HTGAWM rewatch blog "It's a Trap" (2x12)
If you're an Annalise fan, you might want to skip this because I have very little positive to say about Annalise in this episode.... She was disgusting, but not as disgusting as the Mahoneys...
Wes and Laurel's trip to the past Ohio After Annalise dropped case files of Charles Mahoney's trial in front of Wes's apartment, Wes knows it has something to do with his mother's death, so he's once again obsessively digging. Can't blame him. I'd rather see him digging into the truth than being all depressed in bed or worse...
Laurel shows up fresh from a fight with Frank. Neither Wes nor Laurel wants to tell each other what they are up to, but Laurel keeps asking Wes about Charles Mahoney when she sees the files, and doesn't buy it when Wes says he has no idea, despite having all those files.
Wes: Annalise dropped it off. Laurel: You saw her? Wes: No, she just left this file here and I don't know why… other than to make me go crazy.
Well, Annalise is kinda making him go crazy… She is basically throwing him breadcrumbs to keep him occupied/distracted while she's still cowardly hiding away at her house and withholding the full truth from him. How was Wes supposed to find out what happened to his mother through those files?
Laurel starts booking plane tickets to go to Ohio. I guess she could use a distraction, and she probably was curious, too. Wes stops her because he can just ask Annalise. So Laurel, stone cold, tells Wes:
Laurel: She doesn't want to see you. Wes: How do you know that? Laurel: Because I asked her to help me get you out of the psych ward, and she said no.
Hmm, in the last episode, no one had the heart to tell Wes that Annalise didn't want to help him out of the psych ward, but I guess Laurel's curiosity (or need to distract herself) wins over her consideration of Wes's feelings. Wes doesn't really say anything, but I wonder if he realized that Annalise may not have wanted him out because she found him unconscious in her bed after trying to OD on pills shortly before...
The next day, they head to the Civic Center in Cleveland, Ohio. Wes looks for Rose Edmond in the computer system to find info about the Mahoney trial, but it comes up empty. So they go through boxes of case files about the trial to look for any mention of Wes's mom.
Wes discovers there was an anonymous witness. Laurel asks why the judge allowed an anonymous witness, so Wes suspects "If the judge believed their life was in danger." Ohhh the puppy and his instincts...
Wes is convinced that the Mahoneys killed his mom when she didn't testify. He's wrong about that as we'll find out next episode, but right about everything else he says:
Wes: Annalise needs my mom as a witness, but gets her killed, leaves her son an orphan, so when he applies to law school, she helps him get in… adds a fifth spot to her team so he can work with her… and she protected me… even after what I did.
Btw, just pointing out that Wes doesn't seem to be ungrateful to Annalise at all...
The next day, Wes and Laurel head to the police station (I think?) for Rose's M.E. report. Laurel sees a report stating that Rose's death could be a homicide, and Wes was the primary suspect. She hides it from him and asks if he really doesn't remember any of this. Wes says he just remembers finding his mom (I'll dive into more detail in the next episode, but Wes unconsciously has blocked out a lot of memories of that day). Wes is convinced Rose was murdered and seems to be somewhat disappointed when the official M.E. report states that it was a suicide, so Laurel says that's enough and suggests going home. "Ohio sucks," she says, although maybe it's more to prevent Wes from finding anything incriminating himself.
Laurel doesn't let it rest, though. Back in Philly, she barges into Annalise's house and demands that Annalise talks to her in her office. She shows her the police report and asks Annalise if she knew that Wes was a primary suspect. "Did Wes kill his mother?" she asks, followed by a misleading flashback of 12-year-old Wes standing over Rose, who is bleeding out on the floor, with a knife in his hand. Yeah, Wes's memory of that day is not very reliable.
The Mahoney trial In flashbacks to the fall of 2005, Annalise asks both Charles and Rose to tell her what happened on the night Charles's fiancée was murdered. Their stories check out, so she congratulates Charles with his alibi. Back in Philly, Annalise gets Frank a suit and tells him to go back with her to Ohio.
