Personal Business: Hunting Season 2.3

This episode of Scandal starts off in dramatic fashion. As Olivia gets into her vehicle she immediately understands there is someone in the car and rattles off how the situation will play out if they attempt something illegal. The guy announces that he wants Olivia's help because of some top secret information he obtained from the NSA. Olivia wants no part of this guy until he makes it clear he knows about the calls to the West Wing, he has Olivia's full attention.

This episode was filled with personal motives that clouded the individuals mind to make objective decisions. It seems as if the President is enjoying his wife's company for the first time in a while. The First Lady really seems to enjoy the fact that they are reconnecting. So Olivia is going to take a case for a man that broke into her car? It might have been for the good of the country she challenged the NSA authority to invade citizen's privacy through web cam, but I believe she has other reasons for doing so. Olivia's motives were to save herself and her affair from being brought to public light. This case has high implications, Olivia is trying to take on the nation's security, which can be consider treason. The new client Artie claims there are men chasing him and he needs to be hidden.

Artie stole the file, this puts a lot of pressure on Olivia and company for representing him. When the file self-destructs Olivia asks him who else is aware of this. Artie says a female co-worker, but would rather not get her involved because he claims that she was his only friend. Olivia, still concerned with her personal agenda, tells the team to find this girl anyway. When Olivia meets with Senator Davis about the NSA, she gets photoed with him. It appears that Olivia has a history with Senator Davis, as they dated for several years. This picture made it's way to the President's desk. Cyrus brought it to his attention to show that Olivia was threatening to expose the Thorngate operation. It became quite evident that when President Grant seen the picture he was only concerned with his jealousy over Olivia with another man.

The female co-worker is found dead in the hotel, which looks like a staged suicide. Secret service arrives to Olivia's work and takes her against her will. President Grant is on a hunting trip because Cyrus said he needed to defuse himself, referring to him as a ticking bomb. Cyrus separates from the President to give him time alone with Olivia. He very upset as he yells at her in an authoritative voice. President Grant rarely takes upon this role when speaking with Olivia, she is caught off guard. Grant puts all his emphasis on why Olivia can be seen as a criminal and how she shouldn't be messing with national security. As the heated exchanged builded up, it climaxed with Senator Davis. President Grant exploded if she was sleeping with him and if she loved it. It became quite evident, that nothing Olivia had done made him mad except the fact she was with an ex. Personal motives continue to cloud decision making in vital situations. In the end, Artie uses Olivia and company to hack into Thorngate for him so he can sale it on the market. Huck hunts him down (hunting season) and stops the information from being leaked. If Olivia didn't allow her personal judgement to get involved she could've avoided that situation. President Grant also had Senator Davis dismissed from his position. Another personal agenda, but it seems like Senator Davis will be getting help from are favorite heroin to fight this case!