I think Jack's gonna die in the finale. I say this for three reasons.
1. The episode is titled The Last Generation. While thematically this makes sense if you consider it to just mean the previous generation - that it's all on the oldsters to rescue us from the assimilated under 25 folks - there's an added layer to this if Picard's status as a father is suddenly ripped away again, and he finds himself the the last of the Picards.
2. Victories should be bittersweet, and come at great personal cost to be compelling. Jack dying would have a lot greater personal cost for Picard than a legacy cast member at this point.
3. Matalas is speedrunning the TOS movies, and Kirk's son died.
1. The episode is titled The Last Generation. While thematically this makes sense if you consider it to just mean the previous generation - that it's all on the oldsters to rescue us from the assimilated under 25 folks - there's an added layer to this if Picard's status as a father is suddenly ripped away again, and he finds himself the the last of the Picards.
2. Victories should be bittersweet, and come at great personal cost to be compelling. Jack dying would have a lot greater personal cost for Picard than a legacy cast member at this point.
3. Matalas is speedrunning the TOS movies, and Kirk's son died.