The much anticipated How to Get Away with Murder and Scandal crossover premiered last night, and it did not disappoint.

Ok. Grab your popcorn and hold on tight to your edges because @violadavis and @kerrywashington are about to bring it. #HowToGetAwayWithScandal
#TGITCrossover

— shonda rhimes (@shondarhimes) March 2, 2018

The show began with attorney Annalise Keating (Viola Davis) seeking help from Kerry Washington's character, D.C. fixer Olivia Pope. Olivia has officially left the White House and begun teaching at a local university. In one scene, the two characters meet when Annalise visits Olivia's lecture.

However, Annalise has another agenda and hopes to use Olivia's expertise to fast-track a lawsuit to the U.S. Supreme Court. The lawsuit would provide help for those incarcerated and advocate for reforming the criminal justice system.

One of the most bone-chilling moments of the How to Get Away with Murder half of the crossover was the monologue Annalise gave in front of the Supreme Court Justices. Most people say that art imitates life, and this speech captured perfectly the current state of America's twisted justice system.

This scene is everything. #HowToGetAwayWithScandal
pic.twitter.com/dgCslQtjUN

— Scandal (@ScandalABC) March 2, 2018

"The promises of civil right has never been fulfilled, due to the failure of our justice systems, our public defense, systems, in particular, Jim Crow is alive and kicking … some may claim that slavery has ended, but tell that to inmates who are kept in cages and told they don't have any rights at all," Annalise stated in the speech.

In 1963, Gideon v. Wainwright ruled that states provided a lawyer to those who can not afford one. This may sound good in theory, but the reality is America's public defense system worsens each year.

With nearly 2.3 million Americans behind bars, the United States jails more individuals than any other country. The American public defense system is often described as overworked and underpaid, and these two aspects have resulted in serious consequences for people who can not afford a lawyer.

In some states, public defenders only have seven minutes to prepare a case before they present in court. The public defense system favors the wealthy, and those who can afford a full-time lawyer reap the benefits. Those who cannot suffer the consequences.

Patrick J. Nolan, director of the Criminal Justice Reform Project at the American Conservative Union Foundation, told NBC News, "when the public defender has hundreds of cases assigned to them, there's no way they can put the time and the effort into what's required. It's a shame to say there was representation when it's literally an assembly line."

How to Get Away with Murder and Scandal crossover

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