#suits review

[nellie-elizabeth]

Suits: One Last Con (9x10)

Okay, so then what happens next is that Harvey and Donna move to Seattle, and they become closer than ever to Rachel and Mike. At least once a week, Harvey and Mike have a "guy's night" while Donna and Rachel have a "girl's night." And then, gradually, they realize they've ended up with the wrong people. So they all get divorced and then Donna and Rachel become a couple, and Mike and Harvey become a couple. Someone please tell me they're writing that fic.

Oh, sorry. Was I supposed to talk about the episode? Let's get to it.

Cons:

I predicted last week that this episode would be overcrowded, and I wasn't wrong, exactly. I'm grateful that the conflict with Faye was over before the midpoint, so we could have a nice long goodbye with all of the characters. But while I do enjoy that, I also must admit it doesn't make a lot of sense. Faye was a season-long threat, and she's dispatched a third of the way through the finale. It just goes to show that as interesting of a villain as she might have been in the beginning, she didn't really matter. She was a figurehead. She didn't really change anything about these people and their perspectives on their lives. It all felt pretty pointless in the end.

No matter how much fan service a finale has, there are always going to be things that get missed. For example, it seems strange to me that Jessica couldn't have made a cameo at Louis' wedding. She's working on another show for the same creators; how hard would it have been to get her in for a few minutes? And I hate that Alex was the one to go to Katrina. On the one hand, I get it. They needed to find something for Alex to do in this episode, because he's been a pointless character for several weeks. But Harvey and Katrina never get a moment of apology, and that really sucks.

I've talked a lot in these reviews about my issues with Donna and Harvey. It's not that they're painful to watch, or actively unpleasant. The actors do a good job. It's perfectly serviceable. But I think I've finally figured out one of the reasons why they never quite clicked for me as a couple. Harvey is always talking about how Donna knows him better than anyone. But this is what editors mean when they say "show, don't tell." Donna knows Harvey. We've seen it throughout the years. But how does she show that she knows him? Well, she has the supernatural ability to read his mind and predict his requirements whenever the plot requires it. And she acts like is mommy just as often as she acts like his girlfriend, guiding him through his emotions like an enabler.

But Harvey can say again and again that Donna is the one for him, and how well she gets him... and then we can see Mike in the same episode, showing that same thing, instead of telling it. I'm not even pushing for a romantic interpretation, necessarily. It's just that Mike comes in, and they have their quippy banter. They work together to take down Faye. They re-enact Mike's interview with Harvey but in reverse. They find excuses to touch each other. And in an episode that involved two weddings and a health scare, the single most emotional moment in the episode is when Harvey tries to leave Mike's apartment dramatically after telling Mike he's never stopped trusting him, and Mike says "no," like the very idea of Harvey losing his license is torture to him. They have the chemistry. They have the beating heart of this show, and that's been true from day one. It makes the romance between Harvey and Donna pale in comparison.

Also, in an episode that had to accomplish so many things, so quickly, it was odd to add in that little health scare for Sheila. Why did her pregnancy have to have complications? It felt like something to add just to make for some more drama, but we really didn't need that. I'm glad that mother and daughter were both okay.

Pros:

I was always going to rant and ramble a lot in this review, since it's the last one for the show. But just because I had a lot to say in the "cons" section doesn't mean there was nothing to enjoy here. Let's start with my girl Katrina.

As I said, I was irritated that she and Harvey didn't have an on-screen reconciliation. But I am so, so happy for her that she gets to be name partner! It's so refreshing to have a character arc on this show be about a woman choosing her career over her love life, and having that be an empowering and rewarding choice to make. I'm all about it. She gets to come back to the firm, newly powerful, and stand with Alex, Samantha, and Louis.

Samantha and Alex were both underutilized in this finale, but I get it. I'd rather focus on the longer-standing characters, too. And the show did a good job of making this episode the end of an era for Harvey and Donna, and yet also a new beginning for the others. The image of the new firm name on the wall was really lovely. I especially liked that Samantha acknowledged how crazy it was that they'd kept changing the name, and decided that they can't change it anymore for at least five years. But Litt Wheeler Williams Bennett will be stronger for Katrina's presence among them.

Louis has one of the best glow-ups in TV history. There were times over the years where I didn't think I'd be able to forgive him. I still selfishly hold a grudge for that time when he physically attacked Mike. But at the end of the day, he has actually grown as a person. This is a great example of show vs. tell, actually. We've seen it all season - Louis has been calmer. He gets angry or worked up about something, but he doesn't fly off the handle. When he tells his therapist that he's ready to have him as a friend and have him officiate the wedding, it doesn't feel like empty words. Louis might still need therapy in his life, but he has the tools now to know how to get himself the help he needs. It was so fun to see his "final form" as it were. And then we see it put to the test, as Sheila goes into labor during their wedding ceremony. You might expect him to freak out, but he's calm. He's planned for this, and he's there to be supportive for Sheila during this difficult time. Even while he's frantic for her and the baby in the hospital, he keeps a cool head and doesn't do anything he would later regret. Yay Louis! (ps - Louis learning that Donna and Harvey were leaving was more emotional for me than Harvey and Donna's wedding). (pps - that scene of Donna and Louis holding hands in the elevator gave me LIFE).

It was predictable that Harvey and Donna would step up and take advantage of the pre-arranged wedding - a lot of fans predicted this exact outcome. And while I've spoken extensively on my mixed feelings about their relationship, I can't deny the cuteness of the scene. We get that lovely proposal, with Harvey's mother's ring. We get Mike putting his arms around both of them, with his little quip about being unlicensed to officiate. We get Harvey and Mike gripping hands as Harvey leads Donna out for their first dance. It's all very cute, and I feel happy for the big Darvey fans out there. They totally deserve to see all of that happiness, even if I don't agree with the couple at its core. This is the inevitable conclusion, and it was done quite beautifully.

