We kicked off Scandal Season 5 Episode 8 with the media going nuts over a potential peace treaty between the United States and The Republic of Bandar.
Fitz was prepared to sign on the dotted line alongside the John Hancock of President Razani.
But a hiccup quickly arises when a Bandar diplomat named Navid Turani tells Olivia that he wants to defect to our country due to the human rights violations taking place in his own.
In exchange for this arrangement, he offers the location of a nuclear site, which leaves Cyrus worried. This could kill the entire pact.
Enter Team Gladiator. Our heroes delve into Navid’s backstory, eventually discovering that he’s lying; that’s a soda factory, not a nuclear plant. In response, an angry Olivia denies his asylum request.
After new intel comes out that actually proves Navid correct, we see he’s already slit his wrists, although he remains alive. Turns out, Navid is gay and was seeking asylum to escape certain death.
Happily, Fitz therefore grants the asylum.
To conclude this storyline, Fitz signs the accord and then whispers to Razani that he’s destroying the hidden cyber attacks site (aka soda factory) off the map… and there’s nothing the President can do about it.
Meanwhile, Rowan visits Olivia and attempts to convince her that he’s not the devil in disguise. In fact, Rowan himself is “someone else with their finger on the button, someone far more dangerous than I.”
Dad then tells daughter she should be afraid, as well, emphasizing just how proud he is of her. This prompts Olivia to ask Huck about Lazarus One, which he claims he hasn’t heard of (anyone out there believe him?).
Jake isn’t exactly buying Rowan’s self-proclaimed innocence, though. He tells Olivia hat she doesn’t get to “ride” his “train” of support any longer.
Later, Abby informs Olivia that Cyrus is working with David behind Fitz’s back. She says it’s “only a matter of time” before Fitz learns the truth about how she worked to have Rowan released from jail.
Yearning to regain his place in the inner circle, Cyrus tells David to track Rowan down and return “him to his cement box.” This leads David right to Olivia, who’s arrested for aiding the escape of a prisoner.
Her first visitor in “jail” is Fitz, who simply refuses to believe she played any role in her dad’s release, insisting Olivia would never do that to him because she’s “not Mellie.” Ouch!
We then see (but don’t hear) Olivia seemingly admitting all to her man.
However, instead of Olivia getting the boot… Fitz moves her in! He stuns Cyrus by demanding Olivia be released and sent right to the White House.
“You live here now,” he creepily tells her.
We end the episode with Fitz lying to Olivia about calling off the hit on Rowan, but with an apprehended and terrified Rowan staring at a kidnapper who is NOT Jake.
It’s Huck!
Awesome stuff. Sit back and watch Scandal online to relive this episode’s best moment.
And then check out scenes from next Thursday’s winter finale, Scandal Season 5 Episode 9, below: