Scandal s05e18 Episode Script

1 - "I'm gonna kill you!" - "Not if I kill you first!" [Mimicking gunfire.]
Woman: That's not what I'm saying.
Man: No? Then what are you saying? 'Cause it sounds like you're accusing me of something.
Are you accusing me of something? - No, I just - Spit it out, woman! If you have a problem with the way I'm raising my children I just wish you wouldn't go in there.
She's my daughter, Lanie! Am I not supposed to say goodnight to my daughter? Don't walk away from me when I'm talking to you.
- Hey! - [Glass shatters.]
- Aah! Jimmy, don't! Aah! - [Thudding.]
You do not make the rules in this house.
I make the rules.
And if I want to go into my daughter's room at night and ask her how her day was, then that's what I'm gonna do.
Have I made myself clear? - [Blow lands.]
- Have I?! - [Whimpers.]
- Yes.
Now get me another beer, and clean this mess up! I've decided you are going to eat something today.
[Sighs.]
[Sighs.]
[Groans.]
[Sighs.]
You're gonna want to do something with your hair.
Have you looked in the mirror recently? - It's not pretty.
- [Chuckles lightly.]
[Dishes clatter.]
All right.
Here we go.
[Sighs.]
[Groans.]
[Sighs.]
You got to stop beating yourself up over this.
What you did to Andrew? After everything he did to you? The only thing you should feel bad about is that you didn't do it sooner.
He's right.
And it appears you're in the clear.
No one's investigating Andrew's death.
Jake and the president took care of that.
How you doing? Great.
She promised to do something with her hair, so we're making progress.
It's almost 10:00, son.
Right.
[Sighs.]
You should have some of that toast.
You know, we should take a walk today.
Adams Morgan.
You love Adams Morgan.
I got us some new puzzles.
Redwood Forest.
Mount Rushmore.
I'd love to do one with you.
Hmm? [Sighs.]
Something I thought you should know.
We've moved up Jake and Vanessa's wedding.
They're getting married on Saturday.
I wanted to tell you, but with everything that's happened, um I know he'd love for you to be there.
If you're feeling up to it.
[Camera shutter clicking.]
[Keys jingle, door creaks.]
You got a visitor.
[Sighs.]
[Door closes.]
Who the hell are you? Have a seat.
I've been reading about you.
For a screw-up, you are very bright.
Is that supposed to be a compliment? You like being a soldier, son? If I actually got to see some real action, yeah, I think it'd be pretty fun.
What's this? A contract.
To serve in a unit we're putting together.
Something a little less official than what you're presently accustomed to.
You want to be more specific? At the moment? No.
What I can tell you is you'll be seeing a lot more action than you're seeing now, and a lot more money.
Something wrong? This says "Jake Ballard" on it.
So? My name's Pete Harris.
Like I said, we do things differently.
Mm.
Pass.
Pass? Pass.
I signed up to be a Navy man, not play make-believe with a bunch of black-ops psychopaths.
You'd rather go to prison, then.
Who said anything about prison? I got two more weeks in the brig.
Three tops.
Once that's over You're being discharged.
Excuse me? The lad whose face you broke that hand on, his father's a congressman.
They're throwing you out of the Navy.
You'll be remanded to a civilian court, where you'll be charged with aggravated assault, a charge which, if you're convicted, carries a maximum sentence of 10 years.
That's ridiculous.
Is it? According to your file, you have been cited 13 times with drunken and disorderly conduct.
You've had seven fights with your fellow officers - So what? - The most recent of which had to have his jaw reconstructed.
It was a couple of stitches, man.
And, despite repeat attempts at discipline, commanding officers note a persisting and seemingly unchangeable disrespect for authority.
It's because they're horrible people.
Is that what they are, Ballard? Or are you just a loser with an anger problem? The name's not Ballard.
"The name's not Ballard, Sir.
" - Listen, you weirdo - Aaah! - [Grunts.]
