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|Count = [[Character appearances|6]]
 
|Count = [[Character appearances|6]]
 
|Name = Ophelia Harkness
 
|Name = Ophelia Harkness
|Family = [[Mac Harkness]] - Ex-Husband<br>[[Annalise Keating]] - Daughter<br>[[Celestine Harkness]] - Daughter<br>[[Thelonious Harkness]] - Son<br>'''†''' [[Sam Keating, Jr.]] - Grandson <small>(via [[Annalise|Anna-Mae]])</small><br>[[Clyde Harkness]] - Brother<br>'''†''' [[Sam Keating]] - Son-in-Law
+
|Family = [[Mac Harkness]] - Ex-Husband<br>[[Annalise Keating]] - Daughter<br>[[Celestine Harkness]] - Daughter<br>[[Thelonious Harkness]] - Son<br>'''†''' [[Sam Keating, Jr.]] - Grandson <small>(via [[Annalise|Anna-Mae]])</small><br>'''†''' [[Clyde Harkness]] - Brother-in-Law<br>'''†''' [[Sam Keating]] - Son-in-Law
 
|Seasons = {{Season|1|2|3|4}}}}
 
|Seasons = {{Season|1|2|3|4}}}}
 
{{Quote|'''[[Annalise]]''': Don't you feel like it's all too hard?" <br> '''Ophelia''': The reason why you feel it's too hard is because you're trying to do it all alone.|'''Ophelia''' and [[Annalise]]}}
 
{{Quote|'''[[Annalise]]''': Don't you feel like it's all too hard?" <br> '''Ophelia''': The reason why you feel it's too hard is because you're trying to do it all alone.|'''Ophelia''' and [[Annalise]]}}

Revision as of 18:23, 2 September 2018

"Annalise: Don't you feel like it's all too hard?"
Ophelia: The reason why you feel it's too hard is because you're trying to do it all alone.
"
Ophelia and Annalise

Ophelia Harkness is a recurring character on How to Get Away with Murder. She is Annalise's mother who has recently been diagosed with dementia.

Biography

Early Life

Not much is known about her early life, other than that Ophelia was raped during her childhood.

Season 1

"Don't you know a ViP when you see one? Your boss came out of my V and her daddy’s P. Show a little respect for her mama."
—Ophelia[src]

Ophelia and Annalise have a strained relationship. Ophelia believes that Annalise became arrogant when she became rich and forgot about her roots. She also insists on calling Annalise her birth name, Anna Mae. Ophelia has never visited Annalise's house and hasn't seen her in years.

When Annalise blames Ophelia for letting her uncle Clyde rape her when she was a child, Ophelia reveals that when she found out about what Clyde was doing, she burned her house down with him sleeping inside of it.

Season 2

"Didn't I send you up here about an hour ago? [...] Anna Mae begging you to leave just so she can get her some more sleep. The answer's no. In a few minutes, you'll have some people coming up here. And you up under these covers looking like "Who shot John?" Girl, get up and get in the shower. [...] What's wrong with you? You stupid? You think we won't have a little get-together when we know you're back? Get in the shower, Anna Mae. I said get in the shower!"
—Ophelia Harkness to Annalise Keating and Celestine Harkness[src]
215OpheliaAnnalise
Annalise buries a letter to her deceased son. ("Anna Mae")

Months later, Annalise shows up on her doorstep one night and Ophelia meet her with open arms. The following morning, Ophelia invites everyone around the house to show her daughter off. During the party, all of her family fusses over Annalise. While cooking, Ophelia talks about her having to go to many funerals since they last saw one another and that she is grateful that Annalise's was not one of those since she was shot not long ago. While getting something from the fridge, Annalise notices her father hovering in the distance. Though Mac tries to make conversation with Annalise, she just walks away from him. Later that night, Ophelia comes clean by telling Annalise that she has been seeing her father again. Annalise is confused that her mother would allow him to return after leaving her so long ago. The following day, Nate visits Annalise and Ophelia and Celestine admire Nate while Annalise talks with him. Not long after, Ophelia interrupts them and drags Nate inside for dinner. During dinner, Ophelia asks Nate about his personal life to which Annalise tries to get her to stop. The conversation turns awkward as Annalise has a go at her father for leaving them. While everyone gets up and starts to dance in the living room, Ophelia talks to Annalise about her not having children. While cleaning up, Annalise comes clean that she has a son, only he died. After saying goodbye to Nate, Ophelia asks Annalise whether she would have ever told her, to which Annalise tells her that she would have if her baby would have lived. That night, Ophelia drags her daughter out of bed and has her write a letter to her baby and bury it in the back garden as a way of getting over her loss. Annalise gets emotional and the two hug. Annalise leaves the following morning. ("There's My Baby", "Anna Mae")

Season 3

"All I have to do is to tell the police the truth. You didn't burn down the house. I did. [...] I'll tell them that I made sure all the kids was out of the house. And then I poured hooch all over the couch that Clyde was on. [...] They got to know what that pervert did to you. And that you're here to take the fall for your mama. I'm not gonna let you do that, baby. They want to lock me up, that's fine. The only judgment I fear is from the Lord God Almighty. And if I go to hell for burning that bastard, then so be it."
—Ophelia Harkness to Annalise Keating during her dementia episode.[src]

