Last week Harvey was dealt a crushing blow when Sean Cahill reneged on his promise to cut a deal that would ensure Mike would see an early release from prison, which unfortunately suggested more episodes of heavy-handed prison dramatics and pitiful taunts from Frank Gallo. If season six has proved anything, it’s that Suits is not made to withstand a prison storyline, and it had been right to dodge it for so many seasons.
After secretly tanking his client’s defence, ‘Borrowed Time’ sees Harvey switch tactics as he works to undercut Sean Cahill by discrediting his star witness and baiting him into reinstating his deal with Mike. While in prison, Mike tries putting pressure on Kevin, hoping he will influence his wife to turn on her father. Donna also intervenes by ambushing Jill to meet with Mike one more time. Lots of coercion happening this week.
The secrecy continues in Louis’ subplot as he dates a woman in an open relationship. It doesn’t seem remotely plausible that Louis would be comfortable being with a woman who is not monogamous, and that is rightly corrected before he has even sat down to dinner for a second date with Tara. Even if the thinly-veiled table metaphor is terribly clumsy, it’s a relief to see Louis actually give voice to his feelings. Although the two consummate their new relationship, it becomes clear that Tara isn’t ready to solely choose Louis just yet.
Jessica has a fantastic episode this week. Even though there is always talk of loyalty on this show, Jessica is really the only character to give her undivided loyalty to the firm. While Louis and Harvey are equally pre-occupied, Jessica is still clawing to hold onto their business and trying to rehabilitate their image. She gets somewhat of a rude awakening from Leonard Bailey this week, who accuses her of not even “giving a shit about [him]”. Where Rachel often gets emotionally involved with clients, Jessica remains detached. We’ve seen Jessica be accused of being too cold or aloof by other characters, but this instance truly affects her, prompting her to recognise that she isn’t helping Leonard for purely selfless reasons. As the only partner to routinely make personal sacrifices for Pearson Specter Litt, it would have been satisfying to see her reunite with her old flame Jeff Malone. Part of me wants to see Jessica run off to Chicago with Jeff and leave Louis and Harvey to deal with the mess of the firm they have created. But Jessica practically built that firm with her own two hands and it only becomes more apparent with each passing episode that Harvey and Louis are ill-equipped to manage it.
Though entirely within character, Harvey’s one-track mind to get Mike out of prison has been frankly, a little tedious. The one benefit will be the inevitable consequences of underhanded behaviour. Not only is Harvey misrepresenting a client, but actively working to get him imprisoned. It all works out in Harvey’s favour by episode’s end when he gets Kevin and Jill to listen to a recording of Sutter. If Sutter didn’t already seem like a complete low-life, hearing him declare that his younger daughter could suffer through a few years in prison so he, “an old man” doesn’t have to, it would certainly persuade otherwise. Harvey ensures that with Jill’s testimony, she will receive full immunity from the SEC and Mike will be reward with an early release for uncovering her as a witness.
Though the episode finishes on a hopeful note, with only two episodes left until the mid-season finale, it can’t possibly last.
THE REEL SCORE: 7/10