Will I ever be over how much Harvey and Mike love each other? I really don't think so. Let's talk about the best parts of the episode.

First of all, I already mentioned it above, but that scene at Mike's place was just golden. Mike walking in to find Harvey already there was great - they have always just barged in to each other's personal spaces and that's such a testament to the trust between them. And then you have Harvey telling Mike the truth, and telling him that he's going to have to go on the stand and risk getting disbarred. Mike's reaction is genuine panic, and then the two of them concoct a plan that will save the day. I just love the idea of Harvey going over there not to ask for Mike's help, but because he couldn't stand the thought of Mike thinking he didn't trust him. That's love, baby.

Then you've got the interview-in-reverse thing at the end. I could spend hours just squealing about the fact that Donna and Harvey are leaving the firm and moving to Seattle (my home town! woo!) to be with Mike and Rachel. Hey, maybe the four of them could all be in a poly relationship... but that's for fanfic to decide, I guess. Good finales need to come full circle, and also need to set the characters up for changing futures. This idea of Harvey moving to Seattle, of Mike being Harvey's boss, manages to do both. They are quippy and cute with each other, but also genuine. Harvey decides to leave the firm in order to take out Faye, but he also genuinely wants a fresh start. His life changed forever when Mike walked into his life, and I really do feel like that was the final message the show left me with, when the dust had settled.

So... yeah. I can't find it in myself to be a hardcore Darvey shipper. This finale was never going to cater to all of my needs. But at the end of the day, I was mighty pleased with several of the scenes, and I love where it left all of the characters, in terms of their careers and happiness. For this finale, I'll give a rating of...

7.5/10

For the show as a whole? Well, I hate to break it to anyone who's unaware of this, but Suits isn't that great of a show. It has a couple of really strong elements, but over the years its stories became repetitive, and there's quite a lot that doesn't actually make sense about these characters and their motivations. But I don't grade these shows based on objective quality. I grade them based on the elements that I enjoy most in a show. For years, whenever Suits came back on the air, it was one of the things I looked forward to most each week. I longed for every scrap of content between Harvey and Mike that I could possibly get. There are moments over the years that I have gone back and watched in a loop because of those two. I also liked the way the show deconstructed toxic masculinity, and had a feminist message that didn't feel like something out of an after school special. I had fun watching this show, and I will think of it fondly for years to come. The show over-all gets:

8/10

[nellie-elizabeth]

Suits: If the Shoe Fits (9x05)

The status of Mike and Harvey's friendship was left way too vague for my tastes at the end of this episode. Please, please tell me Mike will be back for the finale!

Cons:

One thing about Mike being here is that it brought to focus how much better the show was when he was there. I'm serious. The banter in that opening scene between Mike and Harvey brought Harvey's character to life in a way I haven't seen since Mike left. Nothing in the chemistry between Harvey and Donna, or Harvey and Louis, or Harvey and Samantha, can compare to it. Mike and Harvey were the heart and soul of this show, and without one half of that dynamic, the energy just drops way down. It's like a frog in a pot of boiling water, though - you don't notice how much the show has gone downhill because you're kind of lulled into not noticing it. But then bam, Mike is back, and you remember how amazing this show was, once upon a time. Heavy sigh.

Turning to some more specific notes, I got flashbacks to Mike's time in prison when I was watching the final Mike and Harvey scene in this episode. Harvey was unimpeachable in his honesty, taking the loss gracefully and telling Samantha to back down. But then Mike doesn't get what he wants, and he blames Harvey for it and says Harvey has changed and is a bad person now or something. Mike has always had this moral high ground over Harvey and some of the other characters, but it's a really bad look to have him lording it over Harvey when in fact Harvey is not to blame, and is furious with Samantha for hurting Mike. Sometimes Mike Ross can't see the forest for the trees.

I thought Sheila and Louis' plot thread was just fine, but I was bummed that Mike didn't get more time with Louis and with some of the other characters. The feud between Mike and Samantha was fine, I guess, but Mike only got brief little moments with Katrina, Donna, and Louis. I wish we could have seen more of that instead of focusing on a subplot. Also, it always rubs me the wrong way when Louis and Sheila make comments about Louis' therapist being a "Nazi" because he's German. Didn't this guy say he was Jewish? Or had Jewish family or something? I don't know. It just seems kind of insensitive and ignorant.

Pros:

Mike! Mike Mike Mike Mike Mike!!! Let's just get into this, because having him back was such a joy.

As I said, Mike only got brief moments with some of the characters, but they were all great. Katrina and Mike kept up with their inside joke and shared a hug, Louis and Mike also hugged, and Mike gifted Louis a onesie for the baby. Louis is also the one who reminds Mike to not let bad blood at work get in the way of his friendship with Harvey. That's so sweet. Donna and Mike orchestrated the surprise visit for Harvey, which was kind of adorable. I'm just picturing Mike calling Donna and setting the whole thing up so he could be casually leaning against the counter when Harvey came in. How cute is that?

The case itself was really interesting, and I did like seeing Samantha and Mike pitted against each other. Mike came to New York to go up against Harvey specifically. He wanted to test himself against his former mentor, and Samantha was just supposed to be "along for the ride." I like that this episode presents this setup, and as a viewer you can immediately understand how things can go wrong very quickly. Harvey, Mike, and Samantha are all cut from the same cloth. They're the type of people who cross lines and play dirty, and when you have these people going up against each other, when there's also personal history at stake, things can go off the rails so quickly.

