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"It's All Her Fault" is the 2nd episode of How to Get Away with Murder.
Summary
Annalise takes on a new client, Max St. Vincent, an eccentric millionaire who is the key suspect in his wife’s brutal murder. All the clues point to St. Vincent as the killer, but Annalise challenges her students to prove he's innocent – whether that's the truth or not. Meanwhile, Annalise deals with issues in her own home when her growing suspicions that Sam is somehow involved in Lila's disappearance start to affect their marriage. In flash forwards, we go back to the night of the murder and learn that Wes might be hiding a few secrets of his own.
Plot
- "'Previously on How to Get Away with Murder...'"
Wes discovers Annalise having an affair with Nate. ("Pilot") And meets her husband, Sam Keating. ("Pilot") Wes asks if Rebecca would join him for a drink, but is turned down. ("Pilot") The body of Lila Stangard is found, leading Annalise to think the boyfriend did it. ("Pilot") Wes, Michaela, Connor, and Laurel burn Sam Keating's body in the woods. ("Pilot")
| File:102 01.png A sight in the woods. |
It's a Bonfire Celebration night for the football team at Middleton University. We see a large group of students gathered around a bonfire, celebrating wild and drunk. Meanwhile, deep in the woods, Michaela, Connor, and Laurel wait nervously by a corpse. “He should be here by now,” Michaela states. Connor tells them that everything is fine, but Michaela is unsure. She wonders what if they got caught, or went to the police, or she convinced him to pin it on them. “He wouldn't do that,” Connor states. “He wouldn't, but she would,” Michaela replies. “Stop,” Connor exclaims, “okay, it's gonna be fine.” Michaela tells him to think about it, how they got there, it's all her fault. “It's not her fault,” Laurel buts in, “we're all to blame.” Michaela states that she is going to call Aiden. “Michaela-” Connor says before getting interrupted by Michaela who states that she never agreed to this. “Because you had a meltdown, you could barely form a sentence,” Connor exclaims, “so shut up, sit down, and stop acting like a bitch baby.” Michaela angrily tells him not to tell her how to feel right now. Before Connor can reply, they are interrupted by a “Hey.” This scares Michaela, resulting in a scream, but it's revealed to be Wes. He apologizes for taking so long, explaining that he went back for something. He pulls out a blood covered golden statue.
2 ½ Months Earlier
| File:102 02.png The not-so-happy couple. |
It's early in the morning, Annalise Keating sits at her kitchen bar, reading the newspaper story regarding the disappearance of Lila Stangard. She is startled by the arrival of her husband, Sam, who wonders if there is anything new, regarding the newspaper. “Doesn't look like it,” Annalise replies before turning the page. Sam comments that it makes sense, and proceeds to kiss his wife on the cheek. “All that time her body was in that water tank probably destroyed any evidence,” Sam says, resulting in Annalise giving him a suspicious look. As Sam pours coffee in his to-go cup, he reveals that he is going to be home late, as Dean Jovovich wants him at the meeting about how to handle the grief counseling. “Really?” Annalise asks, “Because you knew her?” “Because he wants someone there from the psych department.” Annalise nods. “But who knows?” Sam adds on, “Maybe that's apart of it too.” He kisses his wife one last time before leaving.
| File:102 03.png Annalise gives a lecture. |
Annalise is later seen giving a lecture in class, she states that one question she is always asked is if she knows her client is guilty or innocent, and every time her answer is the same – she doesn't care. “It's not because I'm heartless, although that's up for debate, but because my clients, like all of us here in this room, lie. And that makes them unknowable.” Annalise uses Asher Millstone for an example. She asks if he is really who he says he is, or if there are any other sordid details. “I can assure you I'd never hurt a fly,” Asher replies, resulting in Connor rolling his eyes. “So you say,” Annalise states. She then tells her students to look around them, the quiet girl they share notes with, the cute guy they have a crush on, the gunner who talks too much in class, and to ask themselves if they really know who anyone is. “Your instincts better be good, or you'll find yourself choosing the wrong people to make a study group with, to sleep with, or even marry,” Annalise states, “Just ask Margery St. Vincent,” she says before using a remote to turn on a television screen with a brunette's picture on it. She is the heir to her family's billion dollar department store fortune until she was stabbed 16 times in the master bedroom of her Gladwin mansion, Annalise adds on, as she shows pictures of the crime scene. “The alleged killer: her husband, of course, Max St. Vincent.”
| File:102 04.png Max tells his tale of love. |
Annalise and her five student employees, along with Bonnie and Frank are next seen walking through Max St. Vincent's mansion, as the latter discusses meeting his wife. He was shopping for his daughter Eloise's fourth birthday. His first wife had just died, so he wanted to get his daughter something special. When Margery saw Max struggling to speak to the store owner in French for a moment, she started to translate. “I knew this was the woman for me,” Max reminisces, “and 20 years later she is still the only woman who knew how to make me happy.” Michaela seems touched by the tale, but Max continues, stating that only as happy as someone could be when stuck in something as “barbaric” as the institution of marriage, “Don't you agree, Ms. Keating?” he asks. “Let's keep it moving,” she states, clearly unamused.
