Scandal s05e17 Episode Script

Looks like she's headed in some kind of medical plaza.
Lillian Forrester is pregnant, which explains why she hasn't been working out as much in the mornings, and it also explains why she's made three incognito visits to a medical center which houses count them Seven OB/GYN doctors.
You're following her? You made that my job when you started dating her, and now that you've knocked her up You're sure about this.
Of course I'm sure.
You think I would just come in shooting from the hip on something of this magnitude? Move past the denial stage quickly so we can discuss how we're going to - Oh, hmm.
- What? I, uh, false alarm.
I was wrong.
She's not pregnant.
It's actually worse Much worse.
I'm up eight points.
And did you see my numbers with women under 40? I could pass Susan Ross there, you know? I might actually win this thing.
- Stop celebrating.
- What? We need every vote you can get.
And I want you to get Latinos.
With Vargas as the Democrat in the general? That's exactly that Susan and Hollis are thinking.
They're all but ceding Vargas the Latino vote.
I think that's shortsighted and ignorant, as if they all vote as one group.
Do you know how diverse Latinos are? There are plenty of socially conservative Latinos who see Frankie Vargas as far too liberal Folks who would want to get behind a Republican candidate, and I think they're just waiting for someone to pay them some attention.
I don't want to be one of those candidates that tries to speak Spanish and accidentally calls someone a crocodile.
No, you never speak Spanish, ever to anyone.
Please.
You are for immigration, you're a mother who lost her son, you're for families and God.
You want me to go Catholic? I want you to sit down with Cardinal Suarez.
Get his endorsement.
I'm divorced.
The cardinal has backed divorced candidates in the past.
I filibustered for 16 hours on behalf of Planned Parenthood.
Will the Cardinal be fine with my belief that every woman should retain control of what happens in her uterus? There's no way he takes a meeting.
- Hello.
- It's me.
No matter what I say next, we never had this conversation.
Forrester is out.
We are clear.
Why are you meeting with a reporter from the Times? You look good.
Healthy.
Andrew.
I feel good, too Being able to speak again.
Especially now, when I have so much to say.
What have you told Lillian? Just a little tale about a president going to war for his mistress.
You tell her it was you who had me kidnapped? I believe I left my name out of it.
Why are you doing this? I pee into a tube, Olivia.
Crap in a bag that hangs from my chair.
Yeah, because a piece of shrapnel from a terrorist attack you staged got lodged in your brain.
You really have no idea, do you? I had a stroke because your friends paid a goon to jam a needle in my neck.
I don't know why you think that's true.
Because it is.
Anyway, this is not an old grievance.
This is a fresh frickin' wound, and I'm going to make them pay for it.
Look.
This is not the way.
I assure you, Andrew.
It is not the way, because this time, you're not just up against Fitz and Cyrus and Mellie.
You are up against me, the bitch you left for dead.
We'll kill the story.
Tell the Times it's a matter of national security, threaten to throw the book at them if they publish.
- Not going to work.
- Why? Because I would be the one throwing the book, and we don't have the grounds to do that.
I don't get it.
Why would Andrew risk his reputation like this when the world thinks he's a hero? Because someone put a needle in his neck and he's angry.
Anyone care to cop to that? Wasn't me.
Nope.
What's so funny? - Nothing.
- What if I talk to him? Why, because his love for you runs so deep? You have a better suggestion? Yeah, you could drop out of the race, spare yourself the embarrassment when this all comes out.
You do realize Susan goes down, too.
Susan had nothing to do with this.
Technically, no, but she's associated with you now, and you, which means when your names turn to dirt, which they will, so will hers.
Cyrus.
I'm sorry.
It's just seeing you all sweat like this.
You're neck's on the line, too, mister.
This story gets out, you're going to jail.
Would you care to respond to that, Mr.
President, or should I? Cyrus has immunity.
You're kidding.
From any and all potential crimes during his stint at the White House.
