After the last few episodes of Suits, I was eagerly awaiting this episode, because I knew two things would happen for sure; Donna was coming back and Louis would become senior partner, which would both make for some fun scenes. However I felt that the first half of the episode was slowly paced, and it wasn’t until the second half that I really got into this episode.
From the beginning, this episode jumped right into the main storyline; opening the show with Hardman making Louis senior partner, thus giving him the deciding vote, for whom would become managing partner. However Hardman convinces him to keep it a secret until the senior partner’s meeting, where they will vote on who will become managing partner. Hence the entire episode consisted of Harvey and Jessica sucking up to Louis to convince him to vote for Jessica.
We then get to moment we’ve all been waiting for, Donna’s return! To apologize/ get her to return Harvey waits outside her building to give her, her bonus. Although once she sees him, she is only angry for what she was put through, especially at the mock trial. She also tell him that he’s only ever been to see her at her place two times, “the god awful dinner party” and “that other time”, (WHAT WAS THE OTHER TIME?!) basically confirming my suspicions that something did happen between them, romantically, in the past. We better find out what really happened between them before the season finale because they have been teasing us all season!
Then in true Suits fashion, both Louis and Donna walk into the office, with their head held high, basking in their own glory, while Disco Inferno plays in the background, a scene that you have to watch more than once, just because of its sheer awesomeness. Which then brings Louis to Donna, who is trying to apologize for what happened at the mock trial. Where she realizes that he has made senior partner. Since Donna knows everything that goes on in Person Hardman, she was able to spot Louis wearing the suit he was saving for the day he made senior partner. Once Jessica finds out that Louis will have the deciding vote – from the all-knowing Donna – she enlists Harvey to convince him to vote for her, by getting him to act nice and friendly toward him, since he has only ever treated him like crap. This leads Harvey to invite him to dinner, where he tells him about the set up, from 5 years ago. Unfortunately this backfires, and Louis refuses to listen and makes a valid point; that Jessica has always overlooked him, and casted him in Harvey’s shadow, while Hardman has given him the recognition he deserves.
Even with his failed attempt to convince Louis, Harvey along with Mike must still work on a case, of a newscaster who made false claims against a baseball player. With all the intensity going on, I don’t think they need this subplot in the episode, I found it boring and I wanted to fast forward through these scenes to get back to the main story. To be blunt, they didn’t need this subplot; it didn’t add much to the episode. The only thing it did was give Harvey the idea of the “Asterisk”, (which is also the title of this episode) that Louis as senior partner, will always have an Asterisk next to his name. Harvey tells him that to all the other senior partners, he will always be the one they wonder about; and think that he only became senior partner because Hardman needed another vote. This obviously rattles Louis, but he refuses to give in and tells him that he is not the best closer, that he wasn’t able to close him and to tell Jessica that. Harvey then goes to Jessica to tell her, he’s failed, and tells her that she must be the one give him what he wants, her approval. Where he then realizes that this has been her plan all along and tells her that he can give Louis his office, to show him that he too is valued and to prove that he can put her needs above his own. Jessica then goes to talk to Louis, but he is having none of it and threatens her with Hardman’s take over. So instead of giving him the office, she tells him that she doesn’t respond to threats and that he better be on the “right side”. Even through I don’t want Hardman to win, I understand Louis’ decision. He is constantly on the outside looking in with Harvey and Jessica and it’s nice to see him have some control now, rather then being controlled, undermined and outcasted by both of them. If he were to vote for Jessica, I hope that they see him more then someone that they can push around and give him a little more respect.
Obviously shaken up by what Harvey said, Louis angrily goes to Hardman and asks him about everything that he has been accused of. Hardman admits that he did intend on framing Louis, but protests, saying that he is a changed man and that he did not make him senior partner to get his vote but because he deserved it. He then urges him to vote for the person he thinks deserves to be managing partner, even if it isn’t him. I honestly don’t believe anything he is saying, I think he is just trying to manipulate Louis, but that’s just my opinion. Alas, I think Louis fell for Hardman’s manipulation and at this point is bought and paid for, because he goes to Jessica and Harvey to both gloat and to give her his buy in check, telling them that they can wait 24 hours after making him wait 5 years. I’m still not quite sure who he’s going to vote for, because it would be too obvious if he voted for Hardman, but there is no indication that he wants/intends to vote for Jessica.
Now to the Mike story, he didn’t have a very big part in this episode, but his last scene was one that made the episode great. He wasn’t part of the whole Louis – Harvey – Jessica – Hardman situation. This episode focused more on him, Rachel and his grandmother. Early on in the episode his grandmother came to see him at work to bring him lunch, where she thoroughly embarrassed him with both Rachel and Harvey. I loved this scene, because this really is the heart of the show and was a nice step back from the bigger situation at hand. We then go into a scene where Mike is looking for an apartment for his grandmother, which Rachel then helps him with, as always. At this point I found it strange that they were featuring his grandmother so much in one episode, making me suspect that something would happen to her by the end of the episode, but hoping I was wrong. Once Rachel finds the perfect apartment, both of them go to cheek it out and talk about how they would design it if they were living there, leading to a sweet but awkward moment between them. Where they both end up running off to avoid the moment and any lingering feelings. This is what I love about the show they haven’t been pushing this relationship in our faces, but giving us little moments, that show that they still care about each other, so we know at some point they will end up with one another. Once this moment passes and they are back at the firm, Rachel approaches Mike to scold him for not taking his grandmother to the apartment, but he says that she understands and they rescheduled (now I know something is definitely going to happen). He then questions why Rachel is still at the firm, where she shows him the letter she got containing her LSAT score, which she needs him to open. Mike opens the letter and does the pretend it’s bad news bit, but then actuality announces that she got a 172. Congrats to Rachel, she’s going to be a lawyer. I’m glad they didn’t wait numerous seasons to do this, but I wonder how they are going to have her still work at the firm and attend Harvard Law. I guess we’ll find out next season. In the final scene, Mike is preparing to show his grandmother the apartment – this entire scene I’m thinking please don’t kill his grandmother – when there is a knock at the door. Rachel shows up and sadly and delicately tells him that his grandmother has passed away. At first he is in disbelief but then he just breaks down, which is one of the most heartbreaking scenes to watch and had me in tears the entire time.
In short, this episode was meant to be the calm before the storm. It is setting us up for the madness that will ensue in next week’s season finale and from the preview it doesn’t look good for Jessica and it seems as though both Mike and Harvey will go off the deep end.
So I pose two questions for you this week, whom do you think Louis will vote for? And; how do you think Mike will deal with the loss?