‘How To Get Away With Murder’ Season 6 Episode 4 fails to keep the promise it made in the trailer
This article contains spoilers for season 6, episode 4
Contrary to what we had anticipated from episode 3, episode 4 of HTGAWM Season 6, was a classic example of breaking expectations. With the flash-forwards, we were given a teaser of Annalise’s ‘soon-to-be murder’, where Connor and Micheala were charged with the crime and FBI were grilling the two separately. But as the episode ended, we were left hanging with the same questions we had last week and it seemed like a major miss from the other side of the screen.
While we do understand how other situations running parallel to the core plot are of severe importance, there’s no justification, creatively or otherwise, to not even touch upon the tense scenes that the teaser promised. We were hoping to see what exactly ensued from episode 3 that could have possibly led Connor and Michaela into the FBI’s investigation room? Or at least, what happened after Frank discovered Laurel’s hideout (or so it seemed from his investigation) and how does Xavier connect to all of this? Is Laurel kidnapped or did she chose to flee or become a part of witness protection to save herself and her son? Instead, we end up seeing more focus on the case of the week, which has been of lesser priority anyway this season.
Rather than Michaela running to New York City to face her estranged biological father, we would have been more satisfied to trace the events that would have led to the big murder in question this season. Then there’s Bonnie whose role seemed more pushed into this episode than technically necessary. While Nate tries to find justice for his father’s death and strikes a deal with FBI to turn in Annalise and her gang, Bonnie suspects on whose side Nate is actually on. Both Bonnie and Nate’s characters have been secondary this season, but more so seemed more forced in episode 4. Ideally, this episode should have given us a little more clue on the events that would eventually lead to Annalise’s death (if at all), Laurel’s involvement in the whole thing, if any, and thus, set the premise for the finale.
One of the key characteristics of HTGAWM is its convoluted storytelling, which makes it both appealing and appalling at the same time, with the layered characters tightening the twists of the plot. However, considering the season (and the entire show) is coming to an end soon, it’s high time, that all characters and incidents start culminating in a wholesome chapter and start giving us the closure we need.