A Woman Scorned

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A Woman Scorned is the twentieth episode in the second season of Scandal, and the twenty-seventh overall.

Plot

The team makes a shocking discovery while investigating the mole; Fitz orders Jake to keep Olivia safe; not to her happiness. Cyrus must clean up after Mellie's ultimatum. Huck discovers that Charlie is the one who trapped him in that box; the team also makes some shocking discoveries about Charlie. James is given a great job opportunity that he can't turn down, he accepts after Cyrus gives him his blessing. Cyrus and James become closer and their marriage problems go away. Jake continues to meet with his Mysterious Man. All this ending with a shocking interview with Mellie, what will she say?

Scandals

Olivia Pope & Associates:

• The team continues to track down the mole; leading to two possibilities; Charlie or Cyrus

White House:

• Fitz continues to have Olivia guarded 24/7 by Jake; much to Olivia’s dismay
• Mellie gives Fitz 36 hours to resolve their marriage or she’s going public with the fact that her husband is having an affair
• Cyrus tries to play fixer between Fitz and Mellie

Recap

Jake continues to follow Olivia against her will. He’s under orders to protect her at all costs. A furious Olivia has no choice but to tolerate this unwanted security. Fitz will lock her away in protective custody otherwise. The president is also dealing with a hostile woman at home. Well, Mellie's not actually at home. She’s moved into Blair House under the guise of caring for a kid with chicken pox. In reality, Mellie is threatening to go on national TV to expose Fitz’s extramarital affair unless he recommits himself to his family. As for the chicken pox story, everyone seems to be buying it except for Vice President Sally Langston.

James is jazzed because he’s been offered an on-air TV job. He’s mildly shocked when his hubby gives him the go-ahead to take the gig. Cyrus doesn’t even give it a second thought. He has way too many balls in the air. Olivia assures him that her relationship with the president is history. She then learns that Huck identified Charlie as the guy that attacked him and broke into her apartment. This has her entire team suggesting that Cyrus is the mole. As for Charlie, he breaks into Jake’s place. He sees video of Olivia being intimate with the man Fitz ordered to protect her. He reports this little tidbit back to his boss, Cyrus Beene.

Fitz suggests Cyrus use the threat of mutual-assured destruction to keep his wife in line. He then summons Olivia to The White House. The two of them get into a shouting match that ends when Olivia tells Fitz that she’s not a toy he can play with. If he wants her, he needs to earn her. Until then, they are done. As for Mellie, Cyrus offers her a deal to launch her promising political career during the last year of Fitz’s second term. If she doesn’t agree to it, Cy will go on the offensive. Mellie is willing to take her chances. She wants what she asked for, nothing less. The clock is ticking.

Olivia wants her team to be sure that Cyrus is the mole before they accuse one of her best friends of betraying his country and trying to kill her. Huck lets Olivia know that Cyrus ordered Charlie to kill Amanda Tanner. He tells her this because the last person who was sleeping with the president ended up dead. That’s not something he wants to happen to her. Olivia is starting to believe that Cyrus may, indeed, be the mole. Tracking his man Charlie down won’t be easy.

Cyrus tells Mellie that he’ll get rid of Olivia. He has the Lauren summon Jake away from his guard duty. Mellie realizes that Sally Langston is circling. Cyrus shows up at Olivia’s place. He’s shocked to see that Jake hasn’t left his post. The two men threaten to expose each other’s secrets before a defeated Cy turns to leave. Olivia lets Jake into her place. They reveal secrets to each other. They both think Cyrus may be the mole though Olivia knows that he would never be disloyal to Fitz. Jake wants to know how deeply she’s involved with the president. Olivia kisses him hard denying that there’s anything between her and Fitz.

With his professional life in such disarray, Cyrus is happy that James is back in his corner. That new job really has him happy. At work, Cyrus tries to convince his boss that Mellie is serious about her threat to go nuclear on them with her TV interview in just a few hours. Fitz considers this before leaving the Oval Office. Cyrus thinks he’s going to see Mellie, but the president instead heads over to Olivia’s place. Fitz tells Jake his presence is no longer needed there. He lets Olivia know that he loves her more than he loves being president. He wants her to sit with him until Mellie’s deadline arrives. Fitz wants Olivia to watch him choose her.

The team learns that Charlie brings cannolis to a book club meeting where he has a relationship with a woman named Tammy. Hey, book lovers never go to bed alone. The team tracks down Tammy, who says she has a date with Charlie a little later. He’s a no show though. The team learns that Tammy is a court stenographer who kept the noted for the Defiance grand jury. Charlie stole her laptop. He wanted her notes. Since Cyrus already knows about Defiance, the notes couldn’t be for him. He’s not the mole. So who is Albatross? Jake lets his boss know that Cyrus knows more about his operation than he should. He wants to track down the person he has working for him. Jake sees video of Charlie breaking into his place to watch the video of him and Olivia together at her apartment. In other news, Fitz sits calmly across from Olivia as the clock strikes nine. Mellie’s deadline has arrived. Olivia is overwhelmed with emotion. She steps over to Fitz, leans in and kisses him passionately. Back at Blair House, Cyrus tries to assure Mellie that they’ll get Fitz back. The devastated First Lady is having none of it. She orders him away. Cyrus is stunned to learn that James is the person interviewing the First Lady. Mellie reveals that she’s been having difficulties in her marriage. She lets the world know that her husband has been unfaithful to her. She’s moved out of the White House to work through his betrayal. Olivia’s phone is ringing and ringing. She’s not answering. She’s way too busy making love to the President of the United States.

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~ Special Thanks to ABC.com for providing the recap for A Woman Scorned ~

Cast

Main Cast Kerry Washington as Olivia Pope Columbus Short as Harrison Wright Darby Stanchfield as Abby Whelan Katie Lowes as Quinn Perkins Guillermo Díaz as Huck Jeff Perry as Cyrus Beene Joshua Malina as David Rosen Bellamy Young as First Lady Mellie Grant Tony Goldwyn as President Fitzgerald Grant

Recurring Cast Scott Foley as Jake Ballard Dan Bucatinsky as James Novak George Newbern as Charlie Joe Morton as Mysterious Man Sharmila Devar as Lauren Wellman Kate McGregor-Stewart as Mary Guest Cast Molly Baker as Rachel Moss Amy Farrington as Tammy Blakely

Credits

For a full list of cast/character credits in order as they appeared click here: A Woman Scorned Credits

Filming Dates

• (3/22) - The cast did a table read for this episode
• (3/25) - Kerry was fitted for her outfits
• (3/27) - Jeff, Kerry & Tony were filming, while being directed by Tony.
• (3/27) - Dan was on set filming scenes
• (3/28) - The cast & crew were on set and took a break to watch Snake in the Garden.
• (3/28) - Kerry was tweeting to fans until director Tony Goldwyn called her back to set.
• (4/1) - Tony directed a scene on the OPA set with Kerry, Darby, Katie, Columbus & Guillermo.

Gallery

Promotional Photos

→ See and enjoy 15 pictures from A Woman Scorned at Images from A Woman Scorned.

Videos

Promotional Video