Ep 1. White Hat's Off

At the beginning of Scandal season 2 episode 1, titled "White Hat's Off," Olivia Pope is trying hard to move on after the shocking events at the end of season 1. She has left Olivia Pope and Associates in order to start a new life, but she keeps bumping into people from her past.

Meanwhile, the team at OPA is trying to pick up the pieces without Olivia. They are struggling to find cases to work on and to make ends meet without their star employee. They are forced to take on a case that they would normally reject, representing a woman who claims that she was wrongly convicted of murder.

As the episode unfolds, we see flashbacks of the events leading up to Olivia's departure from OPA. The team begins to realize that Olivia's departure was not voluntary, but was the result of a power struggle between Olivia and the President's chief of staff, Cyrus Beene.

The case that the team is working on becomes more complicated when they discover that the woman they are representing is not who she claims to be. Instead, she is a part of a larger conspiracy involving a powerful political family. As the team races to uncover the truth, they find themselves in danger and unsure of who they can trust.

Back in Olivia's world, she has taken on a new job as a crisis management consultant for a wealthy businessman. She tries to throw herself into her work, but finds it difficult to escape the memories of her past. She begins to realize that leaving OPA and her former colleagues behind may not have been the best decision.

As the episode progresses, we see the characters dealing with their own personal struggles. Abby is trying to adjust to life without Olivia, while Huck is struggling with his own inner demons. Meanwhile, Mellie is dealing with the fallout from her husband's affair and trying to keep up appearances as the first lady.

The episode ends with a cliffhanger, leaving viewers eager to see what will happen next. As always, Scandal delivers a gripping and suspenseful plot that will leave you on the edge of your seat.