- "We're all bad people. That's the only thing we have in common."
- —Bonnie Winterbottom to Annalise's Law Firm.[src]
Bonnie Winterbottom is one of the main characters of How to Get Away with Murder. She appears sweet and kind, the perfect counterpart to Annalise, but she will show her claws when you least expect it. As Annalise's dedicated associate, Bonnie works around the clock to do all the behind-the-scenes casework, as well as help guide the students. Though she may reprimand Frank about his questionable decisions when it comes to his personal life, she is his biggest ally and protector. Besides, Frank knows that Bonnie has secrets too.
Biography[]
Early Life[]
- "My father molested me and my sister. It started when I was five, she was six. My mother knew. It was how they made money. Tapes, and selling us to men. When I was 15, I got pregnant. I had the baby, a boy. But my parents told me he died. And now I just found out he might be alive."
- —Bonnie Winterbottom to Ronald Miller regarding her childhood.[src]
When Bonnie was young, she and her sister, Julie Winterbottom were often abused, sexually and otherwise by her father and other men who her father introduced them to; one of whom being Louis Lindgren. By the age of 15, she had become pregnant and people stopped raping her. During labor, she passed out and when she awoke, her father told her that the baby died. Unknowingly, her father and presumably sister had secretly taken the baby to St. Lincoln's Hospital where they abandoned it. Julie later returned to the hospital where she secretly took the baby back. The following years, Bonnie came clean to the world about what had happened to her and many of the rapists were put in federal prison, including her father. ("Meet Bonnie", "I Love Her", "The Baby Was Never Dead")
Bonnie being welcomed by Annalise and Sam. ("I Love Her") |
After discovering another person who raped her, she files charges against him. Once arriving at the courthouse, Bonnie notices the other party arriving (Louis Lindgren and his lawyers, Annalise Keating and Hugh Murphy). Once the court is in session, Bonnie is on the stand explaining that she was 14 when she was raped by the Councilman. She explains that her father put her in his office in the basement of City Hall where the councilman would enter and rape her. She tells the court that it ended when she got pregnant, however, as she was being raped by multiple men she had no idea who the father was, nor does she know what happened to her baby once she gave birth. Once the court is in recess, Bonnie sits outside when her attorney goes up to her and tells her that she did a good job testifying. Annalise and her partner exit the building to see Bonnie's lawyer leaving her. The next time she is in court, Annalise is crossing Bonnie. Annalise questions her while she is on the stand and asks her why she waited so long to tell people what had been happening to her. Bonnie tells her that she was very young and her father was intimidating. Next, Annalise questions Bonnie's memory. She asks how she knows that it was the councilman that raped her and Bonnie responds that she remembered that it was him when she saw him on the TV. She didn't remember him before as she doesn't like to think about what had happened to her when she was younger. Annalise throws around multiple different mental illnesses, each trying to disprove Bonnie's testimony. However, it has the opposite effect. Next, she questions the existence of her child that supposedly died. Annalise then gets Bonnie to practically admit that there is a chance that the baby might not have existed, causing Bonnie to lose the case. Sometime later, Annalise approaches Bonnie. Bonnie at first is horrified by the fact that Annalise would face her after what she did to her in court. But after Annalise tells her that she thinks that she is capable of so much more and offers to get her into a law school, Bonnie agrees. Later, Bonnie shows up on Annalise's doorstep and Sam and Annalise invite her in. ("I Love Her")
Around 2004, Annalise has hired her as one of her Keating 4 along with three other law students. Still as shy as when she met Annalise, Bonnie is attending Sam's therapy sessions but making friends. She often helps Annalise with her pregnancy, having been through it herself. However, Annalise loses the baby. Bonnie stays on after completing law school as a kind of apprentice to Annalise. ("Pilot", "She Hates Us")
Season 1[]
Bonnie is too friendly with Sam Keating, Annalise's husband. ("Pilot") |
Bonnie Winterbottom escorts Gina Sadowski, a woman charged with the attempted murder of her boss and lover, Arthur Kaufman, into the office of Annalise Keating so she can tell her side of the story to the professors law students so they can come up with a defense, which will help her walk free. After Annalise explains the competition to the students, she tells them they can get help from her associates, Frank and Bonnie. After Frank introduces himself to the class, Bonnie introduces herself, explaining that she'll like the students more if they come to her with answers instead of questions. When the students present their ideas, Bonnie and Frank help Annalise determine who will go through to the next round. After the winners are chosen, the court sessions start. Bonnie sits in the sessions on the defense desk, and she is in charge of most of the evidence and facts for the case. When Connor Walsh presents an illegally obtained email that will help the case, Annalise uses Bonnie to help confirm its legitimacy in court...and it works, impressing Connor. Later that night, Bonnie and Frank stay at Annalise's office while the professor and her selected students attend a formal party with Sam Keating, Annalise's husband. Annalise and Sam return to the office as Bonnie and Frank work. Bonnie, over-friendly, greets Sam and gives jealous looks towards Annalise as she kisses her husband. Later on, Bonnie witnesses Frank flirting with Laurel, so she wants him to stop "screwing the students". The following day, after learning Gina bought aspirin the night before the attempted murder, Annalise is upset with Frank for not getting that bit of information out of the client. They end up winning the trial; however, Nate Lahey is later brought in to testify. Bonnie is then present when Annalise reveals who will come to work at her firm. She gives Frank suspicious looks when it's revealed Laurel is one of them. ("Pilot")
(...)
