How to Get Away With Murder Review: Meet Bonnie (Season 2 Episode 5)

It’s time for another crazy ride in this week’s episode of How to Get Away With Murder. It seems as if everyone’s on pins and needles, piling lies on top of lies till it’s hard to know whose sincere and who’s not.

The episode starts out with the typical flash forward, revealing that Bonnie and Asher were at the scene of Annalise’s attack. After the reveal, we are back to the present with Bonnie telling Asher she killed Sam and Asher confronting Annalise.

The scene between Asher and Annalise is intense, with Annalise trying to hide the real truth from coming out and Asher playing right into her hands.

Annalise: You have two options, testify to everything you know and Bonnie and me will likely go to jail or you say nothing and we stay safe and so will you.

It’s interesting to note that the entire Asher/Annalise scene revolves around race and sex. Asher, an upper-class white male, could tell the police anything and would be believed, considering there is a mystery to his involvement at Trotter Lake.  While Annalise and Bonnie, would face scorn for reporting any crime against them. Asher is at a crossroads on whether to let his past come to light or protect Bonnie and the rest of his classmates.

Meanwhile, the Keating four are acting out against Annalise, with sex, alcohol, and confessions. Connor is day drinking and freaking out — and rightly so, since his car was the one used to dump Sam’s body.  In turn, he has become more suspicious of Annalise, in part because his boyfriend is wrapped up in the cover-up of Sam’s murder without even realizing it.  

His relationship with Oliver is the most important things, he has and one of the most realistic on television. Oliver is his ship in the harbor, the place and person he can go to escape the craziness, expect when the craziness involves Oliver. Conner trusts him so much that he confesses that he may be going to jail and that he loves him.  The confession of love doesn’t come out of affection, but instead from a place of fear.  

He’s afraid that all their lies will be exposed, that he will end up in jail, that he may never see Oliver again, and that he will not get the future they deserve.  I, like Annalise, miss the old Connor.  Fear drives Laurel to use having sex with Frank as a coping mechanism.  

Michaela continues to see Levi and uncover the racists comments made by the Hapstall’s aunt, the day after their parents murder.  Evidence that is thrown out by the judge due to it being illegally obtained causing an outcry by Catherine Hapstall, who demands that the judge is being unfair and that she should understand because she is a person of color like her.  This season continues to build on the overall theme of white privilege.

The relationship between those who acknowledge their privileges vs. who refuse to, ties in with the outcomes of the cases Annalise takes. In Season 1 Episode 4, the rich white girl kills her friend but refuses to acknowledge her wrongdoings or that her whiteness almost allowed her to get away with murder. Whereas, Catherine and Caleb are privileged, yet they are people of color, their parents were white, they acknowledge their privileges, but it’s still not clear if they really killed their parents.  The outcome of privileged vs. non-privileged is directly tied to the court’s finding them guilty or not guilty and Annalise’s exterior walls being torn down.   

In the meantime, Wes is working with both Nate and Levi to deal with his guilt and lying over Sam and Rebecca.

Speaking of Wes and Levi, they are still not over Rebecca’s disappearance, and after following several leads find themselves facing the police resulting in the arrest of Levi and the discovery of a suitcase of money. This has Wes even more confused and his friends angry at him.  Wes continues to puzzle me over his obsession with a girl who I don’t think really cared for him, used him yes, but cared for no. However, what Wes doesn’t know is that he finally drew the attention of Annalise.  Everything that happened was an elaborate ruse by Annalise.  More on this later.

Simultaneously, Bonnie tries to convince Asher that she loves him and that they don’t deserve to be turned in for murder. She fails and tearfully calls Annalise to convey this message. Which brings us to the most upsetting scene of the night and the explanation of the relationship between Bonnie and Annalise. Annalise shows up to Asher’s apartment, demands to see his computer, plugs in a thumb drive.

The scene plays out in horrific detail as a very young Bonnie is being abused by what one can assume to be her father. It becomes painfully real that Annalise saved Bonnie. She saved her from abuse and neglect. Bonnie feels as if she owes her life and career to Annalise and her being upset over not being able to complete what isn’t an easy task is understandable.

Annalise is her mother figure, she is protecting everyone around her because this is what she does. Her moral center revolves around protection. Protect her students from getting arrested, protect Bonnie from her past, protect Nate because she loves him but doesn’t want to break his heart over all the lies. Protect her clients when 9 times outta 10 they are guilty. Protection. But who is there to protect Annalise? Obviously not the “Keating 5,” who left her bleeding on the floor or Bonnie who was seen fleeing from the scene of the crime and washing blood off herself in a gas station bathroom nor Nate who she finally came clean too. She is alone and fighting for her life.

Other thoughts:

• Michaela’s internalized homophobia is shocking, yet expected. She has a lot to work through before she jumps into another relationship.
• Wes’s relationship with Annalise continues to be intriguing, and I’m convinced he is somehow tied to her past.
• Asher is the only one not directly involved in a murder — as far as we know.
• Speaking of Asher, it’s surprising that the character you’d expect to be the typical frat guy is showing more depth than anyone else.
• Liza Weil’s monologue about Sam’s death further proves the point that she is being criminally underused on this show. She sells the vulnerability and emotion of Bonnie that my heart bleeds for her.
• I still don’t know how I feel about the attack on Annalise, there are so many characters wrapped up in the night that it happens that it’s hard to tell who will actually commit the crime. However, I’m excited to see all the pieces fall into place.

What did you think of this week’s episode of How to Get Away With Murder? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

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How to Get Away With Murder airs Thursdays at 10/9c on ABC.