Back in 2014 when Shonda Rhimes new series, How to Get Away with Murder, came out, no one had the slightest clue what a massive success this TV show would be. With Grey’s Anatomy and Scandal, Rhimes gave the audience yet another drama series which is unique in its own way. After all, we are following the story of a bunch of people who accidentally call themselves murderers.
Now with its sixth and last season currently arriving in the US, those of us who are already watching the show can take a look back and those who have not yet started it can read why they should binge watch it right away.
Wes Gibbons (Alfred Enoch), Connor Walsh (Jack Falahee), Michaela Pratt (Aja Naomi King), Asher Millstone (Matt McGorny), and Laurel Castillo (Karla Souza) are The Keating 5. They just have started their semester at Middleton University in Philadelphia to become lawyers and receive the opportunity of their lifetime when their professor, Annalise Keating, who is the best criminal defense lawyer, offers them an internship at her office.
While working on different cases in each episode, there is one big mystery murder which will happen in the near future, which the audience gets introduced through flashforward scenes in every episode. Basically, the series teases the end of each season itself from the first episode on.
To give you a better picture why this series is worth your time, we want to give you some reasons while spoiling you at the same time with going a bit deeper into the world of the series.
The One and Only Viola Davis
If you weren’t aware of her before, you definitely know her name from HTGAWM. Since then, awards seem to rain on her. She became the first black woman to win the Primetime Emmy Award, won two Screen Actors Guild Awards, got nominated for the Golden Globe Awards, and even received an Oscar for the movie Fences, just to name a few.
Davis once said that she likes to play Keating’s mess. Oh, and what a mess it is. I am all here for some messed up complicated characters which will never stop to surprise you. However, sometimes it is almost impossible to follow. We get to know her as a tough lawyer, a mentor, a mother, and an addict. We see her alone, fragile, crashing at the bottom, and picking herself up and coming back greater than before. I would not call her a person people should look up to, but if the series has shown the audience something, then it’s that nothing can break Annalise Keating for long.
On the other hand, Viola Davis is a person people should look up to! I adore her! For me, there are quite a lot of actresses and actors I like and who in my opinion are perfect in their jobs. However, there are only few who can make you believe that they are the character they are playing even to a point when it gets scary. Viola Davis is the goddess of drama series I have been waiting without knowing it. With everything Keating is going through, Davis never disappoints.
I honestly cannot imagine anyone else as Annalise Keating. All hail the queen!
Plot Twists On Plot Twists: Who is good and who is bad … today?!
Usually you have the good ones at one side and the bad ones on the other. You make up your mind fast and pick a side. Easy. But not with this series. You are challenged, a lot, because everyone is knee deep in some very disturbing mess. Season one is the easiest to pick a side or character you wish the best. They have a reason why they did what they did, right? But as the series continues you will find yourself in very uncomfortable situations when your favourite character becomes the bad guy, takes a turn to become an angel, does something stupid (how could you!), does something good again, and finally ends up somewhere in between. As much as it personally disturbs me, this is one of the many things which fascinates people. It definitely never gets boring, but you cannot look away for a second. You might regret it afterwards.
They hate each other, but they can’t live without each other – so, are they friends?
As confusing as the plot twists are, are the characters and their relationships.
Annalise holds up the façade of the unbreakable force of law, while battling her demons from the past and her current ones—as well as those from her lovely students—behind the scenes. Today she is your ally, tomorrow she can be your nightmare. Depends, how you behave. She may not seem to think much of you, due to the fact that she just is not capable of simply showing it, but she will fight for you nonetheless.
Then there is Bonnie Winterbottom (Liza Weil) who is her assistant attorney and the complete opposite of Annalise. She is the ying to her yang. She cares for Annalise more as her boss recognises and is underestimated by a lot of people. No matter how much of a problem they have on some days and never want to have anything to do with one another, they always end up together in the end. Same goes for Frank Delfino (Charlie Weber) who is a special kind of assistant for both of them. He does all the dirty work when you ask him to and as much as he might scare you, he is the one you will go back to when you need things done and he will gladly to them to get in your favour. All these ups and downs within those three are pretty hard to follow, but it does not stop there.
Asher is the rich party kid who first must learn how to behave in the normal world. As irresponsible as he often seems to be, he would do anything for those he loves, especially when it comes to Michaela. He is the one, who does not want to have anything to do with all the drama but finds himself being dragged into it ever again.
Laurel is the opposite. She is right in the middle of everything. Tells you that you must work together and then goes her own way leaving you behind. Of course, this does not go well.
Wes seems to be the only one of them who has his heart and mind at the right spot but being a chess piece all his life without knowing it, he switches back and forth in trusting Annalise.
Meet the person who one day will dethrone Annalise: Michaela. She is basically a younger version of her. Determined to get what she wants, focusing on her future career and threatening people like trash when she pleases. For every second of her being a fragile woman, she is a beast in the next five. Like all the others of The Keating 5, Michaela wants to have nothing to do with Annalise at some point, but knows that a long internship at Keating’s office looks good on her CV. She is willing to work with a person she despises for her future career. When she gets an internship at Caplan & Gold, Michaela does not find her new role model in Tegan Price (Amirah Vann), but the first person who can hold up with Annalise on a work level.
The Keating 5 have their problems with each other, but somehow always find a way to overcome them. Connor is not different. He may want to become a lawyer for the wrong reasons but is playing the same ping pong game as the others when it comes to Annalise. Today we like her, tomorrow we hate her. But when he reached the point where he did not know what he wants to do with his life, it was Annalise who got him up on his feet again.
The best one to show how messed up they all are is through Nate Lahey (Billy Brown). Former police officer, now working for the district attorney, Annalise’s ex-lover. He loved her, did illegal things for her, was arrested for her, hated her, helped her, conspired against her, and became her friend again.
The enemy of my enemy is my friend, this is what they all keep playing and choosing their sides new whenever the cards are mixed new.
Now For Some Spoilers
Now, without giving too much away, let’s have a quick overview what happened in the first five seasons.
The first season starts with the murder of Lila Stangard, a student at Middleton University, and ends with The Keating 5 accidentally murder Keating’s husband, Sam, who was involved in Lila’s murder.
Season two focuses on Wes’ investigation about his mother’s mysterious suicide 10 years ago, trying to find his girlfriend Rebecca who has disappeared, and an ongoing murder case in which Annalise’s clients, Caleb and Catherine Hapstall, reappear during the season.
Season three follows Wes investigating his heritage and Annalise adjusting after she learns who was responsible for the car accident which killed her unborn child.
Season four picks up immediately where season three ended, with The Keating 5 becoming The Keating 4 after Wes’ death. Laurel’s only goal is to find out who has killed Wes, while Annalise has to work getting her reputation back after being accused of killing him and stay sober. Everyone goes in a different direction. Michaela gets an internship at Caplan & Gold, while Connor was kicked out of university.
Season five is even more different from those before. Annalise has reestablished herself and starts working at Caplan & Gold and is allowed to lecture at Middleton and we get a new series regular, Gabriel Maddox.
Feeling overwhelmed and confused? No worries, that is how you feel while watching this series. A lot of things is happening in each episode and you cannot wrap your mind around it, but at the same time the moment they give you a little hint, a piece, a clue of something big happening, you find yourself with a bowl of popcorn in your lap watching your way through it.
