Only one more episode before the hiatus comes and significantly dampens my eagerness for Wednesdays. I'm happy, as always, with many developments in this episode. But I wouldn't be me if I didn't have some complaints.
Cons:
Surprise, surprise... I'm still not feeling the Tara and Louis thing. Donna acts as the relationship counselor here, as she tells Louis to stay calm and not jump to conclusions about what Tara is up to with Joshua, her boyfriend. Tara tells Louis that Joshua proposed to her, and she told him that she couldn't marry him when she has such strong feelings for another man, which leaves Louis and Tara together. Ugh. I mean I don't think I even need to really get in to what I don't like about this, right? It's the same crap I've been saying since Tara was introduced. It would be so much more interesting to see Louis growing and developing as a character through the plot device of an unconventional relationship. But nope! Apparently Louis is irresistible to a smart, beautiful accomplished woman like Tara for some reason... and now she's throwing away a three year long relationship for him because their love is so strong or whatever. The whole thing annoys the hell out of me. And Donna gets sidelined again which sucks.
Mike and Rachel have a quick phone call in this episode, where Rachel talks to Mike about her death row client. She wants Mike to tell her what it's like to be in prison. Now, this phone call isn't a bad moment or anything, but it just highlighted one of the biggest weaknesses of this season for me: we actually haven't seen what prison is like for Mike, and the scene cuts away from Mike and Rachel's conversation before we can get any real insight. I wish the show would push harder on this issue instead of shoving it under the rug. Also, the brevity of this phone call just highlights again how little screen time Mike and Rachel have been getting. Can she not go visit him in prison yet?
Pros:
Let's start with the subplot: Rachel finds a new way of helping Leonard Bailey, and Jessica is all too happy to help. Even though Bailey's alibi witness is dead, Jessica convinces Bailey's old public defender to testify that there was an alibi that was never presented in the case. This means that Bailey gets offered a deal - he stays in prison for another five years, and then he goes free. After her phone call with Mike, Rachel goes with Jessica to talk to Bailey. Jessica wants him to take the deal, but Rachel admits that she wants Bailey to fight. Bailey isn't just trying to win to save his own life, but so that he can go to his kids as an innocent man. Jessica tells Rachel that she once lost a case like this one, and that she's trying to play the odds. Rachel still thinks that they should fight for Bailey. Jessica brings Leonard Bailey's daughter to come see him, and she tells Bailey that she's going to fight to prove his innocence.
I'm so happy that Jessica and Rachel have been given such a prolonged and personal plot thread together. Jessica even goes over to Rachel's house unannounced to talk about the case, which reminds me fondly of all the times Harvey and Mike would drop in on each other randomly. Jessica's determination to save Bailey's life at the cost of his reputation makes a lot of sense, and if I were Leonard Bailey, I'm not sure if I would want to roll those dice. But I also understand Rachel's perspective on this. Bailey doesn't want to get out of prison five years from now with everybody he's ever cared about believing him to be a murderer. What kind of life is that? The moment with Bailey and his daughter was actually very emotionally affecting. I was so happy for him! And I'm happy that Jessica is standing up for her client and what he wants, even if it scares her.
In main plot news, Mike just has a few days left in prison, but they're going to be his most stressful days yet. Mike finds out that Cahill is seizing Kevin and Jill's assets, even the ones that have nothing to do with Sutter. Mike thinks he might have a way to help, and maybe even get Kevin out of prison. Also, Gallow is insistent that Harvey get him out of prison immediately, or he'll find a way to hurt Mike, either inside prison or out.
Harvey decides to go forward with getting Gallow out, because he knows that a few days is long enough for Gallow to get to Mike. Cue Cameron Dennis, Harvey's old mentor at the DA's office, showing up and trying to stop Harvey from getting Gallow out. Harvey presents Gallow's case, but Cameron Dennis says that Harvey is only helping Gallow because he's being blackmailed. Now Harvey is in a pickle - will he deny Dennis' accusations under oath, thereby perjuring himself, in order to ensure that Frank Gallow gets out and can't hurt Mike? He tries to appeal to Cameron, but Cameron remains firm: getting Gallow out of prison is wrong.
Meanwhile, Mike tries to get Cahill to get Kevin out, but it backfires - instead, Cahill threatens to pull Mike's deal, since Mike is trying to stonewall Cahill in his efforts to make Sutter and his family pay for their crimes. This means that Mike is still in prison as Gallow gets more and more impatient. The two prison-centric plots converge when Mike and Cameron make a deal: Mike will testify that Harvey is only helping Gallow out because of blackmail, thereby keeping Gallow in prison, if Cameron promises to help get Kevin out of prison, using his power as a former DA. So, Mike testifies, and Harvey doesn't perjure himself. This seals Gallow's fate of staying in prison, and it gets Kevin out, thanks to Cameron! Kevin gets out, but Mike stays in. He's cornered by Frank, who attacks and tries to kill him. Turns out, this was Mike's plan all along - he had worked out the whole thing with Cahill. Gallow's threats and attempted murder are caught on camera, and Gallow is staying put in prison. Harvey rubs it in his face - he's either going back to maximum security, where everybody knows that he's an informant (thanks Cahill!), or, Frank gets five more years, and if Mike ever gets hurt in any way, he goes straight back to maximum security. Mike gets out and reunites with Harvey and Rachel!
