The Noise

"The Noise" is the fifteenth episode of the seventh season of Scandal, and is the hundred-and-twenty-first overall.

Plot[]

When Charlie is taken into custody for the hijacking of Air Force Two, Quinn is faced with an important choice. Meanwhile, Cyrus is pulling the strings behind closed doors and sets out to recruit Jake to join him on his quest for the White House.

Recap[]

FBI goes to OPA and investigates Charlie. Quinn Perkins and Associates are temporarily shut down. Charlie is pulled into a room with Lonnie who tells him that if he signs a document claiming that Mellie is the one who set up the plane hijacking then he can go free. Charlie tells them to go to hell. Quinn goes to visit Olivia Pope. She tells Olivia about Charlie. She suggests a partnership because they have a common enemy. But she makes it clear that she is doing it for Charlie and not for Olivia. Quinn and Olivia gather their group and tell them about Cyrus Beene. Fitz agrees to talk to Mellie Grant on his behalf while everyone else investigates Cyrus. Cyrus meets with Lonny who tells Cyrus that he didn't sign the document. Cyrus says that they are pressuring the wrong person. QPA investigates Lonny and they wonder why he is in Cyrus pocket. They can't find anything on him. Quinn gets called away because her baby has an ear infection but in reality, she is meeting with Cyrus.

Quinn and Cyrus have a chat where Cyrus gives Quinn a number and tells her that she has 24 hours to call it or Charlie dies. Fitz Grant goes to talk with Mellie. He tells her about Cyrus but she doesn't believe him. Fitz tells Olivia and Marcus Walker about how Mellie doesn't believe him because Olivia lied to her. Marcus suggests that he meets with Mellie. Quinn comes back and tells them about the deal Cyrus is offering. Quinn wants to take the deal but Olivia says it'll hurt Mellie. Quinn says that this is about family and not her so Olivia packs up and leaves. Mellie is watching Cyrus on television and is starting to believe Fitz. She goes to Jake and asks him to investigate Cyrus just to be sure. Huck goes to talk to Fitz and asks if that woman in the conference room was Olivia, the old Olivia. Huck says it looks and talks like her but he doesn't know if its because he wants it to be true. Fitz says that he sees the old Olivia too but that maybe they're both seeing things. Jake goes to see Cyrus and asks him if he recommended Lonnie Mencken for the role of investigator. Cyrus instead confesses that he did hijack his own plane. Cyrus tells him that Jake Ballard is going to work with him because he doesn't want to be second choice. Cyrus says that the future is us or its them and that he needs to choose. Jake leaves the office with much to think about.

David Rosen checks in on Lonnie and tells him that Charlie is innocent. Lonny doesn't listen to him and tells him about how his son was killed by a shooter. That he's working for Cyrus because Mellie loves her guns. Marcus talks with Mellie but she says unless she gets hard evidence she isn't going to believe a word he says. Mellie asks how he can trust her. Marcus says that she misses Olivia despite what she's done. Mellie says she misses having Olivia in her corner. Marcus says that she still is and so is he. That he'll always be in her corner. Meanwhile, Jake is watching the exchange from B613. Olivia goes to OPA where she meets Quinn. They talk about how Olivia was willing to sacrifice Quinn for the republic. Olivia says that she's sorry for what she did and that Quinn couldn't understand how bad she feels. Olivia tells her to not take the deal because its wrong and Quinn says she knows that its wrong. She says that they aren't choosing between right and wrong but wrong and death. Olivia says that she doesn't know anymore what is right and wrong but that she does trust Quinn. That whatever Quinn chooses she'll support. Quinn calls Cyrus to tell him that she isn't going to take the deal. Cyrus says he no longer needs her help as he now has Jake in his corner.

Charlie gets pulled back into the room but this time with Jake. Jake tells him that he isn't here to get him out but to make him sign the confession. He says that he won't hurt him if he doesn't he'll hurt Quinn. That he has no control over the decision. Marcus and Mellie cuddle in bed. They get interrupted by her assistant because she's been served with a subpoena. She goes to see Jake but he tells her that he isn't going to help her anymore. Huck goes to talk to Olivia. She apologizes to Huck but he says that that was the old Olivia. Huck tells her that they've all done bad things and hurt people but its what she does next that matters. She gets a call from Mellie who asks her to be her command again and to kill Cyrus.

Cast[]

Main Cast[]

Recurring Cast[]

Quotes[]

Long Speeches & Rants[]

Notes & Trivia[]

The table read for this episode took place on January 23, 2018.
As of this episode, the broadcast time of the show changed from 9|8c to 10|9c as a spinoff of Grey's Anatomy, Station 19, air at the 9|8c time slot.