Tonight on ABC Scandal starring Kerry Washington continues with another exciting episode in an all new Thursday February 25, season 5 episode 12 called, “Wild Card,” and we have the recap for you below. On tonight’s episode, Cyrus (Jeff Perry) designs a new master plan while Fitz (Tony Goldwyn) is preoccupied. Elsewhere, Elizabeth manipulates David (Joshua Malina) into organizing a strategy for her.
On the last episode, Abby and Cyrus clashed over a profile piece on Fitz. Meanwhile, Mellie wanted Olivia’s help, but she didn’t realize what that encompassed; and Liz tried to persuade Susan Ross to become a presidential candidate. 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, “Cyrus designs a new master plan while Fitz is preoccupied. Elsewhere, Elizabeth manipulates David into organizing a strategy for her; and Olivia is puzzled by Jake’s intentions as he steps into a leadership role with the NSA.”
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 starts with the President making out with Lillian in the Presidential vehicle when Abby hops into the limo. Lillian kisses him goodnight and leaves the car. Fitz isn’t happy and asks if they’re at war. Abby says they don’t have the infrastructure in play for his wild carding.
He says it’s not Abby’s business but she says it is and there are plans to be plotted if he wants to spend the night with Lillian. He says he didn’t with Liv but Abby says the Secret Service had a unit in Olivia’s basement. She explains the details and he says stop talking.
Fitz says get away from me and never bring this up again. Sally is yammering on her show about the two most important seasons – tax and election. She says it’s election season so it smells like fresh manure. Olivia meets with Rowan to talk to him about Mellie’s book deal.
He tells her he’s proud of her for pouncing on opportunity. Rowan tells her that Jake is not like them and says he craves normalcy and was practically an orphan when he found him. Rowan says Jake is seeing a woman he likes and she says Jake is an adult.
Rowan says sorry for overstepping and calls them both his kids. Rowan tells Liv he’s proud of her that she’s drinking from the chalice. Susan is at a rally for her presidential run. David watches the news with Liz and ignores a call from Susan.
Liz tells him to take the call and wish her well. Susan asks if he wants to come over for dinner tomorrow while her daughter is out of town. He hesitates then agrees. He ends the call and then lies to Liz and says she wants to see a movie.
Liz tells him to roll over and then she starts doing naughty things to him. Why lie to Liz? Jake leaves Olivia’s place and finds Huck at the door. Jake calls him creepy then goes and Huck says they need to talk. Huck asks what she’s found out on Jake and if she’s just sleeping with the enemy.
She says Jake and her father aren’t up to anything and Huck says it’s ridiculous. Huck says she’s not in reality and leaves. Cyrus gets an update on Francisco Vargas, the candidate he’s evaluating. Cyrus hears raves reviews about how great the guy is.
Cyrus laughs and says give me the dirt. He tells Cyrus he looked and didn’t find bad stuff. He says Vargas is clean but no one knows who he is. Ethan tells Vargas he was special forces and then Cyrus kicks him out. Holy cow Cyrus is shagging Tom the killer B613 guy!
Cyrus tells Tom to get dressed (he’s in a towel) so they can get to work. Charlie comes home and finds Quinn packing for their weekend out of town. He says he got a call from an old buddy that used to kill with him and says his pal has a babysitting emergency so he’s got to help.
Quinn is stunned someone would ask him to watch their kid. She says she’ll tag along. Olivia asks Jake, post-coital, about who he’s seeing. He says he didn’t think Rowan would tell her. Jake won’t tell her who but says Liv would like her and they’re being safe.
Abby hesitates outside the Oval then barrels in. Abby apologizes to Fitz and says they’re flying blind on this but says he can’t date Lillian without a plan in place. Fitz stares at her then picks up the phone and asks Charlotte to get Lillian on the line then asks her out.
Tom meets with a guy named Wayne and threatens him. He asks if he’s the kind of guy who sacrifice himself for family. Tom calls Cyrus and says they have their man. Charlie and Quinn take the kid to play putt putt. He calls him Uncle Charlie! OMG.
Liz tells David that Susan’s poll numbers are amazing and she starts to take off her shirt. He says she can’t then asks if he needs to take “something.” He says he’s seeing Susan tonight and she’s in love with him. Liz asks if he’s going to sleep with Susan tonight and he says maybe yes.
Liz says that’s good because they need Susan happy. He says he can’t have sex with her now then Susan later. Liz mocks him and says aww he has to have sex with two women in one day. She tells him to man up and throws him on the desk.
Rowan has dinner with Olivia and compliments her on the book. She insists she didn’t write it – she just helped. He smiles and says he likes this side of Liv – the happy side. She asks if he’s happy and he says with Jake at the NSA and her steering Mellie to the White House, he can’t be more happy.
Liv says he told her the day before that he likes chaos. Liv tunes him out and just stares at her dad. He thinks about all the threats he made against her in the past and how she can’t trust herself when it comes to him. She thinks about Tom telling her she was raised by command.
Liv toasts her dad’s happy retirement but she’s clearly not buying it. Wayne comes into a building to go through the metal detector. It sets off. The guard tells him it’s his belt. Tom comes in right after and shoots the guards. He hands the gun to Wayne and says your turn.
Wayne walks through the metal detector and then down the hall. Tom waits. It’s the building where Vargas works. He tells everyone to calm down and then Wayne is there. We see a flashback to Tom telling Wayne that Vargas is his target and showing him a pic.
