Is Jake’s new story line on Scandal setting up his season finale death?

Not gonna lie, I did not expect Jake’s final words to Edison during tonight’s episode of Scandal.

Warning: Do not continue reading unless you want to know all the juicy details of Scandal‘s newest episode, Season 5 Episode 20.

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Up until this point, I was pretty fed up with Jake. He’s been so smug in the latest episodes of the show, chewing sandwiches like Brad Pitt in Fight Club, just waiting to beat someone up as Rowan’s lap dog. I really thought he’d changed, become unforgivably dark after being rejected by Liv (Kerry Washington) and a product of politics one too many times.

But, as Jake said himself tonight, he’s still looking toward the light.

He isn’t gone yet.

And not only is he not too far gone, but he wants out. He even risked his safety to tell Edison to pass a message to Olivia.

But will Liv be able to save Jake from the hole he’s dug himself?

Because while I am now interested in Jake as a protagonist again, I do not think he was entirely forced into this mess. Part of his relationship with Rowan was of his own making. He got greedy and arrogant and now he’s realized the error of his ways.

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Unfortunately, people don’t often cross Rowan and live to talk about it in the long term. The only reason Edison isn’t on an autopsy table already is because Rowan still thinks he has the potential to be used as a pawn in his political game. Since Jake is clearly phasing out of his pawn mindset, his odds of surviving until the finale are looking bleak.

Let’s be real, the options are either that Olivia is able to take down her father once and for all or there isn’t going to be a Season 6 for Jake.

There is no way Rowan is going to let that kind of backstabbing betrayal — as he’ll no doubt see it — go without retribution.

And, of course, show creator Shonda Rhimes has managed to redeem Jake just in time for his maybe death. Damn you, Shonda Rhimes! If Jake had died in the last episode, I would have said he deserved it. But now he reminded us all of that time he and Olivia escaped together and sipped wine in the sun. And I felt things for him again. And I remembered the beauty of what once was for Jake. And I want him to get back to that. And so if he dies, I’ll feel the heartache of that loss for him rather than being dismissive about his character.

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Because what is Scandal without Jake Ballard?

The time might be coming for us to find out.

Do you think Season 5 will be Jake’s last or will Olivia somehow be able to save him from himself?

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