Bonnie talking to a guy at a bar. ("Kill Me, Kill Me, Kill Me") |
In a bar, Bonnie is listening to the TV broadcast about Lila. A man is sat next to her. He tells her that the stuff that they are saying about Lila is crazy. Bonnie asks him if he has secrets to hide and the man replies "don't we all?" Later, in a posh hotel, Bonnie is kissing the man who was talking to her at the bar. Bonnie asks him about his job. He tells her that she smells so good and continues to kiss her. After, Bonnie is leaving the hotel in a bit of a rush and looks emotional. She calls Asher and asks him if his party is still happening. He tells her it was kind of a bust and asks her why. She tells him that she could swing by his place for a bit. Back in the car, Laurel suddenly notices Asher crossing the road directly in front of the car. Connor stops the car before he ploughed him over. Asher is surprised that Bonnie would want to spend time with him and stops in the middle of the road blocking Connor's car unknowingly. Bonnie asks him if it is ok with him. He tells her that he will be there in 20 and walks off. Bonnie hangs up the phone and walks out of the hotel. She the goes to Asher's place. Asher casually tidies up while Bonnie looks at something. He asks her if she wants a drink. Bonnie tells him that she thinks that she's had enough and takes off her shoes while sitting on his couch. Asher asks her if she has had a rough night. He offers to talk about it. She tells him no and to sit down while stroking the chair. Asher doesn't want to take advantage of her as he thinks that she is pretty wasted. She tells him that she's a woman and she knows what she wants, even though she might be drunk. So she tells him to get over there. Asher sits down next to her and Bonnie gets on top of him and kisses him. He lifts her up and moves her on the couch. She hits her head on some books. He moves them while she tries to get his pants down. ("Kill Me, Kill Me, Kill Me")
Asher and Bonnie after sex. ("Kill Me, Kill Me, Kill Me") |
After Asher and Bonnie have sex, Asher checks his phone and sees pictures of Connor, Wes, Laurel and Michaela at the bonfire. He says that they never even wanted to go. Bonnie says that he can never tell anyone about them. Bonnie tells him that them having sex never happened. Asher agrees and claims to never be 'that guy.' Asher wants it to happen again when Bonnie's phone rings. She answers it and its Annalise crying. She asks Bonnie if she is with Sam and Bonnie says no as she isn't and asks why. Annalise tells her that something terrible has happened. ("Freakin' Whack-a-Mole") She tells her that they fought last night after she left and that the D.A. was going to find out that the baby was his. He thinks he is going to go away for the murder. She says that he isn't answering his phone and she's worried that he might have done something stupid. Bonnie tells her to stay right where she is and that she will be right over. Asher asks who was on the phone. Bonnie tells him that she needs to get to the office. He offers her a ride and breakfast but Bonnie doesn't think that its a good idea. ("Kill Me, Kill Me, Kill Me")
Season 2[]
In the premiere episode of Season 2, it is revealed that Bonnie murdered Rebecca by suffocating her with a plastic bag.
(...)
When Asher gets suspicious of everyone's secretiveness and wanted to testify stating that Annalise had asked her lover Nate to kill her husband Sam, Bonnie goes into detail explaining to him that Sam almost raped her and that is why she had to kill him. Later, Bonnie follows Asher, she discovers that he bought himself time. She reports this to Annalise, and then Asher comes into her car. Asher asks questions about Frank and the murder. Bonnie tells him that Frank helped and that the others do not know about this, so he must keep this a secret. Bonnie also falsely confesses that she used Asher as an alibi for her murdering of Sam. ("Meet Bonnie")
(...)
