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Annalise Keating is a perfect example of Hegemony in modern television.

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How this epic series are breaking tv boundaries. 

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How this epic series are breaking tv boundaries. 

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tv drama is not how it was decades ago.

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Even at its messiest, How To Get Away With Murder handles trauma with care, depth, and nuance. That can't be said of a lot of thrillers that dabble so frequently in murder and violent crimes. "You don't have a right to mess with anyone else's trauma," Annalise spits at Nate, who is convinced that they need to tell Bonnie that her baby-the result of her father raping her when she was 15-is alive. She's right. Nate doesn't understand what's at stake, what bringing this part of Bonnie's life back could do to reopen her wounds.

Nate, of course, has his own baggage causing him to want to do this. He's projecting his own feelings of abandonment, loss, and reunion. "It's Her Kid" brings back his father's case, with Annalise and the clinic working to prove that he was mentally ill at the time of the murder he's accused of. Nate's purpose on this show has always been a bit hazy, but the emotional storytelling that happens within this episode is quite strong and grounds his motives when it comes to the way he has been obsessing over Bonnie's files.

Despite her words to Nate, Annalise does decide to tell Bonnie that her kid could be out there. She certainly struggles with the decision. When they first meet up, she's unfocused, uncertain, zoning out as Bonnie chats about not knowing whether she wants to make things official with Miller. Annalise has been responsible for reopening Bonnie's wounds in the past. Flashbacks to when Annalise cross-examined her in court all those years ago remind just how horribly Annalise treated her in the beginning, the start of their ever-complicated, often toxic relationship.

In the end, she tells her because she wants to help Bonnie through this and give her control over the situation. Intense Annalise/Bonnie scenes tend to be some of the best the show does, and this is no exception. When is Liza Weil going to get the attention she deserves for her work on this show? "You're allowed to feel nothing, forget all of this, and just, just be where you are," Annalise tells her, holding her. "Or we can find him. I'll be here either way, whatever you want."

Meanwhile, Michaela is preoccupied with a toxic mentor relationship of her own. She wakes up hungover from how much she drank to "get over" Tegan-another example of how this show disturbingly but fascinatingly blurs boundaries. Michaela's acting like this is a breakup. "Starting today, we are going to be good people who respect boundaries," Michaela announces to Laurel which is, of course, laughable. Boundaries exist on this show to be broken, and the characters are extremely good at doing so.

Sure enough, when the firm struggles to land a new client-a racist CEO of a fast-food chain who literally tries to touch Annalise's hair-Michaela comes up with a plan to blackmail her into choosing them, pitching it to Tegan. But Tegan tests Michaela by making her do a bunch of tedious work for a plan she never even intends to use, coming up with her own idea to land the client that doesn't involve blackmail, because Tegan knows that starting a new attorney-client relationship on that note is a terrible idea.

The return of Nate Sr.'s case means Connor is suddenly very serious about law again, because for some reason this has always been the one case that he is actually invested in. He's still riddled with insecurity as usual, this time because he realizes that he doesn't know why Annalise first picked him to be part of his inner circle. His dynamic with Annalise has always been tenuous at best, but he also keeps coming back, a problem all of these students seem to have (again, they never learned the basics of boundaries).

Frank is still snooping on Gabriel, so Oliver is snooping on Frank while also snooping on Gabriel, because trust issues abound on How To Get Away With Murder. (Oliver, however, remains l far too trusting, accepting that Frank merely wanted to bug Gabriel's phone as part of a normal vetting process for Annalise's students.) Gabriel still doesn't have much to do on the show other than push against Annalise and the other students when they're working within the system instead of trying to fight it. He accuses Annalise of doing so here, and she explodes, declaring that she's trying to be the Robin Hood of the legal system. Annalise's ego really is on one in this episode.

Now four episodes into its fifth season, How To Get Away With Murder is still struggling on the momentum front. The flash forwards in past seasons have occasionally verged on on too over-the-top, but the flash forwards this season are borderline lifeless. There's simply too much mystery, so none of the scenes feel like clues so much as little foreboding vignettes thrown in a green-tinted filter. The Gabriel developments are happening just on the periphery, too, and the characters and their drama feels largely disjointed. "It's Her Kid" isn't necessarily jumbled, but it is overstuffed and low on big moments, and this is a show that runs on big moments.

Stray observations

More scenes of Annalise and Tegan salsa dancing please!

Michaela/burgers is my new favorite ship on this show.

Yesterday I hated you at 10; today you're an 8!"

"I'm better in small doses." Annalise does have a strong sense of self-awareness.

Are we supposed to care about Nate's love interest when she barely says anything? Yes, Nate is using her, but the show is also just using her as a device.

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On How To Get Away With Murder, everyone's favorite hobby is breaking boundaries

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Even at its messiest, How To Get Away With Murder handles trauma with care, depth, and nuance. That can't be said of a lot of thrillers that dabble so frequently in murder and violent crimes.

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Diversity, Culture, Gender roles are all in the series as major roles. 

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Diversity, Culture, Gender roles are all in the series as major roles. 

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CAUTION: MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS.

The hit Shonda Rhimes drama starring Viola Davis as defense attorney, Annalise Keating, has quickly rocketed to sky-high levels of obsession among those who already love Rhimes' other mega-hits, "Grey's Anatomy" and "Scandal". The show was placed in the perfect time slot, Thursday nights directly after "Scandal", whose fans adrenaline is already thrumming too wildly to turn off the TV. However, this show is much more than just a perfectly timed murder drama with a dazzlingly beautiful cast. There are things being done on "How To Get Away With Murder" that are among the rarest prime time tropes, and Davis and the rest of the cast deliver them effortlessly.

1. The ineffable Annalise Keating.

Viola Davis leads the show powerfully as Annalise. A Harvard Law graduate, she's the best at what she does, and she knows it. There are so few shows on television featuring black female leads, as Viola stated in her Emmy acceptance speech when she was the first black actress to win the award for Outstanding Actress in a Drama series. She plays such a powerful, emotional, multifaceted woman who lets nothing stand in her way, and when Annalise is on screen, you can't take your eyes off of her.

