The Secrets and History Behind SCANDAL Episode 20: A Woman Scorned

Mellie has moved out of the White House and into Blair House, refusing visits from Girl Scouts and Prime Ministers alike, under the pretense that baby Teddy’s come down with the chicken pox and that Fitz is avoiding exposure.

Built in 1824 as a private home, the Blair House on Pennsylvania Avenue, just a short distance from the White House, was acquired by the US government in 1942 as the official residence for guests of the President. Since its purchase, the property has housed visiting foreign delegations, domestic guests, and the offices of various State Department representatives. According to its website, “when visiting leaders reside here, the flags of their nations fly proudly over Blair House, a courtesy that serves as both a gracious welcome and a symbol of the home’s crucial role in diplomatic relations.”

But the only flag that is flying during Mellie’s stay at Blair House is one of rage. And diplomatic relations between the President and the First Lady have gone haywire, to say the least. After Fitz’s hospital visit to Olivia last episode, Mellie has set a 36-hour time clock for Fitz to convince her that he wants to recommit himself to his family – or else.

Meanwhile, the Associates have identified Charlie as the man who attacked Huck in the storage unit, and by linking Charlie to Cyrus, the team now believes that Cyrus may be the mole.

As the Associates attempt to track down Charlie before he makes his next move, Cyrus takes a deal memo to Mellie in an attempt to woo her back to the White House. In it, he promises the First Lady that she can be in charge of a real issue, giving her a platform from which to run for office in the future, but only if she ends her stand-off at Blair House. Political animal that she is, Mellie turns down the offer, still holding out for Fitz to recommit.

But once Sally starts sniffing around at Blair House in her usual sweet, sly, Southern way, Cyrus changes tack. He attempts to get to Olivia by calling Jake off his protective post. But Captain Ballard can’t be fooled and maintains his position.

In fact, it’s not until Fitz himself shows up at Olivia’s door that Jake is persuaded to leave her side. And Fitz isn’t there for just any old house call. He’s there to run out Mellie’s clock, defying his wife’s ultimatum to earn back Olivia, consequences be damned.

And once the clock does run out? The consequences are truly monumental, as Mellie turns to BNC to tell the world about her husband’s infidelity. So, just how is Olivia going to fix this one? Real-life fixer and Olivia inspiration Judy Smith worked with Monica Lewinsky during the Clinton scandal. But the question here might be – does Olivia even want to fix this one?

Source: ABC