Scandal never fails to disappoint upon returning from a break. Never. In fact, I think this show is incapable of disappointing at all right now. Scandal is on fire!

As the once-divergent story lines came crashing together around Olivia Pope, "Truth or Consequences" was a game-changer. 

I've said it all along, and tonight I was proven correct: Hollis was not behind the assassination attempt. 

Truthfully, having him be the culprit was too easy. Setting him up to make it look like he was behind it all, however, was brilliant. I have my theories about who set him up, but I'll probably be proven wrong somehow by some crazy loop Shonda will find a way to throw at us. That's okay, though. I can handle the ride on that roller coaster.

Now that we've gotten that major bit out of the way, let's talk about Olivia.

We've seen flashes of her struggle throughout the series so far. Tonight was superbly written, directed, acted, everything, start to finish. Seeing Olivia as she watched all of the events flash through her mind and then sink into bed unable to sleep or move because the weight of the guilt of what she'd done was just that heavy. That was necessary and heartbreaking in a way. 

For a time, Olivia convinced herself that everything she'd done had been for the greater good, but along the way she changed and wrecked lives. As a character, Olivia catches a lot of criticism for what is thought to be her flippant way of destroying people for what she perceives to be in everyone's best interests, but tonight made it clear that the decisions she makes most certainly burden her.

It was perfect that Edison went to her team - her family - to ask for their help in reaching her. He loves her enough to know that in a situation like that her Gladiators are the ones she needs, not him.

What was more perfect was the way Huck just flopped himself down on her bed before casually offering to off Hollis for her if that's what she wanted. 

Huck: Hollis Doyle has to go. I can take care of that for you if you want.
Olivia: Huck, you have to stop killing people.
Huck: Why? It solves the problem. | permalink

Huck also revealed that Cyrus "has a man" and named Charlie as that man. Huck and Olivia know that Charlie was responsible for Amanda Tanner's death. It won't be long before Olivia puts it together that Cyrus was behind her murder. (Also, that final scene with Charlie getting into the elevator with Hollis was a nice repeat of the last time we saw Billy Chambers.)

Huck's visit with Becky was another heartbreaker. Here's a woman who has just tried to kill the fictional President. I should not care one iota for her. But seeing that Huck cares enough about her to tell her his real name makes me want to care for her. She's the same as him, after all. Damaged. Broken by the government she swore to serve. Despite killing his family, Huck still has a desire to make things right with her, or at least for her, in whatever weird and twisted way he can. 

Regarding making things right, the team will go to great lengths to make Olivia herself right again because that's what she's taught them to do. She's taught them to fix people and they will find a way to fix her, starting with Harrison's allegiance and his insistence that, no matter what she may think of herself, she still wears the White Hat in his eyes.

Along those lines, David Rosen doesn't seem to be playing around when he says that he will come after Olivia if she tries to play him again. His ire over being sent on a mission to nab Hollis for the President's assassination when that mission turned out to be unfounded will no doubt set him on Olivia's trail somehow. But they'll be working together soon enough, and I'm actually looking forward to that. I like the idea of them working together instead of against each other and think they'll make a powerful team.

Which brings us to the closing remarks of this review: Team America's Baby.

As it turns out, Fitz is pretty serious about wanting a divorce, political suicide or not. He doesn't care. He knows what he wants and he expects to get what he wants. Mellie, however, also knows what she wants and what she wants is to be the First Lady, married to Fitz, and recognized for the years she put into grooming him into the man he is.

During her rant about how she's supposed to hate Olivia but feels slighted that she made Fitz and someone else gets to reap the benefit of that, I couldn't help but feel just the slightest twinge of sadness for her. To a certain degree, what she's saying is true. She put in the years to get him to the point of being able to campaign for President when, at least to hear her talk, that's what he wanted and not what she wanted. Somewhere along the way being First Lady became a consolation prize.

Having a doctor induce her labor to try to lure Fitz back to her? Mellie will truly stop at nothing to protect what she sees as hers. Absolutely nothing.

What did you think of "Truth and Consequences?" Who do you think was behind the assassination plot? 

Be sure to check out our Scandal quotes page for more Cyrus and Olivia and Fitz-y goodness. You can even add your own favorite lines if they aren't there already!

Miranda Wicker was a Staff Writer for TV Fanatic. She retired in 2017. Follow her on Twitter.