Suits season 3, episode 12, “Yesterday’s Gone,” just aired. Mike does a great job of admitting he cheated, without revealing the magnitude to which he did.
There is a theme running through the second half of season 3 and that theme is trust. Who trusts whom, and when it’s important to take someones word for what they say, all vital to the story lines of these final few Suits season 3 episodes. Granted, the show was built around a lie and therefore, as Mike puts it, they were always working on “borrowed time,” and trust is inherently necessary for their scheme to work.
That was fine when, in season 1, only Mike, Donna and Harvey knew about Mike’s fraud. But as the series’ universe grew, slowly his secret was spread around the law firm. Jessica knew – and was eventually okay with it. Rachel then found out – and still loves Mike and is okay with it. But Louis, who often plays in his own league according to the case of the week, will not be so forgiving when he finds out the whole truth – and nothing but – about Mike.
Or will he? We might have gotten our answer during tonight’s episode, “Yesterday’s Gone.”
But first: What is Scottie’s middle name?
Is it Victoria, like Harvey believes, or something with a ‘J,’ like Donna knows. Whatever it may be, she’s got two ‘DJS’ tumblers and a $12,000 bottle of scotch – one of three bottles in the world – sitting on her empty desk.
Without an appearance from Scottie (Abigail Spencer) tonight, the only mentions of her come both at the beginning and end of this episode. Did you miss her? Or were you glad to veer away from Harvey’s love life for now?
We think Donna might be happy Scottie wasn’t around – we detected a note of bitterness behind her seemingly strong persona. Donna has bigger things to worry about though, like comforting Rachel in the women’s bathroom multiple times tonight.
Jessica becomes emotionally compromised
When Harvey approaches Jessica to discuss the Louis problem, she’s in no mood to talk. She’s just received news her ex-husband, Quentin, died of ALS. It’s nice to see Harvey, co-executer of his will, there to support Jessica and try to alleviate her workload.
When Quentin’s current wife, Lisa, wants to sell the company and drug he worked hard to create, Jessica becomes irate. Jessica, as his ex-wife, is not going to let his current wife sell his life’s work. It’s evident why Harvey is on this issue: he promises to stay level-headed even if Jessica’s emotions cloud her judgement. By playing referee, he allows the women, both of whom are hurting, to take a step back and examine the issue for what it is, and not what it means.
They eventually agree to sell to a larger pharmaceutical firm under the condition they continue to work on the drug Quentin created – the one that could eventually cure ALS.
Louis knows… that Mike never went to class.
What is going to make Louis believe Mike went to Harvard after he pieces together the mystery of Mike’s background? The truth. Mike shows up at Louis’ doorstep to admit that he never went to that notoriously hard ethics class he received an A+ in – but that he did go to Harvard – and when he saw the opportunity to raise his grade, he took it.
What’s worse? Just cheating and changing the grade of one class or not going to Harvard altogether?
Mike to Louis: “You have no idea how much I wish I could do it over again. I would go to every class, attend every lecture…”
Louis might not forgive Mike, but he does believe him. Just when Mike is ready to breathe a sigh of relief, Louis ‘offers’ him the chance to apologize to the professor he is said to have wronged. This is bad because it could still expose Mike to the bigger crime he committed – the professor wouldn’t recognize him, or his name at all, or it could be that the professor knows his story is full of it.
Rachel’s approach to get Louis to drop this issue offers an interesting insight into their relationship. Louis cares and respects Rachel, but he is still hurt by the deception. Rachel smartly appeals to the inclusion into the ‘cool kids group’ that we feel Louis often craves – pointing out how much both men love the law. Rachel also makes it clear and simple to Louis: she loves Mike. She doesn’t care he cheated (or, at the very least, she’s moved past it.)
Harvey: “I’m not Superman. I failed and I don’t know what to do.”
Yes, we know Harvey cares about Mike and wants to help him, but at this point, it’s his career that is on the line as well. If Mike comes out as a fraud, Harvey will become collateral damage. But Mike doesn’t want it to come to that. He isn’t going to betray Harvey, his friend, like Trevor did to him when Trevor told Jessica Mike’s secret.
We knew Mike and Harvey were friends. And we know Harvey and Louis are friends – even if Harvey doesn’t like to say it. Between last week’s dilemma with admitting his feelings for Scottie, and now calling Louis a friend, we’re starting to think Harvey is starting to finally realize what it’s like to be forthcoming and in-tune with your emotions. How do we feel about that? The jury is still out. Thoughts?
In the end: Louis does let Mike off the hook from admitting to Professor Gerrard that he cheated. And Jessica and Lisa are happy to be there for each other in selling Quentin’s company.
As Jessica says and alludes to in the final few minutes of “Yesterday’s Gone”: the truth is the truth, the law is the law. They can define the law by strict guidelines, but the truth is there to fill in the gaps of the law’s gray areas.