Written by David Oliver
How to Get Away With Murder: “I Want You to Die”
By David Oliver
I Want You to Die Plot:
With just days left until the fateful night at the Hapstall mansion, secrets pour out, people take risks and lives will clearly never be the same.
Happy to be back after a week hiatus — can I just say this show really knows how to toy with my emotions left and right and make near impossible to comprehend everything that’s happening? This is a Shonda Rhimes executive-produced show, mind you, but come on.
This week’s flash forward — four days ahead now — has Wes (Alfred Enoch) and Laurel (Karla Souza) paired up above Michaela (Aja Naomi King) and Connor (Jack Falahee) in the mansion on different floors. Wes is holding a gun (!)
Flash back, and we see Levi (Matt Cohen) left said gun at Wes’s. Annalise (Viola Davis) is having the team investigate Phillip, the Hapstall siblings’ cousin and pin him as the one who killed their parents.
At the hospital, Nate (Billy Brown) is gathering his wife’s things only to be served. Sinclair (Sarah Burns) says Nia’s death was foul play.
So who comes to Nate’s defense? None other than Eve (Famke Janssen), who’s back in town to help out Annalise, who can’t be near the case.
That doesn’t totally stop Annalise of course, who confronts Sinclair (epically, I might add).
Annalise: You’re messing with the wrong bitch.
Sinclair: Is that a threat?
Annalise: I guess you’ll see.
The case of the week felt irrelevant. The client was stalking his ex-wife’s new husband, and the husband killed himself. Annalise manages to pin the push to suicide on the prosecutor, implying the ex-wife and him were having an affair (thanks to Laurel’s investigative work). The prosecutor pleads the fifth on the stand.
As for Eve, she admits she’s a little happy Nate killed his wife so she could see Annalise again. The two fantasize about their life together in a tender moment. Annalise sends Wes to keep an eye on Nate’s case, as the suicide case might be too much for him, considering that’s how his mother died.
When Eve doesn’t cross Nia’s nurse following Sinclair’s questioning, Wes tells Annalise he thinks Eve threw the case. They’ll be testing Nia’s blood. When Annalise asks Eve if she did it, she says they had already lost, but that Nate knows the plan.
Said plan involves Nate going to see the nurse…and the court later finding no trace of lethal medication in Nia’s system. Everyone really is getting away with murder this season.
Eve and Annalise enjoy each other’s company, so much so the two get intimate following (arguably) the episode’s biggest bombshell. Re: Wes, Annalise tells Eve, “He’s not just some student. It’s him.” WHAT. That is what I have written in my notes: WHAT. Is he her son? Nephew? Is this too obvious? Pete Nowalk (showrunner), if you’re reading this, please DM me on Twitter with details ASAP, thanks.
Elsewhere this episode, Bonnie (Liza Weil) is not having it with Asher (Matt McGorry). He tells her that the gang rape at Trotter Lake was at his party, but he wasn’t involved in the rape. This doesn’t satisfy Bonnie, who can’t look at him the same. He tells her that he understands her, and Bonnie figures out that Annalise told him about her past.
Bonnie and Annalise have it out — I mean, yelling. And Bonnie says the episode’s title this go-round. “I want you to die.” Real subtle there, Winterbottom.
Also this week, Oliver (Conrad Ricamora) gets more tangled up in the mess, much to Connor’s chagrin. He finally gets to meet Annalise, who thanks him for his help (really, she should’ve given him money). His involvement reaches new heights when he wants to go on a coffee date with Phillip, and Connor thinks he’s gone too far. When Laurel rats out what’s going on, Annalise has Frank (Charlie Weber) shut the date down — Connor was going. But then we see Oliver heading to his apartment, only to see Phillip follow him inside. Nice knowing you, Oliver.
In the flash forward, there’s one killer twist. The two pairs (Wes and Laurel; Michaela and Connor) are on separate floors when a body drops — Sinclair. Pan up to the very top and who do you see but BONNIE.
Other tidbits: Annalise tells Laurel that not paying attention to her is the best compliment in that she doesn’t have to worry about her. This actually makes sense and I appreciate the writers addressing this. Also, the trophy is in a box in the basement, if anyone is keeping track of where it is. Unless Annalise is lying.
The question still remains, though: Who shot Annalise? My money is on Eve — something there is just a little too shady for my liking.
LOVED the episode, minus the less-than-compelling case of the week, though the rest of the fiery plot made me not care.
Rating: 9.5/10
