How To Get Away With Murder Review: Everything We Did Was For Nothing (Season 4 Episode 10)

On How To Get Away With Murder Season 4 Episode 10, “Everything We Did Was For Nothing,” Annalise tries to save herself by saving all of her kids and to do this, she’s willing to call in favors from everyone — even Bonnie.

The thing that has always helped Annalise and the Keating 5 get away with murder stems from the huge base of resources they have.

These resources include friends, partners, soon-to-be blackmailees etc., and now that Laurel’s father has Laurel’s baby, Annalise’s alienated lovers rise to the task to help her… after she manipulates them, of course.

Laurel’s manipulations have nothing on Annalise’s. And before someone yells, “hypocrite!” because I’m not ripping Annalise a new one for manipulating people as Laurel has — keep in mind the intentions.

In the beginning of season 4, Laurel wants to bring everyone down in order to make herself feel better. Taking down her father would actually help no one — all it would do is help the pregnant woman feel better about her part in her boyfriend’s death.

However, Annalise tries to save herself by literally saving everyone else.

She uses her intelligence and her connections in the court-house to start a civil case that has given Connor new purpose. Now that she has reunited with Michaela, Michaela can safely project her mother issues back on Annalise, since Tegan has officially cut all ties.

Her relationship with Nate and Bonnie is the only thing that keeps Asher from going to jail. She plays Isaac like a fiddle so that he can help Laurel get out of the hospital.

She and Bonnie finally land in a place where they can talk to each other like adults and hash out their childish tendencies so that Bonnie can work on taking down Denver, a direct tie to Laurel’s father.

Annalise checks off a lot of boxes on her to-do list in this episode, and to do it, she has to reconcile with everyone. Well played, How To Get Away With Murder writers.

The writers sowed the chasm between Annalise and literally everyone else in the show in just 10 episodes without it seeming forced or rushed. Great writing like this keeps a show around for a long time.

However, since “Everything We Did Was For Nothing,” does more work setting up what’s to come in the following episodes, there is hardly any new information, other than Laurel’s mother coming into the picture.

But the way they present the older information with the mention of Laurel’s mother should jump out at you. Did you guys notice how Annalise makes it clear to Frank that “Wes” doesn’t know Dominic, but “Christophe” does?

This distinction plays a huge role in this episode because it follows Dominic’s taunt, in How To Get Away With Murder, Season 4 Episode 9, “He’s Dead,” when he tells Frank that he doesn’t really know Laurel or what she’s capable of doing.

This juxtaposition of Wes and Laurel having double lives is… interesting to say the least. Not to mention, Laurel’s mother, who also has a viable reason to want to bring down Laurel’s father, is blowing up Dominic’s phone.

If Laurel’s mother is in contact with Dominic then I’m sure she knows what Laurel has been up to. And if that’s the case, why wouldn’t Laurel’s mother also be in on saving Wes in order to have ammunition to take down Mr. Castillo?

It only adds to my theories that Wes faked his death with Dominic and is somewhere holed up under a different identity. There are things about Wes, Laurel and Dominic’s relationship that we don’t know yet and until they start revealing more about the voicemail, all my eggs are in the Wes is alive basket.

Whether that’s wishful thinking or good journalism, we’ll see. However, there is plot and characterizational support for him to be alive, especially with this nostalgia-filled episode of Wes nostalgia that we see when Annalise enters her old apartment and goes down memory lane.

Stray Observations:

• Oliver’s smart remarks and behavior is really tapping on my last nerve. Since this is what he’s begged for since the beginning, he either needs to buck up or get out.
• If Oliver has fallen for Simon, romantically, I’ll kill him myself.
• Frank not getting rid of the phone will bite everyone in the butt later on. Mark my words.
• It’s depressing we won’t be seeing much if Tegan in the future. If you’ve read my past reviews than you know how much I loved her character. A shame.

What did you think of this episode of How To Get Away With Murder? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below!

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How To Get Away With Murder airs Thursday at 10/9c on ABC.

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