We start with Harvey, running from his problems. Or, just running through Central Park like any other lovable, rich boy with too much on his mind! Despite running in the vastness of New York, an old frenemy sports agent finds him. He commissions Harvey to help a budding tennis prodigy to emancipate from his father to become a professional tennis player.
He accepts the case despite trying to fight last week’s case of the week that became more a suit against Harvey and the firm. Trying to apologize, Harvey meets with the deceased man’s wife to drop the suit, but she won’t have it; she wants his head on a stick.
Harvey balances a lot in the first half of this episode when he has the son and father meet before court to hash out their issues. I just find this distracting because I am a tennis player and it is impossible to play tennis before you can walk (as the kid claims). Also, many of the kid’s arguments make sense given the pressures of professional tennis; but this is undermined because that kid looks like he is in his mid-20s. He does not need emancipation!
Since there is enough on Harvey’s case, Mike takes over, his first solo case. Mike is in this difficult place lately in which he has no storyline; remember last year when he wasn’t a lawyer but practiced as one anyway? Or when he liked his best friend’s girl, enough so to date her? Where was that angst, drive and romantic conflict? Now his best storyline is finally going into court by himself.
What’s Up Kitty Kat? Woah, Woah
I can’t even describe how lame this third storyline is executed and conceived. There’s no hope. I imagine it went like this in the writing room. Writer 1: Who do you think is Louis’ best friend? Writer 2: Hmmm, a cat! And then Writer 3 suggests that Rachel should have something to do and be involved. This is the efforts of a collaborative staff and it didn’t get better than this?
Sadness.
So, Louis is still cold to Mike after their umpteenth falling out last week. Spending time with his one true best friend, he then takes his cat to the dentist, because the cat has a toothache. Sadly the cat dies, expectedly. Rachel, observing Louis’ grief, gifts Louis with a tennis ball from Mike’s future champion client. This is what Louis and Rachel have been reduced to this episode. No lie.
Mike’s First Time
In court! It is Mike’s first day in court, fighting for the tennis champion after he implies abuse at his father’s hands. At least Mike’s defining good guy characteristic to help remains throughout this weak string of storylines. Eventually, Mike figures out that the sports agent knew and did nothing so Mike will no longer represent the client with the agent. Huh? I feel as if it isn’t the most interesting place to take this busy work case of the week. I was almost positive that the kid was lying about the abuse to have a legitimate reason to leave.
Donna, Just Killed a Memo
While Harvey is riding free without the knowledge of the found memo (and therefore focusing his efforts with the deceased family), poor Donna has to live with making a colossal mistake for Harvey, the firm and herself.
Hardman hires outside counsel to assist with the case against Harvey and the firm. Allison, another red head, has no loyalty to Harvey or Donna but only to protecting the firm. She isn’t nearly as awesome as Donna, FYI.
Unfortunately, this makes our usually chill and awesome Donna snippy and secretive. Like, Donna snips at Rachel, and Rachel inappropriately yells at Donna in Donna’s open secretarial pod; the lack of professionalism at the firm is not very surprising. Scared, Donna tries to shred documents twice, but Mike catches her both times.
I like this interplay between Donna and Mike; both clearly care for Harvey and they both know each other’s secrets right now. Yet everything is at stake with astute Allison on her mission to depose the staff.
Donna is up first, nervous enough to make weird Star Trek references and mention small personal details. Donna remains loyal as ever to Harvey and is a convincing liar; however, her own wrongdoings for the firm make it impossible for Allison to begin to believe her. She will still go after her.
After Donna still does not mention this to Harvey, Mike must. What follows feels more like a breakup than any potential relationship between Mike and Rachel or any other breakups on the show, even if Harvey and Donna are platonic. Unfortunately, Donna cares for Harvey too much, trying to fix this by pretending it didn’t exist and finally destroying those documents. It leaves Harvey looking guilty and defenseless against a lawsuit.
Above everything, Harvey admits he was wrong about the case; humility is a rarity for Harvey. But Harvey is too important to the firm for Jessica, especially because Hardman is in the perfect place to make a power play. Jessica decides to defend Harvey in-counsel style; she also, understandably, must fire Donna.
Donna, to her credit, holds it together for maybe two seconds before crying to a beautiful song by The Cinematic Orchestra. This is the second time this week I have heard The Cinematic Orchestra prominently during an emotional scene (hello, Teen Wolf–Suits crossover!) In a beautiful sequence, Donna packs her belongings and makes the walk of shame to the elevators and exchanges a silent glance at Harvey, barely acknowledging her sacrifice and loyalty.
So what did you think of this week’s episode? Are you sad to see Donna go? How do you think they are going to bring her back? Or does this mean she is in the clear to start something romantic with Harvey? Do you wish Mike (and other characters) had better, more productive storylines? How contrived was the dead kitty plotline for Louis?
Emily E. Steck
Contributing Writer
(Image courtesy of USA)
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Contributing Writer, BuddyTV