Season 3[]
At the start of the Keating 5's second year of law school, Bonnie assisted Annalise Keating with her first pro-bono case at her new legal clinic. Her first client was a refugee from Iraq named Karim Assaf who pleaded guilty to a possession charge to prevent himself from being deported - or at least that was what Karim was told by his public defender at the time. In court, Bonnie helped stall the Judge by calling Karim's daughter to the stand while Annalise talked with the District Attorney's Office to get Karim's charge reduced to a misdemeanor. Annalise later arrived with the new plea it still didn't change her mind and refused to dismiss Karim's deportation status. Back at the Keating House, Bonnie finds a report on the university's website about the posters which a student had been putting up around the university calling Annalise a killer. She shows the report to Annalise. She asks her whether she thinks that it's Frank putting them up. Annalise doesn't and Bonnie takes that as a nod that Frank is dead. Annalise tells her that he isn't. ("We're Good People Now")
With Annalise's new clinic, Bonnie is forced to pack up some of the files in the office at the Keating House now that her law firm is taking a step back for a time. Laurel shows up and starts talking about Frank and whether she has heard anything from him. Bonnie tells her that she hadn't. Annalise arrives home and makes her way to her room where Bonnie and Laurel hear banging from Annalise smashing her burner phone with an ornament on the floor. Due to Laurel asking about Frank, Bonnie looks into Laurel's phone logs and finds that she has been calling him nearly every day. She takes this to Annalise who isn't happy that the Keating 5 are lying to her again after everything that she's done for them. Bonnie assures her that she'll deal with it. Sometime later, Bonnie calls Laurel and the two drink and play pool at a bar. Bonnie notices Laurel's poor skill at pool and questions why Frank never taught her better. Laurel then comes clean and tells Bonnie that she leaves voicemails for Frank and that because his voicemail box isn't full, he's listening to them. Bonnie tells her to stop calling him and to move on. The two then team up with Annalise and Laurel calls Frank again and begs him to come home, that everyone misses him and forgives him for what he did. When she hangs up the phone after telling him she loved him, she asks Annalise whether she did well. She replies telling her she did perfect. ("There Are Worse Things Than Murder")
Annalise is rummaging through her kitchen searching for her junk food. Bonnie arrives and shows her to the draw where she hid them. Bonnie comments on Annalise's newest client: Toby Solomon and tells her that she should drop him. Later, Bonnie, Michaela and Oliver discover that Toby had withdrawn a huge amount of money. They inform Annalise and Annalise and Bonnie then catch Toby on his way out where he admits that his former attorney is blackmailing him. Toby tells them that it is because he told him that he killed someone else. They then take Toby back to the house where he explains exactly what happened. Bonnie finds a website online run by the mother of the girl which he killed. After, Bonnie and Annalise discuss what to do with Toby. Bonnie compares the murdered girl to herself, thinking that Bonnie could have been her. Annalise asks whether she wants to stay the night for the company but she refuses. Back at her apartment, Bonnie watches videos of the killed girl's mother beg everyone for news on her missing daughter. The following day, Annalise gets Toby to lie under oath. He tells the court that the missing girl was killed by his jailmate. This then leads the ADA to offer a plea deal which Annalise forces Toby to take after slapping him in the face after he initially refuses. Bonnie flinches at the slap. Back at the house, Bonnie catches Michaela rummaging around her desk. Bonnie asks for the money she stole back. She then takes the 200k which Toby took out to Annalise who tells her to keep it. Later that night, Laurel returns but claims that she got nothing from her father. ("Always Bet Black")
At court, Tristan is being charged with credit card theft. Asher is first chair and profusely sweats. Asher gives his opening statement but the speech leaves a little to be desired. The ADA on the case informs the Judge that the attorney watching Asher, Annalise, has had her license revoked. In another room, Bonnie reassures Tristan that she will take over as lead attorney in Annalise's stead. Later, Asher has Oliver dig into Tristan's movements where they find him frequently visiting a storage facility. The three go there and discover a storage unit filled with baby things. Tristan admits that they are for someone and hints that it is his teacher. Determining that Susan Boatman is that teacher the two come up with a cutthroat idea and Asher questions whether Annalise would approve of said idea. In court, Bonnie humiliates Susan who pleads the fifth when asked about Tristan being the father of her baby. After, the ADA drops the charges against Tristan who is angry that Bonnie and Asher would ruin a woman's life. He calls them horrible people and leaves. Asher comforts Bonnie saying that she did the right thing and that he's proud of her. Later, at the Keating House, Annalise has broken up with Nate and is throwing his things out. Bonnie tells her that her father died in Coalport. One her way out that night, Bonnie notices Laurel crying in the porch. Laurel tells Bonnie that Frank was in Coalport. Realizing that Frank killed her father, Bonnie tells Laurel not to tell Annalise. ("Don't Tell Annalise")
