How to Get Away with Murder Series Premiere – “Pilot” Review. Dead Bodies.

Season 1, Episode 1

Air Date: Thursday, September 25, 2014, 10/9c on ABC

Rating: ★★★★★

Viola Davis as Professor Annalise Keating, a tough-as-nails criminal law attorney

As part of the Thursday night, Shonda Rhimes powerhouse lineup of dramatic series on the alphabet network, How to Get Away with Murder (HTGAWM) is a great addition. The show revolves around Professor Annalise Keating (Viola Davis), a no-nonsense, intense, sexy, creative, passionate, and fearless woman. If you know anything about the two-time Oscar nominee, you’ll have no doubt about what an excellent job Davis does portraying this character. Keating, in addition to being a college professor at a fictional university in the ‘City of Brotherly Love,’ is a practicing criminal law attorney who stops at nothing to defend her clients. To that end, Keating gives her class the task of coming up with a defense for her current client, a woman accused of poisoning her lover. Whoever comes up with the best defense—better than the one she already has in mind—will be chosen to be employees at her law firm.

The “Pilot” opens with four college students, Wes Gibbins (Alfred Enoch), Connor Walsh (Jack Falahee), Laurel Castillo (Karla Souza), and Michaela Pratt (Aja Naomi King), running through the woods, arguing over what to do about a dead body—a murder mystery that will affect them for the rest of their lives. With the four evenly split, their solution to the problem is to flip a coin. We are immediately transported in time to three months earlier when the four students attend the first day of law school with Annalise in a class she calls “How to get away with murder.” The show bounces back and forth between the present day, as the most ambitious students present their best defenses, and three months later, as the course of events surrounding the dead body are slowly revealed.

Frank and Bonnie listen as Prof. Keating describes the case to her students.

Keating’s office staff includes Frank Delfino (Charlie Weber), a man who likes to bed the female interns—who Laurel rightfully describes as a “misogynistic ass”—and Bonnie Winterbottom (Liza Weil), who doesn’t come across as much of anything in “Pilot” other than being a team player. You know the expression, ‘still waters run deep?’ Well, that’s what I think of when Bonnie is onscreen. I’m sure there is more to her than meets the eye.

“Pilot” then switches to the courtroom where the case is being tried, and in the middle of Keating’s cross-examination, several students give her key pieces of information, including one that could lead to the conviction of Annalise’s client. The way Annalise turns around what that student tells her is nothing short of brilliant…and supremely manipulative.

Annalise and husband Sam in her office

Tom Verica plays Sam Keating, Annalise’s husband; he’s also a psychology professor who sometimes helps out with Annalise’s cases. It isn’t long before Annalise’s personal problems are revealed, most notably to Wes; this sets up an interesting dynamic between the professor and her student, and allows Davis to showcase Annalise’s vulnerable side, something she uses to get what she wants. But that’s what Annalise does best—both in and out of the courtroom.

Other than putting aside what I know to be the truth about the practice of criminal law—having been a litigation assistant in a former life—I have one complaint about “Pilot,” and How to Get Away with Murder in general. It’s the ubiquitous declaration Michaela makes after the verdict comes down. “I wanna be her.” It should have been left out of the dialogue, which is otherwise quite good. It’s an overused phrase and one that is much too cliché for a show like this.

While we don’t see a lot of first-year law student Asher Millstone (Matt McGorry) in “Pilot,” Annalise announces his inclusion on the list of students she will be hiring, along with the four previously mentioned students. It will be interesting to see what he adds to this group of brilliant, privileged and not-so-privileged, students in future episodes.

Wes examines the strange markings on his bedroom wall

Another person I’m curious about is Rebecca (Katie Findlay), Wes’ upstairs neighbor. I’ve read she is somehow connected to one of the dead bodies but I think, or should I say, hope, some type of relationship will develop between her and Wes. I guess we’ll just have to wait and see whether it will be romantic or something else far more devious. I’m also curious to learn more about the student who occupied Wes’ room before he took up residence. What happened to him, and just what are those markings on the wall?

Outside of Davis’ brilliant acting, her co-stars are certainly no slouch in that arena. You may recognize Weber from the 2013 remake of 90210; Enoch as Dean Thomas in the Harry Potter franchise; Falahee from the 2014 series Twisted; Findlay from her days as Maggie on The Carrie Diaries; King from her successful turns on the now-cancelled series Emily Owens, M.D. and Black Box; Souza for her award-winning roles on Los Héroes del Norte and Suave partia; McGorry for Orange is the New Black; and Weil as Amanda in Rhimes’ other show Scandal. Despite some of their young ages, each has no problem holding their own against Davis, which is no small feat.

Prof. Keating holds up the prize everyone wants

From its very first scene, “Pilot” gives us the energy and great storytelling associated with its lead-in, Scandal, along with the soap opera nature of Grey’s Anatomy. It’s no wonder Rhimes is as hot as she is on TV right now. It should be noted, however, that Rhimes is only serving as executive producer on HTGAWM; her writing partner, Pete Nowalk, is responsible for creating yet another Rhimes-related must-see TV series. That said, I have no doubt How to Get Away with Murder is going to become another hit series for ABC, and it’s the tangled interpersonal relationships that will make it so. That and, of course, Viola Davis.

So, what do you think about “Pilot?” Do you agree with me about HTGAWM becoming ABC’s next hit series? Leave me a comment here or hit me up on Twitter @SeasideTV.

Tune in to the series premiere of How to Get Away with Murder tonight, September 25, 2014 at 10/9c, only on ABC.

LIKE How to Get Away with Murder on Facebook.

Follow the series on Twitter, as well as co-stars Viola Davis/Professor Annalise Keating, Katie Findlay/Rebecca, Tom Verica/Sam Keating, Karla Souza/Laurel Castillo, Aja Naomi King/Michaela Pratt, Matt McGorry/Asher Millstone, Charlie Weber/Frank Delfino, Jack Falahee/Connor Walsh, as well as writer/creator Pete Nowalk, and executive producer Shonda Rhimes.

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Linda

Love TV, movies, and books--mostly mysteries, with a good love story thrown in every now and then. I have four adopted dogs who I adore. I love trying new recipes, and enjoy eating what I make. English language perfectionist. Reading in bed, Italian food, warm weather, the beach, all types of games = favs!