Scandal

You lost a big trial.

This trial was lost, I didn't lose it.

*** has decided you need to take a leave of absence.

Previously on Scandal

I just wanna know how she did it, Olivia.

We won this case.

Quinn is going to live, and despite popular opinion around here

that is a good thing.

Ready to work across the hall from the Molotov mistress?

- How are you? - Fine

Except my married ex-boyfriend keeps calling me.

I know you hate me,

and I know you don't even wanna be in the same room with me,

but you have to forgive me.

How's your pregnant wife?

Tell me what to do, and I'll do it.

Let me go.

Red button.

Oh, come on, senator.

He was nowhere near to pushing that...

Our President was about to push

that big, red, scary-as-hell button

and take us to war in east Sudan

on faulty, irresponsible intelligence.

Which he quickly realized...

And took the appropriate steps...

By firing the C.I.A. director

that he himself appointed five minutes ago.

What does it say for the people that he surrounds himself with?

This President's more in bed with special interests

than the last three commanders in chief combined.

Here we go. Same old democrat partisan...

Just look at the white house logs, senator.

They read like a who's who of big pharma,

N.R.A., insurance companies,

oil tycoons like Hollis Doyle

are running around like they own the place.

Now I think the American people deserve to know

what is a man like that

doing with nearly unlimited access to the west wing?

And you'll get to respond to that in a moment,

senator Gilbert, after we take this short break.

Let me guess...some third cousin died, then you went

- out of the country. - You're wearing pinstripes.

Yeah, see, that doesn't explain

the three years of not returning my calls.

- Pinstripes on prime time? - Oh.

You joined the fashion police. That's where you've been.

I don't care what you wear.

Just know that no one will hear a word you're saying

when your suit is moving, vibrating

across their screen. Also, you're sighing

every time senator Gilbert speaks. Don't.

It makes you seem condescending and elitist,

which frankly, doesn't exactly matter, because I'm way

- too distracted by the... - Pinstripes. Yeah.

So... am I in?

Am I finally a client of Olivia Pope and Associates?

You agree I'm obviously in need of your expertise.

Good luck, senator.

You take care, Liv.

I don't have cash on me. I don't carry debit cards.

If you're hoping for a ransom, I don't have many friends.

And if you're planning on anything else,

you should know that there are security cameras

trained on every inch of this garage,

and the police, who I am dialing right now,

will identify you within minutes.

There aren't any cameras, Ms. Pope.

In fact, this is the only part of the building without cameras.

That's why I'm here. That's why I had...

I-I'm sorry, okay? I-I didn't mean to follow you

or freak you out. It's just... They're following me,

and they're freaking me out, and I-I didn't know

where else to go, and I know that you fix things

and you solve problems, and I got some problems, Ms. Pope...

Some really, really big problems.

You need to get out of my car now!

Okay. I'm sorry. My bad.

They'll... they'll... They'll kill me, Ms. Pope.

You... you... let me explain. You have to.

They're following you, too!

The government... Th-they know everything.

They know all about the late-night phone calls

from the west wing!

(projector and camera shutter click)

I forgot how tiny and cute they are...

The baby clothes.

Yeah. (Chuckles)

Feeling okay?

Fine.

Great, actually.

'Cause if you're not sure...

You can't cancel the hunt.

I could, if you were ill.

My pregnant wife not feeling well.

Never felt better. The party loves when you hunt.

Every year, I have to spend a day

- squatting in some weeds... - A marsh.

- Shooting helpless chickens... - Ducks.

- So the gun crazies can feel good... - The good people of the N.R.A.

- about some nut job... - Citizen.

Carrying a kalashnikov assault rifle in the back of his truck.

Exercising the freedoms afforded to him

by the United States constitution.

You should go shoot the ducks.

I should. I'm an excellent shot.

We have an enormous staff.

I'm sure if you ask, someone could fold those for you.

It's a 32-piece antique hand-embroidered layette

with a personal note enclosed

written by her majesty queen Elizabeth.

Wow.

Wow. I am folding these baby clothes.

You are definitely folding those baby clothes.

What?

Nothing.

It's just...

This is nice.

Yeah.

Um...

Oh, a double capp?

Welcome back.

And a half-caf, no foam, one pump vanilla,

extra hot soy latte.

That's two pumps of vanilla, Lindsay.

She'll grow up and get over it eventually.

Just ride it out.

They love to use what's already in the room...

Moldings, picture frames, light fixtures,

but now with this new program, they don't need bugs,

'cause we are the bugs...

Our laptops, smartphones, cell phones...

Cell phones off. Everybody, turn off your cell phones!

They can track the signals.

Why are you all just standing there?

What in the hell? We eat on that table. Liv.

This is Artie Hornbacher.

Four hours ago, Artie stole this from the N.S.A.

You stole from the national security agency?

I'm not in this. You're in this.

- What is it? - It's called Thorngate. It's everything.

Everything. It blows "we the people" to pieces.

It removes the stars and the stripes on the flag.

Artie.

- Sorry. - He says he's got evidence

the N.S.A.'s spying on American citizens.

What, like spying spying,

like spying on American citizens, here at home?

That is everything.

- I told you. - Check him out.

(Projector and camera shutter clicking)

Arthur "Artie" Hornbacher...

Low-level N.S.A. Data entry specialist.

Kept the same job, same salary, for 16 years,

which is either admirable or pathetic,

depending on your definition of success.

Easy menial job which allows him time

to follow his true passion as an online crusader.

- Against what? - Every coffee chain in America.

According to Artie, the decaffeination process

is a lie, and a coordinated government/corporate deception.

I was doing data entry, same thing I always do,

grouping batches by source and entry point...

Riyadh, Tel Aviv, Cairo, Milan...

But then this one batch...

Suddenly, it's Columbus, Philly, Portland.

The addresses? They're... they're all domestic.

Do you know what that means? Big brother. The eye in the sky.

Millions of Americans are being watched right now,

and they have no idea.

You told your supervisors about this?

Of course I did, repeatedly,

and they said they'd look into it,

and then suddenly, I'm being followed.

So I took it, okay? I took proof of Thorngate.

- Maybe it was a mistake, but... - (Scoffs) Maybe?

But I did it, so now you have to hide me,

because these people... They won't just kill me.

They'll make it look like I never existed.

He's also lactose-intolerant, allergic to grass, honey,

strawberries, peanuts, is a type 1 diabetic,

and believes that vaccines are demonic.

It's just a report on border security.

It's just the firewall.

The N.S.A. protected this program with everything

in their arsenal, in case it ever got stolen, like right now.

Seriously, Liv, he's certifiable.

We can't take this guy on as a client.

Just 'cause he's weird doesn't mean he's crazy.

He thinks the N.S.A.'s trying to kill him.

- My story didn't make any sense at first. - Still doesn't.

- Everyone thought that I was crazy, too. - Still do.

Might be time to poke the hive.

(Projector and camera shutter clicking)

I know you by reputation.

I'm happy to be able to put a face to a name.

Thanks for seeing me on short notice.