Stay or Go. Retrospective: Suits - “Know When to Fold ‘Em”

Season 3, Episode 15

Air Date: Tuesday, April 3, 2014, 9/8c on USA

Rating: ★★★★★

“My name is Louis God Damn Marlow Litt and my firm is under siege!” – Louis

James Quelling (Damon Gupton) and Harvey (Gabriel Macht)

Just as things seem to be going smoothly at Pearson Specter, Charles Van Dyke (Jamey Sheridan), a former partner at the firm, unexpectedly pays Jessica (Gina Torres) a visit. Van Dyke’s visit seems less than sincere as he tries to strong arm Jessica for money he feels is still owed to him.

Mike (Patrick J Adams) continues to face a tough decision about whether to accept Sidwell’s (Brandon Firla) offer to become an investment banker at his firm. Mike tries to get Harvey’s (Gabriel Macht) advice about it but Harvey is too busy putting out fires of his own. When attorney James Quelling (Damon Gupton) shows up lawsuit in hand, Harvey realizes Quelling is trying to make a quick buck by using Harvey’s past against him.

Meanwhile, Louis (Rick Hoffman) is at home still reeling from his break up with Sheila and asks his associate Katrina (Amanda Schull) to cover for him at the firm. Seems easy enough but after Jessica’s run-in with Van Dyke, she gives Katrina a task she wants done by Louis. Keeping her promise to cover for him, Katrina takes on the task with Rachel’s (Meghan Markle) help. What could possibly go wrong?

Donna (Sarah Rafferty)

I’m not a big fan of Katrina’s. From the get go, her character seemed too confrontational. As her character developed, though, it looked like we would see more of Katrina but instead, we see her less and less. It seems like the writers use Katrina only when needed — mostly when they want to add tension to a situation. At times, it feels awkward watching her in a scene because you have all but forgotten her. In “Know When to Fold ‘Em,” Katrina is there to remind us she is Louis’ equivalent of what Mike is to Harvey. The only problem is Katrina is not Mike, and her actions make Jessica look like a fool to Van Dyke.

Furious, Jessica tracks down Louis, who is still in the midst of a giant pity party at home. Louis is always at his best when he is fired up and excited about something, and that’s exactly what Jessica does. It’s fun to see him show up in the courtroom to help Jessica take on Van Dyke. As much as Suits is about the relationship between Mike and Harvey, it is hard to imagine the show without Louis. The various sides of Louis we see depending on whom he is interacting with, are what makes him special—especially if Louis’ opponent ranks above or below him in the grand scheme of things.

Maybe it’s just me but sometimes, the writing on Suits is a little too smart for its own good, and “Know When to Fold ‘Em” is a perfect example. While I had a basic understanding of what Quelling was doing, some of the legal maneuvers between Quelling and Harvey were a little lost on me. It seemed the writers wanted to make Quelling a sympathetic, yet misguided, character but didn’t have the time to adequately develop him enough to show him the way they wanted to. Instead, the writers use Quelling just to create the conflict to move the storyline forward.

Harvey (Gabriel Macht)

The real story in “Know When to Fold ‘Em” surrounds Mike’s decision of whether to stay at Pearson Specter or go. Many of the scenes are designed to give the audience a reminder of how valuable Mike is to all involved, as well as the risks everyone who knows his secret are taking just to have him in the office. The reminder serves as a backdrop as Mike struggles to figure out if he wants to become an investment banker or continue being a lawyer. What makes the process of deciding harder are the two groups of people weighing in on it— those who know his secret, like Donna (Sara Rafferty), and those who don’t, like Scottie (Abigail Spencer). Donna truly cares about Mike but also knows how much he means to Harvey, even if Harvey would never admit it. Donna knows if Mike leaves, Harvey would be hurt, especially after all Harvey has done for Mike.

On the other hand, Scottie knows how deeply Harvey cares about Mike. She seems baffled, and at times, upset that Harvey would even consider letting Mike go without a fight. Scottie realizes Harvey is holding back, not telling her everything but when she presses him about it, it only makes Harvey more upset. I wonder how long their relationship will last with Harvey keeping secrets.

Last but not least, there is Harvey. The writers have done a wonderful job the last few episodes of showing the real bond between Mike and Harvey. Harvey does care about Mike and his leaving would sting. But Harvey also knows the risk everyone takes each time Mike walks into the firm. I thoroughly enjoyed watching Harvey as he faces his internal conflict over the right thing to do, all while the people who are important to him, like Donna and Scottie, are voicing their own opinions.

So much of what makes Suits so wonderful to watch is the show’s investment in the characters. Scenes of Harvey sitting there alone contemplating, or Donna giving her special look, have meaning because the audience has become invested in the characters. In “Know When to Fold ‘Em,” the audience realizes the weight of Mike’s decision not because they are told, but because they understand.

With the season finale next week, it will be interesting to see if there is any fallout from Mike’s decision. What did you think? Did Mike make the right decision?

Tweet me @staffaroadtrip or leave a comment below to let me know what you think about “Know When to Fold ‘Em.”

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.