Bonnie visits her father's body at the funeral home in Coalport and asks the director to cremate him. Outside, Laurel calls her and asks about Frank. Coincidentally, Frank appears at her car. The two embrace and Bonnie thanks him. That then return to Frank's motel room where Bonnie asks him why he would kill Mahoney in front of Wes. Frank tells her that it was so that Annalise wouldn't follow him. While taking a shower, Frank informs her that Annalise tried to call her. She then calls her back who asks Bonnie how she's doing. She tells her that she's with her sister and reminds Annalise to go to an AA meeting. After Bonnie tries to convince Frank to go back home but he doesn't believe that Annalise will take him back. Its night and Bonnie is sleeping in the bed while Frank sleeps on the floor. Frank has a nightmare and Bonnie wakes him up. He says that he was dreaming about when he hurt his father. The two get into bed together and Frank asks her to run away with him. Frank moves in for a kiss and the two ends up having sex. In the morning, Bonnie goes out and gets breakfast. When she returns to the motel room she finds that Frank and all his things are gone. Bonnie gets emotional. She then returns to Philadelphia where she catches Laurel telling Annalise about Frank being in Coalport. ("It's About Frank")
Bonnie tries to explain herself. Bonnie reveals a recording she secretly made of Frank confessing to Wallace Mahoney's murder. Laurel gets a call from Meggy telling her that the NYPD are at Wes' Apartment. Wes wants to talk to the police but Annalise tells him not to. The following morning, Annalise calls to tell both Bonnie and Wes who is currently hiding out in the house, that she has her license back. Bonnie then blames all of their problems on Wes, telling him that it all started with his crush on Rebecca. Later, Annalise gathers the other Keating 5 at her house where she tells them about Wes' predicament and that Wallace Mahoney is his father. That night, Annalise doesn't trust her but Bonnie says that she did everything for her, that she loves her. On her way out for the night, Laurel is waiting outside and questions her encounter with Frank. Bonnie lies and tells her that she barely saw him. The following day, Annalise is surprised that Bonnie is still trying with her. Bonnie offers to call Vince Levin and Annalise tells her to do so and to assist her in court. Bonnie then goes to the records clerk and gets evidence against Daniela Alvodar for Annalise to use in court. They later arrive home and Vince is waiting in the porch. When they look inside, Wes is gone. A news report on the TV suggests that Wes turned himself in. After watching the entire story though, it reveals that Charles, Mahoney's other son has been arrested. Annalise instantly knows that it was Frank's doing. ("Is Someone Really Dead?")
Wes later goes to the police with Vince Levin. Sometime later, Bonnie is at the Keating House and she wonders whether Laurel's father could find Frank again. Annalise has a craving for alcohol so Bonnie tells her to go to a group seeing as she has only gone once that week. The following day, Charles is revealed to have an alibi for the night his father died. Everyone gathers at the house where Wes catches Annalise out on another lie. The others turn on her and Bonnie tries to defend her but Annalise takes them all on and tells them to get everything off of their chest. After, Bonnie gives Annalise a slice of cake. Annalise is working on her most recent case when she has a breakthrough and calls Laurel over to assist. The following night, Bonnie is at her house, looking at the Mahoney alibi article when Frank knocks on her door. He comes in and tells her that he should've talked to Annalise from the start which is why the made Charles a suspect. Bonnie assumes that Frank has already tried to see Laurel and that she's his sloppy seconds. She tells him that anything that the two had together was lost when he left her in that motel room and tells him to get out. ("Call It Mother's Intuition")
Fire at the Keating House[]
After the Keating House is engulphed in flames, Annalise became the top suspect in the police's radar and arrested her because of it. Annalise then called Bonnie from jail where she told her that she had given her phone to Oliver to have him delete everything on it. When Bonnie goes to the crime scene later, she catches Oliver and he confirms that he has done what Annalise asked him to do. As a ploy to get the cops away from the ambulance, Bonnie uses her status as Annalise's attorney to talk to Detective John Mumford about the charges which they are holding Annalise on. While distracted, Oliver then drops the phone underneath the ambulance when the firemen receive confirmation that there is a survivor. Bonnie then races over to tell Annalise in jail the news. She then goes to the hospital where she finds Oliver trying to get an update from the nurse. They get nowhere and resort to asking Meggy to see whether she knows anything but she is too preoccupied to listen. Meggy later informs them that it is Laurel who is the victim and that she is pregnant. Bonnie then takes a phone call where she informs the person on the other end that Laurel is pregnant. ("Always Bet Black", "Don't Tell Annalise", "It's About Frank")
Season 4[]
- "Maybe I just made it all up that we were the same. We were both abused. We both lost babies. But maybe that's what screwed us up, too. Cause she wanted a child and I wanted to be what she wanted."