Harvey, as I mentioned above, does absolutely nothing wrong here. He does his best given the circumstances, and I love him for it. I love that his first concern when Mike brings up the case is making sure that he and Mike are okay at the end of it. He makes Mike promise that there will be no hard feelings when the case is over. And then, when it appears that Mike has won, Harvey bows out gracefully and invites Mike over to hang out with him and Donna. Even when they start to yell at each other, Harvey tries so hard to play the middle, to tell Mike that he did not endorse Samantha's actions, while also not selling Samantha out. Mike is right to be upset with Samantha, but Harvey is right to shield her, the same way he would have shielded Mike if they were still on the same side.

And Harvey does go to Samantha, and yell at her, and even though he defended her from Mike, he ends up telling her that he can't trust her anymore. That's a big, huge thing to say. It's not a simple case of picking Mike over Samantha. It's about trust, and friendship. This isn't the only time that Harvey has inadvertently kinda-sorta betrayed Mike because someone else went behind his back. But Harvey is willing to take a loss, Harvey is willing to back down, in order to preserve his friendship with Mike. As he tells Samantha: Mike is family.

Also, the banter. The banter is back. Mike makes fun of Harvey for watching Survivor. Mike gives Harvey a bad time for keeping the apartment in Rick Sorkin's name, showing that Mike remembers how important their first meeting was. They share a hug. Harvey tells Mike he's been replaced, and Mike asks if Harvey remembered to check if the guy has a law degree. Harvey jokes about Mike being afraid of going to prison. They're just... adorable? Yeah. Adorable. I love them, and I want Mike to come back for the finale so bad. The last interaction they have on this show can't be one where they're yelling at each other! That would be too sad!

There was one subplot I enjoyed. Donna tries to help Katrina get over Brian, but discovers in the process that Katrina has only ever had one serious relationship in her life, and she ended it for her career. Donna realizes that Katrina doesn't need a rebound right now - she needs to learn to have a better relationship to herself, so she encourages Katrina to take one night a week to do something just for her, that's not connected to work. This is an important message, especially for a professional single woman, and I love that Donna took the time to check in on Katrina in this way. She's the best.

So that's all I've got to say. So much cuteness with Mike and Harvey. So much drama and angst. Obviously you know I could write a whole thesis statement on why Mike and Harvey are the best thing about this show, but I tried my very best to restrain myself a little bit. I really, really hope that's not the last we see of Mike. I'll admit that seeing him made me less interested in everything else going on here. Will Samantha get her job back? Will Faye take the rest of the firm down? I don't know. And do I care? Well, yeah. Maybe a little bit. But I'd care more if Mike would stick around!

9/10

[nellie-elizabeth]

Suits: Scenic Route (9x07)

I laughed out loud at Louis in this episode. There was actually quite a bit that I enjoyed here.

Cons:

Samantha Wheeler has been a surprising character over these last two seasons, in that I didn't totally hate her, and I actually found some of the character development stuff with her to be quite interesting. But they maybe waited a little too long to get in to what makes her tick? Here we are, with just three episodes of the show left, and we're getting these flashbacks of her as a kid with an abusive foster father, and we're seeing her as a younger lawyer, having an affair with Kaldor. These insights into her character aren't bad or useless, it's just that there are a lot of other things I wish we could be focusing on in the final weeks of the show, and it doesn't really seem like we have the time to unpack everything we're still learning about Samantha.

I really admire Harvey's character growth, and the way he can call his mom and apologize for his role in their strained relationship, even now that things are better between them. But that said, the phone call at the end was maybe a little too cheesy? There was the "I love you" thing, which is nice, but then they just sit in silence together? On the phone? That seems weird to me.

Pros:

Okay, Louis accidentally pretends to be Harvey, and it's hilarious. This is pretty stupid, all things considered, but I was cracking up the whole time it was happening. The meal, where there's a crowd of adoring people just watching him eat, as he charms and delights everyone in the room... it's so funny. I love that we can't tell how much of this is totally in Louis' head, and how much is reality. It's also fun to see Louis with that level of confidence, even if it's coming from a questionable place. And then he learns the lesson that characters have to learn in body-swap-made-for-TV movies, that at the end of the day he'd rather just be himself. I don't know what about this plot thread did it for me, but I was cracking up from start to finish. That wig, the lunch, Harold, Donna's reaction, Samantha and Harvey pulling a prank on him... it was just so funny and light-hearted and Louis.

Donna gets help from Alex and Katrina to get a piece of art for Harvey. Turns out, it's the painting from his mother, which she then switches out with a forgery so Harvey can have the original. This plot thread was really just an excuse to show how much Donna loves Harvey, and while I might not be the biggest fan of their relationship, I did like the little snippets of it that we saw here. It was cute that Harvey coughed to hide his "I love you." It felt appropriate to me that this moment was a playful one. We don't need any more drama with these two. We need to coast out the rest of the season seeing them as a happy couple, with no complications on that front. And what a perfect present for Harvey. Donna really knows him, and she's so good at doing things for people that they will really appreciate.

As I mentioned, there was a slight feeling of "too little too late" when it came to the stuff with Samantha, but I still really do enjoy the relationship between Samantha and Harvey. It's not the same as other mentor/mentee relationships we've seen on this show; it has its own flavor to it, and Harvey and Samantha really do have a good chemistry together. They make good scene partners. I like that we've gotten to this stage where Harvey is a softer, kinder person, and Samantha is still operating with most of her walls up. We've watched other characters, mainly Donna and Mike, work to get Harvey to open up emotionally. It's nice to see him on the other side of that equation, volunteering information about his childhood and trying to help Samantha see that she's not alone.

We also get a rehash of the Samantha/Harvey/Mike feud from two episodes ago, and I

really

appreciated that this was brought up again here. Harvey explains to Samantha that Mike is always getting on his case about doing the right thing, and he made him a promise, so it hurt him to have to go back on that, even though he wanted to do the right thing by their client. Harvey says he not only admires Mike, but he owes him - Mike went to prison for him. Samantha understands why that loyalty would be important to Harvey, and apologizes for what she did. It was nice to clear the air, here. I hope that Mike and Samantha have a chance to make peace before the show ends as well!

