The Specter Special. Review: Suits - “Buried Secrets”

Season 3, Episode 11

Air Date: Tuesday, March 6, 2014, 9/8c on USA

Rating: ★★★★★

To get caught up on Suits, you can read my mid-season finale review here.

“Is Mike Ross CIA?” – Louis

Mike and Rinaldi face to face

Harvey’s (Gabriel Macht) former and now current flame Scottie (Abigail Spencer) contemplates joining Pearson Specter but questions whether her relationship with Harvey will complicate things. Meanwhile, Mike (Patrick J. Adams) takes on a case that hits a little too close to home. Will he be able to see the case through or will it prove to be too much for him?

Relationships are front and center in “Buried Secrets,” not only for Scottie and Harvey but for Mike and Rachel (Meghan Markle) as well when they consider moving in together. I enjoyed the furniture negotiations between the two, especially Rachel’s opinion about Mike’s belongings. It’s fun watching the chemistry between Markle and Adams; they make the playful flirting feel genuine.

As much as Suits is about the relationship between Mike and Harvey, it’s the supporting cast that elevates the show to a higher level, especially when it comes to the women. Managing partner Jessica (Gina Torres) is one of the stronger female characters on TV facing many battles in a career dominated by men, and in “Buried Secrets,” she seems even more determined to stop the revolving door of law firm partners.

Jessica may be the woman in charge but Donna (Sarah Rafferty) steals every scene and “Buried Secrets” is no exception. Her time on screen with Louis (Rick Hoffman) is priceless as she manipulates his thinking in an effort to stop him from looking into Mike’s claim about graduating from Harvard Law. When it comes to Louis, Donna is the only one who knows exactly what buttons to push to make him squirm. The chemistry between Rafferty and Hoffman is electrifying and I can’t think of another TV duo who play off each other so well. If the writers created a spin off called Donna and Louis, without a doubt I would watch it.

Speaking of Louis, how funny is he when he sits alone in his office talking into his recorder? I couldn’t stop laughing when he lets his mind wander, contemplating why Mike’s file isn’t in Sheila Sazs’ (Racheal Harris) Harvard records room. On the subject of Sazs, how odd is that relationship? She and Louis seem so perfect for each other yet watching them creeps me out. It’s like driving by an accident on the side of the road—you don’t want to look but you can’t help yourself. Can you imagine if those two had kids?

Since we last saw Mike he seems to have really matured as a lawyer and in “Buried Secrets,” Adams gives one of his strongest performances yet when he goes up against Nick Rinaldi (James Downing), the lawyer who represented the drunk driver who killed Mike’s parents. You feel the disdain in Mike’s voice as he talks about Rinaldi to Rachel.

“Rinaldi didn’t kill my parents but he did try to tell me what their lives were worth.”

Mike coming to terms with Rinaldi

It is fascinating to watch Mike as he lets this new case become personal and not about his clients. I felt sorry for him as he evolves over the episode into a Rinaldi-like clone. Mike has despised Rinaldi for using certain tactics all those years ago and now, he finds himself using similar maneuvers. In doing so, he learns some of the truths behind his parents’ deaths that change years of beliefs, not only about Rinaldi but his parents as well. I can’t help but wonder whether, or how much, this will change Mike. What do you think?

Adams’ superb performance doesn’t end with the case opposing Rinaldi. He brings out true feelings of sympathy when Mike talks about his parents and their relationship with each other. The way the scenes are written and performed feels so real, almost as if Adams is speaking from the heart, and I found that to be very powerful.

I admit I was wrong about Rachel who, despite my personal crush on Markle, was a bit too annoying during the first half of the season. Thankfully, she wins me back in “Buried Secrets.” Rachael’s scenes with Mike are very touching and I love the little thing she does to show Mike she is there for him. As I have said a few times about various cast members, the chemistry between these two is just absolutely perfect.

Relationships seem to be a key part of the second half of this season. I am curious to see how Donna handles the interoffice relationship between Scottie and Harvey. And, while Donna has always been professional in the office, as a fan I would like to see her and Harvey end up together. The real question is, when will Jessica find that someone special?

The second half of the season has only six episodes and I can’t wait to see what happens next. “Buried Secrets” might not be the explosive, confrontational episode fans have been waiting for since the mid-season finale but I can say this—having screened next week’s episode, it will certainly be worth the wait.

Tweet me @staffaroadtrip or leave a comment below to let me know what you think about “Buried Secrets.”

For more on the show, go to http://www.usanetwork.com/series/suits/.

Follow Suits on Twitter, as well as these cast members: <Mike> Patrick J Adams, <Harvey> Gabriel Macht, <Rachel> Meghan Markle, and <Louis> Rick Hoffman.

Like Suits on Facebook.

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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.