We knew that Gibbs would have to go after Rachel eventually, and here you have it. I have some problems with this episode, but they're sort of difficult to pin down.... I'm just going to start typing and see if it leads me to a clearer understanding of my own feelings about this.
Cons:
The big thing about this episode that has me scratching my head is the ending, where Mike decides that the best thing to do is represent himself in the case, which is scheduled in just two weeks. Mike tells Harvey that if he goes to prison because he himself failed, he can live with that. But he won't be able to live with it if he goes to prison because Harvey failed. What? Why? I think generally it's a bad idea to represent yourself in court, and in this case it seems to be a particularly egregious thing to do. The worst thing is that Harvey wasn't going to cut Mike out of the case and make stupid decisions... I think all along the assumption was that they would work on this as a team. And now Mike has unilaterally decided that he's going to be the one to take on this challenge single-handed? Why? I just didn't feel like we got enough of a reason behind this.
Anita Gibbs continues to frustrate me, because I think she could be a really cool character. And yet as it stands, she's just not there. She's ruthless, she'll do whatever it takes to win... okay, I get all of that, but it's sort of like - what else? What more about you makes you want to pursue this case so intensely? Is it all about personal ambition? Are you trying to uphold a set of moral codes that you adhere to? I just don't understand where she's coming from, and it makes it difficult. This show is doing such a good job of untangling all the moral ambiguities of the situation, but with Anita, they've basically just turned her into a Grade A jerk who will bulldoze over the innocent to achieve her goals. It sort of cheapens the effect.
Lastly, and I'm not sure if this is a con or not, I couldn't help but notice that this week was pretty much just a retread of last week. Last week, Donna was on the hook for something, so Mike and Harvey found a way to get Anita to back off, but they couldn't use the thing they found to save Mike. This week, Rachel is on the hook, so Mike and Harvey again find a way to strong-arm Anita into backing off, but the case itself is no closer to being solved. It seems as if these black marks against Anita could be used to greater effect, since essentially at this point they have proof that she's blurred a lot of legal lines in her quest to uphold the law. I didn't mind the actual plot at all this week, but I couldn't help but feel a bit frustrated that it seemed to advance the main plot so very little.
Pros:
Rachel and Mike. Like I said, despite the potentially repetitive function of this week's main plot, I did find value within the plot itself. In short, Rachel fears that she will be expelled from school when the Dean tells her that Mike has been accused of taking the LSATs for people, and questions whether Mike took them for Rachel. Mike is able to find the associate who, while working for Gibbs, anonymously tipped her off about Mike's LSAT fraud. Mike threatens to tell the bar about this guy, and he backs off, thus removing the leverage that Gibbs had against Rachel and Mike. I like this plot thread a lot, because it enforces once again how much Mike has at stake here. Everybody that he cares about is getting hurt because of what he and Harvey have done.
Also, I appreciated the fact that Mike and Rachel's relationship had a bit of a chance to heal here. Rachel is still anxiously considering a deal, but this time Mike listens to her calmly and expresses an understanding of her fears, instead of just bulldozing over her. The same sort of healing happens between Rachel and Donna. They express that they will always love each other, no matter what difficult decisions they may have to make in the future. It's comforting that even in the midst of all these tensions, personal relationships have a chance to strengthen.
Scottie makes an interesting appearance in this episode, as Mike goes to her and asks her to help him get one over on Anita Gibbs. Scottie refuses, and angrily confronts Harvey about him having Mike go to her. Harvey tells her that he didn't ask Mike to go to her, and in fact is quite upset about it. In the end, Harvey talks with Scottie about why their relationship failed. It was not, as Scottie had previously said, because Harvey chose Mike over her. It was because Harvey had a lot of personal things to work through, and he's still not sure if he's ready to move forward with someone in a real way. He asks Scottie if, after the dust settles from this whole scandal, it would be alright to call her. Scottie replies that she too has been seeing a therapist, and she's not sure where she'll be at mentally in the future.
