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Suits - Denial - Review: Season 5 Premiere

Jun 25, 2015

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Suits is back. 

The USA network procedural kick the season 5 premiere with a heavy emotional set up, finding the firm in a complete state of chaos after Donna leaves Harvey to work for Louis. 

The episode also found the working team that bring Suits to our screen at its best. The art and lighting department work mirrored where the plot was going. The main lead was in an obscure place and the clothing color palette and lighting was darker than it usually is. No vibrant colors to take the viewer out of the sadness reverie the story is taking us into. The only set that felt safe was Harvey’s therapist office, even if he felt like he was making a deposition, it was his decision to be there. 

The narrative in this episode is interesting, Suits has taken entire episodes to delve further into comprehending characters’ actions and feelings with the classic use of flashbacks, but “Denial” uses it as a reflection of what Harvey is telling his therapist; the course of actions that happened after Donna quits resulting into him having panic attacks. Going back to the present the viewer can see the evolution he makes in one month and half – more or less- 

Moving on

Harvey kicks Donna out when she offers to work and help him find her replacement. He has his first panic attack then, walking in a drunken state to the bathroom where, after throwing up, he composes himself. Donna isn’t ok either; Rachel sees her shaking, and Donna finally admits out loud that you can never go back. Rachel was happy to announce her engagement but instead keeps the rest of the episode being a figure of comfort to both Donna and Harvey. Sort of filling Donna’s shoes for one episode, and doing some secretarial work for Harvey, she leaves herself for last, missing deliberately a test. (Good thing Mike remembers she’s going to Law school, because sometimes everyone forgets this) 

Donna has to deal with Louis’ insecurities, he’s afraid this whole Donna replacing Norma is a faux and she’ll go back to Harvey. Harvey believes this himself. The rest of the characters seem to think this is a more permanent thing. 

Mike tries to talk to Harvey a few times; Jessica tries too, offering to undo whatever is happening. Telling him that whatever Donna and him had was as close as you can get to a person without being romantically involved, and that he hasn’t reacted like this ever before, not even with Scottie. He still believes she’s coming back. Until he asks for Donna’s help and she refuses, because she’s in trouble too, and clearly disappointed with how he reacted. (The whole can opener related scene and consequences was painful to watch)

What was interesting in this episode was not only seeing the parallels when the therapist talked as a mirror of what Donna might have said to Harvey, and seeing him react; but also the evolution path every character seemed to have taken during the episode. 

In the end, law related wise, Harvey and Mike save the day, quoting silence of the lambs in between, and Harvey accepting the problems that they had in the case were partly his fault. Louis gets that Donna is not leaving and that he needs to talk and work through his rejection issues with her, celebrating with cake the first deal they got together as a team. Finally, after a whole episode of him bargaining to get more anxiety pills, Harvey throws them down the toilet, he's getting in touch with this new side of him.


The last sequence was lighter than the rest of the episode. Donna and Rachel’s bonding moment, mirroring Harvey and Mike’s. 
Donna gives Rachel 2 gifts, one for her engagement and the other for the work she did for Harvey. Most of the conversations between Donna and Rachel might not pass The Bechdel test, but this particular scene showed the core of what female friendship is: addressing what we are feeling, selfness, understanding and some fun in between. Mike and Harvey does the same, not only showing part of the evolution Harvey is going through but also some of the old flow between them. Old Harvey would have bought a crazy expensive gift because of how he reacted to Mike’s engagement news. New Harvey is thoughtful, he finds the latest bride magazine, puts a bow on it, and invites him to a Nets game, he even addresses in his own way he didn’t reacted the way he should have. 

This season should be interesting with the new established dynamics for these characters. I hope we get to see more female presence, Harvey continuing this evolution to a man who accepts he has feelings, and that it doesn't necessarily mean a weakness. 

The two most important things I hope the writers work on are: 

- The "will they, won’t they" conflict between Donna and Harvey, this can’t be dragged forever after the season 4 finale and this premiere (Besides the network advertising campaign regarding this). The subtext of a romantic relationship between them is long gone and now everything is on the table.
- Louis’ growth as a person, with Donna by his side he might become a better man. The cheap outcomes this character has, need to stop; if he’s going to be flawed but a likeable character, be it. If he’s going to be the petty colleague you don’t want to have in your work environment, be it too. But enough with the back and forth with these two sides of him. Even, if Hoffman performance makes it worth to watch it. 

Suits premiere came back with a neat script and award winning performances by the whole cast. Sarah Rafferty and Gabriel Macht scenes together always brought the best of them. Even if Macht’s style is more subtle and Rafferty's more histrionic, the way they use their voice and eyes, like a Photography Director might use lights, worked as a reflection of what the characters were going through, and for a show that most of the time is subtle about how the characters are feeling, the actors did a wonderful job of channeling their alter egos. In my opinion, when the viewer wants to reach for the TV and hug the character, it means everyone involve is doing a good job. How many times did you want to have a pep talk with these characters last night?


Here at SpoilerTV we are a big team. There are two Laura’s who are interested in Suits, and we don't necessarily share our opinions, but that’s why makes this site so great, plurality of views.

