Olivia awakes to Abby, bedraggled and wanting to help. But Olivia has nothing for her to do, and has to inform her that Fitz is the one who thinks Jake is guilty, so he won't help. So Abby wanders off, still worried.
Fitz is currently alone on the White House balcony, in his bathrobe, going over his seriously bruised and cut knuckles. Jake's face did a doozy to them. Mellie comes out, and we're going through opposite day. Because she's dressed, to Fitz's surprised pleasure, and he looks ready for bed. Mellie can't believe he doesn't already know why; he's got a Red File from the Secret Service to read, and she's got a state funeral to plan. She offers him fried chicken from the kitchen before wandering back inside.
The funeral's for a Republic Party "legend". Former President Cooper is basically a stand-in for Ronald Reagan. Like Reagan, he's credited with pulling America out of its post-Vietnam funk with his sunny optimism, ending Communism, and strengthening America's military. President Cooper, like Reagan and Fitz, was also shot during his Presidency, and survived.
Olivia has an appointment with the convicted shooter, Leonard Carnahan. Leonard is soft-spoken and polite. He looks like he's calmly accepted his fate, except that he hasn't. He denies shooting President Cooper to Olivia, and says the bullet that was lodged in Cooper's brain will not match with his gun. The bullet could never be retrieved and used without killing Cooper, but now that he's dead... Leonard sees his chance.
The killer would have to be someone who knew he'd be in Stockton that day, knew he carried a gun and what kind... and could produce a forged diary with detailed plans of the murder. Leonard has no idea who it could be, only that it wasn't him.
Prove me innocent. It'll be fun.
Cy is getting dressed after a an all-nighter with Michael, who wears only a towel and confesses that he was only a kid when Cooper was shot. Cy can't believe his luck in scoring such a young man. And he's made some moves to keep Michael to himself. He's gotten Michael his own phone, his own apartment, and own bank account. Michael tries to refuse all this, but Cy insists that Michael deserves it. And, Michael, apparently also deserves Cy's cellphone, which Cy carelessly leaves in the hotel room. Michael checks it as soon as Cy leaves. Cy, don't you even lock your phone when you put it down?
Michael has somehow also had pictures taken clearly showing that Cy has been hiring a male prostitute, which RNC Chair Lizzie Bear will somehow blackmail him with. But Michael has more: the contents of Cy's email, and he warns Lizzie Bear that the White House plans on closing several military bases. He uses Cy's email to wrangle a more long-term arrangement for himself. A well-paid arrangement.
Abby mouses her way into the Oval Office, and Fitz is happy to see her, getting her name right and wanting her opinion on how he should talk about Cooper's death. Abby decides she'd rather haltingly bring up Jake Ballard, and Fitz's bruised knuckles, and his obvious conflict of interest in trying to beat a confession out of his former mistress's current boyfriend. Fitz huffs and puffs about being Commander in Chief, and gets her name wrong. Abby runs away, but only after informing Fitz that Olivia's nightmares aren't pretty, and maybe if he claims to love her he'd try to stop them.
Wait, is your job to call me on my bullshit?
Quinn finds Huck at Gladiator HQ playing a video game. Huck barely has any attention for her, except to show her a circle showing where Catelyn and Faith were on the days they were murdered. Quinn is bitching that it contains numerous museums, which means thousands of lockers the key could open. Olivia ends all their speculation, wanting an immediate run-down on Leonard Carnahan, making it clear he's their latest client.
Huck and Quinn get it done, and then some. They share a suspicion that Leonard could be innocent, and that the bullet will be necessary. But the family won't dare help Leonard by authorizing an autopsy. So, they'll have to use a roundabout method.
Olivia explains to Leonard that it will require getting Leonard charged with murder. Based on, the shooting causing the stroke that killed Cooper. He ruminates on the risk, explaining that he's up for parole in a few months. Should he wait for eventual freedom? Olivia tells him that the bullet could be so degraded, that it won't help his case. And Leonard would be looking at the death penalty for his troubles. Leonard's calmly resolved. He remembers a quote from a paper, some lawyer-type, who said something about how the truth is like the sun- you can't keep it out forever. He tells Olivia to go ahead. After he's gone, Olivia reminds Quinn that she was the one who said the truth is like sunlight. Does Leonard remember that it was Olivia's line? Is that why he chose her?
