Scandal (TV Series)

Truth or Consequences (2013)

Jeff Perry: Cyrus Beene

Quotes 

• Cyrus Beene : You took a bullet to the head not too long ago. And one of the possible side effects of an injury to the, I think it's called the prefrontal cortex, is recklessness, a predilection for making bold declarations Declarations like, "I want to torpedo my political career - by divorcing my wife."

  President Fitzgerald Grant : Cyrus...

  Cyrus Beene : Another common side effect is delusion. Maybe you're having that. One hell of a grade A delusion that makes you believe that while in office you could divorce your nine-months-pregnant wife and what? Kick her out of the White House and move in your mistress? No, you can't think that, because we're not French. Marry your mistress? Now, Liv is a lovely, smart woman. I can't get enough of her. But she is not exactly a hue that most of your Republican constituents would be happy about, even if they could get past the divorcing and the cheating and the abandoning of America's baby. It concerns me, sir, how big your delusion is.

  President Fitzgerald Grant : Here's what's great about having someone attempt to assassinate you. You're being rushed somewhere on a gurney, and doctors are yelling, and blood is pouring out of you, and you could die. And you suddenly *stop* being afraid, of anything, or anyone. And when you don't die, when you miraculously live, you realize that you have nothing to lose, and no time to waste. I am *going* to divorce Mellie, and I am going to remain President of the United States after I do so. That is today's big idea. That's my job. Do your job. Work out the details. Make it happen.

• Cyrus Beene : How are you not wanting to rain vengeance down upon that man?

  Olivia Pope : I'm more interested in justice!

  Cyrus Beene : Justice is for regular people. Justice is for fatty in Ohio, folding their laundry and drinking their beers. We are not regular people.

  Olivia Pope : We are. We're the people. And if we're not, we should be, because that's what it means, "we the people." It means all of us.

• Olivia Pope : Hollis should be brought to justice.

  Cyrus Beene : And if what we did gets out?

  Olivia Pope : Then it gets out, and *we're* brought to justice.

  Cyrus Beene : You're willing to bring down the whole Republic because you feel guilty. You know what our electoral process is! It's magical! It's like believing in Santa, or the Tooth Fairy, or the Easter Bunny. Magical, as long as they believe. What you're doing is telling the people that the shiny presents and the bulging stockings on Christmas morning are just mom and dad staying up all night to do the work. You're telling them *we're* Santa, *we're* the Easter Bunny, *we're* the Tooth Fairy. You're taking the magic away! You're ruining Christmas morning, and the whole Republic is gonna come crumbling down because you're not tough enough to do what needs to be done!

  Olivia Pope : Get your house in order, Cyrus, and hire a lawyer.