WARNING: Spoiler alerts if you haven’t seen the season one finale! Also, if you haven’t seen the show before, you may be confused.
If you’ve been following current TV seasons rather than binge-watching the ten seasons of Grey’s Anatomy available on Netflix (a personal hobby of mine), you will have heard of another Shonda Rhimes masterpiece, How To Get Away With Murder. If you are not familiar with Rhimes and her powerful work, she is a pioneer in the television industry. Some of her other famed productions include Private Practice and Scandal. Rhimes is known for her inclusion of sensitive and controversial issues,such as race and sexual orientation. Rhimes breaks television barriers by including female and racial minorities as her main characters. How To Get Away With Murder is no exception,with Viola Davis, an African-American woman, serving as the strong, intelligent lawyer and professor.
The first season revolved around the mystery of the murder of pregnant college student Lila Stangard. As this murder and its secrets were unveiled, so was the cover-up of Sam Keating’s murder by the law students. The two deceased were interconnected as they were engaged in an affair; Sam was the father of Lila’s baby, and also allegedly her murderer.
The season finale, although clearing up much of the confusion from the previous episodes, created a new mystery. We are shown the lifeless body of Rebecca, played by Katie Findlay, stashed away in Annalise Keating’s basement. Moments before, seven of the main characters were also located in said basement. The question arises: who killed Rebecca? If you weren’t already planning on watching season two, now you are anxiously awaiting the premiere.
Each of the seven members had the potential to commit this crime, however. Here’s some thoughts on why each could be the guilty party.
Laurel (Karla Souza)
Overall, Laurel seems like a harmless character. Nervous and indecisive when it comes to boyfriends, but generally harmless. But she also has strong and sneaky elements to her character. In the finale it is revealed that she has been holding on to Michaela’s engagement ring (thought to be with Sam’s body) as a way to keep her quiet.
Michaela (Aja Naomi King)
Michaela has basically been a basket case since the night the gang killed Sam, understandably so. Her usual outward appearance is very put-together, polished, and professional. Finding out her fiance is gay and taking part in killing a man has generally uprooted this pretense. Discovering that the murder may not have been justified (if Rebecca actually did kill Lila) basically shoved her over the edge. She may have killed Rebecca as a reaction to this break.
Connor (Jack Falahee)
Similar to Michaela, Connor has really not taken being a murderer too well. As his personal life deteriorates, he gets more nervous, agitated, and guilty. Could he have finally snapped? He never seemed to like Rebecca very much.
Bonnie (Liza Weil)
Okay, so Bonnie seems pretty innocent overall with her doe-eyed expressions and perfectly contained hair. However, her stability has also been decaying as the first season progressed. While he was alive, she was always just a little too intimate with Sam. Bonnie always melted a bit under his flirty words and sultry looks. The question of where her loyalty lied originated in her flirtatious relationship with Sam, and culminated in her discovery of the truth in which she states, “You’re not going to get away with this Annalise.” She tells Annalise not to allow the students to ruin her, so did she take this into her own hands by eliminating one loose end, i.e. Rebecca?
Wes (Alfred Enoch)
Even though throughout the season Wes was Rebecca’s biggest supporter (and in love with her), he shouldn’t be taken out of the running. Although Wes has always shown great devotion to Rebecca, the last few episodes had him doubting his instincts. Rebecca was not completely truthful with everything she had told Wes and he did not react well. Also, Wes and Rebecca were alone in the basement for quite some time, a perfect opportunity to kill her. Was this a crime of passion?
Frank (Charlie Weber)
I don’t know about anyone else, but my jaw dropped when the finale revealed that Frank was that one who actually killed Lila. In addition, he did so as a favor for Sam. Like Bonnie, we must ask where does his loyalty lie? Clearly he is capable of murder and framing others (like Nate) so it wouldn’t be too much of a stretch if he killed Rebecca as well, especially if he knows he can get away with it.
Annalise (Viola Davis)
Annalise and Frank are the only ones, to our knowledge, who know that Rebecca is dead as the episode comes to a close. Each thinks the other one has committed the crime but both claim innocence. However, Annalise definitely has the potential to have completed the action. Her life has become a whirlwind of chaos. We wouldn’t be too surprised if she took this all out on Rebecca, who hadn’t been fully truthful or innocent throughout the proceedings. Annalise may have committed the crime, but she also has the potential to cover it up and convict someone else.
And of course poor Asher (Matt McGorry) was left out of the secrets and real crises as always.
In good television fashion, it is likely that the perpetrator is the least expected, most innocent seeming character. Yet, in this instance, essentially every person had the means, motive, and opportunity to commit this crime. Other crucial questions arose in the episode, such as who was Rebecca trying to reach on the phone? Will this person uncover the truth? I can’t wait to find out what the next season of this thrilling drama entails!
What are your theories, Collegiettes?
Photo/Gif Sources: Cover, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12