How to Get Away with Murder can’t resist ending every season with at least one major cliffhanger. It looked for a while like the most recent finale would be a happy resolution to an emotionally taxing season. But, leave it to Frank Delfino to rock the boat with a shocking new revelation. Spotting a young man named Gabriel Maddox (Rome Flynn) at a college tour, he makes a phone call to an unknown person, saying, "Her kid is here." Fans have speculated that Bonnie might be Gabriel's mother on How To Get Away With Murder but there are a few compelling reasons why that may not be true.
Season 4 ends with most of the main characters finding a new sense of peace. Annalise Keating wins her Lahey v. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania case. The Keating Four are as happy as they can be given the wild ride they have been on since they enrolled in law school. Laurel Castillo wins her war against her shady parents to regain custody of her baby. Asher is living in Wes Gibbins’ old apartment. Michaela is moving on after her cheating scandal. And Connor Walsh is heading back to law school and marrying his boyfriend Oliver. Finally, Annalise has mended fences with Bonnie and Frank. But Gabriel’s sudden appearance might stir up some more drama in Philly.
The speculation about Bonnie being Gabriel’s mom was stirred up largely by to an unearthed clue about her past. Previous episodes revealed Bonnie’s tragic childhood, which included sexual abuse by men her father pimped her out to, as well by her father himself. She was pregnant at 15 and told that her baby died, but Nate found her file with a handwritten note saying “Child Alive?” The show's Twitter page played into the drama with a photo of the note plus an all-caps caption.
This is a compelling piece of evidence, for sure, but here are a few reasons why this theory is probably not true.
It Is TOO Obvious
How to Get Away with Murder is known for its twisty plots and heart-pounding reveals. The note about Bonnie’s child possibly being alive and Gabriel showing up at the same time is way too easy of a connection to make. In a Hollywood Reporter interview with series creator Pete Nowalk, he made it clear that he wanted fans to keep guessing for a while before he reveals the next big secret. He said:
“Obviously, Gabriel has a mother, and Frank knows of that mother or knows the mother. So that is a huge mystery, and we're going to be giving hints about it all next season… I want people to get to know Gabriel before we know his origins."
In the same interview, he did tease Bonnie being Gabriel’s mother, but he may be using this ploy to confuse fans.
Annalise Is A Strong Possibility
Viewers don’t know who is on the other end of that phone call with rank. What if he is talking to Bonnie about some other “her” instead? Annalise is currently living in bliss after her big court win and was seen bonding with Wes and Laurel’s baby boy Christopher, so the revelation of her child being alive would rock her world. Frank was involved in the accident that supposedly killed her baby, but what if the baby was actually taken from the scene? It would be interesting to see how she reacts to her long-lost son, especially since he looks like a Wes replacement. Deadline reported that Nowalk told press that he wants to flashback to Annalise’s marriage more if the show gets renewed for Season 5.
The timeline is a bit off for this theory to be completely true, but you never know how this show could spin the story.
New Season, Another New Character?
Frank knows a lot of people. Fans automatically assume that one of the two leading women in the show is Gabriel’s mom, but what if it is a new character altogether? Perhaps Gabriel’s mother is related to Wes in some way. He appeared to be his mother’s only child, but what if she had more kids? What if he has half-siblings from his biological father? Or, maybe Gabriel is a long-lost cousin who may or may not have ended up in the area to start a little trouble. Any of these possibilities are plausible and would shake things up once again.
It looks like Gabriel Maddox will be one of many new mysteries needing to be solved next season. He seems all charms and smiles in his first appearance, but he probably harbors dark, murderous secrets underneath his sunny exterior. Whether his mother is Bonnie, Annalise, or someone fans haven't met yet, he's sure to put more of a mark on this show if and when he returns.
If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, call the National Sexual Assault Telephone Hotline at 800-656-HOPE (4673) or visit online.rainn.org.
