Anatomy of a Scandal recap guide: Episodes 1 to 6

Anatomy of a Scandal episode 5 recap

Episode 5 opens up with Kate visiting a friend named Ali in the middle of the night. This is where Kate finally comes clean as she reveals to her that James raped her at school. Of course, given the final moments of episode 4, we already knew this. Ali asks if she could be fired for taking on the case, to which Kate says yes.

Despite this, Kate continues with the trial and next up we get more flashbacks from Sophie during her Oxford days. We go back in time and see James open up to Sophie about Alec’s death, and he asks if Sophie would be his alibi. With every flashback, it seems present-day Sophie is realizing that the signs were there. James wasn’t the man she thought he was.

At the courthouse, Sophie and Kate make eye contact and Sophie starts to piece together the pieces that they were once friends in school, though she doesn’t realize how she knows her right away. James goes up on the stand and is questioned by Angela on his affair with Olivia. Instead of maintaining that he and Olivia didn’t have feelings for one another as he told Sophie, James tells the jury how much they cared for each other, naming what they had in common and even a gift he got her for her birthday. “We were equally invested in each other,” he states.

Of course, this upsets Sophie who was under the impression James’ relationship with Olivia was just sex.

James then recalls what happened from his point of view in the lift with Olivia, claiming she was the one who initiated the hook-up.

Kate takes her turn questioning James, although we can tell she’s very shaken, drilling him on his intentions and whether or not James thought he would have sex with Olivia before getting on the lift. While this is happening, James has flashbacks from Oxford where he assaults Holly.

Sophie and James’ car ride after is understandably very awkward and we see Kate struggle to write her closing statement as she has flashbacks from school. The episode ends on a surprising note when Kate has an unexpected guest at her door—Sophie.