After hearing that Annalise was arrested from Celestine, Ophelia and Mac make the trip to Philadelphia where they enter Annalise's arraignment at court. While the police take Annalise away in handcuffs, Annalise tells her mother to go home and Ophelia cries as her daughter is dragged away. While waiting in the hallway, Ophelia and Mac stop Nate and demand to know how he is going to fix Annalise's situation. Nate informs them that he is working for the DA's Office which means that he cannot help her. During visiting hours at the prison, Ophelia and Mac visit their daughter. Annalise tells them that she doesn't want them to see her in prison looking how she does. Ophelia begins to have a dementia episode as she thinks that the fire which killed Clyde is what Annalise is being charged for. Mac is surprised as he thought that Clyde's death was an accident. While Ophelia makes her way to the door, Annalise scolds Mac for not telling her about her mother's dementia. At the next visiting hours at the prison, Annalise talks to her mother about getting her help. Mac tries to reassure Annalise by telling her that he will always look after her. Noticing some hostility between Mac and Annalise, Ophelia excuses herself to use the bathroom to allow them to sort out their differences. After coming up with a plan, Annalise gets herself beaten up so that the judge will agree to bail. While being released, her family greets her, her mother, horrified by her damaged face. While having dinner, Ophelia has another dementia episode. Seeing that her mother needed some good news, Annalise fabricates a story that makes it seem that she was released from prison, making Ophelia ecstatic. ("Go Cry Somewhere Else")

Season 4

"What the hell do you know about safety? You got people dying around you everyday."
—Ophelia Harkness to Annalise Keating[src]
401AnnaliseOphelia
Annalise singing to her mother. ("I'm Going Away")

A couple of months later, her daughter, Annalise came to visit her. Ophelia, her two daughters, and Mac sat down at the table to talk. Annalise and Celestine have been taking and Annalise said she wanted to use her insurance money from the fire to put her mom in a nursing home, but her mother was furious with the idea. During the night, Ophelia had a dementia episode, after which she agreed to visit the facility. Annalise’s father wanted to care for her herself, and they fought over who was to blame for her mom’s condition. Celestine assured her that it wasn’t her fault, and she confessed that the expected insurance payout wasn’t coming through. She further admitted she may be disbarred for her alcohol issues. “I’d be drinking, too, if I had your life,” her sister admitted. Annalise asked her mom point-blank what she wants to do, and the matriarch replied, “I’m going away. You know it, I know it. My mind’s going.” Noting her daughter’s past losses, she said she wanted to “protect you from losing anymore.” But since dementia can’t be stopped, she said they need to “prepare,” prompting Annalise to break down. “Don’t worry, I’ll stay as long as I can,” her mother said. Before leaving, Annalise begged her dad to “keep her safe,” at which pointed he finally apologized for the sexual assault she suffered at the hands of his brother. ("I'm Going Away")

413OpheliaOlivia
Ophelia helping Olivia fix her jacket. ("Lahey v. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania")

Her daughter, Annalise, called her to tell her that she had managed to get her case sent to the Supreme Court and that she wanted her and Mac to come to D.C. to see her in action. Delighted with the news, Ophelia agreed. Once they arrived at Annalise's hotel room, she and Mac were introduced to Olivia Pope who Ophelia recognized from the 'telly.' Ophelia encouraged the two to eat with them as they had brought sandwiches. Olivia was worried that it would be a waste of their time but Annalise insisted. After their lunch, Nate arrived to which Ophelia was delighted by the surprise. In Supreme court, Ophelia was having one of her episodes when she saw Annalise about to go into the courtroom. Already late, Olivia encouraged Annalise to go inside and let her deal with her mother. Ophelia accidentally knocked over some stew onto Olivia's blouse. Olivia, again, urged Annalise to go inside as she was already late. Ophelia and Olivia then went to the bathroom where she tried to get the stain out of her jacket. They ended up having a heartwarming talk before entering the courtroom late. While at the courtroom, Annalise presented her case to the justices; one of the justices, Justice Strickland was particularly hard on Annalise and Nate Lahey, Sr. (the "face case" of the class action). After the court was adjourned, the decision of the Justices remained unknown. ("Lahey v. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania")

Murders Committed

  • Clyde Harkness: Killed him and burned his body for what he had done to Annalise. Clyde has sexually assulted her during her childhood. She had gotten away with it as it was ruled an accident. ("Mama's Here Now")

Appearances

Season 1
"Pilot" "It's All Her Fault" "Smile, or Go to Jail" "Let's Get to Scooping"
"We're Not Friends" "Freakin' Whack-a-Mole" "He Deserved to Die" "He Has a Wife"
"Kill Me, Kill Me, Kill Me" "Hello Raskolnikov" "Best Christmas Ever" "She's a Murderer"
"Mama's Here Now" "The Night Lila Died" "It's All My Fault"
Season 2
"It's Time to Move On" "She's Dying" "It's Called the Octopus" "Skanks Get Shanked"
"Meet Bonnie" "Two Birds, One Millstone" "I Want You to Die" "Hi, I'm Philip"
"What Did We Do?" "What Happened to You, Annalise?" "She Hates Us" "It's a Trap"
"Something Bad Happened" "There's My Baby" "Anna Mae"
Season 3
"We're Good People Now" "There Are Worse Things Than Murder" "Always Bet Black" "Don't Tell Annalise"
"It's About Frank" "Is Someone Really Dead?" "Call It Mother's Intuition" "No More Blood"
"Who's Dead?" "We're Bad People" "Not Everything's About Annalise" "Go Cry Somewhere Else"
"It's War" "He Made a Terrible Mistake" "Wes"
Season 4
"I'm Going Away" "I'm Not Her" "It's for the Greater Good" "Was She Ever Good at Her Job?"
"I Love Her" "Stay Strong, Mama" "Nobody Roots for Goliath" "Live. Live. Live."
"He's Dead" "Everything We Did Was For Nothing" "He's a Bad Father" "Ask Him About Stella"
"Lahey v. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania" "The Day Before He Died" "Nobody Else Is Dying"

Gallery

Episode Stills

Season 1

Season 2

Season 3

Season 4

Behind the Scenes

Season 1

Season 4

See Also

  • Harkness Home