Scandal Season 3: RECAP/SPOILERS Ep. 8: Olivia's Mom Escapes, Fitz, Olivia Connect in Vermont Is for Lovers, Too
Rowan's father denies Olivia's mom one last chance to meet her daughter before she is thrown out of the country and transported to a place far away and harder to find.
Charlie drops Quinn at her workplace, telling her to act normal as she does not have any choice. He asks her to pretend that they are in a relationship, which is much easier to do than he threatening her with dire consequences. Quinn walks inside the office thinking about the killing of the security guard, Omar Dresden. Olivia and the team are discussing the same killing. They intend to find the person who killed Omar. Quinn is scared but asks how the security guard died, without anyone suspecting that she has something to do with the murder. Later, Quinn visits the site of the murder to check the security footage and Jack is also there looking for the same. Through the reflection, Huck is able to find out that it is Quinn who murdered Omar. But, he does not tell anyone else about his discovery. He turns-up at Quinn's place demanding an answer.
Cyrus wants the newly, jobless James to write a piece on the Vice President's husband, and he is more than happy to do that. When Cyrus tells Mellie about it, she thinks that it is the new low for them. Cyrus says that not for him and he is sure that the Vice President's husband will make a pass at James. James later complains to Cyrus that Vice President's husband only wants to talk about college football and nothing else. Cyrus asks James to go to his place and make it more casual and not like a professional interview. Mellie had dropped the hint of an open marriage arrangement between Cyrus and James and which makes the husband of the Vice President to make his first move on James. James sees through his husband's plan. On his cell phone, Cyrus gets intimate pictures of James and Vice President's husband.
At Josie's place, someone broke the window and took the laptop of Josie's sister. Olivia wants the authorities to take care of it. She stops Josie's daughter from blaming anyone, without any solid evidence. Olivia asks Josie to take rest as she is expected to be on a campaign the next day. Josie's daughter, however, talks to the press and alludes to Reston's involvement in the theft. Harrison gives a piece of his mind to the sister and tells her that from here on, she will do what they ask her to do and when they ask her to do. They do recover the laptop from Reston's place. Olivia and Harrison tell Josie's sister that they won't go to the press but the press will come to them, and they will not throw mud on anyone. It is Josie's sister who actually broke in and planted the laptop at the headquarters of Reston. Olivia wants Josie's fire her daughter and coming clean on the incident. Josie pushes herself under the bus and takes the blame. She withdraws her name from the Presidential race.
Olivia at her place and Mellie and President at their place are watching the telecast of the interview. It is the same interview in which President Fitz vocally defends his wife, and tells the reporter to attack him as he had an affair. President calls-up Olivia looking at a photograph of Olivia and Rowan. Olivia does not pick-up the call. At work, Olivia gets a call from the President again and this time she picks the call and tells him she does not want to talk to him after what he did. President wants to meet her and he wants an hour of her time. But, Olivia cuts the call and breaks the phone. Jack tells her breaking the phone won't make a difference if the President wants to meet her, he will find a way to do that. President sends Olivia the photograph of her with her father and that forces her to get into the helicopter and meet the President in a house. The President demands to know why she did not tell him about Rowan being her father. Olivia tells him that she thought he would go in another direction if she had told him that. The President tells her that he would have protected her if he had known the truth. He calls her bundle of little secrets, while Olivia questions him on shooting down the commercial airliner, with more than 300 passengers on board.
He also talks about the house. The President tells Olivia that he had built the house for them and their kids. He wanted her to see the house and the dream that he had for their future before he sells it. An overwhelmed Olivia kisses him, passionately but stops. However, they soon end up in the bed, together while Mellie tries reaching the President, unsuccessfully. In the morning, Olivia says she has to go as she has work to do and the President has the world to run. He tells her that he loves her and he wants her to know and he will be going after her father. Olivia does not mind he doing whatever he wants to do against her father. She tells him, "Don't sell the house, not yet."
Olivia's mom injures herself by chewing her wrist and ends up in the hospital. Rowan wants to know from the doctor if she is in the condition to fly. The doctor says it won't be a problem despite her losing a lot of blood. Later, Rowan shows Olivia's press clipping to her mother and she wants to see real photographs. Rowan says he does not have them and tells the doctor to complete sedate before they move her out of the country. When Rowan visits the hospital room, again to take Olivia's mom out of the country, he finds the injection meant for his wife in the neck of the doctor. Olivia's mom has managed to escape. And, she wastes no time to meet Olivia. Olivia hears her mother calling her.