Suits Mid-Season Finale — “This Is Rome” Retrospective. A Louis Scorned.

Season 4, Episode 10

Air Date: Wednesday, August 20, 2014, 9/8c on USA

Rating: ★★★★★

“Louis knows.” — Donna

Mike helping Louis with his stuff.

Having just been fired, Louis (Rick Hoffman) approaches Harvey (Gabriel Macht) about taking some of his old clients to help him get back on his feet at a new firm. Harvey is open to the idea but Jessica (Gina Torres) isn’t. She enforces the partnership agreement Louis signed, thereby eliminating any chance of Louis being hired by another New York firm. With no clients of his own, could this be the end for Louis?

“This is Rome” focuses on loyalty and friendship. For example, Harvey going to bat for Louis and helping him find another job despite their recent spats. Or, Harvey defending Mike (Patrick J. Adams) to Walter Gillis (Michael Gross).“But everything Mike did from the second he met you was to save your company. Because when it comes to caring about people, he’s twice the man I am. And, by the way, he never gave up on you, and he never sold you out.” While not necessarily important for the story line, it’s something Harvey needed to say in front of Mike. Then there’s Katrina (Amanda Schull), who shows tremendous loyalty to Louis when she tries to help him but in doing so, finds herself unemployed. I never thought I’d say this but I hope this isn’t the last we see of Katrina.

Harvey and Donna sharing a moment.

Wendell Pierce, who plays Rachel’s (Meghan Markle) father, Robert Zane, continues to be one of my favorite guest stars on Suits. I don’t know if it’s his soft spoken voice or what, but Robert comes across as a guy you would enjoy sitting around with, talking about life while drinking a beer. The thought that Louis might join Robert’s firm was exciting while it lasted because it might have meant more screen time for Pierce. With Mike and Rachel’s relationship back on track, I hope the writers find other ways to utilize him.

My only complaint about “This is Rome” is the lack of creativity in the ending. The promos leading up to the episode promised this would be “the most shocking episode you never saw coming.” Yet, looking back over the seasons, can the network really say we never saw it coming when the twist has been used three other times?

Season one finale, Jessica learns the truth about Mike.
Season two finale, Rachel learns Mike’s secret.
Season three mid-season finale, Louis puts it together but is convinced he is wrong, thanks to Donna.

Louis learning the truth about Mike is less of a shocking twist and more of a welcome relief. Suits has excessively used the secret as a plot twist. Louis was the only major character in the dark and it was only a matter of time before he found out. While “This is Rome’s” ending lacks in creativity, I would have say “This Is Rome” is still a powerful episode to watch. Hopefully, this is the last we hear of Mike’s secret.

Can Jessica forgive Louis?

The atmosphere during the second half of season four will depend on what version of Louis shows up. Will we see Louis, a named partner, happy to have received everything he always wanted and willing to let bygones be bygones? Or, will Louis continue to hold a grudge, further isolating himself from Harvey, Mike, and even Donna? Plus, will he ever forgive Donna for lying to him? Those scenarios assume Jessica agrees to make Louis a named partner.

Speaking of Jessica, how is she going to move forward with everything that’s happened? She was pressured into taking Mike back despite her strong opposition. If she agrees to “Pearson Specter Litt,” it will be because Louis strong-armed her into doing so and Jessica doesn’t seem like the type to allow that type of behavior to go unpunished.

Despite the not so shocking ending, “This Is Rome” is an entertaining episode with many fun moments.

Donna showing off her impressive shooting skills.
Donna cleaning off the “smudge” on Louis’s photo of her. Admit it; you probably imagine Louis kissing the photo.
Robert Zane thinking Mike’s visit is to ask for his daughter’s hand in marriage.
Mike and Harvey’s banter over dinner.
Jessica and Mike having a surprising moment alone during which Jessica admits to Mike’s value.

Regardless of the twists and turns in “This Is Rome,” the scene that will be remembered isn’t necessarily the confrontational scene between Louis and Jessica but the gut wrenching scene between Louis and Donna, especially given their long-standing friendship. Donna’s tears and emotions feel real as Louis confronts her about knowing Mike was a fraud from the beginning. I have really enjoyed watching Louis and Donna’s friendship grow and I hope it will be able to survive this revelation.

Shows like Suits are created around drama but I most enjoy the episodes where the characters I know and love aren’t in the middle of all of the strife. The fighting between Mike and Harvey, and everyone else, for that matter, has drained me emotionally; my hope is that the second half of the season picks up a few months later, allowing the anger and emotions time to settle a bit. Let some outsider be the one creating the drama for the second half of the season.

What did you think of the mid-season finale of Suits? Leave a comment below or tweet me @Staffroadtrip.

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.