So far so good, but Annalise starts getting pretty disgusting after that. Rose tells her she's scared that a prosecutor might call ICE and then what happens to Christophe. So Annalise tells her, "You can trust me. I won't let anyone hurt you two," while holding her baby bump. Rose sees through that manipulation attempt. She wants to be protected from deportation, so she'll only testify anonymously.
The Mahoneys aren't thrilled about that, but Annalise assures them it'll be fine. Sylvia tells her, "You tell Rose that the only reason she and her son have a roof over their heads is because of the paychecks this company has been giving them over the years." Ugh, the Mahoyens are also disgusting. Especially Wallace Mahoney, who just casually threatens Wes...
Wallace: This woman holds our son's life completely in her hands. As a parent, I'm sure she can appreciate how concerned we are for his fate. Please remind her of that.
Btw, the prosecutors opening in the Mahoney trial confirms that the Mahoneys are absolutely disgusting people. Oh, and Charles Mahoney was totally guilty, just saying that now.
Just some details about that trial, but apparently Mahoney Hedge Management has been under FBI and FEC surveillance for years, because they allegedly have been swindling millions from their clients. Vickie Moran, Charles's fiancée, was allegedly murdered by Charles Mahoney after he found out she was about to turn on him and his family. The victim also started cooperating with the FBI after being domestically abused by Charles, so yeah, disgusting people.
Rose didn't show up to testify, so Annalise is furious with Frank for letting her out of his sight, and Wallace is nasty to Annalise. At night, Annalise is a bit down when she's with Sam on the phone, but Sam cheers her up.
The next day, Annalise visits Rose and says she knows she didn't see Charles that night. Rose just tells her to find another witness, but Annalise, desperate, says she can't.
Annalise: I don't know what [Wallace] will do if you don't do what you promised. Rose: You're just as bad as them.
Rose closes the door in Annalise's face. Good for her. Young Wes asks who that was, but Rose yells at him to go to bed.
(Btw, I've been piecing the timeline together, but this day was Wes's 12th birthday, I think.... Rose is detained by ICE and commits suicide on 7 October 2005, which is the day after this. Wes was born on 6 October 1993).
Stalker Philip As for the other plotline running through this episode...
At the end of the previous episode, Connor called Annalise because Philip sent him a video of that night at the Hapstall mansion. So immediately after, Connor goes to Annalise's house to discuss with her and Bonnie what to do with the video. I just want to say that Annalise is so gross in that scene with Connor...
Connor: You don't get to hold a grudge right now. Annalise: No? Because you all said some very hurtful things. Connor: Yeah, and you made us shoot you, so I think that we're even.
Ehh, no. They're not even by a long shot. What Annalise did was way worse imo.
Annalise: Laurel shot me. You ran away, as you tend to do. Interesting, too, isn't it, that you're the only one not in this? Connor: What, you think that I sent it? Annalise: Anything is possible with you people.
Wtf Annalise, seriously? Also, if there's one person who tends to run away, it's Annalise... she runs off to Memphis in a few episodes, and then there's season 6...
Connor: Okay. Let’s be clear about something. I was a mess that night. So I didn't stop to record anything. Plus, I went back in the house. Don't you remember that? I tried to stop you from bleeding out. M-maybe I did. I mean, maybe I'm the reason that you're still alive.
Connor has a good point, but Annalise just gives him a wary look... And people call the students ungrateful...
Connor: I'm sorry. It's just -- We need your help. Please. Annalise: Finally. You remember your manners.
F*ck you, Annalise. Seriously, this pisses me off so much.
Annalise is in a position of authority, and she used that to force her students to participate in another crime. As far as they are aware, she left Wes to rot in the psych ward, and now she's angry because they were angry with her? It's disgusting how she gets Connor to apologize...
And then there's also this:
Annalise to Bonnie: Call the others. Connor: Wait. Isn't it better that they don't know? Especially Asher. He could flip out. Annalise: Millstone is the reason we're in this mess. He doesn't get a pass.
Asher is the reason? No, Annalise is the reason, when she leaked those files about Millstone's corruption, when she told Bonnie to cover up Sinclair's murder, and when she forced the students to participate... (Also, Asher doesn't get a pass, but Wes does, as usual).
Annalise agrees with Connor that she doesn't want to involve Oliver. Once the other students (minus Wes and Laurel) are at the house, she tells them that it's a trap, because it only proves that Philip was also at the house that night.
