02x16 - Top of the Hour

[bunniefuu]

"Mr. President." I'll never get over saying that. - Jake.

Previously on "Scandal"...

How is she?

She's good. Quiet. Makes my job easy.

She seems harmless.

Olivia Pope is not what she seems.

Stay on her.

Yes.

Yes?

Yes, I will go out with you.

(Fitz) They're running a damn dally of the most glaring failure of my presidency, while we for all apparent purposes do nothing.

You are doing everything to get those hostages back safe.

It's not your fault the intelligence simply isn't there.

These are the hostages.

Their C.I.A. files were on Wendy's flash drive.

So Albatross, the mole, the man who k*lled Wendy...

He's the one who leaked their names to the t*rrorists.

That's him. That's the guy who wanted what Wendy stole!

That's the guy who k*lled her! That's him on the tv!

That is him!

(Projector and camera shutter clicking)

Mom, I'm starving.

I think daddy ordered some pizza.

Ham and pineapple?

Phil, the wireless is down again.

Yeah, it's been acting funny all night.

Emmett, set the table, would you?

Dad, ham and pineapple?

I have to look at this proposal before the west coast goes down.

-Try turning it off and turning it on.

Dad?

What?

What'd you get on the pizza?

Ham and pineapple's gross.

It's Hawaiian. Insult their culture, why don't you?

Hey. I got pepperoni. Everybody's happy.

Ew.

Gross.

See what I deal with? Come here.

Mm. Thank you.
(Doorbell rings)

(Emmett) Pizza's here.

Here's a $20.

Give 'em a tip.

(Shouting questions at once)

(Man) Are you aware of your mother's past?

Dad!

(Projector and camera shutter clicking)

(Man) Did your mother tell you about the affair she had?

We are at the home of Ryocorp C.E.O. Sarah Stanner...

The married woman accused of having an affair with Murray Randall, President Grant's recently announced supreme court nominee.

The alleged extramarital affair happened 15 years ago when Randall was Stanner's Professor at Harvard law...

Confirmation hearings have become a battleground for partisan wrangling, and if this is what the democrats meant by, quote, "vetting thoroughly,"

I'd say they've made good on their thr*at.

Is it true? What they're saying about mom?

No, sweetie, of course not.

When you have an important job like your mom's, sometimes people... Try to tear you down.

Tell your brother to brush his teeth and wash up for bed.

No tv, no computer... Not tonight, okay?

Um... yes, right.

Um, let me just grab a...

But it certainly has provided...

O-okay, thank you. I will. Bye.

What'd the lawyer say?

She's sending someone in named Olivia Pope.

(Projector and camera shutter clicking)



(Projector and camera shutter clicking)

(Projector and camera shutter clicking)

(Door opens) Sorry I'm late.

I would have called, but I was in a meeting.

Don't worry. I've been keeping myself entertained.

Oh. This one is truly special.

Well, Yasmin was a one-in-a-million kind of girl.

She loved long walks, dry climates, spitting.

(Cell phone chimes)

(Sighs) Let me guess.

That means that we are not having dinner, doesn't it?

It's work. I have to go.

I was going to bring this up over dinner, but I guess now I won't have a chance, so...

What do you know about the Kashfari hostage situation?

I work in m*llitary intelligence.

We're all pretty familiar with it. Why?

I came across some information that might help.

You came across it?

You can't tell anyone it came from me, and you can't bring it to the C.I.A.

I don't have the authority to just show up with something like that.

And aren't you hooked up pretty good with the White House?

I can't go that route.

And you can't tell me why.

It could help.

I wouldn't bring it to you otherwise.

I'll see what I can do.

Are you sure you've got to go back to work?

I could come over, flip through some of your photo albums.

Yearbooks, maybe... It's only fair.

Maybe next time?

So there's gonna be a next time?

(Laughs)

I like the sound of that.

(Door closes)

(Indistinct conversations)

(Projector and camera shutter clicking)

12 outlets?

15.

That's a big story.

The biggest.

No way we're getting past that.

Not unseen, we're not.

We wait. Top of the hour.

There a back door?

Still have to go through the side door. (Phone chimes)

Top of the hour, people. What? (Beep)

You on this?

