By Monique
I live-tweet How to Get Away with Murder every week; follow me @moniqueblognet!
This recap of this week’s How to Get Away with Murder episode, “He Deserved to Die,” is probably going to be even less of a recap than the other How to Get Away with Murder recaps. Basically, this “recap” is going to mostly consist of a takedown of Rebecca. I just can’t get with her. And neither can others on Twitter:
She needs to go. RT @wg_art: Rebecca is SO unlikeable. I don’t feel any compassion for this character. #HTGAWM #TGIT
— TV After Dark (@TVAfterDark) November 7, 2014
If I had a dollar for every “Rebecca is just now starting to annoy you?” tweet I’d could make dent in some of this debt. #HTGAWM #DatMurda
— BlackGirlNerds (@BlackGirlNerds) November 7, 2014
basically RT @andthenlynsaid: Rebecca is the Katrina of #HTGAWM. Useless as all hell but everyone is obsessed with her.
— Daniel José Older (@djolder) November 7, 2014
dislike her immensely. RT @Karnythia: Rebecca is just not likable enough for any of this loyalty though. Can we talk about that? #HTGAWM
— ProfB (@AntheaButler) November 7, 2014
First, the synopsis: Annalise and her antithesis of The Human Race Club have to help their client, Rebecca, escape further guilt and somehow stay a second autopsy of Lila Stangard’s body, especially since there are some interesting marks on Lila’s neck that could either be ant bites or Rebecca’s fingernail marks.
If there’s any failing How to Get Away with Murder has, it’s dealing with romances that aren’t Annalise’s. Almost every other romance on this show is largely ill-defined and pointless. When did Frank and Laurel hook up in the beginning? Why do they care about each other now when we have no indication as to why they should? What does Kan see in Laurel when he can do so much better? Why does Wes care about Rebecca so much when all she’s been is mean to him?
Since the whole episode was about Rebecca, it’s the last question that I really want answered. The audience is told we’re supposed to care about Rebecca and her plight. Well, show, I can’t care about her the way you want me to if you’re going to make her so doggone unlikeable! I thought I’ve been annoyed with Sleepy Hollow’s Katrina, but clearly, my annoyance hadn’t even begun to get tested since I hadn’t encountered Rebecca yet.
I just want someone to tell me why we’re supposed to like her and why Wes is so head-over-heels for her. Her rudeness is just the base level with her. She tells the business of those who are trying to help her (when she tattled on Laurel affair situation to Michaela), she rags on poor Wes and criticizes him for helping her, she makes light of the murder she’s charged with while Annalise is prepping her (and thankfully, Annalise satisfyingly demands she get in line or else), and she never once shows gratitude to her defense team. She never even thanked Wes for getting Annalise to do her magic and get her out of jail!
Rebecca may not have done it, but her characterization is asking way too much of us. It’s next to impossible to hate a character and also root for them, but that’s what it seems like the show wants us to do. Or, even worse, it wants us to somehow identify with Rebecca and think that she’s interesting. She’s not interesting. She’s a hot mess, like every character on this show, but none of her hot mess-ness is presented in an interesting or creative way. She just comes off as a completely unlikeable, narcissistic brat.
Another thing that happened in the episode: That odd sex scene intercut with the re-examination of Lila’s body. What kind of point was that editing making? You can leave your guesses in the comments section. One thing I found hilarious was how mostly everyone on my Twitter feed thought the scene was a bridge too far.
Eeeewww… Not loving the split screen of the autopsy and Wes and Rebecca finally getting it on #HTGAWM #DatMurda
— Cori Murray (@corimurray) November 7, 2014
Dude, Viola and her wig have more chemistry than Wes and Rebecca. #HTGAWM
— Fed-Up Writer. (@thewayoftheid) November 7, 2014
AHHHHHH HE’S GOING DOWN ON A DEAD BODY. #howtogetawaywithmurder
— Gene Demby (@GeeDee215) November 7, 2014
It was sad, though, to hear that Wes’ mother died from suicide. However, I’m a little afraid as to how this will come back up in the show, since this is also a show that had Annalise say she was almost grateful for her miscarriages. This show always has lines or moments that go all the way.
Another big revelation: Lila was pregnant with Sam’s baby! Well, I’m presuming it’s Sam’s baby. For all we know, it could be Griffin’s baby.
Lastly, Nate is helping Wes and Rebecca? He says she didn’t kill Lila. I’d like to know how he knows that. Also, when Rebecca called 911 in the motel room after Wes told her not to do anything—that’ll come back to haunt her, right? Because 911 calls can be traced.
Before I forget, it was nice seeing Connor finally become a bit of a human being instead of a near-stereotype. He’s really feeling the guilt over the way he treated Oliver, and his guilt came full circle with drunkenly asking a stranger for advice, following Oliver’s online statuses, pouting, having sloppy bathroom sex with a former one-night stand, and then going to Oliver’s apartment only to find that Oliver was able to do better. Much better.
What did you think of this episode? Give your opinions in the comments section below!
Photo credit: Michael Ansell/ABC
Julian 