TV REVIEW: HTGAWM is all about appearances in “Smile or Go To Jail”

By Chelsea Hensley

Is it safe to say that all of Annalise’s clients are guilty of something?

To be fair we’re only three episodes in, but Annalise has already explained that she doesn’t care about guilty clients as long as she can win. And the clients we’ve seen her take have all been guilty of something or other. So when the university president asks that she represent Lila Stangard’s boyfriend and star quarterback Griffin O’Riley (Lenny Platt), it looks like a guarantee of his own guilt. But then there’s Rebecca.

Last week implied the depth of her manipulation skills, if she’s able to prod Wes into doing whatever she wants. We get a glimpse of her at Annalise’s office, being wrapped in a blanket while Sam’s body lies on the floor, and Griffin is very clear that Rebecca is the one who killed Lila. Going off of last week, none of this is hard to believe, not with Michaela certain of Rebecca’s ability to pull Wes’ strings. But if you ask Wes, Rebecca’s a victim who’s going to be crushed beneath the mighty weight of rich parents and a university athletic program, and she needs help.

It’s not a weird hypothesis since Rebecca is clearly the underdog compared to Griffin, but if this is all a ruse, as things on Murder have proven to be, it could also all be an act. Griffin mentions that Rebecca’s manipulative, arranging for Lila to walk in on them having sex for one, and if that’s true is all of this just a massive fake out that Wes has fallen right into. One that he’s pulled Annalise, and his classmates, into as well? He tells Annalise not to represent Griffin but Rebecca, because she’s the one who needs Annalise’s expertise, and she actually listens to him. Whether it’s out of some tender feelings of wanting to help out a girl in need, because she sees a challenge with Rebecca (who confesses to the murder) or because she just can’t resist Wes’ puppy eyes, she takes Rebecca’s case.

Annalise may love a guilty client, but she doesn’t love a guilty husband.  The suggestion of representing Griffin has her stumbling out of the office close to tears to call Nate and press him to find out about Sam’s alibi. She’s horrified at the idea of being married to a man capable of murder, despite knowing just how capable people are of terrible things. She’s almost paralyzed by the uncertainty of Sam’s involvement, and is relieved when Nate (lies) and says Sam’s alibi checks out. Annalise and Sam’s marriage is certainly unhappy, but Annalise is obviously okay with holding up the image of it being fine, it only threatening to crumble when a more serious matter is on the table.

Then there’s Michaela, who said in the pilot that she wants to be Annalise. High-powered, successful and admired, certainly. In a marriage with a cheater who may or may not also be a killer, not so much. Michaela’s big dreams involve not marrying a loser, having one kid in the care of a nanny and taking over the world, all at the side of her fiancé Aiden (Elliot Knight). He’s handsome and charming, if not as ambitious or as highstrung as Michaela. He’s also an old “friend” of Connor’s, and their never-before-mentioned high-school dalliance has her unleashing all of her Type A personality on him at once. They manage to work things out, but only after Aiden assures her that he’s not gay and therefore will not cause her to be roped into an embarrassing scandal when they’re married. Perhaps more than all the others, Michaela’s appearance matters greatly to her. Wes doesn’t think much of it, Connor has a confidence that doesn’t seem easily fractured, despite her shyness Laurel’s fairly self-assured, and Asher doesn’t seem to care what anyone thinks of him (though he probably should because no one likes him). But Michaela’s the one with a very specific plan that she doesn’t want to see disrupted.

The episode swings its lens to her on the night of the murder, where she’s constantly crying, having the hardest time keeping it together compared to all the others. She’s not even able to stand, unresponsive to Connor’s yelling or Laurel’s kindness, and it’s likely she’s distressed both because of the dead body a few feet from her and what that dead body’s going to mean for her meticulous planning. Though Michaela’s obsessed with appearances, she’s the one most likely to crack under the pressure of holding them up. The others party it up at the bonfire, but Connor has to drag Michaela into pictures that will give them an alibi.

The case of the week is, as expected, in keeping with these themes of knowing who you’re married to and so on. Paula Murphy (Ana Ortiz) looks like a housewife and has the cardigan to match, but she’s actually Elena Aguilar, one of a protesting group who set off a bomb that killed a janitor a bunch of years ago. It’s not a particularly interesting case, though there are interesting elements like Paula’s nice husband who has no clue about his wife’s past life and is reluctant to accept it even as Bonnie shows him the proof. Then there’s Paula becoming completely smitten when faced with her former lover. While she’s talking about the butterflies in her stomach and such, the camera shifts to the other women in the car. Bonnie, who can relate because of her unrequited crush on Sam; Annalise who doesn’t seem to have those feelings about Sam at all anymore and he may be a murderer; and Michaela, whose perfect life may not be all that perfect after all.

Actually, it may as well be a given that Michaela’s perfect life isn’t going to be perfect anymore. She loses her wedding ring in the woods while burning Sam’s body, and that ring’s just asking to become a piece of evidence to use against them in a trial.

Stray Observations

• If Frank’s not a lawyer then what is he?
• The statue that will eventually kill Sam is moving around now (how awesome was it that Connor lost it for doubting Annalise’s ability to win her case?). Assuming it keeps moving, anyone could have it by the time the murder rolls around. Wes could even keep it.
• Why does Nate lie to Annalise about Sam’s alibi? Is he really going to just let her go home to a maybe murderer or is there something else happening here?
• It’s interesting how no onelikes Asher, but he just talks and talks and talks. He’s actually useful this episode, though he doesn’t earn many points for it since it’s implied he used some fatherly connections to get what he needed.
• Does Paula’s case count as a loss for Annalise? Or is it a draw between her and the justice system?

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