- —Bonnie Winterbottom about Annalise Keating to Isaac Roa[src]
Around a month later, Bonnie called Annalise who was visiting her parents revealing that Hannah Keating (Sam's sister) was contesting Annalise's ownership of the house and her hearing to be reinstated to the Bar was pending. A week later, Frank shows Bonnie around a building which Frank believes could be Annalise's new office and suggests giving the firm the name "Keating Winterbottom Delfino." Though Bonnie seemed to like the idea, she points out that Annalise still hates him. Frank asks her whether she wants to come to his parent's house to have dinner, however, Bonnie reveals that she already has plans as Annalise has invited her to dinner with the Keating 4. Later, once Annalise returned from Memphis, Bonnie and Annalise go to her Bar hearing where Annalise admits allegations against her are true. She explains due to her drinking, one of her students took their life at her home and that she has not had a drink since. After practically begging the board to give her another chance, Ellen Freeman and the rest of the board agree. That night, Bonnie and the others go to the dinner where Annalise presents the others with envelopes with strict instructions not to open them until they got home. Laurel said she couldn’t drink to celebrate because she was having the baby and is due in five months. Annalise then said the envelopes held recommendation letters, as she was cutting them from her team. While the Keating 4 members all left unhappily by her decision, Bonnie was the only one left. Annalise then reached into her bag and gave her a letter herself. Bonnie pleaded with Annalise to change her mind but consumed with emotion, Annalise left. Sometime later, Bonnie blackmails District Attorney Todd Denver into getting her a job at the District Attorney's Office. While going into her interview, Nate sees her. ("I'm Going Away")
Once receiving her new office at the District Attorney's Office, Bonnie started work on cases, one of which lead her to a courtroom where Annalise was just finishing her case. While the attorney's changed over, it was revealed to Annalise that Bonnie was now an ADA which surprised her as she thought Bonnie was there to talk to her. Back in the office, Bonnie asks Nate for assistance on a case to which he refuses. While walking away Bonnie calls after him. Nate, however, thinks that she is only working for the DA for Annalise. Bonnie tells him that she isn't working for her any longer. Nate doesn't believe her. Annalise then later visits the office to talk to the ADA on her case with Jasmine Bromelle, a sex trafficking victim. After having no luck with him, she turns to Bonnie who was listening in closely to their conversation. While walking away, Annalise follows her to her office where Bonnie refuses to offer her help and gives her the advice to settle. When home, Bonnie calls Frank and asks him where he is as he promised her dinner. Frank gives the excuse that he is studying for the LSATS when really he is stalking Laurel. Frank asks her about her first week at the office to which Bonnie tells him was going fine until she ran into Annalise. She tells him that she wanted her to unseal some of Jasmine's records for her of which she refused to do. The following day, after coming to his senses, Nate gives her the contact details of the witness she asked for help with the previous day. Now that he has talked with Annalise personally and corroborated her story, he has no reason to give her a hard time. He asks her how she got the job then puts it together that she blackmailed Denver in order to get it. The two joke about starting a support group for Annalise's victims. ("I'm Not Her")
While coming into the office, Bonnie notices Oliver Hampton, who was talking to Nate. She ignores him as she walks into her office. Later she is visited by Laurel Castillo. Bonnie comments about Oliver telling the others. Laurel reveals that she wants to be her intern to which Bonnie instantly denies. Laurel tries to sway her decision as no other firm will hire her due to her low GPA and the fact that she is pregnant. As Nate comes into her office, Laurel asks him for his opinion to which Nate tells her that the office isn't for "munchkins". After she leaves, Nate tells Bonnie a way in which Bonnie can show to the DA that she is no longer "team Annalise." Enacting the plan, Nate calls Oliver to get him to hack into Annalise's phone and to dig for dirt about her client for Bonnie to leak to the other ADA. Oliver finds a deleted voice memo. Nate then takes this to the ADA on the case. While in the parking lot after trial, Annalise approaches Bonnie and Nate, angry with what they had just done. Bonnie and Annalise begin a verbal argument. Nate tries to get the two to stop, however, the two continue. The two eventually get violent and start attacking each other. Nate separates them. When home, she tells Frank about what transpired with her and Annalise. Frank talks about Laurel and tries to get her to hire her, however, Bonnie tells Frank to go and live with her if she is that important to him and leaves. The following morning, Bonnie changes her mind and calls Laurel. At the DA's office, Bonnie tells Laurel the rules and not to mess it up for her. Laurel thanks her to which Laurel told her to thank Frank. She then goes to talk to Nate where he asks her whether she is okay to which Bonnie tells him that she and Annalise have said much worse to each other and leaves for her office. ("It's for the Greater Good")
After hearing that a judge wanted to open all of Virginia Cross's former clients, Bonnie informs Denver in his office to which he admits he already knew. Bonnie suggests that they stay ahead of it so that they can limit any backfire that the office may receive. Denver agrees to her proposal and sends her away. Taking the files into a spare workspace, Bonnie begins combing through the many files. Nate later visits her to see what she is doing. After telling him, he asks her whether she is doing it because of Annalise. Bonnie claims to just be doing her job. Laurel enters holding one of Denver's attorney general campaign flyers. Bonnie reminds her that she is late, however, Laurel is more bothered by Denver's campaign. After Nate leaves, Laurel asks her how she can work with him after what Denver did. Bonnie tells her that she needs a job and tells her to do hers. While leaving the room, she is spotted by Denver who goes to Bonnie to question her about her. Bonnie informs him that she is her intern to which Denver tells her to fire her. Bonnie, however, brings up the fact that Laurel is pregnant and she could bring about a discrimination lawsuit which would affect his campaign. Later, Nate approaches her office and hands her some files she asked for and tells her that they were misfiled. Bonnie admits to Nate her theory on why Annalise took down Virginia Cross which was to get her job as chief public defender. Nate encourages her to drop it. Later, Bonnie arranges a therapy session with Isaac Roa under a false name, Julie Barden. When arriving at his office, he invites her in and they start their session. ("Was She Ever Good at Her Job?")