2. A beautiful, diverse cast.

The cast itself is diverse in age, color, sexuality, and gender. The five law students working for Annalise all come from different backgrounds, which we see in the series. Alfred Enoch's character,Wes, tells us that he comes from Haiti and Karla Souza's character, Laurel, comes from a Spanish-speaking Hispanic family, for example.

3. It breaks down age barriers for women in the television industry.

Annalise Keating is a middle - aged woman in her early 50s. So rarely do we get a leading female character in film or television over the "old" age of 30. Even when the female character's male love interest is well into his 50s, a 50 - year - old woman is considered "too old" to be romantically involved with him. In "How To Get Away With Murder," a 50 - year - old woman actually gets to play someone in their 50s who is strong and sexy, and not held within a small box.

In an interview with the Wrap, Viola says "with the black women, you gotta be sassy, you gotta be sexy, your hair has gotta be a certain way...I don't want to have any structure. I don't want to have any kind of reins put on me. I want to be absolutely human in my role."

4. The gay male character is more than a token "Gay Best Friend".

Jack Falahee's character, Connor Walsh, is one of the first characters we see in the series, and we get an in-depth look into who Connor is as a person. We learn his stealthy tactics for interrogation and how he'll do anything to get what he wants, which, in this case, is a spot working for Annalise. So often in film and TV, gay characters are thrown in as an afterthought, for comedic relief as the "sassy gay friend", or their entire story line revolves around their struggle with coming out. Though that is important to showcase, it's incredibly refreshing to see a character who isn't the "token gay" in the series, but a real, well-developed person.
5. Bisexuality is addressed and accepted onscreen.
Yet another reason to celebrate Annalise! (She is always important.) Bisexuality on television is even rarer

7. The problems they face aren't pretty-- but they're real.

Aside from the title murder, the characters face some hard hitting issues that many face in real life. Annalise finds out her husband has cheated, and cheats on him herself. Oliver, Connor's boyfriend, finds out he's HIV positive. Michaela, Aja Naomi King's character, finds out her fiance is hiding his sexuality and is only marrying her to save face. These problems are very real, and they hit close to home, which is another reason this show resonates so deeply.

8. Eve. Freaking. Rothlo.

Another powerful woman! Eve, Annalise's lover and longtime friend, walks back into her life to aid in the murder case Annalise is testing for. A 50 year old homeosexual woman on television, let alone two, is pretty groundbreaking. Not to mention, her biting wit and ruthless style of winning cases makes her a scene stealer.

9. The tear-jerking scene between Annalise and her mother.

Annalise's mother is played by the incredible Cecily Tyson, who costarred with Viola Davis in "the Help". We see a glimpse into Annalise's troubled past when she speaks to her mother, who she believes ignored her childhood sexual abuse. Her mother begins to tell her a heartbreaking story about how she burned down the house they grew up in, with Annalise's abuser still inside, in order to get her away from him. The moment is shocking, heartbreaking, and an ultimate testament to the love of her mother.

10. Annalise's vulnerability.

Both emotionally and physically, Viola Davis shows incredible vulnerability beneath her strength as Annalise. The one scene in particular, to me, that showcased this was when Annalise took off her makeup, her jewelry, and wig. In most shows, women are shown going to sleep in their full makeup, and there's a level of fakeness, as though we aren't seeing the real person. But when the poised, perfectly put together Annalise strips this facade away, we see another layer to her, another facet that Viola Davis has given us. She shows us that strong women are human, and that they don't have to be single-leveled, stone cold figures. They're real.

Thank you, Annalise Keating.

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10 Reasons Why "How To Get Away With Murder" Is Revolutionary

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CAUTION: MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS. The hit Shonda Rhimes drama starring Viola Davis as defense attorney, Annalise Keating, has quickly rocketed to sky-high levels of obsession among those who already love Rhimes' other mega-hits, "Grey's Anatomy" and "Scandal".

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Moral Lessons Learned while watching the series. 

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Moral Lessons Learned while watching the series. 

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throughout the series, there were several moral lessons to be learn about life.

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If I could pick one television show to watch for the rest of my life it would be "How To Get Away With Murder." The show is addicting. Each episode captures you with high energy, mystery, romance, drama. Then, it ends on a cliffhanger making you need to see the next one. The show is filmed in a unique way, filming the first episode of each season with an incident in the present and then flashing back to how that incident happened, giving you more and more clues to how the murder or crime was committed.

The character of Annalise Keating keeps bringing me back for more. Viola Davis plays the perfect professor/defense attorney, and brings life to her role. Her character is brilliant, sexy, and sassy, making the perfect concoction for a successful show.

I have been binge watching seasons 1 and 2, and I have most of my friends hooked. So to start my countdown to the release of Season 3 on September 24, here are 10 Life Lessons we can learn from the main character Annalise Keating.

1. Office time is glam time.

Each outfit that Annalise wears is nothing less than fabulous. She takes her cases seriously and shows that with the way she dresses, however, she always provides a way to make her outfit stand out. Whether it be a statement necklace, a bright jacket, or a funky pair of heels, Annalise is always on her A game.

2. Always make an entrance.

No matter what your mood may be, always make an entrance or an exit. Annalise demands attention as soon as she steps in the courtroom and that is what everyone should aspire to do. Be confident going into the classroom to give that report.

That eye roll though

On the show Annalise lies all the time. We know it, she knows it, her students know it. I'm not saying you should lie, but definitely own who you are.

4. Don't lie too much.

If you watch the show you know that even though Annalise lies it gets her deeper and deeper into trouble. Her lying in the courtroom may help her client but it does not help her personal life at all. If you lie too much it just gets out of control.

5. Let it go.

Like Annalise when she takes off her makeup and wig, let it go. Whatever has bothered you from that day let it go. Nothing should bother you for more than 24 hours. If you can't address the problem right away it's not worth it.

6. KNOW YOUR RIGHTS!!!!

If questioned in the court of law be clear and to the point. Do not ramble, because everything you say and do, will be used against you

7. Know everything about everybody.

Knowing your friends and enemies strengths and weaknesses, come in handier than you think. It will help you during arguments when you really want to prove your point.

