BWW Recap: SCANDAL Returns; Is Olivia Still Gone Girl?

Greetings Gladiators. The long, wait is finally over and Pope & Associates are back... ish... Last season's shocking finale left us with many a cliffhanger. Papa Pope took over as Command of B6-13, recaptured Mama Pope and ordered SSA Tom to kill the President's son, Jerry, Huck revealed that he was alive to his wife, Harrison was doomed and Olivia and Jake flew off into the sunset via Zanzibar. But then she opened her mail.

Let's do a quick "where are they now?"

Harrison is dead. We all kind of saw that coming given Columbus Short's public exit but, his death was off-camera and we the audience, as well as "Julia" and Jake were to focus on his funeral. Abby is now the Press Secretary taking James' place and she and David, apparently, ended their relationship. Huck/Randy is working in a mobile repair center and doling out unwanted information to customers. (That guy seemed to take the news that his wife was cheating on him REALLY well.) Quinn has spent two months tracking down Olivia. Her plan worked when she found out Olivia's rare, favorite brand of wine was being shipped to an off-the-map island off the coast of East Africa. Cyrus, still in mourning over James, is combatting the RNC chairperson, "Lizzie Bear," (guest star, Portia de Rossi) while trying to get the President to nominate a new Attorney General. And the poor First Family. Still encompassed in grief over the sudden death of their son, they are falling apart. Mellie hasn't even gotten dressed in two months but Fitz is happy to report she has recently started washing her hair. (Mellie, I know things are bad, but don't wear Uggs. They just make everything worse.) And lastly, Jake and Olivia, who seem genuinely in love, are living on an island off the coast of Zanzibar only receiving necessities by boat every so often. They seem content, but that never lasts long.

When Olivia/Julia Baker (shout out to Diahann Carroll) receives a letter only containing Harrison's obituary she and Jake head to DC for a few days. (Oh Jake... you know better than that by now, don't you?) Daddy Pope's pants are figuratively on fire as he fills Olivia in on what she's missed the past few months. She seems content with the idea that her mother is dead. Trying desperately to hold it together while planning Harrison's funeral, Olivia gets sucked into another case when a Senator's assistant, Kate, begs for help for her boss. It seems her boss had accidentally "killed" Senator Sterling. Senator Sterling a known womanizer and general scumbag, seems dead on arrival when Olivia arrives on the scene, Sterling isn't dead and Olivia goes to work because if there's one thing Olivia will fight, it is injustice. When she discovers that not only did Kate's boss not get attacked by Sterling, (Kate did), she sent Kate to Sterling knowing he would attack her. Disgusted at the fact that Washington will never change, Olivia agrees to go back to Zanzibar with Jake after the funeral.

Nonetheless, at Harrison's funeral she realizes that what she is built for is standing up for justice even when it seems impossible. That's right, Jake, the beach is gone.

In the last moments, Olivia and Fitz finally lay eyes on each other. (Although the best look of surprise/confusion award goes to SSA Tom. #biased) Their slow motion strut toward each other and their slight chemistry tingle is enough to keep us all coming back for more.

What I Know:

• David and Abby have broken up but are now both going to be working for the White House aka "The Death Star." That should be interesting.

• Jake seems, justifiably, very wary of Roman Pope. I can't wait to see that first encounter.

• Currently, Pope and Associates is just Olivia, Huck and Quinn.

• I am very jealous of Julia Baker being on a deserted island with Scott Foley.

What I Don't Know:

• Where is Jake going to fit in with Olivia back at work, Roman in Command and David in the White House? I'm guessing he doesn't have friends he can call.

• Where was Huck's wife? Did he just reveal himself at the door and then disappear again? Here's hoping we get an entire episode of that story.

• Who pays Olivia's utility bills while she's out of town?

• Is Gettysburger real? If so, I'd like one of those rib sandwiches please. Can Scott Foley deliver it please?

Favorite Lines:

• Huck/Randy - Are you back for now or are you back for good?

• Cyrus - Do you need to validate a ticket for your broomstick or can you find your way out on your own?

• Attorney - Where were you, anyway? Olivia - On an island. Attorney - That sounds boring and lonely. Olivia - Not as lonely as Washington.

• Mellie - Another thing that I just don't do anymore is wax so... it's 1976 down there.

• Olivia - Are we gladiators or are we bitches?

The funeral of Harrison was well done, however, in a Shonda Rhimes world, his offscreen death was unsatisfying. I know it has to do with legal issues and personal problems yada yada yada. But still, there was just something that felt incomplete. Regardless, they opened up a bunch of new stories for us to cling to. Jake vs. Papa Pope is always an interesting battle as I'm never sure who is the bad guy. Oh that's right, it's Scandal, nobody's good or bad. It's called good writing. I am most excited about this new First Couple. For the first time in their marriage, as far as we've seen, they are honest, almost to the point of brazen together as a real couple with real problems that aren't just politics. I am fascinated. And for the love of God, can someone please give Bellamy Young and Jeff Perry some Emmys? Where is the love?

What were your thoughts? Did the beginning of Season Four deliver? Please let me know here or on Twitter @eponineq.

Check out a promo for the next episode of SCANDAL below!

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