It was one of his conditions before returning to the White House and taking his job back.
He was barely there a month.
I certainly got the better end of that deal, didn't I? Well, then go already.
- Get out of here.
- And miss this? I'm still a member of this distinguished club, Mellie.
Just a non-voting one.
You know, there is one way out of this.
Nobody's mentioned it yet, but I'm sure we're all thinking it.
I'm gonna cover my ears now.
- We are not going to kill him.
- Why? Did you just say, "Why"?! Because we are not animals! Because it's wrong.
The man had you kidnapped.
If we kill Andrew, we are no better than he is.
Oh, great.
So we'll all go to jail, but at least we'll be better people.
You need to talk to him.
- I think I suggested that.
- It's not gonna work.
Mellie talks to Andrew.
I'm sorry.
Is this your meeting now? - Yes.
You need to leave.
- Great.
You were expecting me to protest? We need to shred whatever physical evidence is out there Documents, e-mails that prove the president went to war for Liv They all need to be destroyed.
Lillian can't publish until she corroborates Andrew's story.
The less that's out there, the better off we'll be.
Thank you for coming when I called.
You didn't call.
Abby did.
Paris, Beirut, you know, Iraq, Iran.
You know, I speak very, very, um, fluent Spanish.
Huck.
It was you, right? You put Andrew in that coma.
It was you? In case you're thinking about finishing what you started, don't.
Understood? What'd I miss? Have you heard back from the cardinal? Not yet.
I left two messages for him.
Leave him another.
- Another.
- Go.
We need to find and destroy anything related to why we went to war in West Angola.
Also, anything that could link Andrew and Mellie Photos, e-mails, texts.
I don't care if it's a blank post-it, we still make it disappear.
What do you want? The Jefferson Institute of Neuromuscular Rehabilitation.
Vice President Nichols is a patient there.
- Room 303.
- I don't do that anymore.
That's what you said last time.
Yeah, well, this time I mean it.
He's waving a machete, Huck.
The president, Mellie, Susan Ross, me We're all gonna get our heads chopped off.
I don't care about that.
But you care about Liv.
You care about her.
Forget the rest of us.
This will ruin her.
He kidnapped her.
She was sold because of him.
- She was - Shut up! In a dangerous world, in dangerous times experience isn't optional.
Experience is essential.
I'm Governor Frankie Vargas, and I approve this message.
Well? It is pretty powerful, huh? I don't want to use the capitol stuff.
This add tested very well with seniors, women 25 to 55, even the hunting crowd.
Those guys that usually hate you love this version.
People died, Alex.
I'm not gonna capitalize on that.
It's how you stand out.
Look, McCain used his history as a POW.
- McCain lost.
- Oh, come on.
Frankie.
I think there's a middle ground, here.
Governor, I agree.
This ad feels cheap, desperate, opportunistic.
You may not be able to say these things about yourself, but someone else can.
Let's use our social-media team and grass-roots folks.
Disseminate these images of your heroism.
Give it a new life online.
Clog peoples feeds or whatever they call it.
Smart.
I like it.
This ad will win you the primary.
I guarantee it.
It's a good ad.
Well-produced, but it's dead, bro.
Sorry.
Can't use it.
So we scrapping it? Wait, hold it.
Scroll back.
Stop.
There.
That guy.
You know, send me that raw footage, will you? Hey.
I should've come by sooner, but so much has happened since I know exactly why you're here, Mellie.
So just stop.
Don't insult me by lying to my face.
You want the truth, Andrew? You didn't choose me.
You chose him.
Fitz.
I wanted to be with you.
I wanted to start a new life with you.
That's what we both wanted, or at least I thought it was until you said we could be friends.
Friends? You broke my heart.
I'm sorry.
Mellie I really did care about you.
I cared about you, too.
I still do.
Your recovery, this gift from God that you've been given Maybe it's not about getting back at Fitz.
Maybe maybe it's about us.
Maybe this happened so that you and I could have another chance.
