‘Scandal’ season 5 finale: 5 things you need to know before it airs

The season 5 finale of "Scandal" airs this week. If you've missed a few episodes from this season, you're likely missing some major plot points.

Don’t panic.

We’ve seen every episode and have summarized the five things you need to know going into the season finale on Thursday (May 12).

The many relationships of Fitzgerald Grant

Fitz has had several romantic relationships this season.

Early in the season, the president officially divorces Mellie and goes public with Olivia. After a short time in the White House, Olivia begins to feel ornamental.

Soon after discovering she is pregnant, Olivia gets an abortion, breaks up with Fitz and moves back into her apartment.

Following the breakup, Fitz goes on to date journalist Lilian Forrester for a while. After a series of sexual relationships, Olivia visits the Oval Office and convinces the president to consider the affects that his dating choices will have on his children and his career.

There’s an election going on

This season follows several characters as they attempt to run for president. Mellie Grant, Susan Ross and Hollis Doyle all vie for the republican nomination, but in the end Mellie, with the help of unlikely campaign manager Olivia, comes out on top.

During the campaign, Hollis Doyle makes several Donald Trump-like comments and Susan Ross begins a relationship with David Rosen.

Olivia's ex-boyfriend Edison Davis is hoping to secure the democratic nomination and so is Pennsylvania Governor Frankie Vargas.

Vargas gains notoriety after Cyrus Beene stages a shooting at the Pennsylvania state capitol in which Frankie comes out looking like a hero. The presidential hopeful doesn't know that Cyrus was behind the shooting and eventually hires Cyrus to run his campaign. When Abby learns what Cyrus is up to, she tells Fitz. Cyrus is fired and Abby becomes the president's new chief of staff.

Two unlikely men are behind Edison's campaign. Free from prison, Olivia’s father has teamed up with Jake to get Edison elected so that they can have control of the Oval Office.

Jake, the new director of the NSA, plans to be Edison’s Vice President.

When Edison realizes what Rowan and Jake are up to, he sabotages his campaign and eventually concedes.

Either Mellie Grant or Frankie Vargas will become the next president.

David Rosen keeps getting dumped

David originally begins dating Susan Ross because his sex partner and Susan's Chief of Staff Elizabeth North, wants her to run for president. When Susan learns she's not the only woman in David's life, she breaks up with him. She still hasn't learned that the other woman was Elizabeth.

David and Susan reunite and get engaged briefly before Susan learns that David compromised both of their jobs and reputations to secure the state of Florida for her in the primary. She breaks up with him once again.

Jake is a married man

Jake gets married this season, but not because he is in love. Despite the fact that he is engaged in a sexual relationship with Olivia, he dates and proposes to a woman named Vanessa Moss. Viewers eventually learn that Jake used Vanessa's bank account to fund Edison's campaign.

He doesn't get married, however, before expressing his love for Olivia. The two come up with a plan to be together and get Jake away from Rowan, but Olivia's father is always two steps ahead of her. Rowan threatens to slit Jake's throat, so Olivia breaks up with Jake and he goes through with the wedding.

Now that Edison’s campaign is suspended indefinitely, however, Jake’s marriage seems pretty pointless.

Olivia murders former Vice President Andrew

When former Vice President Andrew Nichols makes a shocking return it triggers Olivia's PTSD. Now disabled, Andrew is seeking revenge for his injuries, but Olivia is still struggling with the fact that he had her kidnapped and attempted to auction her off. She's also upset that Abby is planning to sabotage Mellie's campaign by revealing her affair with Andrew to the press. In a shocking scene, Olivia kills Andrew by repeatedly hitting Andrew in the face with a chair.