Are Jake's Days Numbered on 'Scandal'?

In a move that's driving us crazy, Shonda Rhimes seems hell bent on keeping his in suspense as to whether Jake on Scandal is going to live or die. They had us asking last week. They had us asking two weeks ago. And they still have us asking this week. But at least this week he doesn't seem to be in immediate mortal peril. After all, being transferred to a super max prison might scare some people, but a B6-13 assassin can probably handle it just fine. We hope.

Still, it seems like Jake's hole is only getting deeper. This week he was nearly handed over to Eli Pope for a swift and merciful if undeserved execution, but even though he's escaped that particular fate thanks to Olivia's intervention — and her sudden willingness to manipulate her relationship with the president to her own advantage — Jake is still facing a trial for murder, one that doesn't look good.

For one thing, Eli Pope wants Jake dead; dead men tell no tales, after all, which makes them the perfect patsies. And what Eli Pope wants, he tends to get. He might prefer putting a bullet in Jake's head to getting him a death sentence and putting a needle in his arm, but if he has to, he will certainly go that route, which could mean anything from manufacturing evidence to murdering witnesses for the defense. Not that Jake has a lot of character witnesses or anything, being a B6-13 assassin and all, but still. This is not going to be an easy defense to mount.

In fact at this point, out best hope might be David Rosen's wayward nose and irrepressible conscience to get in the way of the case, and relying on David Rosen is never a good position to be in. I mean, over the course of the show as anyone flip flopped even half as much as David?

As much as I am getting to be Team Jake and as much as the show would probably be worse off without him around, things are not looking good for Olivia Pope's burger-loving boyfriend. Hang in there, Jake. We're rooting for you.

Image: ABC