Suits: The Arrangement (3x01)

Suits! This is one of those shows that I've loved from the very beginning. I'm always so impressed by the complexity of the characters, the fine acting, and the interesting conflicts. This show knows not to stick its characters in a rut for too long. The central premise, the fact that Mike is a fraud, has now been revealed to every single main character other than Louis and our new British characters. They know not to keep the same gimmick going for too long, unlike some other shows with similar "big secret" ideas. *cough Merlin cough*

I really enjoyed this show, and I was very excited for the third season to premiere. What did I think? Well... actually I have some mixed feelings. Overall the episode felt like a set-up to me. Like it was just setting the stage for (hopefully) better things to come. That's fine, as sometimes episodes like this are necessary, but I'll admit I was hoping for something a bit stronger, given that this is a premiere of a season. Let's take a closer look:

Mike is dealing with the fallout from revealing his secret to Rachel. The opening scene of the episode was fantastic - I was totally pulled in to the dream sequence and it wasn't until pretty late that I caught on. Mike walks in to Harvey's office, and Harvey immediately acts like a mature adult and forgives him. He then invites Mike to be part of an important meeting, but before it can get underway, Rachel walks into the room and exposes his secret to everyone. Mike wakes up in a panic because of the dream.

Normally this sort of fake-out beginning would have me rolling his eyes, but everything up until Rachel started yelling was so real seeming that I was totally fooled. I thought maybe Harvey did forgive him - or at least pretended to - and that then later the resentments were going to make it hard for them to work together like they used to. (Actually, in retrospect, I might have liked this version of events more than what actually happened... but I'm getting ahead of myself.)

Mike goes to Rachel and tries to talk to her, but she says she needs time to digest everything. She tells Mike that he should quit, thus freeing himself of the worry that he'll get caught. Mike is unable to go through with it, and Rachel is angry. Mike goes to her apartment (which was really, really nice by the way) and tells her the full truth about everything, resulting in the two of them having mushy romantic sex. It looks like things are going well for our resident lovebirds, and Mike is very relieved that Rachel knows the full truth now.

So, mostly, I really enjoyed this segment of the episode. I really felt the tension in their relationship, and I can really tell how much Mike cares for her. I think the highlight for me what Rachel's impassioned speech to Mike upon seeing Mike's new office with his fake diploma on the wall. She tells him there's a big difference between having a diploma from Harvard Law and earning one, which is what Rachel has been trying desperately to do. This portion of the episode also had one of my favorite quotes, from Rachel.

"Who knew that honesty was the best... policy... oh wait... everyone knew that!" I actually laughed out loud.

Mike has a lot of other things going on in this episode, too, however. The stuff with Harvey... well... here's the thing. From a narrative standpoint, it's all good. They had one blow-out conversation that was really intense, and the rest of their interactions were stony silences, mediated by a very pissed Donna. This is good storytelling. They should be dragging out the tension between these characters for quite some time, so that there's a more satisfying feeling when things are finally alright between them. I'll admit, however, that the fan-girl inside of me has been waiting throughout this entire hiatus for some bromance, and then we are cruelly denied any good interaction between them.

Some powerful moments: Harvey telling Mike that he's replaceable... ouch. And Mike telling Harvey to go ahead and rip him to shreds, so that he could start to forgive him. That was really intense. I think it shows how much Mike depends on and cares for Harvey, maybe even more than he cares for Rachel.

But... speaking of Harvey, I'm now going to turn to the things about this episode that I didn't find as strong. Did anyone else think he came across as a whiny brat in this episode? Really? He hates the merger so much that he's willing to try and get himself fired? He made petulant and risky moves with clients, talked to Darby behind Jessica's back, refused to try to make peace with Jessica, and continued to shun Mike's very helpful help at every turn. I found myself wanting to shake him and slap him around a bit. Yeah, you can be angry at Mike, fair enough. But did you ever stop to consider the fact that all Mike did was secure a merger that's actually benefiting the clients and the firm as a whole? Stop throwing a hissy fit, Harvey!! That ending with Darby was pretty intense, but I'm wondering what it all means. Would Harvey really stab Jessica in the back to get his name on the door? I guess we'll have to wait to find out.

It wasn't all bad, though... I do like the idea of Harvey fighting for named partner instead of fighting to be fired. I'm glad it didn't take him too long to get on a better path, although I'm worried what this might mean for Jessica. And then there's Harvey's speech to Scottie.

It was romantic, and best of all, it seemed really genuine. He didn't make any sweeping declarations of love, but he told her that she meant something to him. The only real complaint I have here is that Scottie comes across looking like a lovesick pushover. I hope that we can see some real strength and growth in her character if she sticks around.

Jessica came across as a bad guy in this episode. No joke. I can't find it in me to sympathize with her actions, here. She seemed like a conniving dictator who was trying to keep Harvey in line even at the expense of the firm's best interests. Between Harvey's whiny attitude and Jessica's generally... evil... behavior, I was really missing the friendship vibe between these two. I don't think Jessica's actions with Harvey are unforgivable, but I did think it was pretty sleazy of her to give Mike a new office as a sort of "thank you" for betraying Harvey.

A brief note about Donna: She basically split her time this week between helping Louis with his problems and backing up Harvey (even though Harvey is acting really immature). I really hope that as the season progresses, we get to see more out of Donna. I love her a lot, but I need to see her grow as a character separate from the relationships she has with Harvey and the other characters.

And then Louis. There were a lot of laughs in his part of the episode, and I liked seeing his continued rivalry with Nigel. But... his part of the episode is actually the part I take most issue with. Louis is a character that has been under-appreciated by the other characters on the show, but luckily the narrative itself seems to respect him and give his character a chance to grow and learn. In this episode, I didn't see any of that. I saw Louis reduced to the role of comedy only, without any chance for his character to grow from the events of the episode. I'm trying to reserve judgment, because I really do find Louis a fascinating character. I hope that his further interactions with Nigel can be a bit more serious while still getting us the laughs.

Louis did have one adorable moment, though, that makes me think he'll have better episodes in the future: his conversation with Mike. When Louis sees Mike's letter of resignation, he is genuinely upset at the prospect of Mike quitting. He offers advice to help Mike win back Harvey's trust, and Mike actually listens to him. It was adorable.

A few other nuts and bolts to discuss here...

I found myself really enjoying Benjamin in this episode. He had good comedic chemistry with Mike. I'm not saying he should suddenly be a main character, but I hope they have some more of him. There was a really nice mini-arc here with Mike at first threatening him, and then asking for his help as a friend. 

Darby is gay. Cool? Did anyone else think that they stuck that in there really awkwardly? With his comment to Jessica? I don't really give a damn about sexual orientation in the real world, but in media it's important. When characters are canonically not heterosexual, there's a lot of pressure for the show to do a good job portraying the character without falling into weird stereotype traps. If Darby's gay, that's cool. I just hope that it's going to be more than just the writers checking off the box that says they're allies. If all of the straight characters are given relationship arcs and Darby isn't, that's going to stand out to me. For the record, that hasn't happened yet, since we haven't seen any real love interest of Donna's, and Jessica's romance plots have been thin as well. Basically, I'm reserving judgment about this one. I may be over-thinking things, which I know I tend to do.

So. Overall? This episode was pretty good. It's just... when I'm watching the premiere of a show I've been waiting for for so long, I sort of wanted more than just pretty good. I think it was weak for an opening act, but ultimately I still have high hopes for the season. Just as long as I get some bromance and angst from Harvey and Mike, I'll keep coming back for more.

7/10