S01.E03: Smile, Or Go To Jail

[Coxfires]

Also the cop that seen all four of them at Anni's house before they dragged the body out of the house so their alibi is very shaky at best.

 

 

Not only had he seen the four of them, but he probably also has the plate number of Connor's car. I don't see how they can't be toast after the husband's disparition is noticed, unless the cop is totally dumb:"Hey this super-known teacher, husband of a a super-known lawyer, has disappered the night when four of her students convenienty burned her rug. I don't see any connection". Yeah right.

[DearEvette]

I just wanted to add that Jason Gedrick can get it!  He has always been a handsome man, but he looks good a little older a little more raggedy.  Rrowr!

 

Ok now that that was over.  I am on the fence about the show,  it is entertaining, but I sometimes have a hard time suspending disbelief. I am not  lawyer so the law stuff I don't nitpick over, but I do work in Higher Education, at a University with a law school so things that pertain to the classroom and the students I just...can't.    But still, it is entertaining.

 

I agree with everybody on their puzzlement over Wes' over protectiveness of Rebecca.  it is odd that he is willing to do all this crap for a women who barely has two words for him and has treated him rudely.  But something about him seems off.  I am not buying his wide eyed innocence just yet.

 

I also don't fault Michaela for her reaction to Aidan.  I thought her reaction was realistic.  I saw an ew.com recap that called her biphobic. But how is it biphobic to ask if your fiance who you just learned slept with another guy is gay?  She is not homophobic, because she says 'People are gay, my cousin is gay, if you are gay it is not a big deal, we can still be friends'  So, I think calling her bi-phobic is harsh.   I do think she is smart to make sure she is what he wants.  'Are you gay?' is a very specific question. Putting aside the issue of not disclosing all former sexual partners, a person has the right to know if the person they are going to marry is fundamentally sexually attracted to them.  A Bi man could be, a gay man would not.  Added to that, their political aspirations add a little more seasoning to the pot because Aidan wouldn't be the first gay man in history to suppress his nature by marrying a woman to succeed politically.  This to me seemed to be where she was coming from, especially with her questions about if there were others.  And of course she is on the conveniently anvilicious case where the deeply held secrets of a spouse has come out to derail a marriage in a horrifically public way.

 

I will say the Michaela actress plays that Black Bourgeoisie over-achiever, Type-A  tightly wound character very well.  I believe her and thus I also believe her  melt down over the disposal of Sam's body.   It obviously doesn't fit in her life plan.  LOL.

 

Finally, also agree that she and Connor have great chemistry.  I hope they morph into bitchy frenemies eventually.

[caracas1914]

Micaela losing her shit over the disposal of the body makes so much sense since she has the whole "I am in control of my planned out life and  career" vibe to her, and dead bodies tend to be messy details hard to gloss over in a resume.

[eyetotelescope]

Honestly, there are so many problems with this show - characterization, plotting, etc. - but I'm a sucker for a whodunnit, so I'm going to stick it out for the rest of the season, although I really should know better than to try to follow a Shonda/Shonda-minion show.

[jhlipton]

I agree. It bugs me that this entire season (except for the flashbacks) is a flashback, if that makes any sense. And I hate that kind of storytelling. It's basically saying that the actions, storylines, and character arcs that we watch week after week are only important in terms of how they lead up to that damn bonfire with the spinning cheerleader.

 

 

Yep.  As of last week, we knew that Rebecca won't be in jail for the murder, so either the confession got tossed or she pulled the same "bail-jump gag" as Terror-Mom.  Either way, Wes got her out of one murder and she repays him by getting hip-deep in another!  She ain't fine enough for that!!!

[Eneya]

Wow, I am confused by the comments... a lot. I will discuss them one by one, to clear stuff out.

First, sleeping with a boy/man a long time ago but having a heterosexual relationship now does not scream gay to me, it simply says bi or bi-curious, I can't explain the whole "don't be gay" reaction.

Second... seriously, we have seen millions of tv shows in which slightly dorky or unattractive male character has really attractive girlfriend/lover/whatever and in most cases, nobody bats an eye but having a woman who is not 30 but still with a good-looking lover is somehow unbelievable? Really?

Third... I don't understand this idea that because someone is rude, this means that if you know that something is going on and that they could go to jail for the rest of their lives, you need them to be love interest to want to help or care. I just... it creeps me out.

Fourth, what is the issue with out main characters not being very likeable? I don't see them being that different from normal human beings, most people have bitchy moments or and secrets. Of course, this is a TV show, so everything is dialled up to 11.

Fifth... if the character of Paris (so sorry, don't remember her real name) wants to be dressed in a way that she looks hard... this maybe intentional. She herself said that she looks nice but that she is not, which could explain why she is showing "not nice, piss off" via her clothes, hair and colouring. I am mystified by the whole "you have to look as nice as possible"... there are people who don't want to look as nice as possible nor they want to look non-threatening or welcoming.

[discoprincess]

 

 

I don't care much for the case of the week, that the show does because they go too fast with them. I think the case of the week can actually expand out into maybe 2-3 episodes and slowly build up all while expanding the background of all the characters and what they're willing to do to help Anni obtain evidence and get them off. I really hope that they don't turn Anni into Matlock, winning every case cause it's not believable.

FWIW, Annalise didn't have chance to win this case of the week, because her client turned into a fugitive.

 

Jason Gedrick shows up and I wonder if this show is getting cancelled.  He does seem to be bad luck.

