Lila Stangard is alive and doing an off-Broadway show! Well, at least the actress, Megan West, who plays her is, starring in a revival of A Month in the Country along with Taylor Schilling and Peter Dinklage. I saw it this week and let me tell you, it was surreal seeing the stars of my favorite TV shows colliding this way, like some sort of HTGAWM/OITNB/GOT fever dream.

But of course, on the show, Lila is still very much dead.

Also confirmed dead … Sam. In fact, given it’s all that’s ever on TV the second someone turns one on, it appears that a single newscaster and entire news channel are devoted to reporting on his charred remains 24/7.

The news has the Murder Kids all anxious, especially Connor who’s wondering if Annalise tipped off the cops about Sam’s body and is trying to set them up. Rebecca rightfully points out that she has no real reason to. Meanwhile, Frank cautions Laurel that she better make sure she and the study group keep their cool, because now the police are going to be watching all of them closely -- a warning that doesn’t exactly help with the anxiety/paranoia levels.

Meanwhile, the police come to the Keating home and are greeted by Hannah and Annalise, who have this great little diva-off, all, “I’m Mrs. Keating,” “No, I’M Mrs. Keating,” “This is my house,” “No, this is MY house!” And the police officer rolls his eyes and is all, “Um, can I just tell you about the dead guy?”

At hearing news of her brother’s corpse, Hannah gives us the full on Gay Harden, wailing in grief and chewing up every inch of scenery and it is utterly glorious. Pointing an accusing finger at Annalise, she screams, “She did it! She’s a murderer. MURDERER!!! … Also, her cooking sucks.”

But Annalise is a cool customer about these sorts of accusations, cool enough to go about teaching her class, even though the dean has already sent a substitute teacher in her place. More shocking, though, is the fact that the sub didn’t know there are only five students in the class who are ever allowed to speak and instead called on some girl we’ve never heard from before.

Annalise takes over and questions her on the fifth amendment, which has to do with the right to not self incriminate. She says if you’re ever questioned by the police, you have to do your best to reveal as little as possible. In other words, “When in doubt, shut your mouth.” Hey, is all of the law written in cutesy Dr. Seuss rhymes? Because then I’d think taking the bar would be a breeze.

In addition to teaching, Annalise also proceeds with her legal work. That’s right! There’s actually a case of the week even amidst all this drama. It has to do with a longtime client of Annalise’s, a known mobster whose nephew is accused of importing heroin in a shipping container. And it’s fairly amusing that even a hardened criminal now has reservations about being around a probable husband-killer like Annalise.

The best thing about this case is that it gives Asher an opportunity to break out his Godfather impression, which is just adorable. The second best thing is that it leads to some really amazing grandstanding from Annalise in court, as she exposes the feds for trying to set up her client, to the point where she actually gets a standing ovation. I didn’t know people did that in court, but I guess when Viola Davis is live on stage, you applaud.

But the absolute best thing about this case is that the mobster guy has the cojones to hit on Annalise! He says that now that she’s single, maybe they can get together sometime, that he thought “chocolate and Italian wine always pair well.” Bwa ha ha! And … ew. And … great, now I want some chocolate. And a chicken parm sub for some reason.

So work is all good for Annalise. Not so good, the shade her dear sister-in-law is throwing her way. Hannah goes to the police station and says they should investigate Annalise, all, “For God’s sake, the woman teaches a class called ‘How to Get Away With Murder,’ what more proof do you need?!!!” But the police say it’s not enough to get a search warrant.

Then Hannah sees some photos of Sam’s grisly remains and it gives her a renewed sense of purpose. She says to the police, “What if I told you I heard Annalise threaten to kill Sam? Heck, I’ll testify to whatever you want if it gets that bitch on ice.”

Annalise gets wind that something is going down at the courthouse and sends in Bonnie. In court, Hannah is on the witness stand, claiming to have overheard a nasty fight between Annalise and Sam during which she threw a paperweight at his head. Bonnie tries to cross examine her but is no match for the Gay Harden, and the judge issues a search warrant for the Keating home.

In front of the house, the Murder Gang are anxiously watching the police go inside to search the premises. Hannah approaches them, like they’re all friends, and says she questions the wisdom of remaining loyal to a mentor who is likely to rot in jail.

When Annalise arrives, she literally tries to kick her sister-in-law to the curb, but Hannah crows about how she wants to see Annalise dragged away. Annalise snarks back that this is what Hannah always wanted, to have Sam’s mistress out of mommy and daddy’s house.

It’s a great little diva-off, and I especially love these glimpses we get of the two women’s history. Annalise was married to Sam for many years, after all, and it’s interesting to get a sense of how his circle treated her.

