When the season premiere of How To Get Away With Murder introduced Annalise's ex-girlfriend Eve, I was nervous for a split second. I hoped the sudden addition of maybe-bisexual-Annalise (she didn't label herself, so I won't either) was more than just a ploy. I hoped Eve wasn't using Annalise. I hoped Annalise wasn't using Eve. And, most of all, I hoped that HTGAWM wasn't using a possible bisexual storyline to get attention. But, I shouldn't have even had a fleeting thought of worry because this is Shonda Rhimes and Viola Davis and Famke Janssen and they're magical women. Rhimes has long been putting dynamic same-sex couples on her TV shows, and Annalise and Eve are no different.
But, the best part of this storyline is it's not here to explain itself. The audience isn't given a reason for Annalise's sexuality, nor should we be given one. Annalise's preference for men and women is treated as a non-issue. There's hardly a pause in the storyline, and so the audience simply has to hop on board. Annalise likes girls and it's NBD.
That's how LGBT representation should be in a show like this. Since sexuality is not the driving force behind the show, it shouldn't have a big stop-the-episode-and-focus-unnaturally-on-this moment. Unlike some shows where the LGBT status of the characters plays a big part: Think Orange is the New Black, Transparent, and more, HTGAWM isn't that kind of show. So, of course Annalise is just gonna live her life the way she wants without a second glance. She's the HBIC on this show, so I'd expect no less.
While I understand that sometimes it's necessary to make a point of "here are the struggles this LGBT person faces," I think HTGAWM handles Annalise's sexuality with the perfect amount of attention. She likes who she likes and that's that. It's not a plot device, it's not a gimmick, it's just who she is and that's all there is to it. Next!
Image: Screengrab/ABC
