How to Get Away with Murder: “Let’s Get to Scooping”

Oh, how I wish for critics’ sake that my faith in How to Get Away with Murder could be revived! Sure, from a viewer’s standpoint it’s captivating, exciting, and seducing in all the right ways. But I must remove my guilty pleasure pants and put on my work clothes.

Let’s discuss the problem I am continuously referring to week by week: the flash-forwards. Rarely providing new information, these flashbacks are frustrating and lead me to think that the writers ran out of material, and are using them as fillers. Why else would we see Michaela cowering in a corner of Professor Keating’s office, face buried into her diamond ring-laced fingers…twice. Both last week and this week the flash-forwards featured the same dialogue, emotions, and reactions. C’mon people, move on! I will, however, give credit where credit is due to the writers who have made us more invested in the past. Also, I do appreciate the final flash-forward of the episode, where Connor is visiting quasi-boyfriend Oliver, sobbing to him about how he really screwed up. This provided an interesting plot twist— did/does/will Connor tell Oliver about the murder of Sam Keating? What exactly is there to tell?

In the latest case development, after the jury set Rebecca Sutter’s bail at $1 million dollars, Keating talks to Rebecca and finds out that she may have been coerced into confessing. But the other attorney will not turn over her confession tape, just the written one. (Another discrepancy—that hardly seems like evidence they can hide from the defendant’s attorney.) So now Bonnie, the assistant, is delegated the task of procuring the confession tape.

Meanwhile, the gladiators-in-training case of the week pertains to Marren Trudo’s alleged insider trading. I was a bit confused as to why Annalise Keating, who seems to be the defense attorney for murder trials, would take this case. There was an unexpected (ahem) plot drop (too soon?) as Marren’s assistant Paxton falls backwards through a window that had been closed just moments ago, to his death. When and how he opened the window and committed suicide without any of the team knowing is just another question we will continue to wonder. Additionally, the team was required to sift through documents of fifty two employees, and some how were able to skip the grunt work and interview just the employees that happened to be connected to the insider trading case. It is all just a little too coincidental.

Bonnie starts shadowing the police department, only to mistakenly discover Nate the detective snooping around Sam Keating’s car. Taking this information to the police, she heckles him, and accuses them of snooping around for another suspect. So he is forced to release the tape. Of course, this tape shows that Rebecca was indeed coerced into confessing, meaning that her confession is inadmissible. Rebecca is free.

Wes then demands that Rebecca tell him what is on the phone. He brings the information to Professor Keating, and—judging by her reaction—we can only assume it has something to do with Sam Keating confirming her worst suspicions.

In one of my favorite moments on an ABC drama to date (and one reason why I am giving this episode an overall positive review, despite its kinks) we see Viola Davis stripped of her power, confidence, and glamour. She removes her wig, eyelashes, lipstick and high-profile law costume to become plain ol’ Annalise Keating—lost and confused. I swear I even saw the shaping of a tear. However, Keating becomes her badass self again when Sam enters the room and she bluntly demands to know, “Why is your penis on a dead girls phone.” Maybe this show does have more potential than I believed.

Other thoughts on “Let’s Get to Scooping:”

Perhaps one of my other favorite parts of the episode was the ABC voiceover afterwards, “If those 9 words set your jaw to the floor…” I was actually laughing audibly, and rewound the episode it a few times just to hear that over and over again.

Asher (Matt McGorry) continues to be my favorite character. His cheekiness makes the show that much better.

What is Wes’s end game? What about Rebecca’s?

Favorite Quotes:

“I just know that everybody hates their boss.” “She’s right I hate her.”-—Michaela

“Isn’t your ass tired?”—Asher

“What’s next, herpes?”—Asher

What do you think about Sam Keating’s picture on Lila’s phone. Did he kill her? Comment your thoughts and questions below!

Lesley Brock is a Nashville-based freelance writer and a regular contributor to Paste. You can follow her on Twitter.