How To Get Away With Murder – Anna Mae

By: Alex Steele

It is pretty safe to say that “How To Get Away With Murder” has become one of those shows we all look forward to every week, but this week’s Season 2 finale may have been one of the most highly-anticipated episodes yet. Throughout the season, the overarching case of the Hapstall murders with the addition to ADA Sinclair (Sarah Burns) meeting her demise and all other stories involving Wes (Alfred Enoch) and Annalise (Viola Davis), lead to a heart-stopping, and eventual heartbreaking closing. Titled Anna Mae, this finale covered every unanswered question – as much as it could – relating to all things Annalise and Wes. We open on a frantic scene of the Keating Team unravelling with the news that Annalise has disappeared. Laurel (Karla Souza) walks in during the height of panic and questions what is going on. She’s deathly hungover and has no idea what is going on, until it all clicks. Remember last week when a drunken Laurel unknowingly uncovered that Frank (Charlie Weber) in fact killed Lila, not Sam (Tom Verica)? Well, it takes her all of a few moments to realise this was the straw that broke Annalise’s back.

The first flashback this week shows the hook up between Frank and the lady from the bar. But instead of hooking up, it turns into a business deal where the lady offers Frank a boatload of cash to spy on Annalise. Does he accept? Of course. Later on in the episode, as more flashbacks occurs, we find that after Annalise belittles Frank’s worth he places a bug in her hotel room. Said bug registers the conversation between Eve (Famke Janssen) and Annalise, where they are discussing going to the police about all things Wallace Mahoney (Adam Arkin). After overhearing this exchange, the woman from the bar calls none other than Mahoney himself, who upon hearing the news, initiates the car accident that lands Annalise in the hospital and her baby dead.

We meet Annalise for the first time this week in a bedroom covered in Michael Jackson and Aretha Franklin posters (talk about old school). Can it be assumed that this is her childhood bedroom? She huddled under the covers when we first meet her vivacious, outspoken sister Celeste (Gwendolyn Mulamba). They catch up and share a little exchange like all siblings do before their Mama (Cicely Tyson) comes a knocking. They’ve organised a family get together (something small of course) because Annalise coming back to town is such a rarity. The dynamic between this family is nothing short of energetic and child-like humour. We learn a little bit more about Annalise as well – her father left when she was a child. When he arrives at the party, it is still obvious that she has not forgiven him, nd never will (even though her parents are now back together). Ophelia is completely wary of Anna Mae’s reappearance in her home town and spends the episode trying to break down the walls her daughter strongly holds up. It may be the fact Nate (Billy Brown) shows up or the cutting remark from her father that none of this children have had kids that breaks down these walls. In the kitchen, Viola Davis’ delivery of “I had a baby. He died,” could cut through anyone’s heart. And Cicely Tyson portrayal of utter shock is brilliant. After attempting to avoid a conversation about the admission, Anna Mae is woken in the middle of the night by her mom. They head out back where Ophelia says for Annalise to write her baby a letter – this entire scene is on par with last week’s hospital scene. Viola Davis is breathtaking in the moments where Annalise must go from in control to completely and utterly shattered. As she buries the letter, and emotions overwhelm her, once again the humanity of Annalise Keating smacks us right where it hurts. No matter her actions or what she does to protect people, the struggles and past experiences of this woman are not to be taken lightly. Viola has done a spectacular job of delving deeper into this character and reinforcing the theme that all of us are flawed and imperfect.

When her Dad returns her phone (possibly some sort of peace offering or a ploy by her mother to make them talk) Annalise is bombarded with all things “Keating Five” as she re-enters the world. She must be at the police station by 5pm before she is arrested. With some swift hacking skills from Oliver (Carlos Ricamora), she goes in with all guns blazing (pardon the pun). After uncovering that Caleb (Kendrick Sampson) has in fact been informing on Annalise, we are subsequently gifted with more information: Philip (Jefferson White) has a USB of information pertaining to the murders of his parents that implicate Caleb as the guilty one. This information was handed to Annalise the previous week when she was in that scuffle in Wes’ apartment. The proof, coming from his fitness tracker, put Caleb at the exact location where Helena Hapstall was murdered. To add insult to injury, Catherine (Amy Okuda) has known all along and with a little convincing from both Philip and Nate, admits it was Caleb she was covering for him because they are in love. With that, once again, Annalise Keating has saved the day.

Back at the house, Bonnie (Liza Weil) orders everybody out. Annalise has succeeded in once again saving the lives of all those involved and she deserves a little down time. Bonnie insists Frank leave too, “I’ve got this.” As Annalise arrives home, we sit on the edge of our seats waiting for another epic display of artistry from both Viola and Liza when Bonnie tries her hardest to convince Annalise that he was just trying to do what he was told. Flashing back to ten years earlier, a distraught Frank arrives at the hospital and is met with Sam. After hearing the news, he devolves into a rambling mess – it wasn’t an accident, they wanted a mistrial. We learn that he played a part in the death of Annalise’ baby. Not only that, but Sam swore him to secrecy to protect her. This also illustrates the power that Sam, and not necessarily Annalise, has always had over Frank. Regardless of the persuasion attempts Annalise is done, they let her believe it was her fault and Sam says Frank owes him a favor. Meanwhile, Laurel arrives at Frank’s apartment to find that he has already left, along with that big fat suitcase of money. Is he running? Or is he somewhere taking care of another loose end? To close the episode, Wes is seen on the streets of New York as Wallace Mahoney exits a high-rise building. In all his awkward brilliance, Wes sidles up to his newfound father. Hanging up his phone, Wallace rudely asks, “Who are you?” Just as Wes answers “Your son,” Wallace is shot in the head. With blood spattered across his face, and Wallace dead on the ground, Wes has now watched not one, but both his parents die.

In what has been a season of highs, lows, racy hook-ups, lies and deceit, the “How To Get Away With Murder” season has delivered another outstanding instalment of television. The twists and turns keep up coming back every week and the deeper evolution of the cast has just added layer upon layer to the storytelling. Viola Davis is powerful, Liza Weil is as nuanced as ever and Karla Souza has emerged as a profoundly visceral talent whose storyline and character arc was a stand-out. Season 3 can only can better and with the brilliance of Pete Nowalk behind this ship and the captaincy of Viola Davis, I for one cannot wait.

Other key notes:

• Connor got into Stanford Law School, but Oliver deletes the email and is hiding it from Connor
• Asher and Michaela nearly hooked up, again, but she stopped it
• Wes and Laurel may or may not have some feelings for each other
• Who killed Wallace Mahoney?? Thoughts…