How To Get Away With Murder: Discussion Thread

[Vee]

I'm giving this crap one more week (i.e., this week's show). My love for Viola Davis has limits.

[Eric83]

Viola Davis and Alfred Enoch have chemistry.

Tonight's episode was really entertaining. Disappointed that the season is so short.

I hope Rebecca gets killed or something by the finale.

[gtru1981]

This show is so beyond boring, gave up on it.

[Skin]

I feel like the show is digressing where it should finally be coming all together. This passed episode made me like Wes more than I have ever liked him before, but at the cost of alienating pretty much all of the other characters. Pretty much everything before the murder has been character study, so I feel like we should be more invested in who we are seeing, but as it stands it almost feels like paint by number characterization to service plot needs. Almost like "we've shown you enough characterization to justify why they are going to do what they are going to do, now leave us alone, and let us do what we need to do to move these chess pieces in place."

They've also done a tremendous job in breaking down the tough demeanor of Annalise who is if not the focal point, a key power figure of the show. There is only a handful of episodes left and although it's a lock to be renewed I don't feel that anything worth of consequence is going to happen.

Edited February 5, 2015 by Skin

[Soaplovers]

This weeks case of the week was a very interesting case.. that I wish it wasn't the case of the week. It was such a complex case that I think limiting it to just one week short-changes it. I think the show should have other cases featured along with the season long arc.. but they shouldn't be cases of the week.. they should maybe be covered within a two to four episode range.. and just as it wraps up, a new case is introduced...

With that said, I liked the Christmas flashbacks. I thought the brief scene of Laurel with her family developed her character so much. Inattentive mother, overly judgemental father.. it's no wonder she acted like a wall flower at the start of the season and in a weird way.. all of this drama with the cover-up.. has brought her out of her shell... plus, it explains her attachment with Frank (a mentor/father figure).. and also why she kind of likes two guys being interested in her... it fills the void created by her perceived lack of attention received from her family.

[ThePrinceOfSunspear]

True Laurel definitely got my attention this week but aside from her scene with the family and her trying to get them to bond I was checked out. The show seems to be losing steam on a story front when it should getting even better....especially considering this long ass break they made us wait thru and the finale being so close.

Any news on the ratings? I was sure Eric would give us the weekly report yesterday....

[Skin]

This past episode was the equivalent to elevator music. This wouldn't have been a bad throw away Christmas episode but seeing as the season is so short this filler episode could have been utilized better to fulfill greater plot needs.

[slick jones]

Poor Billy Brown....Nice...

Viola plays this part sooooooooo well!

Edited February 13, 2015 by slick jones

[Eric83]

It's the third highest rated show (behind Scandal and Modern Family) on the network in the demos.

1/29/2015: 3.1

2/5/2015: 2.7

2/12/2015: 2.7

The past two weeks are the lowest rated episodes. The show should be building momentum at this point of the season not losing it. I like the show but I guess viewers have gotten over the initial hype and aren't feeling it. The show WILL be renewed but Season 2 is definitely going to be interesting as far as storylines and ratings go. I'm just hoping Viola snatches an Emmy before the media turns against the show.

Annalise ain't [!@#$%^&*] for framing that fine ass man. I was floored that she framed him but it is what it is. I really thought they had found Michaela's ring in the woods at first.

Edited February 13, 2015 by Eric83

[Soaplovers]

The show should be setting up season 2 plotlines now.

This is a big weakness of modern shows, not setting up future plot lines as current plot lines start to climax and conclude.

[Vee]

This show is finally getting somewhere after the break, but the whodunit and Viola are the only things that are really keeping me here. It's a prime example of why most network primetime doesn't interest me.

The supporting characters are all still pretty shrill, stupid or cardboard, though Connor and Michaela have improved finally. Matt McGorry does a lot with his thankless role too - his character is one of the few students I somewhat enjoy, but every time I think they've turned a corner on him they give him more waaaayyyyy OTT fratboy comedy bits which no one IRL would do or say.

I did like Connor's scene with Keating this past week. I still think the blonde chick (Bonnie?) killed Lila Stangard. I am glad they have introduced the angle that maybe that awful goth chick Wes is in love with - whose name I can't even remember despite the fact that we're supposed to care about her - really is awful as we all think she is. The story has finally caught up to the ADHD pacing, which helps.

Edited February 14, 2015 by Vee

[marceline]

I think that's what they are doing with Wes' obsession over the missing Rudy. We've got two current mysteries: Lila Stangard's murder and Sam's murder. I think we'll discover who really killed Lila in the finale. The continuing fallout from Sam's death can easily carry through season two while the Rudy mystery - whatever that turns out to be will replace the Stanguard murder as S2's big case.

Marcia Gay Harden did wonders for my interest in this show. She and Viola play very well off each other. Plus I think it's helpful to the narrative to have a character on the outside who sees just how fucked up and amoral everyone else is.

[Soaplovers]

I'm hoping the Rudy thing isn't resolved and just starting. If WEs' girlfriend Rebecca didn't kill Lila.. then I have a feeling that she had something to do with Rudy being missing.

I do think season 2 could deal with the fall out of getting away with murder.. the guilt all of them feel.

[Skin]

Interesting that you think Connor and Michaela have improved, as I think they are the ones who have been strangled the most by the post hiatus string of episodes, Wes and Laurel are the ones who seem to have a handle on things and seem to be the ones making smart choices, while Connor and Micheala continue to disintegrate, make poor choices which have led them all down more difficult roads and virtually telegraph their guilt with each passing episode to the very people who feel there is something to hide.

I agree that she provides a worthwhile role, but I don't like the way that she is being written. It's clear there is animosity there, I wish they had just led with that over her trying to be fake nice, it wouldn't have changed the character's progression and arc in anyway and her focus would have been clearer off of jump street.

[marceline]

I kind of like the fact that she started off that way. She's a psychologist so it makes sense (as much as anything in this universe does) that she would try being friendly, either to butter Annalise up or because she has nominal hope that this time will be better. It's not unlike the behavior we saw from Sam. He seemed like a nice-ish guy but in that final fight we saw how viscous he could be.