"Shut it down or get fired, people!" "All set?" "One sec." "For over two decades, she's been making sure I'm presentable." "Where would I be without her?" "Okay, we're ready." "Rolling." "Sound." "Action." "First question..." "Charlotte." "Charlotte!" "Charlotte!" "Who's in charge of the president's detail today?" " His secret service detail?" " Obviously." "Call whoever's in charge." "Call them." "Get them here now... now, Charlotte, now!" "Thankfully, Noah, we lean on each other." "We lean on our marriage." "But I don't know that you ever get used to character attacks, especially when they have no basis in the truth." "Part of the package of public office." "It's certainly not new... not that that makes it any fairer to my family." "Right." "We're running it, people!" "Our marriage is stronger than ever, but we're human, and it's hard when they attack our friends." "And Olivia has been an important friend to us, as well as an advisor." " Crash box." "North lawn." " Sir, sir." "I'm sorry." "You'll have to stop filming." "Ma'am." "Crash box?" "An alarm, often tripped by an intrusion." "There's an intruder in the White House?" " Falcon's secure." "Foxtail's secure." " First lady's on the move." "It could be a false alarm, but we can never take that chance." "I'll be right back." "Please wait here." "We're clear." "Foxtail's secure." "Wait." "Protocol is the bunker." "Why aren't we... you said there was an intruder." "They lied." "I asked them to lie." "I needed to get you out of there, sir." "What the hell is going on here, Abby?" "Olivia Pope, are you the president's mistress?" "Yes." ""Yes."" ""Yes"?" "Noah." "So sorry about all of that." "What'd you do, pay a homeless guy to crash the White House gates?" "The secret service is handling what I'm sure was a very real threat." "Cut the crap, Abby." "I'm gonna need that tape, Noah." "The tape where the first couple pledged their love to each other at almost the exact same time that Olivia Pope confirmed her affair with the president?" "People, the word of the day is "silence."" "Not a peep, tweet, or whisper leaves this White House unless it has been approved by me... no "off the record," nothing "on background," not one slip." "Our job is to protect our president." "Ohh." "Oh, look, it's the girl who can't shut her legs... or her mouth." "We've got one hour to give Noah Baker an exclusive interview with the president and first lady, or he runs the footage of you lying about the affair." "What do you expect us to say exactly?" "The truth." "The truth?" "Yes, Mellie." "We have no other choice." "Thanks to her." "We can spin this." "Uh, you can say you grew apart after..." "The death of your son." "You can say you're getting a divorce." "You can say you're pained by that, but, in the end, it's the best thing for your family and the country." "Are you out of your minds?" "I am not saying any of that." "I am not sitting down with you and Noah Baker and..." "We cannot lie!" "We have no choice." "Go to your office." "Wait there." "We will inform you when it's time to do the interview." "Before you settle on the truth, there are other options to consider... less hazardous options." "We are fully aware." "Door number two... you cast me as the trashy homewrecker with a long history of seducing powerful men." " We considered that." " And dismissed it." "Door number three... you admit the affair, but stay with Mellie through your term." "We are doing the interview, telling the truth, and moving on..." "Together." "I'll tell Noah the interview's on." "I'm sorry." "Stop." "I should've warned you." "I wasn't thinking." "I should've said..." "I loved what you said." "Senator Grant." "Senator." "I know you're angry." "I know this is difficult." "I can't imagine what else you must be feeling, but this interview is not just to help him, Senator." "This interview can work for you, too." "Senator, please, if you will just..." "Hi, there, Red." "Cyrus." "Why... why are you here?" "I'm answering the call." "Answering the call?" "Answering the call... the call to serve." "The call to serve?" "Crap." "I have been called into service for my country, Red." "The Junior Senator of the great state of Virginia has asked me to serve as her chief advisor." "Ma'am, I am begging you, for the good of the country..." "Now, now, let's not do that." "Stop and smell the " 'merica," Red." "Besides, there's no time to beg." "I hear there's a clock ticking on an interview the president would like the senator to participate in, and if that's the case, well, then, there are gonna be some things we would like in return." "You are negotiating?" " Look at you, quicker than ever." " Okay, fine." "What do you want?" "We'll be in touch." "What?" "Cyrus, we are running out of time!" "So..." "Tell me." "What do you want?" "I want to destroy Olivia Pope." "I want her to