8. Work the side eye.

Sometimes you have to give the side eye, and when you do make sure it is perfected. A perfect side eye should make someone feel uncomfortable so that they know what they did was wrong.

9. Listen during an argument.

Listening to the other person's side is key. You do not always need a lengthy response to get under their skin, but if you truly listen to their side like Annalise you'll be able to come up with a quick rebuttal that will rot them to their core.

10. Sometimes a drink makes a difference.

Honestly though, some people just make you need that glass of wine or glass of expensive vodka at the end of the day.

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10 Life Lessons We Can Learn From 'How To Get Away With Murder's' Annalise Keating

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If I could pick one television show to watch for the rest of my life it would be "How To Get Away With Murder." The show is addicting. Each episode captures you with high energy, mystery, romance, drama. Then, it ends on a cliffhanger making you need to see the next one.

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New Season of How to get away with Murder. 

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New Season of How to get away with Murder. 

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Season 5 of how to get away with murder just aired in September of 2018. The new season is filled with mystery and of course murder.

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How to Get Away with Murder (TV Series 2014- )

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Annalise selects students for her new legal clinic at Middleton and juggles job offers from competing firms, all while the Keating 4 attempt to move on from last semester's turmoil. And in a startling flash-forward, a new mystery is introduced and it shakes things up for everyone.

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review and rating on this thrilling series was rated 85%. 7.5 / 10 for season 1.

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How to Get Away With Murder: Season 1 - Rotten Tomatoes

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Synopsis: In the first season of this crime drama produced by Shonda Rhimes' Shondaland, cold-blooded criminal-defense lawyer and no-nonsense law professor Annalise Keating (Viola Davis) selects a group of her brightest pupils at a prestigious Philadelphia university-Laurel Castillo (Karla Souza), Wes Gibbins (Alfred Enoch), Asher Millstone (Matt McGorry), Michaela Pratt (Aja Naomi King) and Connor Walsh (Jack Falahee)-to work at her firm.

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The series is not just about Murder, it is jam packed with love intrest

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The series is not just about Murder, it is jam packed with love intrest

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the love interest in this series, portrayed several different types of romances. even though this is a wrok place drama it still has its fair share of romances.

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Are you suffering the winter blues? Not to worry, we've got what every How to Get Away with Murder fan needs to get your heart racing again - and just in time for Valentine's Day! Check out the 6 Hottest Hookups below. Is it Thursday yet?? Hot damn!

"What I need right now is to get my mind off the doom."
Laurel can't stop thinking about the impending doom. She asks Frank to meet her in the basement to help take her mind off things. If those basement walls could talk...

"I'm sorry I called."
Annalise is sorry for leaving Eve to be with Sam Keating. Annalise admits to framing Nate for Sam's death. Talk about a complicated relationship.

"Are we terrible people?"
Don't feel guilty about doing the wild thing on our account. We rather enjoy being a fly on that wall. In fact, if it means we can see more scandalously hot scenes like this one, Annalise and Nate can do whatever they please!

"I think about you all the time - it's freakin' annoying."
Well, there's nothing annoying about what follows that statement. (Unless possible splinters are involved, of course.) Frank admits to Laurel he doesn't want her to leave her job because of him - and they hook up outside on Annalise's porch!

"I thought all you wanted from me were those emails?"
Well, that and a little something else. Connor seduces Oliver in order to obtain an e-mail for Annalise's case. Illegal never looked so salacious!

"We shouldn't do this..."
Oh, but they do! After an argument, Wes and Rebecca unleash their passion on each other, which leads to a sexy horizontal mambo, all during a montage of Lila Stangard's second autopsy. Three's a crowd?

Watch all-new episodes of How to Get Away with Murder THURSDAYS 10|9c!

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how to get away with murder: the 6 hottest hookups!

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How to Get Away with Murder: The 6 Hottest Hookups! | How to Get Away with Murder

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Are you suffering the winter blues? Not to worry, we've got what every How to Get Away with Murder fan needs to get your heart racing again - and just in time for Valentine's Day! Check out the 6 Hottest Hookups below. Is it Thursday yet?? Hot damn!

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the article goes into depth about this epic episode.

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"Kill Me, Kill Me, Kill Me"

" Kill Me, Kill Me, Kill Me" is the ninth episode of the first season of How to Get Away with Murder and the ninth episode overall.

It's the evening of the bonfire and they finally see what exactly happened on the night of Sam's death.

Having just discovered Sam's pass at Bonnie, Annalise packs Sam's belongings and tries to kick him out of their house. A lengthy argument ensues: Annalise accuses Sam of killing Lila and provokes him to do the same to herself. In response, Sam calls Annalise a slut and affirms that he only used Annalise for sex. Outraged by this discovery, Annalise leaves.

On the road, Wes, Connor, and Laurel pursue Rebecca who they realize has been enlisted by Nate to steal phone information from Sam's laptop in an attempt to prove he killed Lila. Wes confesses to the others that he and Rebecca believe Sam killed Lila and had been hiding this knowledge from the group all along.

Michaela, having stolen the trophy from Asher, visits Annalise's house to turn the trophy in and get herself excused from the upcoming exam. Inside, Michaela encounters Sam, who tries to get her to leave, but she insists on staying to give Annalise the trophy. Michaela notices Rebecca breaking in and calls Sam's attention to her, but Sam, thinking the two are involved a joint scheme, becomes hostile. Rebecca tells Michaela to call Wes before running upstairs to Sam's room. Rebecca locks herself in and begins uploading the data evidence from Sam's computer onto Nate's flash drive while Sam shouts and bangs on the door. At the same time, Michaela contacts Wes and explains the situation, begging him and the others to defuse the conflict.

Wes and company arrive at Annalise's house just as Rebecca has finished transferring all the evidence onto Nate's flash drive. Rebecca returns Sam's laptop to him and claims having found nothing with which to incriminate him. Sam, knowing this to be a lie, tackles Rebecca and a scuffle for the flash drive ensues. Rebecca passes the drive to Laurel who then flees the room. Sam attempts to chase her but he is shoved by Michaela and accidentally thrown over the third floor balustrade. Sam falls down two stories face-first and is motionless; the students think he's been killed.