I'm on this.

Good. Because it's not true.

Then why can I hear you pacing?

We stand behind him, we stand behind his character.

Randall's a judicial genius, Liv, one of the finest of our generation.

He deserves to sit on the bench of the highest court in the world.

I am telling you, it's not true.

He's not my client, Cy. She is.

(Sighs)

We're sitting ducks, Liv. The press can practically smell us from here.

We should move now.

I am asking you to shut this down.

Have Stanner deny it... cleanly.

And I will do whatever is in the best interest of my client.

(Harrison and Abby) - Liv.

At the top of the hour. Time.

8:59.

(Reporters speaking indistinctly)

Now?

9:00.

Now.
(Doors open)

And we are back live at the home of Sarah Stanner.

Live at the home of Ryocorp C.E.O. Sarah Stanner.

Coming to you live from the Stanner home...

(Reporters continue indistinctly)

Top of the hour.

Top of the hour.

But there are other questions that need to be answered.

Hi. You must be Olivia Pope.

I'm Olivia Pope.

Your lawyer said you had kids.

Yeah. Two. Why?

You need to lock all your windows, close your blinds.

First thing in the morning, we're gonna send your kids to stay with a close relative, someone you trust.

Well, my sister Nancy lives 20 minutes away.

Good. They'll go there.

You put out the trash today?

Yeah. Why?

Needs to come in.

Wh... (Chuckles) Why would they go through our garbage?

I-I don't know what you're used to dealing with, Ms. Pope, but we're just normal people.

Phil.

The press is accusing your wife of having an affair with one of the most polarizing political figures in the news right now, so normal is over.

Normal ended hours ago. And, yes, Sarah, they're going to dig up anything and everything about you they can get their hands on... Your trash, your voicemail, your bank statements, your prescription history...

It's all fair game. Now, I will do everything I can to protect you, to get you through this, but in order to do that, in order to do my job, I need to know how much trouble we're in, how much damage control we're going to need to do.

So, I want to hear everything that happened, all of it... every detail, and it needs to be the truth.

Was Murray Randall your law Professor at Harvard?

Did you have an affair with him?

Was he married? Were you married?

How much of what the press is reporting is true?

It's all true.

All of it.

What do you see?

(Quinn) Osborne.

And big guys in black suits.

They look armed.

That's the shadow.

The what?

C.I.A. Director always has a shadow.

They live in his basement.

They tail him all day, every day.

When he eats, they follow. When he sleeps, they follow.

When he goes to the bathroom, they follow.

So how are we ever supposed to get to him?

We don't need to get to him. He needs to get away from them.

A mole trades in information.

So how can he ever get away from them to make a drop?

He can't, so he won't.

He'll make the drop in plain sight, somewhere public.

We wait for that.

You're good at this... Stalking people.

You'll get there.

(Projector and camera shutter clicking)

If you think that man's going to prioritize a little late-night chitchat...

(Playful voice) Over feeding his own child, you just don't know him. Isn't that right?

I need to see the President right now.

I'm sorry, he's not a...

He... he doesn't want to be disturbed.

Who's he in there with?
(Whispers) I can't say.

Lauren, I hired you, hand-picked you to be the person who sits at this desk and answers this phone.

I did that, Lauren, and I chose you.

You owe me, and you're going to let me in there.

Mr. Beene, I can't, not until he gives me...

Not until his wife comes in with his beautiful baby boy.

Right? I need to see him now.

(Knock on door)

Mr. Beene and the First Lady both here to see you, sir. (Door closes)

Cyrus! What is it?

(Sighs)

There's a story on Murray Randall.

It's a problem. What do you mean, there's a story?

We vetted him extensively.

It's just an old affair.

It'll blow over a single news cycle, then he'll be confirmed as planned.

I have American citizens who are about to get their heads chopped off by t*rrorists, Cyrus.

You told me this guy was clean, and I do not need this now.

Sir...

Just fix it.

One news cycle.

That's all we can spare.

The First Lady, sir.

Where's that boy?

Right here!

Where's my buddy?
(Speaks indistinctly)

Yes! Are you hungry?
(Kisses) - Oh, boy.

Did I keep you waiting?

