Suits Season 1 Episode 8 Recap/Review

            After last week’s spectacular episode, I was pretty positive this week would be a little bit of a letdown in comparison. I thought Suits would deliver an entertaining hour of television, but one that was more standard and expected from the series. Ultimately, I do think last week was better, but I also fill as though it is unfair to compare the two. Here is why. Last week was all about the tone and direction of the series. Interesting questions and ideas were put forth, demonstrating that Suits would delve into grayer areas at times. Identity Crisis, on the other hand, was focused on the characters and their relationships. We learned more about certain people tonight, and also watched their relationships with each other become more complex. The reason I feel it is unfair to compare the two episodes in terms of which one is better, is because you need episodes like tonight to make episodes like last week phenomenal. Without exploring the depth and nuances of a character like the show did tonight, it cannot have moments like it did last time. In other words, I thought tonight was a very strong episode, not only as a stand-alone, but also in the grand scheme of the series.

            Continuing with the idea of character development, it hit me tonight how little we actually know about Lewis. Sure, we understand he is very driven and passionate about what he does. In a show full of people striving and needing to win, Lewis is probably the character most concerned with success. That is really saying something. We also know he is ruthless and cunning, and only views obstacles in terms of how to get around them. Furthermore, because he has this drive and ability, we know he suffers from a great deal of insecurity when he, or someone else, compares himself to another highly successful person like Harvey. This insecurity tends to make him rash, and therefore mistake prone. Tonight, we definitely saw all of those traits.

At the same time, we explored different side of Lewis in this episode. In earlier episodes, when Lewis would make a mistake or impulsive judgment, we never saw the effects it had on him. Tonight, we clearly witnessed a man who is actually affected by his feelings sometimes. In a lot of ways, that makes him more relatable than Harvey. Now I know that sounds ridiculous, but just go with me here. Whenever Harvey makes a mistake, his only concern is to fix it. There is no emotional acknowledgement, like guilt or sadness, on his part over what has happened, just an undying concern to make the problem go away. Lewis, in comparison, obviously felt the weight of his actions tonight each time he made a mistake. True, a lot of that concern was only for himself, but he clearly felt something for Perkins and his widow. When I think about how Harvey would have reacted if the roles were reversed, all I see is a man only concerned with messing up a case, not with the emotional ramifications of his actions. Harvey is definitely more likeable of a character, but I actually think Lewis is a more relatable one. The fact that I am even considering that, tells me the show did something correct tonight.

Lights. Camera. Quick hits:

            -You know what else was interesting this episode? We have pretty much learned Mike is an idiot. Okay that is not fair. What the show has made clear is that for all of his smarts and ability, Mike really is average in a lot of ways. He can be intuitive at times, but not always. He understands emotions and people, but not always how to utilize either of them. In other words, just because he is way above average in one respect, does not mean he excels across the board in everything he does. I love that. One of the biggest fears I had about Suits was that Mike would be too amazing. I can somewhat accept Harvey’s awesomeness, because not only is he Harvey, but also he has a lot of experience. Mike is just a kid, however, and it would have been just so boring if he had it all and knew it all from the beginning. Instead of that, we get to watch him grow. He royally screwed up the case this week, but learned from his mistake, grew as a result, and ended up succeeding. I cannot state how much I love that.

            -Donna! You can expect a comment each week on Donna’s fabulousness. Sure I could qualify that with an “at least until she stops being so” kind of statement, but we all know that will never happen. She has my undying love, and honestly, there has not been one scene I have not liked from her yet. I want to tell the show that she needs to have more to do, but do not want to ruin the character by having her appear too much. Instead, I will just have to satisfy myself with looking for YouTube clips of her. Like this one. Or this one. Or definitely this one. Sigh, I love her.

            -You have probably noticed, and this is assuming I have regular readers, by now I rarely comment on the cases that they have each week. It is not that they are bad or anything like that, it is just I prefer to talk about the main characters. The cases are nothing but a catalyst for the cast and writers to demonstrate their talent. I like them, and can even be intrigued by them, but they are normally just background noise for me.

            -I will say this, however, the hacker putting Mike into Harvard’s system was a Deus ex machine if I ever saw one. Not that I minded, because I am actually glad it happened. It fills a nice little plot hole, Mike not being in Harvard’s system, and makes me wonder how he is going to get caught one day. You know he is just going to, I just thought it was absolutely hilarious and a tad absurd that is all.

            -Jessica continues to prove to be one of the most effective television bosses I ever seen. I mean, damn, the woman knows her people and how to get results through them. You want to talk about breaking stereotypes, how about an African American woman in charge who is not being portrayed as a bitch or affirmative action recipient? Just a lawyer who has everything she has based on pure skill. Snaps show.

            -Where the hell is Grandma Ross?!?! I want her back, and I want it next episode show! Sassy old ladies make everything better.

            -Rachel and I are back on good terms after last week. I am scared, though, about what will happen when she learns Mike is not a lawyer. She went all DEFCON 1 when she learned Mike helped people cheat on the LSAT, so I cannot imagine what will transpire when the whole story comes out.

            -I loved all of the boys coming together to work for a common cause by the end of the episode. At the same time, I am glad Harvey and Lewis are back at war. I would severely miss their banter otherwise.

            -How many movie references is that now? It is the little things like that, which make me love this show. That kind of stuff feels real, authentic. Keep it coming show.

            -YAY for Season 2! I am so freaking happy the show was renewed! It absolutely deserves it!

-As I said, expect the work done tonight on character development will ultimately pay dividends in the end. I am glad the show recognizes this, and looks to continue this trend.