Scandal” Recap: “The List”

(ABC)

On Thursday’s “Scandal,” Olivia investigated whether Cyrus was after Mellie’s job. Here are the most important things to know about “The List,” the 14th episode of season 7.

The show began with an unidentified woman buying a gun. The episode then jumped to Olivia telling Abby that Cyrus was behind the plane hijacking “because he wants to be president” and doesn’t want to wait until the next election. Liv wanted the “team” to “help,” and Abby reluctantly said she’d look into the situation and consult with QPA. Olivia then went to see Marcus, where she was approached by a man looking for his missing daughter, Alicia — the woman buying the gun. The father, Gary, begged for help as he explained how Liv inspired her to become a congressional intern.

Olivia and Marcus looped in Fitz, who agreed they should investigate. At Alicia’s apartment, Liv learned from her roommate that she wasn’t offered a job at the conclusion of her internship. She swiped Alicia’s laptop, which contained an email to her boss about keeping something secret. Liv, Marcus and Fitz learned that there was a list about hot, young D.C. workers, in which it was noted Alicia wouldn’t put out. Grossly, they concluded that was the reason no one was hiring her.

Abby presented Olivia’s Cyrus theory to Quinn, Huck, and Charlie, but didn’t say the suspicions came from Liv. Charlie was hesitant to go after Cyrus, but Quinn was game. Watching a TV interview Cyrus did from his office, Abby noticed the expensive painting Fenton gave him was gone, leading her to suspect it was used to finance a hacker. Immediately after, Cyrus was shown with a man who was indeed paid via the painting, but the man was paranoid that Olivia was looking into the plane hijacking. Cyrus assured him, “Let me worry about Olivia Pope.”

Olivia and Marcus confronted Alicia’s boss, who tried playing dumb. Right after, they were called to the morgue, where it was revealed Alicia killed herself. Gary took his grief out on Olivia, bringing up her affair with Fitz and insisting she wasn’t a “role model” for his daughter. Liv was shaken to be blamed for her death and told Fitz they needed to get “justice” for her and others named on the sex list. She asked Alicia’s roommate, who was also on the list, to help “out” the situation.

Marcus met with Mellie to fill her in, and she suggested punitive legislation for sexual harassment on Capitol Hill. She just didn’t think it stood a chance of passing, prompting an argument that went from professional to personal, given their history. Amidst this, Mellie, struggling with a back sprain, was working on the federal budget, and told Jake they would need Cyrus’ assistance rounding up support.

Mellie apologized to Cyrus for nearly shooting down his plane, and she vowed to identify the hacker and get “justice,” while he said he’d work the Democrats on the budget proposal. When Mellie told Jake about the idea for the sexual harassment bill, he urged her to wait until after the budget was safely passed. They later bonded as they worked on the budget while Mellie was in pain, with Jake even clasping her hand until she pulled it away.

Abby was disturbed to hear David and Cyrus had bonded in the wake of the hijacking, and that David had recused himself from the Justice Department investigation since he was involved in the incident. She confessed to the group that it was Olivia who sparked their investigation, which promptly led Quinn to declare, “Shut it down… I’m not going down another rabbit hole that could end with one of us dead.”

Abby later told Olivia that they were dropping the investigation, saying that although Cyrus may be guilty, “it can’t be us that proves it.” Huck kept working on the case, anyway, hoping the “old Liv” was back. Charlie angrily declared, “The old Liv is dead!” He assumed Olivia just wanted to get back in the White House’s good graces.

The sexual harassment issue prompted Fitz to ask Olivia if he “crossed the line” back on the campaign trail. She said it was different because it was mutual, admitting, “I would cross that line again.” Alicia’s roommate agreed to go public at a press conference, explaining how Alicia’s suicide was motivated by the secret sex list. Her forceful statement led other Hill staffers to come forward with similar stories. Fitz and Olivia shook hands in celebration, and it was clear they had a connection, much like Jake and Mellie did.

In the final minutes, Mellie told Jake she was going to announce her sexual harassment legislation. She was quite cool to him, and he apologized that he “misread the situation” the night before. Mellie declared that she had no interest in an “affair” like Olivia and Fitz, especially with someone Olivia dated. She suggested he just wanted power, which he denied, insisting his attraction was genuine.

Olivia told Abby she’d still be investigating Cyrus because she promised to protect Mellie, and Abby responded, “I’m in.” Huck then discovered the hijacker’s virus on Charlie’s computer, suggesting he was responsible. When Quinn confronted him, he denied his involvement and just as they realized he was being framed, the FBI arrived to arrest him. The show ended with David introducing a special prosecutor for the Justice Department investigation, the man Cyrus dealt with earlier, as Quinn showed up on Olivia’s doorstep.