'Scandal' Tweet-cap: Can Master Fixer Olivia Pope Fix Herself?

Warning: This recap contains storyline and character spoilers for this week’s episode of Scandal.

Fixer, heal thyself.

Olivia Pope is in a whole world of trouble this week, now that she and Fitz have fully embraced their affair. The media is going nuts, the Senate is amped up to begin hearings on possible impeachment, and Cyrus Beene is watching it all like it’s the Berlin wall falling down.

Related: The ‘Scandal’ Stars Take Our Speed-Reading Challenge

Olivia knows how to fix scandals; fixing her own, though, is a very different matter. She has to call in outside help, but at the end of the day, it’s up to her. Can she sell her story to the American people? Can she turn herself into a likeable mistress? Can she make Olitz the greatest romance of all time?

Please. This is Olivia Pope we’re talking about. #YouJustGotPoped.

Here’s a rundown of this week’s episode, including our live tweets:

Olivia Pope, Woman of the People

Just like Scandal’s audience is gleefully watching the show with popcorn and red wine in hand, Cyrus is watching the fallout from Fitz’s affair like it is his personal IV. He barely notices when his husband, Michael — yeah, remember that guy? The escort? — comes in to try to convince him to shower. Oh no, son, Cyrus has gone full #SmellyCyrus. Instead of fried chicken, though, he’s chowing down on brownies.

At the White House, David urges Fitz to get a lawyer. It can’t be him, but he recommends a woman named Patty Snell, who apparently is somewhat controversial. We like the sound of that!

At OPA, Olivia gets her own war room going, pasting up tawdry tabloid covers. When the gladiators gather, she informs them that she’s hired some outside help.

Leo’s plan is to sell this as a grand love story. “Olivia and Fitz: a love like no other,” he proclaims. But Liv shoots that down. Instead, she goes with Quinn’s suggestion to paint Olivia as an average woman: “Olivia Pope, woman of the people.”

Except she’s so not a woman of the people. Olivia is firmly in the 1 percent. She went to elite boarding schools, gets her groceries delivered, and her closet… sorry, still recovering from the sight of that designer-decked masterpiece.

The gladiators realize that what they really need is a character witness — someone that everyone likes, is respected, and can portray Olivia as a good person. Who ya gonna call? Edison! But Olivia’s former flame isn’t going to play ball without getting in an elbow here and there.

When Liv shows up to ask him to speak on her behalf, Edison doesn’t play Mr. Nice Guy. In fact, he deploys some very cruel language.

Mostly, he wants the truth: Did Olivia ever love him? Uh, nope! Even so, Edison follows through, gives the interview, and it seems to win Olivia major points. Can’t stop a good guy from doing what he does best.

Put a ring on It

Back at the White House, lawyer Patty Snell shows up and immediately dresses down both Abby and Lizzy. Wow, who is this woman? She orders Fitz to testify, sends Abby scurrying back to the briefing room, and scares Lizzy off of repeating “executive privilege” every other sentence.

Unfortunately, the goodwill from Edison’s interview doesn’t last long. The media finds out that Olivia has been wearing Fitz’s great-grandmother’s ring. Are they engaged? What about his divorce? And on and on.

Leo is infuriated, and says they have to go with his original plan — to sell this as a lovey-dovey story. He needs Liv to do an interview and act the hell out of it.

Who tattled about the ring though? Turns out it was Mellie. She feels used and abused, as she revealed that juicy tidbit, then was thrown right off the Judiciary Committee. And she goes to Cyrus to commiserate. Misery loves company.

Meanwhile, Marcus is approached by some senators about spying on Liv for them. At first, it seems like he’s going along with it, even meeting with them after getting strategy scoop from Huck and Quinn. Hmmm, is this gladiator flipping already?

Liv, torn about what to do, goes to see her therapist, Jake. And she’s surprised to see Elise in his apartment. Well, she can’t cast any stones here. Jake gently notes that Liv is just afraid to tie herself to Fitz for the rest of her life, but she’s already made her choice.

Forgive and Forget

Olivia does the interview, and at first, it looks like she’s not going to play by Leo’s rules. When the reporter asks about the affair, Liv says she wishes she and Fitz had never met. But soon, she turns it all around — tears in her eyes, choked up, Liv wishes she could’ve spared their loved ones so much heartache and pain. But she fell in love, and Fitz fell in love. They couldn’t help themselves. It’s a tremendous showing, and it’s hard to tell if Liv is putting on a show or not. But doesn’t the best acting come from the truth?

So, Marcus was not flipping; he was using the opportunity to get close to the senators to see what they had on Fitz. Nice gladiating, newbie! Turns out they have the CIA tape of Olivia getting kidnapped — which would mean that Fitz going to war with West Angola is an impeachable offense. Oh dear.

Well, it’d only be an offense if Fitz watched the tape. He did, but there’s only one person who could testify to that… one Cyrus Beene.

As Cy and Mellie are bonding and eating brownies, he gets a call from Fitz. It’s the call he’s been waiting for.

Over at OPA, Jake comes by with burgers and fries. Olivia asks about Elise, and Jake admits that Elise is his wife. Truth bomb! Olivia is surprised, and Jake jokes that she has a type — married guys. They laugh and dig in. It’s sweet.

Cyrus arrives at the White House, where Fitz asks him to return to work for him. Not as chief of staff, but as a senior advisor. The wheels in Cy’s mind start turning — the Senate must have something on Fitz. Is it Remington? Defiance? Oh no… it’s the tape.

Then Cyrus asks Fitz about minute details from the campaign trail from years back. Like, the kind of donut Fitz ate nearly two decades ago. Cy remembers all of that. Does Fitz even remember Cyrus’s mom’s name?

Cyrus turns down the deal and is about to leave, when Fitz speaks up. Yes, he knows her name. And he remembers all the little moments they shared over the years. “My biggest mistake was forgetting that we were family,” Fitz says. “Everything you did, you did for me.”

Cy nods. And then he bargains a better deal. He wants to be chief of staff again. He wants Lizzy fired. And he wants new carpet for his office.

With that, he’ll gladly take any bullet for Fitz.

Scandal airs Thursdays at 9 p.m. on ABC.