Mellie is clearly not looking forward to seeing former First Lady Mrs. Betsy Cooper, even though she appears to be a dear little old lady from the South. She has no use for the airs of the office; she has fond memories of the Afghani craftwork Mellie's placed on the wall. Once Mellie sends away the cameras and assistants, Real Betsy emerges. She's all business, with some piss and vinegar thrown in. She's abrasive, but right. Mellie would love to chat about hymns and how much they meant to President Cooper, Betsy bursts that bubble by telling Mellie her husband worshipped at the altar of Tits And Ass. She cynically tells Mellie that they're just bitches who have to suffer through the dog and pony show that will be the repeated droning of her husband's legacy. She then joins the entire world in shooing Mellie away to do her First Lady stuff while other people do the real work.
Let's be cynical and jaded together!
Lizzie Bear would like to be the first to wax poetically about her party's favorite president. She'd also like to be the first to repeat rumors of base closings, and the first to denounce them as a insult to Cooper's memory. Cy watches the proceedings, and unloads his demands for a head to chop off on Abby. He threatens her head, after the brouhaha she started with Fitz earlier in the morning. Abby looks flustered for a second before leaving to do as she's bid to keep her job.
At the end of the day, apparently not finding anything out, Abby tries Olivia. Olivia is worried when Abby lets her know that she tried to get information out of Fitz for Olivia's sake, but Olivia's going to owe Abby; Fitz knocks at that instant. And Olivia has to go to receive the information Abby persuaded Fitz to share. And information he has. Transcripts of Tom's confession and naming of Jake. Photos of Tom taking the meningitis that killed Jerry Jr. Rantings about Jake's initial surveillance, which he conveniently forgets was at Fitz's request.
Olivia also has to do some male privilege checking, when Fitz tries bad mouthing Abby. Olivia points out that when a man pisses someone off but gets something done, people admire him. Women who get things done get insults. After Fitz drops his evidence bombs, Olivia repeats her demands to see Jake, loudly. Fitz wants Olivia to accept that Jake played her, He wants her to accept that Jake killed Fitz's son. He wants Olivia to accept that Jake killed Harrison. He wants to to accept that only Fitz really loves her. When Olivia simply repeats her demand, Fitz almost calls her a bitch. After he leaves, Olivia guzzles her red. The cheap stuff?
Lizzie Bear isn't done. After making the White House nervous, she decides to make Mellie her insider at the White House, buttering her up in the hall to ask her to to publicly deny the rumors of base closings. This way, Fitz won't be able to close them without the White House looking stupid. Mellie tries to get out of it by telling the truth; she has no voice in policy, and the White House just wants her to stand by her man. Lizzie Bear disdainfully tells Mellie to get back to her funeral planning.
Quinn is ready to head off from Gladiator HQ to start putting the key in lockers. But Olivia has a task for her and Huck, the second time she's interrupted them from helping Kathryn. Now, they've got to drum up interest in charging Leonard with murder. It can't come from Leonard, of course. It's got to look legit. So, of course, they come up with a Twitter Hashtag. Olivia calls reporter buddies, acting like she wants information so they can plant the seed at White House press conferences with a stumped Abby. Rosen pitches the idea to a receptive Fitz and Cy, and Abby tries to chime in with useful information, until Fitz shoots her down. The reward is Olivia, Huck and Quinn looking at their handiwork: Rosen announcing new murder charges.
Mellie gets some facetime with Betsy to discuss speakers at her husband's funeral, but Betsy doesn't care what order the nice lies about her husband will come in. Mellie tries to remind her that the man deserves to be honored for his accomplishments; Betsy dishes that he doesn't have any. She reformed the tax code. She beefed up the military. She made the treaty happen. She knew how it all needed to be done, and she coached her ADD-afflicted husband through it all, though the man could barely read two pages. But, her husband and his fellow old-boys club have claimed all the credit, and left Betsy with the consolation prize of being Wife to the Great Man. She doesn't say it, but she's pained at the indignity of watching her unintelligent, philandering husband be worshipped by a system that kept her in her place. Mellie can only hold her hand.
Will my hand make up for a lifetime of patriarchy?
Fitz and Rowan are busy sharing a scotch, and Rowan segues into requesting that Jake be transferred to B-613, so the death and burial can be quick. Rowan paints it as B-613 cleaning up its mess, paints Jake as a dog that needs Rowan's discipline. Fitz is still married to the idea of trying Jake on the up and up, which he must know isn't going to happen now. Rowan tries to look impressed, and does a good job of flattering the president for his totally non-existent objectivity. Sure, Fitz wants to kill Jake so he can have Olivia to himself. But he's totally willing to go through the dog and pony show required. Rowan suggests that selling the legitimacy of Jake's execution requires letting Olivia see Jake. He counsels Fitz not to let Olivia build Jake up in her imagination as a hero. Let her see him, humbled in a jail cell. When Fitz says they'll have the really good stuff at their next talk, Rowan blows one final puff of smoke up his ass.
