ABC/Craig Sjodin(LOS ANGELES) — On Thursday’s Scandal episode, “The Box” — after Mellie announces her VP candidate is Frankie Vargas’ wife, Peus releases nine drones to blow up areas around the U.S.
As the White House scrambles to figure out what to do, Peus calls Olivia Pope and threatens to detonate the bombs if she does not have Mellie change him to the VP and release his associate, Samantha. When Liv attempts to call his bluff, Peus detonates a bomb to show he’s serious.
Meanwhile, the president and gladiators try to figure out what to do next and come to the conclusion that they should pressure Samantha, who they have in custody. Jake tries to break her, but she refuses to cave. Realizing she is under Peus’ control, Jake carves out a tracker at the back of her neck and gives it to Huck, so it can lead them to Peus.
Unfortunately, Peus has the tracking device scrambled and calls Liv telling her she’s bothering him. He detonates a second drone in Philadelphia.
President Fitz and Liv decide to visit Eli to ask for his help again with Peus, but he vehemently refuses.
In another part of the White House, David Rosen discovers that Eli Pope received packages from Peus over the last six months. He tells Olivia, who finds out through Huck that Eli was being sent a box with a brick in it. Eli later explains that the brick was the weight of a human head — and the box sent was a reminder that they would kill Olivia if he didn’t cooperate.
The president taps Cyrus for help with Peus. Cyrus says they need to trick Samantha into believing they have Peus, so she’ll give up everything. Jake coerces her to sign a fake immunity agreement, but when David comes to deliver it, she calls his bluff and rips it up.
After that, Fitz talks to Eli once again and reminds him he’s not just fighting for himself, but Olivia. Eli now seems like he might be open to help.
As Liv and Fitz drink their sorrows away, Eli interrupts them telling the president he has come to help.
In the last few minutes of episode, Eli breaks out Samantha from the secured room and brings her back to Peus at his dinosaur lab. While there, Eli asks for his freedom from them since he now has gained their trust. They agree, but don’t realize they are being tricked by Eli.
Instead of carrying out their plans for the presidency, Jake shows up and kills Peus, and Eli then later kills Samantha with an dinosaur bone.
Scandal returns next Thursday night at 9:00 p.m. on ABC.
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