suffer like I have suffered." "I want her to suffer so much it makes him suffer." "I want to make them bleed." "I want their every breath to reek of poison!" "Mellie." "This is a very important moment." "Don't waste it being human." "Your answer will define your future." "Think like a champion." "Think like a warrior." "Raise your sword and run into battle and tell me what the inscription on your monument will read when the history books glorify you." "Tell me." "What do you want?" "I want the oval." "Yes!" "There's been a hiccup." "Cyrus." "Cyrus?" "Your wife reached out to him." "He's acting as her advocate for the negotiations." "What negotiations?" "What they want in order to agree to the interview." "She'll get nothing, and she'll like it." "Sir!" "Get out of my way." "This is a negotiation, sir, not an argument." "If you go in there hot, we'll never make our deadline." " Move!" " Which is exactly why you can't be involved." " Excuse me?" " It's too personal between you and the first lady, sir." "You don't know what the hell you're talking about." "Move now, or you're fired." "So fire me." "Fitz." "Hear her out." "I am doing my job, sir." "I am focused on doing my job for you... protecting the oval, protecting the presidency." "May I ask, sir, what you are focused on right now?" "She's right." "Anger gets you nowhere." "Nothing gets agreed on without my say-so." "Thank you, sir." "And the White House response to Pope's declaration has so far been silence..." "a total, complete lockdown." "¿Dónde está Olivia Pope?" "¿Está en la Casa Blanca?" "Por ahora, no sabemos, pero..." "No, Olivia Pope  Associates has no comment at this time." "We're under attack." "Hackers from all over are trying to get in," " but the firewalls are holding." " You're calling again, Jim?" "No comment means no comment." "No, I'm not answering that... because..." "No comment!" "I see your stealth port scan, Taiwan." "Good luck getting past the IPS protocol!" "No inglés." "Once again, if you have just joined us," " Olivia Pope has just..." " What are you doing?" " We were watching that." " Why?" "For what?" "Hey." "Do you know what you just did?" "I was in the middle of delivering kill worms to the power grid." "Huck, holy..." "You were gonna turn off the Internet?" "Oh, no, I was gonna erase the Internet." "Nice!" "No." "No, not nice." "Hey, we're helping Liv." "Liv did not ask for your help." "She does not want your help." "She did this." "You know why you don't know about any plan?" "Because you are not part of any plan." "The plan already happened." "The plan was Olivia Pope standing on that sidewalk and, with one word, obliterating any life she's ever known." "The plan was Liv requiring the same thing of herself that she requires of her clients, standing by the one thing, following the only rule that matters to her." "What is that?" "Do not lie." "Do." "Not." "Lie." "That was it." "That was her plan." "The plan is done." "Liv finally stood on her own, and we are done." "So that's it?" "No plan?" "We're just gonna sit here and do nothing?" "My plan is to sit here and drink the majority of this vodka and get remarkably wasted and watch the world end." "Anyone care to join me?" "In order to do this interview, in which she will say that she and the president are divorcing amicably" "Senator Grant requires a few very simple things." "First of all, the president will support the senator's bid for the White House." "That doesn't mean waving a few pom-poms and phoning in a couple of interviews on the Sunday circuit." "It means that, politically, the president is her bitch." "He will be by her side on the trail, at the click of her Ruby-red heels." "He will fill her collection plate as many times as she asks." "Got it?" "Is that it?" "Senator Grant would also like to limit the exposure of this relationship." "Olivia will not move into the White House." "Marriage is a nonstarter." "The first affair doesn't make any appearances as a public couple, not until senator Mellie Grant becomes President Mellie Grant." "Additionally, any and all interaction by Olivia Pope with the children... the senator's children..." "must be cleared with her." "I'll do my best." "Before we become besties, I have some demands of my own." "I'm sorry." "Your demands?" "Namely that I refuse to negotiate in this office and I refuse to negotiate with you." "Red, tell him what I said, and tell me what he says back." "Cyrus said Mellie wants you on the trail... campaign stops, fundraising, photo OPS, whatever she thinks she needs." "That'll be more time than we've spent together in years." "She would also like the two of you to remain discreet... no public appearances, no photos." "That's... you tell Cyrus that what she's asking for is out of the question." "It isn't out of the question." "We need to be done with her." "We need to