Brace yourselves, “Scandal” fans. The explosive Season 3 finale is airing on ABC on April 17 … and there will be some bloodshed. With a bomb rigged to go off at Senator Hightower’s funeral, anybody’s life could be on the line.

Last time viewers left off, Jake and David discovered that Maya had murdered Senator Hightower and used his funeral as a way to get close to Fitz and plant the bomb. Jake called it in to Cyrus – who decided to not call in the bomb after discovering that Sally was already at the building. Instead he used his time to stall Fitz … but the cameras showed that Andrew was already at the church.

As we previously reported, episode 18 will take place on Election Day with the candidates going head-to-head to capture votes. As time quickly passes, Olivia will try to understand her mother’s motives as Charlie making a “very surprising move.”

“The finale explodes into a million different pieces,” Abby’s Darby Stanchfield dished to TV Line. “This set of characters, especially over at Olivia Pope & Associates, are more splintered off from each other than ever before.”

But who could potentially be biting the dust in the “Scandal” Season 3 finale? We’re breaking down our theories:

Andrew

Episode 17 ended with Andrew in the church for Senator Hightower’s funeral. Since the promo video for episode 18 shows an explosion, it’s easy to assume that Andrew was still in the building at the time. And what’s not helping his case is that Mellie seems eerily solemn in the video as well.

Sally

Cyrus is completely fed up with Sally. It’s pretty safe to assume that she will be one of the fatalities unless she receives a tip about the bomb.

Leo

Bad news for Leo. If Sally is going down, so is her campaign manager.

Cyrus

Cyrus has always been a monster – and ultimately it lead to the death of James. There is no denying that he is going through a hard time, and the guilt of not telling anyone about the bomb could lead him to do something drastic … like potentially take his own life.

Another theory? When Jake discovers that Cyrus did nothing with the bomb information, Jake could set up a hit on Cyrus.

Fitz

The finale promo appears to show Fitz shocked/ horrified while watching the news. One would assume that it’s because he’s watching footage of the bombing … but what if it’s just another jaw dropper related to the election? If Maya Pope wants Fitz dead, he’s definitely not in the clear yet.

Jake

Since Jake knows about the bomb, he could be heading to Senator Hightower’s funeral service to assist in evacuating the building or disabling the bomb. Since no one knows the time remaining on it, it’s possible that he could be at the wrong place at the wrong time.

Rowan

Episode 17 ended with Olivia discovering her father in a pool of blood thanks to a bullet wound from Maya. Olivia managed to call 911, and the promo video shows Rowan being rushed through the hospital. However he’s lost a lot of blood …

Harrison

Harrison was not in a good place at the end of episode 17. After an unfortunate run in with Adnan, Harrison found himself face-to-face with a gun. Adnan kept him alive for this long, so we don’t see her pulling the trigger. But we can see Harrison turning the tables on her.

Huck

It may be up to Huck to try and disable the bomb – but as we know from the promo, the bomb definitely goes off. It’s possible that Huck might be in the building at the time when the explosion happens. Another theory is that Charlie might have discovered Huck and Quinn’s steamy hook up and try to take out his former B613 member.

Quinn

Don’t cheat on a boyfriend who is a hired assassin. Quinn likes to play with fire, but she’s still pretty new with the whole B613 life. The synopsis teases that Charlie will make a “very surprising move” – and if he knows about Huck, that surprising move might be taking a hit on his girlfriend.

Charlie

Charlie’s not the most stable person – and the people he messes with usually aren’t stable either. His “very surprising move” could result in his death at the hands of Quinn or Huck.

While we won’t know the outcome until the season finale airs on April 17, fans should definitely expect the worst while watching.

“I mean, when we were shooting the episode, I actually thought to myself, ‘I wonder if they’re actually going to tear down the set and build a new one?’” Stanchfield continued to TVLine. “It’s that extreme.”

Watch episode 18 when it airs on ABC on April 17 at 10 p.m. EDT. What do you think will happen in the Season 3 finale of “Scandal?” Tweet your theories to @AmandaTVScoop.

RELATED STORIES