He's hungry.

Want to have a snack? I know you're hungry. - Oh, he is.

Let's have a little...

(Exhales)

(Indistinct conversations, camera shutters clicking)

What proof is out there? What did they find?

There's some e-mails.

Then you'll need to make a public statement.

Tomorrow morning we'll set up a microphone outside.

You want me to get up there in front of the world and say I cheated?

We want to make this story about a philandering supreme court nominee, not a philandering C.E.O. and mother of two.

Now, hopefully there are other women he slept with who will come out of the woodwork and take the spotlight off your family.

But in the meantime, if you want this to go away as soon as possible, you need to come clean...

Publicly.

Do it.

Are you sure?

It's been 15 years.

I think you should do it, Sarah.

(Camera shutters clicking)

And now I'd like to set the record straight.

I had a sexual relationship with Murray Randall 15 years ago when I was his law student.

He was married at the time, as was I.

The affair was brief.

I got no preferential treatment in his class...
(Cell phone chiming)

Nor was my career as a successful businesswoman impacted by...

Take a breath.

Don't you dare tell me to...

I will not be responsible for an untimely heart att*ck. Take a breath.

Do you have any idea what we're up against?

Between the nomination and the hostage crisis, the American public is willing to forgive one snafu a term.

They don't forgive two.

That is not what this is about.

I just got back in the inner circle, Liv.

He's listening again.

And all I asked you for was a simple denial.

Murray Randall is not my client. The President is not my client.

You're doing this because he's anti-choice?

I'm apolitical. You know that.

Is your vag*na apolitical?

Good-bye, Cy.

We're gonna hit you back, Liv.

We've got to. We're gonna hit you back hard.

Cyrus?

Yes?

Do your best.

(Clicks phone)

(Sam & Dave's "soul man" playing)

You are no longer just pundits, talking heads.

You are assassins... Character assassins.

And your target is Sarah Stanner.

When we nominate a justice to the supreme court, we need to know that there are no skeletons in their closet that the democrats can use against us.

It was an oversight, and I apologize, sir.

So it was an affair then?

It was an affair, yes.

Mrs. Stanner, who up until this morning was a successful C.E.O. and mother of two, but who is, as of now...
(Bangs wall)

A dangerously unhinged stalker hell-bent on Murray Randall's destruction.

She's a good person, Mr. President.

I always admired her work ethic, and I've been pleased to follow her career over the years.

The less damage we can do to her character...

Murray, do you think you have any say over how we treat this woman's character after what you've done?

You lost your say the moment we asked if you would like to be on the supreme court of the United States of America, and you said yes.

(Projector and camera shutter clicking) Mrs. Stanner, then a law student in judge Randall's constitutional law class, was stalking the judge, according to sources.

Exhibit "a"... Her e-mails to the judge, who never wrote back, as far as we can tell.

We can't say this stuff on tv, Cy.

Which is why we leak it online.

Then, when you're asked about it, you say...

This woman was a sexual predator who zeroed in on judge Randall with unwanted attention from the very start of the torts class she took from him.

And I don't know if you've had a chance to look at some of the e-mails she wrote, but she was definitely hot for teacher.

To say that she went after him is an understatement.

I mean, we're on cable tv right now.

We can't read a sentence of this stuff out loud without the F.C.C. shutting you down.

And he tried to take the high road throughout this whole sordid ordeal.

He never replied to any of it... not once.

Back off, or I'll release the other side of that e-mail correspondence.

There isn't one, as I'm sure you know.

She wrote to him. He didn't write back.

Classic sexual harassment.

Or does that only matter when it's boy on girl? (Phone beeps)

Sir, I found a classmate.

A successful attractive female partisan one? - Oh, yes.

(Pounds table) Go, go, go, go, go.

Honestly, none of this comes as a surprise.

She was always telling anyone who'd listen how hot she thought Professor Randall was.

I mean, I guess her husband believed whatever she told him, but how could he be so stupid?

Those pictures aren't even from law school.

That is undergrad. Spring break. This is absurd. (Clicks button)

This is... we... we have kids, Ms. Pope. We have a daughter.

It's just gonna get uglier.

There's a supreme court nomination at stake.

