How to Get Away with Murder: “Let’s Get to Scooping” — Oct. 16, 2014

It’s seven weeks earlier and I just can’t wait to find out how the presumed murders are linked. Are you on the edge of your seats, too? There is a lot of movement in the flashbacks and it’s arguably the most exciting episode so far. Viola Davis can take the smallest scene and turn it into something powerful.

• Flashback Case of the Week:  A self-made woman is accused of insider trading. She’s sassy. She wears leopard print. There’s a sex tape. Blah, blah, blah. Annalise will probably sin. Typo! I meant “win” but it’s funnier to say “sin,” so I’m leaving it in and moving on. Wait, what? Some woman says something about her “pussy” during a conversation with Asher. I thought that was only for premium cable. This is what “The Sopranos” has wrought. Everyone is free to say that word. They probably say it on “Wheel of Fortune” now…. Connor once again uses sex to get some guy to tell him something about the case. You know what word they don’t use on this show? “Scruples.”… That guy later tuns out to be guilty of something and kills himself. Sad and shocking even though I wasn’t paying attention. Wait, this case is still happening? Sigh.
• Present Day Presumed Murder: At Professor Keating’s office, the students need to get Rebecca away from the murder scene. Oh, so she was there that night. Making matters worse, Asher bangs on the door demanding the return of his trophy. I enjoy that sped-up thing they always do where they piece together the scenes of the night in question and show the coin-toss. Was that one of those trick coins? Would Wes risk Rebecca’s future on a coin-toss? Would Wes randomly carry fake coins? Is he a magician? I could see him entertaining at kids’ parties.
• A couple of things about the IT guy Connor’s s shtupping. In the flashback case of the week, IT guy wants a relationship, but Connor is flippant. The IT guy figures out Connor’s method of sleuthing is seduction and kicks him out. In the present day, a hyperventilating Connor knocks on his door.
• Flashback Presumed Murder:  It’s seven weeks earlier. Annalise argues in court for Rebecca, who has confessed to murder. Bail is set at a million. Rebecca tells Annalise and Bonnie that she was coerced and Griffin pinned Lila’s murder on her, just as Wes had predicted. Annalise rips Wes a new one and kicks him and his plaid shirt off the case…. Mr. Sexy Cop is wearing a hoodie and poking around Sam’s car. Sam catches him and Mr. Sexy Cop says he’s out on a run and will not be subjected to racial profiling. Sam is all, “My wife is black so shut it down.” He kinda says it. Okay, I made the quote up. You people and your accuracy…. Bonnie goes to the police and and asks why they’re looking at suspects other than Rebecca. She know this because it looks like Sam reported Mr. Sexy Cop’s shenanigans…. Team Defense acquires the video of Rebecca’s police interrogation. (Bonnie swiped it.) On the recording, Rebecca says she saw Griffin attack Lila. Upon closer examination, it appears the video was tampered with. Annalise goes back to court and contends that the detectives coerced Rebecca. Bail is now reduced. Rebecca returns home and Plaid Shirt asks her what’s on Lila’s phone. He then turns the phone in to Annalise and explains that he waited to tell her about the phone to gain Rebecca’s trust. Wes is back on the case…. When she is getting ready for bed, Annalise takes off her false eyelashes, makeup and wig as she looks in the mirror. It is such a powerful scene. Both Viola Davis and Annalise are having a vulnerable moment. Sam enters and she asks: “Why is your penis on a dead girl’s phone?”

  

The Verdict: I’d like a little less time devoted to the case of the week. The show is really doing the dance of the seven veils with the present day presumed murder. The flashback presumed murder is really heating up.

Now let’s get to Viola Davis. The wig scene is arguably historical. Yes, C. C. H. Pounder’s DA Patterson doffed her wig on “Sons of Anarchy.” It was a scene about toughness and she delivered the line: “Time to go hood sister.” I think Pounder is terrific, but I didn’t really get what that meant. Is natural hair “hood”? That bothered me because it suggested that natural hair is aggressive and intimidating. On the other hand, the HTGAWM scene was so poignant and revealing because it spoke to the complicated issue of black hair. She doesn’t wear the wig to put white people at ease, she wears it as armor. When she takes off her makeup, lashes and the wig, she shows her vulnerable side, which is just as compelling as her bad-ass side. She showed Annalise’s multi-dimensional nature in a simple, powerful gesture, one rarely afforded black characters. The fact that it’s taken this long is the real crime.