Netflix picks: How to Get Away With Murder
Law is a funny thing. On one side you have the plaintiff whose job it is to bring justice to the criminal. On the other side you have the defense attorney whose job it is to defend a supposed criminal and try to bring truth to such allegations. There are always two sides to the story and whoever can present their side as the most popular wins. The ABC show How to Get Away With Murder explores the grey areas on both sides of the courtroom. This exploration plays out in the show in a way that makes the viewer question whose side is really the guilty one.
How to Get Away With Murder is about a group of law students that find themselves trying to evade the law that they have studied to uphold. Annalise Keating is the mastermind professor at the fictional Middleton University. As the series progresses all of the characters go through transformations. The once innocent cast of students find themselves facing ethical questions of their own actions and those who they protect. The abundant amount of lies is ironic due to the fact that law students are the focus. Even the invincible Keating sees herself falling short of her own ideals of the law.
The show opens with a murder in Keating’s home. Flashbacks and memories are used as a vehicle to show backstory to the opening scene. This is a trait that follows the show throughout the first and second season. So if you are one of those people that like linear plotlines that tell you what happens and then shows the effect, this series is not for you. At times it can get confusing who crossed who and even whose side the characters are on. This becomes even more muddled because of the ever changing case that the group is working on. Keating uses her students as a team to help with her own practice so there is always a new set of evidence that the students must sift through to find ways to protect their clients.
The writers did do a great job making the story in the present rather than focusing on the characters’ past that much. In many shows, the character development comes from studying how the characters got to where they are. Although this is true for a few of the characters this is only to tie the story together as it moves along. For the most part you meet the characters and see how they change due to the events on screen.
The critically acclaimed series is ready to rev up the third season this week. With much anticipation growing over the offseason How to Get Away With Murder is sure to pack a punch. If this is your first time watching, make sure to not blink otherwise you may miss an important clue to the mystery. Because as Keating says it is not always about who is innocent but, “who tells the most convincing story.”