And that's all I've got for now. Just three more weeks and this show will be over! I've had so much fun with it over the years, but it shouldn't be a surprise to hear that I'm ready to say goodbye.

8/10

[nellie-elizabeth]

Suits: Thunder Away (9x09)

Katrina! Oh no!

Cons:

I am officially Extremely Worried about this finale. Here are some things that need to happen: Louis and Sheila get married. And have their baby, probably. Harvey proposes to Donna. They defeat Faye, get Samantha and Katrina their jobs back, and settle the question of Managing Partner once and for all. Mike and Harvey patch up their latest feud. Also, something big and Finale-ish needs to happen - something that's unexpected. Mike and Rachel moving back to New York? Harvey leaving the firm? Donna pregnant? Who knows, but you know it'll be something. And also Alex needs to have something to do in this finale because right now he is majorly on the sidelines. How is all of that supposed to fit into one hour? I wish this episode could have dialed back on the Samantha and Mike vs. Harvey and Louis stuff, because I really don't want to spend my last few hours with these characters watching them at odds with each other. It sucks.

I know it's ultimately silly to complain about the inaccuracies of this show when it comes to the legal stuff, but it just cracks me up. This idea that Faye could basically coerce Harvey and Louis into representing her... that's not how it works. And basically it doesn't matter if they win or lose, their goal is met either way. Either they win, and Faye leaves as she agreed. Or they lose, and Faye is gone because she is guilty of wrongful termination. So the stakes are poor, and the scenario doesn't make logical sense, and it's all so we can have Harvey vs. Mike because the writers can't come up with another compelling reason for Mike to be here. It's annoying.

I still don't really believe in Donna and Harvey as a couple. It annoys me that Harvey says "she's the only one who really gets me," because everything in the episode shows that Mike is also a person who "really gets him" and is there for him. Like, yes, my little Marvey heart is willing to die on this hill, but I also have to be honest that the chemistry between Donna and Harvey just doesn't really do it for me. I've tried so hard to be excited about them, and I've wavered back and forth on it all season. It just feels like she's his caretaker, not his partner, and the imbalance there doesn't go away just because Harvey talks about his feelings now.

Pros:

Because this is close to the end of the show, we are getting a lot of fan-service material that I frankly adore. We get Harvey admitting to loving Louis. We get Mike and Harvey in court, bouncing back and forth being bad-asses. We get Mike using his eidetic memory. We get movie quotes and Mike and Harvey reminiscing and speaking at the same time. We get hugs abound. All of that was very satisfying window dressing, even if some of the core things happening were in some cases less than ideal.

I loved Mike and Samantha teaming up together. It made sense for them to make peace at Harvey's mother's funeral, given everything going on. Mike is sorry that Samantha lost her job, and Samantha admits that she would do things differently if she had a chance to change things. I like that neither of them is strictly apologizing, here. They may have done each other dirty, but they are who they are. The point is, now they can work together to help Samantha get her job back, and to take out Faye. We see that they somewhat clash with one another in their styles and methods, but they actually put that aside to plan and do what they can to take Faye down.

When Harvey and Louis walk into the room and declare they will be representing Faye, there's obviously a lot of confusion. I love that Mike's first instinct is that Harvey is trying to divert suspicion, and that even when he learns that Harvey and Louis really are representing her, he thinks that something else must be going on. He's confused, and upset, but he knows that there must be a bigger picture he's not seeing. It's frustrating, but in a narratively satisfying way, that Harvey and Louis can't just tell the others what's going on. And then we see as Donna is looped in, then Alex, then Katrina... and yet still Mike and Samantha can't know. Sure, it's contrived. Sure, I just complained above about how it makes no real sense. But it did make for some good drama.

I love Katrina so much. Ever since Mike left the show, she has been my touchstone, the character I cared for the very most. I love that she tried to make the right decision with limited information, ended up making things worse, but then owned up to it with Faye. We know that Katrina was trying to act with dignity and honor, so the fact that she was fired for it was a real slap in the face. As always, Faye is not technically wrong about all of the shenanigans these people get up to. But we saw her fire Samantha for being duplicitous, and then now she fires Katrina for trying to make good on her mistakes. Katrina stood up for Samantha, and was willing to put herself on the line to protect another woman's career. The finale obviously has to include Samantha and Katrina getting their jobs back, or else what's the point?!

The funeral scene at the beginning was really quite lovely. I like that Harvey got emotional and cried while giving the eulogy, and that he tells his brother that he loves him. Harvey's glow-up as a character has been all about getting in touch with his emotional side, and there's something very sweet about seeing him achieve that, even though the circumstances are tragic. Harvey is vulnerable because of his recent loss, but the episode does a good job of toeing the line. He's not incredibly erratic, he doesn't make any irreversible moves. He yells at Katrina, which sucks, but he'll be able to make it up to her, and he realizes his mistake right away. He keeps a level head even though he's going through a rough time, and I like that even though he's experienced a personal loss, he's not totally off the rails.

The line in this episode that killed me dead was when Harvey and Mike were out for dinner as friends, and Harvey pulls out the subpoena, and Mike is all upset, and says "when did you stop trusting me?" It broke my heart. Harvey has been so miserable having to keep something from Mike and Samantha, the two of whom he describes as two of his closest friends. And here he's having to betray him right after the two of them have been having such a nice evening. I've complained in the past about Mike being too righteous, but in this circumstance, he can only react based on the information he has. He knows there's more going on here, he doesn't think Harvey is defending Faye just for the hell of it. But he doesn't know what, and he can't possibly understand why Harvey isn't being honest with him.

