It may come as a shock to diehard fans of the series that "Scandal" will eventually end its run at some point. I know, I know; it’s hard to even imagine when that will be, and it probably feels like it’ll go on forever. At least, I gather many of you would love for it to continue on for as long as possible.

But it won’t. And Shonda Rhimes knows that very well. 

During a public conversation she participated in at 92Y in New York City last night, while promoting her new book, "Year of Yes," Rhimes shared that, while she still doesn’t yet know how "Grey’s Anatomy" will end, and is still figuring it out as she goes, she does knows exactly how "Scandal" will end, and has apparently always known. 

"I used to know exactly where ‘Grey’s’ was going when I thought we were only going to do a season or two," Rhimes said courtesy of Vulture. She added, "And now it has evolved into a different journey. I know where we’re going to end up at the end of each season. I’ve stopped trying to know where we’re going to end up in the end, because now it’s just a life. At this point, it’s 12 years. We’re inside Meredith’s life. I’m dying to know where her life ends up. ‘Scandal,’ I know where it ends. I know exactly where it begins and where it ends."

Sounds very definite to me. Of course, she didn’t give any details on how "Scandal" will end. You’ll just have to imagine how and when you’ll have to say goodbye to Olivia Pope and company. 

In a previous interview, she did say, "I think there’s only so much ‘Scandal’ you can tell satisfactorily… The Fitz-Liv thing can only be told so long and in such a way. It’s not a 10-season or 8-season show. I’ve already decided how long that is and what that’s going to be."

So, at least we know that "Scandal" will not run for as many as 8 seasons. So maybe 7 seasons? 6, perhaps? It’s currently in the middle of its 5th season, so we can assume that it has, at most, another 2 seasons to go, if that.

Given how popular "Scandal" is, and the ratings its drawn since its premiere 4 seasons ago, I can’t see ABC or Shonda wanting to bring the series to a close anytime soon – like after the current 5th season. I’d say it probably has 1 of 2 more after season 5, and then that’ll be it.

But it might not be entirely up to the network. Shonda already knows how and when she wants to end the series, so I could envision a scenario in which she decides that it’s over, even if ABC might want to continue with it. End on a high note, I say. Don’t drag it out through needless seasons, if there just isn’t much else there, in terms of story, to run with.

I should mention that, over the last 2 seasons, I’ve noticed an increasing number of you who’ve expressed a declining interest in the series for one reason or another – folks who were once diehard "Gladiators" who eventually started to feel that the show had lost its way; and what made them fall in love with it in the first place, was rapidly fading. Again, I can’t speak to the merits of those arguments, because I haven’t kept up with the series since the start of the second season. I’m not in its target audience. I’m just summarizing what others have said either to me, or that I’ve read in articles written by others for other websites, or tweets on Twitter, Facebook posts, etc. You folks can tell me whether the series became less interesting to you, or not.

And maybe in response to that, you’ll recall that, before the current season began, Rhimes, maybe having heard your cries, admitted that the series strayed from its original procedural structure, and that the team (the remaining Gladiators) would come back together again as a unit this season, to do what they do best – "Gladiate."

For those of you still watching, have you noticed any changes, and are you appreciative of them and are still watching enthusiastically? 

Also, what do you think – if you’re a fan of the series? Do you see more than 7 seasons in "Scandal’s" future? And if you were to predict "Scandal’s" future – in terms of when it’ll end, as well as how it will end – what would it look like to you? Shonda says she knows how exactly it’ll end, and when. Put yourself in her head and paint a portrait of what you see. 

Also, how would YOU like to see it end? What would you like to see happen to the individual characters and stories over time, if say the series continued on for another seasons or 2?