move on, make a clean break." "And this is how we do it... by giving Mellie what she wants, by keeping her as happy as we possibly can." "We need Mellie on our side." "Fitz, I've negotioted dozen of divorces, amicable and ugly, for husbands and wives." "So believe me when I tell you that, for 20 years of marriage, a few campaign stops and a little discretion isn't too much to ask." "It really isn't." "We need her to be happy, and that means letting her feel like she's won." "Anything else?" "Cyrus says he wants to negotiate with me and not Elizabeth." " Why does that matter?" " It's a power move." "He's got an ax to grind with Liz, and he's putting her in her place, not to mention driving a wedge between Abby and me." "A wedge?" "Abby." "Why don't I let you two discuss Cyrus' offer?" "Abby." "Abby." "Hey." "Is there a problem here?" "A problem?" "What kind of a problem?" "Like a friend who lied to my face, that kind of a problem?" "Don't let Cyrus turn this..." "No, this has nothing to do with Cyrus." "You lied to me." "I was trying to protect you." "You weren't trying to protect me." "I was trying to protect..." "You were trying to protect yourself." "Come on." "You..." "Lied right to my face." "I asked you flat-out, and you said you were not seeing him." "You said, "no, Abby, I'm not sleeping with the president of the United States,"" "to my face, and then I had to get up on that podium and be humiliated in front of all my peers." "You left me to die up there." "If I had told you..." "If you had told me, I could've protected you." "If you had told me," "I could've turned off the cameras in the residence." "If you had told me, none of us would be in this situation right now." "But you didn't." "I didn't want you to have to lie for me." " I didn't want you to..." " You didn't want to tell me because you didn't think I'd be good enough at my job to handle it." "Did you?" "I like Martinis." "Oh, yeah, because James Bond likes them." "It's... hey, nothing to be ashamed of, Perkins." "Every new spy does it." "I did it." "Me too." "I got to take this." "Hey." "How's it going?" "What's going on over there?" "What's going on over there?" "I asked you first." "Here, we're, uh, drinking." "Well, technically, we're drunk." "But, also, we're drinking." "Sounds fun." "I could use a drink." "I think I made a mistake." "What I said to the press... not my best move." "Just say the word, Liv, and I'm on my way." "I'm good." "Also, you're too drunk to drive." "Have one for me, okay?" "Done." "The president agrees not to marry Liv" " while in the White House." " Good." "What else?" "And he will join Mellie on the campaign trail..." " five stops max." " Eight." " Six." " Seven." " He won't go for it." " Then she won't accept it." "Senator Grant needs President Grant's support in order to become the next President Grant." "Appearing at six campaign stops is better than none, don't you think?" "Fine, six, but then Mellie gets the house in Santa Barbara, too." "What?" "That house has been in his family for generations." "And Olivia cannot take the Grant name." "Under no circumstance can there be a second Mrs. Grant." " We want that one in writing." " Cyrus." "Take the demands back to the president, or I will take them to him myself." "You're joking." "And she wants it in writing." "What's next, my blood?" "How about a kidney?" "Find out which one she wants, and we'll cut it out on national TV." "This is total insanity." "I'm just the messenger." "Print up the agreement." "Is that what you want, sir?" "Let's get this over with." "Tell me we have a deal." "We have an agreement if I can get it to print." "Toner?" "You've got to be kidding me." "Do you think the White House was always her goal?" " Mellie?" " I don't think so." "Olivia." "I mean, just looking at her history..." "Well, she started small... lobbyists, representatives, Senator Davis." "Do you think she broke off that engagement" "'Cause she knew she could do better?" "You've been digging through Cyrus' files." "Just doing my homework." "By reading the kill file on Olivia Pope?" "You got to admit there's a pattern to her relationships." "We are printing out these deal points." "We are getting this interview done." "We are not gathering ammunition against Olivia." "We already have it." "Let's just hope we don't have to use it." "They caved on the Santa Barbara house?" "They caved on everything." "Read the third page." "I tacked on a maintenance and staff allowance of 500 grand a year... an allowance to be used at your total discretion," "I might add." "No." "What do you mean?" "I mean no." "I won't..." "I can't accept this." "Mellie, we got it all." "Fitz is giving you everything you asked for." "This isn't it." "This isn't enough." "I should've asked for more." " More?" " More." "What more is there, Mellie?" "I don't know!" "I just