How To Get Away With Murder Review: The Day Before He Died (Season 4 Episode 14)

On How to Get Away With Murder Season 4 Episode 14, “The Day Before He Died,” Annalise and the Keating Five live to fight another day, we get one step closer to figuring out who killed Wes, and somebody dies.

I say somebody because I doubt it’s truly Bonnie in that body bag. What would Bonnie’s death add to the narrative at this point?

It wouldn’t give us a new antagonist to take down in the next season, seeing as Denver or Mr. Castillo are the only ones who would want her dead. It wouldn’t be necessary for angst and drama since this season has had enough of that with the Supreme Court case, Dr. Roa and his relapse, and Simon possibly snitching on everyone.

And lastly, Bonnie’s death also wouldn’t be necessary to show the severity of Denver and Mr. Castillo’s power because that was made clear the moment they killed Wes and took baby Wes from Laurel.

The only purpose Bonnie’s death would serve right now would be to pull Annalise back into her downward spiral of self-hatred and depression.

Somehow, I find it hard to believe that How To Get Away With Murder would spend two seasons trying to build Annalise back up into the woman she was before Wes’s death just to pull her right back down the moment she has regained her footing.

I’m sure she will have another catastrophe soon because what is a show without adversity? However, for the reasons I stated above and the fact that I don’t believe Lahey is tactless enough to tell Annalise of Bonnie’s death over the phone, I doubt that moment is now.

So, the question is: who was in that body bag and why do we care? It could be someone Bonnie runs over, another vehicular manslaughter. Maybe it’s Denver or Tegan to show that there is an even bigger antagonist at play than Mr. Castillo.

This would make sense, considering that Laurel’s mother swears she didn’t call out the hit on Wes and Laurel’s father also took the time to confess that he also didn’t put the hit out on Wes. It could very well have been a third-party that is now coming out to introduce themselves for the fifth season.

Honestly, at this point, I would rather a third-party entering the scene than us continuing to play this ping-pong game back and forth between Mr. and Mrs. Castillo. It would serve the narrative well and create a lot more interest in who the murderer is if it’s not someone the narrative has explored and exhausted already.

Because of this, I could see the big reveal being some huge puppet master behind the scenes who Annalise and the Keating 5 spend the entire fifth season trying to take down. If you’re going to kill a main character that everyone loves, I think it’s completely warranted to milk that for three seasons.

It’s important to note that this episode’s promos claim we would find out who killed Wes. However, we never get a definitive answer, so allusions to the answer must be embedded into the narrative somehow. It may be what I suggest above: a new, more sinister antagonist.

Or maybe they confirm it was Laurel’s father? Even on the heels of Mrs. Castillo’s phone records, it was Mr. Castillo who was the last to make a decision regarding Wes’s future.

Or maybe they confirm it is actually Denver playing the puppet when he was really the puppet master? It would explain why Denver actually has the files and hasn’t told anyone.

It’s all up in the air now, considering we don’t get many answers in this episode.

Shown by all the questions above, “The Day Before He Died” simply acts as a bridge from the epic How To Get Away With Murder episode, “Lahey V. Commonwealth Of Pennsylvania” to set up the huge reveals in the finale that will (hopefully) tie everything together.

Fingers crossed we get actual definitive answers in the finale that makes all of this build-up and confusion worth it.

Stray Observations:

• Michaela and Asher’s relationship problems seem so trivial compared to all of the other drama unfolding. I honestly could care less how they wrap up that story.
• Connor and Oliver are getting a wedding! Whoo hoo! I hope that’s in the finale to add happiness and levity.
• Laurel asking her mother why she shouldn’t kill her right now is so mood. Wes trusted her.
• So sad to see Dr. Roa go. I absolutely loved his character, especially at the beginning of the season. Jimmy Smits is an amazing actor.

 

What did you guys 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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