Over the past years ABC has proved to be one of the channels with the best television series, shows such as Modern Family, The Middle, and Scandal have been huge hits. One of their newer shows, How to Get Away With Murder, is no exception. Not only does this show provide stunning visuals coupled with a breathtaking soundtrack, it also has an impressive cast, including Viola Davis playing the lead, Annalise Keating;  Matt McGorry playing the role of Asher Millstone; and Alfred Enoch playing Wes Gibbins. The first season of fifteen episodes ended February 26th, but you can watch it on ABC’s website.

The show is a mystery and a legal drama that centers around five criminal law students at Middleton University in Philadelphia; Connor, Wes, Asher, Michaela, and Laurel, who work under criminal defense lawyer Annalise Keating and, you guessed it, have to get away with murder.

The show begins at a point when all of the students but Asher are debating on how to dispose of a body.  I think this was a unique and interesting way to begin because the show just dives headfirst into the action without giving the viewer any background on the characters, setting, or plot. After this scene the show shifts to the students sitting in their law class four months earlier. It is here that the show begins to truly establish it’s plot.

One thing that’s enjoyable about the show is the diversity of the characters and cast. This includes sexuality, race, and, definitely, personality. In some shows in mainstream media there is little to no diversity so it’s refreshing to see.  With such a diverse cast of characters, all with different exteriors, interiors, and quirks, everyone is bound to find one they connect with in this show. And when you can relate with a character it just makes the show all the more enjoyable.

The relationships among the characters are also a strong point. Freshman Amirah Kirwan says, “The characters create a unique bond with each other. It’s super interesting to see them overlap and build off of each other as the personalities change to the circumstances that they seem to be forced into.”

Matt McGorry (Asher) and Alysia Reiner (Wendy) are both also actors in the popular Netflix show Orange is The New Black. Viola Davis (Annalise) has been in many movies and TV shows, her most popular being The Help and Lila & Eve. And Alfred Enoch (Wes) was the face of Dean Thomas in all of the Harry Potter movies besides part one of The Deathly Hallows. These actors can truly go from zero to one hundred in terms of the characters they play and turn themselves into someone completely different each time you see them in a different media.

Also I must give praise to the whole cast because I believe every single one of them portray their character in such a way that they seemed to come to life and be more real instead of fictional. For example, where Viola Davis’ role as Aibileen Clark in The Help was a nurturing maid and mother figure to the children she raised, in How to Get Away With Murder is very bold and unpredictable.

While there are many things this show does right there are a few critiques.  I think it would fare well if they developed a few characters in the show such as Oliver, Nate, Frank and Bonnie. I think digging deeper into these characters’ pasts would give us a better understanding of the show and make things much more interesting. It would also help us to understand why the characters are the way they are and why they do the things they do. Of course the show is renewed for a second season, so I have high hopes that they will build on these characters further as the show progresses.

In my opinion How to Get Away With Murder is an amazing show that keeps its viewers on the edge of their seats and is definitely deserving of the praise it receives. I highly recommend this show with a fair warning: The season finale is definitely a cliffhanger that’ll leave you wanting more. As soon as you learn the identity of the first murderer, there’s another murderer waiting in the wings.