HOW TO GET AWAY WITH MURDER: HI, I'M PHILIP (TV)
Summary
One in this series of legal dramas about a hard-nosed Philadelphia law professor who recruits her students to work in her firm – leading to their entanglement in a variety of ethically questionable schemes.
Bonnie convinces Wes, Connor, and Michaela to keep quiet about Emily’s death. Three days earlier, Nate comes to visit Annalise and asks her to stop concealing things from him. He reveals his anger toward her, but feels that he cannot act on it. He implies that he wishes to sleep with her, but she refuses and asks him to sleep on her couch, claiming that he is too drunk to drive home. Oliver attempts to stall Philip, fearful that he might kill him. Connor comes home to find the door open and both Oliver and Philip nowhere in sight. He immediately rushes to Annalise to tell her that Oliver is missing. The other students soon arrive and they argue over what to do about Oliver’s disappearance. Ultimately, Annalise decides to report Oliver’s disappearance to the police, promising that she will determine how to resolve the situation. Suddenly Oliver appears, accompanied by Philip, and baffling the assembled party.
Philip claims that he is not actually gay, but made a profile on a gay dating site as part of a method of ensuring online security. Furthermore, he claims that he is adopted, and that his birth parents are a poor couple in Iowa. He says that although he is “weird,” he is incapable of taking the murderous actions of which he has been accused. Annalise apologizes and takes full responsibility for interfering with his life. Philip threatens legal action against Annalise, but Annalise offers to come to a settlement with him. Philip gives an uncertain answer and leaves. Nate offers to keep tabs on Philip while Oliver presents a straw Philip drank from to obtain a sample of his DNA and test the veracity of his story. The next day, Annalise continues working on the Hapstall case and makes Laurel “the new Bonnie” for the time being. Connor destroys Oliver’s computer in order to cover up potential evidence. Nate follows Philip, discovering that he works at a supermarket. Annalise attempts to contact Bonnie, but Bonnie does not return her calls.
Michaela proves unable to stall Caleb and Catherine, so Annalise shows them a photo of Philip. They do not recognize him. Annalise tells them that if Philip's DNA is a match, their charges will be dropped. Caleb doubts the plan. Emily calls to offer Caleb and Catherine a plea deal, giving them each fifteen years in prison. She notes that it is greatly preferable to life imprisonment and says they have until that evening to respond. Annalise refuses and tells them that this is proof that Emily is running out of options. However, Caleb is seriously considering taking the deal. Asher tries to contact Bonnie and is worried that they have not heard from her. Catherine calls and asks to speak with Wes in private; meanwhile, Michaela speaks with Caleb. Wes attempts to convince Catherine not to take the plea deal unless she is guilty, and Michaela attempts to do the same for Caleb. Annalise feels that Wes is letting his emotions interfere with his judgment and takes him off the case for the time being.
Asher comes to believe that Emily planted a listening device in Annalise’s office. Annalise uses this knowledge to make Emily believe that she and the students are combing through the numerous boxes of files on the Hapstall case; in actuality, they are searching for the listening device. They find nothing, but are interrupted when Catherine calls to report that Caleb decided to take the plea deal, going to jail for thirty years in exchange for eschewing sentencing for Catherine. They are unable to change his mind. After Connor discovers the listening device inside a ball-point pen, Annalise uses it to their advantage by making it seem as though she advised Caleb to take the plea deal. She then spreads misinformation about a hidden gun in Caleb’s possession and about the motivation for the supposed crime. Sinclair and a police detail act on the information and arrive to search the Hapstall mansion. Emily and the police are unable to find anything, after which Emily realizes that her plea deal has already expired, ruining her plans.
Nate calls Annalise from the police station to report that Philip has arrived and is giving a statement. He offers to “fix” the situation, digitally accessing files and altering them to make it appear that Philip is a schizophrenic with a history of stalking incidents. Annalise interrupts a meeting between Catherine and Emily, threatening to expose Emily for dealing with her clients ex parte. Catherine insists to Annalise that she is not guilty but is willing to go to prison so that Caleb doesn’t have to suffer. Annalise and Laurel concoct a means of forcing the judge to reject the plea deal. The students continue to do research, even after the trial has been called to order. Annalise tries to stall until the students arrive and present the requested DNA evidence she requested. This convinces Catherine to change her mind and not accept the plea deal. Annalise wins the case, and later brings Catherine and Caleb’s acquittal to Emily. She explains that the DNA at the crime scene is a near-perfect match for Philip’s and that Philip was the product of an incestuous union between Helena and her brother.
Laurel believes that Annalise is trying to break up her romance with Frank, but Frank is determined not to let that happen. Connor and Oliver sneak into Annalise’s classroom at night for a sexual encounter. Catherine sends Wes one of her paintings as a present. Michaela visits Caleb to determine how he truly feels about her; he admits that he is attracted to her. Nate visits Annalise to tell her that the police are starting their investigation of Philip the following morning. She gets him to admit that he also came over to see her and invites him inside. Wes notices something in the portrait Catherine gave him; he bursts into Annalise’s house to show her a detail in the photo taken of Philip, showing that he had one of her paintings in his room. Caleb shows Michaela a handgun hidden in an air vent, which he claims he discovered the previous week. He wonders aloud if Catherine truly did carry out the murders. Catherine meets with Philip, apparently working as his accomplice. Commercials deleted.
Details
- NETWORK: ABC
- DATE: 10:00 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 0:43:02
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: 124732
- GENRE: Drama, legal
- SUBJECT HEADING: African-American Collection - Drama; Drama, legal; Drama, mystery/suspense
- SERIES RUN: ABC - TV series, 2014-2020
- COMMERCIALS: N/A
CREDITS
- Peter Nowalk … Executive Producer, Created by
- Bill D'Elia … Executive Producer
- Betsy Beers … Executive Producer
- Shonda Rhimes … Executive Producer
- Erika Green Swafford … Supervising Producer
- Scott Collins … Supervising Producer
- Scott Printz … Producer
- Joe Fazzio … Producer
- Tracy A. Bellomo … Producer
- Tanya Saracho … Co-Producer, Writer
- Noah Evslin … Co-Producer
- Holden Chang … Co-Producer
- Warren Hsu Leonard … Co-Producer
- J.C. Lee … Co-Producer
- Angela Robinson … Consulting Producer
- Jennifer Getzinger … Director
- Photek … Music by
- Viola Davis … Cast, Annalise Keating
- Billy Brown … Cast, Nate Lahey
- Alfred Enoch … Cast, Wes Gibbins
- Jack Falahee … Cast, Connor Walsh
- Aja Naomi King … Cast, Michaela Pratt
- Matt McGorry … Cast, Asher Millstone
- Karla Souza … Cast, Laurel Castillo
- Charlie Weber … Cast, Frank Delfino
- Liza Weil … Cast, Bonnie Winterbottom
- Sarah Burns … Cast, A.D.A. Emily Sinclair
- Conrad Ricamora … Cast, Oliver Hampton
- Kendrick Sampson … Cast, Caleb Hapstall
- Amy Okuda … Cast, Catherine Hapstall
- Jefferson White … Cast, Philip Jessup
- April Grace … Cast, Judge Renee Garret
- Dalila Ali Rajah … Cast, Judy
- Misha Gonz-Cirkl … Cast, Detective Lana Ramos
- Ron Roggé … Cast, Detective Paul Reed
- Chiquita Fuller … Cast, Delivery Woman
- Michael C. Alexander … Cast, Flinty Detective