How to Get Away with Murder “Pilot” 

If there’s one thing I can guarantee about How To Get Away With Murder it’s that you’re not ready for it. You’re not ready for the riveting performance from Viola Davis, the intense and fast paced scenes, or the brilliant writing that comes along with any Shondaland production. The Peter Nowalk creation kicked off with a bang!

The pilot kicked off with fast paced jumps of shots of the law students in the woods. They were hovering over a dead body and flipping a coin to figure out what they were going to do with it. Did I mention we weren’t even two minutes into it yet? This show moves quickly so keep up!

From there we met Wes Gibbins, an average, nice guy law student. Wes quickly learns that he is far less prepared for class then his classmates. From there we meet the top students in the class. We met Asher Millston, who is the show’s resident loudmouth pretentious law student. We also met an overachiever, Michaela Pratt and Connor Walsh is ruthless and will do anything to get what he wants. They are all very qualified, but together they will absolutely bump heads. Although they all have very strong personalities none of them compare to the brilliance that is Annalise Keating. Professor Keating is stern and knows how to get the job done. She’s strong and will not be taken advantage of.

The students begin working on a case with Professor Keating and quickly start uncovering evidence of their own. Things get pretty out of hand from there — including Wes catching Keating cheating on her husband with Detective Leahy. It’s revealed in the final moments of the addicting premiere that the body the new students were burying is Professor Keating’s husband, Sam.

I think this show will stick around. It’s what I like to think of as a “cozy” drama. It’s in the Shondaland family and those are always my favorite “cozy” dramas. They are “cozy” because they are the kind of shows I want to watch on my couch with friends and eat popcorn to. They are brilliant but at the same time they don’t make you think so much your head hurts (I’m looking at you Lost). The pilot felt a bit like the beginning seasons of Grey’s Anatomy, which are arguably the best. I’m very excited to see what’s in store for next week. Professor Keating is really going to put these kids through the ringer and it should make for great TV.

Character to watch: Laurel Castillo

She really proved herself in the pilot. She might not have had a lot to say but it’s always the quiet ones. She proves how quick she is on her feet during the first meeting with Professor Keating. She is also very aware of her surroundings a trait that some of the other law students lack. In my opinion she’s the one to watch.

Moment of Goodness:  The initial meeting with Professor Keating was riveting and extremely exciting. Sure, she just wrote “How to Get Away with Murder” on the board but her delivery was on point. She terrified me, and I’m not even taking her class. It was a fantastic introduction and I think that’s the moment the show really began for me.

How to Get Away with Murder airs Thursdays at 10/9c on ABC.