| File:102 05.png Stab. |
Max leads them into the master bedroom where the bed and walls are seen covered in blood. “I asked Max to preserve the crime scene until after the trial was over,” Annalise reveals, “You never know what forensic clues you might find to help our case later,” she adds on. “And the room needed some color anyway,” Max also adds, leaving Michaela and Asher uncomfortable. Frank looks over at a disturbed Wes and asks if he is going to throw up. “No, I'm good,” Wes replies, clearly uncomfortable. Annalise tells her students/employees to look around the room, take photos, be the fresh eyes they need to help this case. Connor takes a picture of a blood stained lamp. Laurel takes notes of what she sees. Asher snaps a picture of the blood stained bed. The students continue taking notes, taking pictures, and looking around until Max asks if “it's time.” Annalise confirms this. Max states that he needs a volunteer, asking one of the gals who both don't reply. Connor steps forward, offering to do it. “Hm, very well, you're about as pretty as my wife was,” Max remarks, before pushing Connor onto the bed, grossing out Laurel. “The forensic report claims Margery was in bed reading when I joined her with uh,” Max then asks to borrow Laurel's pen. He goes on to say that the reports says he hid the knife and got into sexual positions, and just as they were about to kiss, he would stab his wife, but hit an artery which resulted in blood spewing everywhere, hence the blood stained walls. The report then states he'd stab Margery 15 more times afterward, finally killing her. All during this, he'd use the pen as the knife and demonstrate this on Connor, leaving the other students creeped out. “Or so that's the prosecution's theory,” Annalise points out. Max chuckles, wishing them good luck proving this “theory”.
HOW TO GET AWAY WITH MURDER
Act I
Back at Annalise's work, Frank places a few large binders on a table. "The murder book," he calls it, "given to us by the prosecution with all the evidence on Max's case." He tells the five students to look through it and find anything that can help them. As the students each pick up a binder, Bonnie turns to Annalise, telling her that Max said there were three officers on the scene of the crime, but only two showed up on the report. Annalise states that they need the originals. "I was thinking we send the puppy," Bonnie says, referring to Wes. Annalise agrees, calling Wes to her office. As Wes follows his boss, Connor wonders out loud what they think is going on with them. "What do you mean?" Asher asks. Connor says they've all learned their spots there, and refers to Wes as "wait list." Laurel tells her coworker not to call him that. Asher comments that maybe Wes is Annalise's secret baby and that she gave him up for adoption. "Because all black people are related?" Michaela asks, offended by what Asher said. "My point is," Connor continues, "something is going on here. Otherwise, why would he be here?" "Why are any of you here?" Bonnie asks, approaching the four students, "That's the question I'm still asking myself." The students look at her, but she walks away, past Frank.
Wes is sat in a chair in Annalise's office; his boss stands. "Frank says you're having second thoughts about the job," Annalise states, "and what Frank thinks, I usually agree with." Annalise gets in Wes' face and asks if Frank is right, is he regretting his decision to join them? "No, I'm happy to be here," Wes says. Annalise nods, "Good, let's give you more responsibility then." She holds up a piece of paper, telling him to go to this police department and get the supplement of the police report for Max St. Vincent. She adds on for him not to give them his name or her's. "You think you can handle that?" she asks. "Yes," Wes replies after a moment of seeming unsure. "Good, now get out," Annalise says before sitting behind her desk.
"I just need the supplemental arrest report on Max St. Vincent," Wes says to a medical examiner at the police department. "Are you flipping kidding me?" she asks. Wes is confused. "Of course you're not. Lucinda teaches you this when you start working for her, right? Like the rest of us only exist to serve the D.A.'s office," the medical examiner adds on as she searches through files. "D.A.'s office?" Wes asks, confused. The examiner continues, "It's like that woman looks for ways to waste my time. You can tell that to Lucinda, okay?" she says, handing Wes the report. Wes nods, saying "sure." He exits the room, and the examiner heads back in. Wes looks at the file and sighs.
That night, Wes sits on the bed in his apartment, studying the murder book when he hears a knock at his door. He looks at the clock and sees it's 3:48AM. He gets up and opens the door where he finds Rebecca standing in a towel. "The dumb strippers upstairs must have flushed the drugs down the toilet because now there's disgustingness coming out of my shower drain, can I use your's?" Wes doesn't know how to respond; Rebecca tells him that it'll only take a minute, as she cannot sleep until she has washed all of the beer and frat boy stench off of her. Wes opens his door more so Rebecca can enter. The girl looks around, commenting that she liked Rudy's setup better. "Uh, Rudy?" Wes asks. "Yeah, he's the freak who lived here before you," Rebecca replies. She adds that Wes kind of reminds her of Rudy, maybe because they both have a crazed look on their face all the time. Wes looks back at his book as Rebecca strips down. "It's probably a law school thing," she says. Wes looks back up with a smile, commenting that he guesses, but is surprised to see her naked. Rebecca looks back, covering her breasts. Wes states that he should probably get back to his work; he looks back at his book. Rebecca looks back at him as she closes the bathroom door.
Act II
Act III
Act IV
Act V
Act VI
Gallery
This is a gallery of photographic stills released to promote the episode.