- Let go of me.
Your choice is very simple.
Either you leave this room as Pete Harris and spend the next 10 years of your life in prison, or you leave here as Jake Ballard, and spend the next 10 years in my employ.
Option "A" makes you the bitch of the Federal Board of Corrections.
Option "B" makes you my bitch.
- [Groans.]
- But here's the good news.
I can turn you into somebody.
A real soldier with a real future.
And there's no one else on this planet who can promise you that without either being a fool or a liar.
So what's it gonna be? Pete Harris or Jake Ballard? Their bitch or mine? [Camera shutter clicking.]
Olivia.
You're up.
Yeah, I thought I'd take some of your advice.
Get some fresh air? Just a little bit.
Well, that's wonderful.
A nice jog will do you a world of good.
Just go easy.
Yeah, I promise not to run any marathons till next week.
[All chuckle.]
- [Door closes.]
- I told you.
Just a few weeks of peace and quiet is all she needed.
Were you followed? No.
They're buying the entire act.
They've moved up the wedding, and it's not because - Jake's dying to marry that woman.
- She was pretty basic.
Okay, fine, but I'm right.
We need to find out everything we can about the wedding.
My dad and Jake are using Vanessa Moss for something, and it's not just laundering money through her bank accounts.
Liv.
You doing okay? Get on it.
Now.
She seems like she's doing okay.
Jacob Hamilton Ballard and Vanessa Rose Moss.
Or as the Internet calls them, "J.
Mo.
" The Times is calling it "the most culturally significant wedding since John John and Caroline.
" Have you tracked down the guest list? I found it on the catering company's hard drive.
Great.
Okay, what are we talking? Two, three 600 people.
600? I-I don't even know 600 people.
90 friends and family, and the rest are high-profile movers and shakers.
Uh, politicians, bigtime Democratic donors, royalty, celebrities.
Why does Vanessa want such a big wedding? It's not Vanessa.
It's Rowan.
Rowan? He's the one who moved up the wedding date with the church.
He's the one who updated the guest list with the caterer.
And he's the one who hired two separate powerful publicists.
Paid for through Edison's Super PAC.
Well, he's getting his money's worth.
Vogue is doing an 18-page spread in the September issue.
The September issue! It's a big deal.
Trust me.
So, my dad and Jake want a big, high-profile wedding as soon as possible.
I don't understand.
It's not like it's gonna help Edison become president.
So, what do we do? Jake has a weakness.
If I can exploit it, maybe I can get some information out of him.
What's his weakness? Me.
[Camera shutter clicking.]
What's my uncle's name? Ed.
- Is it not Ed? - Mm.
You need to get going, don't you? Where's Olivia? - [Sighs.]
- Why aren't you coming to the party? It's the White House.
Well, technically I wasn't invited.
But I've been to the White House before.
You're gonna have a great time.
Henry.
Is your uncle's name Henry? - Mm.
- We really do need to get going.
I don't want to be late.
I'll go get her.
Liv? Liv, are you okay? [Sighs.]
What's going on? Liv, talk to me.
[Sighs.]
[Sniffles.]
I can't go to the party.
Okay.
[Voice breaking.]
I can't I can't go back to the White House.
I can't go back to where I, um [Sniffles.]
To where I killed him.
Hey.
It's gonna be okay.
Forget about the party.
[Knock on door.]
Vanessa: Jake? Are you in there? You go ahead.
I'll try and meet you there, okay? What? No, not okay.
- What's going on? - She's having a little trouble.
- What kind of trouble? - I can't get into it.
You can't get into it? What does that mean? [Sternly.]
It means you go ahead! Don't talk to me like that.
Why are you talking to me like that? This is our wedding.
And this is a friend.
- Is that what she is? - I don't have time for this.
Jake, will you listen to yourself? What is going on here? You're not telling me anything.
Why is she even in this house? She's been here for weeks.
