Suits: Donna (7x10)

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! That's pretty much all I've got for the intro.

Cons:

Alex got a plot thread this week where the other name partner at his former firm tries to poach one of his clients. With Louis' help, Alex gets the guy on tape admitting to trying to screw Alex over, which fixes the problem. This was a perfectly fine plot thread, and I'm liking the way Louis has fully accepted Alex in the firm. But the whole thing felt like an afterthought in an episode already dealing with Harvey and Mike's big case, and Rachel and Robert's pro bono. Why throw it in now? Why did we need another moment to show that Alex is loyal to the firm? I feel like we already did that.

Pros:

Let's start with Robert and Rachel's plot thread. It wasn't anything too surprising or really innovative, but we got to see Rachel as a child and we got to see Robert's sister. I like the fact that she wasn't a passive victim in her poor treatment, and actually tried to stand up and do what's right. Robert was the one who took a backseat and let this thing slide. Robert's sister died young because she got sick, and Robert's guilt has eaten him up ever since. I like the fact that Robert's temper actually got him in trouble on a case for once, and I also like that Rachel is the one to come up with all the answers. This episode had a lot of cuts between two thematic scenes happening at the same time. The best use of this was when we cut between Robert talking to the CEO of the bank, and Rachel talking to the board, leading to the moment where ultimately the board signs documentation to remove their CEO, and the CEO signs the settlement agreement.

Yay Robert and Rachel! I want to see more team-ups like this in the future. Last week I complained that this plot, while interesting, felt very disconnected from the main story. This week it was no more integrated, but I found that I didn't really mind. I like seeing Rachel kick ass. She's been sidelined too often this season, so I'm glad to see her get a story-line of her own.

And then there's the main case. I won't get in to the nitty-gritty, but basically, Louis doesn't end up preparing Donna for going on the stand, because he thinks they've found a loophole. But then, Malick puts her up there anyway, and implies that she slept her way to the top. Donna gets the last word, though, because she figures out that Malick got his information and planted the false story in the newspaper through Holly. Using that, Harvey and Mike leverage Malick and win the case.

Let's stop there for just a moment - I like seeing Mike and Harvey work together in harmony. This episode wasn't really all that focused on their relationship, but there are lots of moments where they finish each other's thoughts, banter, and are generally just there to support each other. Mike even decides to meddle in Harvey's love life, which I'll get to more in a second. I liked it when Mike says Paula must know that "I'm Harvey's best friend" because even though we all know that to be a case, I'm still ridiculously happy to hear Mike say it.

Then there's the Louis thing. It's a little bit silly that Donna is so mad at Louis for not grilling her in a mock trial. I'm not sure any amount of preparation would have made it easier for Donna on the stand. But on the other hand I get it. Emotions are running high and Donna is hurt and feels like she failed herself. I like the fact that Louis again talks to his therapist and figures out where his own feelings are coming from. He couldn't poke at Donna's personal life without imagining what it would be like if somebody examined his own recent behavior. Sleeping with Sheila really messed with his head. The continuing redemption of Louis Litt is actually working for me this season.

And then Donna. Oh, Donna. She has been through so much to get where she is, and to hear Malick rip her apart like that was really tough. And all of her feelings of self-worth and confidence are so tied up in her feelings for Harvey that this whole thing is even more complex than it first appears. Mike, after talking with Rachel, decides to give Donna some advice: tell Harvey how she feels. Donna brushes this off. But later, when Louis talks about how Sheila is his soulmate and he waited too long and now it's too late... Donna seems ready to listen to that. Harvey walks in to Donna's office on a completely unrelated topic, and Donna... she just walks right up and kisses him.

I mean. Listen. As a not-so-secret Mike/Harvey fan, I've never cared all that much about the Donna and Harvey romance. I mean I liked the idea, sure, but I was never really a shipper in the fandom sense. But this moment. My God. I must have rewound it and watched those fifteen seconds like ten times when I first watched the episode. So. Cute. And amazing. And the look on Harvey's face. Oh my word. I cannot handle the fact that I'm going to have to wait for 2018 to find out how this whole thing shakes out.

And it's more than just the kiss, you know? Donna is such an interesting character because she's so assertive and confident and good at what she does, but it took her twelve whole years to ask for a promotion, and she's been hiding her feelings for Harvey from herself for that long as well. Finally she's decided to ask for what she wants, and that's no small thing for a woman in the business world, or even in the world of romance.

Finally, there's Malick's revenge. He wasn't able to beat Harvey in his case, so he goes after Jessica instead. Jessica admitted to knowing that Mike was a fraud in front of the New York bar, and Malick is working to have her disbarred. Harvey is furious, but Jessica turns up unannounced in Harvey's apartment and says that it's okay. If she's disbarred in New York, it doesn't hurt her in Chicago. But it's time for Jessica's name to come off of the wall at PSL.

Oh, Jessica. You sure have been around a lot for someone who's supposedly not in this show anymore. But it was really touching to see how desperate Harvey was not to let Jessica go. And Jessica, she's really moved on from her life in New York. I think it's nice to see this juxtaposition. It's not that Harvey still needs Jessica's name on the wall as a crutch. It's that he wanted to leave it up there to honor the woman who got him to where he is today. He wants to be associated with her because he's proud of that association. It's a beautiful sentiment, and it's going to be really strange to have the name Pearson gone from that wall. She's been the one constant since the beginning.

And there you have it. Time to go back to missing this show while it's on hiatus. Suits isn't the best show I watch but it's one of the shows I most look forward to when it's around. Here's to many more episodes!

8.5/10