They're gonna do everything they can to paint judge Randall as the innocent victim here.

(Cell phone chiming) We've got to push back, change the narrative.

Harrison.

Ryocorp's saying the affair violates the company's morality clause, which means...

I know what it means.

(Phone beeps)

We've got another problem.

What?

Ryocorp thinks you're in violation of their morality clause.

They're gonna sue me for breach of contract, take away my shares?

I don't understand.

They want Sarah to resign as C.E.O. effective immediately.

They're f*ring her.

Lauren.

Hello, ma'am.

I was wondering if I could get a look at the President's schedule.

Your chief of staff should have a copy, ma'am.

She does, but I wanted to see your copy.

Ma'am? Lauren.

(Exhales) (Mouse clicks)

See? Right there.

That meeting isn't on my chief of staff's version of the schedule. It's so late at night, and three times a week. Who is it?

I'm afraid I can't say, ma'am.

Lauren...

Uh, I can't say because I don't know.

Honestly. It must be a phone meeting.

I just... I-I don't know.

He places the calls himself?

There's no... phone log?

Of course the President agreed, sir.

So we can count on your support, senator?

(Exhaling)

You won't regret it.
(Hangs up phone) Ahh...

(Applause)

Andy, get some champagne in here.

We just pushed this nomination through.

(Cheers and applause) Yes!

(Cheering continues)

What are we celebrating?

(Cheering stops)

May we have a moment, please?

(Murmuring)

Why didn't you tell me?

Tell you what?

That he is calling her again, that he is sleeping with her again.

I've seen his real schedule.

I know he's blocking off time late at night, and I know that can only mean one thing.

I don't have time to listen to this, because I'm back in his good graces, Mellie.

So where your husband is dipping his signing pen these days isn't my primary concern.

You know as well as I do that once Olivia gets her claws in him again, it will be back to divorce and taking us all down.

Here's what I know. I know that he hasn't mentioned the word "divorce" in almost a year.

I know that getting involved in your messy little love triangle has never gotten me anywhere.

And I also know that I just saved him a major public embarrassment...

Which, after the hostage crisis and your unfortunate conference call fiasco means that while you may be wandering out in the White House version of a siberian work camp, I'm curled up by the fire inside.

Now, if you'll excuse me, the President is waiting...

(Exhales)

For me.

(Cell phone chimes)

(Clicks phone)

(Door closes)

How did you find me?

I'm a professional. And it's not like you're holed up in some cave in Tora Bora.

Do you know what these are? These are fax transmissions sent to a number in Kashfar two weeks ago.

They're dossiers on the aide workers.

They're not aide workers.

On the operatives that were taken hostage.

Did you get this from the woman who called me, the one who d*ed... Wendy?

If I'm gonna do something with this, I need to know that it's legit.

I need to know where you got it, because if I push my way through certain rooms and this intel is bogus, it's my ass on the line. I'm through.

I can't tell you how I got it, but I can promise you it's legit.

And I just have to trust you?

That's how this works, right?

Mm.

Miss Pope?

(Projector and camera shutter clicking)
(Olivia clears throat)

Thank you. You're welcome.

Don't worry about it. Happens all the time.

Comes with the territory.

(Projector and camera shutter clicking)

Come on, Samantha. We're not talking about naked photos or slander against the company.

Who hasn't sent a dirty e-mail or two?

Oh... try 200.

It's a rite of passage.

Not for C.E.O.S.

Ohh...

She's a public figure, the face of our company.

She wasn't a public figure at the time of the alleged compromise of the morality clause.

She was a kid. She was 24. She was in school.

She was married. In any case, the legal language is clear as day.

I know you're under pressure from the board.

Stock prices are taking a hit over this scandal.

But if you continue this sexist campaign against my client, it's gonna get ugly.

You're pretty.

(Laughs) And you talk real fast, but I think I can take you.

And just in case I can't, I've got an army of lawyers and unlimited funds in my w*r chest.

You're outgunned.

Mnh. I'm armed. With one single fact.

We wouldn't be having this discussion if Sarah were a Saul or a Steve, and that double standard will become front and center in the coverage of this scandal until the name Ryocorp is synonymous with discrimination, until you have to change the name on every door and web site and business card.

