How To Get Away with Murder (HTGAWM), rated TV-14, is one of my favorite legal dramas. As of November 2025, it is streaming on Amazon Prime. Peter Nowalk is the creator and Shondra Rhimes is the executive producer. HTGAWM follows the lives of Analise Keating, a defense attorney and law professor, and five of her law students (K5), who are involved in a series of complex murder plots. However, the complicated relationship between the K5 is why I repeatedly watch it on streaming. My favorite character is Michaela Pratt, portrayed eloquently by actress Aja Naomi King, who on the surface is not very likeable until you get to know her. I know her. Let's discuss....Warning, this post contains spoilers.
Back Story
Michaela Pratt did not grow up privileged. At two years old, she witnessed her mother get shot. Michaela, an African American, was adopted by a white Mother who raised her with several adopted children. In a heartfelt scene, she describes her childhood as being like a prison. Her desire to be an attorney was fueled by a need to overcome a painful childhood for a successful adulthood.
Michaela Isn't Sorry, courtesy of YouTubeI Know Michaela Pratt
Michaela is my favorite character because I know her. I identify with her desire to see a successful career as a means to overcome a deprived childhood. In the pilot, Michaela was the only member of the K5 sitting on the front row in law class studying. Throughout the series, she is the one who talks the most about law school, grades and graduation. She is a layered character with flaws. It is heartbreaking witnessing her struggle for love and acceptance.
Wrong Place at the Wrong Time
Michaela's law school career turned deadly because she was at the wrong place at the wrong time with the wrong friends. She was guilty by association, not by performance. On that fateful night when the first murder happened, she was a bystander. Another member of the K5 committed the murder, lied about her engagement ring being lost, lied about a coin toss, and talked her out of going to the police to confess.
Michaela Hate
All of the K5 did terrible things, but Michaela gets a lot of hate:
Popular YouTube Comments about Michaela:
"From the very first episode, she made it clear that her ambition is the only thing that matters . She didn’t just get selfish she’s always been."
"Despite everything Annalise has done for her, Michaela has been nothing but selfish. She got the ending she deserved when she realized she had no one by her side."
"I hated that they gave Michaela basically a happy ending . The most satisfying scene from the finale was Oliver and laurel rejecting her."
Whew! The hate is real. Interestingly, Michaela's crimes pale in comparison to other members of the K5 who manipulated people and used sex to get information for a case, killed a parent for revenge and actually killed people on purpose. So why the hate!?
Yes, Michaela lied to save herself from going to prison after being accused of a crime that she did not commit. Connor told the same lies, but he gets less hate than her. Do selfish people typically put their job on the line to get intel for a friend like Michaela did? No. So, why the hate?
In Defense of Michaela Pratt
Michaela Pratt is both a sympathetic villain and a flawed hero. Yes, she lied to her friends about a plea deal, but she also risked her internship for a friend. Yes, she cheated on her boyfriend, but she was sincerely sorry about it. Lol. She was ambitious, like most lawyers. She lied on her teacher after being framed for a murder she did not commit by investigators. Yes, she got a student deported, but she did it to protect the K5. That is loyalty. In a show about getting away with murder, she never actually killed anyone.
Michaela is not guilty of being selfish. She was an innocent ambitious law student who happened to be at the scene of a murder which severely changed her life. Her deprived childhood made her focus on school so that her adult life would not be a repeat of her childhood. The fact that Michaela prioritized her career over what most people value like love and relationships made her seem selfish. But, in reality, Michaela's main goal was to be a survivor.
"I love me" Michaela Pratt
Inspiration
I admire Michaela's loyalty to her goal of becoming a lawyer, which she never lost sight of even when her life was turned upside down by a series of unfortunate events. When uninvited events enter my life, I remember to stay focused on my responsibilities like her.
Top picture-Michaela Pratt devestated at the series finale. She was abondoned by her friends.
Second picture-Michaela Pratt reached her goal and became a judge. No man by her side, but she had two little girls.
References:
Michaela Pratt photo courtesy of https://howtogetawaywithmurder.fandom.com/wiki/Michaela_Pratt?file=Michaela_Pratt.png
YouTube video.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=04kP5NV7cFQ
https://www.buzzfeed.com/noradominick/how-to-get-away-with-murder-series-finale-recap