SCANDAL: OVER A CLIFF {SERIES FINALE} (TV)
Summary
The final installment in this drama/political thriller about the Pope & Associates crisis management firm in Washington D.C. In this episode, Mencken agrees to arrange a Senate hearing for Olivia in exchange for her promise that Mellie will prioritize gun control — and then abruptly takes his own life to ensure that David will be in control. Cyrus rants at Jake as the QPA team wonders what consequences they will face for their testimony, and Rowan prepares to leave town for good, outraged that Olivia is "enslaving" herself and taking the fall. Olivia, however, counters that the country will improve once everyone is honest and "equal." Quinn panics about going to prison and missing Robin's life as Abby frets that David will surely move on and marry someone else, and they all take their turns in revealing B613's endless list of crimes, including the murder of Frankie Vargas, the staged Air Force Two hijacking and framing of Mellie, and much more.
While anxiously awaiting the Senate's recommendation, Quinn and Charlie (real name Bernard Gusky) are married in a speedy jailhouse ceremony in the presence of their best friends. Jake corners David and prepares to kill him to save Cyrus, but David stands up to him and refuses to flee, challenging Jake's loyalty to the evil VP and urging him to "try on the white hat" for once. Cyrus is disgusted to learn that Jake didn't "man up" and kill him, though Jake counters that Cyrus always avoids doing his own dirty work — so Cyrus summons David, who is happily telling Abby of his personal victory, to a late-night "confession," where he poisons and then frantically smothers the AG, killing him. Abby, Quinn, Olivia and Huck are devastated by their friend's fatal "heart attack," and Olivia protests that they're "the good guys now." Rowan coldly declines to help a desperate Quinn, reminding her that he is "retired," and Olivia, heartbroken by her significant part in their impossible situation and believing that she is headed for a life sentence, spends one last romantic night with Fitz.
In the morning, the team learns that the Senate has postponed their decision thanks to the arrival of one final witness: Rowan, who fully acknowledges creating B613 to "fill a need," smugly telling the shocked panel that a Black man has been secretly running the country right under their noses. As a result, Jake is arrested and the others testimonies are redacted, though the team finds it hard to celebrate after David's murder. Olivia visits Jake before his transfer to a super-max prison and apologizes for her part in his downfall, assuring him that he can't truly be "caged," and the two part for good. Sally changes her tune and crows about Mellie's victory as Olivia forces Cyrus, now a broken man after his defeat, to quietly resign. Olivia gently refuses Mellie's request to work by her side and steps away from politics, and Charlie is finally released from prison and reunites with his family. Mellie signs a strict gun-control bill into law, as promised, and Abby and Huck mourn their lost friend as Olivia mends her relationships with Fitz and Rowan. Sometime later, two young Black girls visit the National Portrait Gallery and observe Olivia's portrait, suggesting that she returned to the White House after all. Includes commercials and promos.
Details
- NETWORK: ABC
- DATE: 10:00 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 1:00:48
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: 132970
- GENRE: Drama, mystery/suspense
- SUBJECT HEADING: African-American Collection - Drama; Drama, mystery/suspense; Conspiracies; Weddings
- SERIES RUN: ABC - TV series, 2012-2018
- COMMERCIALS:
- TV - Commercials - "Avengers: Infinity War" motion picture
- TV - Commercials - "Breaking In" motion picture
- TV - Commercials - "Deadpool 2" motion picture
- TV - Commercials - "I Feel Pretty" motion picture
- TV - Commercials - "Life of the Party" motion picture
- TV - Commercials - "Solo: A Star Wars Story" motion picture
- TV - Commercials - "The Incredibles 2" motion picture
- TV - Commercials - American Express credit cards
- TV - Commercials - Ancestry DNA testing services
- TV - Commercials - Apple iPhone 8
- TV - Commercials - Boost Mobile cellular services
- TV - Commercials - Buick automobiles
- TV - Commercials - Google Assistant devices
- TV - Commercials - Kohl's stores
- TV - Commercials - Lexus automobiles
- TV - Commercials - Marshalls stores
- TV - Commercials - McDonald's restaurants
- TV - Commercials - Mercedes-Benz automobiles
- TV - Commercials - Metro PCS cellular services
- TV - Commercials - Mitsubishi automobiles
- TV - Commercials - Olay Whips skin products
- TV - Commercials - Plan B One Step emergency contraceptive
- TV - Commercials - Progressive auto insurance
- TV - Commercials - TJ Maxx stores
- TV - Commercials - Verizon Wireless cellular services
- TV - Promos - "American Idol"
- TV - Promos - "Black-ish"
- TV - Promos - "Dancing With the Stars: Athletes"
- TV - Promos - "Deception"
- TV - Promos - "Jimmy Kimmel Live!"
- TV - Promos - "Quantico"
- TV - Promos - "The Handmaid's Tale"
CREDITS
- Betsy Beers … Executive Producer
- Mark Fish … Executive Producer
- Shonda Rhimes … Executive Producer, Created by, Writer
- Merri D. Howard … Co-Executive Producer
- Judy Smith … Co-Executive Producer
- Matt Byrne … Co-Executive Producer
- Jann Turner … Co-Executive Producer
- Austin Guzman … Co-Executive Producer
- Chris Van Dusen … Co-Executive Producer
- Scott Collins … Supervising Producer
- Raamla Mohamed … Supervising Producer
- Sarah Rissmiller … Producer
- Kerry Washington … Producer
- Severiano Canales … Producer
- Brad Yacobian … Co-Producer
- Holden Chang … Co-Producer
- Tom Verica … Director
- Chad Fischer … Music by
- Kerry Washington … Cast, Olivia Pope
- Scott Foley … Cast, Jake Ballard
- Darby Stanchfield … Cast, Abby Whelan
- Katie Lowes … Cast, Quinn Perkins
- Guillermo Diaz … Cast, Diego "Huck" Muñoz
- Jeff Perry … Cast, Cyrus Beene
- Joshua Malina … Cast, David Rosen
- Bellamy Young … Cast, President Mellie Grant
- Joe Morton … Cast, Rowan Pope
- George Newbern … Cast, Charlie
- Cornelius Smith Jr. … Cast, Marcus Walker
- Tony Goldwyn … Cast, Fitzgerald Grant III
- Michael O'Neill … Cast, Lonnie Mencken
- Gregg Henry … Cast, Hollis Doyle
- Tom Amandes … Cast, Samuel Reston
- Brian Letscher … Cast, Tom Larsen
- Jay Jackson … Cast, Mike Waters
- Kate Burton … Cast, Sally Langston
- Erica Shaffer … Cast, Reporter Julia
- Johnny Todd … Cast, Guard
- Harper Rhimes … Cast, Girl #1
- Jada Turner … Cast, Girl #2