The group convenes in Annalise's living room and engages a heated argument on what to do to not get caught. Before the group can reach a consensus, Sam suddenly gets up and tackles Rebecca, strangling her. To stop him, Wes strikes Sam in the head with the trophy, killing him. Their responses are varied: Wes cleans Rebecca's blood-stained face, Michaela succumbs to a panic attack, Laurel comforts Michaela, and Connor has a nervous breakdown.

Meanwhile, Annalise visits Nate at his apartment. She confides in Nate her suspicion that Sam murdered Lila and regrets her past efforts to protect Sam's reputation and their marriage. She apologizes for having gotten Nate fired and confesses her feelings for him. Annalise and Nate make love, overwhelmed by the weight of their failing marriages.

Back at Annalise's house, the group is conflicted over Sam's actual death which has now complicated the crime scene even further. Their debate is interrupted by Asher who has come to Annalise's porch demanding that the stolen trophy be returned to him. The group remains hidden as Michaela leads him elsewhere using a deceptive text message. Shortly after, Wes asserts their next move: he will find safe refuge for Rebecca and then convene with the others in a woods off-campus to discuss a proper course of action. The group disbands, but Connor tells the others that Wes and Rebecca may be betraying them.

After taking Rebecca to a motel, Wes returns to Annalise's house and resolves to cover up the murder. He collects the trophy-the murder weapon-and proposes his plan with the others in the woods. Because the group is evenly split on whether to hide Sam's body or not, Wes relegates their final decision to a coin toss. He flips the coin but lies about the result, telling the others that they should hide the body.

The Keating Four return to Annalise's estate and conceal as much as evidence as they can. Laurel scolds Michaela for having attempted to contact her fiance Aiden while Connor and Wes wrap Sam's body in a carpet. The group hauls Sam's body outside where there are confronted by a campus police officer over Connor's illegally-parked car. Before the officer can investigate their false alibis and the rug containing Sam's body, his attention is diverted by a group of rowdy frat bros en route to the bonfire. With the officer gone, the Keating Four stash Sam's body onto Connor's truck and drive back to the woods. En route, they nearly collide with Asher who is preoccupied with an urgent phone call.

Bonnie, having just been fired by Annalise for kissing Sam, has begun hooking up with random men in order to cope. She rendezvous with Asher at his apartment and seduces him. The two engage in intercouse and later agree to keep its knowledge a secret from Annalise.

Meanwhile, Annalise calls Sam's phone and, unable to reach him, leaves a heartfelt voicemail with a resolution to fix their relationship.

In the woods, the group burns Sam's body and then bag his remains for destruction at an incinerator. Michaela loses her engagement ring and attempts to find it in the ashes but is forced by the group to relinquish her search. With Michaela emotionally unable to return the Justice trophy and thus an alibi for the murder weapon, Laurel volunteers herself for the task. Losing control of the situation, Wes cannot convince the group to move forward with the incineration and the party discards Sam's bagged remains into a public dumpster. The group parts ways.

Soon after, Bonnie receives a call from a grief-stricken Annalise who realizes Sam has gone missing.

Connor, on the verge of a nervous breakdown, visits Oliver and when asked about his behavior, Connor deceptively attributes his anxiety to a drug problem. Michaela signs her prenuptial agreement and presents it to her fiance's mother. Wes returns to Rebecca at the motel and destroys Nate's flash drive knowing that it will likely implicate Rebecca and the group with Sam's disappearance. Laurel visits Frank and presents the Justice trophy to him in order to ward suspicion of its theft from Asher.

The following morning, Annalise calls a meeting with the Keating Five and solemnly breaks news of Sam's affair with Lila, Annalise's fight with Sam, and his disappearance soon after. She then informs the group that they will all be interviewed by police investigators on Sam's whereabouts and implores that they all cooperate fully. The group, with exception to Wes, oblige nervously.

A flashback to the murder night reveals Annalise had in fact discovered Sam's dead body and Annalise was actually the one who had ordered Wes-and by extension the others-with its strategic disposal.

Notes and Trivia Edit

This episode scored 9.82 million viewers.

Important Events Edit

We learn what exactly happened on the night of Sam's murder and who killed him.

Asher and Bonnie are shown to have sex for the first time (though they were shown in bed together in a flash-forward in a previous episode).

Rushing around the rooms of the Keating House, Annalise and Sam argue, shout and scream at each other, mostly about Lila. It ends with Annalise screaming in Sam's face while he strangles her. "Kill me, kill me, kill me.".

"Walk with the Noise"

IAMX

Asher walks then decides to join the bonfire crowd; Bonnie drinks at the bar and watches the news about Lila's case; Asher dances at the bonfire; Wes tells Rebecca not to leave the motel, then leaves himself.

"Black Out Days (Spacebrother Remix)"

Phantogram

The Keating 5 cleans up the murder scene at her Annalise's] house; Annalise begins to leave Nate's apartment but he stops her, they have sex; Bonnie makes out with a guy at the bar; Asher receives a call from Bonnie.

"Vision"

M83

Annalise leaves Nate's apartment then tries calling Sam but leaves him a message; The Keating 5 burns Sam's body then bags and discard the remains; Frank apologizes to Laurel; Michaela searches for her ring.

Multimedia Edit

Behind the Scenes Edit

References Edit

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"Kill Me, Kill Me, Kill Me" is the ninth episode of the first season of How to Get Away with Murder and the ninth episode overall. It's the evening of the bonfire and they finally see what exactly happened on the night of Sam's death.

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The five first year law students, worked hard to study first hand under the brilliant lawyer. these first year ruckis had no idea what they were in for.

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"Pilot"

" Pilot" is the 1st episode of How to Get Away with Murder.

