How to Get Away With a Murderer Season 4

When How to Get Abroad With Murder returns for its fourth season in the fall on ABC, the law student acolytes of Annalise Keating (Viola Davis) will, against all odds, exist halfway through their second year of law school. Call up, these twenty-somethings are responsible for covering up multiple murders.

"We are gonna jump a little bit in time so anybody tin offset in a more restful, low-key place," creator PeterNowalk tells The Hollywood Reporter ahead of the testify'south late-September premiere. "Nosotros'll be starting at the beginning of their second semester of their second yr in police force school. They're halfway done. It's their winter semester."

But unlike in previous years, there's no big, life-changing effect that starts off the season.

"Anybody's more in a normal identify, probably how virtually of u.s. live our lives without murders happening all the time. It'southward actually nice just to be eased into where they are."

There is, however, a big question that will exist introduced in the season premiere.

"That'south how I always start the writers each year," Nowalk says. "What is our Who is under the canvass? Who killed Sam? Who shot Annalise? This yr, the question is not a 'who,' it'due south a 'where.' It'due south very different than the other seasons, which is why I love it, but it's still a actually bang-up mystery."

Make no mistake, Nowalk says — the reveal of said question will still be a major moment in the episode.

"It's all the same a crazyballs, roller-coaster, what-the-fuck-happened mystery. We'll discover out that question — in fact, one of the characters volition even say it by the end of the first episode."

When the Shondaland serial picks up, the answers to many questions left hanging in the season three finale will be answered.

"Asher and Michaela are going to be living together, Laurel volition have made a decision nigh whether or not to have the baby and Annalise volition really accept had time to exhale and say, 'OK, what practise I want my life to expect like now that I am disgraced and starting at rock bottom? How tin can I build my life back from that?'"

Laurel's storyline in particular will see major repercussions from the events of the finale, when the audience learned that it was Laurel'due south childhood friend, nether orders from her begetter, who killed Wes (Alfred Enoch).

"Nosotros have to kickoff the season wondering does Laurel take whatsoever idea that her dad basically killed Wes, and what is she going to do about that if she does? Wes was the heart of the evidence, and now he'southward expressionless. I think someone has to work to still solve his murder, because it's unsolved. Annalise feels similar that'due south merely what they take to live with, just I don't think Laurel wants to give up on that answer yet."

Plus, the audience will notice out what Connor (Jack Fallahee) said to Oliver's (Conrad Ricamora) proposal.

"The proposal is on the tabular array, and we'll see them talk almost it in a style that I find is kind of fun and unexpected in our premiere, and volition come up to a mutual decision nearly what to do," Nowalk says. "I will say their relationship is just getting deeper, and what's really fun is for them to each exist finding out things they didn't know about each other, besides as the audition is finding that out. For example, we're gonna meet one of Connor's parents, and Oliver will meet i of those parents."

And and so in that location'south Annalise, whose murder charges were dropped just whose reputation was seriously harmed by the allegations. How volition she collaborate with her sometime students now that she's no longer teaching — and subsequently pinning Rebecca's and Sam's deaths on their dead BFF?

"That is a great question," he comments. "We're gonna answer it in the premiere. Does she want them in her life anymore? Does she however call up that they all take to ring together to protect each other? Or does she experience like it's time they all become their separate ways? There volition exist a major decision well-nigh that and a major shift in the show in the premiere."

Continues Nowalk, "When Annalise takes on her first client, you lot'll see it's someone from her past that really works into her emotional story of looking for redemption. All of the clients so far are people that either we know or that are cases that are gonna get her farther in her redemption journeying."

Annalise'southward storyline volition provide plenty of opportunities for Davis to show off her Oscar-winning chops.

"The best part and as well the scariest role about getting to write for Viola is she can do anything. The challenge for me and the writers is always to give her new things to play. I think we're doing that," Nowalk says. "We are introducing this Jimmy Smits character, whom she has to interact with a lot. I don't desire to say what his character is, but they have some astonishing scenes together that are using all of Viola'south talents and craft to the best of our ability. With every flavor, it's like, 'Oh my God, are we giving Viola enough to practise, or are nosotros taking advantage of this gift nosotros've been given?' I think, and then far, we're doing a pretty good chore."

How to Go Away With Murder returns Thursday, Sept. 28 on ABC.