Annalise: Sit down, take a deep breath, and let mommy take care of it the way she always does.
Annalise taking care of things means covering up crimes or manipulating people, but she presents herself as this savior, and the others go along with it.
Philip sends another email and demands that they deposit 1 million dollar or he'll send more videos to the police. They have 36 hours. Annalise has part of the money because of Sam's insurance, but not enough.
So Annalise takes Michaela to see 'boyfriend' Caleb. She apologizes for sending him away, and lies that Michaela made her realize that Caleb was right and they need to find Philip. So Annalise asks him for a $250,000 retainer in cash, and to ask Catherine to tell him everything she knows about Philip. Caleb goes along with Annalise's requests, but in jail, Catherine is pissed with Caleb for not having her back and tells him nothing.
Back in her office, Annalise is looking at the video of the K4 stepping over Sinclair. Sinclair wasn't visible in the video (seriously, how stupid is Philip for not actually recording Sinclair on the floor?), but I only noticed now that you can actually see blood on Connor's hands. Bonnie comes in and tells Annalise that they could stop, let it burn, and all go to jail. And whether "this" is really better than that. Annalise just tells the students to go home because they're not gonna fix anything tonight.
The next morning, Annalise shows Nate the footage, but he tells her not to negotiate with crazies. So Annalise tells the K3, Bonnie, and Frank that they're not gonna do anything, and they wait as the time runs out.
That countdown scene was so stupid, btw... The moment the time is up they all start celebrating, as if the threat is gone the exact moment 36 hours have passed.. of course Philip sends them another video a few moments later, now of Annalise and Nate hugging the night before. Meaning Philip is back and watching them.
This entire subplot is so stupid. I already said it in my previous blog, but this really feels like a filler plotline to give everyone something to do while Wes and Laurel and 2005 Annalise are doing actual plot-relevant stuff.
Btw, Annalise got $250,000 from Caleb in cash (and lied about the reason why she needed it), and ends up not even using it to pay Philip. So what did she do with the money she scammed out of Caleb?
Relationships keep developing (or falling apart) We really see the Wes/Laurel and Connor/Michaela separation in this episode, with Asher leaning to the Connor/Michaela side. Besides the boring Philip plot, there was actually a lot of relationship development.
Michaela & Caleb Michaela checks on Caleb, who's acting like an ass. She confronts him about it and then he tells her that he has never seen Catherine like today in jail, and he doesn't know what to believe anymore. So Michaela tells him to believe what makes him feel better. Caleb tells her he missed her, and then they kiss.
Bosher Asher wants to plead to voluntary manslaughter because he thinks he should take the fall if the video comes out. But Bonnie stops him. A bit later, Asher waits for Bonnie in front of her apartment, still looking for ways to confess and get his possible punishment diminished. But Bonnie doesn't want to do this anymore. She tells him that they really are over, and her feelings won't change in the future.
Natalise Annalise cooks for Nate, but Nate is suspicious about her intentions. Eventually, Annalise gets annoyed and throws the food away, because she was just trying to do something nice (although it also reminds me a bit of early S1 when she was stressed over Sam and turned to Nate for comfort. Now she's stressed over Wes and turns to Nate for comfort). They fight. Annalise thinks that he just wants to make her pay for framing him (she really doesn't trust Nate...), but Nate says there's no point for him now to tell the truth, and he just wants to be there for her. To be fair, I get Annalise's suspicions because it's kinda insane how Nate just keeps coming back…
Coliver Connor is looking into Stanford Law School and asks Oli to join him, because Philip knows where they live. Oli says they can move, but asks why 3000 miles away.
Connor: It's Silicon Valley. You'll... You'll be readily employed, and by someone far more appreciative than Annalise. Oliver: Wow, she's really done a number on you.
Connor asks Oli to just think about it.
Masher Oliver already brought it up in the last episode, but in this episode, Connor tells Michaela: "You know what would help calm [Asher] down? You banging him." Michaela is disgusted, but guess what'll happen in two episodes...