Mike and Harvey belong together, okay? Platonic, romantic, whatever. They just do. Sometimes I feel like the creators of this show don't understand what they've actually got in front of them, or what story they're telling. There's this moment when Louis quotes some movies to try and put Harvey in a better state of mind. It's cute, it's subtle, and then he fumbles an easy reference and Harvey just smiles indulgently. That's sweet, and it shows how much Louis cares for Harvey and wants to be there for him. But juxtapose it to the scene earlier in the episode, when Mike walks in to Harvey's apartment like he owns the place, making Batman and Robin references, and Harvey banters back. Juxtapose it to the moment when they're sharing drinks and they reminisce about an earlier experience and finish each other's sentences. They're so in sync.

So that's it. There's only one more episode of Suits and then it's time to say goodbye forever. I wish the whole episode could just be Mike and Harvey talking to one another and being bestest friends, but there's a lot we've got to unpack. I'm nervous that the finale will feel way too overcrowded and there won't be time to let the characters breathe. It was the same thing they did for Mike and Rachel's final episode, where they got married and then ran off before there was a chance to spend any real time with them. However, I'll keep my fingers crossed. In any case, I'm glad Mike is around for the end - it just wouldn't feel right without him!

7/10

[nellie-elizabeth]

Suits: Prisoner's Dilemma (9x08)

I guess I'm just feeling antsy for this show to end, so I can spend some more time with Mike in the final two episodes. This episode should have been great, what with returning villains and allies from the past, and a connection to Mike's prison story-line, but something about it didn't totally click into place for me. It was good, not great.

Cons:

This episode is called "Prisoner's Dilemma," and that references the way that Malik pits Cahill and Harvey against each other. Harvey stays loyal, but Cahill flips. But then Harvey finds a piece of information, with Donna's help, and the two men are able to leverage Malik and both get away free. There are a few things that annoy me here - the first is that Cahill has every right to save his own ass in this situation. Harvey is all about loyalty or whatever, but Cahill isn't one of his people. He has manipulated and pressured Cahill over and over again. Sure, he was doing it for Mike, and so as a viewer of this show, I'm on Harvey's side. But Cahill feeling guilty, Cahill trying to help Harvey however he can... none of that really makes a lot of sense to me in the context of their characters. I guess the idea is that they've been through a lot together, but even that doesn't really justify the pseudo-friendship they're trying to show here.

I did not at all hate the subplot with Esther. There were many good things about it. I'm always a fan of TV shows shedding light on the real issues that women face when it comes to sexual assault and coming forward about their experiences. I will say, though, it felt a little shoe-horned in, especially at this late stage - this entire subplot could have been lifted and put anywhere in the season, and it could have remained the same. With just two episodes left after this one, why was this how Louis, Katrina, and Samantha all spent the episode? On a more specific note, I found it odd that Louis was motivated by this experience to want to marry Sheila before the baby comes. How are these two stories connected, other than by "family is important"? I feel like this is just an excuse to have a wedding in the finale.

Pros:

As I said, I enjoyed the subplot with Esther. Stories like this are always going to have the veneer of "very special episodes" in the sense that they're clearly making a clear-cut moral stand and are there to teach a lesson and make a point. And honestly? Good. I'm not going to complain about the black and white nature of a story about a man who has sexually assaulted multiple women throughout his career and has gotten away with it by paying them off and gas-lighting. It's good to see a character like that portrayed as uniformly the bad guy. It's good that the episode points out how common this sort of thing is, and explains the reasons why women often don't want to come forward. And it's good that Esther gets that cathartic moment of confrontation, and the bad guy loses. Unfortunately, no matter how much times are changing, things don't often go well for accusers. I'm really okay with seeing an uncomplicated moral and practical victory for a woman who really deserves it.

In terms of the story's impact on our core cast of characters, I like that this was an example of Louis getting fired up and making a mistake, as he often does, but then recognizing that he was wrong, listening to women (not only his sister, but Samantha and Katrina too) and then working to put it right. It was nice that Esther thanked Louis for helping her at the end, but I like that the victory belonged to Esther alone. She's the one who got to put the smack-down on her former boss and attacker. And Samantha and Katrina got to assist.

In the main plot, it was nice to see some of Harvey's old decisions nearly come back to bite him. We got to see Charles Forstman behind bars, which was satisfying, we got to see Harvey take down Malik one final time. We got to see how the things that Harvey did to save Mike had their own consequences. It was almost a cleaning of the slate as we get ready to go in for these final two episodes, with Faye as our last big bad. Part of my frustration here is that it seemed kind of pointless, since we see Harvey get arrested, but he immediately figures out a way to beat Malik so it doesn't go anywhere. That said, I would probably have been more frustrated if the final two episodes were suddenly Harvey vs. Malik, when all season we've been building up Faye. So ultimately I think this episode was a good chance to bring back some familiar faces just before we step in to the final two.

The Mike stuff here was pretty great - Harvey insists again and again that everything he did with regards to the prison plot, he'd do again. It doesn't matter to him what the outcome was, he did what he did to get Mike out of danger, and that's the bottom line. I like that he describes Mike as someone who's never hurt anybody. The point is clear. In comparison with Frank Gallo, Mike is a harmless person. But it just goes to show Harvey's blind spot. Mike is far from innocent, and whether they want to admit it or not, their years of fraud did hurt a lot of people.

As the episode ends, we see Donna giving Harvey some bad news - his mother died. What are the odds that Donna is the one to break the news about both of Harvey's parents dying over the years? Poor thing. Poor both of them. I'm not sure how I feel about this yet. It came in at the final moment of the episode, so I'll have to see how this is integrated as the show ends. As it is, I certainly feel very bad for Harvey.