Maybe.
Andrew.
What's wrong? I thought you cared about me.
I thought you wanted another chance.
Well, here it is.
It still works, Mellie.
Unless I disgust you.
Do I? Disgust you? Don't worry.
The feeling is mutual.
Andrew's not gonna be happy until he's burned everything to the ground.
I mean, hell, why even bother meeting with Cardinal Suarez at this point? Once Andrew tells the world about our affair, Suarez will tell us to take a hike! We don't know that for sure.
The man wants to be Pope.
Praising an adulteress is not how you move up in that organization.
Calm down.
Nothing has come out yet.
That's right, Liv "yet".
Yet.
Nothing has come out yet.
You realize that doesn't actually mean anything, right? All it means is that we are living in a constant state of agony.
Mellie.
It means we've got no idea whether our lives are gonna end in five weeks or five minutes.
You get that, right? There is this guillotine hanging over us, and you're just Mellie, sit down and shut up! I am going to fix this, but in order for me to do that, I'm going to need you to keep it together.
I'm going to need you to sit down and shut up and wait for me to do what I do best.
Olivia.
Come on in.
Lillian Forrester.
- She's the ticking clock.
- Mm-hmm.
If Andrew doesn't recant before she publishes, that's it.
Game over.
I can put someone on her, hack into her computer, but if I want up-to-the-minute intel on what she's doing, who she's talking to, what she's ready to print, when she's ready to print It's nice having a friend in the NSA, isn't it? "Friend" might be putting it strongly.
We will do your bidding.
Listen in on Lillian.
Say thank you.
Thank you.
When it fails, you'll be left with one option and one option only.
I am not you, Dad.
In my world, if someone's in your way, you outthink them.
You don't end them.
It's not who I am.
You see what she did there, Jake? How she referred to "her world" like it's something different from ours? It's as if she's forgotten that we're her family and this is her home.
We'll listen in on your reporter, Olivia, do you that favor, but when you reach the bottom of your bag of tricks, the ones that you use in your world so you're still able to sleep at night and Andrew is still talking and the world is about to end and there's no time left to stop it, don't say I didn't warn you.
factions along the Israeli/Syrian border.
Anything else I can get you, Mr.
Vice President? This'll do.
Thanks, Ted.
Did you forget something? No more talking.
Is he dead? - You said he wasn't dead.
- He's out.
- He should come to in a few minutes.
- Liv.
We didn't have a choice.
Liz North asked Huck to kill him.
Get away from me! Get away from me! Get away from me! Where are we? A-Are we in the White House? Under the White House.
There are people who are trying to kill you.
The only person who ever tried to kill me is him.
I never tried to kill you.
I know how to kill people.
- Huck.
- Get me out of here! Right now! Listen to me.
I don't think you appreciate the forces you unleashed by talking about what happened to you, what happened to me.
You are in danger, and we are here to protect you.
If you don't want me to protect you, I will wheel you out into Lafayette Park right now.
Just say the word.
What do you want? How much will it take to get you to drop this story? This isn't about money.
That's what everybody says until they hear the right amount of money.
- How much? - You're in debt, Andrew.
We know you were in debt before this happened, and you don't exactly have a lot of earning potential anymore.
I'm writing a book.
Nobody wants to read that book.
You tried to overthrow the government of the United States.
You kidnapped me.
You're not a sympathetic character.
How much, Andrew? $10 million.
Five.
- 10.
- 7.
- 10.
- 8.
10, and say anything other than 10 and it goes to 15.
$10 million, and you represent me in the book deal.
"Andrew Nichols: Battle Scars of the American Hero.
" Where have you been? I've been trying to reach you.
Spotty cell service.
I don't even know why I asked.
Do you have something to tell me? Cardinal Suarez has been waiting for 25 minutes.
Oh.
Yeah.
Oh.
Cardinal.
Hey, Mary Ann.