 

Is Jason Gedrick supposed to be the new Ted McGinley? :) 

 

Also what made me think of her being too old for the part was when she told Wes in the first episode that she was trying to get pregnant. She seems a bit long in the tooth for that, but then again she could have just been conning Wes.

Maybe Annalise has undergone IVF, which didn't take. That may place a strain on a marriage. As others pointed out, we weren't given a time frame for her attempt to have a child.

 

 

I liked the twist that Annalise's sidepiece lied to her about her husband's alibi. Why did he do that? Because he can now see what a HAM she is, and doesn't want to get in that mess, or because he cares about her and wants her to not be afraid of her husband?

 

I don't get it. If the cop who is the side piece really didn't want to get involved, why did he agree to check out Sam's alibi in the first place? He would have been well within his rights to have told her "No".

 

 

 

Pretty sure just about every datapoint suggests Wes is playing everyone. Calmly and slyly cons everyone into carrying out body removal plan? Check. Whips together false license like he's making a grilled cheese sandwich? Check. 

Wow, I loved this line!

[kira28]

I can't stand Wes. He looks like he's 12 years old, he shouldn't even be there. And he's so hung up and desperate to defend some chick who lives next door to him who is not even nice to him? Because he saw her naked once? And that was just a ploy to be able to plant evidence at his apartment. Do not get it at all...  He saw on the news that she sold drugs. He wants to have a career as an attorney. Why would he want to date a possible drug dealer? So she's poor (like most 20 somethings)? That is the reason he is so hung up on her?

Edited October 22, 2014 by kira28

[Turkish]

 

I will say the Michaela actress plays that Black Bourgeoisie over-achiever, Type-A  tightly wound character very well.  I believe her and thus I also believe her  melt down over the disposal of Sam's body.

The actress played this kind of role on Emily Owens, M.D. too, only that character was way bitchier. At least I can find some redeeming qualities in Michaela. 

 

 

I can't stand Wes. He looks like he's 12 years old, he shouldn't even be there. And he's so hung up and desperate to defend some chick who lives next door to him who is not even nice to him? Because he saw her naked once? And that was just a ploy to be able to plant evidence at his apartment. Do not get it at all...  He saw on the news that she sold drugs. He wants to have a career as an attorney. Why would he want to date a possible drug dealer? So she's poor (like most 20 somethings)? That is the reason he is so hung up on her?

There is something about Wes that is a bit off to me and I have to wonder if that is done on purpose. Surely there is more to him than the naive, doe-eyed boy scout I am currently seeing. His manipulation of the others during these flash-forwards point to that. 

Edited October 22, 2014 by Turkish

[millennium]

Three episodes in, and I'm bored shitless.    It's like Paper Chase meets Damages without any of the electricity that made those shows memorable.

 

The trial-of-the-week flies by so quickly that it feels like an in-class exercise (I know it's supposed to be a learning experience for the students, but come on ... trials that wrap up in a matter of days?  In what world?).   The characters are too stock.   Viola Davis' character is steely one minute, falling apart the next, so you don't know which facade to believe (my final decision is that I don't care).

 

And I hate Wes Gibbins and those wide-eyed, "who, me?" expressions he makes.

 

Verdict:  I'm out.

[Rhondinella]

Just butting in to say (because I'm only now catching up on this show) that Ana Ortiz without makeup and the exaggerated Hispanic accent freaks me out just a little.  That is all.

[darkestboy]

Third one wasn't the best but it had it's moments.

I do think Connor is a bit too mean to Michaela at times and the past connection to her fiancee seemed a little contrived though. Still, I find him greatly fascinating to watch, character.

Asher's kind of funny in his way. He seemed a tad miffed that Connor fancied Frank more than him and Frank seemed miffed that Laurel copped off with that bloke at the bar.

Is there something going on with Bonnie and Sam?

Sam didn't kill Lila it seems. Well, that's one suspect down.

Rebecca might not have killed Lila either but I still don't like her or the way she seems to cloud Wes's judgement as well.

Great Annalise scenes in this one but the case of the week wasn't that interesting, 7/10

[Glade]

I really couldn't stand Michaela's self-righteous, ignorant homophobia and especially biphobia (since of course, any man who once slept with another man has to be 100% gay!)  And her reaction, as well as ridiculous insistence that "you should have told me this before you even asked me out!" shows that actually, she wouldn't be able to handle it or be open about it.  Which gives him more encouragement to keep it a secret, because she is very much so a part of the cultural homophobia he grew up with that makes it an unacceptable thing to be a not 100% straight guy.   When you make homophobic comments and then follow it with token, fake words of "there's nothing wrong with that..." it's a cover, trying to blank out what you really think.

 

It's too bad he couldn't realize that there was nothing to be ashamed of, and that he could can do better then this self-centered, ridiculous person and tell her to shove her designer wedding dress. 

Edited September 27, 2015 by Glade

[Skyline]

I really couldn't stand Michaela's self-righteous, ignorant homophobia and especially biphobia (since of course, any man who once slept with another man has to be 100% gay!) And her reaction, as well as ridiculous insistence that "you should have told me this before you even asked me out!" shows that actually, she wouldn't be able to handle it or be open about it. Which gives him more encouragement to keep it a secret, because she is very much so a part of the cultural homophobia he grew up with that makes it an unacceptable thing to be a not 100% straight guy. When you make homophobic comments and then follow it with token, fake words of "there's nothing wrong with that..." it's a cover, trying to blank out what you really think.

It's too bad he couldn't realize that there was nothing to be ashamed of, and that he could can do better then this self-centered, ridiculous person and tell her to shove her designer wedding dress.

And yet she was vindicated in the end. He was gay.