S05.E11: Blowback

[yeswedo]

Mike is under investigation by a ruthless government prosecutor. Jessica and Harvey must figure out how to defend Mike despite knowing that he's guilty of the crime he's accused of committing.

[CaptainCranky]

I'm ready. Let's do this.

[mommalib]

I hope I don't have to hear about how this is all Mike's fault, because they were all complicit.

[CaptainCranky]

I'm going out on a limb now and saying this "fraud" is not his lack of proper attorney credentials but something when he left the firm to work for the investment banking firm.

[Chicago Redshirt]

I'm pleasantly surprised that the fraud is actually about his status as a non-attorney. 

 

I'm glad that none of the main characters made me want to punch them in the face for once. Progress.

 

The thing about the AUSA is proving that Mike is a fraud should be easy as pie, once she bothers to look. Even though one Harvard database has a record of Mike Ross as a student, he is not going to be in every Harvard database -- the ones for financial aid/tuition, medical records, student housing, etc. Moreover, they could just cross-reference his so-called teachers and his classmates, and none of them would have any personal memories of him or records pertaining to him. (Well maybe the gambling problem ethics professor will pretend to have a record of him). All his extracurriculars would be easy to reveal as forged. And oh yeah, his real life records -- rent, credit cards, e-mail and what have you -- all would show that he was in New York when he was claiming to be aturyat Harvard. 

 

Naturally, the AUSA can't just prove Mike is a fraud on the up and up. She has to violate his rights, both by denying him access to his attorney, by having a marshal threaten him, by threatening to interfere with his choice of an attorney, and so forth. 

 

All of this doesn't change that Mike is getting just the tip of what he deserved.

 

I hated the glimpse of the bitchy little Michael when he thought for a second that Rachel might leave him.

[mommalib]

I'm pleasantly surprised that the fraud is actually about his status as a non-attorney. 

 

I'm glad that none of the main characters made me want to punch them in the face for once. Progress.

 

The thing about the AUSA is proving that Mike is a fraud should be easy as pie, once she bothers to look. Even though one Harvard database has a record of Mike Ross as a student, he is not going to be in every Harvard database -- the ones for financial aid/tuition, medical records, student housing, etc. Moreover, they could just cross-reference his so-called teachers and his classmates, and none of them would have any personal memories of him or records pertaining to him. (Well maybe the gambling problem ethics professor will pretend to have a record of him). All his extracurriculars would be easy to reveal as forged. And oh yeah, his real life records -- rent, credit cards, e-mail and what have you -- all would show that he was in New York when he was claiming to be aturyat Harvard. 

 

Naturally, the AUSA can't just prove Mike is a fraud on the up and up. She has to violate his rights, both by denying him access to his attorney, by having a marshal threaten him, by threatening to interfere with his choice of an attorney, and so forth. 

 

All of this doesn't change that Mike is getting just the tip of what he deserved.

 

I hated the glimpse of the bitchy little Michael when he thought for a second that Rachel might leave him.

Cold hearted much?

[Chicago Redshirt]

Not nearly as coldhearted as Mike and company. They have not only threatened each others' futures, but also the futures of their entire firm and the livelihoods of their clients over having let Mike practice law without a license for something on the order of four years. All the time, they were fully aware of the ramifications of their actions but they just did not give a f---.

 

I should add that they apparently had no contingency plan in place, even though the protections against it being revealed were only superficial and basically each season additional people came to learn the Secret, making it all but inevitable that someone would eventually reveal it.

 

Also, there is a MASSIVE conflict of interest between Mike and Harvey on this. It really is in Mike's best interest to turn on Harvey and Jessica. Even though I doubt in real-world law the client could waive the conflict, I don't see how someone as smart as Mike could.

 

Because it's Suits, I'd expect that the prosecutor somehow implodes or gets shown to be a pawn of Hardman or Forstmann or someone that makes her tainted and allows Mike and company to skate. But hopefully they have Mike take responsibility, and flashforward to his serving his time, becoming a real attorney and working at a downsized firm with the main characters.

