Tonight on ABC Scandal starring Kerry Washington continues with another exciting episode in an all new Thursday November 12, season 5 episode 8 called, “Rasputin,” and we have the recap for you below. On tonight’s episode, Olivia (Kerry Washington) must make a judgment call about intel she receives as Fitz (Tony Goldwyn) works on an important peace deal.
On the last episode, Fitz worked on his comeback with the American public and uncovered something shocking in the process. Meanwhile, Olivia focused on hiding her personal secrets instead of tending to a new client; and Elizabeth North developed a new agenda. Did you watch the last episode? If you missed it, we have a full and detailed recap right here for you.
On tonight’s episode as per the ABC synopsis, “Olivia must make a judgment call about intel she receives as Fitz works on an important peace deal. Meanwhile, Huck’s assistance allows Jake to inch closer to his target; and Cyrus refuses to sit back when he’s excluded from the inner circle.”
Tonight’s episode of SCANDAL is going to be absolutely incredible and you won’t want to miss even a minute. We’ll be recapping it for you here live.
Tonight’s episode begins now – Refresh Page often to get the most current updates!
#Scandal begins with Fitz and two Secret Service marching down a hall. They go into a bunker type area and then into a room where Olivia is handcuffed to a table. He says tell me it’s not true and she gives him sad eyes. 48 hours earlier, the press assembles at the White House to report on a disarmament deal that’s in the works with a Middle East nation. Abby and Cyrus discuss they don’t trust that it will happen. The reporter says President Grant and Razani will sign the deal today.
Cyrus says the Bandaris will never receive Liv but he’s surprised to see them shaking hands. Turns out Olivia knows the minister. Liv speaks to him in Farsi and laughs at a joke he tells. Susan talks to some others and says the President gets the credit while they do the work. Liz says kill me now then tells them not translate that. They talk Wimbledon then there’s a spill and the translator has to go to the restroom. The other translator says he needs her help. He says he wants to defect and asks for help.
He’s not translating, he’s begging for help. Olivia takes the guy into the kitchen to talk to the chef while she talks to the translator. He says he has information about a nuclear facility the US doesn’t know about if she gives him asylum. Cyrus says they used to get this from Soviets who fed them nonsense. Cyrus says they are hours from an accord and says don’t blow this. He says Bandar will be an ally in this region where they have none.
Liv says her people can vet the translator quietly. He says find it before they sign and she smiles and goes. Cyrus tells Fitz they need to talk about Rowan and says they need to figure out how he escaped but Fitz says it’s being handled. Cyrus asks by whom but he won’t answer. Abby follows Cyrus and asks if he’s okay. He says Olivia is judge jury and executioner over their world now. He says he’s going to Rosen but she says Fitz will know it. He says Rosen will come to him so he doesn’t break his word.
Mellie calls Olivia and says they have a deal since she let her son’s killer out of jail. Mellie threatens to tell Fitz what they did and Liv did. Tom Larsen follows Olivia to her place and calls her Helen of Troy. Rowan waits in another floor in her building. She asks why he’s there and he says to see her face. She doesn’t buy it. He says he’s being hunted and she says by Jake. He says Ballard is the least worry. He says he warned her and says he’s not the devil. He says he was but not anymore.
He says now there’s another devil is in place – far worse than him. He says his sons have turned against him. He says she should be afraid because he is. She asks what he means. He says while he’s alive he will try to protect her. He says if he died, she has what she needs to survive. He tells her he hopes she knows he did his best for her. He touches her face then says he takes pride in who she is now. She stares as he walks away. She goes up to her office and asks Huck about Lazarus One.
She says Rowan told her his sons have turned against him and are trying to kill him. Huck says he wishes them luck. Marcus says the translator is Navid Turani. He grew up in the village of the Bandari mountains. Navid has been all over translating and usual works with the Minister of Energy and is at every UN weapons inspection. Huck says he can get to him and talk to him. The translator gets horribly sick at the meeting and he’s taken to a hospital. She says talk then you get asylum.
He says he can’t. He says Razani’s regime will kill anyone he suspects of opposing him. Olivia says if he has good intel he will never have to go back there. He says there’s a secret facility five miles south of the Ukraine in the desert. She says she’ll check and work on asylum. Fitz asks Susan to stall for time and he says she can let it slip she has reservations about the treaty. She says she doesn’t. She gets it and asks if he wants her to put her foot in her mouth and says – why didn’t you say so.
Susan and Liz head to the building. The press asks her if she’s pleased. She says she’d like the treaty more if 12 million girls there could read the treaty but then says she’s just a woman herself. The news breaks that her remarks pushed President Razani away from the table. Cyrus goes to Rosen to tells him Rowan is on the loose. He says the FBI should be on this and Cyrus recommends he set up a task force. Rosen rushes out with purpose.
Jake goes to see Fitz but Olivia is in the Oval. He asks if she had him summoned under Fitz’s name. She says Rowan came to her office and says someone is trying to kill him and she says he may be innocent this time. She says she saw fear in his eyes and never has before. Jake laughs and says he’s lying to get what he wants because his back is against the wall. Olivia says her gut tells her he’s telling the truth. Jake says she’s a fool with daddy issues.
Jake says he hopes he gets to Rowan before the other killers do. He asks what she thought – that he would come and spoon her. He says that train left the station and says to tell her BF that she let his son’s killer out of prison. She says she will tell him and he says he’d like to see that. She says when he told her to go to Fitz, Jake wanted her to choose him. He says he thought she was too good for him but turns out he’s too good for her. They bicker then Fitz comes in. Liv says Jake came to update them on Rowan.
