Not even two minutes in and there’s a dead body. The instant thrill of the show definitely grabbed my attention and reeled me in to continue watching.

How To Get Away With Murder has been breaking records and receiving excellent feedback for its first season.

The show is centered around a group of law students and their professor who are tangled in a twisted, murderous predicament that change their lives forever.

Viola Davis plays Annalise Keating, an intimidating defense attorney and law professor who seems to always have a secret to hide. Emotions run when Davis acts. It’s an amazing performance whether she’s on the verge of a meltdown or strikes fear into your eyes in court.

Although there were many doubts about the show being successful due to the fact that the leading role is portrayed by a black woman, Davis proved them wrong. The pilot, which debuted on September 25, 2014, had a whopping 14 million viewers watching that night.

The pilot started with a transition from flashbacks to current events, expecting viewers to adapt quickly to the structure of the show. Each flashback explains more and more of the plot and the character’s personalities. It’s all done well and does not cause any confusion. As you watch, questions emerge. Who did they kill? Why is Annalise cheating with her husband? Will they, or won’t they? Are they going to be together? Are they going to get caught? Suspicion rises more and more as the episode heading is near to the current date. For example, the pilot began with “3 Months Ago” then the episode after began with “2 ½ Months Ago,” getting closer to finding out the answers to all your question with each new episode.

In the pilot, determined law students are immediately put to work when Annalise has them take on a case where their goal is to impress her. The ones who assist her win the case are eligible for the chance to be one of four law students worthy enough to work for her.

How To Get Away With Murder is a big pot of diversity, offering variety. The cast is an ensemble of colored actors who play characters that contradict their usual stereotypes.

The pilot introduces these characters without any easing into the episode. It’s almost a little too difficult to determine which characters are significant as you watch. Yet with so many characters significant to the plot, it allows viewers to pick a favorite. It is such a refreshing break from the usual white-cisgendered-male character revolved show.

Manipulation, sex, mystery, secrets, morality, law, suspense, fear, ambition. I’ve never seen another show like it.

It’s not the usual criminal detective shows. It’s wicked and intense. You’re taken aback by the extreme measures these law students take in order to win the case, but the story motivates you to keep watching.

With the midseason finale ending in a big plot twist and cliff hanger, I find it difficult to think about having to wait until February for the second half of the season.