The first season of the hit T.G.I.T. ABC series How To Get Away With Murder hits DVD today. KSiteTV received a review copy and here’s what we thought!
What’s On The Set: Rather than explain it ourselves, here’s the way ABC describes the show in its press release:
Dangerous. Mesmerizing. That’s the final verdict on ABC’s “How To Get Away With Murder,” the sexy ensemble drama where brilliant and seductive Annalise Keating (Viola Davis – Screen Actors Guild Awards® Winner for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in Drama Series for “How To Get Away With Murder”) dominates her classroom as powerfully as she dominates the courtroom.
Each year, she chooses several top law students to assist with her high-profile, albeit morally ambiguous, court cases. But the lines between defending and committing murder soon begin to blur when Annalise and her students become intimately involved in a sordid homicide that could destroy them all.
Ride this raw, intense rollercoaster with all 15 episodes; plus, experience exclusive, never-before-seen bonus features available only on DVD. “How To Get Away With Murder: The Complete First Season” – from its first frame to its last – this new national obsession exhibits “intent to thrill” in the first degree.
The Episodes: All 15 episodes of How To Get Away With Murder Season 1 are on this set, and it’s a roller coaster ride from the start to the finish.
What makes this show special, beyond the writing, is the cast: Viola Davis is, of course, a stand-out, but she’s surrounded by a talented group of young faces where it’s easy to pick a favorite (or a least favorite). Best of all, I felt like none of the characters in the show were cardboard archetypes; they, like the show, have many layers. Bold choices are taken with several of them.
I do recommend that, if you did not watch HTGAWM on TV when it aired, you don’t read any spoilers going in, as part of the fun of the show is the surprises. It’s got twists like you’d expect from a Shonda Rhimes show, and Pete Nowalk has created quite a world here where you’ll want to binge and watch several episodes at a time.
The show is not one to watch around children, as there’s some pretty graphic sex at times. Not that there’s anything wrong with that!
The Extras: The character “Asher Millstone” does a “Bye Felicia” video where I’m shocked that actor Matt McGorry didn’t bust out laughing. There are also bloopers, which is great for a show like this; and deleted scenes. Finally, there’s “First Year Law,” a documentary about the making of the show that introduces you to the actors, the production and their world. Although I did warn about spoilers up above, I’d say that the featurette is mostly spoiler-free.
Is it worth it? Definitely binge-worthy, and the amount of extras will keep you from just wanting to stream it somewhere at some point. The show is great, and Viola Davis deserves an Emmy.
Packaging & Design: Both look good, in a fairly slim case. Menus feature the closing theme music.
How To Get Away With Murder: The Complete First Season hits DVD TODAY (August 4). Order yours from Amazon.com and support this site! You can find a preview of the gag reel below.