know that I want more!" "Well, what are you gonna give them?" "In order to get, you got to give." "That's how this whole thing works." "It didn't used to work that way, not when you were behind the wheel." "You have lost it, Cyrus." "I've what?" "You have sat at home too long with your TV and your whore, and you have lost your edge." "The Cyrus I knew was an animal, a monster who cared about one thing and one thing only... getting it done." "And that is..." "You're not him anymore." "You don't have the fire." "You don't have the drive." "You're soft." "Everybody's changed on me." "I'll see what I can do." "The president will see you now." "I know it's getting down to the wire, sir, but at this point, 20 minutes out, I've done..." "I'm doing everything I can, but Mellie won't budge." "I apologize that I haven't been able to come through for you, for the country." "I'm sorry about that, but the senator's heels are dug in, sir." "She's... being Mellie." "You have been nothing but gracious in these negotiations..." "And generous... more generous than I would be if I were in your shoes." "Unfortunately, Mellie's not operating on the same level." "That's disappointing." "What does she want?" "M-may... may I speak frankly?" "I don't know if she'll ever go for this." "She's... her feelings are hurt, her pride, her heart." "She may not have believed you were in love, but..." "You liked her." "Y-you were a team." "And now... now you took away your friendship." "Sh-she's bewildered." "She doesn't have anyone." "She's lost, lonely." "I don't know." "I think..." "Go on." "You need to take her back." "In my opinion, that's how this goes away... if you take Mellie back and..." "I'm sorry... put your relationship with Liv on hold until you leave office, until the spotlight shifts from you to Mellie." "It's an unfair sacrifice, but one you may want to consider, one that I'd advise you to consider if I still worked for you." "Is that all?" "Yes, sir." "Thank you, Cyrus." "Thank you, Mr. President." "Where you going?" "I need some air." "Ugh." "I'm looking for my hooch." "You didn't drink it... did you, Olivia?" "... while you were sleeping in my bed like Goldilocks?" "No." "I hid it all over back when..." "After the funeral." "Now it's like emergency supplies." "I should go." "You're gonna need the hooch..." "All the hideously long days and nights you're about to spend hosting ridiculous galas and balls, standing by his side, your teeth smeared with Vaseline so your smile stays wide and bright like you're some kind of wax figure." "Ah!" "Yes!" "Trust me, this stuff is the only thing that gets you through... the lady lunching and the curating, the tedious cause you have to come up with and then pretend to care about." "Do you like to decorate, Olivia?" "Come wintertime, do you find little snowflake ornaments and golden pinecones just adorable?" "I hope you do because those 111 Christmas trees don't just design themselves." "What the hell?" "You want some?" "I didn't poison it." "See?" "Mmm!" "I don't want any." "Thanks." "You don't get to say what you don't want, not in here." "Your wants, your needs..." "Nobody cares anymore." "All that matters from now on is him." "You will make so many sacrifices and compromises." "You won't even feel like a real person anymore." "You will be unrecognizable." "You think you're gonna be able to keep that little business of yours up and running, that group of thugs you got working for you?" "What, you're gonna find a place for them here on your staff in the White House?" "I don't think so." "You forfeit all that the moment he takes your hand and presents you to the world." "You get dropped in a cage, and you are trapped." "The amount of bile you will force yourself to choke down..." "But like I said, that's what this here liquid gold is for." " To feel numb." " Oh, honey, no." "Living here in this prison, that is what makes you feel numb." "This is what makes you feel alive." "When you go back down to the oval and you sit next to Fitz..." "I hope you know what you're really fighting for." "And whatever hooch you dig up around here... consider it my parting gift." "Oh, Abby!" "You're good with words." "Help me out with the lead for my piece, all right?" "We open with the footage of the secret service busting through that door, and it's chaotic, and they're like, "Sir!" "Ma'am!" "Defcon!" "Security!" Whatever." " I mean, people love that stuff, right?" " Uh-huh." "And then my voiceover begins..." ""an intruder sent the White House into lockdown this morning and the staff scrambling for cover." "Turns out the only intruder was ex-White House staffer Olivia Pope."" "And then we cut to the sound bite where the president and first lady blatantly lie and pretend that their marriage is rock solid." "I mean, that is ratings gold, right?" "Maybe, but you're not