And that's that! We've got just two weeks left before we say goodbye for good, and I do believe we've also just had our last Mike Ross-less episode of Suits! That's something to celebrate indeed!

7/10

[nellie-elizabeth]

Suits: Cairo (9x04)

This episode felt a little bit "after school special" to me. It was about respect in relationships, and all of the characters kept talking about it in this kind of simplistic and unrealistic way. That's not to say I hated everything in the episode, but it just wasn't my favorite.

Cons:

The biggest problem for me was embodied in the moment when Harvey, Louis, Samantha, and Alex all did their dramatic slow-motion walk into Faye's office. They found a way to stop her from taking away Donna's vote, which is something she wanted to do because of the conflict of interest between Donna and Harvey. So they're all marching towards her office, they go in there, and as a united front, explain to her that Donna will be keeping her vote, because they've waived the conflict, and she can't stop them. This is all very nice and everything, but during the scene I was distracted by the fact that Donna wasn't there. If Donna gets a vote, if Donna is a part of the leadership of the firm, why does she sit back and let other people save her? Why doesn't she even get a say at all? It felt very counter-intuitive to me, like it went against the message, to have Donna be absent for this pivotal scene.

Donna and Harvey's romance just feels so... performative to me. I'm trying to give it a fair shake. I'm trying to get to a place where I can think it's cute, and leave it at that. But honestly, I'm still feeling pretty underwhelmed. Donna is upset about potentially losing her vote, but instead of telling Harvey about it, she blows up at him about his strained relationship with her father. I know she was covering up for something else, but I still felt like Donna was being really unfair in this instance. After all, Harvey hadn't done anything wrong. Her dad was the one who was hesitant. Why is it only Harvey's job to fix it?

I also refuse to believe that Harvey is that stupid. He offers Donna's dad money to help with his business venture. He seems to think this is a gesture of goodwill, but obviously Donna's father is deeply offended and feels disrespected. I thought Harvey was supposed to be this master at reading people? This was a dumb move, even for him. The second he mentioned the deal, I cringed, knowing it wouldn't be going his way.

And the dialogue is just so on-the-nose. Harvey makes a mistake, then has to learn his lesson and then has to tell us his lesson like he's giving a report at school. It's all very trite. That moment at the end where Harvey tells Donna they're going to be together forever was supposed to romantic, but for me it felt just as performative as the rest of their relationship. The actors are not doing a bad job at all, and they do have some degree of chemistry, but it's all just too... scripted.

For the most part I enjoy Alex and Samantha's friendship, and how Alex and Rosalie are welcoming Samantha into their family. But again, the theme of the episode just felt too blunt. I've never been a huge fan of the flashback stuff on Suits either, especially when, like in this episode, the flashbacks tell us something we already knew. Everything about Alex's story, how he was blackmailed and made to look complicit in a murder and cover-up, was old information. We were reminded of it on the "previously on." And other than the parts about Alex lying to his wife, there is absolutely nothing new in these flashback scenes. Or at least nothing new that matters.

Pros:

I feel like that was a very negative "Cons" section. It's not like I despise this episode or anything. There were plenty of things to enjoy.

For example, I still think Faye is a really interesting villain. Obviously there are a lot of things at play here, but she's not wrong to bring up the conflict of interest. She's not wrong to ask these people to work within a code of conduct. And she's not wrong that their attitude has been awful from day one. Of course, in this case I'm not 100% on her side, because I think Donna deserves her vote along with everyone else. But Faye isn't entirely wrong to be worried. Although I think it's stupid that she stole Gretchen from Louis (because that's not how secretaries in law firms work!) I like that Faye decides to give her back, admitting defeat in this one instance. I think she's probably gearing up to continue her fight against the name partners, but for now, she must concede the battle.

As I said, I love the continued theme of Alex and Rosalie welcoming Samantha into their family. They invite her over for board games, they make her feel at home with them and their kids. On the flip side, Samantha shows her loyalty and respect for them by doing what she can to get Alex out of a sticky situation. It was so cute that Alex and Rosalie were basically fighting over who was going to take a risk for whom. Samantha stepped in and made the play herself, because she could keep a level head about it. It looks like Alex is off the hook for now!

The cheesy dialogue and somewhat clumsy themes in this episode were definitely a problem, but the one place that the cheesiness worked for me was when Harvey was talking with his mom. It was such a satisfying character moment for Harvey when he patched things up with her, and now for him to call and tell her about Donna, and introduce these two women over the phone, is just so sweet and adorable. Harvey learned to be vulnerable and loving with the women in his life, and it's one of the most nuanced and satisfying character growth plot threads I've ever seen on TV. No joke.

Katrina and Louis' friendship is tested slightly, but once again we see evidence of Louis' maturity. He asks Katrina to do something risky and shady, and tries to pressure her because of their relationship. Katrina decides ultimately not to do it, and puts Louis in his place for asking her in the first place. I feel like the old Louis would not have backed down. He would have pushed and pushed and made things so much worse. But instead, he calms down, and he apologizes. I love Katrina for standing her ground, and Louis for respecting her choice!

Not much to say in the Mike Ross corner this week. His name was mentioned a few times in the context of throwing blame around for Jessica's disbarment, but that was about it. But next week? MIKE IS BACK AND I AM LIVING FOR IT! I can't wait to check back in, after I see the episode!

7/10

[nellie-elizabeth]

Suits: Stalking Horse (8x15)

This was a pretty great episode of Suits, but I do have a couple of things I need to discuss.

Cons:

I'm rapidly becoming super irritated with the Donna/Harvey back-and-forth. I wish they would just put a bow on that and end it, or else just let them be together if that's the direction we're going. All of the drama of this situation could have been achieved without the faint hints of unresolved romantic tension between these two characters.