While looking through the DA's database, Bonnie starts to notice that some inmates were having their attorney states' changed to pending. Realizing that someone might be up to something, Bonnie visits each of the inmates personally and offers the deal for less time in exchange for them not to take part in any deal that someone may have offered them. Back at the office, Bonnie wants to prove that Annalise is going after Cross' clients, so she sends Nate to the prison to find out. However, he returns to her at the office telling her there’s no evidence Annalise has visited the prison in weeks. Not satisfied by this report, she decides to take matters into her own hands and visit the jail herself, only to find the same answer. However, after noticing the security camera and checking the footage, it is revealed that Annalise was behind it after all. This leads to another parking lot confrontation. Annalise explains that she was trying to do something good for once, but Bonnie throws it back in her face insisting, she only ever helped her because of her guilt. This then causes Bonnie to go to Isaac's office for an emergency session. As they talk, Bonnie begins to pour out her emotions — her confusion over whether she made up the similarities between them, her desire to be the child Annalise so desperately wanted. He pushes her to recollect good memories of their time together. She finally gives in and starts to sob, "I love her." Bonnie says she wants to believe May (Annalise) wants to change with the class action lawsuit, and Isaac puts the pieces together. Bonnie rambles on about them both being sexually abused which helps to confirm Isaac’s fear. He confronts Bonnie with the fact that May is Annalise Keating and she’s the one Annalise fired as Isaac happens to be the same therapist which Annalise was sent to. ("I Love Her")
Back in the DA's Office, Denver is parading out Bonnie before the entire office to congratulate her on the work she did on Cross' old cases. But the celebration is short-lived because soon Isaac is in Bonnie’s office, urging her to get a new therapist because she was making good progress with him. She reluctantly assures him she will. Annalise later storms into the DA's office with Connor and makes a speech before the entire staff about the fact that they are taking a home away from the Gelvin family who need it. After, Bonnie intercepts Nate in the men's room and confronts him about telling his old department to move her requests to the bottom of their list. They confront each other about the lies they’ve told, and he tells her this isn’t about Annalise but the people she’s trying to help with her class action. Later, after having a change of heart about Annalise class action, Bonnie goes to the DA and warns him that his poll numbers are down in low-income districts due to stunt he pulled with taking the house away from the family, advising him against his tactics to take down Annalise’s class action suit. He shuts Bonnie down and takes her off the case despite the fact that it only exists because of her. After failing to derail Denver's path against Annalise's suit which she started, at her house that night, Bonnie drinks when Asher is at the door asking for Frank. Bonnie reminds him that the house is actually hers. Asher realizes that something is up and asks her. She tells him that she messed everything up. He hugs her as she begins to cry. ("Stay Strong, Mama")
Not long after Bonnie was removed from the case, the Attorney General himself decided to take it over. After the first trial with Annalise's class action, while walking down the courthouse, Nate caught up with her to talk about it. Nate asks her whether she was the person who planted the alcohol on Annalise, however, Bonnie reminds him that the alcohol which was planted was scotch; anyone close to Annalise will know that she likes Vodka and walks away. While walking to Laurel in her office, she notices Connor and asks him what he is doing there. He tells her that Annalise is talking to Denver. After Connor tries to rub it in her face as he is classed as the new "Bonnie", Bonnie reminds him that no one wants that job and hands Laurel the files which she wants filing and leaves. While noticing the AG leaving, she approaches him in the car lot. As Chase sees that Bonnie is one of "Denver's people" he thinks that she is there about the campaign for AG, however, Bonnie reveals that she worked for Annalise and tells him that she knows of a way in which she can beat her, referring to her therapist, Isaac Roa. The following day in court, the AG calls Isaac to the stand. He tries to get Isaac to say that Annalise isn't mentally competent to handle the lawsuit, as it could be a risk factor for her alcoholism. He lies, saying he isn't concerned about her sobriety. Nate confronted Bonnie afterward, accusing her of secretly seeing Isaac herself and bringing him to the AG's attention. Following this, the class action suit was officially certified. ("Nobody Roots for Goliath")
