Scandal

I can't do this.

You're the biggest bitch I know.

Don't tell me you can't do this.

Man: This has been the defining moment

of Mellie Grant's political career,

previously on "scandal"...

I've underestimated you, i think, Gabby.

You owe me an apology

for not bothering to learn my name.

When you told me Fitz loved me,

what you really meant

I was supposed to choose you.

Huck: You are nobody's father.

- You were right. - Welcome home, son.

You have the oval.

This is what power looks like.

Guess what... I am a big dog.

Fitz: I was trying to save us!

There is no us!

We tried.

We did.

Announcer: "The Liberty report" with Sally Langston.

Lovers of Liberty, we are back.

Now, where were we?

Ah, power.

Power, my dear lovers of Liberty,

is the beating heart of our nation's bosom.

The high and mighty members of the political elite feed on it,

breed on it, for power is the host,

the enormous teat off which this entire town suckles.

Oh, and you wonder why

Washington can't get anything done.

The hunt for power is all-consuming.

Everyone always needs more, and nobody ever has enough.

The stories I could tell you.

Thank you.

Celebrity.

Has your, uh, newfound notoriety been good for business?

Please don't start.

Olivia, you're overcompensating.

You're starting.

You stood on the mountaintop.

The ring of fire was around you.

You played him like a fiddle.

You held power in your hands.

You were power.

You had the oval.

My baby had the oval.

You were running the place, and he was clueless.

Tell me I'm wrong.

It's better this way.

No.

You can fool those twits over there,

but you can't fool me.

Mnh-mnh. You've tasted blood.

You know what it's like.

You want it.

He tried to make me into a first lady.

Hmm.

It felt like I was some kind of prisoner.

Go ahead. Say it.

Say what?

That no one can ever cage me unless I let them,

that I was in control all along

because true power is never lost.

Freedom is in my hands.

Say it.

Clearly I don't have to.

I miss you.

I wish you'd come by the house more often.

You know I can't do that.

Because of him?

Why is Jake there?

What is he doing there with you?

He hates you.

Jake has come home.

So should you.

Then again, perhaps it is better to fight for the pleasure

of ripping the beating heart of power from America's chest,

to hold it in your bloody hands,

than it is to never have entered the battle at all.

After all, to be empty-handed is to be powerless.

And in this town, powerless means impotent.

And who wants to be impotent?

You're late.

You knew I was at dinner with my father.

I don't like waiting.

Then don't. Leave.

You really want me to go?

[ Otis Redding's & Carla Thomas' "tramp" plays ]

Carla: Tramp.

Otis: What you call me?

Tramp. You didn't.

You don't wear continental clothes or stetson hats.

Well, I'll tell you one dog-gone thing.

It makes me feel good to know one thing.

Matter of opinion.

That's all right.

Mama was. Papa, too.

You know what, Otis?

What?

You're country.

That's all right.

You straight from the Georgia woods.

That's good.

You know what?

You wear overalls and big, old Brogan shoes,

and you need a haircut, tramp.

Haircut? Woman, you foolin'.

Mama was. Grandmama too.

Papa too.

Don't make you one.

Tramp!

That's right.

You know what, Otis? I don't care what you say.

You're still a tramp. Ah, sweet Washington.

The lines people will cross to get just a bit of power here.

The scheming, the planning,

the favors bought and sold and stolen...

Why, it's true modern warfare... A bloody, bloody battle.

No one emerges unscathed.

I couldn't be prouder to be an American.

How about you?

Good evening, Mr. president.

Hey, Abby. You busy?

At 2:00 in the morning?

No, sir. I'm free. What's up?

I'm gonna need my schedule cleared for the next three days

so I can prepare for the east Asia summit.

Okay.

You have it?

Do I have...?

My schedule.

Oh, sir, i-i do,

but, uh... you would probably be more, uh, efficient

if you talk to Cyrus about your schedule.

You know, him being chief of staff and all.

I'm on the phone with you right now.

How is that not efficient?

You're absolutely right, sir.

Let's see.

I can clear up most of your schedule,

but I can't get you out of the gridiron dinner.

You should join me for that.

I'd rather not.

It'll be fun.

No, it won't.

No, but we can talk about the summit.

I can't go, sir.

Why not?

It's Leo.

Leo?

Well, he's sick... Very sick.

Terrible flu.

He's here right next to me, trying to sleep.

I'll have Charlotte send over some chicken soup

from this place I know in Bethesda tomorrow.

He'll love it.

Very kind of you, sir.

Not a problem.

So, let's talk about this carbon-emissions cap

we want president guo to agree to.

There another room you can go in?

You should probably let Leo get his rest.

Of course, sir. Moving to another room right now.

Hey, we got a client. Are you gonna open the door?

I'm in my pajamas. What do you need, huck?

Uh, we got a client.

You could've called.

This isn't the kind of client

you want to talk about on the phone,

given the usual NSA phone surveillance that goes on.

Are you gonna open the door? Are you okay?

I'm fine. What do you mean?

I mean, you won't open the door, and that's weird.

Is there someone in there?

What do you mean about the client?

"This isn't the kind of client you want to talk about

on the phone, because of NSA surveillance."

Oh, yeah, we definitely do not want

anyone at the NSA to hear about this.

Why? Who's the client?

The head of the NSA.

Get out. Now.

Quinn: Air force lieutenant general Diane Peters...

Director of the national security agency,

chief of the central security service,

commander of U.S. cyber command.

Say that five times fast.

Graduated from the air force academy

with a double major in computer science

and electrical engineering.

Awarded the air force distinguished service medal

for the safe extraction of a NATO unit

pinned down behind enemy lines in Sarajevo.

She ran the threat operation center until three years ago

when president Grant appointed her director of the NSA.

First woman to hold that post.

She's a total badass.

I was gonna say trailblazer, but, yeah, badass works, too.