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<i>Suits</i> – “God’s Green Earth” Recap. Bottom of the Barrel.

Season 5, Episode 13

Air Date: February 10, 2016, 10/9c on USA

Rating: ★★★★★

“Mike, this trial’s coming whether you like it or not.” – Harvey

Will Harvey get Mike out of this mess?

The infighting at Pearson Specter Litt continues as Mike (Patrick J. Adams) and Harvey (Gabriel Macht) find themselves at odds over strategies in Mike’s case. The contrasting views aren’t just about his defense, though. They also revolve around the lengths to which Harvey and Mike will go to counter AUSA Anita Gibbs’ (Leslie Hope) personal attacks against people Mike cares about. Will Mike and Harvey be able to find Gibbs’ weakness or will one of them cross a line that puts everyone at risk?

One of the challenges the writers faced this season is how to keep Adams’ character sympathetic despite his obvious guilt. They seem to have found the answer by making Gibbs the type of prosecutor who will do anything to win. Since her introduction in “Blowback,” she has shown no redeeming qualities other than having the truth on her side. The depths to which Gibbs goes are despicable but I have misgivings that a win for Harvey and Mike will come due to a technicality rather than some brilliant legal maneuverings, providing the writers an easy out for Mike’s story line.

I enjoy how the writers have spread out the blame as well as the guilt. It would be easy to focus on Mike and his impending trial but adding some culpability to other characters creates some interesting alliances. The situation is forcing people to work together. Even Rachel’s (Meghan Markle) father Robert (Wendell Pierce) helping Mike is an unlikely alliance, as is what’s happening between Mike and Dana “Scottie” Scott (Abigail Spencer), who blames Mike for her split with Harvey. During Mike’s unexpected visit with Scottie, he is quick to point out Gibbs’ ulterior motive, much to Scottie’s chagrin. “This woman isn’t going to stop until she gets what she wants, and what she wants is Harvey. I’m not asking you to do it for me and Rachel; I’m asking you to do it for him.” Mike seems intent on protecting everyone around him in case he loses at trial.

Will they get back together?

Incidentally, as much as I savor Markle’s performance as Mike’s loving wife Rachel, her story line does absolutely nothing for me. Once again, Rachel finds herself a pawn in getting Mike to turn on Harvey. Markle’s acting is wonderful but Rachel’s contribution to the story line doesn’t resonate with me. Her conversation with Scottie struck me as awkward and appears to hint that another ‘self-doubt’ story line is coming for Rachel. With her fiancé faced with going to jail, the possibility of her being expelled from law school, and still being at odds with her father, I should feel some empathy for Rachel but I simply don’t.

Realizing the firm must adapt in light of the current scandal, Jessica’s (Gina Torres) heart-to-heart with Louis (Rick Hoffman) is riveting to watch. What could easily have become a bitch session about the predicament Mike put them in becomes a moment for self-reflection. I was especially taken aback by Louis’ admission to Jessica. “What I learned from hiring Mike was that not all great lawyers went to Harvard.” Did Louis just refer to Mike as a great lawyer? What a powerful statement for Louis to make, especially given their tumultuous past.

I’ve despised Jack Soloff (John Pyper-Ferguson) since the moment he was introduced in “Compensation.” From the beginning, it looked like Jack was at Pearson Specter Litt simply to be an asshole. Throughout much of “God’s Green Earth,” it appears Jack is up to his usual tricks — until he finds himself at a crossroads.

I’m sure the audience was as shocked by Jack’s shift in allegiances as I was. Pyper-Ferguson’s performance is outstanding as Jack contemplates the ramifications of his decision. It isn’t just his change in loyalties that’s surprising, but how natural the move feels to the overall story. I can’t help but wonder how Daniel Hardman (David Costabile) will react to the news.

Heart to heart talk.

Determined to get Sheila Sazs (Rachael Harris) to back down, Louis’ mock cross examination of her is powerful and extremely painful to watch. Hoffman’s performance is phenomenal as a guilt ridden Louis goes over Harvey’s inevitable line of questioning for Sheila. As Sheila begs Louis to stop, it’s heartbreaking to listen to his voice crack when he tells her, “Harvey’s not going to care.” 

Nevertheless, Louis’ plan to save Sheila seems a bit farfetched. Once Gibbs realizes what Sheila is up to, with the resources of the State’s Attorney at her disposal, it probably won’t take long to trace everything back to Louis, landing everyone in even bigger trouble. Time will tell if Louis’ strategy pays off or backfires.

This season of Suits reminds of a cartoon I saw a long time ago where a dam springs a leak and the character sticks his finger in the hole to plug it. Instantly, another leak forms so he plugs it with his other hand, then a foot and another foot. Pearson Specter Litt is running out of time and for every instance where they handle someone like Sheila, people like Mike’s former best friend Trevor (Tom Lipinski) create a new problem. With only a few episodes left in the season, I can’t wait to see what happens next.

Tweet me @staffaroadtrip or leave a comment below to let me know what you think about “God’s Green Earth.”

 

Tune in to Suits Wednesday at 10/9c, only on USA Network.

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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Photos © 2016 USA Network, a division of NBC Universal, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

 

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.
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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.