How To Get Away With Murder – There’s My Baby

By: Alex Steele

Viola Davis. Karla Souza. Liza Weil. Aja Naomi King. These are the women of “How To Get Away With Murder” that have delivered heart-stopping, gut-wrenching, spine-tingling, soul-shaking performances throughout this latest season. That’s not to say the men have delivered any less. Alfred Enoch, Jack Falahee, Charlie Weber and Matt McGorry have all individually taken their characters on a journey above and beyond that of Season One. With the recent news of renewal, I often wonder how Pete Nowalk is ever going to top season after season, but this week’s instalment titled There’s My Baby definitely put all my doubts to sleep. Viola Davis continues to be an unstoppable force as Annalise Keating, with performances that range from completely vulnerable to undoubtedly strategic, with audiences not sure whether to love, hate, cheer or cry. This week, we did them all.

Following the attack by Philip last week, Annalise (Viola Davis) manages to get away from him, but barely. As she waits in the police station an obviously concerned Eve (Famke Jannsen) arrives with a stone-cold Wes (Alfred Enoch) in tow. This set up is perfectly worked with a flashback of ten years earlier with Annalise and Eve together at the police station watching a young Christophe (Isaac Ryan Brown) being questioned over the death of his mother. Younger Annalise does everything she can to defend the young boy and is a little surprised when the detectives say he isn’t actually a suspect, but instead, the Mahoney family are. As the Keating Five anxiously wait to hear the next stage of the “Catch Philip” plan, Michaela (Aja Naomi King) gets the news that Caleb is missing. King is beautiful in this scene. Michaela always seems like the one closest to cracking and this scene was telling; maybe she’s really starting to lose faith that Annalise has this all figured out. The loss of faith seems to be a theme this episode, as ten years earlier Mr. Mahoney pays Annalise a visit after the news of Rose’ death asking how she expects to win the case for his son without her key witness. Annalise ensures him that she can and will, but not before asking why he was so sure that Rose (Kelsey Scott) would lie for them. What does he have over her? Watch it Annalise, Mr. Mahoney (Adam Arkin) isn’t messing around.

Back at the Keating house, after overhearing Frank’s (Charlie Weber) confession about Lila, Bonnie (Liza Weil) makes a snide underhanded comment that hits a nerve with Frank. As they convene a confrontation in the corner of the basement stairs (did anyone else feel like they could have hooked up right then and there) Bonnie confronts Frank about Lila. Did Annalise make you do this? The animosity between these two has gradually grown over the two seasons and with “Keep your mouth shut and we will have no problems” Frank averts a crisis; for now. Touching base with another in trouble duo, Wes admits to Laurel (Karla Souza) that he is more upset about the fact she lied to him about the possibility of him having killed his mother. These two seems to circling one another with a slow build in tension that could quite possibly end in a hook-up and by the looks of the promo for next week it may happen.

Even with Annalise as the mastermind behind all things, (“Avoid being caught for murder.”) the Keating Five are still summoned to the ADA’s office for questioning over the death of ADA Sinclair. With Bonnie as council (Liza Weil has layered Bonnie in ways that leave my mind consistently boggled), they do their best (and might I say, most convincing) job at pledging their innocence. It becomes obvious to Asher (Matt McGorry) that the others are working to protect him and with a heartfelt apology for landing everyone in this situation (Asher, trust me, what you did is nothing new to these people), the camaraderie that has slowly built between the group this season is obvious once again. However, Asher spoke to soon. He is called in to make a statement last and is a little anxious as to what to say. After a little pep talk from Annalise, Asher does an “okay” job at deflecting any guilt over the death of ADA Sinclair – especially when an eye-witness (the lady from the car park) comes forward to say she saw him that night. Cue the fear.

After kicking the Keating Five out, Annalise and Wes finally come face to face for what seems like the first time this season. Intermittently cut with flashbacks and rewinds from ten years earlier, all the missing pieces of this twisted puzzle fall into place. As Annalise is rushed into the hospital after being hit by a car (meanwhile Sam is in a counselling session with Bonnie), Viola Davis illustrates why in the current television climate she is a burning light. Wheeled in for an emergency C-section, we watch breathless as her baby boy is delivered. Eve impatiently waits outside for any news as a frantic Sam arrives at the hospital. Meanwhile, in the operating room doctors work to revive their baby. Television that makes you stop tweeting and drop your phone is the type we witnessed this week. As the baby is unable to be revived we watch Annalise silently experience a myriad of emotions. Viola Davis demonstrates this combination of sadness, anger and possible relief so subtly that at times we feel like we are intruding on very private moments. Most commonly we are used to see Annalise as cut throat and taking no prisoners, but for the next montage she is broken, distraught and undoubtedly confused at what just happened. If you didn’t cry, please tell me how you managed because I was a mess. Add to that the nuanced performance of Tom Verica as Sam and our hearts completely shatter. We cut back to present day where Annalise is walking Wes through all that happened that lead to his mother’s death, but he doesn’t believe her. “What are you protecting me from?” With that there is a rewind…

Back in Annalise’ hotel room, and still in the confrontation with Wallace Mahoney, we are gifted with more of their conversation. In typical Annalise fashion, she pushes the businessman to uncover the truth. In ways only Annalise is capable of, she uncovers that Rose was raped by Wallace Mahoney, that she was nobody to him and that he is Christophe (Wes) father. What? Did anyone see that coming? And with that, Wes knows the truth. Meanwhile, the Keating Five are completely out of it. As Michaela drunk dials a still missing Caleb, Asher offers himself up as a punching bag. But what follows, I must say, made my jaw drop and blew my mind – a wild hook-up that I never expected it to be these two – Asher and Makayla (Welcome, #Masher). Elsewhere, Bonnie and her stealth detective ways work out that Annalise didn’t get Frank to kill Lila, but in fact, it was Sam who ordered him to do so. They both agree Annalise never to know. In the last scene, Viola and Karla giving us yet another powerhouse dual, starts what can only be assumed is a domino effect. In her drunken stupor, Laurel unknowingly tells Annalise that Frank killed Lila (Uh-Oh), blaming Annalise for ruining all her relationships. She asserts that all the drama and tension and murderous activity has been because of Annalise. Can you blame Annalise for running off to dear old Mama’s house at the close of the episode? This episode alone was enough to make anyone run for the hills and with only one episode left in the season, said to include another murder and two new dead bodies, Annalise deserves a little downtime before the shit literally hits the fan.

Key Notes:

• The jealousy between Eve and Nate is completely intoxicating and the fact Annalise notices and somewhat plays on it is even more entertaining
• Does anyone else think that Annalise got Eve to hit her with the car? To frame the Mahoneys? Or is that just my theorising mind getting the best of me?
• Laurel/Karla Souza and the Spanish/Mexican rant was the absolute greatest – The sass was off the charts.
• Oh and the one liners… “Good luck screwing me because you aren’t really my type” and “Don’t tell me you two are boning now?” Yep, they were laugh out loud worthy.