Just when you thought you knew!  This was a roller-coaster ride of an episode and if you haven’t seen it please stop reading now.  

Spoilers ahead!

The episode began with the public announcement of Osborne as the mole by President Grant, the release of David and Molly, Captain Ballard removing cameras from Olivia’s home, Huck and Quinn checking for cameras in Olivia’s home, and the Captain returning to reassemble his surveillance.  

What one thought was going to be an episode about finding Osborne’s killer turned out to be an episode dealing mostly with the heady topic of Ocular Truth, Marriage, and honesty’s place in it.  I couldn’t help feeling like I was watching a mash-up of many Shakespearean plays.  Any Shakespearean characters jump out as parallels to characters and storylines to you?

Everyone appears to be mulling the topic of lies in relationships; President Grant and Mellie, Cyrus and James, David and Abby, and Olivia and President Grant.  

Cyrus wants back in his relationship.  Acting on advice from the President to “don’t give up.”  Cyrus schools James on the real reason he believes they are having problems.  The idea that James’ ability to make questionable choices is bothering him.  Regardless Cyrus states “ you love me anyway.”  But James sees these cracks in their relationship differently and states “I wished you lied” regarding Defiance.

President Grant and Mellie agree to “give good Fairytale” in an interview at Cyrus’ request.  Cyrus compares their relationship to Who’s Afraid of Virginia Wolf and Macbeth.  They do as they are told recalling when they first met for the cameras.   President Grant later questions Mellie, regarding  the true story of their meeting and whether she was a willing participant?  How she felt about all the lies and pretending.    “Buying into the delusion that there is any way to live together.  To get through and entire life together.  That’s . . . well that’s the fantasy.  That’s pretending,” is Mellie’s response.  Grant wonders aloud if he did this to her.  Shaken as per usual he confesses killing Verna to Cyrus and questions whether She would forgive him.  I assume the she is Olivia.  Cyrus having just learned this lesson advises him “There are things we don’t tell them.  Things we bury.  Things we hide.  That is the job.”

David confronts Abby about her feelings toward him.  She initially denies but in the end admits her feelings.  David pushes further asking her to admit she stole from him and ruined his career.  Prompted by Abby’s denial David states “Can’t let myself love someone I can’t trust.”

For all the relationship talk I didn’t feel like there was a definitive take away.   Except that often what you see, isn’t what you get.  Does anyone have another take on all this relationship chatter?

There were still plenty of plots unfolding along with all the relationship exploration.  It seems Molly wasn’t the only one in danger.

Captain Ballard gets what he wanted in more ways than one when Olivia brings dinner to his place.  Watching the scene I kept waiting for the other shoe to drop.  And they literally did as Olivia and the Captain got busy.  A post coital glass of water leads Olivia to discover that surveillance on her apartment.  A struggle ensues, along with another intruder on Olivia’s space.  The plot continues to thicken.  Fast forward to the hospital where Ballard instructs Olivia upon her waking to lie as President Grants comes in.  The look on her face is horrifying.  Is she afraid of Ballard who is looking in through the door or President Grant and how far he has gone?   And we are back where we started regarding Captain Ballard.  But we know he is serving two masters each with different motives.  Who was the man in Olivia’s apartment?  I think we can be assured it wasn’t Cyrus’ man Charlie.

Poor Huck can’t catch a break because by the end of the episode he in fetal position.  Whomever, worked him over knew exactly which buttons to push and my money is on Charlie for this one.  He is later revealed calling a furious Cyrus at home to let him know there has been a development.  What development he is speaking of one can’t say; Huck, Olivia in the hospital, Olivia and Captain Ballard, Fitz coming to the hospital?  We already know that previously Cyrus had Charlie tracking Captain Ballard.    

Molly is found to have taken a $100,000 payout.  She later reveals it was take it or death.  In the end she died.  I think that’s the one thing I am sure everyone likely saw coming.

Just a side note did anyone else notice that David seemed sad to leave the coach at Olivia Pope and Associates?  I think that David may be joining the team.  

And with that we are left to wait three weeks till the next episode.  The Blogosphere was quickly lamenting this fact.  Shonda tweeted:

I AM NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR WHEN SHOWS AIR. I do not have anything to do with the fact that we are not on for 3 weeks. #donottweetmeyourcrazy

Scandal fans are shameless, curious what kind of crazy she speaks of?   Hopefully, the  harmless kind.