What's up? Hey, how long you work at the capitol? Harrisburg? Both terms, so seven years.
You ever see this guy? Don't think so.
Why? Are you sure? Could he be security or something? If he worked there, I'd know him.
- Okay, thanks.
- Mm-hmm.
He's on the record and willing to sit for additional interviews if we need him to.
He's even willing to appear on TV.
Everything here has been double-sourced.
This story has been rigorously fact-checked.
What about legal? We've been through legal twice.
Have we reached out to the White House for comment? We can't do that.
You know that.
- How long do you need? - 48 hours.
We run it in 48 hours, then.
Good work, Lillian.
We are out of options.
- This isn't a good idea.
- It's not, but Lillian is publishing in less than 48 hours.
We are running out of time, so it's the best bad idea we have.
And it's better than the alternative, which someone in this room already tried.
- How much? - $10 million.
$10 million? I'm in for my fair share.
My fair share $1.
If we pay him, how do we know he still won't talk? We don't hand over the money until Andrew signs a non-disclosure agreement.
Fine.
I'm in for $5 million.
- You have $5 million? - I've been a Republican my whole life.
Liv is not paying her kidnapper.
David and I don't have any money.
- You're Democrats.
- So that leaves You and me.
No.
That leaves you.
I didn't grow up on an estate in Santa Barbara.
I don't have $5 million sitting around.
Yes, you do.
I gave it to you in the divorce.
You didn't give me anything I didn't earn.
Let's get this done.
I'm not paying anything.
- Mellie.
- I have paid enough! So what are we gonna do? - I think - Abby? This is worth a shot, Mr.
President.
Okay.
I'm in! $10 million.
Huck presses a key, and the money transfers into an offshore bank account with your name on it.
Do it.
But first, you're going to call Lillian Forrester and recant your story.
And then you're going to sign this NDA, which says you can never talk about any of this.
It's the only way this works, Andrew.
One phone call and your debts are fully paid.
Money first or no deal.
Make the transfer.
Huck.
It's done.
Dial Lillian's number.
You know what, on second thought, I don't think $10 million's going do it.
Better make it 20.
Billion.
We're not going Come to think of it, I'd also like an apple pie warmed up.
Oh, and I'd also like my own horse.
Not to ride, of course, but to watch you two gals clean the stable.
You need to be very careful here, Andrew.
Or what? What are you people going to do? Oh, for the record I know you didn't really transfer that money into my account, and that's okay.
I don't want it.
- I don't need it.
- My name is Olivia Pope.
The look on your faces right now is worth more to me than anything a few million dollars could ever buy.
Now, is Lillian on the line? I wouldn't mind checking in and see how it's going I was thinking, sir, maybe we offer Andrew a cabinet position Even Secretary of Defense or State.
A job he could hold for all of six months? I picked Andrew as my Vice President.
I didn't see what was happening to my party right under my nose, and when I was threatened, I put my personal feelings before the good of the country.
Mr.
President Here's what we're going to do now I am going to go before the American people and say that I faked the assassination attempt on Andrew in order to gin up public support for the war.
There will be an investigation.
David Rosen will lead that investigation, and it will confirm what I've said.
Nothing will come out about Liv or the kidnapping.
No one else will be implicated in any way.
This will be entirely on me, where it should be.
Andrew will accept this because he comes out a hero and I will go down, and that will be enough for him.
- Sir - After the address, I want to take Teddy to Camp David while this shakes out.
He loves it up there.
Sir, respectfully this is not the time to fall on your sword.
My mind's made up.
Go make the deal.
Mr.
President.
Make the damn deal.
Yes, sir.
Say something.
Let's make a plan.
Olivia, I understand it's a lot to take in, but I don't have a lot of time here.
If I make this deal with Andrew, POTUS is blowing his political brains out.
I need to shut this down, so you are going to come back to the White House with me and do whatever Olivia thing it is you need to do to get him to man up and change his mind, because this? This is weak.
He does not get to quit.
