How To Get Away With Murder Review: Ask Him About Stella (Season 4 Episode 12)

On How To Get Away With Murder Season 4 Episode 12, “Ask Him About Stella,” Annalise and Isaac find themselves at another addiction crossroads.

Laurel finally gets to see her baby, and although the council tried to end Annalise’s civil case, Michaela knows just who to call to get it back on track to the supreme court: Olivia Pope.

“Ask Him About Stella” acts as more of a set-up for TGIT Crossover than an episode that really pushed forward the plot. The only story that goes somewhere is Issac and Annalise’s.

And I’m disappointed with where the writers have taken it.

It’s not that Isaac spiralling back into addiction is badly written. However, it just seems unnecessary. With another Annalise ally biting the dust, the writer’s are truly exhausting the theme that every relationship Annalise has soon turns toxic.

Annalise Keating is a wonderful woman, but not everyone can be addicted to her or become abusive toward her when they begin to spiral. There has to be some variety in her relationships or what’s the point?

If we want to watch a relationship turn abusive we can just go to every other season and rewatch her and Sam growing apart. Or her and each of the Keating 5. Or her and Bonnie or Nate.

Dr. Roa added something interesting to Annalise’s dynamic in the beginning of the season. As I explain in my Season 4 Episode 2 review of How to Get Away With Murder, “I’m Not Her,” their mental chess and stabs at humor gave the show a necessary reprieve beyond the comic relief Asher provides.

Now it’s gone and Annalise’s life is back to constant darkness, abuse, complicated love/hate relationships etc.

Again, it’s not that it’s badly written. However, a story with a a variety of relationships (preferably one where the character doesn’t hate Annalise for turning their lives upside down) would have been better for the series altogether.

Now, Isaac can just grab his wine or his opioid of choice and join Annalise Coke Heads Anonymous with Bonnie, Nate, and Frank. Whoohoo.

Another story that inches forward, even if just a bit, stems from Frank’s investigation of Laurel’s mother. Now that he finally realizes it’ll take too long to catch her slipping, he finally straight up asks her what’s her deal. This confrontation can go one or two ways:

1. Mrs. Castillo feigns innocence and leaves him with a thinly veiled threat to leave Laurel alone.
2. Mrs. Castillo’s sickness begins to show and she not only drops a big hint about what happened to Wes but she also drops the careful mask she wears around Laurel to threaten him.

Regardless, she will threaten him. In my review of How To Get Away With Murder Season 4 Episode 11, “He’s A Bad Father,” I explain that her dogged way of ignoring him isn’t just because she doesn’t like his beard. She must know something about him, but the question is what does she know that Laurel’s father doesn’t?

Mr. Castillo doesn’t act nearly as antagonistic toward him. Honestly, his way of looking over Frank seems to be out of genuine disinterest. So, what could Mrs. Castillo know and was it Dominic who told her?

I hope her involvement is much deeper than, “my sickness made me call out a hit on him with your father.”

Because, keep in mind, Mr. Castillo’s hands aren’t as clean as he promises Laurel. Dominic calls him, as soon as he kills Wes and tells him, “It’s done.” I’m sure Dominic isn’t talking about flight arrangements. Maybe, just maybe, it is a type of “it’s done” that really means, “we’ve finished the first step in faking Wes’s death.”

Ha. Don’t roll your eyes. Yes, I’m still holding strongly to the possibility that Wes could be alive.

Especially with all the reasons I explain in my review of How To Get Away With Murder Season 1 Episode 10 that show his coming back would not only enrich the narrative by giving us another vein to explore but it also has an unheard of 2-season build-up with organic shock value.

Since this episode doesn’t reveal much on that end, it’s all still speculative theories and hopeful guesses. What do you guys think Mrs. Castillo will tell Frank? Give your theories and start a conversation in the comments section below!

How do you think Annalise and Olivia’s first meeting will go? Click on the following link if you want to read my wishlist for the TGIT Crossover (a few of my wishes have already come true!).

Stray Observations:

• It’s nice having the Keating 5 working together again under Annalise now that they all know their respective places.
• Connor and Oliver are getting married!! Whoooohoooo! They are so cute. I love them.
• None of Annalise’s current love interests are working out for me. Let’s scratch them all out and start again with a new character.

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 Thursdays at 10/9c on ABC.

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