Annalise Keating is a tough as nails Criminal Law Professor and when Wes Gibbins starts his first day at Middleton University, he has no clue what he's walking into. In her class, Annalise challenges her students to solve some of the most difficult criminal cases that her law firm takes on, and in the end, she selects a group of the smartest, most promising students to come work for her. The competition is on and the students will stop at nothing to make sure they get to the head of her class. While Annalise seems to have it all together, we soon learn that her clients' secrets aren't the only ones she's keeping. Meanwhile, in flash-forwards, we learn that the price of impressing Annalise might just be too much for some, when a group of four students, Wes, Connor Walsh, Michaela Pratt and Laurel Castillo get involved in their own murder mystery cover up.

There's a football bonfire and pep rally. They light a giant pyre and effigy of the opposing team. Four students are in the woods (Wes, Connor, Michaela and Laurel) and they discuss burying a body and the murder weapon. One says they need a trophy but they argue about carrying the body across campus in the middle of the night. They debate over what will get them caught and what will keep them out of jail. One decides they should flip a coin to decide what to do. They flip to decide to get the body or leave it where it is.

Three months earlier, a guy rides his bike on campus. He locks his bike up and heads into the law school building. There are fliers up for a missing girl named Lila. He heads into a large classroom. Some students discuss how nervous they are about the class. Wes, plops into the first row but Michaela says seats are assigned.

The professor, Annalise Keating, comes in and welcomes them to criminal law 100 or how to get away with murder. She says she doesn't teach how to study the law but how to practice it like a real lawyer. The first case to study is the aspirin assassin. She calls on Connor Walsh. He rattles off case facts. Another students says the guy's mistress replaced his meds with aspirin. Michaela says this caused anaphylactic shock. She calls on Wes and he asks what the mens rea is. She says she emailed the assignment two days ago and he says he didn't get it.

She tells him she spends all day around professional liars and tells him to do better. He says he was wait listed until two days ago. She tells him men rea means guilty mind. Laurel speaks up and says the intent was to kill. Annalise tells her to never take a learning opportunity from another student just because you want everyone to think you're smart. Connor asks if she did it and she says to ask herself. She brings them to see her client.

Annalise brings them to see the mistress that allegedly aspirin poisoned Arthur. She says she loved him and would never want to hurt him. She tells them the trial starts in two days and tells them each to present a defence the next day to see if they can beat the ones she has. She offers them the discovery files, access to her associates, Frank, Bonnie and her library. She tells them that this assignment will help decide who comes to work for her. It's a statue of the scales of justice she says will get you out of a test.

Wes goes over the case fact in his room which is largely unfurnished. A neighbor starts loud rap music and he groans and bangs on the wall. He goes over and introduces himself and asks the girl to turn it down. She says no and tells him to deal with it and slams the door. He lies on the bed and looks at claw marks on the wall. We see the coin toss from the beginning of the show and then the kids rolling up a body in the carpet. Michaela says she never agreed to it.

They washed the statue off with blood and put it back. They wrestle the body up - looks like Annalise's law office on campus - and stagger out of the office. Outside a campus cop asks them if the car is their's. They try to conceal the body they're carrying in the rug. One of the guys says it's his and he'll move it and the campus cop asks if it's the law professor's office. Michaela offers to call the professor but then he backs off as a crowd from the football game break loose.

Michaela says they should offer up Arthur's wife Agnes as an alternate suspect. Wes crosses that one off his list. Some suggest jury strategies and some forensic errors. Wes crosses item after item off his list. He has to go last so he's in a tough spot since his has to be original. Diminished capacity and many others are suggested. Finally, Annalise calls on Wes. He stands and says they should say it was self-defense because Gina had Stockholm Syndrome and says the affair was just one example of his brain washing.

Wes says in this manner the poisoning could be self-defence. He goes to move to the wall of shame but Annalise moves him to the finals. Then she shows them her approach - discredit witnesses, introduce new suspect - his business partner Lionel - then bury the evidence so the jury can't comprehend anything but doubt. She says that's how you get away with murder. She tells them to come to the courthouse tomorrow at 11. Michaela says she has Torts at 11 and Annalise says come or drop out of the finals.

Arthur's assistant is on the stand and Annalise is crossing her when Michaela comes running in. She goes to speak to her. Connor asks what that was. Annalise asks about the pill she saw on the desk and asks if it was yellow. She tells her the shirt is blue and asks if she's color blind. She says yes, but she knew what she saw. Annalise says her client takes anxiety medicine is blue. She asks if she saw a blue or yellow pill. The woman doesn't know.

Michaela explains how she chased down the vision issue. Annalise is impressed and tells the others to step up their game. There is news on about Lila who was last seen leaving a fraternity party. Wes rifles through piles of papers looking for evidence. He finds something and grabs his bike and goes. He knocks on the door at Annalise's and then sticks his head inside and calls out for her. He follows the sound of voices to the back and finds her with a man. He tells him to get the hell out.

He apologizes and she asks why he's here. She calls Frank and yells at him about not locking up. She asks what he wants and he recommends going for an immediate dismissal - she says it's called a directed verdict and is too big a risk. She kicks him out.

The kids are at a gas station and Connor is singing a Christmas carol along with the radio. Michaela tells him to stop. He changes the lyrics to be about killing someone and ending up in jail. At a bar, Connor flirts with a guy from Arthur's office and gets some evidence from him. He also sexes him up something fierce. He tells her that he didn't get it through the most legal of means.

The business partner is on the stand and is being asked about moving the mistress to another department. He reads an email about asking Arthur to step down because he was sleeping with employees. Annalise makes a shady move and gets it accepted into evidence. She asks if he swapped his medicine to kill him and get sole control of the company.

Asher asks how he got the email and Connor tells them he doesn't kiss and tell. The wife parks Arthur in the hall and goes into the bathroom. Laurel also heads in and hides ina stall. We see the wife touch Gina and they pat hands briefly. Gina walks out. Wes carries his bike upstairs and hears shouting from his neighbor's place and a guy stomps out. He asks if she needs help and she tells him to go away.

Later, he heads to the cocktail party Annalise told them to be at. Asher tells a psych professor that the law school is a dog fight. It's Annalise's husband, but not the guy that Wes saw her with. Wes is surprised. Annalise walks up, kisses her husband and glares at Wes to threaten him into silence. We see the kids hiding from a couple of kids that are making out in the woods when they're out trying to hide the body.

