Tonight’s Scandal season 3, episode 3 “Mrs. Smith Goes to Washington” had a shocking threat that left Olivia, Fitz, and Mellie all trapped in a different ways.

Our recap of tonight’s Scandal season 3 episode breaks down the events of the evening…

– An explosive new client. A woman named Mary needs help so she comes to Olivia Pope and Associates. Her son, Chris Lawrence, was killed in a FBI raid. After speaking to the team she makes a quick exit, but Olivia follows behind her and finds her new client at the Captiol where she has a bomb strapped to herself. Mary explains through tears that she wants to know why her son died. A congressman says the FBI shot her son because he was considered a terrorist. Feeling inspired by Olivia’s trust-your-gut attitude, Mary is convinced that her son was innocent. She wants her son’s file declassified to learn the truth, and she will blow up the room of nine people if she doesn’t get the file.

Olivia calls her team and asks that they find more information about the file. Back on the phone with the FBI, the head agent tells Olivia that Mary needs to turn herself in before she sees the file. Olivia agrees with the FBI and convinces her to let six of the hostages free. Now, just Olivia and the congressman are in the room with Mary.

In a meeting with his cabinet, the President decides to take out Mary with snipers in an ambush. Olivia finds out about the plan and then steps in to Mary’s place at the window so the snipers are now pointed on her. The president sees her of course and tells no one to shoot.

Jake calls the president and wants to know on behalf of Olivia what’s in Chris’s file. Fitz won’t let Jake save the day, however, and refuses to turn the information over. Luckily he’s not needed, because at the suicide bomber scene Harrison is shown a video by a FBI agent named Laura, and he sees proof that Chris is a terrorist. In the video Chris is trying to recruit new terrorists. Harrison calls Olivia and gives her the bad news. Mary’s gut? It was wrong… or was it?

In a classic Scandal twist, it turns out Laura was not a FBI agent after all. David found out after looking her name up in the FBI directory. After Olivia asks another favor of him, David heads to Cyrus and demands he see Chris’s classified file. He drops dirt on FBI agents who conducted the raid which forces Cyrus to help him.

The trick worked. Fitz calls Olivia in the hostage room. He tells her Chris Lawrence was not a terrorist. He was CIA at the highest level and was an American hero. “Perhaps one of the greatest heroes the country has ever had,” he adds. Chris was killed by the FBI because they did not know his true loyalties, and Fitz admits that was a terrible mistake. However, the truth must remain a secret because there are fifty-seven lives overseas who depend on no one ever knowing the truth.

Olivia is surprised by this information and ultimately obeys the President. She tells Mary that her son was a terrorist to protect those people the President spoke of. Upset at this news but seemingly calmed down, they start to exit the room with FBI outside the door when Mary suddenly pushes Olivia outside, locks herself in the room, and blows herself up. The bomb causes a big explosion which knocks Olivia to the ground.

– A Project Remington problem. In a separate issue, an intruder at the White House goes looking for the President because he needs to talk to him about Project Remington. After being captured he’s initially sent to the FBI, but Cyrus says to free him. Immediately after making this decision he calls his secret conspirator Rowan and tells him they “have a Project Remington problem.” Rowan goes to visit the intruder who’s now back in his home, and we see that Rowan had been paying him off to keep quiet about this still-secret project.

– Fitz and Mellie are still at odds, but improving? Before the bomb threat and intruder, Cyrus wanted to send Mellie and Fitz to Camp David so they can show that the family is okay – even though neither of them wants to make that happen. Luckily for them it doesn’t, because the bomb threat and the White House intruder leave them both in a bunker where they’re not allowed to leave. Once they’re given the all clear, Fitz makes a quick exit to get to the situation room.

Later that night at home after a long day of drama, Mellie’s drunk and asking Fitz to have sex. He asks her if she’s upset that the bomb didn’t kill Olivia. She’s quite happy that Olivia lived and explains, “As long as she’s still alive, she’s still your flaw. Your achilles heel. Which makes her my weapon.”

– Huck is still tied up. Olivia’s hacker returns to the office and he reveals he won’t kill his boss because he’s killed out for the day. Thinking this means he killed her father Rowan, a dramatic moment ensues but he admits he let her father live because he is still controlled by her father. However, he did kill the White House intruder and set it up to make it look like the intruder killed himself as Rowan requested.

– Jake is tied up too. Back at home, Olivia finds Jake and wonders why he was freed by Olivia in the previous episode. He won’t answer, and Olivia freaks out. She wants to know why Jake was released very badly. He doesn’t have an answer because he simply doesn’t know, but he says Olivia (and her face!) saved him. “This is not a fairytale,” Olivia lectures. “He still owns you and he’s going to find a way to use you against me.” She downs a glass of wine to deal with the struggle.

Next week’s Scandal season 3 episode features the introduction of a character played by Lisa Kudrow. Mellie will get caught up in her own scandal and Kudrow’s character will help – for better or for worse. Catch the episode Thursday, October 24 at 10 p.m. eastern/pacific on ABC.