Dee Davis on 'Scandal': All in love is fair ...

Spring has sprung (everywhere except Connecticut) and Derek and Meredith are still together. But I digress … we're moving into the final months of the Scandal season, and there is potential everywhere for great strife. After last week's Huck goes mental moment, I'm not sure there's a way to top that — but I have faith that with these writers anything is possible!

Tonight's episode is titled Put a Ring on It (OK, now I'm going to be singing the Beyoncé song all night). The teasers seem to indicate that Cyrus' forced intended, Michael, is going to be in need of the gladiators' help. Which of course means that Cyrus will be on a tear. If you all will remember, Cyrus and Michael got engaged to try to stem the fallout from Liz revealing that Cyrus has been sleeping with a prostitute (Michael, who was paid to set Cyrus up). But although none of us has forgotten James, there was a definite spark of something between Cyrus and Michael so it'll be interesting to see how this plays out.

Meanwhile, we've got David and his decision to move forward with his plans to take down B613. Of course, he's going to have to deal with the fact that pretty much everyone he knows and cares about has a finger in this pie.

But first "we're going to the chapel and we're going to get married …"

And so we open with an Olivia nightmare and then a gladiator call to action. With Quinn and Abby on call as well. And then Cyrus so we know it's something big. Enter Michael. Now this is a scandal. So it's a shotgun wedding! And Mellie calls it like it is. But it's an opportunity knocking and Mellie's more than up for it.

This is the kind of thing that Olivia lives to fix. And before the opening credits are over she's pretty much done just that. Of course there are still fires to be put out. But Leo and Abby are doing OK. Not so much Cyrus. Flashback to his past. And a wife? Janet. And so we see Cyrus of yore. And gain insight into part of what made Cyrus into the man he's become. Crockett and Tubbs reference was fun. And the suit sort of fit the analogy.

Michael's parents are coming to the wedding. But they're not going to be happy about it. Issues are rising. I know Michael is screwed up, but I kind of like him. Cut back to Cyrus of the really bad haircut and his first will-it-happen marriage. And as we move forward we see Cyrus' denial and fear as he is confronted by a friend before the wedding. Another haunting moment as we delve deeper into not only Cyrus' past but his character.

Enter our ex-ex VP (they really should be careful who they pick for this job). Sally Langston is out for blood. Cyrus' blood. And she's definitely drawn first cut. Although to be honest, Cyrus kind of screwed her over royally when he set up her husband (with James).

One of the things I've always loved about television as opposed to other entertainment mediums is that over time the writers have the opportunity to carefully peel back layers, to reveal continued insight and depth into characters. NCIS is one of the best at doing this. But I think we're seeing it with Scandal as well. And Cyrus despite his despotic ways is one of the most interesting characters as he fights for not only his professional but his personal life and often is forced to choose one over the other. He loves with a self-centered passion that is often hard to watch and sometimes yields tragedy (as with James) in its wake, but like Huck, you can't help but feel for the man, even in his moments of seeming madness.

The dynamic between Liz and Mellie continues to be interesting. But Mellie may find that Liz bites when cornered. Mellie might want to be more careful. What's up with her hair by the way? Puffier than usual, don't you think?

Michael needs to bare his soul, because Sally Langston is going to dig and dig deep. So the question is who is leaking info? Uh oh, Leo via Abby. So much for happy relationship. Or at least a comfortable one. But they seem to be coping. So now what?

Cut to Cyrus' past again. He comes home after Grant's latest victory but Janet's found the truth. And she wants a divorce. Sixteen years of lonely. But instead of being about his marriage, it's, as usual, about his career. And while Janet is seeking the truth, Cyrus is still trying to win. And he's lost. Cut to memories of James. Which is breaking my heart. I loved James. Cyrus is facing his life and now he's the lonely one. And the one who is lost.

Michael is having an affair with a guy who is going to go live on camera with Sally Langston. So we've got a problem. Wedding on or off? Everyone votes off, but Liv is still going to fix it. And Mellie's "OK then…" imitation of Olivia was pitch perfect.

Why do we never see kids in TV shows after they're born? Particularly on dramas? When was the last time we saw Cyrus and James' daughter? (Well, until the photo just now). So cut to Cyrus and Liv — Cyrus with better hair — on the eve of his wedding to James. Cyrus is panicked that James will walk and James is worried about his career. Man, if James only knew. But did I mention how much I loved him?

It was sort of like the good half of Cyrus died when James did.

And we're back to Olivia's nightmare and an image of her throwing her ring at Fitz. The one she left behind when she was kidnapped. The one he gave her once a long time ago. And now we're flashing back to the two of them after Cyrus' wedding. The ring. A very special old family ring. Fitz's. And so he gives it to her. She's trying to walk away even then, but he can't let her go. No matter what happens they'll always be linked if she wears his ring. Of course, in the present she's broken the link. Hidden the ring away.

Cut to the Oval Office and Liv asking Fitz for help with Cyrus, Fitz sees that she's not wearing the ring. But he does sign off to help against Sally. Liv confronts Sally, who tries to play hardball, but has she met Olivia? But even Liv's big guns fail. Sally has a bully pulpit, so she's a happy camper. And she's not going to pull the interview.

So now they're going to sacrifice Michael for Cyrus. Which pleases Cyrus, even though Liv says that it will destroy Michael. And Cyrus is reminded that he'll be destroying Michael to save himself. Still, he jumps at the chance. Cut to dinner with Michael's parents. Daddy dearest lets it loose and admits Liz paid them to come. And Michael is destroyed without Cyrus even firing a shot. And then his mother just compounds the issue. And I'm tearing up. How can parents be so cruel? I'll never understand that. Never.

Cut back to James and Cyrus packing for their honeymoon. But in an effort to win the day, Cyrus takes the first steps down the slippery slope that will eventually not only kill his relationship with James, but kill James. Cyrus simply cannot see beyond himself and his own blind ambition. (And how telling that he goes ahead and packs a tie.)

So the big question here is whether Cyrus will actually go through with the betrayal of Michael. Has he learned anything at all with his first two failed marriages? Fortunately, dear watcher, the answer is yes. After all his soul searching, Cyrus signals Liv that he can't do it. So now how do we stop Sally?

Liv is back up to bat. She threatens to defame Sally's dead husband if Sally goes forward with her plans. (How handy that Michael's call list happens to include Sally's husband.) So Sally backs down — for now. And we cut to the wedding. Not exactly a happily ever after, but at least we're seeing a softer side of Cyrus. And Michael, God bless him, still wants someone to love him. He wants what we all want. Someone who loves us. Just us. Only us.

And Cyrus' truth is almost as heartbreaking as Michael's lost fantasy. "You see me for what I am, a filthy monster desperately trying to hold on to his humanity." Although he tells Michael they will never fall in love, Cyrus promises to do his best to be Michael's someone so that he won't be alone. For like the third week running, I'm sobbing.

Cut to the wedding and Cyrus seeing not just Michael but Janet and James. Life moving on as he lies in the bed he's made. And of course the long shot of Fitz looking at Olivia and seeing that she is indeed wearing … the ring.

Next week, for those of us who have been wondering where Jake has gone, turns out he's gone twisty and I'm not sure we're going to like it. But "all in love is fair …"

Dee Davis is the bestselling author of 22 novels and five novellas. When not glued to her television screen, she can be found pounding away at her keyboard, trying to put words to one of the stories running around in her head. Find her at www.deedavis.com.