gonna need it." "We are on track, Noah." "I promise you, you have nothing to worry about." "Okay, well, I'm just covering my ass in case" "I don't see the first couple in the next 16 minutes." "I mean, you got to be prepared, right?" "Maybe if we offer Mellie a-a cabinet position." "Absolutely not." " An ambassadorship?" " No." "We're running out of options, sir!" "Abby." "Can you give us a minute?" "Fine." "But we only have 10 of them." "I'm calling it." " You're what?" " It's over." "Mellie's..." "Not taking the deal." "Liv." "Nothing we have to offer is going to make her change her mind, so..." "You take her back, and we wait." "Liv. 18 months." "Is that how much longer you have in office?" "Doesn't matter." "What's the difference at this point?" "Just take her back." "She got to you." "I saw her." "She talked." "I listened." "What did she say?" "It doesn't matter." " It matters." " Why?" "Because I want to know what made you decide to give up." "I'm not giving up." "You are giving up!" "On what?" "On you?" "On us?" "Or on everything I've worked for my entire life?" "What exactly am I giving up on here, Fitz?" "There has to be something, right?" "In order to be together, in order to live here, in order to be your first lady..." "You ever think about what I'm giving up?" "One of the valets let me in." "I'm not gonna say who because they have two kids to feed and there aren't that many valet jobs anymore, as far as I know." "I just..." "Wanted one last moment alone with this view." "I'm sorry." "You're feeling abandoned." "Don't make me out to be some sad victim." "I'm not." "You're feeling abandoned because I abandoned you." "I did." "I took everything you offered me over the years... your love, your support, your unwavering belief that I could be great..." "I took it all and used it to get here." "I used it to become one of 44 men fortunate enough to lead this country." "And I didn't always say thank you, but deep down, I knew how I got here." "So thank you." "Because I know..." "And I'm sorry." "You think you can just apologize to me after years of treating me like a mutt and I'll just go down there and sell your lie to Noah Baker?" "I have sacrificed so much for you..." "So much." "What have you ever sacrificed for me, Fitz?" "You are going to be the first woman to put her hand on the Bible in front of the Capitol Building and be sworn in..." "As President of the United States of America." "I believe that as strongly as you ever believed in me." "I broke up the team." "I couldn't do it anymore." "I don't have your will." "And that must feel like an awful betrayal." "I thought we would grow old together." "I know." "Me too." "Five minutes to the interview and counting." "Talking points... read them, memorize them." "Soon as that interview starts, you pass them along to every surrogate and party official." "Use them to prep and background any reporter that has questions." "It's simple, people... one White House, one message." "Oh." "I-I was looking for..." "He's in the oval, getting ready for the interview." "Oh, okay." "Thanks." "Abby." "I'm sorry I lied to you." "I'm just not used to any of this." "I mean, in any other situation, I would be..." "Me." "You'd be me." "Yeah." "This is new for me." "But you should know the view from here." "I think you are very good at your job." "Yeah, well..." "I learned all my moves from the best in the business." "Thanks, Kyle." "Thanks." "Sir, I hope I didn't overstep earlier, but I'm glad you decided to take my advice... a bitter pill to swallow, I know, but it's the smart move." "Anyway, Mellie's agreed to do the interview, and that's all that matters now." "It gives you a chance to finish out your presidency the way you want." "You've had a strong second term thus far," "Mr. President... historic." "But I know we had so much more planned... a fair minimum wage, a comprehensive environmental policy." "I have not stopped thinking about how to get those things done for you." "And with Mellie back and that..." "Traitor Elizabeth North as your sole protector..." "I'm just gonna say this." "No matter how undignified I sound, I want my job back." "I'm asking you to give me my job back." "I'm asking you to let us finish what we started." "I'm begging to get back on your team, to be the one who sets your table." "Because deep down... and I think..." "I hope you know this..." "I am your guy." "I have your back forever, always." "And I am sorry deeply if I let you think for a second that I don't." "Bring me back, sir." "Let me serve at the pleasure of the president, as it is my honor to do so." "You..." "Do not..." "Work here..." "Anymore." "You can go." "Ah, four minutes to spare." "Nice work." "Do you want to hand over that footage from this morning now?" "It would save you time afterward." "I'm sure you'll be slammed." " Abby, I respect