How to Get Away With Murder cast reveals what surprised them most about the ending

Warning: This article contains spoilers for the How to Get Away With Murder series finale, "Stay."

The series finale of How to Get Away With Murder had no shortage of shocking twists: Annalise gets a not guilty verdict! Tegan is in love with Annalise! Connor wants to go to jail and wants a divorce! Frank's death! Bonnie's death! And biggest of all, Annalise's funeral we've seen teased all season is years in the future, where it's Christopher—not Wes—who is in attendance.

With all these shocks in store for the series' final hour, we were curious as to how the cast felt about them. In between breaks on set during their final days of shooting, EW caught up with the stars and asked what surprised them most about how the series came to an end.

For Amirah Vann, it was that her character Tegan was actually in love with Annalise. "I found out when Tegan found out," she said. "There was that connection. That fondness and respect and admiration. It switches over so beautifully; this could be someone I love working with and to watch it blossom and not know where it could potentially go was exciting and true. She wanted that friendship. This was someone who really challenged her and then realized maybe it's more than that. I think that's a surprise to Tegan as well. It's really satisfying to get to say those words and connect with her and say maybe there's hope."

Liza Weil was stunned by the overall tenor of the episode and how emotionally many people in the cast and crew responded to it. "It was surprising for me to see what got people at the table read," she said. "I was sitting across from Jack [Falahee] when Bonnie has her final scene, and I could see that it got to him, which was really surprising and beautiful that it resonates." She also wasn't shocked by the flash-forward twist, so much as she was by its efficacy. "I was surprised how potent that device is," she added. "It works every time, being able to see the characters in the future."

On a similar note, Matt McGorry (Asher Millstone) was bowled over by Bonnie and Frank's tragic fate. "Frank in the streets pulling the gun out in that way is something we haven't really seen on the show before," he said. "We've definitely seen murder and intrigue, but it feels more action-based; it's something so different for the final episode. This tragic ending for both of them is strangely fitting as well."

Falahee added, "I wasn't so much surprised, but the thing that I was the most heartbroken about was Bonnie and Frank. That was like a real gut punch."

Conrad Ricamora, who portrayed Oliver Hampton for six seasons, was particularly shocked by Michaela's fate. "Michaela doesn't end up with the group," he noted. "She's alone pretty much. She made her bed by betraying the deal that she and Connor agreed to make. I think that surprised me the most."

Fittingly, Falahee shared his biggest moment of shock with his onscreen husband, saying, "I was surprised that Michaela is elsewhere at the end. That surprised me. But also true to the promise that she makes in the present-day finale."

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Several cast members were pleasantly surprised by the return of their castmate Alfred Enoch, but this time as an older version of Christopher. "Alfie coming back to be Christopher as an adult, and the way they're ending it with taking us back to the beginning and that whole last image, I just think it's perfect," said Aja Naomi King (Michaela Pratt). "It's so delicious."

Karla Souza (Laurel Castillo) echoed her costar's sentiments, reflecting on the emotion of the bookended final image. "The bike arriving to Middleton took us all the way back to all of us watching the pilot for the first time," she remembered. "That scene was so iconic for the show, so when Pete put that at the end of the episode, everyone started crying."

But we'll give the final word to this show's beating heart: Viola Davis, who brought the complex, fierce Annalise Keating to life for six seasons. What surprised her the most about the ending was how much affection came into play considering the show has been dominated by murder, betrayal, and manipulation. "What has surprised me about it is the love that's there," she reflected. "You just finally realize that these people need each other."

Related content:

• How to Get Away With Murder creator breaks down series finale, Annalise's death
• How to Get Away With Murder cast reveal the mementos they're keeping from set
• Watch Matt McGorry's deleted How to Get Away With Murder finale scene