On May 14, ABC's popular series concluded its six-year run, revealing both its strength. The show primarily relies on Viola Davis' fearsome presence. When it comes to pointing out its second advantage, CNN recalls how far it fell when producer Shonda Rhimes' TGIT lineup when blooming. Senior Writer, CNN Media, and Entertainment Brian Lowry suggest those shows shouldn't have been extended this long, proving that creators can get away with concepts like murder only for a limited period.
The series had to develop unnecessary twists and pair them with crazy cliffhangers to keep its viewers interested, with more contortions in an attempt to retain various law students in the orbit of their overbearing professor Annalise Keating (Davis). The arcs understandably became ridiculous as they were built on each other.
This also added several layers of government corruption. That led to Annalise's murder trial, which came to fruition in the concluding episode after been teased in the form of courthouse steps filming and a brief glimpse of Annalise's funeral, suggesting that she had met an untimely and violent end. But that wasn't the case.
Contrary to earlier speculations, the bullet catches Annalise's associates Frank (Charlie Weber) and Bonnie (Liza Weil), after Frank shot Governor Birkhead, played by Laura Innes, Annalise was been admired after what looked like a good long life, as her former students sporting bad old-age makeup remembered her. It can be described as melodramatic and manipulative, which is actually how the show has been described from the beginning.
That said, the concluding episode wasn't entirely disoriented due to the showcase it offered Davis. Annalise has been portrayed as an excessively complicated character, here admits to being a bad person during her courtroom summation, but denying being a murderer.
"I'm ambitious, black, bisexual," she tells the jury in addition to revealing a long list of characteristics, before saying, "And I am at your mercy." It was nice to see the finale included a scene between Annalise and her mother, played by Cicely Tyson, 95, who always classes up the joint, having accomplished her pledge never to retire.
Despite been acquitted, Annalise survives; however, the blood-spattered finale felt like a way for series creator Peter Norwalk to make do penance, while fixing up a few extra loose ends as the hour rushes through showcasing the large cast of characters. Touted as one of Hollywood's most revered actresses, Viola Davis became the first African-American woman to win a lead actress in a drama Emmy in season one.
How to Get Away With Murder was listed alongside Scandal, Grey's Anatomy, and Rhimes. Thanks to Davis, the series finale showcased reminders of where it all started, even though the closing argument should have come long back to earn a favorable verdict.