you." "I like you." " I like you, too, Noah." "But I trust this administration about as far as I can throw them, and I can't throw at all." "I got a bad back." "Noah, the interview's gonna happen." "And when it does, you'll get your tape." "You changed your mind." "Giving the interview?" "Yes, well, you were right." "I did get everything I asked for." "Uh-huh." "Huh." "What?" "Nothing." "I just..." "I'm s-surprised is all." "I thought you, of all people..." "What are you talking about?" "It's just... did you..." "Get everything you asked for?" "'Cause I don't think you did." "I don't think anything is different than it was when you stood in this room and told me that you should've gotten more." "Did that happen?" "Did he give you more?" "Did he give you anything?" "After all the times, all the years, all the lies," "I thought you'd be able to see him for what he is by now." "He's the greatest politician in the world, Mellie." "You got played." "You were right to change clothes." "That dress is gonna look great on camera." "See you out there." "Mel." "Ready?" "You're the first lady... you're ornamental, not functional." "I took everything you offered me..." "Your love, your support, your unwavering belief that I could be great." "Your opinion doesn't matter!" "I took it all and used it to get here." "Jerry, stop!" "No!" "I used it to become one of 44 men fortunate enough to lead this country." "He didn't just sneeze one day and die." "And I didn't always say thank you, but deep down, I knew how I got here." "He died so that we could stay in this White House for four more years." "He died for our sins." "So, thank you." "Because I know..." "And I'm sorry." "You take everything from me!" "Mel, you okay?" "Mellie, what's going on?" "You need a minute?" "You almost had me." "Mellie." "Where are you going?" "Where is she going?" "One second!" "No, time is up!" "If you're just joining us, we are still awaiting comment from the White House..." "I thought we weren't watching the news." "How could we not?" "It's like the moon landing." "The Louvre is burning right now, and the news is barely even covering it." " We've been told that a..." " What?" "The Louvre." "Cézannes, da Vincis... torched." "Look, check the crawl." "Although the west wing has remained silent on the issue, sources say that the White House" " is in full crisis after these events." " You going somewhere?" "I got to run." "I'll be back." "How did this happen?" "How the hell should I know?" "She changed her mind." "Mellie's out." "It doesn't matter what we give her, that woman is never gonna be happy." "But it's fine." "Nothing's changed." "We go ahead as planned." "She's gone." "Mellie, Cyrus... the motorcade just left the gates." "I'll just give the interview by myself." "I'll tell Noah Baker right now." "Mr. President, there is no interview without the first lady." " Of course there is." " No, there isn't." "Sir, if going in there alone would've worked, we would've done that an hour ago." "She's right." "The only thing left is for you to stay here and let me do my job." "Let me fix this." "Let her go, Fitz." "You sure you don't need me?" "Let her go." "Maybe Noah will listen to reason." "They're not going to Noah Baker." "They're going to the briefing room." "Abby's going to stand at the podium, and she's going to throw me under the bus." "The hell she is." "No, don't." "It's door number two." "They need a villain, and it can't be you." "It's the right play." "She knows what she's doing." "She's handling this exactly the way I would." "Hello, everyone." "There are a number of things we could discuss today, but I know there's only one thing you're really interested in, so, Ashley, I'll give you the honors." "Uh, is the president having an affair with Olivia Pope?" "Sit down." "I'm going down there and yanking her off the podium." "Fitz, sit down." "You don't tell me what to do in the oval office." "Sit down!" "Sit there and watch me choose you." "Is the president having an affair with Olivia Pope?" "You know I'm unable to speculate on tabloid gossip and rumor, Ashley." "But you also know..." "That Olivia Pope has a certain reputation here in Washington." "You're talking about the fact that Pope's been linked to several powerful men?" "It is certainly true that Ms. Pope has had a number of high-profile relationships, but as to their nature, you'd have to talk to Ms. Pope about that, Martin." "So the reports about Ms. Pope's party-girl past are true, then?" "Again, you'd have to discuss that with Ms. Pope." "Where is Ms. Pope currently?" "I cannot answer that." "Pope, got a visitor." "Let me guess." "Olivia needs my help." "Yes." "But, no, I'm not here because of Liv." "Have you seen what else is on the news?" "No." "The Louvre is on fire." "Lazarus one?" "Looks like it." "And Nero fiddled while Rome burned."