How To Get Away With Murder S1E3 - "Smile, or Go to Jail" Recap

Michaela's fiancé Aiden Walker is in town visiting her. Wes visits the police station to try to get information on Rebecca but he's denied since he doesn't have ID as her lawyer. On his way out, he spies Griffin O'Reilly getting out. Annalise is asked by the university president to represent Griffin because his parents have donated significant money to the university and it would also look bad for the football team, of which Griffin is the quarterback. She says she will think about it. She calls Nate to tell him about the offer, saying she can't make a decision unless she knows whether Sam's alibi checks out.  Nate is at Yale to check Sam's alibi and learns that Sam never showed up for the lecture he was supposed to give, and cancelled last minute claiming he had food poisoning.

Michaela brings Aiden to work with her and finds that Connor and Aiden went to boarding school together. Connor slyly tells Michaela that they have more in common than they originally thought. Annalise goes to check out her client Paula Murphy out of jail. Paula is a soccer mom that was arrested for having sex with a man in the park but she is promptly arrested, having previously been Elena Aguilar, who was a member of a terrorist group that set off a pipe bomb that killed a man.

The trial is underway but eventually, Annalise decides the best course of action is to get Paula to go with her to prison to visit the group's leader, Gabriel Shaw. Paula and Gabriel were formally involved. Someone calls the phone Rebecca left and when Wes answers, he learns that it is Lila's phone.

Upon visiting Gabriel Shaw, Annalise and Paula/Elena are able to get him to agree to testify that the bomb was all his idea. On the car ride home, Elena admits that she forgot what it felt like to have a thrill and that she misses the feeling Gabriel gave her.

At a dinner with some friends, Sam claims that he was denied a job offer and Annalise sits quietly, rightfully wondering if he is telling the truth. Later that night, she texts Nate to ask if he has found anything. Nate investigates whether Sam's car was in the lot when it should have been on the night of Lila's murder and finds that it wasn't.

Everyone at Annalise's firm meets with Griffin to hear his story of the night of Lila's murder. He claims Rebecca is a drug dealer and that they were hooking up but Lila walked in on them and lost it, screaming and scratching at Griffin. He says that Rebecca was smiling and set him up to be caught by Lila. He looked for Lila all night but couldn't find her. He believes Rebecca is the responsible party. Wes creates a fake ID, dons a suit, and heads to the station to meet with Rebecca, posing as her lawyer. He tells Rebecca he found the phone, asking what's on it, and she then calls for the guard, saying that Wes is an imposter. Wes shouts to her that Griffin is going to pin it all on her.

Laurel asks Bonnie if she can go to a law review party and Frank tells her to go on and enjoy herself. Laurel tells them the name of the bar, inviting them to stop by. While at the party, Laurel is chatted up by a legal aid named Kan. Michaela has brought Aiden and is shocked to learn that he once had a fling with Connor while in boarding school together. Frank stops by the party and is about to approach Laurel, but leaves when he sees Kan with her. He is, however, spotted by Asher on the way out. Michaela and Aiden get into an argument, as she is angry about his lie.

Annalise comes to pick up Wes at the station and he tells her she can't defend Griffin because Rebecca has nothing and will become a pawn just because she's poor. They head to court where Connor is still gloating to Michaela just to throw her off her game. Asher tells Laurel about Frank stopping by the party, and she appears intrigued. Gabriel Shaw is called in as a witness for the prosecution and flips his story, claiming that Elena was the mastermind of the bombing. Annalise calls him out for his lie and asks what plea deal he has made in return for this testimony. He has to admit that he has been offered early release but also claims that he has loved Elena for all these years. Unfortunately for Annalise, Elena goes on the run with Gabriel and the case if put on hold until she can be found and arrested. Annalise warns Michaela to choose her husband carefully, as she'll only have herself to blame if he chooses badly.

Annalise meets with Nate, who lies to her and claims that Sam's alibi checks out. They also appear to have mended their relationship, and perhaps eventually they will resume it, though Nate tells her to go home and be with her husband.

Michaela makes up with her husband. She wants to know if there are other men he has had sex with. She doesn't care if he's gay but she's not about to be someone's beard for political gain. She has a plan for her life and is not about to have him embarrass her.

Annalise tells the president of the university that she will not be representing Griffin O'Reilly. She awards the trophy to Wes, for speaking up for the pawns of this world. She then announces to the class that she will be representing Rebecca Sutter. When Annalise goes to meet with Rebecca, she learns that Rebecca has just confessed to the crime on tape.

Flashforward (2 months):
Connor, Wes, Michaela, and Laurel are struggling to get rid of the body. Michael is particularly emotional over the night's event. They realise they need alibis for the night so Laurel proposes they head to the bonfire where they party and engage in merriment, snapping photos as proof. As the group prepares to leave the woods, Michaela panics upon realising that her engagement ring is missing.

How To Get Away With Murder airs on Thursdays on ABC at 10PM.