Season 2, Episode 7: ‘I Want You to Die’
As we get closer and closer to the mid-season finale of How to Get Away With Murder and the inevitable intersection of the season’s two timelines, the drama gets dialed up to eleven.
Murder is often about consequences of actions, or more accurately, the lack thereof. In ‘I Want You to Die’, the only person who manages to get off scot-free is Annalise’s client, Dale, who is accused of driving his ex-wife’s husband to suicide. I don’t know if this is something people can legitimately get prosecuted for, and Annalise and co. are just as dubious. Still obsessed with his ex-wife to the point of delusion, Dale is not even remotely remorseful. This isn’t one of Annalise’s more compelling criminal cases, but it doesn’t need to be when the more compelling story arcs are happening outside of the court room.
Nate euthanised his wife off-screen last week and now he finds himself back at the defence table when the prosecution (lead by the two-dimensional and reliably irritating Emily Sinclair) orders a toxicology screen for his wife’s blood. One would think Nate would learn after literally just being in jail to maybe wait a couple of weeks before he offed his wife. The upside to Nate potentially facing criminal charges yet again means that Eve can sweep into Philadelphia to represent him – and score more points with Annalise. Spoiler alert: Nate escapes charges and lives to be passive and useless for another week. Eve still isn’t quite a fully-formed character yet, we know little about her except that she has been pining for Annalise since college and has no qualms about repeatedly expressing that fact. I do like that having Eve around gives Annalise an excuse to be happy, however briefly. Annalise seems to have fewer allies each week and this powerhouse of a woman is so rarely seen smiling that it’s a beautiful sight when it actually happens.
Michaela, Laurel, Wes and Frank spend the majority of their time tracking down the Hapstall’s illegitimate cousin, Phillip, and employ Oliver to lend a hand with his hacking expertise. Connor is understandably resistant to the idea of his boyfriend becoming involved with his co-conspirators, wanting to keep his messy professional life from tainting the one good thing he has going for him. But lovely Oliver is just too eager to become a part of the Scooby gang and it backfires in a big way by episode’s end.
Bonnie and Asher’s relationship seems almost irreparable since she discovered Asher and his father covered up the gang rape of a girl. With her history of sexual abuse, Bonnie can’t help but identify with the victim. Even though his intentions may be honourable, Asher makes an awful misstep when he says, “I understand this is your thing.” Bonnie correctly deduces that Annalise told Asher about her abusive childhood which results in a bitter confrontation between Bonnie and her mentor as vocalises the episode’s title, “I want you to die.” Bonnie used to worship Annalise, but this whole season has been about deconstructing the pedestal that Annalise has been put on by her students, employees and loved ones. “It was you they killed in this, not Sam, because he would have never done this to me.” As a huge Gilmore Girls fan, can I just quickly say how awesome it is that Liza Weil is being more utilised this season? More please.
Even with its few predictable moments, How to Get Away With Murder threw some genuine surprises our way this week, gaining momentum before the upcoming hiatus. It’s only four days in the show’s timeline before Annalise’s attempted murder, but somehow I think she’s going to break before that. And on that final note, am I right in thinking that Annalise is Wes’ biological mother?! It would certainly explain their maternal, yet weirdly oedipal relationship.
