guy your friend and now you slam the door in his face?

The president complains to Cyrus about what was written for him. It is the same speech that every president has given to the OIS. He wants it to say something. Cyrus excuses himself to meet with a group. This group turns out to be an investigation team. They are digging up dirt on Olivia Pope and her team. They begin with Olivia but we don’t get to hear any dirt on her. I will insert the dirt as we get it, marked with an asterisk.

The team interviews the oldest son and investigates the story. Apparently it didn’t happen the way it was reported. The waitress mentions an electronic game, and Huck quizzes her on what kind. Later he comes in showing where the family is, because the game is connected to wifi. They go to get the dictator’s wife and family, but call the law for support. Turns out family is in a church. She wasn’t abducted, she ran away.

*Huck: Investigator assumes Huck is not his real name. When questions were raised about him, the CIA came in and stopped the investigation.

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Abby and Steven go to meet the family. Hey, the toddler has the same binkie my daughter uses! Abby feels connected to the wife’s story and fear. “People who disagree with him disappear.” Um, yeah a dictator is not someone you mess with.

*Abigail was married for four years until she divorced him for abuse. Court proceedings are available.

 

 

Quinn meets Gideon at a bar.

*Quinn: new girl left a cushy law firm job to join Olivia. Not much in her file because apparently she didn’t exist before 2008.

Gideon orders Quinn a drink. She doesn’t want to date him because of Olivia. He assures her that he doesn’t need to use Quinn as a source on Amanda because he has another source. Harrison sits at the bar raising a glass

*Harrison, 28, grew up in DC. Somehow went from selling cars to a posh job. Served six months when the company went down for insider trading. Olivia worked pro bono for him as his lawyer.

Abby gets a hotel room for Mrs. Flores and the children. She lies to Olivia about not being able to get her until the next day. Abby tells Steven that Olivia doesn’t wear the white hat right now, she is fried.

*Steven became a U.S. citizen in 1995, shortly after graduating first in his class at Yale. He suffered a nervous breakdown in the middle of representing a questionable firm.

Billy meets Olivia as she walks in the dark. He asks her what she did because Cyrus has called in Sanders Black. Billy wants to help but knows he will have to fall into line sooner or later. Olivia calls Cyrus and threatens to go to 20/20 with Billy watching.

Cyrus tells Sanders that he needs more. Sanders points out that Olivia had an affair while on the campaign trail but they don’t have the name of the guy yet. Cyrus says that won’t help. Yeah, we know where that leads. More Amanda-type troubles.

Harrison tells Quinn to call it quits with Gideon. He points out that Quinn is a very bad liar and will eventually have to lie to him and we don’t lie to the press. Everyone has to protect the credibility of each other and the firm.

The president is thrilled he wrote his own speech. Cyrus doesn’t give a damn. He points out the path that the president will take if Amanda’s story goes public. Resignation or impeachment and, “In four years you will be alone. Then one day you will step into the shower with that gun your father gave you when you became governor and blow the back of your head off.” Wow, he is a depressing guy.

The team tells Amanda the next steps to going public. DNA test, public paternity test, 20/20 with Diane Sawyer. Amanda looks a bit worried and Olivia reassures her that she will have more interviews and will be prepared for every question. But she warns Amanda to call her parents and friends to let them know what will happen and to have her parents check into a hotel.

David comes in again to try and ask for his favor, knowing that Olivia was not at her best before. She tells him no. David lets it slip that Abby found the family with nuns the night before.

Abby goes to the hotel in the morning to get the family and they are not there. Olivia and Steven have her with Dictator Flores. Olivia sticks to the “story” and allows them to leave. Abby goes off on Olivia. “Just because you’re going through things doesn’t mean you get to stop being Olivia Pope.” You go girl! Turns out that when Abby’s husband beat her, Olivia broke his kneecap. Abby wants her gladiator back.

Quinn gives Amanda pregnancy survival supplies: saltines, magazines, ginger-ale. Amanda tells her about coming to DC to help girls in other countries who didn’t have a chance at education. She wanted to make the world a better place. Quinn tells her she can still do what she came to do.

Olivia walks into a room where Señora Flores and children were watching Señor give speech. She offers to help them get asylum. Just as they get to the door, the general walks in. She tells him that she is leaving and why. He says fine but takes the kids, taking his daughter away from his wife.

Gideon has video of the president whispering in Amanda’s ear and makes a photo of it.

The president tells his wife that he got into this job to help people. Would it be so bad if it all ended? She tells him yes, catastrophic. For her or the world? Do you get the feeling that she is in it for the position? Of course with her husband cheating on her, maybe that is all she has.

Amanda makes a call. “I’m out, I can’t lie. I am going to tell them the truth.” WTF??? Was this just a chance to destroy everyone’s life but hers moment? Who the heck is this woman and WTF is she up to?

The president makes a speech to the OIS, where General Flores is attending and speaking. He tells the people of all nations that “democracy is your destiny. Speak with a loud voice.” The president tells dictators that their time has passed. After his speech, the president tells Cyrus that all roads lead back to Amanda Tanner, but she is just a kid. So the real problem is Olivia Pope.

Olivia stops Flores as he walks to his car. She implores him to reconsider, because his wife is a strong woman and strong women strike back. She will be a hero, a mother whose children were ripped from her arms. “What you do today will decide your political future.”

Later, in the pick up lane the dictator tells his oldest son that the two of them will go fishing this summer. Philippe tearfully salutes and turns back to his mother. Obviously the dictator reconsidered. I would like to think it is because he loves his family and knows what a bad guy he has been. Perhaps he will start making positive changes in his country. One can hope right?

Quinn is kissing Gideon. He stops to asks if Amanda was having an affair with the President. Quinn lies.

Harrison is in The Law’s office. He recounts the history of a newsstand and tells him that his friend will have a news crew there in the morning.

“Does Olivia ever apologize?”

“She just did.”

Cyrus gives Olivia the history in the files that has been dug up in two days. He informs her that Olivia is going to war with the president and all of the power of the White House. Olivia tells her team and asks them to vote. Everyone votes to stand with Olivia. While they are voting to stand with Olivia and support Amanda, Amanda is attacked in Olivia’s home. She is shot with a syringe in the big toe and abducted.