I realized something about myself as I watched this episode: I’m watching How to Get Away with Murder for two things.
Viola Davis and the Law.
If I were to write a mystery novel, Viola Davis and the Law would be the title and I’d sell a million copies. I also realize that I’m probably the only person that’s very involved in the show for the torts. I know I’m not the only one who is watching it for Viola Davis, because they keep putting things in there that exist purely for the GIFs. They sent Viola Davis to a salsa club this episode. Who was that for if not for Twitter? But I would be very happy if the show alternated between Viola Davis doing dance routines and courtroom scenes. I wasn’t watching House for Thirteen’s emotional journey. Gimme blood disorders! This episode of HTGAWM had a lot of blood disorders, to continue this weird metaphor. Let’s get to it.
Oooooh, we open on Annelise walking into a club that’s just labeled “CLUB” in neon letters. Who named this club? Where is this club? Who did the set dressing for this club? This club looks like someone went to a Pier 1, closed their eyes, spun around, grabbed ten items, and ran out. Annelise is meeting Teagan but she just can’t stop remembering all these difficult conversations she’s been having with Nate about Bonnie. Y’know when you wanna go to the club but you can’t stop thinking about how your ex-lover is trying to track down the still alive child of your daughter figure?
Someone give me these GIFs immediately.
The next morning, Michaela has the worst hangover and for some reason, Asher is visiting them at their strange frat house. This certainly is embarrassing for Michaela. Connor declares that there will be no wedding planning until they win Nate’s dad’s case.
Ron is positively giddy because he’s not the official permanent interim DA so he can finally go public with his relationship with Bonnie! He’s prepared the documents with HR! This is romance! Bonnie has never been happy!
Is any of this the law? NO! What is the law doing? Annelise is prepping Nate’s dad for a psych evaluation that’s crucial to his case. Annelise’s argument rests on an insanity defense so Nate’s dad is going to study the questions Annelise has prepared. He’s willing to do anything to get out of jail and move in with Nate. Annelise realizes that Nate hasn’t told his dad that he can’t stay with him. Nate says he’ll tell his dad if Annelise tells Bonnie that her son is still alive. Those aren’t equivalent things, Nate. Nate just wants everyone to repair their relationships with their parents because he did. Hey, Nate. That’s all your stuff. Bonnie has so much other stuff. Don’t give her more stuff.
Oliver comes to see Frank to brag that he figured out how to hack cell phones but he really wants to know why Frank is studying Gabriel. Frank reveals that Annelise has him do background checks on all her students. He also thinks that Gabriel is a government mole sent by the governor to destroy Annelise’s cases. Ooooh, that would complicate THE LAW.
The Keating Gang comes into work and there is an absurd amount of hamburgers. Caplan & Gold is trying to woo Ruthie’s Burgers, a burger chain owned by a family of racists. Gabriel decides to TAKE A STAND and complain loudly about the boycott of Ruthie’s Burgers because they were too racist. Do you know how racist you have to be for the fast food industry? Michaela is excited because she used to work at a Ruthie’s Burgers. Everything quickly goes to shit when Ruthie herself comes in and tries to touch Annelise’s wig. I live in a building where there are a lot of old white people, Ruthies if you will, and this happens to me constantly, so I relate to Annelise in this moment.
While Annelise is dealing with Ruthie and her grubby little fingers, Nate has driven all the way to Bonnie’s sister’s house where she’s yelling at a crummy teen. Nate is there to get proof that no one wants him to get. Annelise goes to have lunch with Bonnie with every intention of telling her this horrible news. Annelise and Bonnie both bought two salads intending to share. There are four salads between the two of them. When it’s time for Annelise to tell Bonnie about her son maybe still being alive, she can’t do it and just asks for a file instead. (the law.)
Back at the office, Gabriel is yelling at Annelise for even entertaining the idea of taking on a client that’s exploiting black and brown people. Annelise is like “Bitch, a check is a check.” Also, Gabriel is a new character and he has not earned our respect to disrespect Annelise like this.
Nate gives his lab tech girlfriend a dirty needle to test against the missing child’s case. Lab Tech Girlfriend is not into this.
Michaela has the brilliant idea to blackmail Ruthie into being Caplan & Gold’s client. Their businesses would do some shady practices when it came to their employees clocking in and out and Teagan tells Michaela if she can find enough evidence, Teagan will blackmail Ruthie … I guess?
While Annelise is working with Nate’s dad, he can’t understand why Annelise needs him to describe certain events in a certain way. Their entire case rests on the fact that Nate’s dad asked for a piece of cake right after he beat a man to death. Nate’s dad doesn’t want to say that in front of a jury because he knows how it looks. Annelise tells him that their entire case will fall apart if he doesn’t say he wanted some cake.
Teagan presents her plan to Ruthie. She should resign as CEO and put Teagan in the forefront to represent her legal team. Maybe then will people stop thinking Ruthie is racist. Ruthie should also stop saying “Afro-American.” Michaela wants to know why her plan of “blackmail” wasn’t the first plan to win a new client. Teagan tells her that her plan was fucking stupid but she needed to humble herself by staying up all night doing research. That’s what a lawyer does. The motherfucking LAW!
Here’s what you need to know about how the law operates in this episode: Nate’s Dad says he asked for the cake. He gets a new trial. The law won! Annelise gives all the props to Connor for helping write the defense. She’s picked him as her second chair! Connor is not happy because half of the Keating Gang has been researching why Annelise picked Gabriel and Connor found out that it was Annelise who made the call to get him back into law school. Instead of just going about his day, Connor goes to scream at Annelise and Annelise screams back, “Don’t bring me your bitch boy problems.”
Viola Goddamn Davis. Gabriel is made second chair instead.
It’s time for the final montage before the flash forward. Nate tells his dad that he can’t stay with him when he gets out and their bond gets stronger. The Lab Tech Girlfriend says it’s not a match. Gabriel looks up Bonnie and sees a picture of Wes. Annelise asks Emmett about his weird misconduct issues and he legally can’t speak about it.
Bonnie sits down with Annelise and Annelise finally spills everything about Nate’s quest to find Bonnie’s son. Bonnie feels like Nate must have some other reason or he’s being selfish. He didn’t destroy the file when he said he would. Is Nate the enemy? WELL! In the flash forward, no one can find Oliver and Michaela tells everyone to split up. She calls Nate’s cell phone. Bonnie has Nate’s cell phone in her pocket, hits silent, and Michaela knows something. I don’t want this to be where this is going but… I think… Nate’s in danger.
