Ten weeks is an incredibly long time. But time does pass, and eventually the moment you've been waiting for finally arrives.That time finally arrived last night, when the clock struck 10pm Thursday in the US, or 4pm Friday where I live, and ABC's hit show How To Get Away With Murder finally returned.
And what an outstanding hour it was. The episode was titled "Hello, Raskolnikov" and was superbly written by Marcus Dalzine and directed by Michael Offer. It made the nine episodes which screened in 2014 feel like a prequel, as the story truly begins now that the flashforwards have concluded.
We began with Annalise Keating being interviewed by the police, who, at this point, are treating Sam Keating's absence as a missing persons case. One by one, the Keating Five, and assistants Frank and Bonnie, were interviewed, with all giving similar accounts of the previous day or two. This was beautifully executed by the creative team, because while no one contradicted anyone else, each individual had some form of insight that the others didn't.
While that was happening, plenty of games were being played between the group. Originally the only two in the know, Wes and Annalise thought they had everything mapped out, but both individuals had to think very quickly to cover their agendas avoid causing any more friction and paranoia than there already was. That approach was doomed from the start because lawyers know the tricks of the trade, and eventually came together at the last moment to present what looks to be a united front, with Annalise promising her five that they'll get away with it if they trust her. My money is on the probability that it won't be as easy as that by any means.
Woven in among the interviews and clashes, Annalise went head to head with D.A. Wendy Parks to get the case against Rebecca dropped. She succeeded after persuading the judge to force the prosecution to hand over Sam Keating's laptop for forensic investigation. Annalise also got confirmation that her deceased husband had in fact impregnated the also deceased Lila Stangard, with the case against him also including events at an abortion clinic, where Sam and Lila had an argument.
But there's another element to last night's episode that makes things really interesting. It's the fact that, for lack of a better term, life goes on. This was seen most notably when Michaela went to have her wedding dress fitted, and when Laurel tried to repair the damage with her ex. Connor also called on Oliver for assistance with the case, and, of course, all five sat their highly anticipated law exam, with the topic running in parallel to the circumstances of the murder. Writing these events in is something I can't recall seeing previously as all the time available is dedicated to the one big event happening at present. It's as if the world stops until the event passes, but not on Murder. This is a big step up from many other shows on television, and one that I'm really looking forward to seeing how the creative team play with the ripple effects.
The writing and directing were superb as I have mentioned previously, but the cast were also excellent. Viola Davis' was the standout right through, but not by much, with Karla Souza winning my vote for second place among the Keating Five. In most of last year's episodes, one character stood in the spotlight in each episode, giving the cast member a golden opportunity to stand out. It will be interesting to see whether the creative team persist with this approach, or, now that the group are more or less working together, avoid the spotlight tactic altogether.
In any case, this was a fantastic hour of television, and it's made the ten weeks of waiting well and truly worthwhile. Now we get to sit back and enjoy the ride as the group attempt to get away with murder.
Thanks for reading! Keep an eye on How To Get Away With Murder's ratings on my TV ratings website, www.seriesmonitor.com/howtogetawaywithmurder, and don't forget to share your thoughts and theories in the comments below!
I agree, Laurel was the stand out in this episode. How she could be so cool, calm and collected, as opposed to Conner who was freaking out!!
ReplyDeleteI feel as though my life is now complete again, haha. I've definitely missed this the last ten weeks! Also, sidenote - I knew you were from New Zealand as soon as I saw the 4pm my time part (I'm from Australia) haha. Then had to scroll down to make sure I was right.
Yeah Laurel was eerily calm. She's one to sit on the side and watch things play out as opposed to going in all guns blazing.
ReplyDeleteAnd gotta love the timezones! I must say 4pm is the perfect time to watch something instead of later on in the evening.
Connor and Michaela were the saving grace for the episode for me, mostly because they being in so much distress is potential for chaos in the storytelling and crazy twists.
ReplyDeleteAside from that, I found the episode intensely boring; too many flashbacks of things we already know, the interrogation scenes could have been handled much better and shortly, and not much happens, actually, aside from rising the case against Sam.
There are interesting stuff in the episode, but as a whole I found it pretty underwhelming.
Let me start off by saying: No matter how good this first post-murder night episode is (and it was very, very good) waiting 10 weeks is cruel & unusual punishment for the viewers. Network TV needs to do away with the mid-season break!
ReplyDeleteNot to "Hello, Raskolnikov": brillant! brillant! brillant!
The stand-out storytelling via the interviews of the cast by the police, with a sub-plot of Connor and Michaela attempting to betray the others--which is exactly the type of backstabbing that you'd expect from this group of amoral individuals--worked very well.
As for Laurel, she's always been the one of the most interesting characters--her strength, calmness under pressure, and willingness to do Whatever it takes to win make her a chilling character that actress Karla Souza is bringing to life step-by-step. Remember the episode when Laurel was the one student willing to tamper with the jury to save a young boy murderer from going to jail where he would certainly be abused and/or murdered. It is very telling about Laurel, so it's little surprise that she would betray the betrayers in order to save the ENTIRE group from arrest by the police. She does whatever needs to be done!
Last point: whether intentional or not, How to Get Away with Murder is making terrific use of rings as a symbol. Wes presenting Annalise with Sam wedding ring is almost Shakespearean in that just as wedding rings in a marriage ceremony "bonds" two people together in love; returning Sam's ring to Annalise symbolizes the bonding of Wes and Annalise together in crime.
Likewise, the lost of Michaela's ring (which according to actress Aja Naomi King was a spur of the moment improvised act during the filming) can be seen as symbolizing the breaking of whatever "bond" the students had to each other before Sam's murder. As seen in this first return episode, the slow process of overwhelming guilt, distrust and betrayal has begun within the Keating Five--and I couldn't help but think of Macbeth.
All in all: How to Get Away with Murder continues to be the Best New Series on TV (broadcast or cable), and deserves the second season renewal that Viola Davis today intimated has occurred.
Well said, great point on the rings too. Laurel is a very interesting character and you're right about her willing to do anything for a result, though it must be said that she wasn't the one wanting to go to the police - that was Connor and Michaela. I was more surprised that she was able to be talked into it.
ReplyDeleteAnd was a second season ever in doubt? I don't think so!
I need Laurel and Frank to get back together ASAP!! I just love their chemistry, even when they're fighting
ReplyDelete