One of them gets a call from Frank and the ringing sound scares them away. Michaela asks Laurel why Frank is calling her. We see Laurel telling Frank what she saw go down between Gina and the wife in the bathroom. He doesn't like it because it makes their client look guilty. She asks if he already knew and he says he didn't say that. She's annoyed that he might knowingly be representing a guilty client. He says he guesses she went to Brown - she did - and he talks about her faux idealism. He says she'll quit the law as soon as she gets pregnant. She calls him a misogynist. Bonnie comes out and tells him to stop screwing students.

Wes tries to apologize to Annalise in private at the party about bursting in on her at her office. She tells him she owes him an apology. She cries and tells him she and her husband have been trying to have a baby and they're doing all these measures that are making it worse. She touches him and thanks him for keeping this between them. She runs her hands up and down him and then steps closer. He steps away then walks back. After he leaves, she dries her tears and looks at herself thoughtfully in the mirror.

Griffin, Lila's boyfriend, holds a news conference about his missing girlfriend. Bonnie comes in and finds Sam, Annalise's husband watching the news. He heads up to bed so she can work with Annalise. Wes looks at bite marks on his bed. He finds a bottle of wine outside his door from his neighbor Becca and he asks if she wants to open it with him but she says she can't tonight.

Detective Gill is on the stand discussing surveillance footage. The prosecutor plays it. It shows Gina buying soloxacore - a brand of aspirin - at the store. Later, Annalise screams at Gina for not warning them. She says her one job was to warn them of things like that. Annalise says she's going to go to jail and she'll be the crappy lawyer that sent her there. She's furious at her team. She calls Detective Leahy to the team. No one knows who it is. He comes in - it's the guy she was screwing when Wes burst in!

Wes is stunned. Annalise asks where he was two nights ago. He says he was supposed to be there but was not. She asks where he was - at home with his wife who's been diagnosed with cancer. He says he was at a friend's. She says there is something strange about the chain of custody. She says Gill said he got it at 8 pm from the store but didn't log it until 2 am. He says sometimes it takes a while to log things. She asks if they ever alter footage to help the prosecution.

They call for an objection. She asks if he's personally aware of any instances of doctored surveillance footage. He takes a breath and says yes. Bonnie smiles. Wes is even more stunned. Gina gets her acquittal and Annalise makes a speech about Gina's innocence and that she hopes the police find the real killer. She tells the students it's time to find out who will be joining the firm. She calls out Connor for the prize. Then also names Asher, Michaela, Laurel and says she decided to hire one more and announces that it's Wes. Wow.

He chases her down after class. She says the detective is her boyfriend. He says he doesn't want the job if she's buying his silence. He asks if she got the guy to lie. She tells him to think carefully because his next action will determine his life and career. She tells him he can work in corporate law and flirt with chubby paralegals or come to work at her firm and make a difference.

A guy knocks on the door of a sorority house to check on the low water pressure. He goes to check the water tank and finds Lila's body. Sam, Annalise's husband, tells her that she was his student and her body has been found. She says she's sorry. He says he just feels bad for her parents. She says she bets the boyfriend did it and he says he guesses they'll see.

We see the kids unroll the body out in the woods. They have lighter fluid and they douse the body. Wes says it's the last chance. They tell him to do it now before the bonfire ends. Michaela says it's the only way to destroy the DNA. They light the fire. We see in the light that it's Sam, their professor's hubby!

Notes and Trivia Edit

ABC ordered the pilot on December 19, 2013. On May 8, 2014, ABC picked up the pilot to series for the 2014-15 television season.

This episode scored 14.34 million viewers.

Connor Walsh was the first to get the trophy.

This episode marks the first appearance of Annalise Keating, Wes Gibbins, Nate Lahey, Connor Walsh, Rebecca Sutter, Michaela Pratt, Asher Millstone, Laurel Castillo, Frank Delfino, Bonnie Winterbottom, Sam Keating, Griffin O'Reilly and Lila Stangard.

Before the "Keating 5" started filming the pilot in Philadelphia, they were flown out a week early so they could get to know each other. According to Falahee, "From day one, we were romping around the streets of Philadelphia and just having slumber parties with cartons of ice cream.

On the day they were set to travel for the pilot, Matt McGorry's uncle passed away. He got the call on the train and "broke down crying" but said Aja Naomi King, who was traveling with him at the time, "was the sweetest person ever".

During the filming of the pilot, it was recorded that it was one of the coldest winters on record. That resulted in some unexpected issues when it came to costuming. For instance, Alfred Enoch got in the habit of wearing multiple scarves to keep himself warm, even indoors. He asked that the scarf be made a part of his character's wardrobe, and it's been a steady feature of his costume in many episodes since then. Enoch just felt that it helped build Wes' sense of realism.
Later in the series, the script featured flashbacks to the events of the pilot episode, so the cast had to get back into that same wardrobe. The only problem was, it was now summer and filming had moved to Los Angeles. The cast was getting really hot and uncomfortable but the genius wardrobe people had a solution, which was the implementation of ice vests. An ice vest is very much like a wearable ice pack, and it helped the actors keep their cool while wearing their woolens in the Southern California heat.

This episode takes place around September 2014 for the start of the 2014-2015 academic year as the Keating 5 all start their first year in Middleton University's law school.

The pilot which aired was slightly different to the script for the original pilot. For example, multiple characters had different names such as Annalise Keating's was Annalise Dewitt, Connor Walsh's was Patrick Donahue and Laurel Castillo's was Laurel Wilding. Furthermore, there was an additional scene at the start of the script which detailed the Middleton Bonfire 2014 in more detail than the episode did.

During this episode are introduced two important frames for the season, that are resolved during the season:

Wes finds out that Annalise and Nate have an affair.

Rebecca and Wes meet each other for the first time.

Wes, Connor, Michaela and Laurel move and incinerate Sam's body.

Connor and Oliver's relationship has a couple of firsts in this episode:

They meet each other for the first time in a bar.

Kiss for the first time.

Sleep together for the first time.

The episode is entitled Pilot just like many other first episodes series.
It's the only, so far, episode to not be named by a character's quote.

