Our Scandal season 3, episode 9 recap looks at what’s shaping up to be an epic winter finale! Did you love it as much as we did?

On tonight’s Scandal season 3 episode titled “YOLO”…

How to keep Mama Pope safe? The episode began strong thanks to a scene where Huck started exacting his revenge on Quinn. He’s about to rip her teeth out when he gets a phone call from Olivia because she has found her mother in her apartment. Huck advises Olivia to grab her and take her to the safe house where he’ll meet them.

Olivia, Jake, Abby, Huck, and Harrison go to the safe house, and they hear Maya talk about her escape. Jake rips a tracker out of her neck in a gruesome scene, and they all make a quick departure before B613’s guys come to the beacon’s location.

Olivia decides they will send her mom to Hong Kong, but first they both stay the night in the safe house. At a kitchen table the mother and daughter exchange small talk, but Olivia is afraid to open up. Maya had spent a lot of time thinking in jail. She dreamed up a story that Olivia was married to a man named Ray who was a dentist. Mom thinks Olivia is more like her father, but she disagrees.

Jake goes to Fitz and asks for help killing Rowan and shutting down B613. Naturally the President isn’t interested because he thinks Jake just wants to be Olivia’s hero. “She doesn’t need one,” Fitz says. Why’s that.. because you’re the hero for her, Mr. Pres?

Jake and a team of guys try to assassinate Rowan, but they knew an attack was imminent and were able to escape. It’s a good thing he wasn’t killed, as we find out later.

Things are set for Maya’s trip to Hong Kong, but she’s been put on the No-Fly list. Abby goes to David for help removing the restriction but he’s ultimately no help. “[Rowan] always wins,” Maya says of this revelation, but Olivia won’t have it. She gives Fitz a call who offers a hand, but Olivia argues there would be too many consequences if he did. “I’m going take care of it. What’s that thing you say? ‘Consider it handled,'” he tells her.

Fitz help works and Maya is able to hop on the plane. She and Olivia don’t hug at first. Abby’s annoyed by this lack of emotion and tells her to go embrace her mother. They do, and it’s a bittersweet moment.

… But then, a big twist (because nothing on Scandal can be happy for too long). Olivia’s mom is actually the danger – not Rowan. Olivia has this revelation at the very end thanks to a flashback and mixed up names. Somehow Quinn plays into this.

– Cyrus’ worst day ever. James was making subtle references to hooking up with Daniel left and right to his husband which drove the Chief of Staff insane. Things are seemingly going well for Daniel and James, but sadly we hit a wall. Daniel tells James he’s not gay and won’t partake in the affair any more.

Later Cyrus confronts James about the sex after not being able to stay quiet no more, and James is confused because he thought Cyrus wanted it to happen. James says he wants a divorce and full custody of their daughter, but Cyrus counters with photographical evidence of the affair.

– Vice President… Future President? Sally is being encouraged to turn pro choice by her campaign advisor. “You cannot win unless you abandon your beliefs,” he says. She agrees after forceful encouragement. She gives Fitz a warning about her new campaign, and he tries to win her back. She won’t have it, however. His “recklessness and womanizing” gave her an opportunity to run for office. He won’t have it either. “You will regret this day forever,” he warns ominously.

Fitz is pissed at Cyrus who didn’t take care of the Sally situation like he said he would. After the boss leaves, Mellie starts questioning Cyrus, and he begins to cry. As someone who’s been cheated on, Mellie offers him some sage advice about dealing with it.

Collecting himself, Cyrus brings the photos of Daniel and James to Sally as a “bargaining chip, insurance,” but that won’t do the trick because she knows he won’t release the pictures. After he leaves the room, she’s visibly struck by the revelation that her husband had sex with a man. Cyrus then calls James and tells him he burned the photos – but did he?

Later that night, Sally kills her husband. She calls Cyrus and tells him. Maybe this will prevent her from running for office.

– Quinn’s losing her teeth. She’s tied up without a tooth and is left waiting for Huck to return. Halfway through the episode he does make it back and doesn’t let up on the brutality. “You betrayed Liv,” Huck reminds her. Another tooth is pulled. Huck leaves, and later Charlie comes and frees her. She’s upset. “Huck was the only person I had, and he hurt me.”

Your ‘Scandal’ recap: What did you think of ‘YOLO’?

Next week’s episode will wrap the show until early 2014. What are your predictions?

Earlier today we spoke to co-star Jeff Perry about the latest twists for Cyrus (as of episode 8) and how Shonda Rhimes is taking his character to a place never before seen.