My ultimate favorite moment, besides the heavy and emotional scenes that plagued this episode, was Harvey’s therapist saying that Jessica is one hell of a woman. 5 seasons, we know it, we want more Jessica time. 

The other Laura (@laura_markus) has some thoughts of her own:
A pretty decent episode. I had the lowest expectations of all time after I read spoilers for this season. After hearing that “Mike and Harvey don’t always have to work together on cases”, I thought my favorite duo was doomed to have no screen time together. But this episode gave us enough to be satisfied. Certain moments felt like classic Suits/Mike and Harvey. I also enjoyed the flashback-style elements of Harvey’s anxiousness. I hope we continue to touch base on that because that could be some well needed depth for Harvey this season, if they do it well. I still hold out no hope for a truly AMAZING episode due to the expected lack of Mike and Harvey. But, as far as this episode goes, I am pleased. 
Positives:
  • All the Mike & Harvey scenes! Especially the ending where the go on a date to the Nets game together.
  • Harvey’s panic attacks (the way they did them was powerful).
  • Donna and Rachel being adorable together.
  • Mike not caring at all about Harvey and Donna’s romantic past. He spoke on behalf of me.
  • Louis’s realization that Donna will soon go back to Harvey. The earlier we can accept that, the less time we have to spend on the soap opera.
  • The quote-off with their client was a treat.
  • Harvey and Jessica’s time together.
 Negatives:
  • The goddamn soap opera.
  • The fact that they forgot that Harvey can open up to Mike about his anxiety, because Mike too had panic attacks.
  • Louis and Donna’s uncomfortable lunch date.
  • Mike taking the blame for Rachel, therefore making Harvey mad at him.
  • Harvey yelling at Mike.
  • Louis’s ‘smug face’.


What about you? What do you wish for? Are you on team  "Can wait for Donna to go back to Harvey as his secretary?" or "Changes are good, let them move on, but together?" Talk to us in the comments.


About the Author - Laura M
Laura is a proud nerd, TV and movie enthusiast. She's a teacher, producer and does different free lance gigs in her country. In her free time she likes to write and hear what other people think about the media surrounding us.
Recent Reviews (All Reviews)

17 comments:

  1. Great review. I personally hate where they are going with this. I don t really care if they turn Harvey/Donna into a couple or not bc I like them either way. I can get behind both of these options (H/D as a couple or just as close friends as it was up until now). What I hate is the constant will they won t they and although I''m one of those people who enjoys angst especially when you have such talented actors like Macht (love him in emotional scenes) I found the whole reason for his panic attacks to be silly. It felt forced. He has panic attacks, goes to a therapist and starts taking pills bc his secretary left to work for another man?come on, it's a bit much isn t it?! Given the nature of their relationship I could see him angry, sad, disappointed you name it but that was over kill for me. She didn''t die she moved next door. It was too sopey, and they are really killing Donna's character for me. Her reason for leaving was just as silly and the "Donna knows all and is perfect" thing is getting old. No matter how much I bitch ab the show I'll always watch bc the actors are all amazing too bad the writers lost their touch.

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  2. Thank you!
    Although we don't feel the same way, I can agree that the whole back and forth not only with the plot twists but also with how the characters are acting might be tiresome. Regarding Harvey's panic attacks, I feel they weren't just because he was loosing Donna (even if my pov about her is that she's more than just his secretary) but he's a man that has deep abandonment issues, always denying how he feels... years and years of pent up frustrations and personal demons on your back can take a toll on you.
    But that's how I see it, I can see where the other half of the viewers is coming from.

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  3. Great review, other Laura!
    I'm just pleased with the Mike/Harvey moments we got. I'm still not holding out much hope for the rest of the season.

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  4. Goodbye Revenge, ∞x∞June 25, 2015 at 8:13 PM

    Yes I agree great reviews from both! Overal I was also very pleasantly surprised with how this epsiode turned out. At first I wasn't happy about the fact that Donna would work with Louis but it's growing on me and I like the two of them working together.

    Just like you I also loved the scenes between Harvey and Mile especially the last one where Harvey got Mike the magazine and decided to take him to the game. The fight about Beyoncé vs JayZ was really funny.

    If this epsiode shows us what this season will be like I think I'll love it!!

    Great job on the reviews Lauras!

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  5. Thanks! As long as Louis behaves I'm all in for it. And I hope the season keeps it up so we love it :)

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  6. What a great review! I found this episode to be an example of how good Suits could be. While this show hasn't always had the strongest record with long-term arcs, they are capable of having some really good and strong stand-alone episodes. And this premiere was one of them. The writing was solid, as well as the acting. Gabriel Macht and Sarah Rafferty killed it.


