When Frank started off this episode with “sex is out of the bag,” the immediate question was when was sex IN THE BAG on this show? But this episode shortly makes everything else this season look chaste.
In the opening flash forward, we see that Rebecca has Sam’s blood splatter covering her face and body, implying that she’s the one who delivered the killer strikes. Wes gently wipes off all the blood in Annalise’s bathroom, and then they make out. Because you know, there’s nothing hotter than murder. They also have nothing better to be doing, like not getting caught.
In present day, the story of Rebecca and Griffin’s sexcapades leaks to the press, which as Annalise points out only serves to “slut shame” Rebecca and make Griffin one of the boys. Annalise doesn’t take kindly to Rebecca mouthing off to Griffin after court, and makes a point to say she’s glad for her “miscarriages,” because she didn’t have a kid turn out like that.
A few things: did the show really find it necessary to explain why Annalise didn’t have any kids this way? Couldn’t we have taken the Sandra Oh Christina route? And if they were going to make this clear, could we maybe have done it a bit less awkwardly? Or darkly? Calling your client a terrorist and saying she makes you glad you miscarried more than once is a bit bleak.
Back to primetime, and we have a classroom lesson on trial experts. Turns out they’re paid (which we all know from watching “The Good Wife” and loving on Kurt McVeigh, but whatever). The way to throw doubt on the opposing counsel’s testimony is to expose the experts’ failings, and then find a better expert for your own side. Wes quickly goes to work to save his sweetheart, even though we still don’t know why he’s so attached to the townie next door.
In Wes’ apartment, we find out he went to a community college and night school, which actually makes total sense. But still, it’s nice to have it articulated since we had yet to get any concrete details on Wes besides that he got off the waitlist, has a thing for fixing people, and only wears plaid. After this revelation, which is meant to inspire Rebecca, Wes tries (and fails) to make moves on her. As the flashforward show, this failure does not last long.
In our next flash forward, Rebecca tells Wes Sam wanted to kill her and she had no other choice, and offers to turn herself in. Something about her speech seems sacrificial, making it possible that Wes struck the killer blow or someone else entirely is to blame for the murder, and Rebecca is willing to take the fall. But who else would Rebecca sacrifice herself for? And why would the rest of the kids offer to help her?
Back at court, Lila’s mom makes an emotional plea to stop Lila’s exhumation, which would allegedly save Rebecca (and maybe Sam’s) hide. The most interesting thing that happens at court though is Connor’s bathroom rendezvous, where he reconnects with a rando whose name he can’t remember from Humpr (Grindr should consider rebranding). Connor continues to bang out his frustration with his loss of Oliver, and it’s not making him feel any better.
In Annalise’s car (where a shockingly large amount of scenes take place, despite us never seeing her actually drive), Nate tells her he knows about Frank and the phone. Could he bust his former lover for covering for her potentially murderous husband?
When the Keating boys are finally explicitly sent out to flirt (they were actually instructed this time), Wes gets info to help Rebecca, Connor cries about Oliver, and Asher gets laid. Because of course.
Next thing you know, Rebecca goes on the offensive and claims Griffin raped her. It doesn’t stop the proceedings though, as the judge rules Lila should be exhumed. But we get to hear Annalise deliver her final send-off to the prosecutor of “Prayers are for the weak, I’ll stick to beating your ass in court.” This should definitely be her permanent catchphrase.
And then things get weird. Because instead of letting the show build to the Wes Rebecca sex scene we’d all been waiting for, the showrunners decide to juxtapose it against Lila Stangard’s exhumation. And it’s really, really, really creepy. Maybe even creepier than Wes getting it on with a potential murderer who he really doesn’t know. That’s probably the point.
And if it couldn’t get sadder, that’s followed by Wes casually dropping his mom tried to kill herself in-between jokes about him sucking at basketball and the news that his favorite ice cream is mint chocolate chip. The conclusion we’re supposed to draw from this is he couldn’t fix his mom, so he’s trying to fix Rebecca. But still -- aw Wes!
Back at Annalise’s house, Frank and Laura have their final fight. Even though the episode reminded us earlier that Laurel’s boyfriend is hot and has a heart of gold, Laurel and Frank’s sexual attraction is too much. Now all the Flaurel shippers have something to finally talk about.
In the closing scenes of the episode, Nate stalks down Rebecca, and asks to team up with her to bust Lila’s real killer (Sam, duh). Which sounds kind of awesome, but probably is why she ends up (maybe) killing Sam. So, that backfired quickly.
Back in Annalise’s bedroom, it looks like Annalise and Sam might finally get it on after she’d been freezing him out all episode. But Bonnie interrupts the Keatings’ sexy time (of course she does) to deliver the ultimate twist: Lila Stangard was six weeks pregnant.
Nice going Sam.
- How does an autopsy miss that someone is pregnant? Doesn’t that show up in blood work?
- The final song, which you can listen to again here, is FANTASTIC for the pregnancy announcement.
- Next week’s promo promises the perspective of the “dead, pregnant sorority girl.” Just going to leave that here.
- Annalise promised a reward better than the trophy, and didn’t deliver. What’s better than the trophy?
- Annalise’s first necklace could have doubled as a bottle opener.
- Connor bringing flowers to Oliver’s apartment hoping to reconcile, and finding a sexy man wielding a spatula who tells him to get lost instead, was the most heartbreaking moment of the episode.
- Wes cleaning up Rebecca in Annalise’s bathroom seems like a CSI black light blood search waiting to happen. Rebecca’s 911 call also seems problematic. These kids seem bad at murder.
- How did Wes have Rebecca’s motel number?
- Low blow when Rebecca threatens to kill herself instead of letting Wes take the fall. Low blow.
- Anyone else think Rebecca is too smart for the “druggie, townie” stereotype?
- Asher’s tool moments of the week include his multiple euphemisms for his manhood, as well as his cradling of the trophy. And we can’t say we didn’t love it.
- Michaela’s prenup/job interview switcheroo was brilliant. Girl has some things to work out with the fiance.
- This show should definitely play Coldplay’s “Fix You” at some point when Wes and Rebecca are together. It’s not like it’s heavy-handed or anything.
"How to Get Away With Murder" airs on Thursdays at 10 p.m. EDT on ABC.