Your Entertainment Corner

What’s Done is Done. Review: Suits – “Endgame”

Season 3, Episode 8

Air Date: Tuesday, September 3, 2013, 10/9c on USA

Rating: ★★★★★

“I guess this means you’re not looking for another named partner.” – Cameron

Will Harvey work things out with Cameron?

Unlike other seasons, Suits has tied this entire season to one single case. This might work if you have a client the audience likes but that isn’t the reaction with Ava Hessington (Michelle Fairley). By “Endgame,” the case has more than overstayed its welcome and I found myself not caring what happened. I simply wanted her gone and for the show to move on. Although, it is refreshing to see Suits finally remembered lawyers don’t just work at a law firm, they actually do go to court.

The Hessington case isn’t the only thing that seems to have dragged on longer than it should have. The betrayal still felt between Jessica (Gina Torres) and Harvey (Gabriel Macht) is also wearing thin. Week after week, it feels like they have just about made up but their resentment keeps getting in the way. Part of me wishes Mike (Patrick J Adams) or Donna (Sarah Rafferty) would simply lock Jessica and Harvey in a room together, informing them they can’t get out until they’ve make up or are dead.  Thankfully, that’s not necessary given the special bottle of wine Jessica takes to Harvey’s apartment.

I often wonder if there are two different writers for Louis (Rick Hoffman), each with their own interpretation of the character. For every episode that has a brilliant storyline for Louis, we get another episode where Louis is reduced to a man child. Sadly, “Endgame” gives us the latter. The scenes with the associates made me uneasy and what should have been an entertaining series of mini battles between Louis and Harold (Max Topplin) falls short because the writing on Louis’ end is childish. I wish they would have kept Harold as the strong opponent that appeared from time to time in dealing with Louis. I hated that they made him a wimp in their last dealing. The only thing that saves Louis from becoming a total ass is Rachel (Meghan Markle). Markle gives a heartfelt performance when her character stands up to Louis, putting him in his place, and pointing out his behavior—something that is long overdue. I wonder whether Louis will take her words to heart going forward.

It’s pleasant to see a glimpse of the softer side of Darby (Conleth Hill) in “Endgame” as he opens up to Jessica and realizes what he must do to help Ava. That happened one other time in “War,” a season two episode. It involved a scene between Mike and Darby that I particularly enjoyed because of how it played up the differences of cultures when Mike referred to Darby being like an episode of Downton Abbey. It too showed us Darby’s softer side but after the merger, he was rarely featured on the show. I never felt like the writers really knew what to do with him. It’s not surprising that Hill has been listed as a guest star in the credits — you knew he and the merger were not going to last long.

Will Harvey’s name stay up on the wall?

“Endgame” also shows us Donna out of her element. Often, she reads into what’s going on simply by observing a glance or noticing the kind of tie someone is wearing. Here, we see a Donna who not only was hurt by Stephen (Max Beesley), but she never saw it coming — not to mention how crappy she feels for betraying Harvey. At least, she gets her revenge as only Donna can.

Donna: “Just tell me you’re gonna make him pay.”

Harvey: “He’ll pay.”

I doubt I was the only one shouting at the TV as the perfect Harvey/Donna moment is set up and handed to Harvey, only to watch him let it cluelessly slip through his hands. I’m not even talking sexually; I just wanted to see them have some kind of a moment and it drove me nuts watching how it plays out!

How will Darby take what Jessica did to him?

Despite my disappointment in “Endgame,” I appreciate the symbolism of the final scene as Jessica, Harvey and Mike sit side-by-side on the same side of the table  after reaching a conclusion to the Hessington case with Cameron Dennis (Gary Cole). Speaking of Cameron, it would be nice to see Cole on future episodes of Suits. I like the seemingly friendly rivalry Harvey and Cameron have, and the brilliant way they play off each other. Does anyone think Cameron might eventually become a partner at Pearson Darby Specter? Would that affect Harvey’s status at the firm?

“Endgame” sounds and feels like a Suits season finale having seemingly resolved many issues and restoring things back to normal. Leaving me to wonder—with two episodes left, what is the other shoe that’s about to drop?

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

 

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.

Like Suits on Facebook.

Photos: © 2013 USA Network, LLC, a division of NBC Universal. 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.