Perception.Retrospective: Suits - “Moot Point”

Season 3, Episode 13

Air Date: Tuesday, March 20, 2014, 9/8c on USA

Rating: ★★★★★

“I’m saying that A. Elliot Stemple is not ducking you today.” – Mike

Harvey and A. Elliot Stemple

Thankful to still have a job after Louis’ (Rick Hoffman) investigation, Mike (Patrick J. Adams) tries to find a way to thank Harvey (Gabriel Macht) for having his back. Smart man that he is, Mike seeks out Donna (Sarah Rafferty) for her advice concerning what to get the man who has everything.

Donna comes up with the perfect gift—the name of an attorney, A. Elliot Stemple (Patrick Fischler), who beat Harvey in moot court back when they were in law school, and has been avoiding Harvey ever since. Mike figures out a way to oppose Stemple in a real life lawsuit, and the look on Stemple’s face when Harvey shows up in court with Mike is priceless. All Harvey has to do now is beat him.

Meanwhile, Scottie (Abigail Spencer) feels the need to prove she’s more than just the woman Harvey is sleeping with. So she takes on Louis, the meanest and one of the strongest attorneys in the firm, to prove herself as a lawyer. She figures if she can take on Louis and put him in his place, it will send a strong message to the rest of the firm she is to be taken seriously. Needless to say, Scottie’s plan does not go over well with Louis, who feels betrayed by Scottie when she “steals” one of his clients. I laughed when Scottie starts reading the firm’s bylaws—which Louis wrote—to justify her actions, and Louis’ response, “How dare you quote me to me!?” The laughs continue later when Louis gets in a mean staring match with a pillow in Scottie’s office while waiting for her. Does anyone know whose face is on that pillow? I scoured the internet and couldn’t come up with the answer.

Harvey and Louis

Hoffman doesn’t get enough credit for what he brings to his character. Hoffman’s performance, while annoying at times, makes us care about Louis because of the wide range of emotions he displays.

I have always enjoyed watching Fischler, who has guest starred on almost every show out there. He brings perfection to every character he plays. I reveled in the banter among Harvey, Mike and Stemple as Stemple keeps trying to manipulate his way out of dealing with Harvey. Other opposing lawyers have come and gone but Stemple is a name I hope we hear again.

With so much tension among everyone at the firm earlier in the season, I really enjoy how things are playing out in the second half. Suits is much more entertaining when Mike and Harvey are getting along. I had some concerns when Harvey was promoted to named partner, and wondered how it would impact others—especially Louis. Yet, it seems like Harvey and Louis’ relationship has actually gotten stronger; I hope it’s sincere, and not just because Louis did Harvey a huge favor.

Scottie and Louis with a client.

“Moot Point” is actually an episode about perception, as various characters deal with how others view them. There is Scottie, who feels she must do something in order to stand out from being Harvey’s girlfriend; Harvey, who has to beat his law school nemesis to prove he’s the better attorney; and then Louis, who judiciously seeks Jessica’s (Gina Torres) advice in dealing with Scottie. She wisely tells Louis he has an opportunity to change the course of his relationship with Scottie instead of making her an enemy, as he usually does with new partners. Perception, good or bad, often defines how others view us, and I found it interesting to watch the various characters as they try to redefine how they are perceived in order to accomplish their various goals.

One of the most compelling scenes in “Moot Point” deals with Mike’s conversation with Jessica following his and Harvey’s day in court.

Jessica: “In your position, the spotlight can become an interrogation lamp pretty damn fast.”

Mike: “I understand. No spotlight. This is always how it’s gonna be, isn’t it?”

Jessica: “I thought you knew that.”

Mike: “I guess I did.”

Mike and A. Elliot Stemple

While Mike seems to understand the reasoning, it clearly shakes him. As much as Mike strives to be like Harvey, he realizes he never can be Harvey. If someone were to discover he never went to law school, it would destroy not only him but the firm, as well. I wonder, now that Mike has reached a certain level of success, how will the realization of taking a second seat to Harvey affect him? It sets up an interesting dilemma for Mike and makes me wonder whether he will come to resent Harvey? I have a feeling this could change some of Mike’s views of how he is perceived at the firm, especially by Louis.

Tweet me @staffaroadtrip or leave a comment below to let me know what you think about “Moot Point.”

For more on the show, go to http://www.usanetwork.com/series/suits/.

Follow Suits on Twitter, as well as some of the cast: <Mike> Patrick J Adams, <Harvey> Gabriel Macht, <Rachel> Meghan Markle, and <Louis> Rick Hoffman.

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Greg Staffa

I provide testosterone to the site. You won’t be reading about how nice a actress looks in a dress or how much of a hunk Matt Bomer is in my reviews. I describe colors using words like brown, not taupe. My twitter name is @staffaroadtrip because I love road trips and have done two different 48-state road trips since 2008. My favorite show is White Collar.