Edited January 28, 2016 by Chicago Redshirt

[Jediknight]

I hated the glimpse of the bitchy little Michael when he thought for a second that Rachel might leave him.

I wasn't a fan of him getting pissed at Rachel telling him about the deal that Robert was offered.  Um Mike, she promised her dad she'd ask you, and you did that same crap with Harvey.  Harvey told you Scottie didn't do it, and you made him promise he'd ask.  We didn't actually see that scene, but I'd believe Harvey.

 

Louis was great this episode.  He not Jessica thought the Lord of the Rings was about friendship, he let Donna go to help Harvey, and he came damn close to admitting his feelings for her.  Just do it Louis, put yourself out there.

 

It's easy to prove Mike never went to Harvard, check the yearbooks, and also check that he never graduated from any college anywhere.

[Good Queen Jane]

I have given up any hope that the law related parts of this show have any relationship to what happens in RL, but I cannot for the life of me figure out any scenario in which fraud by practicing without a state law license constitutes a federal crime. But I guess a federal prosecution is much more dramatic than an NY state one.

[Chicago Redshirt]

I have given up any hope that the law related parts of this show have any relationship to what happens in RL, but I cannot for the life of me figure out any scenario in which fraud by practicing without a state law license constitutes a federal crime. But I guess a federal prosecution is much more dramatic than an NY state one.

It's a stretch, but I suppose one could federalize Mike's fraud assuming a) he practiced at all in federal court or b) he perpetuated his fraud using basically any form of communication used in interstate commerce. Both of which I think are almost a given.

[Tarasme]

Pacing was good. Jessica and Donna were dressed in AMAZING clothes. GM could *not* have been shot prettier (ahhh, boxing. mmmmmmmm.). Mud and LotRs bonus.

 

All that good yet the entire premise was hooey. Fed vs. State aside, I cannot swallow Mike being cuffed, booked, interrogated, etc. w/o ANYONE at the firm getting a whiff that an indictment was coming?  Also can't fathom that NONE of them would have played this scenario out and developed a plan (which, under no circumstances, would have included BigDaddyZane). That Harvey (so, so pretty) would have gone in public, or encouraged anyone else to discuss it in public, to deal with anything related to the charges- as the defense he's planning seems to be based on the allegations being false. Then, encouraging Mike to shake down Soloff publicly (maybe his office is considered private but many many prying sensory organs about), ugh. 

 

For me, the biggest hooey is the AUSA being interested in the case at all. The ramifications of turning over every. single. case. Mike has worked on is a crazy black eye on the entire justice system. I don't see how any prosecuting office would want to reveal this gross undermining of the system and ring a bell that'll tie up every aspect of the judiciary for what could be decades. I absolutely could see the THREAT of prosecution being used to manipulate PSL- but since both Harvey and Mike were on their way out (and I go back to above- it seems that fictional Law Offices would have communicated- in some fashion- with the prosecutors to reveal this kind of info) what could Teri's motivation possibly be? The "message" that would be sent by such action is how all lawyers are scum and the system doesn't work.

[PepperMonkey]

I was actually kind of proud of Mike, at the mid-season break, or whatever it is, when he realized how he could be jeopardizing the firm and thereby damaging Rachel (who I honestly think is the only one he truly cares about) and had grown the man-sized balls, at last, to do the right thing and leave.

 

Then they arrested him and I thought, oh shit, this is going to lead to him coming BACK to the firm, stronger than ever.

 

I fear I was right. He hasn't really learned much of anything and I hate they way they are having Harvey basically JUSTIFY all this by saying, well, you're in Harvard's database and oh yeah, someone hacked into the bar to insert you THERE, as well. It's like he's saying, you're smart and I like you, so it's okay that we pretended you're a lawyer and let you practice law.

