After months of deliciously plotted torture, we're finally about to find out the identity of the dead body on the gurney in How to Get Away With Murder's winter finale.
We're alternately terrified and excited, to be completely honest—terrified since we're pretty emotionally attached to all of these characters, but excited because it's been eight weeks of guessing who is actually under that sheet and now we're going to find out for sure.
Here's what we know about the victim: It's a male, and it's likely Frank, Connor or Nate, at least according to the reveals at the end of every episode that show cast members in the present day. (Side note: If you think Connor's reveal at the end of last week's episode meant he was safe, you're dreamin' because there's no way this show would make things so simple. Come on. This is the third season and that is a rookie assumption!)
"I think some people will be really emotional about it, some people will be into the twist of it," creator Pete Nowalk tells E! News. "I don't know, I can't predict [how fans will react]!"
Below, we've gathered a few of the theories floating around the E! News office regarding who the victim is and what actually happened that night. Feel free to leave your own below (and consider them written proof/bragging rights for those of you who guess correctly)! And be sure to come back to E! News after the episode airs for scoop from Nowalk and an interview with the victim himself.
Frank (Charlie Weber)
Annalise's resident hit man was shaping up to be the No. 1 guess for who's under the sheet—but last week's episode focused a little too heavily on him to really be the person who died. Right?! This show always steers clear of the obvious, and it feels a little too obvious for the victim to be Frank.
This could go a few ways if he is the one, however. For starters, Frank could actually through with it and kill himself, and Annalise (Viola Davis) or Bonnie (Liza Weil) sets the house on fire to cover it all up. Or maybe Annalise kills him, then sets the house on fire to cover it up? Frank could also die in an accident as he's trying to cover something up. Either way, there's clearly a coverup afoot. Duh. This whole show was built on coverups.
Connor (Jack Falahee)
From the beginning, we thought that Connor and Wes (Alfred Enoch) were the most likely victims. Plus, with Frank looking less and less likely to be the one on the gurney, the death that would have the most impact would be one of the other final survivors: Connor. He's had a few major storylines recently—his continued breakup drama with Oliver (Conrad Ricamora), his increasingly close friendship with Michaela (Aja Naomi King)—so his death would be even more impactful. He's still one half of one of the show's most beloved couples, regardless of whether they're together right now or not, so his death would be all the more tragic for fans as well.
A note: This is the least favorite outcome of E! News TV Scoop crew, so that's obviously who it's going to be because we never get our way. [Insert sad face here.]
Nate (Billy Brown)
Annalise pulled Nate into some crazy illegal activity and he now works at the DA's office. He could use any of that information against her whenever he wants, which makes him a target for Annalise's ire. On the other hand, he's also predisposed to protect his ex, so maybe there's an accident in helping Annalise cover something up? Plus, Annalise would definitely be that traumatized to see her ex dead on a gurney, so her reaction makes sense.
Alternate Theory: Someone Else (!)
While we've seen several of the Keating Five (and assorted major players) directly after Annalise identifies the body on the gurney, not all of the reveals have necessarily established that they took place after the fire. So there's still a very real possibility that it could be someone we previously thought was safe—which, to be honest, would be a very HTGAWM thing to do.
Leave your theory in the comments below—and feel free to come back and gloat if you're proven right or point your friends this way for written, time-stamped proof that you guessed correctly!
How to Get Away With Murder airs Thursdays at 10 p.m. on ABC. It returns with the rest of the TGIT lineup on Jan. 19.