Will Jake Survive?

So far in the new season of Scandal has given us ample reason to love Jake Ballard. And yet the great Shonda Rhimes giveth and also taketh away, and now it looks like Jake might not survive. After Eli Pope frames him for plotting to kill the president's son — a plot actually orchestrated by Eli Pope himself — Jake's future looks dicey.

Of course, as much as we hate the whole situation, it must be admitted that Eli Pope's maneuvering here is plenty impressive. He not only heads off the president's suspicions about Jerry's death, he also frames the only person who might expose him as the real perpetrator. It is no less than we would expect from the man who runs the espionage underworld.

It does, however, put our friend Jake into a precarious position. By which I mean it's unclear if he's going to survive this time around. True, we've seen Jake in many precarious positions — thrown into a B6-13 hole, for instance, or running B6-13 without Eli Pope's approval — but right now he is in secret presidential custody after having been accused of ordering the death of the president's son. Plus, Eli Pope undoubtedly would like him dead as well since Jake is the only one who could probably bring him down, and Eli Pope definitely has Fitz's ear. Not that Fitz needs more reason to want his former friend dead.

So even though Jake is a certified badass, the sort of guy who can not only spot a car bomb, but describe the explosion as "car trouble," his future is anyone's guess at this point. Hopefully the show runners won't kill him off now, just as the love triangle between he, Olivia, and Fitz is getting better than ever. But it's hard to see him getting out of this one in one piece.

Though I guess it would give him more time to work on that romantic comedy with Shonda Rhimes. But not even that is quite worth losing Jake.

Image: ABC