That's the thing.
It's not.
Not what? It's not weak.
Liv, he's giving up.
He's being the President, finally.
Finally, he's being the man we sold to the American people, and that's Abby, he's doing what a leader is supposed to do.
He's taking responsibility.
He is taking the blame.
He's taking the hit for the team.
Mellie, Cyrus, me His team.
The body count that has piled up in pursuit of his Oval? That's on him.
It may have been our hands Mellie's, Cyrus', or mine But it was for him.
Every bullet we took was for him.
Every time we nailed ourselves to a cross, it was so he wouldn't bleed.
This is on him.
A leader owns what happened on his watch.
A leader stands up and takes responsibility.
That is not weak.
That's integrity.
That's presidential.
Someone has turned the world inside out, and I'm looking at the seams and the tags and it's all wrong.
Abby A year from now, I'll be an associate professor at some college in Indiana Bargain bin.
You're not going to Indiana.
You are smart, talented.
You will rebound so fast in this town.
Rebound to what? I'm a big dog, Liv.
The biggest.
A White House Monster.
I chew them up, I spit them out, I own that place.
What's the point of being a monster if you've got no teeth? You were never a monster.
You're Abby and you can always come back and work for me.
That would be fun, right? Yeah, right.
That would be fun.
You bring me my warm apple pie? Not quite.
- I can't believe Fitz is doing this.
- He is.
And you can't be smiling.
You can't be giddy and empathetic.
Yesterday my face was danglingabove a wood chipper, and now Fitz is taking the fall for all of us.
Forgive me, I'm giddy.
What? Just plugged into a call between Lillian and her editor.
They've landed on a title for the Times article.
Go on.
"Mellie Grant: One Affair, Many Lies.
" But that means The story's shifted.
It's not about West Angola anymore.
Which means someone made a deal.
We have a problem.
Apparently, Lillian Forrester's no longer interested in West Angola.
All she's doing now is writing a hit piece on Mellie Grant.
Obviously, it's Elizabeth North.
She got to Andrew.
Who knows how she did it or what she offered him.
It doesn't matter.
It worked.
Andrew's changed his story and we have to put a stop to it.
I think that you should inform Fitz, I'll track down Liz.
Clearly, you'll have to move back the President's statement to the press until we know more.
What time is the President's statement to the press scheduled for? Abby.
Abby.
Abby.
Oh Abby.
The President won't be making a statement.
Who did this to you? What did they threaten you with? You tell me and I'll Who talked me into this? You.
You talked me into this.
The body count It's for him.
That's what you said.
The team works for him.
Every bullet You take every bullet for him.
Every time you nail yourself to the cross, you do it for him.
This is what you do for him.
That's what the team is for.
You all work in pursuit of the Oval, protecting the president.
Well, he's still the president.
His term is not up.
Your job is not done, and I run the Oval now.
He's mine to handle, I'm his leader, and I say the team keeps on going until the very last day.
I don't work for you.
You work for me.
Security will revoke your hard pass at the gate when you exit.
You are no longer welcome here without my permission.
The door is right behind you.
Please close it on your way out.
You did it.
Marcus.
The Cardinal's secretary just called.
Not only is he going to take the meeting, he made room in his schedule to sit down tomorrow.
Set it up.
That's it? I get there's other business happening around here that's apparently above my pay grade, but getting Suarez to back Mellie is a minor miracle and you don't look the least bit pleased.
What is it? Are you okay? I'm not looking for a therapist, Marcus.
Okay.
Jake, I need you to get me into the White House.
Have you gathered the press? No.
No? In a second, I'm gonna close the door, and you're going to yell at me and try to undo something that can not be undone.
But I'm going to explain myself, and you're going to realize that I did not betray you.
I just did my job.
You again? What do you got? More money? I'm guessing Abby made you an offer.
I wanted to give you a chance to change your mind, to do what's best for you.
You're wasting your time.
