Top 5 Legal Lies From 'HTGAWM' S1 E9 ('Kill Me, Kill Me, Kill Me')
So we finally found out #WhoKilledSam, and it was... Wes? "Kill Me, Kill Me, Kill Me" had its hand on the suspense tiller for this one, initially teasing that Michaela had somehow killed him by causing him to fall over the railing. And as you may have guessed, this "Winter Finale" of "How To Get Away With Murder" had very little to do with the law.
#HTGAWM in 140 Characters: More flashbacks & puzzle put together. Wes killed Sam with trophy. Kids threw Sam's pieces in dumpster. Annalise knows but seems OK with it.
Annalise ends by telling the Keating Five to tell the truth, but we all know she doesn't mean it. Check out these other legal lies from the show's bloody mid-season finale:
1. Michaela Had to Agree to a Prenup.
We'll start small. Michaela thinks that because she lost her engagement ring somewhere within the literal hackjob of Sam's disposal that a prenup is her only option. For starters, Michaela could have crossed out any language or clauses she didn't agree with and added her own before signing. Mrs. Walker did only look that she signed the last page after all.
2. Self-Defense Isn't Murder.
Ah Wes. If only you'd actually studied a bit more and spent less time Scooby Doo-ing around with Rebecca and more time learning criminal law, you'd know that killing someone you believe poses an imminent threat of deadly force is not murder -- it's self-defense. When someone starts choking the life out of your friend, you won't have to try too hard to convince a jury that you feared for your own life.
3. Getting Rid of the Murder Weapon = Win.
We're unsure why Laurel rattled off some case name -- Commonwealth v. _____? -- to support this assertion: If we get rid of the murder weapon, the prosecution has no case. Durp. Try again Laurel. Haven't you seen "CSI"? A prosecutor won't be stymied by the lack of a bloody statue in proving the state's case.
4. The Only Felony Here Is Rebecca's Computer Crimes.
While Rebecca's weird "hacking" of Sam's computer might be a felony computer crime, there's an even more obvious felony -- burglary. Even if Rebecca's intent only amounts to larceny, she commits burglary the second she walked into Sam and Annalise's door. And since the Keating Four (no Asher) seem to be on-board with helping Rebecca, they're likely committing burglary too.
5. This Show Is About Criminal Law.
"HTGAWM" seemed tired of courtroom drama after a few episodes, and its treatment of criminal procedure has been sloppy at best. Putting it in criminal terms, if "HTGAWM's" mid-season finale were a preliminary hearing, there'd be ample probable cause to believe the rest of the season won't focus much on criminal law at all.
We aren't ready to convict on these lies, so join us again when "HTGAWM" returns in January.
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Related Resources:
- How To Get Away With Murder: "Kill Me, Kill Me, Kill Me" (A.V. Club)
- Top 5 Legal Lies From 'HTGAWM' S1 E8 ('He Has a Wife') (FindLaw's Celebrity Justice)
- Top 5 Legal Lies From 'HTGAWM' S1 E7 ('He Deserved to Die') (FindLaw's Celebrity Justice)