Scandal Season 5: Episode 18 recap, we've got a wedding to stop

Thursday's installment of Scandal was one for the books, as Olivia tries to stop Jake and Vanessa's wedding. Find out if she succeeds with our Episode 18 ("Till Death Do Us Part") recap

After a one-week hiatus, Scandal is back in action with a wedding that must be stopped! Scandal Season 5: Episode 17 saw the return of Andrew Nichols, who Olivia ended up killing with a metal chair after he pushed her too far. Following this brutal killing Olivia returned to her father's house to live with the other monsters, where she believes she belongs now. Episode 18 begins with Jake trying to comfort Olivia, who looks like she's been majorly beating herself up over what she did to Andrew. Rowan tries to console Olivia as well, but he then drops the bomb that Jake and Vanessa's wedding has been moved up to Saturday. Later on Olivia seems to be feeling better and goes out for a run. She meets up with Huck and Quinn and reveals that her father and Jake are buying her act. She also tells them about Jake's wedding getting moved up.

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Rowan has moved forward Jake and Vanessa's wedding

Through flashbacks we learn how Jake became involved in the B613 program. Jake's real name is Pete Harris and he was discharged from the navy for fighting with a fellow officer. If Pete had refused to join B613 he would have spent the next ten years in prison. So instead he became Jake Ballard and began working for Rowan. It took a while for Jake to fall in line with Rowan's command, he put up quite a fight, but Rowan eventually broke him. Back at OPA Huck and Quinn investigate all the details of the wedding and realize that Rowan is trying to make it as high profile as possible. Olivia then attempts to get some info out of Jake by acting remorseful about killing Andrew. Jake wants to bail on his own engagement party at the White House to stay with Olivia, but Rowan declares that Jake made a committed and now he needs to follow through.

Olivia gets to the bottom of Rowan and Jake's scheme

When Jake returns from the party he finds Olivia on the couch behaving like she's drunk. As we saw in the Scandal Episode 20 trailer, Olivia calls out Jake saying that he doesn't really love Vanessa, and that the wedding is just part of her father's scheme. Jake eventually admits that he doesn't really love Vanessa and unveils the grand plan: Jake will be on Edison's running ballot as Vice President, and Rowan wants to use Vanessa to increase Jake's profile. Jake declares that he'll never love anyone as much as he loves Olivia, but she's never chosen him and they've both done horrible things to each other. This leads to Jake and Olivia getting it on. Bow chica wow wow. The next morning Olivia asks Jake if he's still getting married, which he is. You just can't break free from Rowan that easily. Later that day as Olivia is packing her bags to leave, Jake declares that he doesn't want to marry Vanessa he wants to be with Olivia.

Rowan puts Olivia in a difficult situation

Jake and Olivia go to OPA to think of a solution with Huck and Quinn. They can't run away or get Vanessa to call off the wedding because Rowan would find them and blackmail Jake into marrying Vanessa. Olivia declares that because Rowan wants to put Jake on a Presidential ticket Jake needs to embarrass Vanessa during the wedding in front of all of Washington to ruin his chances that anyone would want to put him up for office. It's wedding time and Rowan tells Olivia that he knows what she and Jake are planning. Rowan forces Olivia to stop Jake from going through with the plan, otherwise Rowan will slit Jake's throat. He also threatens to kill Jake's if Olivia reveals that she's breaking things off because of Rowan. Olivia then tells Jake that she can't be with him with some very harsh words. He was never an option, he was an escape, a booty call, a toy to play with. She will always choose Fitz over him. It's quite heartbreaking to watch. Afterwards Jake hesitates a little, but ends up going through with the marriage. Are you as heartbroken as we are that Olivia broke things off with Jake and let him marry Vanessa?

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