Also, this wasn't just a matter of Donna choosing herself over the firm. It wasn't some personal victory she achieved by making the right call for her. She broke privilege. She used her privileged information to help her boyfriend, and not only did Harvey lose a client over it, he's also being sued by Daniel Hardman. Like, it's hard to think of a more serious consequence for Donna's actions in this case. This was a big, big screw-up and it feels like the kind of thing that should honestly get Donna fired.

I thought the flashbacks with Donna and her mom were fine, but they didn't really add anything to the story or to my understanding of the characters. The choice that Donna had to make wasn't informed by her mother's decision years ago, even though that's what the episode was trying to push.

There's also the fact that the entire scenario of this main plot thread doesn't make a lick of sense. This show has this hilarious tendency to talk about "waiving privilege" as if that means that suddenly it's cool to represent both sides in a deal. What it really means is something a lot more complicated and restrictive than that. An actual law firm would never find itself in this position in the first place. It's not a big deal in the grand scheme of things, and I know this show has never been concerned with accuracy, but still. I can't help but notice these things.

Pros:

You'll notice that all of my "cons" are about the main plot. Before I jump to the subplots, I will say that I still like the idea of Donna and Thomas, and I still find myself hoping that we're not just going to jump right in to a Harvey/Donna romance. It feels really forced at this point, and I'd just as soon not go there. Even though the specific situation makes Donna seem incompetent, I do like the concept of her standing up for herself instead of putting Harvey first like she always does. If there's one central theme for Donna's character, that's it.

Also, seeing Daniel Hardman walk through the door at the end was a serious punch to the gut, in the best possible way. He's the only Big Bad that Suits is ever going to have, and bringing him back now is the perfect way to up the stakes before next week's finale. I'm stoked!

In subplot news, we've got Louis taking the stand against the man who mugged him back at the start of this season. I had sort of forgotten about that, so it was interesting to see that plot element come back in such an interesting way. We think of Samantha as someone who's willing to cross lines, but it's important to notice the reasoning behind her occasionally ruthless behavior. She crosses those lines in defense of people she cares about, and this week, we see how much Samantha cares about Louis. I'm glad that she didn't do the sketchy thing she was planning on, but blackmailing someone is still pretty hardcore. I'm wondering if Samantha and Louis are going to have to pay for their behavior later, or if this really will put the whole thing to rest.

I like the way this episode framed Louis in terms of his love for his family, and his fear over what had happened to him. He did a good service by identifying his attacker in a lineup, and by taking the stand against him, but it's clear that it took some bravery to do so. When things backfire, it makes sense that Louis would want to bury his head in the sand, but I think Samantha was right at least about one thing: he needed some closure, some peace, after everything he went through. I'm curious if we'll find out more about some of the sketchy stuff that Samantha and Robert got up to back in the day. There was an odd reference to some past shenanigans and I'm honestly not sure if I'm supposed to know what that's about yet or not... but I'm definitely curious!

Brian and Katrina are breaking my heart. This story has been such a highlight for me this season. Turns out, surprise surprise, that Brian and Katrina just can't keep working together, for the sake of Brian's marriage. This was a decision that they already made, but this time Brian is ready to make a clean break and leave the firm entirely. I love the tension here, because if Brian made a different choice and kept working with Katrina, it would be hard to respect him. He's absolutely doing the right thing for his marriage. But Katrina is the woman we've seen him with. We don't know Brian's wife. I'm rooting so much for Katrina's happiness that I'm sad that Brian did the right thing, even though I know he had to. I can't imagine that's the last we'll see of Brian, or at least I hope it's not. Their love story feels very real to me, despite the inherent difficulties.

There are two moments that I want to praise in particular from this subplot. The first is when Brian is telling Katrina that he's leaving. You can just see how much he despairs at giving her the news, and how heartbroken she is to receive it. I love how Katrina squares her shoulders and tells Brian that she respects his decision, even though you know how much pain she's in. The other moment that I really loved was when Louis already knew that Brian was giving his notice, and offered to let him take his first solo client with him when he relocated. Louis can still be his own worst enemy sometimes, but we are seeing how he's growing as a leader. I liked how gentle and understanding he was of Brian in this moment.

And that's that! I had some problems with the main plot of this episode, but to be honest, I still greatly enjoyed the whole thing. Usually I find myself disappointed if we don't get any mentions of Mike (his name did come up once), but this week there was enough to distract me that I didn't even miss him that badly! That's a good sign.

8/10

[nellie-elizabeth]

Suits: Harvey (8x16)

Wow, okay, I'm sorry... I'm not convinced. I feel bad, but that just did not work for me.

Cons:

I'm talking about Donna and Harvey. I'm sure there were plenty of people watching that episode who were overjoyed that their ship had finally set sail, but I was just completely underwhelmed. I promise you, this isn't just about me shipping Marvey, either. On its own merits, Harvey and Donna hooking up just does not work for me on a fundamental level. I'm going to break down some of the reasons why.

First of all, on a superficial level, I just didn't buy their chemistry in that final scene. It wasn't embarrassingly bad or anything, but I found Donna and Thomas much more compelling in terms of chemistry, so that's a bummer.

Then, there's the hit-you-over-the-head-with-a-hammer script. As the episode ends, Robert makes this big declaration about how going through something difficult makes you realize what's important in life - and for him, that's his wife. Then, Alex repeats the same thing, saying he needs to get home to his wife. So here's the problem with this - Harvey had just asked first Robert, and then Alex, to go grab a burger with him, and they both turned him down to go be with their wives. This doesn't read like Harvey is secretly pining for a specific woman, it reads like he's just generally lonely.

