Entertainment

'How to Get Away With Murder' Looks Awesome

by Rachel Simon

It's been a long, hard few months since Shonda Rhimes' two TV shows, Scandal and Grey's Anatomy, finished up their seasons, and the showrunner hasn't exactly been sympathetic to fans' wait; despite all our begging, all we've gotten so far has been a few off-hand comments, a couple of cryptic photos released from sets, and certainly no spoilers. Yet that's nothing compared to how tight-lipped she's been about her newest show, How to Get Away With Murder ; other than the star and the time slot, practically nothing has been given away about what fans can expect come September. Finally, though, Rhimes has decided to give us a peek — and while it's not exactly a lot, it's the most we can expect to get until the start of Shondaland's epic Thursday night schedule on Sept. 25.

In an ABC promo for Rhimes' upcoming three shows, the showrunner sat down with her series' stars: Scandal's Kerry Washington, Grey's Anatomy's Ellen Pompeo, and How to Get Away With Murder's Viola Davis. Although no real spoilers are said (despite Pompeo and Washington's pleas), several short clips from Murder play, giving a deeper look at the series than ever seen before. The footage introduces Annalise Keating (Davis), a renowned defense attorney who's also a top law professor. She's blunt, intimidating, and brilliant; when one of her students looks on in awe and says, "I want to be her," she's clearly speaking for everyone.

"How to Get Away With Murder is a very sexy, fast-paced look at the law," said Rhimes, later adding that Annalise's "band of very interesting students find themselves sitting on both sides of the law."

The wavering morality becomes clear partway through the clips, when Annalise, viewing an illegally-obtained file, casually tells a colleague that to use it in court, "we just have to get creative."

It's only a short preview, but already, Murder looks certain to be just as suspenseful and addictive as Scandal and Grey's. Prepare to leave your Thursday nights free this fall, because as Rhimes said, "it's gonna be an edge of your seat three-hour block of time."

Elsewhere in the promo, Washington, and Pompeo discussed the state of their two shows, both of which left off on major cliffhangers. To no one's surprise, Rhimes kept her lips sealed, and her veteran actresses took the moment to warn Davis of what's to come.

"Welcome to Shondaland," Pompeo sighed, as Washington nodded in agreement, and later, the Scandal star advised Davis to "buckle up!" And while the Murder actress laughed, it wasn't without nerves; being a Rhimes leading lady may be the opportunity of a lifetime, but it comes with just a little bit of pressure. Thankfully, Pompeo and Washington seem to be more than ready to give Davis some advice, or at least a shoulder to lean on when her characters' life starts spinning as out of control as Olivia's and Meredith's.

Check out the promo below:

Image: ABC