Quinn arrives at her last site of fruitless keyhole trying, worried that the whole operation will be a bust. She can hear Huck playing video games, yet again, and demands he stop playing games and help her. Huck insists he's working before hanging up the phone. What gives? Quinn would rather fume while she starts at one end of a huge, blue locker room.
In court, Olivia's lawyer-friend Clark, originally seen helping Senator Vaughn and then her set-up aide, is head to head with the Attorney General himself, now openly gunning for a murder charge. Judge Lancaster is at first skeptical of the value of opening up Cooper, but Clark tells the court the bullet could clear his client, and the Judge has to allow the collecting of exculpatory evidence. Besides, to prove murder, they'd have to re-prove his client actually shot the President (maybe, maybe not- Leonard's already been convicted of that). Rosen figures it out as the Judge signs the autopsy order, and angrily confronts Olivia over it, who at first doesn't care if she's hurt Rosen's fee-fees. She walks out to Rosen insisting the bullet will incriminate Leonard.
Olivia is on the phone, wanting ballistics results, when she's quietly and quickly surrounded by Secret Service, which is a sign that Fitz wants to see her. He brings her to the super secret Pentagon bunker that houses Jake. He warns her to stay at least three feet away, or the visit will be over. He doesn't warn her, though, that Jake looks terrible. Olivia tries to bluster in, but Jake's horror-show face, while he sits cross-legged in a corner against a wall, in prison sweats, looking like a man ready to die stops her and brings water to her eyes.
Jake does his best to comfort her. He wants her to have his offshore bank account. He wants her to contact his mother in Bloomington. He's very insistent that Olivia should remember that it's Bloomington, Indiana, NOT Illinois, and the password and account number to the money. Maybe he hopes that if she remembers the details that will need to be cleaned up after he's dead, she'll forget his face, and what he's accused of, and how hopeless his case is.
Rowan gets the speeches about power; Fitz gets to bluster around about being the Commander in Chief. Olivia gets to put bullies in their place. Mellie gets to wax poetic about being underemployed. Cyrus gets to go on about politics and people's jobs. Abby gets to occasionally scold people. But Jake sometimes gets a word in edgewise. His big lines are about the erasure of self in his work, in the life of serving the country by doing its dirty work. He's always quick and to the point. Here, he tries to prepare Olivia to just accept his death. Don't worry about believing him, it will only cause her more grief and conflict. Olivia tries to comfort him by reciting the bank account number. Jake gets a small measure of relief; while watching the whole thing, Fitz feels his usual self pity.
Betsy and Mellie relax, shoes off and stockings showing, on the balcony. The funeral is planned and they await only the end of the autopsy. Mellie bemoans the fact that no one will let her step in the way Betsy did. Betsy tells Mellie that she had to pry the incompetent boys' hands off the reigns of power, finger by finger. Mellie confesses that Fitz would rather listen to his former mistress. Betsy says the problem is that Fitz has only one. Give a man some women to distract him, and a woman can get things done. The wheels in Mellie's brain are visibly turning.
Lawyer Clark turns up with the ballistics, and Olivia is turning her rage at Jake's fate on the very guilty man in prison. Leonard at first actually tries to appear like he's really still innocent. But he bows his head once, and when he raises it, he's a different person. A person who really did shoot President Cooper. Leonard scoffs at the absurd idea of Russians in Stockton shooting Cooper. It's Stockton, for fuck's sake. The only Communists there are in bad movies at the movie theater. Leonard's only regret is that he failed to kill the guy that day. But all that changed when Cooper died of a stroke from Leonard's bullet. Oh, the glory of being someone who got the job done! Leonard wanted her from the minute he read that quote about the truth. He used it to snag her. Leonard's been patient, but not to be exonerated; to be executed. Jake calmly waits to die; Leonard is screaming for 600 volts, pronto, while Olivia bangs on the door to be away from the monster.
I love being evil!
Olivia runs to Rosen, where she, not Clark the Lawyer, makes the deal so Leonard doesn't get the execution he craves. Rosen doesn't say no, but does admonish her for thinking eye contact is evidence. Olivia, in return, wants Rosen's help (she did, after all, give him a big win with the conviction) with Jake. Rosen would like to help, but it's his unfortunate duty to inform Olivia that Jake has been taken off the grid and out of the DOJ's hands. Jake's fate will not be decided by a court.
