ABC Scandal Season 3 Episode 13 Review

A monolouge by Jake opens this week's episode. He says, "Not having a family makes you ripe, ready to be sculpted." He's talking about why he signed up with B6-13 and why he's able to do the things he does. He says, "There's no one there to miss you."

Leo, Sally's campaign manager, enlists the help of Sally's spiritual adviser come to do some "debate prep." What her really wants is for him to get Sally to stop having a meltdown. Sally is boiling over and foaming at the mouth in preparation of debate, but she can't handle being cast out of God's flock. Sally's main concern, however, is not to win the debate. She wants to confess her sins to the public.

Meanwhile, David meets with Olivia's team about Cyrus' assistance with Sally's murder of her husband, Daniel Douglass. This is the first Olivia is hearing of the murder and cover-up and the only thing left for her to do is to confront Cyrus. Unfortunately, when Olivia confronts Cyrus she breaks down in laughter. "They're all murderers, murderers row. No matter who gets elected, they're all murderers." She goes onto saying, "The Fresh Start, the clean race is over. It's dirtied now."

Cyrus is in beast mode, trying to get everything in working order again. He's in overhaul, trying to keep the Fitz's reelection campaign afloat. He says, "All we have to do is keep a lid on this." By "this," he means that Sally murdered her husband in cold blood for being gay and having an affair with his husband, James. By "this," he also means that he needs to keep a lid on the fact that he participated in the cover-up.

Olivia declares she wants nothing to do with him and his cover-up. She says, "I want to walk into the light and feel the sun on my face, Cyrus. You're on your own."

On the other side of the presidential race, Papa Pope demands Sally to win the election. He meets with Leo and demands he do everything in his power to make Sally president. Leo doesn't know what else he can do, but he knows his life depends on Sally winning the election at this point.

Being her romantically flip-flopping self, Olivia goes to Jake's house with fatty food and wine, a bottle for herself. Guzzling down the wine, Jake warns her that he might take advantage of her. He says, "Run away with me Liv, Save me." Her response and avoidance of his proposal is simple, "Take advantage of me, Jake."

The next night by cover of darkness, Cyrus meets with Jake and tells him Sally needs to be killed. Unfortunately for Cyrus, Jake says "No," because jake doesn't think its his responsibility to save the President, only the republic. Cyrus goes in full-rant-mode telling Jake it is B6-13's responsibility to take care of the mess because the country depends on being able to trust their government. The people cannot trust their government if the President's staff covers up the Vice President's murder of her husband.

To this, Jake calls Cyrus a mouse. Jake calls him small. He says, "I could explain to you how the world works, but I don't have the time and you won't really understand." And with that, Jake leaves Cyrus to contemplate the walls closing in on him.

At the fake office, Quinn confronts Jake by telling him that she thinks he's only put her on desk duty because he has feelings for Olivia. The B6-13 paper-front is not going so well with Quinn manning the desk. Quinn isn't great on the phone with her fake paper customers. She's hostile and aggressive with zero phone manners. Quinn's status at B6-13 is "pending" but for now she has to sell paper. She hates it and after Olivia turns Jake's advances down, he gives into Quinn's demands. Jake allows Quinn to officially join B6-13 because she's actually losing them fake paper customers.

Cyrus makes another attempt to get Olivia to help him by asking her to visit Sally. He says, "Just come see what we're dealing with."

When Olivia arrives at Sally's, Sally greets her with, "Olivia Pope, the devil on my doorstep." Sally tells Olivia that without the love of her God, "I am worse than dead." This ominous statement puts Olivia on edge. She knows Sally will attempt to confess to the murder during the debate, as Sally has proved herself just crazy enough to do so. Olivia's only hope is to get Fitz to throw the debate in order to convince Sally that her God has taken her back into the flock.

The debate begins, while Quinn breaks into Olivia's office to steal any evidence of Sally's murder that Olivia might have, by orders from Jake. Jake then has his white house ear in position to shoot Sally if she falters and brings up her murdering ways. Luckily, Fitz does his stumble and Sally takes it as a sign from God.

When Leo goes to Cyrus to gloat about the Sally debate, he points out an odd buzzing sound coming from somewhere in Cyrus' office. After some searching, Cyrus discovers he has been bugged all along in a picture frame of him, James, and their baby. Cyrus then confronts James, knowing that if anyone were to do such a thing it would be James. "You had a right to lie to me," he says to James.

James responds with, "You broke our family."

After telling James he loves him, Cyrus says, "You shouldn't have to pay for my mistakes, James."

The lead up to the final minutes of the episode has James, David, and the reporters meeting at a secret location. Unfortunately for them all, it is Jake who has orchestrated the meeting. With a couple of swift shots from a silenced handgun, the reporters go down immediately. The episode leaves us hanging with a final, fatal gun shot. The question we're left with is: James or David?