And now you're not going to the engagement party you wanted because she's having "a little trouble"? What kind of trouble? What's the problem? [Sighs.]
Ask him.
Maybe he'll tell you.
Jake? I don't know if moving up the wedding was the best idea.
Maybe we should slow things down.
Did I ask for you opinion? This is not up for discussion.
There's no slowing down.
You made a commitment, now you will follow through.
[Sighs.]
Yes, sir.
I'll fix it.
Why do we like the AK-103 over the AK-47? It's a half-pound lighter and gets off 390 rounds, versus 330 for the 47.
You want to show me how to take it apart and put it back together, soldier? Be my pleasure, sir.
[Scoffs.]
You have a problem, recruit? No, this is really fun.
Doesn't sound to me like you're having a good time.
Another day of playing with Legos.
- Who wouldn't love that? - What did you say, son? Oh, boy.
Here we go again.
Shut your mouth, Charlie.
- Shut your mouth.
- Shut your mouth, Charlie.
- Yes, sir.
- Outside, Ballard.
Rowan: I saved you from 10 years in a prison.
You want to go back there? If it's between that and some weird dude who keeps telling me he's my dad Your dad used to beat your mother senseless, and then he would go into your little sister's room and make all of his fantasies come true.
Is that the dad that you want? Is that the dad you want to rush home to? Is that the dad you want to watch the ball game with?! I didn't think so.
[Grunts.]
[Cracks.]
[Grunting.]
Try and pull a move on me? Take me down? Nobody takes Command, son.
You hear me? You hear me? You hear me?! Go to hell.
I'm getting married.
I know.
Why? I was surprised to hear.
It was quick.
That's not why I surprised.
I thought after I was out of the picture Liv.
Not meant to be, I guess.
For either of us.
Do you love her? Who? Vanessa.
Right.
Yeah.
Of Of course.
I mean, she's perfect.
It's easy.
That's what I'm supposed to want, right? Easy? I don't know.
I've never had easy.
You're out there.
You're dating.
Is that a question? How is it? It's good.
Nice to be free.
Do you miss her? Olivia? It's good to be free.
[Sighs.]
Another? Mm.
Another.
[Grunts.]
[Groaning.]
[Breathing heavily.]
[Groans heavily.]
You hit like a bitch.
[Sighs.]
I'd tell you to toss him in the hole, but this one might be a lost cause.
I took in a stray Maltese a few years back.
I know who leaves a Maltese on the street? Okay, maybe he was tied up outside of a coffee shop.
But anyway, I-I couldn't keep the guy off my couch no matter how many times I bopped him on the nose.
Finally I had to [Mimics gunshot.]
Just saying, maybe a couple pops in the back alley might be your best option.
[Breathes sharply.]
Good boy.
The hole.
One month.
Oh, could you turn that back off? Sorry.
You've been drinking.
[Chuckles.]
I have.
[Sniffles.]
I have been drinking a lot.
You should probably go to bed.
Tell me about the party.
How was it? [Sighs.]
Well, Vanessa had fun.
Hmm.
And you? I played my part.
[Sighs.]
Where's your father? Out.
Gone.
Somewhere.
I don't know.
[Sniffs.]
You gonna save me from finishing what's left of this bottle by myself or what? [Laughs.]
You have no idea how hard it is for me to sit back and watch you suffer like this.
What are you talking about, Liv? I know he's making you marry her.
[Scoffs.]
This isn't this can't be what you want.
[Chuckles.]
You're suffering.
I'm not suffering.
So I'm just a crazy person, then? Is that it? [Laughs.]
You don't really love her.
You don't really want to spend the rest of your life with her.
You can't possibly think that this is all for better or for worse, for richer or poorer.
[Chuckles.]
Unless un Unless you do.
Unless Vanessa is who you want.
What you want.
Which makes me a crazy person.
Liv.
It's totally plausible.
Considering I just killed someone in cold blood.
[Sniffles.]
Good instinct and rash judgment Not really my strong suit at the moment.