Once again, Connor suggests that Michaela hooks up with someone, and Michaela follows his lead. Levi in 2x02, Caleb in 2x06 (with the actual hookup in 2x08), now Asher... And it'll happen again in season 5 with Gabriel.
Flaurel and Laurel's attraction to bad men Laurel is ignoring Frank's texts and phone calls after he admitted to her that he killed Lila. She has a heart-to-heart about Frank with Wes though:
Laurel: [Frank]'s my father... basically. I know, it's a total cliché, but, yeah. I fell for my father. Wes: What's the deal with your father? Laurel: Uh... He is not a good person, to the point that, uh, everything we've done -- yeah, there's a reason why I haven't been as messed up by it as everyone else. I thought I'd get away from him, become someone better. But instead, I end up dating a guy just like him and liking it. That's the worst part. And I don't know what to do with that, because... what does that make me?
Okay, I kinda like that scene in the car, and Laurel opening up to Wes. We rarely see Laurel showing vulnerability in front of someone and opening up about her past.
This scene makes it pretty clear that Laurel has some daddy issues, although even after rewatching the entire show multiple times, I'm still curious what exactly happened. Why exactly wasn't Laurel as messed up by the crimes as everybody else? What has she witnessed in her childhood? We learn in season 3 that she was kidnapped, and in season 4 that she had to take care of her mother, who would drag Laurel out of her bed in the middle of the night and who spent a lot of time in a psych ward. Is that what Laurel is referring to?
It's interesting though, how Laurel is so desperate to get away from her father, but something keeps pulling her back. We've already seen that she can be incredibly strategic and smart in difficult situations, and in season 4 we'll also see a much more ruthless and manipulative side to her. I'm just curious... is she aware of that side of herself, and trying to suppress it (and fails horribly at it when she's pregnant and grieving in season 4)? Is that why she believes she's a bad person?
I've seen Karla Souza mention in interviews that Laurel has a bit of an addiction to Frank, and I guess also to danger. Back in season 1, she seemed to revel in riling up her family during Christmas by bringing up Sam's murder. She's drawn to Frank, she seems to have had a relationship with Dominick in the past... She tries so hard to be a good person, but keeps being attracted to these more dangerous people who she considers bad. So she seems to think she's maybe bad herself, too. Maybe that's why she kisses Wes when he says she's not a bad person.
Wes is a good person in her eyes, for how he tried so hard to help Rebecca. She was also into Kan, who she considered a good person since he was working at Legal Aid and seemed to be pretty selflessly helping people. Wes and Kan are the type of people Laurel wants to align herself with, but it's the Franks and the Dominicks she's really attracted to.
Waurel So that's my take on Laurel's side of her relationships. As for Wes... After a season of heartbreak, he finally has some action in the romance department again. Wes is just the sweetest person ever when Laurel tells him she basically fell for her father even though she wanted to become someone better:
Wes: You're not a bad person. Maybe your dad is. And Frank, Annalise. But you've been watching out for me when you didn't have to. So… thank you, is all I'm saying. Laurel: Stop being so nice. It makes me feel weird.
And then they kiss.
Yeah... so about that kiss... Wes is an absolute mess at this point. The one person he thought he had left doesn't want to talk to him, he's still heartbroken over Rebecca, and he's desperate to learn the truth about his mother. But throughout all of that, Laurel has been there for him... Wes is also attracted to people who are a bit damaged, because he's damaged too. So here Laurel is, in tears over Frank and showing a vulnerable side of herself he has never seen before. So he leans in to kiss her.
Not sure if people will agree with me, but I think that out of Wes's girlfriends, Meggy may have been the healthiest person (which is also why it didn't work because Wes couldn't be himself around her -- like I said, Wes sees himself as damaged so he's drawn to people like him), but Rebecca understood him better than anyone and was the best for him. I'm just not a big Waurel fan if I'm honest. I get why they are drawn to each other, but while Wes and Rebecca were madly in love, Wes was looking for comfort in Laurel, and Laurel was using Wes to get over Frank (and failed miserably at that).
I did like the kiss in this episode though.
Wes, Laurel, and their crappy families This episode gave us some background on both Wes and Laurel (although at this point it's not confirmed that Wes is actually a Mahoney). I already went over Laurel's daddy issues section, but as for Wes...
