‘How to Get Away with Murder’ Reveals Who Killed Wes, Delivers a Killer Season Finale

Scott Fishman February 24, 2017, 8:59 am

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Viola Davis - How to Get Away with Murder — ABC/Mitch Haaseth

HOW TO GET AWAY WITH MURDER - "Wes" - Annalise and the Keating 4 test the limits of how far they'll go to save themselves while the chilling details from the night of the fire reveal who killed Wes.

There may have been a record number of OMG moments in the season finale of How to Get Away with Murder. Enough watercooler fodder to take us into the fall season and maybe give us enough time to process everything the show delivered. At the top of the list was the mystery reveal of who killed Wes Gibbons.

The answer came as it always does, the final minutes. It was Laurel’s dad who sent a family friend to kill Wes! Yep, the dad called a hitman to do the deed. The man we find out to be named Dominque comes into Annalise’s house, injects him with something to slow him down and suffocates him with a rag soaked in chloroform. He is also the one who creates the explosion in her house. The shocking reveal was just part of what went on in the span of two hours.

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So here is the play-by-play. We begin with Connor running down the street in what I think is one of the best openings. Connor contemplates getting run over a bus with some random people talking about their problems. They end up being in Annalise’s support group. She is having a breakdown of her own. Oliver wants Connor to come clean about being at the scene of Wes’ death. Michaela, Connor and Asher attend Annalise’s hearing.

During questioning A.D.A. Atwood denies having a part of the Wes Gibbons cremation. At same time, Charles Mahoney is released from jail. Annalise wants to find proof Atwood is in cahoots with the Mahoney family with the idea that when one falls, they all will. Nate lies to his boss D.A. Todd Denver about not being in contact with Annalise, but then goes and gives Atwood’s Wi-Fi password.

Michaela pulls Connor aside to find out what is going on with him. Oliver finds out Atwood received a phone call from a burner phone a few times at different points including the night of Wes’ death. Oliver says he wouldn’t be able to find out who it belongs to. Michaela says Connor might have killed Wes after talking with him.

We flash back to Connor shagging with and then checking his voicemail. He went to Annalise’s house with the door open. He ventures to the basement to find Wes, who is unconscious. He didn’t have a pulse. His body was still warm so Connor administered CPR. The others aren’t so sure Connor didn’t kill Wes including Laurel who basically says, “Kill yourself.” During some alone time, Annalise says he believes Connor, and he needs to believe she is innocent as well.

Denver offers plea deal to Frank, using potential information he has on Laurel as bait. Asher wants to call the mystery number. I think they should just do a quick Google search at this point, but that’s just me. Nate goes into Atwood’s car to look through some old GPS records. He finds a New York address the day Mahoney was released.

Laurel is debating whether to have an abortion. She runs into Meggie after her doctor’s appointment. Meggie wasn’t happy about felling alienated at the memorial. Laurel apologizes for being paranoid. So maybe Meggie is innocent considering this is the only time we see her.

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Connor wants to take the stand to admit he was there. Annalise says no, but wants Laurel to instead. Nate goes to Atwood firsthand to find out if she is working with the Mahoney family. Atwood was in New York for a job interview. So maybe she is innocent, too?

During the hearing questioning Laurel says she saw Wes in the basement before the fire, basically putting herself in Connor’s shoes. She says she heard a bone break, a rib fracture, which goes against the medical examiner report. Denver comes back with evidence including an affidavit from Laurel that she made a false claim of kidnapping in Mexico. She admits it on the stand. It turns out her father made her to protect her father even though she was kidnapped. No offense Laurel, but you may have our vote for worst father ever. The revelation hurts Annalise’s case. Connor makes a personal visit to the D.A. and says he wants Wes’ immunity deal. Asher finally calls the damn number. It rings while Connor is in the D.A.’s office! Annalise comes to the same conclusion.

Cut back to the moment of the explosion with Laurel walking into the house, and Laurel seeing someone who ran out of the storm door. It was Connor who she saw run out of there. He runs past a car with someone in the car, who we find out is Dominique.

We go further back to when Wes and Nate are having the conversation in Annalise’s house. Wes calls Annalise on the phone to come home and gets attacked from behind. Back to present where Bonnie confronts Denver looking for Connor. Annalise and Nate go to New York where Annalise meets with Mrs. Sylvia Mahoney. Oh snap! Annalise wants a truce. Sylvia isn’t buying it. During a heated exchange, Sylvia says Wes was Charles Mahoney’s son, meaning Wallace was in fact the granddaddy! Someone call Maury.

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Frank calls Denver to say he wants to take the deal now. Denver says no. That’s because he has Connor in handcuffs strong-arming him to sign the blanket immunity deal that he killed a professor’s husband hanging over his head. We cut back to 10 years earlier where Sylvia and Charles run into Wes and his mom. Charles was clearly uncomfortable during the meeting. Sylvia continues to defend her family in present day. Denver meets the dude from the fire in the car who gives him an envelope with Wes’ phone. Annalise visits her charred house. Within a pile of rubble she picks up a shoebox containing a photo of Sam, her and their baby.

In other news, Asher tells Michaela he loves her, and Michaela doesn’t reciprocate. Maybe not the most opportune time to share that. Poor Asher. Meanwhile Nate continues his crusade on the corrupted D.A. office. Denver fires Nate. Connor is in the middle of getting arrested when he said he has something to help against Annalise’s case. Detective enter Oliver’s apartment and found a copy of Annalise’s phone. It contains a voicemail with Wes saying they found Rebecca’s body, and they are saying Annalise did it. Annalise feels they need to give them another suspect to help Connor: Wes. The voicemail helps Annalise build the case against Wes because it comes off on the voicemail that he killed Sam and Rebecca. The plan works as she brokers the deal with Denver, which frees Connor and Frank. Speaking of Frank, he sees Annalise for the first time in a while at Bonnie’s place. He begs for forgiveness on hands and knees.

The thought of losing Connor leads to Oliver proposing. Meanwhile Michaela is in New York at a bar meeting Mahoney. Laurel and Asher watch from afar. Michaela has second thoughts about whatever plan they have in mind. Laurel decides to take matters into her own hands with gun in hand. As she heads outside to Mahoney she runs into Dominique, the one who killed Wes.

The final scene is hear-breaking one with Annalise in the support group pouring her heart out about losing Wes. She ends with, “He felt like my son because he was my son, and he’s gone.” It’s the usual incredible performance from Viola Davis, who can pull off any emotion masterfully. So there you have it. A lot to digest. Good thing we have months before the next shoe, or perhaps body, drops. Until then maybe these students can finally get some studying done.