'How To Get Away With Murder' finale: 7 shockers we did not see coming

By Fusion Staff | February 27, 2015 | 11:31am

Latest

The debut season of How To Get Away With Murder finished up last night with one of the most surprising endings since… well, any season-ending episode of executive producer Shonda Rhimes’ other shows. The show premiered to huge ratings and, with the help of powerhouse, award-winning actress Viola Davis and a diverse cast, was captivating throughout its run. All of last night’s two-hour season finale was bonkers, but these are the seven moments that left me with my jaw hanging open.

(Spoilers abound!)

Most Popular

1. Rebecca used drugs to make Rudy crazy on purpose
She intentionally gave him a lethal mix of drugs to keep him from going to the cops. I thought for sure that he’d be the focus of next season, but Wes and Claire figured out Rudy’s story pretty quickly, and it turns out the nosy next-door neighbor was just a victim of Rebecca’s quick-thinking after she came back soaking wet from the roof of the frat house.

2. Annalise had Nate beaten up in jail!
She claimed she was just trying to get him out of jail (it didn’t work), but it’s still a rough way to “help” someone.

3. The Keating 5 tied Rebecca to a pipe in the bathroom and effectively kidnapped her
They just wanted her to tell them what really happened on the roof, but damn—none of these tactics will ever work when they become real lawyers.

4. Oliver found out he’s HIV positive
After jokingly calling the experience of going to get STD tests together “romantic,” Oliver gives Connor the shock of his life by tearfully telling him his test came back positive. The build up for the scene was intense, since Connor was the one originally freaked out — since he’s slept with 40 people (or more) this year alone.

5. Claire had Michaela’s engagement ring the whole time
She intentionally hid it to keep Michaela quiet. That’s so cold-blooded, and I’ve clearly underestimated Claire’s ruthlessness.

6. FRANK KILLED LILA!
Not only did he kill her, but he did it after he got a phone call from Sam telling him that he “owes” him the favor of killing her. Frank scoffed when Claire acted like he was a friggin’ hitman — but as it turns out, he’s a friggin’ hitman! This raises so many questions—was Frank working for both Annalise and Sam? Why did he “owe” Sam? Does Annalise know Frank was the one who did it? Did she see an opportunity to get rid of her no good, cheating husband?

7. Rebecca was murdered in Annalise’s basement, and Annalise and Frank are keeping it a secret
It was so perfect when they looked at each other and basically said “I didn’t do it, I thought you did it!” No one knows who killed Rebecca—that’s the murder they’ll probably work to solve all next season—but it was probably Wes, right? He was the last one down there with her, and he was so freaked out on the steps. No matter what, Annalise hid the body and roped Frank into the mix, so next season is going to be awesome.

There are more questions—what is “Eggs 911” and who was Rebecca texting? What’s the deal with that new prosecutor?—but that was such a satisfying finale.

Danielle Henderson is a lapsed academic, heavy metal karaoke machine, and culture editor at Fusion. She enjoys thinking about how race, gender, and sexuality shape our cultural narratives, but not in a boring way.