'Scandal' Season Finale Tweet-cap: Here Comes the Sun

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

And so Scandal Season 4 ends — not with a bang (of a gun). Or an explosion. Or a kidnapping. Or a brutal murder.

It ends with a kiss. It ends with a happy ending. Crazy, huh?

If you’d told us that the hour would end on this note, with a gorgeous cover of “Here Comes the Sun” by Nina Simone, we would’ve checked you into the cell next to Mama Pope. But somehow, Olivia manages to win the war against her father — and in the unlikeliest way possible.

She doesn’t win using brute force or by exploiting pressure points (oh, Cyrus). Olivia Pope does what she does best — she outsmarts Command.

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And though she gets what she wants, both in taking down her father and in getting the guy, there are still many questions waiting to be answered next season. Will Quinn forgive Huck once again, or shoot him as he asks? Where’s Jake going and what will he do? Will Mellie continue seeking the presidency? And what in the world will Cyrus do with his days now that he doesn’t have the power to intimidate, threaten, or manipulate everyone to his own liking?

Hey, there is an empty office at OPA… just sayin’.

A rundown of the season finale:

The road to Damascus

We pick up right where last week left off: Mellie is meeting with the billionaire donor. This is Rowan’s “Operation Foxtail.” He introduces himself as “Damascus Bainbridge” (LOL) and wow, his fake glad-handing is super awkward to watch. No worries, he gets right to the point and shows Mellie a folder of pics — pics of her and Andrew getting it on.

A horrified Mellie asks what he wants. Rowan wants a list. A list of names. And if Mellie and Lizzie want to win this election, they have to comply.

At the Justice Department, David has convened that grand jury to hear evidence about B-613. Jake is preparing to testify, but asks Olivia if she truly wants him to talk about Operation Remington (you know, the time Fitz shot down a passenger airplane). He’ll do whatever she says. Liv is adamant that they tell the truth, even if it hurts Fitz.

While Jake is in the grand jury, Liv talks to Fitz on the phone. She’s choked up, knowing that she’s just thrown Fitz under the bus. But all she says is congratulations on passing the Brandon bill. “That is the man I voted for,” she half-sobs, before bidding him farewell.

Just then, Huck comes running down the hall. Something terrible has happened in the parking garage, to the bus with all the grand jurors. Oh no! They’re all dead! Papa Pope executed everybody. David Rosen vomits all over the ground, as Olivia sways from side to side in shock.

Later, David brings his boxes of B-613 evidence to OPA. He’s done, he’s outta this. The investigation is over. “While I live for justice, I don’t want to die for it,” David says.

An enraged Olivia is cursing the gods, fate, or whatever has bestowed her with a psycopath for a father. She wants to beat him SO BAD. She doesn’t even want to “gladiate for everyone else” right now — all Liv wants to do is take down Command. But how?

Weapons of mass destruction

At the White House, Mellie and Lizzie are freaking out over the news. The First Lady feels responsible for all those deaths, and confesses her sin to Cyrus. Cy is livid, and wants to wash his hands of Mellie and her campaign. And then she mentions Operation Remington. Now, this involves Fitz, and Cyrus goes into attack dog mode. He’ll “take care of it,” Cyrus Beene-style.

Olivia goes to see the one person who might have a clue on how to take down Rowan: Her mother. But Maya Pope doesn’t have much in the way of advice. The main problem, Maya says, is that nobody knows B-613 exists. “Nobody knows there’s an enemy to take down.”

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So, Liv takes the B-613 files to the CIA. Wouldn’t they be interested in a covert black ops organization operating outside their purview. At first, CIA Director Lowry acts like she knows nothing about it, but as the evidence stacks up, she admits to some knowledge. She leaves Olivia and Jake to confirm what they’re saying.

Meanwhile, Cyrus confronts Rowan about the grand jury killing. Sure, he did it — but Rowan explains that he was just trying to protect them all. After all, if info about B-613 came out, it would incriminate them all, including Fitz and Cy. Now, the problem is those people who want to shed light on it.

So, Cy meets with Director Lowry and in no uncertain terms, tells her to bury this B-613 stuff. So, Lowry takes Liv and Jake — and throws them in prison!

Then, Cyrus targets poor David Rosen, using the biggest piece of leverage he has on the Attorney General — David’s continued love of Abby! Hey, what if Red died, maybe in a suicide, Cy casually suggests. (YOU ARE EVIL, CYRUS BEENE.) David puts his tail between his legs and becomes Cy’s lapdog.

He gives Jake and Olivia documents to sign that recant everything they said about B-613 and prevent them from ever speaking about it again. Command wins.

At home, Liv is drinking wine, trying to move on, when Papa Pope calls to crow. He got rid of all his B-613 agents and destroyed all the files. Now, he’s free from the organization. He can just be Eli Pope, Smithsonian curator. And it was all thanks to her.

The election is here. Fitz gives Mellie a warm, loving toast in front of their staff. And then, she gives her victory speech. Backstage, Lizzie Bear lets it slip about “the list.” You know, the list of grand jurors they leaked after they were blackmailed. By Rowan Pope (she shows him a picture). Fitz is stunned into silence.

Packing up, shacking up

At OPA, Quinn doesn’t want to give up just yet. What about the $2 billion they stole from B-613? Can’t that be proof of their existence? Huck and Liv shrug it off at first. Huck says that money was laundered through so many channels, it could’ve come from anywhere.

And the lightbulb goes off over Liv’s head. It could’ve come from anywhere. The next thing you know, Papa Pope is getting arrested… for embezzlement! “We couldn’t take Command, but we can take Eli Pope,” she tells him gleefully from the other side of a cell’s bars.

Back at the office, Quinn confronts Huck — gun in hand. She knows he killed all those grand jurors, it looks like his work. Why did he do it? Huck stammers that he was forced to, and she doesn’t buy it. He just loves killing and he can’t stop. Huck begs her to shoot, and Quinn prepares to pull the trigger…

At the White House, Fitz, Mellie, and Cyrus toast her victory. An ebullient Cy is even thinking he might finally jump on board the Mellie train. Maybe he could even be her chief of staff.

Then, Fitz speaks up. Mellie won’t become president, because he won’t let her. He reveals he knows about the list, then orders her to get out. Not out of the Oval Office — out of the White House! She has to pack her bags and go!

And she’s not the only one. Fitz knows Cyrus was part of it, too, and fires him!

Liv, fresh off her own victory against her father, returns to her apartment with Jake. But he refuses to come inside. “My mission is complete,” he says. He was ordered to watch over her, both by a bad guy (her dad) and a good guy (Fitz). Now, that’s over. And though he’s in love with her, she’s in love with Fitz. “You are owed, Olivia,” he says, then leaves.

After Mellie and Cy both pack up their belongings (and Lizzie moves into the chief of staff’s office!), Fitz goes to Liv’s apartment. She’s not there and it’s dark inside.

Depressed and alone, Fitz returns to the White House, to the Truman balcony, and stares at the Washington Memorial.

“Nice view,” says Olivia. SHE’S THERE!

And here comes the sun…