TV Review: How to Get Away with Murder (2×07) “I Want You to Die”

Welcome back to my weekly review and recap of “How to Get Away with Murder.” To catch up on previous coverage, click here.

I’ve been all over the place these past two week’s, so apologies for missing the recap last week. Here are some quick thoughts on the shocking “I Want You to Die”.

I feel like I’ve been waiting for the ball to drop in terms of the Bonnie and Annalise relationship for a while now, with the power dynamic always so fully dipping in Annalise’s direction. Bonnie learns this week that Annalise told Asher about what Bonnie’s father did to her, and her patience and her respect disappears, leaving Bonnie drunk and vengeful, and telling Annalise that she wishes she had died, rather than Sam because Sam would never have done this to her. Bonnie is also fed up with Asher after learning that he hosted a party where a girl was gang raped and wasn’t active enough in helping the victim, but clearly something clears in a matter of four days when both she and Asher are at the crime scene, and Bonnie’s responsible for pushing Sinclair off a roof.

In other relationship news, Laurel and Frank continue to be the least interesting couple on the show and Frank works best when he’s being the silent hit man who’s always ten steps ahead of the students (like he is in the episode’s opener). It was nice though to see Annalise finally shut down Laurel’s need to be praised, with a compliment no less, telling her that she never talks to her or gives her the attention she craves because she knows she’ll do a good job.

Which is nice and all, but it makes me wonder what kind of hand Laurel will have in Annalise’s shooting. There are people being set up currently (such as Wes, Connor and Bonnie) which seems too obvious. Maybe it’s the personal Annalise would least expect?

Annalise and Eve (a welcome return of Famke Janssen) continue to make an incredibly compelling pair, and I loved the color contrast in the episode with Annalise in her greens and Eve in her reds. They make for a striking duo, and their romance, however slight and pushed under the bed, provides the show some of it’s most welcome warmth. I’m glad that Eve helped Nate again as well, because I don’t know about you, but I am definitely in the camp that believes that Nate has gone through enough.

Now let’s talk Oliver and Connor.

What I love about this show, and what makes for such addictive television even on it’s lesser episodes, is just how surprising it can be, and how the stakes always seem to be raised. At the start of this episode, I told my sister that I was worried about Oliver’s safety after hacking into the the alleged killer’s computer, and this week he continues on with his detective work, with the Keating five (minus Connor) supporting him. Connor is less than pleased, worried that Oliver is unnecessarily putting himself into danger. Connor ends up going on a planned, set up date with the supposed killer to protect Oliver, but in the end, the guy he’s supposed to meet turns up at Oliver’s house.

I will be very distressed if Oliver dies. His being cornered had me actually gasping out loud, so it was effective on my end.

We could also do with more Caleb, as he’s one of the more interesting new aspects on the show.

My theory (that likely isn’t true): Sinclair shoots Annalise, and Bonnie pushes her over the roof as the result. Am I totally crazy? If I’m right, expect an entire post dedicated to my genius.

8/10