It's the end of an era: On Thursday (9 p.m. ET/8 p.m. CT), ABC's Scandal premieres its seventh and final season.

The Shonda Rhimes-helmed drama has gone through six seasons of madness surrounding Kerry Washington's Olivia Pope and associates, making history in the process of churning out insane episodes each week. Each season got progressively crazier, with convoluted storylines and a wild twist to end Season 6.

There are a million loose ends to tie up (Mellie's presidency, Quinn and Charlie and their baby, Abby's future, Huck's mental health), but there are three plotlines in particular we need to be these three figured out before the show ends its seven-season run.

Who will Olivia Pope choose?

The men in Olivia's life are the only aspects of the show that have remained constant through the many ridiculous melodramas.

Fitz Grant (Tony Goldwyn) and Jake Ballard (Scott Foley) have been the leading men in Olivia's life, despite a few outliers (remember Edison and Franklin?). Based on the Season 6 finale, it seems likely that Olivia and Fitz will end up together for good. But Captain Ballard has made it clear that he should never be ruled out.

But if the show wants to end with a true twist, Liv should choose herself and forget all the toxic men in her life.

Is the white hat gone for good?

The series started off with the idea that Olivia and her team of Gladiators were the good guys who wear the white hats of justice. As each season progressed, the characters became darker and messier, and the motives became less about helping others and more self-serving.

Are Olivia and her comrades lost to the dark side for good?

The outlook is bleak. At this point, they may be past the point of no return -- there doesn't seem to be any event so grim as to bring them back to their gladiating ways.

What will happen to B-613?

The super-secret spy organization has changed hands from Rowan/Eli (Joe Morton) to Jake to Olivia. Now that Liv is in power, how will the agency move forward? She's seen what it's done to the people she loves, so it seems odd that she would clamor to be at the helm.

Olivia Pope is one of the smartest and calculated TV anti-heroes, so she has plenty of options. She could shut it down, turn it into a force for good or get fully engulfed in the horrors that the position demands. We'll see if running B-613 proves to be even too much for her.