Give me back my bourbon.
No, I think you've had enough.
If you can't be a man and admit it.
There's nothing to admit.
That this is all part of my father's plan.
Liv.
That this is not just about Vanessa's money.
This is much bigger than that.
Thank you for the nightcap.
I'm panicking right now.
Okay, Jake.
Jake, Jake, just admit that you don't really love her I don't really love her! Hmm.
[Clears throat.]
You really had me there.
The whole outof-your-mind-drunk act.
It's award-winning.
Tell me what's going on.
I swear, the games you and your father play.
Tell me what is going on.
Your father is putting me on Edison's ticket in hopes of making me Vice President of the United States.
Marrying Vanessa is all part of the plan.
Increase my name recognition, raise my profile.
She's the perfect political wife.
Perfect for somebody.
You can say no to him, Jake.
He only has power over you if you allow him to.
There is a reason, Liv.
There is a reason why no matter how often I've found myself hating him with every bone in my body, I've only ended up right back on his doorstep.
Look, at the end of the day, all he's ever wanted is what's best for us.
No.
You don't have to do this.
I'm not in love with Vanessa.
You know that.
You've felt that.
The truth of the matter is that I'll never love anyone as much as I love you.
You have never chosen me.
We've done horrible things to one another.
But for some reason, I still end up here.
In front of you.
Looking at you.
[Sighs.]
Wanting you.
In love with you.
You can't marry her.
What am I supposed to do? You can't marry her.
Well, then tell me what I'm supposed to do! Goodnight, Jake.
[Sighs.]
Mmmm L.
A.
proved too much for the man Too much for the man, he couldn't make it So he's leaving the life he's come to know Oooh, hooo He said he's going He said he's going back to find Going back to find Oooh, hoo, hoo What's left of his world Mm The world he left behind Not so long ago He's leavin' Leavin' On that midnight train to Georgia Leavin' on the midnight train Yeah Said he's goin' back Goin' back to find To a simpler place in time - And he takes that ride - Oh, yes he is She's gonna be right by his side And I'll be with him I know you will On that midnight train to Georgia Leavin' on the midnight train to Georgia Yeah Whoo, whoo I'd rather live in his world Than live without him in mine [Camera shutter clicking.]
Mm! Good morning, Olivia.
Good morning, Dad.
Good morning, Jake.
Good morning.
Here.
Sit down.
What can I get you to eat? We have eggs, eggs, eggs, and eggs.
[Sighs.]
Vanessa has Jake on the Paleo diet.
Oh, I didn't know.
Yeah.
For the wedding.
Yeah, this is a dietary fad that portrays a fundamental misunderstanding of the evolutionary process and suggests a stasis in the Pleistocene Era that simply does not exist.
I could tell you more, but the point is I'm having toast.
Would you like toast, Olivia? - Sure.
- That's my girl.
- Yeah.
- Now.
As much as I would love to stay and sit with you both, I have to go and get fitted for my tux.
[Door opens, closes.]
What now? Are you still getting married? [Chuckles lightly.]
Do you want me to get married? [Scoffs.]
My father, I I don't know how you break away from him.
I don't know how I can protect you from him.
Yeah, me neither.
Let's just eat.
Just sit with me.
Be with me.
Pretend like last night never ended.
- Mm.
- For a bit.
I can do that.
Rowan: Leave us.
[Door closes.]
What did you think about in the hole? Tell me about your place.
[Chuckles.]
Everybody finds a place.
I've heard it all.
Old Little League games.
Warm beaches of Zanzibar.
The first woman who made you feel like a man.
But then there are others, I guess.
Ones who find comfort not in a happy memory or some idyllic place they dreamed of going.
There are ones who find comfort in darkness.
Are you one of those, Jake? Never been particularly forthcoming in our weekly rundowns.
Always tight-lipped about your family.
I understand why.
Real scum.
If I had to share DNA with your father, I'd loathe myself, too.
