Entertainment

'HTGAWM' Introduces Annalise Keating's Mom

At the end of this week's HTGAWM, a guilt-ridden Annalise Keating called her mother and told her that she needed her through sobs. It's what any sensible widow/murder accomplice would do, honestly. In the promo for next week's episode, appropriately titled "Mama's Here Now," we saw Annalise's mommy dearest arrive, played by the legendary Oscar nominee Cicely Tyson. Her character got straight to the point and asked Annalise is she was guilty of murder. What a good mom! Don't beat around the bush with your children.

What's the deal with Annalise's mother? Who is she to Professor Keating? Earlier in the episode, Sam's sister Hannah Keating mentioned that Annalise had an abusive childhood, and children who grow up with violence often repeat that cycle. That was her explanation for why she thought Annalise could kill Sam. Funny, that applies to several characters on this show including Wes and Rebecca.

But wait a minute, what was Hannah talking about? What abuse did Annalise suffer growing up? She's mentioned being "broken" before, something that Sam "fixed," but nothing specific. Will we learn more about this now that her mother is on the scene? The promo clip also shows a raging, drunk Annalise yelling and smashing things. The pressure is on! I just hope her mother's appearance doesn't make things worse.

There's still so much to learn about Annalise Keating's background. We know that she is at least Sam's second wife and living in his childhood home. We are lead to believe that that is why Hannah Keating hates Annalise so much. But is there more to it than that?

Does anybody else get a Ron Swanson vibe from the way Sam's sister and wife's names both contain "Anna" in their spelling? It's a little creepy, isn't it? Hey, Annalise brought up incest, not me. Anyway, watch the promo below. Are you excited to learn more about Annalise Keating's past? I know I am.

Image: Mitch Haaseth/ABC