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<i>Suits</i> “The Hand That Feeds You” Recap. Free at Last.

SUITS -- Pictured: "Suits" Key Art -- (Photo by: NBCUniversal)

Season 6, Episode 9

Air Date: September 7, 2016, 10/9c on USA

Rating: ★★★★★

“Mudding is amazing.” – Donna

Can Mike survive long enough to get out?

Mike’s (Patrick J. Adams) deal with SEC Investigator Sean Cahill (Neal McDonough) hits a snag as the legal I’s are being dotted and T’s being crossed. While Mike’s release drags on, Harvey (Gabriel Macht) must decide whether he will keep his promise to help return Frank (Paul Schulze) to the streets in order to keep Mike safe in prison. Will Harvey be able to free Mike while keeping Frank in jail or will he be forced to cross a dangerous line?

I’m not sure I’ve ever sworn as much at my TV while watching an episode than I did with “The Hand That Feeds You.” Mike drove me nuts as he relentlessly tries to insert himself into Cahill’s case against William Sutter (Alan Rosenberg), especially when it comes to his cellmate, Sutter’s son-in-law Kevin (Erik Palladino). Frustrated, I kept wanting Mike to let it all go and just go home to Rachel (Megan Markle) but Mike’s conscience refused to let injustices go. As the episode progressed, I couldn’t help worrying something bad was going to come out of Mike’s refusal to stand down.

One of the bright spots this season was the return of Cahill. Despite McDonough appearing on Suits before, his character did little for me. This season brought a new and improved Cahill and I love how well McDonough played both the good and bad guy depending upon which one served Cahill’s needs. As much as I long to see Mike and Harvey working together again, the scenes between Harvey and Cahill served as an adequate stand-in, a testament to both actors’ remarkable talent. With Mike out of prison and Sutter behind bars, the writers would be crazy not to find a way to keep Cahill around.

The Innocence Project storyline with Rachel and Jessica (Gina Torres) trying to clear the name of death row inmate Leonard Bailey (Glenn Plummer) has been hit or miss for me much of the season. Given how little we know about Leonard, especially his guilt or innocence, I’ve struggled to connect emotionally with his plight. That said, I really enjoyed the scenes between Jessica and Leonard in “The Hand That Feeds You” when Leonard expresses concern over Jessica’s motives for helping him. Leonard is slowly winning me over; I just hope the writers aren’t going to throw in some twist at the end that changes my mind.

The relationship between Louis (Rick Hoffman) and Tara (Carly Pope) continues to be the weakest link this season. Sure, there are some tender moments but in the end, much of it is forgettable. At the same time, there’s been some wonderful scenes between Louis and Donna (Sarah Rafferty), especially in “The Hand That Feeds You” that I wish had been emphasized more. Heck, who wouldn’t like to see more of Donna mudding?

Free at last.

Series creator Aaron Korsh took a major risk this season by breaking up the premise of the show and turning Suits into essentially two very different series, a prison drama and a legal drama. For the most part, Korsh and the writers succeeded in finding the right balance between the various storylines. Personally, I would have enjoyed seeing Julius (Malcolm-Jamal Warner) incorporated into the prison storyline more. With Mike’s release, the chances of seeing more of Julius appear slim to none. In many ways, “The Hand That Feeds You” has the feel of a series finale, not necessarily for Suits, but for the prison portion of the show. In addition to Julius, characters like Kevin and Frank will soon become distant memories as the series shifts gears back to the firm. Hopefully, the writers find a way to bring back Palladino.

Director Roger Kumble does a wonderful job creating an intense episode that keeps the audience on its toes by providing enough twists and turns in “The Hand That Feeds You” to last an entire season. I was riveted when Mike finally finds a way to have his cake and eat it too, figuratively speaking, even though it was an emotional roller coaster to watch.

Actions have consequences and for everything Mike is guilty of, have been very little ramifications for his actions. Sure, he spent some time in prison but even then, it was a fraction of what it should have been. The real question is, what’s next for Mike? With the firm’s reputation in shambles, it’s unlikely he will be seen in the office anytime soon. After all, Mike still doesn’t have a law degree and now the world knows it. With the second half of the season still to go and USA Network already ordering a seventh season, I can’t wait to see what the future holds for Mike and the rest of the gang.

Tweet me @staffaroadtrip or leave a comment below to let me know what you think about “The Hand That Feeds You.”

Tune in to Suits Wednesdays 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, <Louis> Rick Hoffman,  and <Julius Rowe> Malcolm-Jamal Warner.

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Photos © 2016 USA Network, LLC, 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.

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.