I personally have always liked Scottie just fine as a character, but I don't see the connection between Harvey and Scottie as such. That being said, I did find the scene between them very touching, and I like the fact that Harvey is working through his personal baggage in such a way that he can be open with somebody about his true feelings. He really did love Scottie, and that's not an insignificant thing.
Jessica and Jack Soloff had a very interesting plot thread this week - in fact, it might have been the best thing in the episode, oddly enough. Basically, the firm's reputation is shot to hell, and Jack warns Jessica that she needs to present a kinder image to the world. Jessica rejects Soloff's plans to do some pro bono work, and instead tries to poach attorneys from other firms. This backfires, as nobody is willing to come work for Pearson Specter Litt. Meanwhile, Louis reluctantly agrees that maybe it's time that they broaden their recruiting pool to other elite schools outside of Harvard, since very few Harvard students are willing to risk coming to a firm with such a contentious reputation. It turns out that news travels fast, and Harvard Law isn't the only place that's hesitant about sending people to PSL. I love that we're seeing the real ramifications of Mike's actions not just on the immediate happiness of his loved ones, but on the entire firm. This whole drama is bigger than we ever could have guessed when we started, and there are hundreds of people who could lose their jobs if the firm goes under. The stakes are really upped, and it's making for very dramatic television.
On top of that, you have Jack Soloff, who is surprisingly turning in to one of the good guys. He wants to go down with the ship, if there's a chance he can captain said ship in the eventuality that they get out of this mess. Essentially, he wants to know if name partner is on the table. Turning Jack into a real ally is about the smartest thing they could have done with his character. I've never thought much of Jack Soloff, since he just seemed like a watered down version of Daniel Hardman. But now I see that while Jack is ambitious, he's ambitious more in the way of Jessica Pearson. Yes, he'll do what needs to be done to rise to the top, but he's not morally bankrupt. Jack actually gives Jessica the blackmail that Daniel Hardman had on him that made him do whatever Hardman said, to prove his loyalty to Jessica. That was intense! Not sure I would have made that move... Jessica can be ruthless at times.
Louis and Sheila had the saddest and most dramatic scene of the night, which is kind of wild to think about. These two have usually been played for laughs, even in the more dramatic parts of their relationship. But not this time - Louis goes to Sheila and asks her to leave the country so that Anita Gibbs can't call her for the trial. Sheila at first refuses, but Louis says that Harvey will do whatever it takes to discount Sheila's testimony. He starts to show Sheila what might happen if she testifies - Harvey will point out that she left the man she was sleeping with (Louis) alone in the Harvard record's room. Harvey will speculate that perhaps she's done the same with other men. As he acts out the potential interrogation, Sheila gets more and more upset. She and Louis are both in tears at one point, and Louis says he's so sorry for hurting her. He just wants to protect her from Harvey, and at the same time he wants to help Mike and Harvey if he can. Sheila agrees to leave.
I really admire the way this scene showcased how damaging emotional pain can be. Sheila could lose her reputation, or at the very least she could find herself humiliated in front of the court. Her moral character would be questioned and ripped apart. That's no small thing, and we really saw the impact of that here. Louis and Sheila oddly have one of the most tragic love stories I've seen on TV. They love each other deeply and truly, but they are both unwilling to compromise their personal happiness and worth for the other. To do so would be to cheapen the love that they share. But it means that they are destined to remain apart. That's very, very depressing, and this episode more than ever showed the full sadness of the situation.
And lastly, Harvey and Mike. I mentioned before how difficult I'm finding it to understand Mike's motivations in taking on his own case. Doesn't he trust Harvey by now? But at the same time, I appreciate the fact that as the case looms closer and closer, Mike and Harvey's united front is not remaining untested. Essentially, both of these men feel extreme guilt over the fairly thoughtless decision they made years ago. They are both culpable in the potential ruination of a lot of lives. It makes sense that subconsciously, even as Mike and Harvey blame themselves, they start to blame each other a little bit too. As this tension grows and the case gets closer and closer, they will have to find a way to stick together and emerge victorious. If not, I'm pretty sure both of them are ending up in prison.
8/10
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