In the second episode of its return, How to Get Away with Murder proved it has no intentions of slowing down. Following a shocking premiere, the second episode effectively laid the groundwork and embellished more of the plot that will unfold as the season progresses. Here are the top five moments from Thursday's episode of How to Get Away with Murder.
1. Annalise and Bonnie were finally able to reconcile
Throughout the show’s history, Annalise (Viola Davis) and Bonnie (Liza Weil) have always had a turbulent relationship. After Annalise fired Bonnie in the first half of the season, it seemed the two might be done for good, which was further proved when Bonnie began working at the district attorney’s office. For the first half of the season, there was a fierce animosity between the two that threatened to engulf the characters completely.
However, Thursday’s episode put an end to that animosity. Per Frank’s (Charlie Weber) insistence, Annalise visited Bonnie to try and enlist her help. After a brief exchange and a few tears, the two reluctantly forgave each other. After the two resolved their problems, Bonnie also attempted to trap the D.A. by secretly recording a conversation with him, likely at the request of Annalise. Even though the two have mended their relationship, the baggage that they hold will always be with them.
2. The D.A. and Mr. Castillo targeted Bonnie
When Bonnie seemingly attempted to trap the D.A. by recording her conversation with him, viewers assumed she had finally gotten the upper hand on him. She had obtained an audio clip of him admitting to having ties to Mr. Castillo and his corruption. Yet, a short time later, the D.A. met with Laurel’s father, Mr. Castillo, telling him that they had a big problem: Bonnie Winterbottom.
With their sights now set on Bonnie, it will be very intriguing to see how they plan to take her out. It will also create additional dilemma for the group because Laurel’s baby has been taken by Mr. Castillo. With both the Keating 4 and Mr. Castillo and the D.A. trying to outmatch the other, Bonnie will have to be very careful moving forward if she hopes to make it out alive.
3. The Keating 4 stumbled upon a surprising case
Now that the Keating 4 are reassembled and momentarily safe from jail, they began looking for new cases. Annalise told Connor (Jack Falahee), Asher (Matt McGorry) and Oliver (Conrad Ricamora) there is an enormous amount of people requesting their help. She ordered the three of them to sift through the case files and find one that would be suitable to take on. After searching various boxes, Connor found an interesting file. The file is of a person of color who has been in solitary confinement for over a decade. Asher made the case incredibly more interesting when he saw that the person was Nate Lahey, Nate’s (Billy Brown) father.
The audience has very little information on the backstory of Nate. The idea that his father has been in solitary confinement for murder certainly makes his career as a detective much more interesting. It also reignites some mystery into his character, providing even more drama and suspense for the season.
4. Laurel was released from the hospital
After being trapped within the hospital walls for almost a week, Laurel started to become restless. She was distraught over her father taking the baby, but she also was trapped because of the forged documents her father made. Although Laurel begged her, Annalise didn’t actively try to get her released from the hospital because she feared she would hurt herself, citing Laurel’s induced labor as evidence.
However, when Laurel admitted to Michaela that Frank hit her in the stomach and caused the induced labor, Michaela demanded that Annalise help Laurel. Having lost a baby herself, Annalise knew exactly how Laurel was feeling and gave in. She enlisted the help of Isaac (Jimmy Smits), her therapist, who was able to get Laurel released from the hospital. Once released, Frank played her the voicemail that Wes (Alfred Enoch) left Dominic (Nicholas Gonzalez) before he was killed, which left Laurel stunned.
Laurel is desperately seeking vengeance for her father now that he is holding her baby hostage. Her desire to get retribution is only further fueled by her newfound knowledge of Wes’s final moments and she will definitely be fighting as hard as she can to avenge him. Not only that, but the show is setting up for a vicious custody battle, which should make for a very interesting face-off.
5. Laurel received a surprising phone call
In the final moments of the episode, Laurel realized that Frank still had Dominic’s phone because it contained the voicemail that Wes left him. Annalise warned Frank numerous times in the episode to get rid of the cell phone before it got him killed. The continued reference to trouble and death with the cellphone only cemented the idea that something was going to happen with it.
As Laurel stood with the phone in her hand listening to the voicemail, someone else called the phone. Frank brushed the call off and said it was her father, who had been calling for days. Laurel quickly realized that it wasn’t her father’s number and answered the phone to greet her mother.
This is yet another surprise for the audience. Laurel’s mother suffered the same mistreatment from Laurel’s father, so she will surely be on Laurel’s side. It’s also fascinating to consider why Laurel’s mother would be calling Dominic’s phone and what she would be requesting from him.
In the past, the second half of a How to Get Away with Murder season has typically been slow. This season is thankfully showing a commitment to suspenseful, engaging events while refraining from dragging and stretching them out until they become boring. So far, the second half is proving to be as suspenseful as the first and it will definitely captivate and encourage the audience to stay tuned.