Disregarding the title of the episode, however, the title of the series was mentioned for the only time in the series when Annalise was introducing her Criminal Law 100 to her new students. She told them that she liked to call the class "How to Get Away with Murder".

International Titles Edit

"Dark and Stormy"

Hot Chip

Wes Gibbins riding his bike to class; The class begins and the students hurry to find their assigned seats; Professor Keating makes her grand entrance.

"Push 'Em"

Travis Barker & Yelawolf (feat. Skinhead Rob & Tim Armstrong)

Wes complains to his neighbor, Rebecca, about her loud music disturbing his peace at his apartment.

"Jingle Bells"

Rosemary Clooney

Connor singing along to Jingle Bells to annoy his co-conspirators after the murder while sitting in the car at the gas station waiting for Wes.

"Apoidea"

Roman Remains

Connor seduces the IT guy, Oliver, to obtain information for Annalise Keating's case with Gina Sadowski then hooks up with the guy afterward.

"I Come with Knives"

IAMX

The plumber arrives goes upstairs to water tank and finds a body inside the tank; As they watch the news Annalise Keating tells her husband, Sam Keating, her thoughts on the mystery; The gang set a body on fire in the wood who is revealed to be Sam.

Multimedia Edit

Behind the Scenes Edit

References Edit

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"Pilot" is the 1st episode of How to Get Away with Murder. Annalise Keating is a tough as nails Criminal Law Professor and when Wes Gibbins starts his first day at Middleton University, he has no clue what he's walking into.

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annals playes a criminal defense attorney and law professor. She pick a hand full of law intern to work under her. Amalis teaches these students about real societies issues, along side covering up murders.

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How to Get Away with Murder 1x09 Promo "Kill Me, Kill Me, Kill Me" (HD) Winter Finale

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what Happen the on the Night of the Bone Fire. 

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what Happen the on the Night of the Bone Fire. 

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everything is revealed on the night of the bond fire.

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How to get away with murder  has 10 wins and 54 nominations

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How to Get Away with Murder Awards and Nominations

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"This is murder! None of us know what we're talking about!"

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The season finale was left on a clift hanger

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In a pinch, How to Get Away With Murder's fourth season finale was designed to be able to serve as a series finale. But while the ABC Shondaland drama has not officially received a fifth season order, he in no way intends for the episode to actually serve as a series finale.

"Not at all," Nowalk told reporters, including THR, during a recent screening of the season four finale. "I don't want to end on a mystery. I'd want there to be answers. I guess we'd have to make a movie or something. I'd do it on my iPhone if I had to."

Thursday's episode tied up several of the show's long-running storylines - and, of course, set up several new mysteries (including one very big cliffhanger that introduced a key new character). Below, Nowalk shares his thoughts on the episode's biggest beats, his plans for season five, his current working relationship with boss Shonda Rhimes (who recently departed ABC Studios for Netflix) and whether he's writing to a specific series ending.
Asher and Michaela's brutal breakup
Though law students Asher (Matt McGorry) and Michaela (Aja Naomi King) have been on the verge of a split ever since she hooked up with Olivia Pope's right-hand man Marcus (Cornelius Smith Jr.) during the Murder-Scandal crossover, and the duo finally ended things for good. Except Asher still clearly loves his boo, and the door seemed to be open for an eventual reconciliation. However, the Annalise Keating-inspired move Michaela pulled in order to help the group out of their latest legal situation might cause Asher - and Connor (Jack Falahee), Oliver (Conrad Ricamora), Laurel (Karla Souza), Bonnie (Liza Weil) and Frank (Charlie Weber) - to think of her differently. Annalise (Viola Davis) certainly does.

The group's fellow law student Simon (Behzad Dabu) accidentally shot himself while they were stealing data relating to Laurel's corrupt father, Jorge (Esai Morales), from the law firm where Michaela and Simon interned. In order to keep him from snitching on them (after he regained consciousness), Michaela reported him to ICE, getting the Pakistan native deported. The problem? Simon is gay, so she effectively sentenced him to either death or a sad, closeted life in Pakistan. Can the group forgive her for doing something so brutal?

"It's up for debate whether she did the right thing or not," Nowalk says. "I mean, obviously Annalise has done a lot of bad things. She put Nate in jail way back when in season one, and Michaela was horrified by that. But part of becoming an adult is to realize you can't always do the right thing and protect yourself at the same time. So that's exciting to me ... the student becomes the teacher, and how does the teacher handle that?"
Family reunion
The group's quest throughout the season has been to catch Laurel's businessman father in his corruption, and they were finally able to get him arrested by having his lawyer, Michaela's mentor Tegan (Amirah Vann), rat him out (and since he was behind the death of DA Denver in the finale, he'll be gone for a while). Annalise also convinced him to drop the custody battle for Laurel and Wes' son, Christopher, and got the infant back to his mother. But what happened to her mother, who was also part of the conspiracy that led to Wes' death? That's still unclear. And while Laurel maintained that she had nothing to do with her mother's disappearance, she had scratches up and down her arms as she stepped into the shower at the end of the episode.

"Laurel's a great mystery box, of course. Laurel has obviously grown up around some pretty horrible people, and the whole premise of the show is we don't know what we're capable of until we're in an emotional moment or locked in a room," Nowalk says. "So, I do think something clearly happened. The scratches aren't from a cat we haven't seen. Just what happened, we don't know. I think that's something we'll probably find out sooner than later [in season five]."
Annalise's victory
After Annalise teamed with Olivia Pope to bring her class-action lawsuit to the Supreme Court in the Scandal crossover, she finally learned the verdict in the case: she won. The recovering alcoholic ended the season in an unusually peaceful place, and at a career crossroads: Does she want to take a more publicly visible position? Does she want to go back to teaching? Does she want to practice on the national stage? All things she'll have to figure out in the new season, says Nowalk.

"I haven't made any specific decisions. But what I do love for Annalise is right now she's really doing well with her sobriety and she shed a lot of her own self-hate. I think the Isaac therapy actually really helped her. And I think she's in a good place, because she can see hope, finally - what she hasn't seen in a long time," he says. "What I do love is this idea that the class action and being a different type of defense attorney will really drive her. We started the show with her trying to take on outlandish, wild, tabloid cases for the power and the money. And I think there's something in her that maybe wants to counterbalance all the bad stuff she does with maybe doing more good work for people and taking on more criminal justice reform cases."

