The television network ABC is known for hosting extremely popular shows, such as “The Bachelor,” “The Bachelorette”, and “Grey’s Anatomy.” Last year, ABC added a new, unique show to their entourage: a murder mystery program called How to Get Away With Murder. The show stars popular, Emmy winning actress, Viola Davis, as a sharp, quick-witted law professor named Annalise Keating. This character implements her courtroom techniques in the classroom, teaching students to apply their skill in the real world by hiring them as associates. In the show, four lucky students are chosen by Professor Keating to assist her in a direct competition for a permanent spot at her law firm. They quickly discover that there is a lot more to getting away with a murder than what is taught in classroom.

Although How to Get Away With Murder has gotten endless praise for its intriguing plot, it has also garnered attention for its strong social messages. This legal thriller has been dubbed by Vanity Fair “the most progressive show on television.” Not only is the main character a dynamic, ambitious character, who is the head of her own company, but she is also married and a professor. What many think set her apart, however, is the fact that she is African-American and female – two
categories that, when combined, are often lacking when it comes to main characters of television shows and movies. Of course, she isn’t without flaw, offering a vulnerable more relatable side, yet she still maintains respect from all her students and those who face her in the courtroom.

The show received its first real recognition when Viola Davis won an Emmy for outstanding lead actress in a drama series – that series being How to Get Away With Murder. That being said, the series premier pulled in over 14 million viewers, demonstrating that people, especially women, want to watch shows that feature strong female characters. Anna Erskine ’18 comments, “It’s one of my favorite shows! [Davis] does such a good job, and the show remained unpredictable the entire time. I was always being surprised each episode and never knew what was coming.” By featuring two more female characters and two more African-American characters to leading roles, How to Get Away With Murder is distinguishing itself as one of the most progressive shows on television. On top of that, the creator of the show, Shonda Rhimes, is a long time advocate for the gay rights movement, and features a gay student on the show. While her progressiveness has been praised, Rhimes has also been told by viewers via twitter that the “gay scenes were unnecessary.” Rhimes responded to this that there was no gay scenes, only people scenes, and has made it clear that she refuses to change the content in her show in order to please viewers. There is also a general lack of gay leads on televisions, especially on a murder mystery. Conner, one of the main male character, does not fit into any of the stereotypical molds; he is an original and refreshing character, and is a good edition to the show, bringing tons of comic relief with his ironic, satirical sense of humor. The show’s creators hope that by depicting intimate scenes between men will help normalize it for television, and being to eliminate homophobia.

The fast pace of How to Get Away With Murder ensures that there there is always something new and scandalous happening, giving viewers merely a moment to process what is going on before the next big thing happens. Rhimes has created a controversial show that has managed to draw in viewers as it was renewed for a second and third season. With all the crimes shows on television, it is hard to enter the game late and still capture the same amount of viewers, especially from people who are loyal to their shows. However, How to Get Away With Murder is taking television by storm, not only despite its controversial nature, but because of it. The WFS community and much of America are looking forward to what Rhimes has in store. Simone Veale‘17 enthusiastically commented, “I was really excited to see it was coming back, the last episode left us hanging and the newest episode was as crazy as I had
expected!”