 

I DO understand them needing the damage control, because the fate of the firm is definitely in jeopardy, but I don't see how in real life, they could all escape this. I know it wouldn't be the Mike Show if we had him admit to everything and take his punishment like an adult. I mean, it would be the end of the show, I guess. But I don't necessarily agree that he HAS to sell Jessica and Harvey down the river to do the right thing.

 

I dunno. I think I'm over this show. I'll give it another episode or I may just come back here to read the comments and keep up with it that way.

Edited January 28, 2016 by PepperMonkey

[Chicago Redshirt]

All that good yet the entire premise was hooey. Fed vs. State aside, I cannot swallow Mike being cuffed, booked, interrogated, etc. w/o ANYONE at the firm getting a whiff that an indictment was coming?  Also can't fathom that NONE of them would have played this scenario out and developed a plan (which, under no circumstances, would have included BigDaddyZane). That Harvey (so, so pretty) would have gone in public, or encouraged anyone else to discuss it in public, to deal with anything related to the charges- as the defense he's planning seems to be based on the allegations being false. Then, encouraging Mike to shake down Soloff publicly (maybe his office is considered private but many many prying sensory organs about), ugh. 

 

For me, the biggest hooey is the AUSA being interested in the case at all. The ramifications of turning over every. single. case. Mike has worked on is a crazy black eye on the entire justice system. I don't see how any prosecuting office would want to reveal this gross undermining of the system and ring a bell that'll tie up every aspect of the judiciary for what could be decades. I absolutely could see the THREAT of prosecution being used to manipulate PSL- but since both Harvey and Mike were on their way out (and I go back to above- it seems that fictional Law Offices would have communicated- in some fashion- with the prosecutors to reveal this kind of info) what could Teri's motivation possibly be? The "message" that would be sent by such action is how all lawyers are scum and the system doesn't work.

 

I have no problem believing either in terms of TV law nor in real life law that the firm would not have a whiff of the indictment until the Feds chose to arrest Mike. There's no requirement AFAIK for the feds to let Mike or the firm know that they are being investigated, and the character in charge of the investigation has shown that even if there were, she would play fast and loose with that requirement anyway. Getting an indictment would be as easy as putting whoever the source is in front of a grand jury, so that would not necessarily take a lot of time to obtain, and therefore would not be something that would inevitably leak. 

 

On the up-and-up, the AUSA could be motivated by simple and straightforward notions such as a) the various clients who have been swindled should be able to know, b) that the fraud in this case was obviously not going to stop if she didn't step in, and c) that it would help deter other frauds.

 

But they are also portraying it as the AUSA being power-hungry and wanting the kudos for taking down a big fish like Harvey or Jessica. One would suppose that in addition to the attagirls she would get for doing so, she could probably parlay such a success into advancement in the US Attorney's Office or a judgeship or some such.

[Tarasme]

 

On the up-and-up, the AUSA could be motivated by simple and straightforward notions such as a) the various clients who have been swindled should be able to know, b) that the fraud in this case was obviously not going to stop if she didn't step in, and c) that it would help deter other frauds.

 

 

Agree to disagree on Ani-teri's motives and the resulting chaos of imploding so many judgments. I considered the deterrent motive but still think the negatives to the existing paradigm far outweigh the positives. And, with regard to SUITS world- Mike's only ever helped the "little" guy anyway. That's who will be the ultimate victim in all this- all those folks that received verdicts and $$$. No? 

[mommalib]

Not nearly as coldhearted as Mike and company. They have not only threatened each others' futures, but also the futures of their entire firm and the livelihoods of their clients over having let Mike practice law without a license for something on the order of four years. All the time, they were fully aware of the ramifications of their actions but they just did not give a f---.

 

I should add that they apparently had no contingency plan in place, even though the protections against it being revealed were only superficial and basically each season additional people came to learn the Secret, making it all but inevitable that someone would eventually reveal it.

