TV Review: HOW TO GET AWAY WITH MURDER: Season 4, Episode 5: I Love Her [ABC]

How To Get Away With Murder I Love Her Review

How to Get Away with Murder: Season 4, Episode 5: I Love Her is an atypically slow episode but offers valuable insight into Bonnie’s (Liza Weil) relationship with Annalise (Viola Davis) and ends on a potent note.

When I say “atypically slow”, I don’t mean to imply that there hasn’t ever been episodes that move, compared to the rapid-fire feel of most of the show’s installments, at a sluggish pace. I mean “atypical” in the sense that while previous slower entries come across as respites from the chaotic action usually associated with the program, this one feels almost like a chore to sit through. As far as problems go, this is one that How to Get Away with Murder doesn’t really have to worry about since most episodes err on the opposite end of this, but it doesn’t make for a great viewing experience.

Structured mainly around Bonnie’s session with Isaac (Jimmy Smits), the show delves deeper into her background in general and how she came to work for Annalise in particular. This is fine and all, but the problem is that the way in which all this information is revealed is not suitably momentous enough. The camerawork is mostly conventional, and the frequent jumping around from Bonnie’s story to others weakens the impact hers should have.

One notable exception, however, occurs at the end when Bonnie runs through the rain as she remembers major moments from her relationship with Annalise. As her and Annalise’s words of trust,  betrayal, and hurt echo through her mind, she runs with her head down and the footage slowed down to capture the weight of her memories. It all comes to a head when Bonnie declares at Isaac’s prompting that she “love[s] her”, capping off a painful moment with a simple affirmation of love for the one who has caused her so much grief.

Against this, it’s understandable that the rest of the cat would largely end up as comic relief. There are obviously serious moments between them, but the scenes that stand out are the funny ones like Michaela (Aja Naomi King) chewing out Oliver (Conrad Ricamora) for making nice with Simon (Behzad Dabu) and Frank (Charlie Weber) getting annoyed with Asher (Matt McGorry) while the latter helps him with his LSAT. Even Annalise gets in on the comedic action with a celebratory dance when she wins a client, the less said if which the better. All in all, it’s an unusual, uneven episode that I expect the show to recover from in no time.

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