How to Get Away With Murder experienced a blast from the past in Episode 3 of Season 1, entitled “Smile, or Go to Jail,” which aired on Thursday, October 9 on ABC. The 10 p.m. EST drama delivered another stellar offering with the continuation of the two central murder mysteries that are unfolding over the course of the season, combined with a case of the week that took some very unexpected turns during the episode.
Episode 3’s case of the week involved a seemingly ordinary soccer mom, Paula Murphy, who was portrayed by Ana Ortiz of Ugly Betty fame, who was initially arrested for giving a hand job to a stranger in the park. Annalise (Viola Davis) and her law students–doing a favor for one of Keating’s main clients–are able to spring her from the slammer quite easily for her indiscretion. However, as How to Get Away With Murder audiences know by now, do not judge a book by its cover. They barely make it outside the police station when the FBI shows up and arrested the so-called soccer mom again as a fugitive from the law, who concealed her true identity and took part in a bombing 20 years before with an underground extremist group. Because this is Shondaland and ordinary soccer moms cannot exist in this environment, the bored soccer mom naturally must be an extremist, who has been on the run for 20 years after a pipe bomb she planted killed a janitor at the World Financial Institute. She could not just be a desperate housewife with a kinky side? Of course not, it would be much too mundane for Shondaland.
Of course, there is also the lost love angle added to the case of the week as How to Get Away With Murder experienced a blast from the past in this week’s offering. Turns out, the fugitive extremist was madly in love with her cult leader boyfriend (Jason Gedrick), who was captured and imprisoned for the bombing incident. Moreover, she has never gotten over him, despite her marriage and family with her good guy husband, who has been blindsided by all the revelations about his wife. Naturally, old love is rekindled when the two meet again, pretend to turn on one another, and ultimately, end up literally riding off (on a bus) into the sunset together. If Episode 3 of How to Get Away With Murder taught the audience nothing else, it certainly showcased the dangers and repercussions of fugitive love.
As for developments in the two central murder mysteries, the audience learned that Rebecca (Katie Findlay) has murdered law student Lila Stangard’s locked phone. Wes (Alfred Enoch) discovered Rebecca had hidden the phone in his bathroom prior to her arrest on charges of murdering Lila, along with Lila’s quarterback boyfriend, Griffin O’Reilly (Lenny Platt), whom the university has requested Annalise defend in court. Of course, Annalise is conflicted about this request because one of the underlining themes of How to Get Away With Murder in Season 1 appears to be Professor Keating’s lingering suspicions about her husband’s involvement in Lila’s murder. In an effort to establish Sam Keating’s guilt or innocence, she asked her detective boyfriend, Nate Leahy (Billy Brown), to investigate her husband’s alibi for the night of Lila’s murder. Turns out, Sam (Tom Verica) cancelled his out-of-town speaking engagement at the last minute and his whereabouts for the night are still unknown. However, when Nate reported his findings to Annalise, he covered for Sam and rebuffed her advances. Nate advised Annalise to go home to her husband and he would go home to his ailing wife.
Other blasts from the past experienced in this week’s episode of How to Get Away With Murder included Michaela (Aja Naomi King) discovering that her fiance, Aiden Walker (Elliot Knight), had a previous relationship with fellow law student/Murder Inc. member, Connor (Jack Falahee). Aiden swears he is not gay and his past with Connor is history, however, Michaela is not convinced. Connor, meanwhile, had more ample opportunities to serve as the show’s most accomplished braggart. In other events, Griffin claimed he can explain why his DNA was under Lila’s fingernails the night of her murder. Turns out, he had sex with Rebecca that same night and Lila caught them. Griffin and Lila proceeded to get into a physical altercation in which she scratched and struck him before running off into the night. Armed with this knowledge, Wes headed to the incarcerated Rebecca to warn her that Griffin had ammunition against her and planned to pin the crime on her. In a surprising turn of events, Rebecca not only refused to heed Wes’ warning, but confessed to Lila’s murder at the end of the episode.
As How to Get Away With Murder experienced a blast from the past in Episode 3 of Season 1, the series delivered another stellar offering with the continuation of the two central murder mysteries that are showcased over the course of the season, combined with a case of the week that took some very unexpected turns during the episode. As the murders of Sam Keating and Lila Stangard continue to unfold, How to Get Away With Murder continued to ratchet up the intrigue and suspense that surrounded these events, as well as provided yet another complicated and unexpected case of the week that added drama to the series. How will it all unfold? Who are the guilty parties responsible for these crimes? Could it all be part of an elaborate plan for How to Get Away With Murder? Tune in and find out as How to Get Away With Murder broadcast new episodes on Thursdays at 10 p.m. EST on ABC, as well as posts new episodes for viewing on its website.
Opinion and Review By Leigh Haugh
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Sources:
Entertainment Weekly
Huffington Post
Vulture
