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On Thursday’s “Scandal,” Abby’s betrayals and secrets leading up to and after the election were revealed. Here are the most important things to know about “A Stomach For Blood,” the eighth episode of season 6.
The show began on election night, with Abby watching TV in shock as Frankie was shot. She and Fitz were escorted away as her phone buzzed incessantly. On the verge of tears, in private she finally took the call, saying to someone, “You shot him. This is not happening.” She refused an order to leave, but it wasn’t clear what else she was told.
The episode then flashed back to 60 days before the election. Abby was dismayed when Fitz seemed ready for a quiet post-presidency life. She then met with the shady organizers who had entrapped Papa Pope, thinking they were donors for the presidential library. But they offered $ 300 million to be on her “team,” saying their Fund For American Renewal would back her. They actually suggested she could one day be president.
Abby rejected the offer, but very quickly had second thoughts. She went to Cyrus for advice on “hitching your wagon” to someone, but didn’t specifically reveal what was going on. He deduced she wanted to stop working for Fitz and run for office. He encouraged it, but warned she might not “feel whole again.” Abby became further motivated when Fitz told her he wanted his foundation to be based in Vermont, with her at the helm.
She angrily rejected his laid-back vision, and Fitz quickly realized she was worried about her career. As she urged him to hold on to the power that comes with being a past president, he said he’s earned the right for time away from this “blood-sucking swamp.” Abby shot back, “Olivia is never going to Vermont for you.” He responded, “That was low. Lower than you.” That was enough for her to call the schemers back and say, “I’m in.”
The show then fast-forwarded to election night, where Abby was inspired by Mellie breaking barriers, envisioning that for herself. But after the losing results were in, the woman called Abby and warned her that she’d call again in a few minutes with instructions after something upsetting takes place. Sure enough, her phone rang again after the assassination. Viewers now saw the other side of the earlier phone call, with the woman telling Abby the money they gave her was laundered from North Korea intelligence and they would report it if she didn’t go lock down the hospital where Frankie lay fighting for his life.
And so, she went, locked it down, took the cell phone of Frankie’s wife, and was then given a package by Meg, who was posing as a nurse. She demanded Abby switch the bullets taken from Frankie’s body, and was showed a video of her boyfriend Leo kidnapped and beaten to make her cooperate. She went behind Fitz’s back and forced an army medic to do an autopsy so she could swipe the bullets. And with Frankie’s body lying open, she pulled out the last bullet herself, and passed them on to Meg.
Back at home, Abby found Leo bruised and bloodied, but he didn’t remember what happened to him. The episode then jumped to Abby calling out the male organizer for framing Cyrus. “You don’t have a stomach for blood,” she was told. A montage then recapped what went down with Cyrus as Abby wrestled with guilt. Towards the end of the hour, she was about to get advice from David when she was stopped by the woman. Imagine Abby’s shock then (and ours!) when she learned the woman, apparently named Samantha, was dating David.
In the final minutes, Abby met with Huck, who revealed Jennifer was alive and that Cyrus could be exonerated. Abby then visited an imprisoned Cyrus, telling him, “I’m here to say I believe you. You are innocent. I’m going to war for you. All you need to know is I’m not giving up.” She then went to the organizers, asking for a deal: She’d pass on key information if they get Cyrus out of jail. And so, she told them Jennifer is alive.
The end of the episode again showed Meg shooting Huck and Jennifer, now coupled with Abby telling Cyrus, “I’m going to save your life. Whatever it takes.” Next week’s episode will focus on the aftermath of Huck being shot.
