Has there ever been another show as thrilling and intense as How to Get Away with Murder? The drama premiered in 2014 and starred none other than Viola Davis in the leading role of Annalise Keating. As a college professor with high standards for her law students and ethics that are questionable at best, she is easily one of the best antiheroes to ever grace the small screen.
Annalise is a bit of a wild card, as inclined to make brilliant decisions as she is to callously break the law. The rest of the characters are similarly flawed, toeing the line between what they want to do and what’s right. This makes for six seasons of nonstop dramatic action, and fans of the show are likely sorely missing its many twists and turns. We understand, but never fear. Here are 10 incredibly engaging and addictive shows that are just as intense as How to Get Away with Murder.
Scandal
Scandal premiered in 2012 and ran for seven seasons. It stars Kerry Washington in the leading role of Olivia Pope, a bright overachiever who once served as a communications director for the President of the United States and now runs a crisis management firm with more than a few iffy practices up its sleeve. The biggest scandal of all is that, unbeknownst to her friends and coworkers, Olivia is having an affair with the President. She’s good at fixing other people’s problems, but what about her own? You can catch Scandal on Hulu now and see how well Olivia is able to juggle both business and pleasure.
Suits
Suits premiered in 2011 and ran for nine seasons, with Gabriel Macht in the lead role of Harvey Specter. The show follows a corporate lawyer working for a big-time Manhattan corporation who pairs up with some of the members of his team to attempt a power play. When a new partner joins their firm, things become extremely complicated. Interestingly enough, when Meghan Markle was still in the acting game, this is one of the shows she was a part of. You can catch all episodes now on Peacock.
Orange is the New Black
Orange is the New Black follows the lives of an eclectic group of female inmates who have been caught committing various illegal crimes. The main character is a woman named Piper Chapman who has a career, a fiancée, and a life that seems to be moving along perfectly until her past comes back to haunt her. Her previous actions land her in prison in her mid-30s, and over the course of the show’s seven colorful seasons, we get to see what life inside a minimum-security women’s prison is all about. Orange is the New Black is one of Netflix’s most successful originals, and for good reason.
Quantico
It’s amazing to see an incredible actress like Priyanka Chopra Jonas in action on a show like Quantico. The thrilling series went on for three seasons after premiering in 2015 and follows a group of young FBI recruits who moved to Quantico in Virginia for a few months in order to receive special training. By the end of the training, they’re supposed to reach a certain level of skill and knowledge. However, each of the individuals in the program is harboring a dark secret that might slow that process down. Quantico is currently available to stream on Netflix.
Designated Survivor
Designated Survivor lasted for three seasons starting in 2016. It’s about a man named Tom Kirkman who spent his life serving as a lower-level Cabinet member in Congress. Suddenly and abruptly, he gets catapulted into the Oval Office and forced to take on responsibilities he never thought he’d have to handle before. An attack during the State of the Union address leaves the United States with a deceased President and many dead Cabinet members. Kirkman suddenly becomes the President of the United States and must adjust accordingly. You can catch this edge-of-your-seat thriller now on Netflix.
House of Cards
Another Netflix hit, House of Cards premiered in 2013 and lasted for six seasons. The show is about a United States representative named Francis Underwood who hails from South Carolina. At the beginning of the show, he comes across as nothing more than a ruthless politician who wants revenge on anyone who has ever wronged him. The depths his madness descends to are shocking, with the ultimate question becoming who the most ruthless Underwood is: Francis, or his wife Claire (played by Robin Wright). You can find out the answer to that now on Netflix.
Sense8
Sense8 is a sci-fi thriller that lasted for two seasons in 2015. Even though How to Get Away with Murder didn’t include any sci-fi, the shows are still comparable for many reasons. In Sense8, eight strangers who have never crossed paths with each other suddenly find themselves connected from across the globe. First, they share the same violent vision together. Later, they’re able to connect through each other’s thoughts, actions, and behaviors. Their desire to find out why they’re all connected via their senses overshadows anything they’ve got going on in their lives, and as viewers, we’re just as curious to find out what’s going on. Sense8 is available to stream on Netflix.
Ratched
As haunting and alarming as this might sound, the character of Nurse Mildred Racht is actually based on a real person. The dramatic storyline depicted in the one-season drama Ratched isn’t necessarily true, but the woman who inspired the character certainly is. The show is about a young nurse who gets hired to work at a mental institution. After years of hardship on the job, she becomes bitter and jaded, eventually turning on her patients and becoming a complete monster with murderous tendencies. The talented leading actress in this creepy series is none other than Sarah Paulson, who received numerous nominations for her work on the show.
The Resident
The Resident is an interesting medical drama that premiered in 2018. So far, it’s gone on for five seasons and follows a doctor named Conrad Hawkins who works at Chastain Park Memorial Hospital. He’s considered one of the best doctors at his location despite his arrogance, and thankfully for us, he’s also very charming, which is why people are so completely enchanted by him. Even though most doctors go by the book, he takes an unconventional approach to whatever issues he sees in front of him every day. When an eagle-eyed, first-year resident named Devon Pravesh enters the scene, he realizes that medicine is more of a business than anything else.
Little Fires Everywhere
Little Fires Everywhere premiered on Hulu in 2020 as a mini-series adaptation of Celeste Ng’s novel of the same name. It centers around the Richardson family, who appears to be picture-perfect from the outside looking in, but it turns out they have plenty of dark secrets that come to light behind closed doors. Fans of Scandal will be delighted to watch Kerry Washington’s spicy Mia play come to verbal blows with Reese Witherspoon’s Elena. As of now, a second season has not been announced, but fans of How to Get Away With Murder’s intrigue will appreciate this show’s twists and turns.