I'm sure it felt good, Abby convincing you that you could somehow rectify your terrible condition.
She knows how helpless you are, and she found a way to exploit that.
Good for her.
She probably learned that from me.
But Abby doesn't know you like I do.
See, we have history, you and I, so I know.
And you should know that hurting Mellie or hurting me isn't gonna make you feel better.
I mean, how could it? Someone like you who did the things you did.
It's impossible.
So let's talk about what you really want.
Let's discuss your best outcome here and how I can help you achieve it.
You talk this much in bed? You this chatty on your hands and knees? That big mouth of yours work as hard as it does right now? Tell me.
I'm curious.
You think you can take Mellie down without me burning everything to the ground? Exposing everything you did? No, I don't.
You say you know me? Well I know you, too.
Underneath those expensive clothes you're just another cheap slut who thinks she's something better than that.
Always surprised me how much you went for.
- My name is Olivia Pope - $2 billion, was it? Wonder what I'd get now if I auctioned you again, - put you back on the open market.
- taken against my will I mean, now that you're not the president's side piece, now that you're just a novelty act.
To ensure my continued safety What do you think you'd go for? What's an aging porn star go for? The kind that work the strip clubs in Reno, Atlantic City The ones available for private meetings.
What do they go for? $500? - Olivia Pope you must declare war - $1,500? Somewhere in that range? Get out.
You're done.
Over.
You go down with Mellie.
Back to paying off knocked-up hookers for low-level politicos.
- You've got nothing to offer me.
- My name is Olivia Pope taken against my will - How could you? - Declare war - I already got everything I wanted.
- taken against my will Everything I needed and deserved revenge.
I got revenge.
You.
You think you get revenge?! You don't get revenge! That's mine! That's mine! Mine! Are you okay? Liv are you okay? Liv.
It's gonna be okay.
I promise.
Oh, my God.
In one hour, you will issue a press release saying former Vice President Andrew Nichols is dead.
That means you will have one hour to find Lillian Forrester and convince her that there is no story, that there never was a story Just the distorted machinations of a sad individual suffering from a few lingering repercussions of his stroke.
Never cross me again.
One hour.
Tonight, the nation mourns the death of a genuine American Hero.
Vice President Andrew Nichols passed away this evening due to complications from a fall.
Did you bring me a changes of clothes? Right here.
You have blood on your face.
Let's go.
I first met Andrew Nichols when I was running for governor of California.
He was smart, courageous, full of integrity, but more importantly, Andrew Nichols was my friend.
Andrew once told me Here? Here.
The Vice President had been staying at the Jefferson Institute for Neuromuscular Rehabilitation for the last two years, recuperating from a debilitating stroke.
This is an unspeakably tragic loss.
My thoughts and prayers are with his family.
A stroke stemming from injuries sustained as the result of a terrorist attack.
Andrew's loss is heartbreaking, and as I grieve my dear friend, I'm grateful to have Cardinal Suarez's support and spiritual guidance.
Today, I lost a friend, but America lost a true patriot Someone who devoted their life to making this country as great as it can possibly be.
He will be missed dearly.
Hey.
- Alex Vargas Frankie's brother.
- Right, right.
- Cyrus isn't home.
- Yeah, I know.
He's at the Grand District Hotel with his boyfriend.
They checked in about an hour ago under fake names.
Mind if I come in? Just to chat.
I think we can be helpful to each other.
Why do I have a sinking feeling we had something to do with this? No, you heard the reports.
He died from complications after a fall.
Is that why you've been keeping me out? You've been plotting a murder? He died from complications after a fall.
I thought we were done with this.
I don't need you protecting me.
Trust us, okay? It's for your own good.
No.
It's insulting and it has to stop.
Otherwise, what am I doing here? Andrew didn't believe himself to be exceptional.
He believed that we are all Each and every one of us Capable of greatness, and it was this belief in our country and its people that made Andrew Nichols such a tremendous leader.
Welcome home.