A phenomenon that is sweeping across college campuses, the concept of “Netflix and Chill,” implores an innocent facade used to disguise the intentions of having sex with another person while a boring movie plays in the background. The endless gallery of unwatched and often terribly rated material gives power to such a euphemism as we approach a time when parents will soon need to have the “birds and the streams” talk with their children.
But between the blurred lines of the young and the reckless, there exist true television theatre that will soon have college students pushing their partners off from on top of them just to catch a glimpse. With my help, meaningless sex will once again become passionate as The Signal brings you your weekend binge, beginning with a thrilling new show, “How to Get Away With Murder.”
The creators of Grey’s Anatomy and Scandal, bring you their newest creation led by the first African-American woman to win an Emmy for lead actress in a drama, Viola Davis (Annalise Keating). Davis portrays a prominent defense attorney and professor at the prestigious Middleton University of Philadelphia, who teaches Criminal Law 100, or as she prefers to call it, “How to Get Away With Murder.”        
The show is co-starred by a cast of young diverse actors portraying Annalise’s (Davis) puppy-eyed students, all who seek her exalted approval. Yet, before they can do so, they must compete against one another for the honor. The ultimate prize: one of four positions available at her firm and a Lady Justice statue that can get any one of them out of an exam (wouldn’t that be nice). However, their deepest desire turns out to be their worst fear when the statue becomes an integral weapon of murder that surrounds the entire show entangling Annalise in the process.
The plot revolves around the mysterious murder of a Middleton sorority student that adds layers of dynamic drama to the plot when we discover that Annalise’s husband, a psychology professor at the same university, was having an affair with her (most likely the effect of a Netflix and chill session). As Annalise reaps the rewards of success in the courthouse, her personal life and marriage begin to crumble in the process, complicating her already intricate story.
If you thought that wasn’t enough, the entire series reveals small glimpses of flash-forwards that depict the chosen students trying to dispose of a dead body murdered inside of Annalise’s house, a body that doesn’t belong to the student. Who you might ask? Well you find out at the end of the first episode, and as the season unfolds, you come to find not only who, but why it happened. The biggest mystery this show will hold is whether or not Annalise’s students will actually learn how to truly get away with murder.
The complexity of the characters that surround Davis add intricate layers that border on the edge multiple personality disorders as we discover that each brings with them a history and a past they seem to be running away from. Like many college students, their newfound freedom gives them the opportunity to become who they want to be rather than who they are. However, when their lives collide, they become trapped in a new story they can’t run away from.   
Viola Davis steals the show and the concept of this dramatic series would work even if she played all the supporting roles like an old Eddie Murphy film, or at least the multiple monotonous judges she confronts in the courtroom. The strong female presence she portrays adds complexity to the storyline. She brings awareness to the distinction of a fine line that exists between doing what’s right, and doing what is wrong that appeals to the conflicting realities of human nature. 
This show is deceptive enough with its mystery that it provokes me to feel like I’m actually doing something productive with my life even when I’m not, especially after an intense weekend of binge watching as I try to secure our Netflix morals.
Just like those chosen few Type-A college students hand-picked by Annalise who somehow survive on a few minutes of sleep, it reminds me of how much I’ve missed my own bed. There’s also the portrayal of this unrealistic expectation many students experience imposed by professors asking us to direct undivided attention to one particular course while ignoring work for other classes (note to professors).
However, the good thing is that when I do make it to my own bed, I can watch Davis’ character murdering the acting scene while I murder my pillow as I hold on for dear life with suspense. So the next time someone asks you over for a “Netflix and Chill” session, especially if you don’t have an account, jump on the offer, but remember, not on them.