A Stomach for Blood is the eighth episode of the sixth season of Scandal, and is the ninety-eight overall.
Plot[]
The events leading up to election night are retold from Abby’s perspective, revealing a formidable thirst for power and the explosive secret she’s been keeping.
Recap[]
The episode opens with Election Night (again). Abby is watching Francisco Vargas giving his victory speech. She watches as he gets shot. She gets pulled from the room by secret service and is taken to a secure location. Her phone keeps ringing but she's in shock. Fitz tells her to snap out of it that she can't break down. Abby locks herself in her office and finally answers her phone. She's talking to someone but we only hear one side of the conversation. She gets frustrated and throws a coffee mug at the door.
The episode flashes back to when Abby and Fitz are talking about where the location of Fitz's Presidential library should be. He brings up Vermont as a potential location but Abby is against it. She tells him that she's going to a donor lunch for him.
The lunch ends up being with Samantha Ruland and Theodore Peus. They tell her that they will give her 300 million dollars to her if they'll allow them to be part of her team. They tell her its time for her to branch out and stop serving Fitz. They believe that she is the future of this country. They ask her if she ever wants to be President. She tells them that they can't be serious. She tells them that she appreciates the offer but no.
Abby goes to visit Cyrus and brings a bottle of bourbon. He asks her what she wants. She wants to know how he knew that Vargas was the one to hitch his wagon to. He tells her that some people have it: charisma, breeding, etc. He asks if she's told Fitz that she's thinking about leaving him. She says no that it hasn't gotten that far. Cyrus tells her that she'd make a great candidate. But once she leaves him he tells her that Fitz won't be proud of her he'll feel abandoned by her. He tells her if she can do it, do it but if she can't, nobody would blame her if she didn't.
Abby meets with Fitz and he tells her again about Vermont for the library. Abby gets upset and tells him no. He says that he wants to be human again. She tells him that he is President until he dies. She tells him to stop being a child and to grow up. He tells her that he's given his soul to this country. That if he wants to take a break from all this then that's what he's going to do. She tells him that Olivia will never go to Vermont for him. He tells her that the library will be in Vermont. She goes back to her office and calls Peus to tell her that she's in.
Abby is talking to Mellie when they learn that she's lost the election. She gets a call from Samantha who tells her to expect another call in a few minutes. That she'll give her instructions then. Mellie goes back in to watch Vargas's speech. She watches as he's shot in the head. Later, in her office, we learn that she is told to find some way to go to the hospital and lock it down. She says no and Samantha threatens her to reveal where the 300 million she got from them came from.
Abby comes up with a plan and goes with Jake to see Fitz who is trying to figure out who shot Vargas. Fitz tells her that she needs to go to the hospital. She goes and shuts it down. She gets visited by Meg who tells her about the plan. Meg tells Abby that she needs to retrieve the real bullets from Vargas's body and replace them with bullets that she gives her. Abby says no but then Meg shows her a video of Leo Bergen getting beat up. She agrees.
Abby has to figure out a way to get the bullets out of his body. She asks Major Morales to do the autopsy. She threatens him with an unfavorable transfer if he doesn't do the autopsy. He does the autopsy and begins to remove the bullets. She sets it up to look like he did the autopsy all on his own and he leaves with the FBI. She is left alone with the body where she switches out the bullets. She gives the bullet to Meg and asks where Leo is. Meg tells her that she'll have her boyfriend back in a couple of hours. After Meg leaves, she throws up.
Abby goes home and finds a beaten up Leo sitting on the floor. She hugs him and tells him that she's so sorry. He tells her that it isn't her fault. She gets a phone call from Fitz. She goes back to the White House where Olivia is sharing the voicemail with them. Abby calls Theodore and asks if they're blaming Cyrus. He hangs up on her.
In the middle of the night, she wakes up and goes for a run where she thinks back about all the things she's done. The next day, she goes to see David. She's about to tell him everything when Samantha shows up. Abby learns that David is sleeping with Samantha. He invites her to come with them to brunch but Abby says no and leaves.
Abby goes to her office where she finds Huck waiting for her. She learns that Jennifer Fields is alive. She goes to the prison to visit Cyrus. He tells her that he is innocent and she says she believes him. She leaves and goes to Theodore and Samantha with a trade: Jennifer's life for Cyrus getting out of jail. Again we see Meg kill Jennifer and shoot Huck. Abby asks Samantha and Meg if it's done and they yes.
Cast[]
Main Cast[]
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Recurring Cast[]
Guest Cast[]
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Trivia[]
- In this episode, Kerry Washington appeared as Olivia Pope only in flashback scenes.
Promotional Photos[]
- → See and enjoy 35 pictures from A Stomach for Blood at Images from A Stomach for Blood.