Until you have to use a good portion of those unlimited funds rebranding your company.

Like I said...

Ugly.

(Projector and camera shutter clicking)
(Indistinct conversations)

Good news.

The morality clause is off the table... for now.

(Door closes)

So I can keep my job?

Mm-hmm.

That's amazing. That is the...

First good news we've had all week.

(Cell phone chimes)

Abby.

The good news is the affair was a 2-way street.

A retired security guard came forward with footage from a weekend getaway at a 4-star resort in Cabo.

They were making out all over the lobby.

Did you get a hard copy?

I did, but, Liv, the date stamp... It doesn't match the e-mail.

It's from about a year later.

(News program instrumental theme playing)

Turn that up.
(Cell phone beeps)

Next up, caught on tape...

(Volume increases)Breathing new life into the dying controversy over the nomination of judge Randall is newly discovered hotel security footage that not only proves that the affair with Sarah Stanner was mutual, but that it was rekindled a year after her e-mails to him ceased.

How many lies, Sarah? Huh? How many lies have you told me?

...Because our investigators found more footage of the pair two years later at the very same hotel.

I'm sorry. I am so sorry.

What the hell has our marriage even been?

Did you...

Do you love him? Are you still screwing him?

No, of course not. No.

I don't believe you.

I don't believe anything you say to me.

I don't believe you!

Wait. Two years.

That's 2000!

Annie was born in 2001.

Phil, please. Is she my daughter?

Of course she is. Of course she's yours.

I don't believe this! I... I don't...

You know what? I don't care! I don't give a damn!

I'm leaving.

No.

Just get out of my way. I'm leaving. - Phil...

Just... just get the hell away from me!

You can't leave, not with the press outside!

Phil!

Go!

(Reporters clamoring and shouting questions)

Hey!

Get the hell off my lawn!

Phil, come on.

I want you all off my property! Now!

Come on!

Mr. Stanner, were you aware that the affair continued?

(Clamoring continues)

Phil. Listen. Come on.

Let's not do this out here. Not in front of the cameras.

They're just gonna follow you down the street.

(Reporters shouting questions)
(Projector and camera shutter clicking)

(Exhales) He just left the bank.

He waited in line to make a deposit.

You think that's the drop? I think it could be the drop.

(Huck) Why?

'Cause who makes a deposit at a bank these days?

You do it online or use an ATM.

It's not the drop.

Why not?

Why not?

Because tellers are searched nightly and there are security cameras everywhere.

Yep.

I'm gonna follow him.

You sure you want to do that?

Yeah. We can't see in. It could be the drop.

Why? You don't think I should?

I think you should do what you think you should do.

(Phone beeps)

Thanks a lot. Have a nice day.
(Door bell dings)

Hi. Picking up or dropping off?

Picking up.

Number is 555-0199.
(Door bell dings)

(Whirring)

Picking up or dropping off?

(Sighs)

I know. I know.

That's why you don't do cover without the right props.

One of those guys could have made you, and for what?

Nothing. I got his phone number.

You think the director of the C.I.A. uses his real phone number to pick up his dry cleaning?

No.

Need a shirt?

Yes, please.

(Telephone rings) Harrison Wright.

You know what's ugly, Harrison?

Samantha! (Laughs)

So good to hear from you again.

Ugly is when you tell your husband you're at a work conference one weekend a month so you can go screw your married lover in Mexico.

I don't know what you've heard, but...

For two years straight.

And it's just that kind of ugliness that the ryocorp mortality clause is designed to protect against.

(Projector and camera shutter clicking)

Where are we at with Randall?

After the hotel romp in Mexico, he has almost no support.

There's no sense in trying to ram it through.

He's declining first thing in the morning.

I'm having Scotty draft a statement.

And who else do we have on deck?

Soteras. Habinek over on the 9th circuit.

Murphy, but she's got the housekeeper thing from '96.

So no one anywhere near as good as Randall?

We had the votes to push it through.

Sir, if...

If Liv had gotten her client to issue a denial from the start, all this could have been avoided.

Olivia was behind tanking Randall?

She's representing S-Sarah Stanner, sir.

I thought you knew.

I need a minute, Cyrus.

