How to Get Away with Murder aired
on September 5 2014 on ABC. The show follows attorney Annalise Keating,
associate attorney Bonnie, employee frank and five of her students at Middleton
University in Philadelphia. The five students are Wes, Connor, Michaela, Laure,
and Asher. In the first season, they unwittingly
find themselves in the middle of the murder of Annalise’s husband, Sam Keating.
The show is told In Medias Res with flashbacks depicting the rest of the story.
The "Keating 5". Wes, Connor Micheala, Laurel, Asher
The "Keating 5". Wes, Connor Micheala, Laurel, Asher
One of the things this show does well is that it has a
diverse cast. About half of the main characters in the show are people of color,
which is more than most shows you see on television. Every character on this
show is unique, complex, and has incredible depth, which is also very refreshing
to see. The first cast character I want to focus on is Annalise Keating.
Annalise is without a doubt the most refreshing and powerful
characters I have seen on television in a very long time. I might be a little
biased because I am a huge fan of Viola Davis and think she can do no wrong,
but that’s beside the point. Annalise Keating is absolutely ruthless and I love
watching every minute of what she does. She’s manipulative and does literally
whatever it takes to win her cases, and that’s why she’s the best. It’s really
incredible to see a woman, be indisputably the best defense lawyer in the business.
Another piece that I absolutely love about the show in
general and Annalise, is that the women in this show talk about sex. Explicitly.
Even more so in the second season, where it is revealed that Annalise is
bisexual. While I wouldn’t be surprised
to see men discussing their sex lives on a television show, it’s considerably rarer
to see women discuss it. When Annalise wants something, she gets it.
While she is unforgiving, tough and displays traits that are
traditionally considered masculine, she is also incredibly vulnerable. One of
my favorite scenes on the show is a moment after Annalise finds out some
terrible news about her husband. She sits in front of her mirror and takes off
her wig, her eyelashes, and all of her makeup. It’s an absolutely chilling moment
because as a viewer you feel like Annalise has finally taken off all of her
armor and has allowed herself to grieve and be upset, to be vulnerable. She strips
herself of the things that make her traditionally beautiful, until its just Annalise.
I think its really important to see her grief and her tears. One, because it
makes her character more well-rounded if she has moments where she breaks down.
It also allows her to be a character that is ruthless, powerful, strong, and a
character that cries and grieves. Another great thing about this scene is that
Viola Davis requested it; it was her idea.
Watch the scene here:
Watch the scene here:
I think your post is incredibly interesting, and I especially agree with your comment about every character being diverse and unique. Your post made me interested in watching the show, and I think you made some very good points about how the character Annalise exemplifies feminism.
ReplyDeleteI think this is a great topic for your blog. I like how you plan on focusing on separate characters and explain how they fit into a certain theme, despite the fact that there is a lot of diversity between characters. Also, you provided a great analysis for the scene you included; it gave more insight into the character physically and emotionally.
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