Jake says no word yet but he’s looking then he leaves. Liv sits with Abby and says she will tell Fitz. Abby says do it before it’s too late and says if he finds out from anyone else it will be bad. She says Cyrus used a Jedi mind trick to get Rosen to start the FBI looking for him. Olivia says she will tell him and says it’s a weight on her. She says he won’t forgive this and they will be done. She says she’s not ready to be done. Her phone rings. It’s Quinn who says the location is not a secret weapons facility.
Olivia goes to the translator and says it’s not a secret weapons site. He says check again and says he didn’t lie and says there was an attack from there. Olivia promises to keep it quiet then says his asylum is denied. Jake calls Huck to update him on the Rowan hunt. They talk and Huck asks if this is about Lazarus One. Huck lied to Liv about not knowing. Huck says his beast is out and he can’t be around it. He says he just got his guy back in the cage. Huck says intel only is what he gets from him.
Olivia lies in bed with Fitz and he asks what’s on her mind. She doesn’t tell him. Then she kisses him. He asks if she wants to watch TV and she says she’s fine there. She cuddles close to him and he holds her.
Liz runs into Rosen at the White House and they sneak into a closet for a quickie. Then she tells Rosen she’s questioning her life choices and he’s offended. She says she babysits queen of the nerds Susan when she was Chief of Staff. Quinn says data shows nothing nuclear in the area. Marcus says he wouldn’t want to go to Bandar either. Huck says the delivery trucks never move. He shows them the surveillance photos.
He says on one side, water comes into the building and no delivery trucks leave. Quinn says Navid told the truth. Huck says it may not be nuclear but they are cooling something. The news reports that VP Susan apologized and now the negotiations are back on and the agreement could be signed today. The two presidents come in as Abby’s phone hums. She gets it and Liv says stop the signing. She tells her to stop and don’t let Fitz sign it. Abby says she can’t stop it.
Olivia runs to Navid’s room. Abby runs to the president and clears her throat. He stops and she whispers in his ear. The press is there snapping photos as he caps his pen and lays it down. Navid is dead in the bathroom – he slashed his wrists. Olivia calls for help and tries to stop the bleeding. Abby makes a statement to the press that the deal is good but they are perfecting it. Navid’s life is saved and Olivia is in his room. She says he’ll be all right and says she tried finding family to call for him.
Navid says he has no one. Liv says she tracked down his old phone records then mentions Amir. She says no one else has to know. He says you don’t know what they do to gay people and says it’s a crime punishable by death. He says it’s a chance to live his life without hiding or shame. He apologizes for the blood and says he was dead anyway if he was sent back. She says it’s not nuclear but is something secret. She says she’s sorry and it will be okay.
Susan lurks around looking for Rosen and sets up a run in. She asks why he’s there and he says he’s meeting Cyrus. He says he saw her statement and says he liked it because it was honest. He says never apologize for being you and she thanks him. She is totally crushing on him. She goes back the way he came then changes her mind. Rosen takes a stack of papers to Cyrus and says he has the answers. He says nothing is conclusive yet but it doesn’t make sense.
Cyrus asks who’s the mastermind and Rosen says Olivia. He asks if he’s sure and Rosen says agents are bringing her in right now. Agents approach her with a warrant and arrest her. Rosen suggests that Cyrus tell Fitz. The agents tell her she’s been arrested for aiding the escape of a prisoner. Cyrus is thrilled. We’re back at the beginning of the show where Olivia sits in the room. Fitz asks for keys and unlocks her cuffs. He takes her hands and touches her face.
He says they told him she let Rowan out and he says that’s insane. He says she wouldn’t do that to him. He says she’s not Mellie and he doesn’t understand this. She sighs and he asks her to tell him it’s not true. She can’t. She starts crying. He looks horrified. She explains (but we don’t get to hear what she says). He stands up and backs away from her. She keeps talking. He turns away from her. She begs him to listen and then she cries. He walks out and leaves her in custody.
When he goes she breaks down bawling. Cyrus comes to see Fitz in the Oval and says he was shocked too. He says Liv has pulled her fair share of stunts but this is a lot. Cyrus says they need to let Olivia know they’re not out to get her and just put him back in prison. Fitz says get the charges dropped and says to find a technicality. Cyrus asks what she said to him and says make me understand. He says she told him people are trying to kill Rowan.
Fitz shows him the soda factory in Bandar and says they are supercomputers to stage cyberattacks against the West. Fitz says her gut is good and says to get her out and bring her home to him at the White House. Cyrus rants and says Rowan killed his son. He tells Cyrus he forgave him and now he’s doing it for Liv. He tells Cyrus to have her brought straight to the residence with no delay or exceptions. The presidents sign the accords and after they do, Fitz whispers in his ear.
He tells Razani they are blowing up his little soda factory right now. Jake gets a hit on facial recognition and says he has his location. Fitz says let him know when it’s done and Jake says yes sir. He loads his gun and heads out. Jake heads into an apartment and spots Tom unconscious – maybe dead. Mellie calls Olivia but she doesn’t take the call. Olivia sees servants wheeling a large rack of clothing by the closet. Mellie calls again and Liv says she already told him. She hangs up on the former first lady.
Liv looks at some outfits in her closet. Fit z comes in and says Jake will bring her dad in not kill him. Rowan is chained to a chair. Fitz says to thank you. She asks why her clothes are there and he says he had all her things brought there. He says she lives there now. She’s stunned. Rowan turns his head to see who’s got him. Fitz says this is her home but she says she has one. He says he’s going to keep her safe no matter what it takes. He says she’s getting a Secret Service detail too.
He says she will be safe and protected. He kisses her. She hugs him but looks doubtful as the staff puts her things away. Huck has Rowan! He says – Command, I have some questions for you.
THE END!