How to Get Away with Murder season 4 episode 9 review: Check, check and check

How to Get Away with Murder’s return to primetime comes with an episode that feels mostly like a concerted effort to move from point A to B.

How to Get Away with Murder had a lot to contend with in last night’s new episode to kick off the second half of a season. With such a tall order, this results in something almost workmanlike, if still trying for major drama as it usually does. Let’s review, shall we?

Literally two minutes into the episode, Connor starts spilling everything to Annalise, except, presumably, the part about how Simon is shot. He also learns about Nate and Bonnie spending time together. So, you know, not the greatest start.

Although Frank flat-out claims he’s the baby’s father, the baby is dark-skinned, indicating that Wes is the father. This is also about when Frank and Annalise get separated and questioned about Laurel … only for a dramatic slow-motion shot of Mr. Castillo! Really, it’s a little much.

Annalise, meanwhile, manipulates her way into not only figuring out why Jorge Castillo has filed for temporary custody of the baby, but also getting Isaac Roa to come in and evaluate Laurel separately. The episode does a fairly good job of letting us think there’s hope for Annalise to outwit Jorge — only for Mr. Castillo to win, at least halfway through.

It’s quite difficult to watch the sequence where both Annalise and Laurel break down, both trying to protect the child. Part of it is because Karla Souza and Viola Davis pour themselves into their performances, with Souza additionally having to sell being drugged as well because she’s in a psych ward — both being dosed and coming out of it later.

And indeed, a lot of this episode is about Annalise and Laurel almost bonding, in a strange way, over their shared trauma and their united fight against Jorge Castillo for custody of the baby. The episode does repeat part of the birth sequence in flashback, which I have already expressed my feelings on before.

The scene where Asher tells the truth to Nate while Oliver and Michaela absolutely lie to the police is quite well done, because of the way that the direction jumps back and forth between the truth and the less than truth. That scene sets up the exchange where both Tegan and Michaela are in tears and Tegan ends it by telling Michaela that, effectively, her lying skills need work.

There’s nothing here that’s supremely surprising, necessarily. Ultimately, the goal of this episode is to pull together the disparate scenes that we saw in the flash-forwards of the first half of the season, then push things forward. Because of that, there are parts where it feels mostly like checking off a list, although there are some legitimately emotional moments, including most of Jack Falahee and Conrad Ricamora’s work in this episode.

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At the end of the episode, here’s where we are: Bonnie’s mostly back on Team Annalise (in getting out Laurel’s bag, as well as freeing Asher). Simon Drake has technically not died yet, just kidding! Dominic’s dead, murdered by Frank after some mild torture (and we kind of see him snap his neck, which is more than a little gross). Also, Wes’ voice is on a voicemail on Dominic’s phone!

Please don’t tell me that there will be more flashbacks to Wes being alive, How to Get Away with Murder.