SUITS RECAP: Louis’ Plans to Hang Harvey Out to Dry Go Awry

By Lewis Richards

Get ready for all out war. First scene? A seething Louis Litt, threatening to sue Harvey. He’s about to get LITT UP! However, in an attempt to soothe Louis’ bruised ego (read give him enough time to change his mind) Jessica visits Harvey and demands that he should completely admit his fault in the punch up — and take a 2 week vacation. Harvey resists but the Queen has spoken.

Jessica, now running in full damage control mode, goes to Soloff accusing him of nominating Mike for junior — partner just to try to ruffle Harvey’s feathers. Soloff denies it, and insists Mike deserves the promotion. Soloff then reveals he is ready to withdraw his nomination if Harvey wants to be the person to nominate his protégé, after questioning whether Jessica even wants Mike nominated. Realizing she has no other option, Jessica gives her approval of Soloff’s nomination, handing Mile his first case as a newly minted junior partner.

Still looking for his pound of flesh, Louis ambushes Jessica in her office demanding that Harvey be immediately punished. Jessica coolly dismisses him with the “Harvey is on vacation for two weeks” excuse she prepared earlier. Louis storms out.

SUITS — “Mea Culpa” Episode 508 — Pictured: Gabriel Macht as Harvey Specter — (Photo by: Shane Mahood/USA Network)

Meanwhile, just as everything is going so well in the world of Mike Ross, things come crashing down as a blast from the past threatens to expose his ludicrously illegal past. Rachel flips out as she is put on the spot when Claire, the opposing lawyer on Mike’s first case, mentions a bike messenger she used to date. Could this fraudster be our very own Mike Ross? Rachel is left floundering as she covers up her inexperience and the fact she is very well acquainted with Mike.

Taking Jessica up on her (not really a) suggestion, Harvey comes to Louis with a white flag. He reveals his therapy sessions and panic attacks, and offers a heartfelt apology. Louis struggles to keep it together as he accepts Harvey’s apology. But is it enough?

At the board meeting Louis tries to get the fire started by throwing Harvey under the bus. (I guess an honest apology wasn’t enough!) Harvey is saved as the unexpected hero Jack Soloff proves who’s side he is on by turning Louis’ own company bi-laws against him to buy Harvey some time.

SUITS — “Mea Culpa” Episode 508 — Pictured: Meghan Markle as Rachel Zane — (Photo by: Ian Watson/USA Network)

Harvey pursues Louis who stands by his war declaration, putting the whole firm in jeopardy. It seems Louis doesn’t buy into Harvey’s explanation, and goes for far as to suggest Harvey made it all up. Even when confronted by Jessica, he states his intention to get Harvey suspended. Later, Donna hits the nail on the head when she openly questions if Louis pushed Harvey too far on the night of the fight. Finally, Mike drops a major Game of Thrones reference as he compares Harvey to Jon Snow, and Louis to the backstabbing Alliser Thorne in Harvey’s brutal betrayal. Louis jokingly brushes it off but is left silent when Mike lays the guilt on. Can he be convinced to change his mind?

SUITS — “Mea Culpa” Episode 508 — Pictured: (l-r) Rick Hoffman as Louis Litt, Sarah Rafferty as Donna Paulsen — (Photo by: Shane Mahood/USA Network)

Later, Donna finds a Dictaphone recording of Harvey’s confession/apology complete with revelations about his therapy, panic attacks and personal history, which Louis intends to bring to the board as proof of Harvey’s instability. Donna is clearly disgusted that Louis would use Harvey’s vulnerabilities as leverage to humiliate him before his peers, and threatens to leave him. She succeeds in putting Louis under further pressure to reconsider his plans to have Harvey removed.  Louis eventually has a change of heart, and comes to Jessica with his tail between his legs. She tells him the damage is done and leaves a worried Louis alone in the PSL Office. Is it too late to alter the outcome of tomorrow’s vote?

Meanwhile, Soloff reaffirms where his allegiances lie as he warns Harvey that the suspension vote may not go his way. He advises Harvey to do something to humble himself to the board and leaves. Has Jack finally proved he is ready to be part of team Pearson/Specter? It certainly seems so.

SUITS — “Mea Culpa” Episode 508 — Pictured: Sarah Rafferty as Donna Paulsen — (Photo by: Shane Mahood/USA Network)

However, we later see that Jack is either being threatened or blackmailed by Daniel Hardman into taking action against PSL, and his plans to become a stand up member of PSL start to crack. Jack angrily disposes of the packages he has been sent by Hardman, but it seems his fate (whatever it may turn out to be) is sealed for the moment.

Back on the case, the sharp-eyed Claire notices Mike and Rachel’s alteration surreptitiously removing Mike’s name from the case paper work. It doesn’t take long for Claire to surmise that the Mike Ross attached to this particular case is the same fraudster Mike Ross she once dated, and that his name was removed from the paperwork in a desperate attempt to hide in plain sight. After Rachel becomes visibly distraught and begs Claire not to turn Mike in, Claire reluctantly agrees to say nothing about her knowledge of Mike’s past. However, she later confronts Mike and questions the morality of exposing Rachel by being involved with her.

SUITS — “Mea Culpa” Episode 508 — Pictured: Troian Bellisario as Claire — (Photo by: Ian Watson/USA Network)

Can Harvey humble himself sufficiently to sway the vote? Will Louis try to stop it, even if that means losing all credibility? What does Hardman have on Soloff, and what strings is he pulling to get him to sabotage PSL from within?

Next week’s penultimate episode promises to be anything but casualty free.

Suits continues Wednesdays on USA Network.