by Miles Behn
Dammit, Shonda Rhimes.
A few weeks ago I told you all that I had begun hate-watching How to Get Away with Murder. I expected nothing but a downward spiral from these last weeks—the show nosediving into ridiculously unbelievable plots, terrible acting, and heavy handed political statements. What has emerged, however, is nothing short of Shonda Rhimes gold. Why I doubted her, I have no idea. We all must keep the faith in season one. I’m sorry I stumbled, Dear Shonda.
Last week we left our heroes guilty and awkward—after Sam’s body was found at the landfill, our law students turned their paranoia on high, convinced their dutiful professor would sell them out. Instead, Annalise sold out her paramour, the ex-cop with a dying wife, Nate (only on Shonda Rhimes shows, people).
Wes’ strange (and seemingly unmerited) obsession with Rudy, the boy who lived in his apartment before him, begins to grow (watched The Lake House too many times, buddy), and his trust in Rebecca falters when he catches her in several lies.
This week’s episode opens with a powerhouse montage—the writers and director don’t hold back when showing the details of Nate’s prison processing. Intercut with shots of the guilt-ridden law students, Nate’s shown having to endure a full cavity search (done, somehow, completely without humor), a naked hose-down, and walking to his cell—showing the danger of being an ex-cop in jail. It’s remarkable how well this scene is done. Few TV shows will deal with the humiliation that comes with jail, the dehumanization of the people inside. HTGAWM does not back down, forcing viewers to critically examine our criminal justice system, if only for a moment.
The bullet train of that has become HTGAWM only continues as Annalise’s mother (played by the remarkable Cicely Tyson) arrives at the Keating house. Ophelia is a hard, bristly woman, having raised Annalise and her siblings on her own with very little money. To write about Tyson’s performance would do little to explain just how stunning this character is—I can only plead with you to watch this episode. You won’t regret it. (See this week’s favorite quotes for just a taste.)
Annalise spends the episode in bed, wallowing in the death of her husband, and her decision to accuse her lover of his murder. Ophelia takes no pity on her daughter. Within the first minute of seeing Annalise, she has already guilted her about marrying an unreliable, cheating, white man, and joked about the fact that Annalise’s boyfriend has done the murdering.
Next it’s onto this week’s case of the week (which, admittedly, is a bit dicey for me). A female nurse is accused of raping one of her unconscious male patients. And of course, Annalise’s practice is defending the nurse.
As you may already know from past HTGAWM recaps, I’m not a big fan of false rape accusations. I think they do more harm than good, perpetuating the idea that rape is a flippant allegation; that, more often than not, it is used as a tool by individuals to cause a stir, get revenge, publicly humiliate. In reality, rape is a very serious, very common problem in our society. Any narrative that deals with a false rape accusation does nothing to bolster the conversation about sexual violence in America, but instead pats middle class Americans on the head as if to say “yes, you were right, this isn’t a problem.” False male rape accusations are doubly bad, as they make it easier to think male rape is impossible. They put more emphasis on the scandal of the accusation, rather than the pain and humiliation of the act. While, surprisingly, I think HTGAWM handled it quite well, I just don’t think these narratives are useful. But Bonnie was a kickass defense counselor, so there’s that.
Annalise’s relationship with her mother comes to a head when she screams at Ophelia for turning a blind eye to Uncle Clyde’s molestation of Annalise as a child. Ophelia tries to shut down the conversation, reminding her daughter that she has turned out fine, that Uncle Clyde is dead so the accusations are in vain. She uses her own experience being raped as a shield: “I told you, men take things. They been taking things from women since the beginning of time. That ain’t no reason to talk about it, and get all messy everywhere. Certainly no reason to go to a head shrinker for help, and end up marrying him.”
After this conversation, Annalise tells her mother she doesn’t need her. That night, Ophelia does one more motherly duty before she leaves—she combs her daughter’s hair. During the painful process, Ophelia tells the story of the night their house burned down. How she had seen Uncle Clyde sneak out of Annalise’s room, drunk and guilty. How a few days later she gathered her things and her children, Uncle Ray passed out on the couch, and walked out of the house, lighting a fire behind her, murdering her brother to keep her daughter safe. It’s a beautiful moment, connecting Annalise and her mother in a way she never thought possible.
The episode ends with Wes following the trail of Rudy. He and Laurel head to a psychiatric hospital, finding Rudy almost entirely lost in his own mind. When he’s shown a picture of Rebecca, he replies with his only word: “wet.” The water tank!
Shit, did Rebecca kill Lila?
Next week we get the two hour season finale, which, since this show is taking off quite suddenly, will likely be a whirlwind. But does it have the ratings for a second season? Can Shonda Rhimes hold the tension that long? Just how much faith should I put in this show, anyway?
I guess we’ll find out next week.
Favorite quotes:
Ophelia: “Don’t you know a VIP when you see one?”
Bonnie: “VIP?”
Ophelia: “Your boss came out of my V and her daddy’s P. So show a little respect for her mama.”
Ophelia, after Annalise insists she not be called Anna May: “Who the hell do you think you are? Oprah? I wiped your ass, and I’ll call you anything I want.”
Miles Behn is a writer and blogger living in Minneapolis. She currently runs the blog Staving Off Disaster. Follow her on Twitter, @milesbehn.
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