Anyway, the police go into full-on CSI mode, and we get a really nerve wracking sequence of them searching the house. At one point, an investigator says he found something and pulls out the scales of justice that should be with the trophy. Nobody thinks this is significant, other than Bonnie whose eyes widen.

But then they start doing that florescent light thing where they’re looking for blood splatter, and they’re all over the spot where Sam went splat. I thought they were definitely going to find something, but then Frank calls Laurel on a burner phone he gave her to let her know they’re in the clear.

Back at the office, Connor is still freaking out in front of the others, articulating something that many others do as well during this episode, namely why doesn’t Annalise seem to be at all sad about her dead hubby.

I’m sure that you’ve all, like me, had one of those awful moments where you’re talking about somebody behind their back without realizing they’re right behind YOUR back. You know how miserable that feels? Well, that’s what happens to poor Connor here, as Annalise overhears everything and asks to see him in her office.

So, as we’d all do if called out by Annalise this way, he craps his pants and then goes in to get his tongue lashing, bravely facing up to the Annalise death glare. She says she’s always felt they were kindred spirits, what with both being so willing to have sex with someone just to get something you need out of them. Plus, they’re both worriers. She says she knows he won’t stop worrying and won’t ever truly trust her but reminds him that she’s the only chance they have of getting through all this in the clear.

I should point out that there’s some really fine acting from Jack Falahee here, that it’s nice to see him able to play more than smoldering and paranoid. I’d think that getting to act opposite a star like Viola Davis must really help all these younger actors up their game -- it’s got to be a great experience for them.

Anyway, having easily dismissed with Connor, Annalise doesn’t have it so easy from Bonnie. Bonnie comes into her office and clunks down the justice trophy and voices all her suspicions, like isn’t it funny how the medical examiner’s report says there were carpet fibers on the body and Annalise’s carpet has gone missing. Oh, and the M.E. also found a trophy-shaped dent in Sam’s skull.

Bonnie also observes that the brat pack are all scurrying around telling secrets. She says she knows they’re tied up with Sam’s death, and that if Annalise continues protecting them, she’s going to go down with them.

After Bonnie’s gone, Annalise calls someone (likely Frank), and says she needs something. We cut to the Murder Kids hanging out at Wes’s apartment.

Wes, BTW, has also been quietly looking into Rudy-the-wall-scratcher’s disappearance, and discovers that the night he went bonkers the police took him away -- and Rebecca was the one who called them. When he asks her directly about this, she makes out like it was no big deal. I’m starting to think, like several of you commented, that this might be gearing up for next season’s big mystery, and I like how they’re laying the foundation for it this early on.

Anyway, when the study group are together, Rebecca comes in to announce that a friend at the police station just let her know the police found something in the woods. Are you ready for it? It was … a ring. Dun dun DUHHHN. Michaela hears this news and immediately vomits and explodes.

We then see the police questioning Annalise about the ring -- and, surprise! -- it turns out not to be Michaela’s engagement ring like we all thought. It’s Sam’s wedding ring, the one we know that Wes took from the body and gave to her.

The police tell Annalise they found a fingerprint on the ring. Then we see a quick flashback of her giving the ring to Frank, and Frank then transferring a fingerprint from a drinking glass to the ring.

We find out whose fingerprint it is when we next see the police make an arrest for Sam’s murder. And it’s … Detective Downtown. Damn, Annalise, that is cold.

On her way out of the police station, Hannah pounces on Annalise, saying even if her lover is the one who committed the murder, it’s still because of Annalise and she’s to blame.

Annalise goes home alone and breaks down in tears. Then, in an episode filled with shocking actions on her part, she does the most shocking thing of all. She picks up the phone, dials, and says, “Mama, I need you.”

The Verdict: Wow, what an episode. The suspense was off the charts. And I’m continually amazed by just how ruthless Annalise can get. She is someone you don’t want to mess around with, including in the bedroom, as evidenced by what happened to poor Detective Downtown.

The business with the ring was also ingenious plotting, not only in faking us out in thinking it was Michaela’s (which is still going to turn up at some point, right?), but in bringing back Sam’s ring so brilliantly. Back when Wes gave it to Annalise, I wondered why she’d be so stupid as to hold onto evidence. Now it shows that she kept it because it’s evidence and figured she’d have some use for it at some point. How cunning is that? I like how she’s not only always one step ahead of everyone else on the show but also one step ahead of all of us watching.

And now we have Mama coming to town, and I shudder to think what sort of parenting spawned the likes of Annalise. I guess we’ll find out … and I can’t wait.