Annalise Keating (Viola Davis) takes the witness stand for the first time on ABC’s “How to Get Away With Murder” Season 2, episode 2. The high-profile lawyer called in former lover and law-school gal pal Eve (Famke Janssen) to defend Nate (Billy Brown), who is being framed for Sam Keating’s (Tom Verica) murder. Annalise presents a strong case -- but is it enough to clear both her and Nate?

During the episode she is shown being questioned by the lawyer representing the state and her deceased husband. The lawyer opens the hearing with an attempt to prove that Annalise and Eve had a relationship outside the courtroom, with little success. She then attempts to paint a picture in which Annalise and Sam got into a heated argument the night of his murder, which caused her to become violent. She brings in earlier testimony from Annalise’s sister claiming that the Middleton law professor and Sam had been involved in domestic disputes prior to his death. She quickly deflects her questioning and creates doubt in the mind of the prosecution that she could be responsible. The prosecution then moves to her relationship with Nate, speculating about the details of their romantic encounters.

With the prosecution hitting close to home, creating doubt in the judge’s mind as to both Annalise and Nate’s innocence, Eve is forced to meet with her client to create a new plan of attack. She initially admits defeat, suggesting he admit that he and Sam were involved in a physical altercation on the night he was killed. This angers Nate, leading him to threaten to come forward with the truth. His refusal to lie on the witness stand shakes Eve. She relays the message to Annalise who demands she come up with another plan. The court reconvenes and Eve lays into Annalise, seemingly presenting enough evidence to convict her. With solid proof coming from both the prosecution and the defense the judge rules that both legal teams must start again, from scratch. She releases Nate with no charges against him and Annalise is free to return to her legal practice as well as her obligations as a professor.

While the trial was the main focus of episode 2, it was hardly the only noteworthy moment. Annalise and the Keating five, a small group of her star students, were hard at work on yet another case in which two siblings are being charged with murdering their adoptive mother and now their aunt. Here are seven other moments worth talking about from Thursday’s episode of “HTGAWM”:

  • Police find that the son standing trial for murdering both his aunt and mother left DNA at the crime scene. Upon learning this Annalise and the Keating five are almost certain he’s guilty and has been lying about his whereabouts.
  • Wes is able to play “the puppy,” coercing information out of the female client being tried for murder of both her mother and aunt. He reveals to her that police found DNA at the scene matching that of her brother, which worries her. Using his charm he gets her to share that her brother had gone out for a jog on the night her aunt was killed.
  • Wes and Bonnie (Liza Weil) then take the brother into another room for further questioning where he, too, confesses to having been out jogging. He claims, however, that he always jogs the same route and was nowhere near where his aunt’s body was found.
  • With the help of Oliver, Colin’s tech savvy boyfriend, they are able to prove that local police planted the evidence at the scene.
  • Oliver (Conrad Ricamora) arrives at Annalise’s home/legal practice to talk to Colin (Jack Falahee). Upon arriving he learns that his boyfriend has told his colleagues about his HIV positive status. He is angry at first, but after confessing to Colin that he contracted the disease by cheating on him after learning that Colin had first been unfaithful the two are able to level the playing field.
  • Bonnie and Annalise come face to face for the first time since the esteemed lawyer learned that her go-to student had killed Rebecca (Katie Finlay) in episode 1. Bonnie claims to Annalise that she committed the murder for her. She is not so convinced, telling Bonnie that she “ruined” her by taking her under her wing.
  • A time jump at the end of the episode reveals that not only has Annalise been shot dead in the home of the two clients, the prosecuting her husband's murder trial has also been attacked. She appears to be dead, though it remains unclear who is responsible.

“HTGAWM” airs Thursdays at 10 p.m. EDT on ABC.

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