Sir...

I need a minute.

(Door closes) (Sighs)

You're staying the night again?

We're nearing arctic temperatures in there.

They shouldn't be alone.

I want the two of you to focus on her legal case.

The board's voting tomorrow afternoon on whether to fire her over the morality clause.

Her personal life's falling apart.

The least we can do is try to save her job.

(Cell phone chimes)

(Beep)

Cyrus, I already told you...

(Fitz) It's not Cyrus.

I wish you'd just been honest with me.

I already told you, I made a mistake.

I don't mean about defiance.

What do you mean...

Fitz?

What do you mean?

Fitz...

All those meetings!

You... you're in Mexico, screwing that guy!

I-I trusted you!

I-I'm sitting at home like some kind of idiot.

I made a mistake. I'm sorry.

We weren't getting along.

I didn't know if we would last.

You made damn sure we wouldn't.

If you didn't think I was good enough to be President...

I did think you were.

You didn't.

You didn't.

If you had...

(Sarah) I love you. I am sorry.

I love you. I was stupid.

I wish I could take it back.

You can't!

(Breathes deeply) You know what?

It doesn't matter. I don't even know why...

(Sighs)

That's not why I called.

Why did you call?

I told myself I was calling... to tell you to back off from my supreme court justice nominee.

But really...

I was calling because apparently I haven't kicked myself enough today, and I needed a little more misery.

(Breath quavers, sighs)

I trusted you, you know?

(Sighs)

You were all I had.

You ruined me.

I'm ruined.

(Gasps) I'm ruined!

I don't care.

(Phil) I will never forgive you!

Phil...

I want a paternity test.

(Sighs)

I'm going to hang up now.

Okay, you do that.
(Line clicks)

That's a good idea.

(Clicks phone)

(Sighs)

Captain Ballard, sir.

Send him in.

Mr. President...

I don't need an update on her right now.

(Door closes) I'm well aware of what she's been up to.

This isn't about her.

(Paper rustles)

(Flips page) Where'd you get these?

An anonymous source sent them to my office this morning.

You see that fax number at the top there?

It's registered to a Kashfari intelligence officer.

One of our drones just picked him up driving towards an armed compound in Tenwar province.

Place is a pretty well-known safe haven for t*rrorists.

Who else knows about this?

Just me and my immediate superiors.

I felt it was best to keep a leash on it until I spoke to you.

Is there a team in place?

Just waiting for your go-ahead, sir.

Good night, Lauren.

Good night, captain Ballard.

(Projector and camera shutter clicking)
(Indistinct conversations)

Don't judge me.

(Closes door)

No judgments.

He wants a paternity test.

But... you heard that. I'm betting you heard that.

I'm sorry.

I know it must not be fun having us in your house.

No, it's, uh... It's like a party.

I love it. It's great.

You have front-row seats to the end of my marriage.

(Exhales) Crap.
(Chuckles)

I am a terrible host.

You want a drink?
(Clattering)

No. I...

You have to have a drink.

Otherwise, I'm just drinking alone.

Sarah, it would be unprofessional for me...

I'm paying for your time, right?

This is my dime. My many, many dimes.

Have a drink with me.

Drink the damn wine.

(Sighs)

Mmm. This is...

A $300 bottle of wine.

I was saving it for an occasion.

My husband calling me a whore feels like an occasion.

You made a mistake.

No. I mean, yes, I did.

Uh, cheating on him... that was a mistake.

Our marriage was...

We weren't getting along. I was young.

I was dumb enough to think it was okay if someone else turned me on, and I made a mistake.

The affair was a mistake.

But that's not the thing.

That's not what's going to k*ll us.

The mistake is nothing.

It's that...

It's that you never told him the truth.

It's that you let him believe a lie.

I didn't know.

I don't know if Annie is his.

But it would have... hurt him if she wasn't, so I made a choice.

You let him be her dad.

I let him be her dad.

Y-you think the only one that's gonna suffer is you.

You get a twinge on father's day, you suck it up, you... tell yourself, okay, this is the price I'm paying.

This is the cost.

But it's not. There's a much larger bill, and it comes due.

And suddenly Olivia Pope is in your living room.

Damn.

