I must admit, I love a good television drama series. Although I usually get hooked into a show during the pilot, I have continued to watch How to Get Away with Murder. I don’t know what it is about the show that leaves me befuddled after every episode, and not in a good way, but I just can’t seem to connect with any of the characters, much less empathize with any of them. After all, viewer empathy and/or a connection to the characters, along with a compelling and well written story line of course, are absolutely critical to the success of a show, right? I don’t know if it’s just me, but because I have yet to develop a true interest in the show, after four episodes mind you, I have started to wonder if other viewers feel like I do and that is, do you think this show will last? Let’s explore some key issues.
The Shonda Rhimes Effect
It is no secret that Shonda Rhimes is one of the most successful writers/executive producers in television right now. Her initial medical drama Grey’s Anatomy was/is a huge success, 10 years and counting, and her second show Private Practice (a Grey’s Anatomy spin-off) had a respectable 6 year run. However, it wasn’t until her political drama Scandal, that Shonda Rhimes basically became a household name. Up until now, nearly everything that she has touched has turned into gold; no wonder other writers are seeking her out to develop their stories into television shows. Enter Peter Nowalk.
A New Writer/Creator
Women already know that Shonda Rhimes knows how to write compelling stories about women and to some extent men as well. She has created some of the most strong and memorable female characters on television over the past decade and with the help of strong writers on all of her shows, like Peter Nowalk (creator of How to Get Away with Murder and supervising producer from Grey’s Anatomy), we have all grown to love those strongly developed characters. As a result, we were already familiar with Peter Nowalk’s work and can confirm that he can write. However, what we don’t know with any level of certainty is whether or not Peter Nowalk can build a show on his own.
The Missing Link
I can’t help it, but I’m four episodes into How to Get Away with Murder and I still don’t like any of the characters; which bothers me. I know technically I’m supposed to like the lead character Professor Annalise Keating, J.D., and no offense to Viola Davis who is obviously a terrific actress, but I just don’t get her deal. Is she angry or broken, or both; if she is either or both, why? Shouldn’t I know a little more than I do, other than the fact that she seems to hate everybody in her life, with the exception of the Detective Nate Lahey and the one student, Wes Gibbons. The same goes for all of the rest of the supporting cast, but the funny thing is that I really don’t care to know what their stories are; with the exception of the one character Bonnie Winterbottom. From the first episode I could tell that there was something interesting about her that was worth knowing, from the way she scoffed at Annalise behind her back to the way she slyly smiled every time she interacted with Annalise’s husband (Sam Keating). Clearly, she has something on her mind and I actually want to know what that is. The other characters, not so much.
It’s still too early to tell whether or not How to Get Away with Murder will actually last or not, but from where I stand, there is still a lot of work to be done if it does manage to stick around; and I hope they do make me a believer. I’m game! I may not be the target audience for this particular show, which would explain a lot, but then again I feel like good television transcends demographics and right now I would be more inclined to watch the show if the writers gave me a reason to be interested in the characters.