My take on Wes's name change Wes brought up the reason for his name change:
Laurel: So Gibbins is your dad's last name? Wes: No. They changed my name when I went into foster care. Laurel: Who did? Wes: My foster family. They thought it'd help me acclimate. Laurel: And you believed that? *Wes just looks at her* No, of course you did. I-I just…
If there's anything we've learned this episode, it's that the Mahoneys are absolutely disgusting people. Especially Wallace. I mean, he literally threatened to harm Wes if Rose wouldn't testify. Rose doesn't testify in the end, and to jump ahead to episodes 2x13/2x14, she kills herself to protect Wes, and Annalise gets in a car crash when she's on her way to warn the FBI about the Mahoneys wanting to hurt Wes.
The FBI in 2005 knew that the Mahoneys were dangerous, since Charles's fiancée was an informant, and FBI agent Cain also told Annalise that the Mahoneys could want to see Rose dead because she was an alibi who didn't show up in court (2x14). So I think that the FBI and foster system may have worked together to change Wes's identity. Not to help him acclimate, but to protect him from the Mahoneys. His foster family just told him it was to acclimate.
My headcanon is also that his files with his birth name and Rose's name were sealed, which is why Frank has no idea who Wes is when Annalise's team is selecting the K4, and why the NYPD in season 3 doesn't know about Wes's connection through his mother to the Mahoneys.
Btw, Wes barely looks Laurel in the eyes when he mentions his name change. This is just my read on Wes, but maybe avoiding looking at her was a sign he didn't like talking about it or even remembering it?
Lila's murder In that fight between Laurel and Frank, Laurel kinda showed that somewhat reckless side of herself, the side we'll see a lot more in season 3 and 4. She can't believe Frank killed Lila. When she asks him why, he just tells her he had to. So Laurel, disgusted, suspects Annalise told him to because she knew Sam got Lila pregnant. Frank then gets a phone call from Bonnie to come over, and before he can clear it up, Laurel is gone.
Random thoughts and observations Once again, we start with a Wes/Annalise parallel: Wes is reading the Mahoney case files in the present, while in a flashback, Annalise questions Rose and Charles about seeing each other in the office.
Btw, Alfie was such a puppy in 1x01 when you see those 1x01 flashbacks intertwined with this episode... not only his look, but also his voice...
Oli says he's never seen Connor study a lick. That reminds me of Connor's comment to Michaela about actually having to study for Torts, and when Wes is suspicious of Connor for wanting to make a study group despite supposedly never studying.
Nate had every right to be suspicious of Annalise for cooking for him. We've seen Annalise "handling" people by cooking for them before: she cooked for Hannah to convince her Sam really ran away (1x11), and she cooked for Wes to get him to open up about Rebecca (2x01).
Nate wakes up in Annalise's bed. They talk about her nice sheets, just like she and Eve did...
Btw, the camera jumped from Wes seemingly a bit frustrated after finding no new information but just a police report that his mom committed suicide and Laurel telling him to go home because "Ohio sucks," to Annalise staring somewhat absentmindedly in front of her. The editing made it seem as if Annalise was thinking about Wes, which... she probably was.
Michaela is sitting on the stairs with Caleb, which reminds me a lot of Annalise comforting Wes on the stairs and telling him to believe a version of the truth that helps them move on.
I really don't like criticizing people's acting, but Caleb in that scene where he's talking to Catherine in jail is just so so so so cringe. I can't watch it.
Annalise says, "I never wanted children. [...] Now I have five of them, and I know, it's the worst experience of my life." (Cue Annalise cuddling with Wes on the stairs, cooking for him, dancing with him... Yeah, I doubt it).
Final thoughts I love Wes's (but also Annalise's) storyline in the back half of season 2, of how they both have been running away from their trauma and are now finally forced to face it. Wes is trying to face it head-on by figuring out what happened in 2005, while Annalise is still trying to avoid it. I know that ratings declined in the back half of season 2 and the show feels very different from the first 1,5 seasons, but as a Wes & Annalise fan, I'm here for these storylines. The Hapstall stuff dragged the episode a bit down, though.
Rating: 7/10
