How to Get Away with Murder Season 4 Episode 1 Review: I'm Going Away
Paul Dailly
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How to Get Away with Murder is finally back on the air, and boy, do we have a lot to talk about after the game-changing premiere.
On How to Get Away with Murder Season 4 Episode 1, Annalise tied up some loose ends while finally getting her $hit together, and it made for a transitional hour of the hit ABC drama.
Cutting off the students and Bonnie was the best thing she could possibly do. She took what her mother said to heart and realized there was always going to be murder involved if they stayed together.
It was like a light bulb switched on in her head during her argument with her mother about safety, and little moments like this are what makes the drama feel natural.
Ophelia: Anna Mae, Anna Mae.
Annalise: Oh, Mama.
Ophelia: Girl, you used to have a shelf booty. Can’t put nothing on that now.
Despite what some may think, Annalise really cares about the Keating 4 and Bonnie, and that's why she had to let them go. Will she regret sending them packing?
Probably, but breakups are not easy. Annalise pleading her case in court showcased Viola Davis' acting at its finest.
There is not a scene that woman cannot act flawlessly. Bonnie was armed with yet another foolproof story to get her pal off the hook.
Witnessing Annalise shush Bonnie was a delight because it proved Annalise was done with all of the drama. She knew there was always going to be a new drama, and her first step to recovery was to take ownership and make some tough decisions to get back to a good place.
I can't be the only one who thought Annalise was offering everyone full-fledged contracts to work at whatever office Frank found to fix his fractured relationship with Annalise.
But that would have been far too easy. For Bonnie, it hurt because she has long been the glue that holds everyone together.
Every single time the odds were stacked against them, she got her hands dirty to ensure nothing would ever come back to them.
Celestine: Right on time, I guess TSA wasn’t screening for ex-cons.
Annalise: Kiss my ass.
With that, it's clear Bonnie is turning to Denver to exact some revenge of her own, and who can blame her? She was ready to return to the way things were.
After what transpired on How to Get Away with Murder Season 3, Denver would love nothing more than to watch Annalise be disbarred and disgraced.
The biggest question to come from Bonnie's surprising arc will be whether Nate jumps on the "We hate Annalise" train, or if he runs back to her like the lost puppy dog he is.
Will he be able to go a few episodes without reporting back to her? His feelings for her run deep, and although he thinks hate is safer than love, it's only a matter of time before he gives in and returns to her.
Though, don't expect him to visit Annalise in her new digs because they are seedy as hell. Like, why was the landlord letting her know that everyone was single in the building?
Was that meant to be one of the perks of moving in? Annalise may be desperate to get her career back on track, but she could probably have any man she wants.
It was a nice touch to have Viola's real-life husband, Julius Tennon, in the role of Desmond. That said, I never really understood what Annalise was doing with him in the hotel.
Desmond: You’re judging me? I’ll buy you one so I’m not the only degenerate on the plane.
Annalise: You’re good.
Desmond: I wouldn’t want to corrupt you. Any good gossip? Sorry I talk a lot. I just know I’d kick myself later if I didn’t at least try.
At first, it seemed like she had a big, elaborate plan, but then we got to see them getting closer and closer. Will we see Desmond again?
Annalise's therapist is going to have a big part to do with the big mystery this season. Surprisingly, that mystery does not revolve around a murder.
In a true shocker, Laurel wakes up after being drugged out, and her baby is gone from her body. Like, what the hell? Who would steal her baby?
Her father is an ass, and I could definitely see him pulling some crap to dispatch of the kid before her mother found out about the pregnancy.
On top of that, Laurel somehow knows the truth about her father; he killed Wes. Did she get enough close to Dominic for him to reveal the goodies to her?
It was a big thing. I had an abortion. Please don’t tell mom. She’s going to get all catholic on me.
Laurel
That's about the only thing that makes sense right now. It was a good twist to have Laurel in the know this early on. That revelation was a highlight of the entire episode.
Her father thinks she's moving on with her life after her "abortion." Little does he know she's got a revenge plan in the works, and he's going to be in a lot of trouble when she executes a hit.
There are so many unanswered questions when it comes to Laurel's family, so it's about time we got some answers to get to the cause of what really went wrong with them.
I have been so negative about Connor and Oliver of late, and that's mostly down to the toxicity of the couple. In the past, they have pulled so much crap just to hurt the other, and it all became a little too tiring during How to Get Away with Murder Season 3.
Connor's apprehension was natural. In his mind, Oliver only proposed because he thought there was a chance one of them was going to prison for a long ass time.
With Connor revealing the truth at the close of the hour, I can get back on board with them as a couple because it shows Connor has done some maturing in the downtime.
He knows what he wants, but he does not want to feel like he's been forced into making a decision based on whether one or both of them is going to jail.
As for Michaela and Asher, they were surprisingly still going strong, and that's a good thing. They are the strongest couple on the show, and their chemistry is still very much there.
Even with Annalise cutting them off, at least they can take solace in the fact that she was the one who brought them together.
"I'm Going Away" was a decent season premiere. It successfully set up all of the key plots while throwing in a fresh and exciting mystery.
Other tidbits from the episode:
- Did anyone else sob when Ophelia tried to burn the house down because she thought Clyde was still in it?
- Annalise telling her father she would text him when she landed was her way of saying that things between them were getting better.
- Asher getting jealous of Michaela flirting with the man in the furniture store was awesome. Asher wanted to let the man know he and Michaela were having sex all the time.
Remember you can watch How to Get Away with Murder online right here via TV Fanatic. Get caught up on all the action right now!
Over to you, How to Get Away with Murder Fanatics. What did you think of the episode? Sound off below!
How to Get Away with Murder airs Thursdays on ABC!
Paul Dailly was an Associate Editor for TV Fanatic.Follow him on X.