Cyrus watches the news on Susan and Mellie’s campaigns then breaking news interrupts and it says a gunman is in the state capitol of Harrisburg. The news says Governor Vargas is in the building. Abby comes in and says the President needs to know. Cyrus tells her to tell him.
Abby comes in and finds Fitz on top of Lillian and she tells him the news. Lillian says she has to leave and cover it and runs out. Fitz asks who she is to tell him what to do and yells that she’s out of line. He says she can lose her job and she says busting in is what they do.
Fitz calls her obsessed with his personal life and says she’s mad it’s not Liv warming his sheets. She says gross and says she’s mad it’s not Liv because Liv is Liv and she trusts her more than anyone in the world. She says he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her and Liv is real.
He yells this is his life and says stay out of it or I’ll fire you. Abby sighs and says there’s been a shooting at the state capitol and she says he’s needed downstairs to do his job and hands him a report. She stomps out and slams the door.
The news says the governor has a military background. Ethan comes in and says that’s the guy I researched for you. The news then says Wayne Turner is the shooter. Ethan says you can tell that guy is a monster. Cyrus says he must have had reasons and Ethan says no good ones.
Charlie covers the kids’ eyes and asks Quinn what she’s doing. He flips the channels and the kid shouts out Frozen so they sit to watch that. Quinn says he’s good with kids and he says you have to be in touch with your inner child and let it go.
Jake gets a text and hops out of bed. Liv asks if he thinks her father has changed for the better. He says sure. She tells him to look at her and tell her the truth. He says he’s not in her dad issues. She asks why he’s in his house and what her dad wants from him.
She says her dad told him about the GF to isolate Jake by getting her to break it off. She says tell me what he’s trying to do so I can help you. Jake stares then grabs his phone when it chimes. He says he has to go to work and leaves.
The news interviews a woman who was released and says Vargas got them all released and she hopes he’ll survive. Abby calls Olivia and asks if they can talk. Liv is watching the news too. She asks what’s wrong and Abby says nothing.
She asks what did he do and Abby says she doesn’t want to know. Liv says she doesn’t want to know and Abby says it’s okay. Liv says her other line is ringing and they end the call. Jake reports to Cyrus and Fitz that the gunman is acting alone and it’s about immigration.
Jake says local SWAT is in position and a sniper will take him out. Cyrus calls Tom and says SWAT will take him out and end their hero moment. Tom says he can’t do anything. Cyrus says get creative and do what needs to be done.
Cyrus says he doesn’t care how he gets his hero moment and threatens to shove him back in a box. Olivia comes to work and rants at Huck about sleeping with the enemy and says she’ll win. Huck mocks her and says he’ll keep his fingers crossed.
Huck says she has no information and isn’t on the same court. Liv says the only winning move is not to play because her father always wins. She says don’t give me a sermon and says you know and she’s pulled him out of holes.
Huck says her guy is coming out and says he was made by Rowan just like the rest of them. He says why wouldn’t you have a guy. Liv says her father will always love and look out for her. Huck says Rowan is her guy and is always out.
Huck says with Rowan by her side nothing seems bad by comparison. He calls him the worst monster on a loose leash who is always hungry. He says the monster will eat her when he gets hungry. Liv stares. Vargas talks to Wayne and says he can walk out.
The sniper doesn’t have a clean shot at Wayne. Vargas talks about his kids and Wayne tells him to shut up. The news reports a single shot fired. SWAT rushes in and the reporter says Vargas has been shot but is alive. He says he’s overpowered his captor.
Cyrus watches and says footage, footage. They cut to the dotage of the security feed. They see the shot and Vargas taking down the guy. The reporter says if you didn’t know Vargas tonight, you will by tomorrow.
On the scene, Vargas comes out with bandage over his chest and he’s shirtless and a bit bloody. The reporter says it’s amazing and calls it “the tackle.” Abby shows a photo of Lillian with bed head leaving the White House.
Abby tells Fitz she doesn’t like this and doesn’t want to ask if he left DNA in her because he didn’t wear a condom. She says her job is to protect him and it’s awful. She says in a year he will be free and cavort how and where he wants and with whom.
She says he knows this is how to be and quit threatening to fire her. Either do it now or stop talking about it. He says call me Fitz if I have to tell you about my sex life. He says that makes her his closest friend in the world and thanks her. She calls him Fitz and thanks him.
David gets a call while in bed with Susan and she tells him he can answer it. He does. It’s Liz who asks how it was. She’s stunned to hear he’s still with her. She ends the call – is Liz jealous. Cyrus and Abby talk and she says she’s going to be eaten alive in the briefing over Lillian.
Abby says it’s not easy with Cyrus not around and she says tell me how to do my job. He says distract them and bring the Pennsylvania governor into the Oval to distract them. She says everyone loves a hero and says good idea.
Charlie sends the kid inside and says go in and tell them you need to find your mom. He tells Max he’ll see him later. Max hugs him and calls him Uncle Charlie. The kid runs into the police department. OMG – he had Wayne’s kid! Holy cow!
We see Tom telling Wayne about his son. Then Charlie talks to Tom and says he delivered the package and Tom says he’ll send the money. Quinn comes back to work and says she and Charlie babysat a kid and it was great. She says Charlie will be an awesome dad.
Liv pulls Huck and Quinn in to research Vanessa Moss. She says that’s who Jake is seeing. Quinn asks are we spying on Jake. She says yes. Abby nods as Fitz poses for pics with Vargas who’s arm is in a sling. Abby introduces Cyrus to Vargas.
OMG – it’s a race to see who’s worse – Cyrus or Rowan…
THE END!