We really have to do the... paternity test?

You do. You should.

If that's what he wants.

(Inhales) There's a hairbrush on her dresser.

You can use that.

You have some job.

Fixer.

How do you fix betrayal?

Sarah, you betrayed him.

You did.

You messed up, and there's a price.

Betrayal always has a price.

But let me ask you something.

Is he a good dad?

(Inhales sharply)

(Exhales)

He is a great dad.

You did what you thought was best at the time.

Even if it was wrong, you thought it was best.

You can't change the choice you made.

All you can do is not let it ruin you.

And what if he never forgives me?

Then you're going to have to learn to forgive yourself.

(Sniffles)

That sounds lonely.

It is.

(Projector and camera shutter clicking)

Okay, I've been thinking about this dry cleaner thing.

What are you thinking?

Director of the C.I.A.

That's gotta be a job where you have no free time.

You're too busy saving the world.

So why does Osborne go to the cleaners himself?

Any assistant could do that.

Why do you think he goes?

Because the best drops happen in plain sight.

Yes. They do.

(Sighs)

Got him. So easy.

Just gave the number. Check it.

(Exhales)

Inside pockets, too.

(Rustling)

(Projector and camera shutter clicking)

Oh, my God. This has to be...

20 grand at least.

Holy...

Stay focused.

What's next?

He can't know we're onto him.

(Rustles)

Tell me this happens all the time, because otherwise, I am gonna feel like a total idiot.

I must have given you the wrong number, because these suits... they're definitely not my husband's.

Wrong size, wrong color, just wrong, wrong, wrong.

What's the phone number?

(Exhales)

You ever have one of those days where you just try and do too much?

He told me his suits weren't going to be ready today, and I try to be superwoman, do it all, make him dinner, get his cleaning.

He can get his own cleaning... On Saturday, when it's ready.
(Breathes sharply)

You have a better day than I'm having.

(Door bell dings)

(Projector and camera shutter clicking)
(Crow caws)

Annie.

What are you doing here?

You're supposed to be at school.

Mackenzie Myers says my dad isn't my real dad.

Is that true?

(Gasps softly)

That's why you had my hairbrush, right?

So you can find out.

(Sighs)

(Gasps) I've seen the news.

Aunt Nancy didn't know I was watching, but I was.

Your dad... will always be your dad, no matter what.

(Projector and camera shutter clicking)

Here's Scotty's statement. You should take a look.

I've got Randall's office ready to release it on your word.

Don't pull it yet.

Sir?

There's an operation under way to free the hostages in Western Kashfar.

Under way? Now? Choppers are in the air.

They'll be on the ground in 25 minutes.

I don't under... Why didn't I know about this?

I figured you had your hands full.

Just keep a lid on it until I update you on the status.

If this operation is successful, we'll bury this whole Murray Randall fiasco in a tidal wave of good news.

Cyrus?

Yes, sir?

I believe the words you're looking for are "thank you."

(Door opens)

(Projector and camera shutter clicking)

(Projector and camera shutter clicking)

(Fitz) My fellow Americans, at 5:37 P.M. Greenwich Mean time, a Navy S.E.A.L. team was dispatched to the Kashfari province of Tenwar.

Their mission... to find the three American aide workers taken hostage and bring them back alive.

(Clicking)

(Clatters)

(Clicking)

(Door opens, switch clicks)

(Keys rattle)

(g*nf*re)

(Both grunting)

(g*nf*re continues on monitor)

(Grunting)

(Fitz) The S.E.A.L. team ex*cuted their mission without a single American casualty.

Room's empty. No hostages.

Just take it! Take it!

(Blow lands) (Grunts)

(Man) Over here!

(Projector and camera shutter clicking)

And as for the hostages...

(Kicks, grunts)

Yes!

Yes!

(All exclaiming) (Claps)

I'm proud to say they're alive and well.

(Exclaiming continues)

God bless our servicemen and women, and God bless America.

(Cell phone rings)

Mr. President.

You did a hell of a thing today.

Just doing my job.

(Clatters)

(Harrison sighs)

You get anything?

(Scoffs) This contract is so airtight.

Board meeting's at 5:00.