24 separate police reports citing domestic abuse in your house.
Photos of your mother's lip split wide open.
The time he punctured her lung when he drove his fist through her ribs.
Tell me, did he rough her up just because she had the audacity to question why he would leave their bed in the middle of the night, lay with your sister in her bed while she was sleeping?! Could you hear it? From your room? Could you hear your father force himself on her from your own bed? I have to be honest.
As sick as he is, it's pretty disgusting to know that you did nothing to stop him.
You allowed him to destroy her for years! What kind of 17-year-old boy, on the precipice of becoming a man, allows his sister to be raped without doing a damn thing? Is that where your mind went to in the hole, Jake? Those memories? Did you allow them to paralyze your mind and body as if she were begging, screaming for him to [Shouts.]
stop! [Normal voice.]
In the next room? When she hung herself from that tree outside that shack of yours, were you aware that she had just aborted your nephew? I'm sorry.
Your little brother? - [Grunts angrily.]
- You want to hit me, son? You want to do to me what you didn't have the courage to do to your father? Then go ahead! Do it! That won't change what happened.
There is no redemption here.
[Breathing shakily.]
I am not him.
I will not hurt you.
I will protect you.
I am here for you, son.
Look at me.
He is not here.
I am.
I am your family.
I will take care of you.
Let him go.
That's right.
That's right.
[Breathing heavily.]
I don't want to marry Vanessa.
I want to be with you.
Do you want to be with me? Look, I can go to Vanessa's in the morning and call it off.
No, that'll give my father eight hours to blackmail you down the aisle, which is eight hours longer than he needs.
Maybe you should just go.
Now.
Disappear into the night.
No, Rowan has your phones tapped, your accounts tagged.
He'll find you by dawn.
Huck's right.
We can't just run away.
We need to get you off my dad's hook.
If I haven't managed to shake your father in 20 years, I can't do it by 4:00 tomorrow.
Yes, you can.
If what he wants is to put you on a presidential ticket, then you have to jilt Vanessa at the altar in front of all of Washington.
It's kind of cruel, don't you think? So cruel that your political prospects going forward would be zero.
No one would dream of putting you up for office.
Not even I can bring you back from that.
Then that's what we do.
[Sighs.]
I should go before Rowan gets suspicious.
- I'll see you at the church? - I'll see you at the church.
[Sighs.]
Are you sure you want to do this? [Sighs.]
I want to be happy.
I'm ready to be happy.
Don't worry.
I know what I'm doing.
[Chuckles lightly.]
[Sighs.]
Okay.
Your time has come.
Graduation day.
B613 beckons.
[Chuckles.]
Oh.
There's nothing more I can do for you.
I've built you in my likeness as I would my own son.
Thank you, sir.
I believe I'm ready.
[Sucks teeth, inhales sharply.]
It's the "believe" portion that troubles me.
I am ready.
Are you? To know if you are truly ready, I must offer a choice.
A choice between freedom and sacrifice.
You can join my organization with all the tools I've equipped you with, walk out that door, and fulfill your destiny.
It will be difficult.
It will be lonely.
It will push you to places that will make you wish your life had ended long ago.
But you will be great.
Or? Mm.
Your record has been wiped clean.
You can return home and live what you perceive to be a normal life.
Take a 9:00 to 5:00.
Drink a couple of beers with buddies after.
Rent videos on the weekend with your wildly underwhelming wife.
Forget you ever met me.
Pretend that you have exorcised all of your demons.
Son, I have prepared you for this life, but I-I cannot make you want it.
So I have one very simple question for you.
Do you want this? Or do you prefer normal? [Sighs.]
Thank you, sir.
Truly.
For everything you've done.
[Camera shutter clicking.]
The toughest ticket in Washington this weekend? No, not the Nationals versus the Phillies.
It is the wedding of NSA Chief Jake Ballard and attorney/Washington socialite Vanessa Moss.