Then we have a moment with Samantha. She makes a comment about what she's going to do without the one person who she always wants to go to when she has good or bad news, and Harvey abruptly has a light bulb moment and leaves, to rush off to Donna because he's apparently just realized that Donna is that person for him. I mean... that's a cliche, for one thing. And for another, this whole narrative doesn't bear itself out in a satisfying way at all. What I realized watching this episode is that the last several seasons of Suits have made a convincing case for the fact that Donna is still pining for Harvey, but it hasn't made a case for the reverse of that. Sure, Harvey loves and cares for Donna deeply, but Harvey's sudden realization here doesn't bear out under what we've seen over the last few seasons. I just don't buy that he loves her. This is sort of a lose-lose situation for me, because I didn't like the implication that Harvey just realized what had been right in front of him all along, but I think I would have been equally annoyed if they'd tried to imply that Harvey had been pining for Donna and had just decided to act on it. The fact is, I'm just not convinced by them as a romantic pairing anymore. And on top of that, Harvey was rude to Samantha! She was trying to share her feelings about Robert leaving, and Harvey just left! Ouch.

This show has positioned Donna as a strong female character, and has given her an arc about self-confidence and going after what she deserves for herself. That's a great concept for a character, but I find that often the show doesn't follow through on its promises with her characterization. This episode is a good example of that. The episode is called "Harvey," and that final scene between Harvey and Donna is supposed to be this big, exciting, culminating moment for the two of them. So... why did Donna get so little of the run time this week? As far as we could tell just last week, she had serious and genuine feelings for Thomas. Now, it seems that was a red herring. A way for her to lie to herself about her continued love for Harvey. And we only get a few little snippets with Donna to see that play out. She's not in the majority of the episode, so pretty much the whole emotional journey is Harvey's. That's fine, but it has the unfortunate consequence of sort of framing Donna like a prize to be won. The episode didn't take its time to convince me that Donna wanted this, and that Thomas wasn't that important to her.

Turning to other aspects of the plot - I found the flashbacks perfectly fine in and of themselves, but I don't really understand Robert's guilt over the death of a mugger acting as a catalyst for saving Harvey and getting disbarred. There have been plenty of other times over the course of this show where he could have sacrificed something because of a generally guilty conscience. Why was this particular situation the one that made him decide to act? The connection seemed quite flimsy to me.

Also, this was a finale, and Katrina wasn't in it at all! I call foul. I hope we get tons of time with her in the ninth and final season.

Pros:

Whew. Sorry I complained about the Darvey stuff for so long. I understand that there are a lot of people who are probably thrilled, and while it may sound like I'm contradicting myself, I do understand it on a certain level. I really don't give much of a crap about Donna and Harvey's romance, but I'd rather have them together than keep playing the juvenile will-they-won't-they game. If the writers are smart about this, we now have a whole season to build up their romance and make them a convincing couple. I do appreciate that.

There were aspects of this episode that I actually enjoyed quite a bit, peaking out from between all of the stuff that pissed me off. To start with, I found the flashbacks with Robert and Samantha pretty strong. I think their connection works to humanize Robert, and to bring Samantha into the world of the story with a little more strength. Her character still isn't super interesting to me, but I did find her compelling here. She was angry and scared, and Robert was there for her no matter what. It reminded me of the strength of the mentor/mentee relationship that has gotten so much emphasis on this show. Harvey and Jessica, Mike and Harvey, Samantha and Robert. There's something undeniably powerful about the strength of bonds that stretch past the professional.

There was one moment with Samantha that I particularly loved, and it actually felt like a good moment to encapsulate the appeal of this show as a whole. She's talking to Harvey about Donna - if Samantha's being honest and professional, Donna should be fired for breaking privilege with Thomas. But if she's speaking as Donna's friend, there's no way Samantha would even consider letting her go. She comments that the firm is rubbing off on her, and marvels at how crazy they all are. The point is, she knows that Harvey would never consider turning on Donna, and Samantha wouldn't want him to. They'd all throw themselves in front of a bus, commit career suicide, to protect one another. Mike did it for Harvey, Louis, and Jessica. Harvey tried to do it for Mike, then for Donna. Robert does it for Harvey. It's what they do. It's what makes them a family even when everything is at its absolute craziest and lowest point. And that's why these people are compelling to watch.

I really do like Alex quite a bit. He hasn't been given a ton to do, but his willingness to lie to protect Harvey this week was really touching, and I liked the moment afterwards when Harvey thanked him for it. There's a camaraderie there that I wish we could explore more. It's fun to see him as a team player in this way, instead of relegated to the subplot.

Daniel Hardman was kind of toothless in this episode. By that I mean, he was trying to disbar Harvey, but he didn't get a lot of screen-time to be his villainous self, and I oddly rather appreciated that. We don't need to spend a lot of time focusing on a character who's just returning for one episode. And actually, this episode did something to humanize Hardman. After all, he's sort of... right. I mean, Harvey is guilty of exactly what Hardman is accusing him of, and yet once again, this same group of people manages to pull the rug out from under him and ruin his chances of getting back on top. The stuff between Hardman and Zane was actually a little bit... touching? There's a moment when Robert is confessing to breaking privilege, and Hardman is just disbelieving, and he seems really hurt that Robert is directly involved like this. Hardman expected a dirty trick, but he didn't expect it to come from Robert, and you can tell that he's upset about it on a personal level. That oddly made me a bit emotional!

There was one Mike mention, and it was pretty great. (See, you can tell I'm not much of a Darvey fan when I end this particular review still talking about Mike). Hardman wants to know why Robert has thrown in his lot with Harvey and Louis, and wonders if it's "just because Rachel married Harvey's protege?" That basically implies that even Daniel Hardman knows the importance of Mike to Harvey, since he's comparing it to Robert's love for his own daughter. Or maybe I'm delusional. Don't take this away from me, it's all I have left!

6/10