NOTE: This article is spoiler-free!
If you’re looking to start watching How to Get Away with Murder or haven’t seen all of it yet, don’t worry! There won’t be any spoilers about the show anywhere in this article.
How to Get Away with Murder is a thrilling series that follows Annalise Keating, a criminal defense attorney and law school professor. When Keating selects five students from her class—the “Keating Five”—to work closely alongside her in her practice, she and the students get entangled in a gruesome murder plot.
I’ve been watching How to Get Away with Murder for a couple of years now, but recently, it’s been my go-to binge-watching show. Whenever I get home from class, I like to hop into bed with my laptop, fire up Netflix, and settle in. Here’s a list of five reasons you should binge-watch How to Get Away with Murder too.
- It’s Spooky Season!
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The mysterious, murderous storyline is a great way to get into the spooky season mood, this October.
While it may not be in the horror genre, How to Get Away with Murder certainly has some thriller-like aspects to it. It’s incredibly suspenseful, with a twisting plot that can leave viewers on the edges of their seats.
- Representation
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How to Get Away with Murder does representation right.
The show features a diverse cast, with the main protagonist—Annalise Keating—being a super badass woman of color. The LGBTQ+ community is also represented. There’s even a bisexual character, which, as someone who could probably count the number of bisexual characters I’ve seen on screen on one hand, I was ecstatic about. Intersectionality is also alive and well in How to Get Away with Murder, as several characters represent multiple identities.
A common issue in a lot of shows, movies or books is that any characters that represent a minority group often have poor character development (if they even have any development at all). Basically, their minority identity is their entire character. However, in How to Get Away with Murder, these characters are well-developed and have arcs that go beyond their identities. The show doesn’t rely on stereotypes to build characters, unlike a lot of other shows (no shade, just facts). Instead, the characters are multifaceted and aren’t solely defined by one part of their personality.
- The Characters
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Speaking of character development… in my opinion, the characters are the best part of the show.
If characters are well-developed, I can get more invested in a storyline because I’m attached to them (sometimes too attached; we’re not going to talk about how much I cried at Avengers: Endgame).
What really makes or breaks a story for me is how well I can connect or empathize with the characters. The characters in How to Get Away with Murder are dynamic, with elaborate story arcs and complex development. When something bad happens to them, I feel bad; when they’re happy, I feel happy.
How to Get Away with Murder’s well-developed characters allow audiences to feel for them, which ultimately makes the show much more interesting because you’re actually invested in the characters’ lives.
- The Acting
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Okay, can we talk about Viola Davis’ acting for a minute?
Viola Davis is an incredibly talented actress (she plays Annalise Keating). Honestly, I don’t know what else to say other than damn. Watch the show, and you’ll know exactly what I mean.
While Davis’ acting is reason enough to watch the show on its own, the entire cast is full of talented actors and actresses that portray complex emotions and difficult scenes exceedingly well.
- This is the Final Season!
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How to Get Away with Murder has five completed seasons, and it is currently on its sixth. Unfortunately, this season will be the last. However, it certainly looks like this season’s shaping up to be a good one, so now’s your chance to catch up on the show and then strap in for the final, thrilling ride.
The previous five seasons can be found on Netflix, Amazon Prime and Hulu. You can catch new episodes every Thursday on ABC at 10/9c or on Hulu.