Scandal season 5, episode 19 takes the fight to the Sunshine State where only one woman will walk away with an endorsement.

Now children, play nice. Things got a bit out of control and ridiculous even for Scandal standards with a standoff on the tarmac, an estranged President and First Lady discussing murder through smiles, and a grabbing battle over who gets the last of the wine. But if we have to shuffle through the petty antics of Washington’s elite to get Portia de Rossi delivering the line, “I hate you, Snowflake,” it’s worth it.

In an off screen spiral, Hollis is floundering in the polls leaving Mellie and Susan to vie for the top spot. Unlike the reality of American politics, the primaries are going by much more quickly and the Republican nomination boils down to one state — Florida. The coveted 99 electoral votes are tied up with the wildly popular governor, Louise Baker.

Tensions flared, deals were struck, files were corrupted, and for the first time in a long time it felt like Scandal was back in full swing with a compelling emotional arc that was not based on Olivia fighting for a man, but finally, fighting for herself. Something, as we see, she is ill-equipped to handle.

‘I’m waiting for the rest of it’

The Chiefs of Staff are doing their damnedest to make sure that their campaign gets off the ground. In one case, quite literally, Liv must try to get Mellie off the ground and in front of Baker before Susan and Hollis have a chance to woo her. Luckily for Camp Grant, Mellie is already Baker’s lead choice.

Unfortunately for Camp Ross, Baker can be bought. Rosen, who apparently can let his office manage the judicial system why he is away sleeping on various hotel floors, refuses to jeopardize his office when Baker approaches him with a request that a case that will ruin her sugar cash flow be dropped from the docket. Do so and the endorsement is as good as delivered.

Susan, bless her, is not mentally in the race anymore so long as this endorsement is off the table due to David’s good character. So she lets Baker get a piece of her mind over dinner. While that seemingly appears to win the favor of the Governor, it was actual David’s behind closed doors deal that pushed Mellie and her Presidential escort down on Baker’s priority list.

Abby meanwhile commits a criminal act by purposely grounding Air Force One with false “mechanical issues.” Olivia pushes the press into the spotlight as they cover the event with reports that the President is purposefully keeping Mellie from getting to Florida. Harrison finally lays his cards on the table and sends Mellie onto the tarmac to address the President. Somethings are just beyond both Olivia and Abby’s control.

Blowing things out of proportion did not work for the petty drama of “Buckle In,” but it did service the more emotional undercurrents. Especially the lurking tensions between Liv and Abby.

Olivia may believe that she is above grief, but smashing coffee cups and sending the President and Mellie Grant into a parental tizzy are not sustainable solutions. Huck, however, knows a thing or two about living with the ghosts of the past. There is not a quick fix to pushing Andrew from her mind, but there is a huge step that Liv has been missing– the airing of her fear.

Olivia’s fear stems from her father’s threat that if she comes after Jake, he will slit Jake’s throat. Pleasant. Not wanting the blood of too many people on her hands, Olivia finally caves and lets some of her frustration out while Huck absorbs the first blow.

We already know that Abby is running the country, but she takes a huge stand against the President in “Buckle In.” But it is not for a power play. Rather Abby is grieving for her friend and herself. We should not forget that Olivia was not the only person in the room with Andrew at the end of his life. Fitz, Abby and Olivia saw his face beaten in and bloodied. She lost her friend for good in that room and both women needed to find a way back to each other.

In a cruel twist of fate, and something that Scandal finally returned to, everything falls apart just as soon as new alliances are made. Susan Ross gets the endorsement from Baker, but it is Hollis who sweeps the state in the primary. David made the deal with Baker just as Susan chose to forgive him for betraying her trust. Liv and Abby find their way back to some common ground, but not before Liv reveals a bit more of herself that sounds eerily like Papa Pope.

The season finale is fast approaching. Any idea where we will find ourselves in the race for 2017?

Stray Observations:

• What are the democratic numbers like? Cyrus mentioned Edison and Vargas are close, but is no one voting in their primary?

• David “One Step Forward, Four Steps Back” Rosen.

• “Not your daughter! James’ daughter!” – Ouch, Cyrus. The wound is still fresh.

• Cyrus’ delivery of that line aside, I’m having a difficult time getting into his storyline with Vargas at all in the latter half of the season. It reminds me of the later West Wing years when Bartlett is on his way out of office. I do not want to see Josh Lyman running Matt Santo’s campaign. I’ll come around, but to be honest, I was happy Michael walked away from that life.

• We’re back to the on the nose titling and execution with next week’s “Trump Card”

Scandal season 5, episode 20, “Trump Card,” Thursday, May 5 at 9:00 p.m. ET on ABC.