'How to Get Away with Murder' Recap: 'It's a Trap'

On this week’s episode of How to Get Away with Murder, Annalise and her students contemplate how to handle Phillip's demands, Laurel and Wes travel to Ohio for research, and Bonnie tells Asher she can't support him.

Wes reads over the files Annalise left him. In a series of inter-cut flashbacks, Annalise questions Rose and Charles Mahoney, Jr. about what they saw the night of Charles Mahoney, Sr.’s fiance’s murder. Their stories match and Rose has agreed to testify, meaning Charles Jr. has his alibi. He’s currently in jail for the crime.

Cue opening theme.

Connor gives Annalise a briefing on the email Phillip sent him, though Annalise isn’t sure how she can help. To make matters worse, Annalise accuses Connor of shooting the video and using it as blackmail. When Connor reminds Annalise he was too distraught and tried to help her that night, she shuts up and asks him to call the others for a meeting.

Laurel and Frank continue their conversation about him killing Lila. Laurel is in total disbelief until she realizes that Annalise hired Frank to kill Lila once she found out that Lila and Sam’s affair result in an unintended pregnancy. Frank tries to explain, but a phone call prevents him from doing so; it’s Bonnie, filling him about Phillip’s video. Later, Laurel cries and yells in Spanish while driving home. She also ignores several calls from Bonnie.

Everyone meets at Annalise’s, except Laurel and Wes. The video is mentioned and the group offers suggestions on how to prove Phillip is truly the person blackmailing them. None of the group’s suggestions seem to please Annalise, so she finally promises to step up and handle it like always.

Laurel visits Wes. He’s still sorting through case files and Laurel is upset about her fight with Frank. Despite not wanting to talk about it, Wes mentions his mom’s connection to the case; Annalise knew her.

Phillip sends another email: Annalise and her students must deposit $1 million in the attached account or he’ll send the video to the police.

Ten years earlier, Annalise tells Frank she’s bringing him to Ohio to assist her on her case and asks him to be on his “best behavior.”

Hearing Wes’ mom’s connection to Annalise, Laurel suggests they fly to Ohio to make things easier. Wes disagrees, saying he’ll wait to speak to her himself, until Laurel says Annalise didn’t want to be bothered with helping get him out of the psych ward. Wes lets Laurel book the flight.

Frank tells Annalise that Phillip is probably asking for so much money, because he thinks she’s rich. Annalise does have some money to cover the ransom, but is more concerned with Frank finding Laurel.

Meanwhile, Laurel and Wes begin their search at Ohio’s judicial database.

Ten years earlier, Annalise and Frank attempt to prepare Rose for her testimony, but Rose caves under the pressure and worries that if she goes public, ICE will show up and deport her. With this in mind, Annalise meets with Charles Mahoney and his son to ask if an anonymous testimony would be possible. Initially, Mr. Mahoney doesn’t love the idea, but agrees to trust Annalise and uphold his son’s alibi.

Back at the Keating house, no one can reach Laurel or Wes and Asher works on developing strategies to approach an upcoming case. He’s a bit side-tracked with the video Phillip is threating to use, so Bonnie tells him to calm down, saying she’ll let him know when he really should freak out.

Simultaneously, Frank claims to have heard from Laurel; she's sick with the flu.

Annalise and Michaela go to see Caleb. Annalise says Caleb was right about Phillip and needs Caleb to visit his sister, Catherine in jail to get her to keep talking. Caleb will need to pay Annalise a retainer fee of $250,000, but she promises she’ll find Phillip and get justice. Later, Caleb follows Annalise’s instructions and talks to Catherine, though she proves less than helpful.

Laurel and Wes sort through hard copies of case files in Ohio.

Ten years earlier, Charles Mahoney’s son’s trial begins and all goes well until Rose doesn’t show up to give her anonymous testimony. Annalise is upset, because it was Frank’s responsibility to watch Rose — that’s why she brought him — and now, Mr. Mahoney is angry at her.

Sam calls Annalise and Annalise shares how she screwed up in court. Back at the Keating house, Bonnie listens to Sam’s conversation from afar.

Bonnie informs Annalise that Caleb called; his conversation with Catherine didn’t turn up anything useful. Bonnie also asks Annalise to consider choosing jail rather than using such elaborate measures to keep Phillip from bringing the video to the police. A few moments later, Annalise tells all her students to go home; they’ll give it one last shot in the morning.

Wes thinks his mom’s death was made to look like a suicide and she was killed when she failed to testify.

Michaela checks on Caleb and he tells her he doesn’t know what to believe about Catherine anymore. The pair also shares a kiss.

Asher goes to Bonnie with another new strategy for his case, but she shuts him down. She’s neither his lawyer nor his girlfriend and protecting him has only confused things for them. Asher is stunned, while Bonnie puts on a strong face, then breaks down in private.

Annalise makes dinner for herself and Nate.

Connor hides his laptop from Oliver, then tells him how he’s applying to transfer to Stanford’s Law School. Connor isn’t thrilled that Phillip knows where he and Oliver live and Connor is tired of Annalise’s mind games.

Back at the Keating house, Nate mistakes Annalise’s gesture as having an ulterior motive and the pair fights. Annalise thinks Nate’s trying to punish her, Nate claims he’s forgiven her and moved on. A moment later, they embrace.

Laurel reads a text from Frank while Wes checks on their food. When he returns and asks what happened, Laurel says she fell for Frank, because he reminded her of her father. Laurel’s dad has done some bad things that she’s tried to get away from and she wonders if she’s a bad person for dating someone like Frank. Wes re-assures Laurel that she’s not and then complicates matters by kissing her. Laurel brushes off his move as them both being tired.

Ten years earlier, Annalise visits Rose and chides her for failing to appear in court. Rose asks Annalise to find another eyewitness, but Annalise doesn’t know if she can. She also doesn’t know what will happen if Charles’ son fails to get his alibi. Rose sends her off, nonetheless. Barely a beat later, Rose argues with a young Wes.

Laurel and Wes take one last look at the files and each of them labels Rose’s death as a suicide. Laurel feels guilty that the trip was a wash and says it’s time for she and Wes to go home.

Annalise and Nate wake up together and Annalise tells him about the video. Nate says she shouldn’t take any action, and instead, let Phillip surrender. Later, Annalise takes Nate’s advice and tells her students they’re going to wait things out, much to their dismay. The group thinks their plan has worked until Phillip emails another video—this time of Annalise and Nate from the previous night.

Following the group’s failed stand-off with Phillip, Laurel arrives and asks to speak to Annalise in private. She shows Annalise a paper she swiped from the case files in Ohio and asks Annalise if it’s possible that Wes killed his mom.

End of episode.

How to Get Away with Murder airs every Thursday at 10 p.m. on ABC.