Jake's fate was decided when Rowan plunged a knife between his fingers and vowed to do watch the life fade from Jake's eyes. Jake's eyes don't look particularly scared, but he does try to remind Rowan that he loves Olivia. Rowan has no use for Jake's love; he castigates Jake for being smug, for thinking he knows best. Rowan has spent decades perfecting the art of true power. True power, he tells Jake, hides in plain sight. True power tells the President he's the Scotch expert. True power tells the President that he's been totally cool to Jake, and it's time to let Rowan do what he owes the President. True power is a servant that lets the boss think he came up with the idea. You can't beat B-613, because B-613 knows how to strike through manipulated leaders. Command takes you, son.
So, what's the deal with the B-613 files? Jake last had the key. Rosen doesn't even bring them up to Olivia. How long will they remain locked in storage? Will they be pawned off to some unsuspecting reality TV star?
The funeral is just as morbid, with Mellie looking sincerely grieving, Betsy stoic, and Fitz would love to pay attention, but Abby's got his ear. It leads Fitz to a room alone with Olivia, who at first tries to plead for Jake's release from B-613. Then Olivia shouts for it. Fitz tries to name every single body Jake made. Every single way Jake ruined any chance they have. Olivia realizes that, to Fitz, that was Jake's real crime. Jake supposedly made all these bodies that neither of them can step over to get to each other. So, Olivia holds out the hope that they could have a future in Vermont, if only Fitz will do the "right" thing he wanted to do in the first place- keep Jake out of the shadow government. Keep him in the system. Save him from her father. Olivia, once again, has to offer herself up to keep the men in her life from tearing each other apart.
Betsy and Mellie, with no man to accompany them, slowly proceed together down some steps from the funeral. Betsy plays the Tri-Delt from Tuscaloosa, saying that a plain lady like her isn't going to spend another moment thinking of her husband's convicted killer. She's going to just concentrate on remembering her husband, which is partly true. Mellie decides to add on, saying that she can speak for Fitz definitely honoring President Cooper's memory by keeping all those bases open. She openly and categorically denies the base closings rumors. She's back! And Betsy is happy to celebrate. Apparently, the Former First Lady carries a marijuana joint in her First Lady Purse just in case the Truman Balcony opens up for First Lady Toking. Mellie and Betsy walk away arm in arm.
Cy is livid, on the phone practically firing Abby right then and there. Abby doesn't exactly know where the leak came from, but IT confirmed it's not a hack. That's not enough for Cy. Well, then it's a good thing Abby did some digging. Initiative is great, until one of your abused underlings finds out that you just set up your kept man with a new phone and new apartment, and tells you that you'll lay off her until you've at least done some due diligence on new friends. Abby then announces that she's not fired.
Love and Happiness, by Marvin Gaye, plays as Huck gets in even more video games. Wait, no, it's not Huck playing. It's a little guy named Javi, whose mom, Kim, emerges from the laundry room, lets Javi play one more game with his new video game buddy, and then it's bed. Huck, back at Gladiator HQ, can't believe how fast they've become an unstoppable team. His eyes water in pride. Oh, Huck.
Quinn face melts in relief as her key finally clicks a lock open. She gingerly opens the locker, to find...
Pictures of Olivia. Lots of them. Taken outside, in her home. Someone wants Olivia, or at least every outfit she's ever worn. And Catelyn and Faith seem to have died protecting Olivia. Did they know who they were protecting? Or was Olivia just a woman who needed their help? Well, now the Gladiators have to know what was going on.
Fitz enters Jake's cell, with the good news: Jake will spend his life in a supermax prison. No guarantees, but it might be okay. Jake is a little surprised he won't die, but he knows it's not like Fitz is freeing him to sleep with Olivia again. Does he know that Fitz is going to try to get Olivia back? Is he okay with it?
Olivia gets in one last swim. We know it's a real swim, because when Rowan is waiting for her at the poolside, she makes herself touch him. It's really Rowan, and he's really pissed that she intervened. She tries to explain that it was for both men's sakes. Rowan's furious, accuses her of crossing him. Olivia looks scared for half a second. Then she calmly readjusts her goggles, and owns it. She declares herself armed with weapons Rowan can't possess.
Challenge accepted, Dad.
With Olivia openly challenging her dad, and starting to enjoy a tiny victory over him, what's next? Is Olivia going to build on this victory? And long-term, is Olivia the only person who can permanently end Rowan's reign? Is Olivia the next Command?
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