Lonnie Mencken

He's the special prosecutor in charge of the investigation behind the hijacking of Air Force Two, the Vice President's private plane, as well as a conspirator in covering up Cyrus Beene's involvement in said crime. Even though Mencken may seem like just another run-of-the-mill legal type lurking in the background, his death could have severe ramifications.

In his second appearance this season [3], we learn Mencken is participating in this sham of an investigation to get back at President Mellie Grant [4] for her failure to deal with the gun laws that got his son, Adam, killed in a mass mall shooting. Even though nobility lies at the heart of his deceit, characters of this ilk — that is, ones introduced to do the dirty work of others — usually end up as collateral damage. While Cyrus and Olivia are shooting at each other, he's bound to find himself in the crossfire.

Mencken is by far the most obvious casualty since the treason charges that stem from his office are the show's main conflict. Obviously, his elimination doesn't stop the subpoena process of Mellie and Olivia, but his death muddles the issue enough to create an opening for Quinn Perkins and Associates to swoop in for the victory.

Chances of a season-finale death: 100 percent

Charlie

Scandal fans have grown to love super spy Charlie because of the undying devotion he's shown Quinn Perkins over the years, especially during her perceived death [5]. But since Charlie is in federal custody and still very much entangled in the conspiracy to hijack Air Force Two — wrongly accused though he may be — his death seems inevitable.

Most likely, Jake will use Charlie's death to solidify his dominance in the power struggle with Cyrus Beene — just as Jake did earlier with the murder of his wife, Vanessa (RIP, girl). In Jake's hands, Charlie's death may also prove to be the perfect power play to force the gladiators to back down.

Chances of a season-finale death: 90 percent

Jake Ballard

Jake is in full killer Command mode in the wake of comments from both Mellie and his wife, concerning his perpetual status as the "yes man" to the person in charge. But as we learned in season three through the murder of James Novak [6], Cyrus Beene's husband at the time, an antagonized Jake is a dangerous Jake.

Fortunately, his bravado and penchant for murder are the key to his fallibility. The moment Jake caught Olivia attempting to poison Cyrus [7] — and then chewed her out for being too honorable to kill — my Spidey sense began tingling with the message "This. Sucka. Must. Be. Handled." Unfortunately, with Olivia's new commitment to the way of the white hat, we doubt she'll strike the death blow. Nevertheless, odds are high this bully will fall on his own sword.

Chances of a season-finale death: 50 percent

Marcus Walker

Throughout season seven, Marcus acts as a voice of reason for both Fitzgerald and Mellie Grant — a role that brings quiet gravitas into a show fraught with outlandish danger and fast-moving dialogue. His background as a community leader and civil rights activist has helped shape him into the perfect peacemaker. However, his status as Mellie's former lover puts him in the danger of becoming a pawn in Cyrus's game. An attack on Marcus could prove to be Mellie's undoing.

Otherwise, we have to ask ourselves, what role is there for Marcus to serve in this drama? He has no spy skills, no law degree, and no long-standing association with OPA — Marcus didn't gain the official title of "gladiator" until season five [8] when Quinn offered him a job with the firm. As much as we hate to see our resident stud [9] be the sacrificial lamb, his death would raise the stakes for Mellie and give his character a sense of symmetry by being the grim resolution that brings our community of characters back into alignment.

Chances of a season-finale death: 75 percent

Cyrus Beene

Cyrus, by definition, is a survivor. His cutthroat tactics, willingness to kill, and duplicitous dealings go all the way back to the first season when he hired Charlie to kill a White House intern. Also, let's not forget how, during his season six jail time, Cyrus masterminded a plan to have B613 operative Tom killed while successfully clearing his name of treason charges.

If Cyrus's unfathomable luck holds, he will live to see many more scandals after the lights have dimmed on this series. Yet we can't help but wonder if karma will finally catch up with him.

Chances of a season-finale death: 50 percent

Mellie Grant

Two schools of thought emerge in conjunction with Mellie's odds for making it through the series finale. On one hand, what kind of statement would it make to depict the assassination of the first female president, one who fought for bipartisanism and free college for all? Are fans ready to see something like that? Not likely. Scandal always course corrects toward political triumph.

On the other hand, with Jake and Cyrus solidifying their unholy alliance to usurp her power and her own tendency to utter foreboding dialogue [10] reserved for horror movie characters on the verge of entering a psycho-filled forest — "Tell secret service I'll be using the tunnels to move between the Oval and the residence from now on" — her days are numbered. If Mellie doesn't watch her back, she might go from a lame-duck president to a sitting duck.

Chances of a season-finale death: 50 percent

Fitzgrald Grant

The chance of Fitz dying during the finale are slim. However, the fact that he's once again sleeping with Olivia [11], puts him in the danger zone.

Chances of a season-finale death: 10 percent

Olivia Pope

Yes, our queen [12] is in jeopardy too! As the show's main character and anchor, one would assume she'd be the least likely to die. But the fact that she was caught red-handed trying to kill Cyrus and called out for it by Jake in a demeaning display — in case you missed it, Jake put a gun in his mouth and dared her to pull the trigger — puts her in a vulnerable position, a position the producers may choose to exploit for ratings.

Chances of a season-finale death: 10 percent