Did Jake Really Die on 'Scandal'

It's now official, fellow gladiators! Jake Ballard is still alive at the start of this week's Scandal episode, "First Lady Sings the Blues." Will he still be that way by the end of the episode? We will just have to keep watching to find out.

Last week on Scandal Jake was stabbed in the OPA offices by Olivia's current lover, who is apparently working for her father. And it bears pointing out that this is the second time Eli Pope has sent one of his agents to seduce his daughter. It was gross the first time, it is gross the second time — though at least Eli doesn't have a sex tape this time around. Yet. He has however sent the new guy in to sleep with the old one in some sort of twisted circle of twisted circle of B6-13 life.

Getting stabbed, however, is just the latest in a long series of bad luck to befall Jake Ballard this season. First, he was falsely accused of killing the president's son and locked up. Then his girlfriend was kidnapped and while the experience was obviously worse for her, it wasn't fun for him either. And although he's been great about giving her space and accepting that she doesn't want to be with him right now, he obviously still loves her. And not being able to be there for her must suck.

Plus, on top of everything, Huck and David Rosen now might actually be able to pull of a real investigation into B6-13, which could mean all sorts of trouble for Jake even if he did cooperate.

So really, getting stabbed on top of all the rest of it just seems unfair. But even though it hasn't killed him — at least not so far — he is still in pretty bad shape. In fact, Quinn originally thought he was dead when she walked into the office, and they can't exactly bring him to a hospital.

Plus with all the other awful things going on, could the show be angling to kill him off soon? Because when you watch a show spearheaded by Shonda Rhimes, only one thing is certain. No one is safe.

Updates to follow...

[Update: Although Jake spent most of the episode in mortal peril, he has officially pulled through. He's even in the promo for next week's episode. So it's safe to say he'll be around at least for a little longer. Hooray!]

Image: ABC