I Need a Day. Retrospective: Suits - “The Other Time”

Season 3, Episode 6

Air Date: Tuesday, August 20, 2013, 10/9c on USA

Rating: ★★★★★

Harvey and Donna talking about “The Other Time.”

“The Other Time” is mainly a reference to the episode “Asterisk” when Donna (Sarah Rafferty) told Harvey (Gabriel Macht), “You’ve been over to my place exactly twice: the God awful dinner party and the other time.” But that isn’t the only flashback scene; there are many that mirror events both past and current, especially between Harvey and Donna because we finally learn the answer to the question, did they or didn’t they. When I first heard “The Other Time” was a flashback episode with a strong focus on Harvey and Donna’s relationship, I was skeptical. For two seasons, there have been hints of a romantic liaison between Harvey and Donna. There was a powerful scene in season two’s “The Choice,” during which Donna reassured Mike (Patrick J. Adams) he’d be able to work withRachel (Meghan Markle) even after a breakup:

Mike: “How are we even supposed to work together after that, huh?”

Donna: “It’s possible.”

Mike: “It is?”

Donna: “It Is.”

It was easy to figure out what Donna meant by the look on her face. We also saw hints of something in Harvey and Donna’s past during the mock trial in “Sucker Punch.” I was satisfied not knowing what happened, and I think Rafferty’s performance in those earlier episodes told us all we needed to know. So, to go back and fill in those gaps in many ways diminishes some of those scenes. Now, when Donna says “…and the other time,” it shifts from letting our imaginations run wild to simply being a reference.

The other issue I have with the flashbacks is some scenes have been so well described in earlier episodes, it feels like we are watching a rerun rather than a flashback. A good example is when Mike told Harvey in the “Pilot”:

“When I was in college, it was my dream to be a lawyer. I needed some money and Trevor convinced me to memorize this math test and sell it. Turns out, we sold it to the Dean’s daughter. I lost my scholarship. I got kicked out of school.”

When it plays out in “The Other Time,” there is a déjá vu feeling. The scene with the Dean (Michael Hanrahan) would have been a funny twist had we not already known what was going to happen.

Some of the flashback scenes with Harvey and Donna give you the same feeling since much was in previous episodes about the document that caused Harvey to quit the DA’s office. So, the flashback offered little new as far as Harvey and Donna’s professional relationship is concerned.

Harvey with his father Gordon

The flashbacks are not all bad, though. It was nice to see Rebecca Schull return as Mike’s grandma, Edith. I wish the flashbacks had shown more of Harvey’s father, Gordon (James McCaffrey), who I thought would have more of an emotional effect given this is his first appearance on Suits. Instead, it is more of a comforting bonding scene much like the one with Mike and Edith.

For a while now, there have been subtle hints that Donna wants Harvey to occasionally acknowledge her as a woman and not just his secretary. It reminds me of “He’s Back” when Harvey said, “Look at you. You’re beautiful.” Donna began to blush only to realize the compliment was meant for Jessica (Gina Torres), not her. So it’s particularly touching when Harvey finally admits her dating Stephen (Max Beesley) bothers him. It isn’t jealousy or anything sexual—it’s just something indescribable in their own unique relationship.

Let’s not forget Louis (Rick Hoffman) who, regardless of flashback or present day scenes, seems to keep getting screwed by Harvey. The opening scene with Donna and Louis exiting the elevator and seeing Harvey’s name on the wall is hilarious. Did you see the looks on their faces? This isn’t the only time we hear Louis say, “I need a day.” I love the scenes with Rafferty and Hoffman, don’t you? These two actors have proven to be comedy gold together.

Harvey hasn’t aged much in 10 years.

The pivotal scenes come down to the ones between Jessica and Harvey, especially when, in a flashback, Jessica explained to Harvey how to take down someone in order to get her name up on the wall. Apparently, he listened because he admits to using similar tactics against her to get her to put his name on the wall.

Will Jessica be able to look past Harvey’s confession and continue to move forward? And how Darby (Conleth Hill) figures into all of this remains to be seen.

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.