Scandal Season 3 Premiere Recap

Ladies (and gentlemen) our favorite show, “Scandal”, has finally returned! Yes, that’s right, Kerry Washington is back as America’s infamous “fixer,” Olivia Pope and last night wigs were snatched as we slid back into her drama with Fitz (Tony Goldwyn), Mellie (Bellamy Young), the “Gladiators” at Pope &  Associates and the mysterious man we now know is Liv’s dad (Joe Morton). Now if you’re anything like me, then watching “Scandal” every week is enough to raise your blood pressure and if for one minute you slip away for a sip of wine, you’re bound to get lost in the fast-paced dialogue before Olivia utters her famous line, “it’s handled.” In case you weren’t taking notes on the “Scandal” premiere, or following our #ScandalParty on Twitter (@HelloBeautiful), here are a few things to remember for next week’s episode.

1. Daddy Pope is a Boss

Olivia’s father, Rowan Pope, is the baddest man on TV right now! After news broke that Liv was the President’s mistress, Daddy Pope came and scooped Olivia up so fast she didn’t even have the chance to finish her early morning jog! He charted a private plane for his daughter and tried to strong-arm her into “disappearing” by fleeing the country for eight months until the whole scandal blew over. Liv considered her father’s bargain at first, and how could she not after he straight up told her, “You are getting on that plane come hell or high water,” adding, “And to be clear, I am the hell. And the high water.” Uh, we already saw what he did to Jake last season! But after speaking with Cyrus, Olivia decides to handle things her own way and that it’s best that she stay in DC and continue a normal life. Boy was she in for a rude awakening. What exactly does “normal” mean when you’re already Olivia Pope and now the press is camped out at your house?

Must Read: ‘Scandal’ 101: Everything You Need To Know For The Premiere (In 6 Minutes)

2. Olivia Had Quite The Political Past

Now that the “secret” was out to the public that Liv and Fitz were creeping, it was time for everybody to take action to try and squash the story in the news. Olivia returned to her office and wanted business to resume as normal but the only problem was that none of her clients wanted anything to do with her or her team anymore, and who could blame them? It was then time for operation clean up and while Harrison led the Gladiator effort, over at the White House Cyrus called for a “kill folder” for Olivia. At first it seemed like he was going to turn on Liv and have her offed! The kill folder does end up giving us some interesting information from Olivia’s past: her mother passed away when she was very young, she attended only the best boarding schools in the country, she’s always been attracted to older, powerful and political men, and she was a “party girl” after college. Let’s just hope there’s no crazy video evidence out there!

3. The Truth Hurts

Olivia launches into “fixer” mode and meets with Fitz and Mellie to try and come up with a plan to save Fitz’s name as President of the United States. Let’s first point out the fact that Fitz had his wife and mistress in the same room (at the same damn time) while trying to plan a lie to cover up his affair. Just let that sink in for a few seconds…

While the three of them tried to come up with the perfect lie, Fitz suggested that they just told the truth. Mellie wasn’t too fond of the idea of Fitz telling the truth about his affair with Olivia because it would mean that it was more than just sex for Fitz and Liv but that the two of them actually loved each other, and what wife wants to hear that? They came to the agreement that Fitz would tell the public that he and Liv only slept together twice. Big mistake. They planned a press conference for the announcement with the Grant children in tow for the perfect photo op afterward. It looked like they finally had a plan…until the Gladiators come through and set up a poor, innocent White House Aide to take the fall as the other woman. Too bad someone caught her on camera saying the President was “hot” while she was tipsy.

Must Read: Kerry Washington On ‘Scandal’s’ New Season, Why She Doesn’t Mind Playing A Mistress, And More [INTERVIEW]

4. Trust Few

If “Scandal” has taught us anything, it’s to trust few….and that means pretty much no one. I’m still not sure whether Cyrus is still on Liv’s side, the VP’s side or is only out for himself! It seemed like the only people Olivia could really trust were her “Gladiator” team who promised to never leave her side in the midst of trouble. Even when she wouldn’t let them in on her “secret” they came together and worked hard to fix the problem for Olivia without hesitation! That didn’t necessarily mean Olivia was appreciative. Did you peep that she switched out of her usual white costumes into black when she stormed into the office to charge them up for trying to help? “What. Did. You. Do!?” Liv demanded. Uh-oh, Mama’s not happy…

5. There’s Nothing You Can Do About A Man Who Doesn’t Want You

As much as I wanted Mellie to win (and I’m probably one of the few that actually like Mellie’s character. Lol) there is a lesson to be learned in all of this: there’s nothing you can do about a man who doesn’t want you. Fitz has made it clear to Mellie over and over again that he wasn’t attracted to her or the least bit in love with her anymore.

While I don’t condone the whole “mistress” thing, I found it interesting to note that to Fitz, Olivia was more than just a “side piece.” He said he’s actually in love with her. Unfortunately for Mellie, the more she tried to keep her husband close to her, the more she ended up pushing him away and straight into Olivia’s arms. During one of the most emotional scenes in the episode, we learned that it was Fitz that leaked Olivia’s name to the public so that Mellie wouldn’t have a hold on their relationship any longer. If the public knew about Fitz and Liv, their relationship wouldn’t have to be a secret and Liv could be “free.” Well played, Fitz. Well played. Except…what’s going to happen now that the public thinks someone else was the mistress?

If Shonda Rhimes’ twists and turns in the last few seasons are any indication, this is definitely going to get a lot uglier before it’s all said and done! What did you think about the “Scandal” premiere?

Until next week, check out a special video message that Kerry Washington taped for Roland Martin, IMPACT, the Tom Joyner Morning Show, Majic 102 and the Scandal Watch Party at The Park At 14th in Washington D.C. after the season 3 premiere of Scandal.

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MUST READ: Kerry Washington On ‘Scandal’s’ New Season, Why She Doesn’t Mind Playing A Mistress, And More [INTERVIEW]

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