Okay. Lots to unpack. I think the best thing about the resolution of this plot thread is how everything is so twisty and connected. Cameron Dennis comes into the plot because of Gallow, but he's the one who ends up getting Kevin out, not Cahill like we originally thought. And while Cahill holds his end of the deal and gets Mike out of prison, he also intervenes to keep Gallow in prison where he belongs, and even has the power to send him back to maximum security. Thus, Harvey and Mike really do use every resource at their disposal to get a win for everybody. Kevin and Jill will reunite, free from the yolk of Sutter's evil scheming. Mike is out of prison, and Harvey didn't have to perjure himself to make that happen. Frank Gallow is staying in prison where he belongs, with his army of guards dismantled by Mike's act of bravery.
Mike and Kevin's friendship continues to be a marvel, and I'm really glad that they actually stuck it out through all this craziness. Leave it to Mike to find a way to save Kevin too. It was really touching that Mike was willing to risk his own freedom in order to bring Kevin with him, and it was also sweet that Kevin told Mike not to risk it. Kevin seems like a genuinely good guy, and I'm happy that he and his wife are going to be reunited.
Harvey and Cameron Dennis... I wasn't expecting to see these two together again. I mean, they weren't together. They were on opposite sides. This show is so good at playing with moral relativism. We, as the audience, are not meant to like or respect Cameron Dennis. And yet in this instance, he's simply fighting to keep a murderous monster behind bars, while Harvey is the one contemplating perjury to get that same murderous villain out on the streets. We get where Harvey is coming from, of course, but in this case Cameron is right. I love how twisty it all is. I also loved the reminder of how close Cameron and Harvey once were. Harvey compares their former mentor/mentee relationship to the one he has with Mike now. That's a big deal.
I already mentioned that Mike is awesome for helping Kevin. He's also awesome for risking his life to make sure Gallow stays in prison where he belonged. Great acting from Patrick J. Adams here in the scene where Gallow comes to kill him. He played up his very real fear in order to trap Gallow into attacking him, and then he manages to get in a couple of quippy biting remarks as Gallow is taken away before his knees buckle from the release of adrenaline. He risked getting seriously injured or killed by staying in prison one extra night. Because of that, Kevin is out of prison and safe, and Frank Gallow will have a much harder time hurting anybody in future.
Harvey and Mike's relationship is (no surprise to anyone) the main source of my affection for the show. Here we see more of the same thing we've been seeing all season - Harvey will do anything to protect Mike. He was willing to get Frank Gallow out of prison, going up against his former mentor, his conscience, and the law in order to do so. I think the best scene in the episode for me was when Mike shows up to testify that Gallow is blackmailing Harvey. Harvey just cannot take his eyes off of Mike as he listens to his protege screw himself over. The second Mike's testimony ends, Gallow accuses Harvey of being in on this plan to keep him behind bars. Despite the fact that he wasn't in on it and never would have agreed to it, Harvey immediately takes full blame and tells Frank to take it out on him instead of Mike. Harvey is livid with everybody from Cahill to Cameron to Mike himself for keeping Mike in danger.
The other great moment is when Harvey storms in to Cahill's office all angry that Mike's release is being delayed, only to discover Mike asked for that in order to trap Gallow. Mike knew that Harvey would never let him take such an insane and personal risk, so he kept his friend in the dark about his dangerous plan. I love that Mike knows exactly what Harvey is willing to do for him, and I love that Harvey never disappoints in this expectation.
And then of course there's the ending. I have two things to say about Mike exiting the prison.
1) The slow-motion gate opening as Harvey stands on the other side was the perfect mirror to Harvey watching Mike go in to the prison at the end of last season. It was such a nice way to bring things full circle, and to emphasize that even though Mike was literally the one in prison, Harvey was just as trapped for as long as his friend was put away.
2) Rachel looked GORGEOUS AS ALL HELL. I know that's not a particularly nuanced observation but oh my goodness she is beautiful. She and Mike reunite, holding each other and sharing a passionate kiss as Harvey looks on, happy that Mike is finally free. And I don't know what it was exactly, but something about Rachel's hair and outfit and face just looked smokin' hot in that final scene. Dayum.
I guess that's where I'm stopping. Next week it looks like we're going to loop back around to one of the larger arcs of the season: the fate of the firm. Will they survive to thrive again another day? Something tells me it won't be easy!
9/10
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