How to Get Away With Murder Season Finale Review: Aren’t Parents Just the Worst? (Season 3 Episodes 14 and 15)

When you’ve already killed off one of your leads, where can you possibly go from there? Reveal that the dead person was related to another lead this entire time!

On How to Get Away With Murder Season 3 Episode 14 and Season 3 Episode 15, “He Made A Terrible Mistake” and “Wes,” the plot thickens and everything we thought we knew is turned upside-down… well… sideways. Shoved askew?

Let’s start at the end, with the two big reveals: Laurel’s father paid to have Wesley—who it turns out has been Annalise’s son the whole time??—killed and the evidence destroyed.

One of the big questions lies with the discovery of Wes’ family tree, which now has more disputed branch-offs than the Charmings on Once Upon A Time.

Earlier in the episode, Sylvia Mahoney confesses to Annalise that the DNA test she ordered actually establishes Wallace Mahoney as Wes’ father. This, of course, is questionable information, given the source, and given the fact that Wallace and Wes are, visually, about ten years apart.

Although from this angle, I guess he could pass for 40.

So either a very young Wallace raped Rose or Sylvia is lying about the results. Seeing as how Annalise believes Sylvia enough to convince the other Keaterlings to drop the idea of pursuing the Mahoneys as suspects, it would seem that, to some degree, she is telling the truth.

However, even that tiny bit of certainty gets mucked the f*ck up in the last 30 seconds of the episode as a crying Annalise tells a room full of recovering addicts that Wes felt like her son because, as it turns out, he actually was.

Girl, huh?

So this entire time, Annalise has been lying to everyone—including her mother (let us not forget Season 2’s burial breakdown in the backyard)—about Sam Jr.’s death, going about her life as though she actually had a dead baby in her oeuvre, while keeping a lazy eye over her actual child.

Connor’s right. This is an Oedipal mess.

Being an avid consumer of television, I’ll hazard a guess that Annalise orchestrated Sam Jr. Christophe Wes’ adoption without Sam’s knowledge and… paid the doctor to tell Sam that the baby had died in order to keep them both safe from Charles Mahoney, whom she thought at the time was the father.

But how does that explain Wallace’s genetic involvement? Did he rape Annalise? Did she swap out the DNA tests?

Child, this is all just a mess. My head hurts.

Let’s move on to the mystery of this season, #whokilledWes?

As it turns out, the night Wes died, he put up the fight of his life, not against any of the characters we know and love, but against the heretofore unknown assassin, Dominick, as played by tall glass of water and the tastiest jar of cumin you ever did see, Nicholas Gonzalez.

Suddenly I want Laurel dead.

(Sidenote: as an avid consumer of television, I wasn’t sure whether I was supposed to recognize Nicholas from an earlier episode of How to Get Away With Murder or if I was thinking of the myriad other guest roles he’s had.)

An observant viewer will notice that Esai Morales, the man who plays Laurel’s father, shows up in the credits almost immediately in episode 15, which, given that Laurel is now front and center of this entire mess, is a bit of a giveaway that he’s not just going to pop by for a friendly chat.

Add this to the fact that A.D.A. Denver is somehow involved, and the utterly, extremely, and delightfully welcome appearance of Nicholas Gonzalez at the end of the previous episode, one can’t help but to lump them all together in some sort of drug cartel telecommunications conspiracy.

Not saying I spotted the thread immediately, but I knew something was fishy, especially after discovering that Laurel had been kidnapped as a teenager. Laurel’s line accusing Oliver of adhering to the Mexican cartel stereotype turned out to be not so off-base.

Everyone stands in awe of the Adonis assassin.

Then again, this may have nothing to do with the cartel and everything to do with Papa Castillo simply not wanting an illegitimate child growing a new branch on the family tree with his princess.

Of course, this goes further back than Wes’ death. With all the evidence Denver has against Annalise, it seems that Castillo’s vendetta is with Annalise herself and Wes was either a happy accident or a warning shot.

Where does it end?? Hell, where does it BEGIN?? I hope the writers knew this from day one, because this could either prolong a very strange storyline or make for some interesting drama.

We had damn well better find out next season.

All totaled, this was a well done season finale that accomplished exactly what season finales ought. While not as explosive as the mid-season finale in which we were left gasping and mourning, this back-to-back Thursday night romp sets up an entirely new and semi-compelling mystery for next season.

Wayward Case Files

• Confirmed that Connor is suicidal. Annalise mentioned something about him making up “ugly stories” as a child. More of all this next season, please.
• Annalise is back to her season 2 wigs.
• Michaela: “You’d have sex with a creepy old man for money?” Asher: “With my bank account in its current state, yes?” Asher continues to be the light in a dark world.
• Nate will never stop helping Annalise. Good dog.
• I get Laurel’s grief is all over the place, but she crossed the line telling Connor to kill himself. It seemed dramatic for drama’s sake.
• It’s been awhile since we’ve had a good Annalise/Connor scene. And what a scene it was, Jesus. “You’re deflecting.” “You are!” Oh, boy.
• Laurel getting an abortion would solve a practical mess, but create an emotional one for sure.
• Every time I think Meggy’s out, they pull her right back in.
• Some other good Asher lines: “Sorry I raided your fridge,” and “[are you kicking us out] because I’m eating your food?”
• A black woman telling a white woman to shut up and listen in the middle of a crowded, swanky restaurant is the most empowering thing to watch.
• Oliver’s plan to put kiddie porn on the A.D.A.’s computer to save Connor is somehow both romantic and horrifying. Hella impractical, though.
• How do people find AA meetings? Genuine question. The way they paint it on television, you would think there was some sort of app.
• Michaela’s life goal is to be Michelle Obama. Same, girl. Same.
• Wes left a convenient self-incriminating voicemail. How clean.
• Is it wrong to be envious of Alfie Enoch for having Nicholas Gonzalez on top of him for an entire scene?
• Oliver proposing to Connor is textbook overreaction. Asher saying “I love you” was textbook perfect reaction.
• Michaela, come get your friend, Laurel. This girl walking around New York with a gun, Lord.
• Girl, huh?

What did you think of this episode of How To Get Away With Murder? Do you believe Nicholas Gonzalez is actually 41? 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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