Wait, were we supposed to be surprised that Jake would jump ship to work with Cyrus?

On Scandal Season 7 Episode 15, Cyrus wheeled and dealed to get Jake on his side before having Lonnie serve Mellie with a subpoena because she was being framed for having Charlie hack Air Force Two. 

If you watch Scandal online, you will already know that Cyrus has been the worst over the years. The moment that man gets a sniff of power, he will go to any lengths to get some more. 

On the surface, turning to Jake may seem like a good idea, but there's no way the series is going to end without these men taking a shot at each other. 

A friendship may be mutually beneficial for now, but there's no way their extensive history can just be brushed under the rug. If Cyrus gets into the oval full-time, he's going to have a plan to have Jake killed or sent away for a very long time. 

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I actually could care less about Jake after him turning against Mellie. He's proven time and time again that he's no loyal, and yet everyone seems to give him another chance. 

That's not to say Olivia hasn't been doing the same thing over the years. But at least she seems to be remorseful for her actions. All of her scenes with Quinn were emotional because you could tell she wanted things to go back to the way they were. 

That's a lofty thing to ask when you consider the fact that Olivia didn't seem to give a damn whether Quinn was dead or alive a few episodes before. 

You people are like door-to-door salesmen. No matter how many times you knock, I don't want any.

Mellie

• Permalink: You people are like door-to-door salesmen. No matter how many times you knock, I don't want...

I liked the moral dilemma for Olivia as she realized what was going on, and that she didn't want Charlie signing the confession. Any way you look at it, it would have looked bad having Charlie confess to something he didn't commit. 

Cyrus always has a different card to play, so it was typical of him to pull the rug from under Quinn in the final few moments of the episode. 

The bad thing about all of this is that it could pave the way for Olivia to let the darkness inside her come back to the forefront. She's battled it for years, and that's why she's always seemed like a character who vies for power. 

Mellie probably wishes she believed Olivia from the get-go now because her fate inside the White House is uncertain ... unless, of course, Olivia resorts to murder. 

Even if Olivia agrees to be command again, she's going to want to send Cyrus away as opposed to killing him. Olivia is trying to be a better person, and all of that will come crashing down around her if she kills. 

Related: Scandal Season 7 Episode 11 Review: Army of One

It all seems a little bizarre to have Mellie being associated with Olivia so soon after ousting her. If the media gets wind of it, it could paint Olivia in a bad light. 

It can't be a coincidence that Mellie turns to the woman who got fired in the immediate aftermath of being put in the frame for the hacking of Air Force Two. 

That said, it's clear the show is setting up Jake and Cyrus as the final two villains, and that's probably the most satisfying way to go. But this show has been known to throw in twists and turns. 

Rowan has been miraculously MIA for the last few episodes, so I wouldn't be shocked if he returns and is working with the bad guys because we all know how he likes a curveball. 

Related: Scandal Season 7 Episode 14 Review: The List

All told, "The Noise" was a disappointing hour of this soon-to-conclude drama series. Aside from Olivia mending fences, it was filled with filler scenes that served little to the overall narrative. 

Other tidbits from the episode:

• Am I the only one who does not care about whether Mellie and Marcus become a couple? I started to like the idea of Marcus and Michaela. 

• Mellie should have listened to Fitz. His judgment has been off when it came to Olivia before, but it seemed like, deep down, Mellie believed him. It's just a shame she was scared to act on it until it was too late. 

• Poor Charlie. It's weird seeing him being beaten up because he's generally the one calling all of the shots. 

• Let's hope Huck gets a happy ending because him getting all giddy at the prospect of Olivia returning was awesome. 

• Will QPA rise from the ashes or will this PR disaster spell the end?

Okay, Scandal Fanatics. What did you think of the episode? Are you tired of the back and forth when it comes to everyone battling for power?

Hit the comments below. 

Scandal continues Thursdays on ABC. 

Paul Dailly was an Associate Editor for TV Fanatic.Follow him on X.