HOLLYWOOD—It was the first new drama of the season that had me hooked in its first episode. Seven episodes later, the audience finally got to learn what happened on that fateful night on ABC’s “How to Get Away With Murder.” Yes, the show doesn’t score any points in teaching people how to get away with crimes in real life if you ask me.
Let’s not digress. For weeks we’ve wanted to know who was the culprit that murdered Professor Annalise Keating’s husband Sam, well it was Wes! Yes, the novice from the first episode murdered Sam to protect his blossoming lover Rebecca. I’ll share more on their relationship later. The episode opened with a feverish pitch as the gang was deciding just what should they do with Sam’s body. Should they return it to the crime scene or should they torch it; destroying all of the evidence?
Rewind to Annalise confronting her husband about his philandering ways and the couple get into a heated argument where personal attacks are made. In one moment, it almost appeared as if Sam was ready to strangle his wife to death. Fueled with rage, Annalise storms out, while Sam turns to the bottle. There is just one tiny problem; he wasn’t expecting unwanted guests in Michaela and Rebecca. Michaela was at the wrong place at the wrong time, Rebecca was up to no good and Sam knew it.
Frantic, Michaela contacted Wes, Laurel and Connor to get to the residence ASAP. That alarms the crew, who has no idea of what they are walking into. Sam bursts his way into his bedroom just as Rebecca locks herself into the bathroom using the device to get the goods on Sam. Before he can get even angrier, Wes, Laurel, Connor and Michaela confront Sam asking him not to do anything stupid; did they truly expect a drunken Sam to hold up his end of the bargain?
As Rebecca fled, Sam tackled her attempting to get the flash drive, which prompted Connor to intervene and Laurel nabbing the device as Sam came charging after her and Michaela who mistakenly pushed Sam over the railing. Splat, blood all over the floor, he’s dead! I had to pause for a minute, so it was Michaela, it explains her erratic state of mind, but not so fast, Sam isn’t dead. He begins choking Rebecca, as everyone shouts “Stop him.” So that’s what Wes does, whacking him with the immunity trophy.
As the cover-up ensues, Annalise pays a visit to Nate and things get hot and heavy. This woman is so calculated. Did she visit Nate to gain leverage or was she looking for an alibi, expecting her hubby to meet his fate? The missing element of the Keating Five as we all know was Asher, who was busy hooking up with a drunken Bonnie. The one-night stand seems to harbor some left over feelings for Asher who won’t easily get over what has transpired. That sentiment can be echoed for Laurel and Jack. I mean she did get her fling to return the murder weapon to the scene of the crime without him even knowing!
The rest of the episode just culminated with the crew trying to grapple with what has transpired, but Michaela might be the first to crack. I mean she lost her engagement ring and even signed a prenuptial agreement. Perhaps she should consider calling the wedding off; I can only imagine where her psyche will be once the authorities begin the heavy questioning.
The big question that continues to hover for me is why the others allowed Wes to go back to the scene of the crime without them. He has leverage as the big twist of the night was the revelation that Annalise was well aware what Wes and the others did. So it begs the question was she in the house the entire time? Did she witness the murder or just the aftermath of what transpired?
One would argue that Professor Keating informed Wes precisely what to do to get away with murder? That would explain him lying to the others about the coin toss, it was tails not heads, which means Wes was either listening to Annalise or following his own agenda for Rebecca.
The big question everyone wants to know now is who killed Lila. I have every reason to suspect it was not Sam. That would be too easy, which means I have three people in the running: Bonnie, Rebecca or Annalise. They all have motive. Bonnie to protect Sam, Annalise to protect Sam or in the obvious case; to frame him, and for Rebecca, she knew all of Lila’s secrets.
It sucks that we have to go nearly two months before any new episodes. “How to Get Away With Murder” returns Thursday, January 29 with the second half of the first season.
By LaDale Anderson
