First off, well done, Scott Foley (Jake from State Farm) for directing this episode.  You know I always liked that Jake..I mean Scott Foley.  Tonight’s episode was almost like a Maury paternity test, ‘ceptin’ there was no falling out on the floor, runnin’ to the back, or choreographed dance moves.

The episode started off with Sally Langston moderating the Republican Debate between Hollis, Mellie and Susan Ross.  Hollis was acting JUST LIKE Donald Trump (well played, Scandal, well played *starting the slow clap*) which should make anybody supporting Trump realize how less than smart they are.  He was saying some of the same things Trump has said about women…immigrants (we need a few of ’em for workers but not the thieves and criminals, etc.)….and it seemed quite ridiculous that a candidate would say those things..until you remember Trump does it all the time (fact really is stranger than fiction).  Mellie was holding her own in the debate until Hollis hit her with a low blow bout her husband cheating on her…and Mellie lettin’ his ex-mistress head her campaign.  Mellie countered with not being her her husband’s keeper..and not being held accountable for his actions and reminding voters he was her EX-husband for a reason.  Ouch.

Susan Ross was still caught up on David cheatin’ on her and smokin’ that cigarette when she quit him, so she wasn’t doing well.  She was answering questions with one word…until Fitz called and gave her a pep talk.  Told her she just needed ONE punch.  So when Sally asked her what she thought..she said she agreed a woman is not her husband’s keeper but maybe she should be.  And then she told a war story where her husband died guarding a pipeline American companies were using in Afghanistan.  And that if she had said something, her husband would still be alive.  And how she would never stay silent like that again…how she went to Congress..and then became the VP..and how she would do the same as the next POTUS.  Chile I was tryna find my Scandal voter registration card.

Liv exchanged dirt with Cy’s governor friend’s brother…which was dirt on Edison that ended up leaked (he had gone to rehab some years earlier for a painkiller addiction).  Edison, who is Daddy Pope’s candidate (flunky), was .38 HOT cuz he knew that Liv threw that larceny on him cuz she was the only one that knew.  He told Eli that he had betta get his daughter in check and almost ended up dead and in the hole right after.  You know Eli don’t take orders from NOBODY….and especially bout his daughter.  He told him to keep Liv name out his mouth.  Jake was just sitting there, eating chicken, and even offered Edison some.

The dirt Liv got in return was on Susan Ross.  She wasn’t really married to the man she said was her husband (and lied to the public about that story bout her husband) and the  man she said she was married to didn’t father her child.  Liv dug up her real baby daddy who was in them people’s prison.  She forced ol’ dude to take a paternity test even though he didn’t want to (didn’t want to hurt Susan or her daughter…he really was a model-actin’ prisoner as those go) but Liv went all daughter of Hell and High Water on him slammin’ the table in front of him and such.  Huck tried to discourage Liv from doing it because he wanted to protect Susan’s little girl.  He got Quinn to help him stop Liv…by getting Fitz to come to OPA.  Chile that ain’t help nothin’.  Fitz told Susan Ross..and also told her the story of Defiance.  He know he wasn’t supposed to tell nobody but GOD that especially since he killed that Supreme Court Justice who was tryna get right with the Lord by telling it.

Olivia sent Marcus off to help Mellie become likable, and in a stroke of genius, Marcus had her go on Jimmy Kimmel to read “mean tweets”.  Bay Bay..when Mellie said “Bye Girl” at the end of one of the tweets with sistah-girl attitude, I hollered.

Susan Ross real baby daddy ended up committing suicide in his cell (see if Liv had just left that man alone – he ain’t have but a couple of years left) and Liv decided she wanted to win the election without the dirty tricks.  Too bad Susan Ross baby daddy had to die before she found her morality.  (Oh Daddy Pope fixed that thane for Edison like Mistah from The Color Purple fixed that mailbox so he would know if Celie had done messed with it).

Next week, they done promised us the show of SHOWS — something that’s supposed to snatch all your edges and every sangle eyelash.  I will be right here…held captive by Shonda Rhimes like every other Thursday night. Follow me on Twitter @staylorclark