‘How To Get Away With Murder’ Season 6 Episode 13: Frank Delfino's shocking secret, and how it affects the story

We're forced to question a lot of things that have happened on the show so far after it’s revealed that Frank is Sam and Hannah’s son born out of incest
Viola Davis and Charlie Weber in HTGAWM (IMDb)
Viola Davis and Charlie Weber in HTGAWM (IMDb)

The story of ‘How To Get Away With Murder’ is nearing its end and it continues to reveal the deepest, darkest secrets that have shaken us. With Frank Delfino’s background coming to light, we now have a new perspective and are forced to revisit everything that we knew about this important character and, as a result, how it affects everyone else around him.

In episode 13 'What If Sam Wasn’t the Bad Guy This Whole Time?', we have the shocking revelation that Frank is Sam (Tom Verica) and Hannah Keating’s (Marcia Gay Harden) son from their incestuous relationship back in their teenage years. Although we had speculated this (like many fans also did) when episode 12 ended, it still raises many questions about how things change for everyone involved at this point in the story.

Frank’s truth, as we know it, also explains a few circumstances from earlier.

For starters, does Frank know or has even the slightest idea of his background? Maybe not, but his father sure did. When Hannah was pregnant with him in her senior year in high school, she would have looked at giving up the child for adoption. Thus, she would have found the Delfino family. Now, this could explain the sour relationship between Frank and his father and how he was abused as a child. Perhaps knowing that his adopted son is an inbred would have developed his hatred towards him. So, whatever Frank turned out to be, aggressive, violent, and disturbed possibly stems from his fraternal complex.

Then there’s also the aspect of Sam using Frank to cover up his affairs and “get rid of” them. That means Sam would have known all along that Frank is his son. And despite knowing that Hannah asked Frank to cause Annalise’s (Viola Davis) accident and cause her miscarriage, Sam never had the nerve to face Hannah. Why, you may ask! We believe it is because Sam would have felt guilty all his life, knowing that he was sexually involved with his own sister. And perhaps also out of that guilt he tried to save Frank from a prison sentence. Or it could have been due to exploitation from Hannah.

There’s no doubt that Sam was constantly blackmailed over the years by his sister, making him disturbed and damaged, thus seeking love from every woman he felt connected to. In the episode, we hear Sam telling Annalise in the flashback that he knows about being abused. That means Hannah would have taken advantage of Sam when they were younger and exploited him all throughout his life.

Now, if Frank finds out that Sam was his father, it could lead him to either avenge his death by making Annalise go to jail or simply kill her. That could explain Annalise’s future death as we have seen multiple times in flashforwards. Alternatively, since he has been sincere to Annalise and grateful to her for saving his life and keeping him under her wings, he could fake Annalise’s murder and pin it on Hannah. Is is also possible that while doing all this, Frank could also die? 

As of now, there are numerous possibilities that could arise out of the new development in Frank’s life.

Keep watching ‘How To Get Away With Murder’, every Thursday, 10pm/9c, only on ABC.

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