While she'll always be close to the group, she probably won't become their teacher again as they enter their 3L year. "I think they're always connected by their wrongs, and I think they're connected by blood. That baby is a connector for all of them. That's the one hopeful thing in their life. Whether she's their teacher or not, I want to make it feel as different and real as possible. I don't think she's going to go back to teaching their lecture," Nowalk adds.

Plus, they might not even still be in law school if the show returns for a fifth season. Connor might, because he's heading back to school (Annalise's shout-out from the steps of the Supreme Court helped his case to be let back in after failing out and not dropping out like he told everybody), but Nowalk is not ruling out a longer-than-normal time jump.

"Most of them will be 3L. Connor has a lot to make up, then we'll see where we come back and I'm always open to skipping time," Nowalk says. "They could be dropouts, graduates, who knows, next season."
Who is Gabriel Maddox?
At the end of the episode, Nate (Billy Brown) found a stash of files on the entire group (except him) in Denver's desk. The juiciest tidbit: A DNA test that noted the child Bonnie had at 15, a result of rape, could still be alive. But does Bonnie know that?

"All we know is Bonnie said in episode five that she was told her child was dead. But is she lying? Is someone else lying to Bonnie? It's all possible," Nowalk teases.

But that wasn't the only family-related revelation: At the end of the episode, Frank was at Middleton U's law school sign-up day and saw a handsome new student named Gabriel Maddox (played by actor Rome Flynn). Frank immediately called someone on the phone and told the mystery person on the other end, "The good times didn't last long. Her kid's here." Whose kid is he talking about? Bonnie's? Annalise's? Someone else's entirely? That's a mystery that will certainly be addressed in the fifth season.

"We really like to play with the pronouns here," Nowalk says. "Obviously, Gabriel has a mother, and Frank knows of that mother or knows the mother. So that is a huge mystery, and we're going to be giving hints about it all next season." Plus, he adds, "I want people to get to know Gabriel before we know his origins."
Season Five
While the series has not been picked up for the fifth season, Nowalk wrote the finale as if there would be more. "We obviously do a lot of cliffhangers on the show," he says. "There are cliffhangers: There's who is Gabriel? There's why does Laurel have scratches on her forearm? And there's what are in those files that Nate found?"

But his intent was to clean the slate of much of the seasons-old drama that has surrounded the students and Annalise for so long. "I'm tired of some of the old mysteries. I think that was our challenge, just to show some character growth and clean slates and new relationships and people starting fresh. There's going to be things from the past that always come back, but this is a real, new journey - to the point where I feel like if you dropped off the show a little bit, you could maybe come back and get sucked back in if we do a good job."

He's already begun thinking about not only the new mysteries in season five, but also the new flashback and flash-forward structure. "Shockingly, the writers and I have already talked about what they are next season. Usually in the beginning we're just like, 'Don't know,' and we come up with it as we go," he says. "But I think next season, my feeling is they're going to be twisty, but they're also going to be more fun. I don't want to give away too much, because I also could change my mind. But I think they're going to be more fun and a different tone."

Another thing he's certain about: Oliver and Connor will definitely get married. "I personally kind of hate weddings, and I hate the trope of it, so we're going to do it in our own fun way," he says. "Obviously, this wedding we've been setting up forever. I didn't want to do it in the finale because I didn't want to do something that just felt rushed. So when it comes, it will be good."
The end?
The fact that so many loose ends were tied up in the finale means that if the show comes back, there certainly could be some changes in the cast. "I hope not," Nowalk says. "I love my cast and I love these characters. I really believe that there's a lot more to discover, and those files are a symbol of that. What did Denver dig up on them that maybe these characters don't even know about themselves. This always goes back to the question of why did Annalise pick them. Was there a reason why she picked them in the beginning? Why has she stayed so loyal to them? So all of that is still to be investigated."

Nowalk also says that while he has an idea for what the final season of Murder could look like, he's not the type of writer who adheres to a strict plan.

"I have an idea for the last season, for sure," he says. "Obviously, it's hard, because you don't know when that last season's going to be. So I've been pretty honest about this since the beginning. When you write a pilot, I didn't know who killed Sam. So, am I the type of writer who knows how the show's going to end? No. And I think that's life.

He continues, "People change really quickly. Trump became President, I feel like the whole world changed in a night. So that's kind of how I'm writing. I never thought Annalise would argue at the Supreme Court. I didn't think she'd give a shit about that. Now I'm really proud of her for that. So, yes. I think there's a trajectory that I'm keeping in mind, and not wanting to get there too soon. Working on Grey's Anatomy season 4, nobody thought it was going to go to 15, or whatever it's at. So you've just got to be flexible. Hopefully, people believe it."
The state of Shondaland
Rhimes remains an executive producer on Murder, and she is who Nowalk pitched the Supreme Court crossover idea to. But Nowalk says she hasn't been involved in the show's day-to-day operations in a while, so nothing will change now that the producer has a mega-deal at Netflix.

"She's still an executive producer, her and Betsy Beers. I was just with Betsy having a meeting. Creatively, it's the same as it's been really since the beginning of the first season. She's always been, like, 'Fly, little birdie, fly,' pushing me out of the nest," he says. "So at this point, I'll go to her when I have a question. I can still do that. She still works on the show. We all still work together, just her new stuff will be at Netflix. So it really doesn't change anything for me. We'll still work in the same building. That's my separation anxiety. I'm just like, 'Don't go yet.' But she's been so good about just giving me my wings, to be cheesy."
What did you think of the Murder finale? Sound off in the comments, below.
How to Get Away With Murder

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What 'How to Get Away With Murder' Season 5 Could Look Like After That Finale Cliffhanger

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In a pinch, How to Get Away With Murder's fourth season finale was designed to be able to serve as a series finale. But while the ABC Shondaland drama has not officially received a fifth season order, he in no way intends for the episode to actually serve as a series finale.