USA’s SUITS returns this week with
“Blind-Sided.” Hardman’s name is being scraped off the office door, and
that chapter of the firm’s ugly history is over. So everything is now
copacetic. Or is it?
The following does not ruin the ending of the episode, but does contain major spoilers, as it is pretty difficult to talk about the series without mentioning what is going on. You have been warned.
Louis (Rick Hoffman) is excited by the
return of Sheila Sazs (Rachael Harris). Not only is she there for Louis
sexually, but she also has a business prospect for him – an associate
named Maria Monroe that he can hire for himself, now that he’s a senior
partner.
But Jessica (Gina Torres) shuts Louis
down, shaming Louis, the little power he now has ripped from his grasp,
made even worse when Jessica’s excuse, that they are in a hiring freeze,
is proven immediately false as Harvey (Gabriel Macht) hires a new
associate of his own. It’s incredibly frustrating for Louis, and it
definitely hurts things with Sheila. Does Louis really deserve to be
treated like this?
More than that, is it dangerous to the
firm for Jessica to act this way? Jessica’s motivations might not be
vindictive, but she is fine with Louis believing that they are, and that
could prove to be a problem for her down the road, should Louis ever
find someone else to side against Jessica with. Jessica’s overconfidence
may be her undoing, believing that she can handle anyone that threatens
her position.
The real purpose behind Jessica’s act,
of course, is to protect Mike (Patrick J Adams). Maria is a force to be
reckoned with, as is immediately obvious, and Donna (Sarah Rafferty)
tells Harvey, who in turns tells Jessica, that Mike’s secret will be
threatened by Maria’s presence. If word gets out that Mike isn’t
actually a lawyer, it could threaten the whole firm. Mike’s secret is
the gift that keeps on giving, to paraphrase a quote from the show.
Unfortunately, in “Blind-Sided,” Mike is
beset by personal issues, and is not earning his keep. Jessica isn’t
happy that she has to bend over backwards in the first place for Mike,
but because Harvey thinks Mike is worth it, she usually does. Now, with
even Harvey tired of Mike’s shenanigans, how much time does Mike have
before he is kicked to the curb? He doesn’t seem the sort that would
blackmail Jessica and Harvey to keep his job, so if he stops being
useful, he could easily be gone.
“Blind-Sided” sees Mike at his worst.
Not only has it been just one short week since his grandmother’s death,
which he is still dealing with, but he’s continuing his affair with a
married woman, Tess (Elisabeth Hower), is back to smoking pot, and
memories of his parents’ death are dredged up by the case he works on.
We have never seen Mike this erratic, and while there is definitely
still sympathy to be felt for the guy, we need our heroes to overcome
their obstacles, not allow themselves to take the low road, as Mike is
doing.
Can Mike get himself back on the right path before it’s too late?
Harvey also crosses a line in this
episode, engaging in bribery to help the case. This is in stark contrast
to the soft, warm side of Harvey we see during his date with Zoe
(Jacinda Barrett) earlier in the hour. So which is the real Harvey? Is
he ready to open himself up and settle down? Or is he still someone who
will do whatever it takes to win in court?
Both Harvey and Mike do right and do
wrong in “Blind-Sided,” and yet, Harvey comes off as a good guy, while
Mike is painted as bad. No matter how much Mike insists, there is no
strict right or wrong, and circumstances color viewers’ opinions. What
SUITS doesn’t show is just as important as what it does, a subtlety that
makes the rich layers of the installment all the more memorable.
That’s why SUITS continues to be USA’s
best show. What happens on the surface, and the dialogue delivered, do
not tell the whole story. Instead, we get these brilliant characters
whose decisions affect others, not just themselves, and who won’t always
agree on the course of action. Their complicated chemistries and
interactions build on one another to make this a smart serial, not a
common lawyer procedural.
There’s also a fair amount of romance
tossed in, with Mike still on shaky ground with Rachel (Meghan Markle),
who claims to not be the goody-goody she comes across as, and Harvey and
Louis’s affections for Zoe and Sheila, respectively. “Blind-Sided”
allows all of the main guys to tend to matters of the heart, but also
reveals that they can’t necessarily control how these things play out, a
nice, realistic touch. When will it be the ladies in the cast’s turn to
get wooed?
The trademark charm and witty dialogue
that have become a hallmark of SUITS continue, with great one-liners
delivered by Donna, Harvey, and Louis, in turn. It’s fantastic to have
compelling plot, but add to that some zingers that stand out, and it
raises the overall quality of the thing considerably.
You won’t want to miss SUITS, returning to finish their second season January 17th at 10 p.m. ET on USA.
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Article first published on Seat42F
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