After being asked by Frank to get Sandrine Castillo's information, Bonnie meets him in a warehouse to give him the only thing that she could find on her which is her social security number. To be safe, Frank gives her a device which informs her when her car's breaks have been tampered with. Later, Annalise asks Bonnie if she could keep an eye on Isaac's case at the DA's Office. There, Bonnie is trying to help Isaac without signaling Annalise’s involvement. She goes to the ADA assigned to the case, Ronald Miller and offers to help him figure out how to charge the guy, while also flirting with him and offering to go out for drinks in order to encourage him to give her information. Later, Frank calls Bonnie at her office to tell her that Laurel’s mom has been on the phone with Jorge every day that week. After getting more on Isaac's case, Bonnie goes to Annalise's apartment. There was bruising on Stella’s body, which proved Isaac did CPR. Then Annalise notices the drug in Stella’s system; The same opioid Isaac admitted to taking the night of his relapse after the trial. Back at the DA's office, Miller taunts Bonnie, revealing her interest in the case made him realize she’s still working for Annalise. So he’s advised the DA to bring him in for “death by delivery”. Bonnie has a mild breakdown in her office, but then she recovers and storms into Denver’s office, making one last desperate stand. She plays the recording of their conversation about Antares off her phone and threatens to leak all of their conversations to the press if anything happens to her. Her terms: He must drop the investigation into Isaac. Bonnie then informs Annalise that the DA dropped the charges. At her house, Bonnie is moving her gun around in fear that she’s going to be attacked. She calls Frank and asks him to move back in with her because she’s so afraid. ("Ask Him About Stella")
After Annalise managed to get her class action, not only reinstated but also sent to the Supreme Court. Bonnie and Laurel watch an interview between Noah Baker and Ingrid Egan, the attorney Annalise would go up against at the Supreme Court the following day while at her house. Laurel is also trying to get Bonnie to have the court reinstate Isaac’s testimony now that he’s not being investigated anymore after Bonnie had the D.A. drop the case, but Bonnie ominously states he’s no longer a reliable witness. The next day, Laurel and rest of the remaining Keating 4, including Oliver make the trip to Washington D.C. to witness Annalise at the Supreme Court; Meanwhile, Bonnie and Frank are meeting in a parking garage again. Frank tells Bonnie that Laurel’s mom admits to meeting with Wes to try to get him to stay away from Laurel and that she paid Wes 100k to get him to agree. He wants Bonnie to check Wes’ bank account for the money; she still wants Frank to tell Laurel the truth as he still hasn't told her. After not finding any money in Wes' account, she informed Frank who subsequently told Laurel the truth. After getting a call from the hospital, Bonnie calls Annalise to tell her that Simon Drake has woken up from his coma. ("Lahey v. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania")
Season 5[]
Season 6[]
Death[]
In the penultimate episode, Bonnie discovers from Annalise that Frank Delfino is actually the child of Sam and Hannah Keating. Bonnie reveals this to Frank, despite Annalise asking her not to. In the series finale, Frank leaves Bonnie, angry at her for telling him the truth about his parents. Bonnie apologizes and pleads for him to stay with her. Frank tells her that he will forgive her some day but he can’t forgive her now and leaves. At the end of the episode, Annalise wins her case, securing a not guilty verdict on all charges. Bonnie joins Annalise outside the courthouse to speak to the press, but notices Frank approaching with a gun, intending to shoot Governor Lynn Birkhead, the woman who framed Annalise for multiple crimes she didn’t commit. Bonnie pushes through the crowd of reporters to stop Frank but he shoots Birkhead, killing her. Courthouse security shoot Frank and he dies in Bonnie's arms on the Courthouse steps. Annalise realises that Bonnie has also been shot in the ensuing chaos. Severely injured, Bonnie collapses onto a devastated Annalise who tearfully pleas with Bonnie to “stay” but Bonnie passes away in Annalise's arms. ("Stay")
Murders Committed[]
- Rebecca Sutter: Duct taped her mouth shut and then wrapped a plastic bag around her head, suffocating her. Bonnie did this as an alternative to letting her go. Bonnie didn't want to take the chance that Rebecca would tell the police of what they did to her so she took care of the problem without the permission of Annalise. She then hid the body under the stairs which was later found by Frank. ("It's All My Fault", "It's Time to Move On")
- Ronald Miller: Bonnie suffocated him to death by covering his nose and mouth after discovering that he was brutally attacked and beaten by Nate. Bonnie did this knowing that Nate would most likely have been charged with assault or attempted murder if Miller had survived and went to the police. Also, Bonnie at the time was under the assumption that Ron was involved in the murder of Nathaniel Lahey, Sr. She then had Nate take the body away. ("I Want to Love You Until the Day I Die")
Relationships[]
- Asher Millstone: Bonnie was romantically linked with Asher Millstone, one of Annalise Keating's interns. They had sex for the first time the night Sam was killed, then again after Bonnie won her first case in court. They broke up when Bonnie suspected Asher of seeing another woman, not knowing he was behaving strangely because he was being blackmailed by Emily Sinclair. Their relationship ended permanently when Bonnie discovered Asher's role in a gang-rape coverup and learned Annalise had revealed Bonnie's past trauma to him.
