As we creep closer to the flash forward date, surprises, lies, and truths all come hurtling to the forefront. This week on How to Get Away with Murder Annalise leaves the Keating Five to do most of the legwork on the Hapstall case, which leads to a surprisingly obvious new suspect, despite the resistance from Caleb and Catherine Hapstall.
Two Weeks Later
Annalise is rushed from the scene of the crime to the hospital with a very concerned and emotional Frank who had burst in to be by her side. With a final “I won’t let you die” he lets himself be escorted out of the hospital where he then resumes his cool and gets into his car, where a unconscious Catherine Hapstall awaits. Well played, Frank.
Two Weeks Earlier
Frank and Laurel are spending time getting to know one another (in the biblical sense that is), and when Frank heads off to shower, Laurel takes the opportunity to shift through his belongings.
Later at school (how have these kids managed to still keep up with their grades?) Laurel tells Wes, Michaela, and Connor that she didn’t find anything at Frank’s place that would tie him to Rebecca or her murder.
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To Testify or Not to Testify, That is the Question
Back in Annalise’s home, after viewing the horrific video of Bonnie’s childhood, Annalise reminds Asher that he still has time to change his mind about testifying. This prompts him to be upfront with Annalise about Emily Sinclaire blackmailing him into testifying.
Of course, Annalise being the intimidating force of law that she is, uses Asher’s confession to make a surprise visit to Ms. Sinclaire warning her that she is tampering with the law and with just one phone call from Annalise she can destroy her career. Sinclaire chooses to back off of Asher but only on the condition that they are still working on the Hapstall case – since when did Emily Sinclaire and Annalise Keating become each others arch-nemesis?
Back in class, Asher confides to Annalise that he has chosen to not testify in order to protect Bonnie. Annalise then congratulates Bonnie and tells her that she’s fixed the situation, and that Asher really does love her. In the midst of Asher finally coming to his senses, Annalise gets a phone call from her friend Jill, who has just murdered her husband.
Transphobia: A Side Story
With the shortest side story yet, Annalise’s latest case of dealing with a wife murdering her husband in self defense, gets an unique spin when it turns out that the wife of the murdered professor is a transgender woman.
Annalise’s client and friend, Jill, admits to killing her husband but says it was due to his constant abuse of her. When a witness, and student of Jill’s, comes forward and corroborates her story, Annalise goes straight to the detective and DA in charge and accuses them of being transphobic. The DA then responds that if Annalise goes ahead with her case they will try her for accessory to murder, for coaching the suspect to create a perfect crime scene. I mean they’re not wrong, but how’re you going to prove it fellas?
Keating Five and the Hapstalls
With Annalise tied up trying to get her friend out of a murder charge, the Keating Five is tasked with continuing the case work with the Hapstall siblings. While at the Hapstall manor, trying to come up with ways of ruling out the aunt, Caleb, Catherine and Laurel get struck by the idea of the siblings birth parents being possible suspects. And because this is How to Get Away With Murder and nothing comes easy to these poor law kids, the Hapstall siblings, especially Caleb, are completely against this probing into their past.
With Caleb storming away from them and Catherine going with him, the Keating Five end up doing what they seem to do best, sulking around and complaining about their status quo. Only this time they’ve been recorded. Laurel finds Catherine’s tablet recording them complaining about the siblings. After the siblings get wind of their recorded conversation they understandably, no longer want to work with them. Which loses major points for the Keating Five with Annalise.
The Wes, Nate, and Annalise Triangle
When Wes calls Nate to fill him on the latest goings on of Frank and Annalise, Nate cuts him off and tells him he’s done with him and that Annalise had nothing to do with any of it. So it would seem as if Nate has chosen a side. Not quite.
After hearing about Nate’s wife’s passing, Annalise goes to him and tries to make up through an offering of dessert. Nate shuts her down and blames Annalise for Nia’s death, even though he gave Nia the pills that Annalise was given by his wife to end her life. Confusing, I know. Then Nate hits Annalise with two of the harshest lines yet: that Annalise will never be truly loved as he loved his wife, and that he doesn’t hate Annalise, he just doesn’t care anymore. Ouch.
And of course, watching it all go down is Wes hiding in the shadows of the hall to Nate’s apartment.
Wes’ Past
Annalise follows Wes to his house and into his apartment and engage in a heated exchange. Wes says that he doesn’t believe that Annalise doesn’t know where Rebecca is. Annalise replies by stating the reason he doesn’t believe her is because of his mother. (Excuse me, WHAT?) We find out that Wes’ mother killed herself when he was twelve, after she was able to get him to the states.
Through a show of tears, Annalise finally gets Wes to believe her when she says that she doesn’t know where Rebecca is. But, as she leaves Wes’ house, she’s able to shed her crocodile tears with exceptional speed as she tells Frank to take care of it “right” this time. Cut to Frank dumping a decomposing Rebecca in the woods.
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Asher’s Truth
Asher finds out that because he is no longer testifying against Annalise and Bonnie, Emily Sinclaire has launched a complete investigation into his father’s past. When his dad confronts him, he blames Asher and all but disowns him.
Sinclaire, now out to get her vengeance for Asher’s backing out, finds Bonnie in the parking lot (Why has no one noticed this is a pattern here?) and tells her that the blonde from Asher’s past, Tiffany, was gang raped.
Shocking and Confusing Developments
In the last few minutes of the episode, in true How to Get Away With Murder style we are given two completely new and surprising revelations.
At home, Oliver begins telling Connor about a possible new suspect for the Hapstall case, and while they are both looking at Oliver’s computer screen, we find out that someone has hacked into Oliver’s webcam and is spying on both of them … WHAT?! Who is that man? Why is he watching them? How long has this been going on? And why is his webcam so clear?
And finally, we see Frank dumping another body in the woods again, only this time it is Catherine Hapstall, and this time she isn’t dead at all…just asleep?… DUN DUN DUNNNNN!
How to Get Away With Murder airs on Thursdays at 10pm on ABC
(image courtesy of ABC)
Contributing Writer, BuddyTV
