Scandal recap: 'The Box'

Luna, Luna, Luna. Such an innocent soul to set off the biggest powder keg yet. With her ascension to the vice presidency, nine drones have been placed over American cities, and they’re way more annoying than the stupid one your uncle got for Christmas and demanded you watch him operate in the backyard. Even worse, Olivia can’t stop the madness. But after QUITE a trying season with some pretty trying characters, the cast we’ve all come to love comes together, and the payoff? Well, let’s just say that in a way, Rowan takes a bite out of crime. Or maybe it was a dinosaur. How about we recap, and you decide?

Let’s assess the new situation. We have a new vice president, and more importantly, unless there’s a double kill with Mellie and Luna (GOD FORBID), we have our first female president. While the plan is being set in motion, Peus calls Olivia to tell her that she has something that belongs to him: President Mellie. And if Olivia isn’t ready to turn Mellie over, he’ll start deploying nine bombs over nine American cities. Olivia calls his bluff, so he fires one off because this group — they’re bonkers.

Still acting as president, Fitz jumps into action as they learn more about that bomb that went off in Dallas. Meanwhile, Rowan asks Olivia to have a drink with him since this is all falling apart. Olivia isn’t ready to give up though, and she’s adamant that her father know it. When they go upstairs, they decide that the key is to find Peus, so they send Jake in to talk to Sarah, Samantha, who even knows anymore. But she’s not willing to help, and she even goes as far to say that the only way she has out is a bullet because he will track her down. Jake follows the cue, pushes her head down, and digs out her tracker. But at least he’s courteous by saying, “I’ll send someone in with a Band-Aid.”

The team takes that tracker and starts to work on Peus’ whereabouts while Abby runs interception on the public’s completely understood terror. But as the team works to solve the Peus problem, the drones start to move again. Peus calls Olivia and demands Mellie and Sarah before detonating another bomb in Philadelphia. When you attack the city of cheesesteaks, you’ve gone too far. With that bomb detonated, Fitz bends again and decides that they need Rowan, but all he wants to do is take off with Olivia.

Of course, that just launches Rowan into the same speech that it seems like he’s giving every episode these days. Fitz grabs Rowan by the collar, and Olivia nearly breaks. The President argues that they have to save the republic, but Rowan screams, “THERE IS NO REPUBLIC!” A little dramatic, friend, but I get where you’re coming from. Olivia asks what they did to Rowan, but he simply tells her to leave. Meanwhile, Fitz wants Abby to launch all of FEMA’s support in Dallas and Philadelphia, but Cyrus makes a (presidential) point: If they do that and these other seven go off? That’s an even bigger disaster.

Rosen pulls Olivia aside to ask about some packages that Rowan had been receiving, but we’ll get back to that later. The pressing issue is what to do with Samantha. Cyrus decides that the best plan of action is to capitalize on the fact that Sarah/Samantha knows nothing, so Jake goes in to tell Samantha that they have Peus, and they don’t need her anymore, and he mostly just wants to see her squirm. As he starts to leave, Samantha breaks and admits that if she can get the “deal” they’ve “offered to Peus,” she’ll reveal more than Peus knows. She’ll reveal everything. Oh, Samantha!

Looking back at that package mystery, Olivia has Huck go back and track the security tapes to discover what was being delivered to Rowan. As he opens each box, he’s disgusted and horrified every time. Each box gets worse, and finally, he throws the box, revealing a brick. After Huck investigates, he reveals that every box weighed the same: 11 pounds.

In that security room, Sarah/Samantha reveals her name is actually Grace. After the immunity paperwork is provided, Grace suggests that maybe she and David start over. And when Grace realizes that it’s all a ruse, she rips up the immunity and calls David out for being twitchy when he lies. And let’s be clear… no one watching should be a proponent of men hitting women, or honestly, anyone hitting anyone else, but when David hauls off and punches Grace, saying, “Am I twitchy now?” America collectively screams in joy.

Meanwhile, Fitz goes to visit Rowan about that 11-pound brick box. He tries to level with Rowan, admitting that he knows what’s it like not to be in control. His presidency, his campaigns, his time with Olivia. Rowan makes sure to point out that it’s not the same. But then Rowan opens up about that brick and how it was to represent the human head, ranging in size from 9 to 11 pounds. The day he stopped cooperating, that brick would be placed with Olivia’s head. Yeah, Se7en-style, guys. In the end, this all comes back to Olivia. How can Rowan protect Olivia? How can Fitz protect her? We have to protect the White Hat!

Returning to the control room, it appears Peus has moved his drones closer to buildings. If the White House takes them out, they’ll still be causing casualties, so Fitz holds off. They can’t afford to make mistakes with 63 already dead, 19 of them children. It’s a bleak day at the White House. But Olivia insists that he can’t just turn over Mellie. He has to hold out. That’s when they’re interrupted by Rowan, who wants a private moment with the president. You read that right. And he came to apologize and help… you read that right, too. How will he help? Oh, he’s going to go see Grace. He apologizes to Olivia for what he’s about to do.

He grabs a gun and has Grace uncuffed. He shoots a guard to get the passcode to the tunnel, and he tells Grace that she can come along with him if she can ensure his safety. She says she doesn’t have the authority, but she can get it. To be honest, it all feels a bit too loosely thrown together to be an airtight plot point. I’m all about holding on for the crazy. If you aren’t, you’ve likely already given up on Scandal this season. But this show relies on us staying along for the ride… going off the cliff together. So hang in there, guys.

Abby connects with Cyrus, but he’s not interested in her excuses and complaints about being left out. He’s here to be in the Oval, and if she wants it, she’ll find a way in. Meanwhile, Mellie comes to Olivia because she can’t deal with the loss. She’s ready to turn herself in, and Olivia hops into action to remind her that she’s the first female president, and that makes her a nasty woman, and they need to be Nasty Women together.

In the dinosaur room, Rowan delivers Grace to Peus. But as they leave, Rowan makes the call to let the team know that Peus is on the move. You see, Rowan put together a genius plan to finally take this duo out. Jake takes out Peus when he doesn’t see it coming. And Samantha Grace Sarah Annoying Face? Rowan literally jams a dinosaur tooth into her side. HE KILLS HER WITH A DINOSAUR TOOTH. I’m done. We’re all done.