Suits: Hard Truths (7x11)

You know... I wasn't sure what reaction I expected after the Donna/Harvey kiss, but this wasn't it. I'm... kind of pleased, but also kind of annoyed at the same time?

Cons:

The reason I'm annoyed is that we can all see the writing on the wall. Most likely, Donna and Harvey will eventually end up together. So putting in another obstacle to that eventuality is playing in to one of television's most annoying cliches. Will they? Won't they? Well, they will. And delaying the inevitable can make everything else going on with them feel like marking time. That said, there is something undeniably creative about the angle they're taking with this, so I do have to give props for that a little later on.

There's going to be a bit of an elephant in the room for the entirety of Season 7B. We all know Meghan Markle is getting married to Prince Harry in May, so this is her last run on the show. We also know that Mike is leaving right alongside Rachel. So this episode's little subplot about Rachel and Mike wanting to make time for each other feels... maybe a little too... prescribed? I don't know about everyone else, but I want to squeeze in as much Mike and Harvey banter in these last few episodes as we can get. The show is just not going to be the same without it. I like Rachel and Mike perfectly fine, and it makes a lot of sense that Mike wouldn't stick around without Rachel in the show. But at the same time, do we need to telegraph their last few episodes in this way?

Pros:

I like Mike and Alex's relationship. I don't know what Dule Hill's plans are after this season, but I hope he can stick around, because I think he makes for a nice addition to the team. I like the fact that Alex is a little hesitant at first, but by the end he's been charmed by Mike just like everybody else. The case itself was secondary to the interesting character beats it gave to Mike, Alex, and, to a lesser extent, Rachel.

Shout-out to Louis for being a reasonable human being in this episode. He and Harvey don't totally agree about how to do something, but they talk it out and go with Louis' plan in the end, even though it means screwing over Jessica in a way that really hurts. I like it when Louis is level-headed and reasonable. It's so rare, but very much appreciated.

The Jessica stuff... ouch. If this show is going to survive the departure of Mike and Rachel, so soon after losing Gina Torres, goddess among humanity, then it needs to try and carve out a true identity for itself. Removing Jessica's name from the wall is a surefire way to do that. In all the chaos over the years, "Pearson" has been the one name that has stuck around. I don't think I'll end up watching Jessica's new spin-off show (is that still happening?) but that doesn't mean I don't miss her. I think Harvey learning to let go of her is important, but it sucks so bad that he has to throw her name under the bus to make that happen.

The bulk of this episode is dealing with Harvey and Donna, and the fall-out from that kiss. And here's where things are interesting. I was expecting Harvey to be embarrassed, maybe a little intrigued... I thought maybe Harvey would break up with Paula on the spot... but what I hadn't anticipated was Harvey being angry. And yet it makes perfect sense. He's really shook up about Donna kissing him, and he's mad that she would do something like that and mess with his head, and with his relationship with Paula. And it does mess with Harvey. Understandably. He mishandles the situation with Paula, telling her only after two days, and then later admitting that he and Donna did have a past and have slept together. Paula is hurt, and the episode ends as we wait to see her full reaction. Can Harvey and Paula make it through this? Oddly enough, I actually care about Paula.

So... Donna hurt Harvey. She was wrong, and Louis points out that she owes Harvey an apology. But at the same time, Harvey comes to admit that Donna was right about a lot of the things she said. For years, Harvey has depended on Donna, calling on her whenever he needed someone to talk to. He flirts, he's always around, and he needs to admit that he's enjoyed the fact that Donna has put Harvey first for so long. Harvey should be thanking her, even if she did throw him for a bit of a loop.

Honestly, this stuff is... fascinating. I don't think I've ever seen a show handle the fallout from a dramatic, spontaneous kiss in quite this way. Mistakes are made, and then feelings are discussed in a calm, adult manner. Harvey behaves like a child in this episode, but Donna doesn't let him get away with it, and in the end they share a hug and seem to be on equal footing again. The only part of this that's annoying is the knowledge that Donna and Harvey probably will end up together in the end, so all of this feels like treading water.

As a final note, Harvey asks for Donna's advice about making Mike a senior partner, and Donna tells him frankly that Mike is not ready. There's something fascinating and subtle about the way this episode showed us that, instead of telling us. We know that Matt is a "do gooder" and that his departure from the show will likely have something to do with his pursuing nobler career avenues. We can also see in this particular episode that while he has good instincts, he can be a little too wobbly about them. He let Rachel and Alex both get under his skin, and if it weren't for Rachel's investigative skills, he might have let some bad people get away with fraud. Harvey loves Mike and wants to do everything in the world for him, but Donna is right that Mike is not quite ready.

So there you have it. This is one of the first times in my life that I am seriously considering stopping a show before it's cancelled. Once this season is over, where will I get my Mike and Harvey banter fix from? I'm going to miss Mike so much!

8/10