How To Get Away With Murder Review: Something Bad Happened (Season 2 Episode 13)

There is nothing better than witnessing Viola Davis electrify my television screen. There is nothing better than immersing myself in Annalise Keating’s world, and there is nothing more satisfying than this week’s episode of How To Get Away With Murder 

Small character-driven moments that tap into real emotions are an additional bonus in “Something Bad Happened,” yet the overall episode is about Annalise and Wes.

The focus is on how these two people are so intertwined and the obsession with Wes’s mom drives this point home. We finally get answers to what led to her suicide –  desperation over thinking she lost Wes. We become invested in her character, only for the twist to be that she killed herself!  And the reveal that she commits suicide resonates with the audience, because although we knew it happened we didn’t know how devastating it was going to be.

You can see where the writers thought about taking the story in the brief glimpses we get of young Wes, an innocent kid whose anger and naivety the police target, if only for the fact that he was holding the knife that killed his mother.

Of course, we know that she killed herself, with Annalise as a witness, but imagine how traumatizing the scene  would be to any child, and it’s no wonder that Wes was too terrified to do anything. Can you picture Annalise being tasked with finding evidence that this kid didn’t murder his mom?

Instead, the episode switches gears to explore the relationship or lack thereof between Annalise and Eve. We understand why Annalise may not want to label her sexuality, but the scene plays out as her not being ready to accept her feelings.  She’s comfortable with her sexuality in the current timeline, yet the flashbacks show how difficult it was for her to accept it.

We wouldn’t mind if How To Get Away With Murder would use the b-word (bisexual). We understand the desire to not label your sexuality but having a bisexual character such as Annalise would be a huge deal. Especially when bisexuality gets little to no legitimacy in the media. The exploration of more than one queer identity on the show would only add to the overall narrative.

How to Get Away with Murder is at it’s strongest by having the characters doing immoral things that are crazy and fun. The refocusing on character driven moments makes all the difference to us, and we can’t wait to see how everything ends and what crazy twist we will get next week.

Other Thoughts:

• So Wes and Laurel aren’t going to be a couple. Ok.
• I loved the Keating Five’s sleepover.
• Oh, Phillip potentially has Annalise captive.

What did you think of this 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.

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Jessica Kreamer

Jessica has a degree in History, an MLA is Liberal Arts, and a great desire to consume as much quality television as she can. By day, she's an office worker and caregiver. By night, she's a tea drinking television fanatic. Her current favorite television shows include: Madam Secretary, How To Get Away With Murder, Jane the Virgin, and Veep. Her greatest wish is to make tea drinking into a payable skill. Follow Jessica on Twitter: @pythiaprophet