The two are set to wed later today in what many insiders are calling the wedding of the decade in the nation's capital.
[Camera shutter clicking.]
- Hmm.
- Hmm.
When you break the news to Jake that he's still going to marry Vanessa, tell him that you've changed your mind.
I know what you're planning, Olivia.
He's throwing his life away for you.
[Chuckles.]
You think this is about me getting power.
See, unlike you, I've had power, achieved greatness.
This is about Jake finally stepping forward and accepting his own greatness.
He doesn't want it.
He never did.
If this wedding does not go forward, I will slit Jake's throat.
If Jake learns that I was the one that made you break his heart, that, too, will force me to slit his throat.
I will do that not because he's failed me.
I will do that because I love him.
Because he is the talent in this family.
And I would rather he be dead than mediocre.
[Breathing shakily.]
I've already lost a daughter.
To hell if I will let what happened to you happen to my son.
[Inhales shakily.]
Hmm.
A wedding or a funeral.
Choice is yours.
[Indistinct conversations.]
Jake.
Liv.
You here to wish me luck? Before I go ahead and jilt a perfectly lovely woman in possibly the most public and humiliating way ever conceived? - I could really use - I can't do this.
What? You can't do what? Be with you.
I can't be with you.
I'm sorry.
What happened? Nothing.
Did Rowan get to you? No.
What did What did he do? What did he say? This isn't him.
This is me.
[Sighs.]
Well, we can fix this.
Jake, no.
This can't be fixed.
- What happened?! - What always happens.
I think I want something, I think I want to be with you, be normal, and You love me.
Jake, listen You love me.
I can't be with you! It's not even just that I can't.
I don't want to.
So you should just be with her.
Marry Vanessa.
What happened to you?! What the hell is going on?! You're not good enough for me.
You're weak.
You need me too much.
Need me to tell you what to do and how to feel and [Sighs.]
You were never an option for me.
You're an escape.
Someone to toy with.
You're a yo-yo.
A booty call.
A sidepiece.
And frankly it's embarrassing that you still haven't realized, after all this time, that if we were together, actually together, I would tear right through you.
Destroy you.
You're scared.
[Scoffs.]
Of what we have.
Of having something real.
It's okay.
No.
You're wrong.
I'm not scared.
I may be horrible because I'm abandoning you, because I always abandon you.
But I'm not scared.
Not the least bit.
You're wrong.
And pathetic.
I could tell you five minutes from now that I want to be with you, that I want to save you.
You would crawl back to me.
Forgive me.
Every single time.
Why are you doing this? Do you honestly not know by now? I'm in love with Fitz.
I don't love you, Jake.
I love him.
When I'm with you, all I think about is him.
Fitz is who I choose.
He's who I will always choose.
You are just a lesser version of him.
A sad reminder of the man I truly deserve.
If I couldn't make it work with him, why the hell would you think I could make it work with you? The first time Good luck becoming vice president, Jake.
Ever I saw your face You'll need it.
I thought the sun Liv? Everything okay? Everything's fine.
Rose in your eyes [Breathing shakily.]
And the moon and the stars [Sighs.]
Were the gifts you gave To the dark And the endless skies, my love To the dark And the endless skies Man: What the hell are you doing - [Gunshots.]
- The first time Ever I kissed your mouth I felt the Earth Move in my hand Like the trembling heart Of a captive bird That was there At my command, my love That was there At my command My love And the first time Officiant: Do you, Jacob Hamilton Ballard, Ever I lay take Vanessa Rose Moss to be your wedded wife With you for better and for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, forsaking all others, until you are parted by death? I felt your heart So close to mine I do.
And I knew our joy Would fill the Earth And last Till the end of time Mr.
President.
My love And it would last And now it is my pleasure to introduce to you for the first time, Mr.
and Mrs.
Jake Ballard.
- My love - [Applause.]
The first time Ever I saw Your face Your face Welcome to B613.
Your face Your face [Camera shutter clicks.]