Suits - Season 2 Episode 7 - Recap and Review - Sucker Punch
Suits Season 2 Episode 7 "Sucker Punch" looked for a couple climatic moments, but sadly just rehashed things we already knew. We recap it here for you!
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I will be honest, sometimes it is terribly hard to recap shows. I know, first world problems and all here, but bear with me. If you were to ask me my initial reaction to tonight’s episode, it would have gone something along the lines like this:
“PUNCH HIM AGAIN! MOCK TRIAL! LOUIS! DONNA!!!!!!! SUGAR TITS! JESSICA! HARVEY! MIKE! DANIEL! WAR!”
On a visceral level, tonight was fantastic. There was a ton of action, peppered with great lines and moments for pretty much every character. When I start to delve a little deeper, however, that is when the problems start to show. For instance, just like last week, what development tonight was something that was new or we did not see coming for weeks now? Or better yet, what happened tonight that changes any of the dynamics going forward?
Last time, I wrote:
“I did not feel like anything new was truly added with this one. Harvey is cracking under the pressure, and without Donna it is even more apparent. Jessica is fighting for her life, both personally and professionally, like she has been all season. Louis continues to transform into a real person before our eyes, even if he remains true to his inherent nature. Mike and Rachel start circling each other again romantically, because duh. Still, what about any of those things is new? It just felt like this episode was a placeholder, and did not have any real purpose.”
Add in Donna feeling betrayed and abandoned, something we already knew as well, and we are still exactly where we were a few episodes back. Sure the stakes are higher and everything is more dramatic, but that only causes these plotlines to be more obvious.
How many times do we have to watch Jessica feel threatened and not solve the problem? She comments on Hardman coming for her leadership position, both to him and Harvey, at least once an episode. Are we supposed to believe it would take Hardman actually pulling the trigger on her for her to finally react?
How unhinged does Harvey get to become before he is dealt with. He punched the opposing counsel on the record in a deposition and was barely scolded! What?! How does it take him bringing the firm to the very brink with his selfish actions for him to be pushed back on to some degree?
At what point do the people around Louis actually see he is struggling so mightily and credit him for that? He has had very touching and beautiful moments this season with various people, and yet they all still treat him like shit. How can people recognize a person is trying, that is more there under the surface, but not change their actions to him.
In other words, I think the real problem here is that Suits is expecting its audience to believe these characters would act considerably less intelligent than the show has clearly demonstrated they are. I refuse to believe that these extremely smart people, who really are so perceptive, would allow things to progress to these various points. It just feels like drama being made for drama’s sake.
Sure, you could make the argument that these character’s feelings for each other and their relationships have clouded their judgment. To a certain point, I would give you that argument. The show, however, has previously shown that these people can be driven by those feelings, but still do so in an intelligent way. Look at Jessica and Donna defending Harvey last season, or Harvey having Mike’s back at the start of this one. There were people clearly inspired by their relationships, but not going about their actions in an idiotic way.
I know it seems as if I am being overly critical, but I do not think I am. When Suits clicks, it is one of the most impressive shows on television, and therefore, I have high expectations. And do not get me wrong, I did enjoy tonight’s episode. I just believe I would have enjoyed it more if things had not been so stretched out over so many episodes. If the events I had described above had happened quickly, then I would have understood everyone’s poor reactions. In the heat of the moment, rash decisions are made and we deal with the consequences after. But that is not what is happening here, and the show has made a definite point in demonstrating how these problems have festered for the first part of this season. I simply do no buy these people allowing that to transpire.
Hopefully with the show finally having Hardman openly come after Jessica, we will finally see some dynamics shift. I think this season can still be great, I just think the writers need to have the characters act like they truly would.
