If you were wondering why Season 5 episode 17 of Scandal is called “Thwack,” that is the sound of Olivia Pope smashing Andrew Nichols' face in with a chair. After five seasons of watching people around her murder others, the infamous fixer has a body count of her own.
You may remember Andrew Nichols as Fitz’s former Vice President, who was having an affair with Mellie and who had Olivia sold on the black market to insight a war with West Angola. You may have thought Nichols got his just desserts after Huck injected him with a mysterious serum that caused him to have a debilitating stroke, but Nichols returned in episode 17 and was back and hellbent on revenge.
Nichols gave Fitz’ former journalist fling, Lillian Forrester, the scoop on Olivia’s kidnapping, which would blow the whistle on Fitz’ entire administration and ruin everyone involved with Fitz, including Olivia, Abby, Elizabeth North, David Rosen and Susan Ross. While he survived his stroke, Nichols was left incapacitated and just recently learned how to talk again. He was unable to care for himself and was living in a facility.
Olivia talks to her father, Eli and Jake about the situation and asks them to gather intel on Lillian Forrester’s story. When Eli offers to kill Nichols when Olivia’s plan fails, Olivia tells him that is not her way of doing things. He then says to Jake that Olivia continues to believe the she is not at “home” them.
After Olivia and Mellie attempted, unsuccessfully, to reason with Nichols they had to move on to bribery. Nichols initially requested $10 million for his silence, but eventually reneged on the deal.
Fitz then decided he would confess to the public his involvement in Olivia’s kidnapping and the issue of West Angola, and idea, which Olivia supported. However, Abby didn’t think this was a good idea. When Olivia condescendingly told Abby that she wasn’t a “big dog” and suggested Abby should come and work for her again at Pope & Associates once Fitz’s presidency is over, Abby decided to take things into her own hands.
She negotiated with Nichols that he would instead give Lillian Forrester a scoop about his relationship with Mellie. When Olivia confronts Abby about what she’s done she tells Olivia that she is strickly in support of the president.
But Olivia meets with Nichols once again to try and renegotiate. However, Nichols revels in teasing and insulting Olivia, calling her a cheap slut. He suggested that he should sell her on the black market again, saying that if he did she would not be as valuable because she is no longer “the president’s side piece.”
He laughs and tells Olivia that he has gotten his revenge. This is when Olivia loses it and raises a chair above his head, beating him repeatedly with it until he is dead.
Fitz finds Olivia on the floor in the room with Nichols’ body. When Abby comes in, Olivia instructs her to kill Lillian Forrester’s story on account of Nichols’ death. She then instructs Abby to tell the press that Nichols’ died due to complications after an accidental fall. Before she leaves she tells Abby not to cross her again.
As news of Nichols’ death breaks, many including Fitz and Mellie speak out with their condolences.
Olivia has Quinn and Huck pick her up with a change of clothes. Quinn tells Olivia she has blood on her face. Olivia instructs them to take her to her father’s house. When Eli opens the door he says to Olivia’s “welcome home.”
What will happen next? A promo for the coming episode suggests that Olivia will struggle in the aftermath of killing Andrew Nichols. Unfortunately, we will have to wait two weeks to find out what happens in episode 18 of Scandal.
Scandal airs Thursdays at 9 p.m. EDT on ABC.
