‘Scandal’ Recap: Foxtail Is Revealed, Liv And Mellie Fight For Justice In The Military

Olivia, Quinn, Abby and Mellie took on rape in the military while Huck questioned Russell in Scandal’s “A Few Good Women.”

Scandal 4×21 “A Few Good Women” Recap

After Liv (Kerry Washington) figured out that Russell (Brian White) was really working for her father – a B-613 agent just like Jake (Scott Foley) – she tied him up and put him in the abandoned apartment next door with Huck (Guillermo Díaz) and Quinn (Kate Lowes) to “handle” (aka torture for information). Meanwhile, Jake is slowly recuperating in her bed. Quinn and Huck try to question Russell on what ‘Foxtail’ is, but he isn’t giving them anything, so, Liv does what she does best and goes to work.

Vice President Susan (Artemis Pebdani) goes to Olivia after she stumbled upon a female Naval Officer, Amy Martin, who she knows has been raped. Amy never reported the assault, and Susan, unable to leave her in danger, takes her off the navy base and to the White House. She wants justice for Amy Martin, but Cyrus (Jeff Perry) and Fitz (Tony Goldwyn) shut her down. The military is not within their jurisdiction – antiquated law or not, he cannot interfere with military justice at this time. Defeated, Susan turns to Pope & Associates.

Liv takes the case and convinces Amy to tell her story and file charges against her rapist: the Admiral of the base. As Quinn puts it, “He’s celebrated, decorated – pretty much untouchable.” Still desperate to get justice for Amy, Liv takes the fight to the press in addition to filing charges within the military judicial system. Liv also goes to the White House, where Abby (Darby Stanchfield) first refuses to help her, but then goes behind Fitz and Cyrus’ backs to help Pope & Associates. Abby isn’t the only White House defector on this issue: Mellie (Bellamy Young) is devastated when she hears her husband won’t do anything to help get justice for a rape victim, but she also has bigger problems. The race in Virginia is coming to a close, and she and her opponent are neck and neck, but to win the state, Mellie needs to win back some women and liberals, which means returning to the town where her son was killed last year.

Liv, Quinn and Amy meet with the JAG lawyer assigned to Amy’s case, a young, eager, but clumsy, man named Virgil Plunkett (Dan Byrd), who tells them on his first day that he considers the accused rapist a god. This get even worse when the accused Admiral says he wasn’t even on the ship at the time of the alleged rape and he denies any sexual intercourse. Liv requests the base key-card logs to check his alibi, but the Navy refuses her request, saying it’s a matter of National Security. Frustrated, she calls Fitz for help, but he again says no.

After getting off the phone with Olivia, Fitz speaks with Mellie, who is struggling with her trip to the place where their son, Jerry, died. Lizzie North (Portia de Rossi) wants her to make a speech about her dead son. If Fitz isn’t going to intervene in the military rape case, then Mellie will need to find another way to appeal to women voters, and that way is Jerry. After a sweet moment of remembering their son, Fitz tells Mellie he knows how she can get away with not talking about Jerry, but first he’s going to have to take a beating with his colleagues and get those records for Liv.

Unfortunately, the records appear to confirm the Admiral’s alibi, but Liv knows Amy is telling the truth after Amy asked her to sneak her off base so she could get an abortion. Liv figures out the truth: the Admiral did rape Amy, but he had his number 2 create a fake paper trail as an alibi. She assumes when she checks the security tapes (which she can get her hands on courtesy of the Commander and Chief) she’ll see the Admiral’s aide using the Admiral’s key card. Just like that, the case is solved and Amy is able to return to her post safe and sound.

Back at Liv’s apartment, things with Russell aren’t going as smoothly. Despite being tortured by both Quinn and Huck, he’s not talking. Jake tells Liv that Russell will never talk. He should know, Russell is Jake 2.0 – perfectly trained, curated and manipulated by Command in order to slip into Liv’s life. Unlike Jake, however, Russell isn’t in love with Liv. He won’t change sides.

After missing Russell’s 10-hour check in with Command, Huck and Quinn know that Rowan is onto them. He knows Russell has been compromised. Perhaps knowing that Russell is on borrowed time, Jake pays him a visit. He’s not there to torture him. Instead, he wants to engage in some B-613 bonding. “Never met any of Rowan’s others before,” Jake tells him. The two share a beer, discuss how Rowan/Command was like a father to them, and also exchange truths about how Rowan controls Liv. Russell thinks Rowan will be disappointed in him for getting caught, but Jake tells him he’s wrong. Rowan wanted Russell to be caught. “She has to know. That’s how he lets her know Papa Pope is in charge,” Jake tells him. Russell finishes his beer and tells Jake to return him to Huck’s torturous custody.

If only things were that easy. Huck returns, but is interrupted by a knock on the door. It’s Virgil, the JAG, who met Huck during a late night strategy session. He makes up some story about being locked out of Liv’s apartment, but he’s really working for Rowan! Unfortuantely, by the time Liv and Quinn realize that the Virgil they met is not the real Virgil, he’s already knocked out Huck and taken Russell (alive or dead, we don’t know.)

Finally, Mellie returns to the place of Jerry’s death and makes a rousing speech about how she disagrees with her husband on the case of Amy Martin. She promises to create an independent tribunal specifically dedicated to sexual assault in the military should she be elected Senator. (#MellieForPresident)After Mellie finishes her speech, Lizzie North takes her to meet a major donor. As they walk down a hallway, a guard (or a secret service agent? B-613?) says into his radio, “Foxtail secured.” Seconds later, Mellie comes face to face with the big donor, Rowan Pope (Joe Morton).

Scandal‘s forth season finale will air Thursday at 9 p.m. on ABC.