Is Annalise Covering Up Sam's Murder on 'HTGAWM'?

Television giveth, and television taketh away. We finally just found out, after nine tense weeks, who killed Sam on How to Get Away with Murder. And now we have to wait all the way until Jan. 29 for the rest of the season to unfold. Sure, I could try to get over my HTGAWM addiction during that time, maybe take up a hobby. But instead, I've already started theorizing about what the second group of episodes will entail. My biggest question: Will Annalise help her students "get away with murder?" As we saw in the midseason finale, she knew the Keating Five were responsible for Sam's death all along.

Of course, we aren't sure yet just how deeply Annalise was involved in the aftermath of the murder. But from the most recent episode, it seems pretty clear that she convinced Wes to pursued eveyone else to bury the body, to lie about the coin toss, maybe even to chop Sam's body up and burn it. (Gross.) She was also the one to contact the police the following morning, so obviously, she has a plan for how the investigation into her husband's disappearance should play out. My prediction: the second half of How to Get Away with Murder's first season will be all about Annalise helping her students cover up their crime.

My theory isn't just wishful thinking. In an interview with Entertainment Weekly after the midseason finale aired, HTGAWM showrunner Peter Nowalk was careful not to give any spoilers away. But he did let this clue slip, when asked why he hasn't yet revealed who killed Lila:

Rebecca, Wes, Annalise and Bonnie all think Sam killed Lila at that moment. They all do. We’ll see in subsequent episodes how Annalise deals with that, and how she actually has to prove that.

Nowalk's answer isn't exactly a whole lot to go on, but it does confirm that the law professor will be spending the final six episodes of Season 1 building a case against her husband. It stands to reason that she'll be assisting his killers as well. After all, she's already helped them with one part of her famous defense strategy: "Bury the evidence."

So, if my theory about the direction of the rest of the season is correct, what would the upcoming episodes look like? In the same interview, Nowalk confirmed that there will be no more flash forwards — though there will be "flashbacks to each character two weeks earlier in a special place and time," beginning in Episode 11.

Maybe Annalise will give a master class on her favorite subject. She'll craft an alibi with each student, go through their stories to make sure they match up, even help them sanitize the crime scene. She certainly has connections in the D.A.'s office. Perhaps she'll manipulate a few cops into overlooking a crucial detail, or convince a detective to investigate another suspect.

We'll have to wait nine weeks before we know anything about what Annalise has planned. There's only one thing I'm sure of: If I was a murder suspect, she's the woman I'd want to have my back.

Images: Mitchell Haaseth/ABC; DailyGeekette/Wordpress