Too bad you don't sign a morality clause before you get married... not that it would have saved those two anyway.

Why do you assume their marriage is over?

The way I see it, marriage is a partnership. You add kids, it's a job.

You think he's gonna be able to work with her, be a team with her after what she did to him?

I work with you after what you did to me.

You basically tanked me and David.

Abby, I'm sorry about that.

You know how sorry I am about that.

It's fine. That's my point.

People get betrayed, people betray.

You deal with it and you move on.

If it's a partnership, if it's a job, you move on.

Abby, I will apologize every single day if that'll make things better.

I'm not mad, Harrison. I'm not.

But you're different.

With me. I mean, you're the exact same...

But you're completely different.

I'm still me. We're still us.

I'm just...

I now live in a world where I know that you're a gladiator first and a person second.

That's okay. Because I can do that, too.

I can be a person second.

I just... (Chuckles)

Before, I just didn't know that's what we were doing with each other, is all.

We're good.

Abby.

You know what? I have an idea.

Maybe we're going about this whole morality thing the wrong way.

Hmm.

(Projector and camera shutter clicking)

(Sighs) - We have nothing on these guys.

Doesn't matter.

What if they call our bluff?

They won't.

What if they do?

They won't.

(Man) Gentlemen, let's take a look at our stock prices...

Don't worry, gentlemen. We're not here to occupy you.

Who the hell...

Relax.

We just need a couple minutes of your time.

We know you're about to fire Sarah Stanner for violating the morality clause of her contract.

That's a big decision.

Huge!

I'll get security.

Go ahead, Larry.

It's Larry, right?

Before you have security set their tasers to stun, let me just say that in this box my colleague is holding is dirt.

All the dirt we spent the past week digging up on every single one of you.

Dirty dirt. Filthy dirt. Some of it is illegal, and some of it's just downright disgusting.

I'm talking "no amount of Lysol's gonna clean that corporate jet" disgusting.

You know what he's talking about, right?

Actually, I don't.

Oh, soon you will.

And so will your families. So will America.

We wouldn't put a morality clause in our contracts if any of us had anything to worry about.

Well, in that case, you won't mind if Abby just opens the box and starts reading.

Fine by me.

Okay. Let's do this.

(Projector and camera shutter clicking)

So, on the count of three, we'll all get naked together.

Ready? (Projector and camera shutter clicking)

One...

Two...

Wait.

Ryocorp won't be enforcing the morality clause.

Turns out the board has a few secrets of their own.

Your job is safe, Sarah.

That's... That's good, thanks.

I have the results of the paternity test.

Go ahead. Open it.

But whatever's in there won't make a difference.

It's not going to erase the 13 years you've spent as Annie's dad.

It's not going to make you stay.

It's not going to let you walk away.

It's not going to change how you feel about your family or even about your wife.

It's not going to bring you peace, Phil.

You've been through more in the last week than most families go through in 20 years.

The two of you have been through a w*r.

You have wounds.

And the only thing that will let that heal is time.

(Tearing)

Listen.

The sweet sound of silence.

They're on to the next story.

(Man) We're reporting live from the White House.

In a daring pre-dawn raid, U.S. special forces have freed American hostages held in Kashfar...

The operation a model of precision, with no casualties among the hostages and all four of their captors dead...

In contrast to the previous attempt, this mission is being termed a complete and resounding success, and has provided a much-needed confidence boost to the Grant administration tonight after several weeks of political embarrassments.

Until this evening, the hostage situation in Kashfar... (Turns tv off)

Did you come here to gloat?

Why would I? Looks like the mission went perfectly.

It did.

But I had nothing to do with it.

Didn't even hear about it until it was already under way.

I thought I was back, but I was wrong.

Welcome to Siberia.

(Sighs)

(Inhales sharply) Turns out I was wrong, too.

Oh, yeah? How so?

He's not cheating on me, Cy.

He's cheating on you.

(Projector and camera shutter clicking)

Oh, my God.

The hostages are free. What happened to you?

I got mugged. Did you hear me? They're free.

I'll get you some ice.

(Cell phone rings)

(Beep) Did you send it?

Just now. I'll take a look.

Thanks.
(Beep)

(Projector and camera shutter clicking)