    I guess I'm biased because I do want Harvey and Donna to get together, because at this point it's quite obvious that they are in love. Both of them broke my heart this episode. I know people aren't used to seeing a broken Harvey, which might be why some people aren't liking it. But that's precisely the reason I'm loving it. There are more layers to the man than just being a cool and suave lawyer. And this arc is a great way to look at all the layers. Harvey is a man with abandonment issues, we already know that. He's scared to have relationships and make commitments because he's scared of getting hurt. Which is exactly why it makes sense that everything goes out of control when Donna leaves him. This isn't about his secretary leaving him. Donna isn't just his secretary, she is the most important person in his life. It doesn't matter if you view their relationship to be platonic or romantic, either way she's the most important to him. She's the one person that never left him, which is why her leaving highlighted all the problems that he always had. It's her leaving that set everything off. Of course he wants her back, because he needs her, because he can't be himself without her. However him dealing with Donna leaving ties back to his personal abandonment issues. It's going to be incredibly interesting to watch and see how Harvey deals with all his issues.


    And Donna did what was best for her. It was time to move forward, and that's what she's doing. Now the rest of the season will tell us what's going to happen to these two, but I'm rooting for them. They both clearly have things they need to work out, individually and together. But I do firmly believe that if they work out their problems, they could be very happy together. It's going to be an angsty ride, and it's going to hurt, but I'm ready.

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  7. Goodbye Revenge, ∞x∞June 25, 2015 at 11:43 PM

    Yes let's hope so! Looking forward to this season and reading your reviews!

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  8. What a great review. You captured a lot of interesting points about the show in terms of the excellent job done by the entire crew and the way this episode was really well set up even in terms of atmosphere.

    I loved this episode, it was one of my favorites of the show and it had been a long time since I had enjoyed Suits this much, I really loved it. I hope the rest of the season keeps up!

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  9. There were two Mike/Harvey moments I absolutely loved and that might be among my favorite Mike/Harvey moments:
    - "Oh that means you're a son of a bitch too" "Oh, thanks Harvey!" ahah, classic, I was laughing so much
    - And then, of course, the ending with Harvey giving Mike the magazine and the tickets and the banter that ensued, that was awesome.

    Really old school, both of them!

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  10. L O V E those. The episode ended on them going on a date. I mean, how much more can I ask for? :D
    I also loved
    "Got something for me?"
    "When don't I?"
    They're super ultra married.

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  11. Good reviews. My fav moments were the comment the shrink made about Jessica & the look on Harvey's face when Jessica offered to "undo" his problem. She really has always been the undoer for Harvey (having his back) and Louis at times. I respect her capacity to let Harv be himself and she not try to change him. Harvey having panic attacks because his secretary moved 20 ft. away was way over the top & distracting. I also thought the last 2 episodes of S4 were as out there. If we're stuck with this premise, it looks like this is less about Donna and more about Harv channeling his father & mother's breakup. He sees himself as his dad, Donna as his mom & Louis as the other lesser man that mom choose over dad. Harv has been colorfully described in past seasons & one description was skirt chasing degenerate which he freely displays. That garbage he said to Donna about moving on was garbage--that's why she left him, because he has been living it up these 12 yrs. while she's been love sick/pining away Why does she want to be in a relationship with him?? He's known all these yrs how she feels about him but he's such a narcissist that he doesn't just say tell her to move on. Either way Donna looses. If / when Harv is waiting on the side walk with roses or drops to his knees & starts singing "I Will Always Love You" to Donna she looses. It will always be that she forced/blackmailed/made him get into a relationship with her. I liked the whole episode being a flashback. Mikie protecting his woman--you go Mikie. At least Louis will not be surprised when Donna goes back--shame on you Donna for using Louis this way. Not looking forward to what looks to be the Harvey Donna will they won't they hours to come. I would like to see (flashbacks) of Jessica & Harvey-why she first chose him & basically gave him the life he has. Jess set a good tone for this episode & the series as a whole for me. More Jessica please.

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  12. Jessica is queen of everything!
    Thanks for taking the time to comment, and maybe, just maybe, what if Donna doesn't go back to him as his secretary?

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  13. Thank you :) and obviously it was my favourite episode too everything converged to delivered a really good episode, more similar to the show's first season than the last

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  14. Wow, I love that you took the time to write all of this, next week I'm gonna call you to write the review with me ;) The point is that she isn't 'just' anything to him, and they have to keep evolving. Here's hoping for this season to keep it up

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  15. Wow, thank you! Hope you keep enjoying them :)

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  16. "he has been living it up these 12 yrs. while she's been love sick/pining away"


    Wait, what?? She's been love sick and pining away? For Harvey? Oh my God, I've been totally watching another show...

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  17. Let me say that Suits is a good show with a really good cast/characters, but Jessica is my reason for watching. She is must see tv. Who Harvey & Donna are in relationships with is not an issue for me even though Boss & secretary is a bit cliche. Whether/when Donna goes back to Harvey she still, to my not that interested eye, looses because if they start dating it will look reactionary and forced/coerced. My question is still not if they date/marry but why does she want this guy. It's obvious they value each other professionally and personally but differently. Not a Harv defender by any stretch but why does he have to want to be in a romantic relationship with her? Donna is making herself look like the bad guy her like Jeff did with Jessica. Either way, Louis pays a price and hopefully will provide comic relief for the viewers (lol).

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