- Ronald Miller: The two met at the District Attorney's Office. While on a dating app, Bonnie notices Ronald’s name come up as a match and swipes left revealing that she likes him. The app the tells her that he has also swiped left, indicating that he also likes her. Following this, the two flirt with each other around the office until they eventually kiss in Ronald’s office. This then leads to the two starting a secret relationship. Sometime later, Ronald hands her a relationship agreement for HR for her to sign so that they didn’t have to hide their relationship from the office anymore. Though initially signing it, Bonnie was caught off guard by finding out that her son is still alive, which sends her on a downward spiral which ends up with her shutting Ronald out. He thinks that it is because of the relationship agreement; however, Bonnie eventually comes clean to him about her messed up childhood to which he comforts her and tells her that she will not scare him away.
- Frank Delfino: Bonnie and Frank originally dated when Bonnie was working as an intern alongside Frank at the Keating house. Unfortunately the relationship didn't last as Sam told Frank to break up with Bonnie, still claiming Frank owed him after what happened to his baby. The couple picks up again s3 but again its short lived as Frank ends up going back to Laurel who is actually with Wes at the time. Later in season six they begin dating again much to Annalise's caution that Frank will ruin Bonnie or that he won't be able to take her neediness. Despite the odds the couple stay together until death with a few ups and downs but ultimately loved each other.
Trivia[]
- In the original script for the "Pilot", Bonnie was described as "his [Frank] perfect counterpoint -- a mama bear type, warm and sweet and smiley."[3]
- On the ABC website, Bonnie is described as appearing "sweet and kind, the perfect counterpart to Annalise, but she will show her claws when you least expect it. As Annalise's dedicated associate, Bonnie works around the clock to do all the behind-the-scenes casework, as well as help guide the students. Though she may reprimand Frank about his questionable decisions when it comes to his personal life, she is his biggest ally and protector. Besides, Frank knows that Bonnie has secrets, too."[4]
- As it was mentioned that Bonnie was 15 when she had her child who was born on November 26, 1994,[5] she would have been born 15 years prior putting it in late 1979 making her around 37 as of Season 5. ("Whose Blood Is That?", "It's Her Kid")
- Bonnie was heavily implied to be bisexual. After hooking up with Asher, he asks her whether Annalise and her are lesbians. In response, she says that their relationship is complicated. She kisses Annalise in Season 3 and admits to loving her in Season 4. She also comes clean about her feelings in Season 4 to Annalise, stating: ”This is me knowing what I want. And I know that I love you and that I need you and maybe you can love me too.” She also asks Nate how he got over Annalise.
- Annalise and Bonnie had plans to open a law firm together as "Keating & Winterbottom." This was revealed in Season 5.
Appearances[]
"Mama's Here Now" | "The Night Lila Died" | "It's All My Fault" |
"Something Bad Happened" | "There's My Baby" | "Anna Mae" |
"It's War" | "He Made a Terrible Mistake" | "Wes" |
"Lahey v. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania" | "The Day Before He Died" | "Nobody Else Is Dying" |
"Where Are Your Parents?" | "Make Me the Enemy" | "Please Say No One Else Is Dead" |
"What If Sam Wasn't the Bad Guy This Whole Time?" | "Annalise Keating Is Dead" | "Stay" |
Gallery[]
- Main article: Bonnie Winterbottom/Gallery
Promotional Photos[]
Season 1[]
Season 2[]
Season 4[]
Season 6[]
See Also[]
References[]
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