As weeks have passed without news of the fates of Bo Xilai, a suspended Politburo member, and his wife, Gu Kailai, a suspect in the murder of a foreigner, some speculated that party leaders were having difficulty agreeing on the verdicts, both political and criminal—and, in a case such as this, the criminal becomes political. Now, however, It appears unlikely that there was ever much doubt as to the outcome. A scripted downfall seems assured for the most controversial and ambitious political figure China has produced in recent years.