 

Also, there is a MASSIVE conflict of interest between Mike and Harvey on this. It really is in Mike's best interest to turn on Harvey and Jessica. Even though I doubt in real-world law the client could waive the conflict, I don't see how someone as smart as Mike could.

 

Because it's Suits, I'd expect that the prosecutor somehow implodes or gets shown to be a pawn of Hardman or Forstmann or someone that makes her tainted and allows Mike and company to skate. But hopefully they have Mike take responsibility, and flashforward to his serving his time, becoming a real attorney and working at a downsized firm with the main characters.

I don't want to see Mike go to prison. Yes he did something wrong and illegal that's well understood. But Mike is not someone who wanted become a layer for some ego driven and self serving reason. His motivation is about what happened to his grandmother after his parents died and the fact that he generally wants to help people. If we were talking real life I could agree with the whole consequence aspect of it all but this is escapism and I don't want to see MIke is jail. I think him not practicing law until he can do it legally works for me. And as for Rachel I can see why he got bitchy with her, he wonders if she will stick with him if he goes to prison. It wasn't all that long ago when she was cheating on him while he was free man.

Edited January 28, 2016 by mommalib

[Chicago Redshirt]

I think it's safe to think that we won't see Mike in jail. Either they somehow beat the case, or there will be a fast forward.

 

Again, it might be cold of me, but a well-intentioned fraud is still a fraud. 

 

If Mike has these fundamental doubts about Rachel's loyalty that can be brought to the surface so easily, he probably shouldn't be getting married to her at least at the moment, and probably never.

[Chicago Redshirt]

Agree to disagree on Ani-teri's motives and the resulting chaos of imploding so many judgments. I considered the deterrent motive but still think the negatives to the existing paradigm far outweigh the positives. And, with regard to SUITS world- Mike's only ever helped the "little" guy anyway. That's who will be the ultimate victim in all this- all those folks that received verdicts and $$$. No? 

Although Mike's personal preference might be representing the little guy, as a Pearson Specter Litt lawyer, it seems like the plurality, if not the vast majority, of clients were large corporations or their leadership. (Ava Hessington (sp?), the guy he eventually left to work for, McKinnnon Motors, etc.) In fact, it seems like the times he is repping little guys are typically cases where the firm hasn't particularly wanted him to pursue. 

 

In the real world, there certainly have been criminal prosecutions of fraudulent lawyers. Here are some hits I found on Google.

http://nypost.com/2013/01/30/fake-lawyer-arraigned-after-allegedly-representing-clients-with-no-degree/

http://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/pennsylvania-woman-charged-after-making-partner-fake-law-degree-n332231

http://patch.com/new-york/greatneck/fake-attorney-who-scammed-nhp-woman-sentenced-jail

http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/nyc-crime/fake-attorney-operated-phony-brooklyn-practice-authorities-article-1.2376703

Edited January 28, 2016 by Chicago Redshirt

[Deputy Deputy CoS]

The thing about the AUSA is proving that Mike is a fraud should be easy as pie, once she bothers to look. Even though one Harvard database has a record of Mike Ross as a student, he is not going to be in every Harvard database -- the ones for financial aid/tuition, medical records, student housing, etc. Moreover, they could just cross-reference his so-called teachers and his classmates, and none of them would have any personal memories of him or records pertaining to him. (Well maybe the gambling problem ethics professor will pretend to have a record of him). All his extracurriculars would be easy to reveal as forged. And oh yeah, his real life records -- rent, credit cards, e-mail and what have you -- all would show that he was in New York when he was claiming to be aturyat Harvard.

 

 

All of why I disliked the premier. I already see Mike walking given the approach the opposition is taking. If the show is not ready to bring the house down on all of then, they shouldn't have gone this route. It is incredibly easy to prove him a fraud so don't let it out openly only to have them "win"

 

And Jessica, Jessica's father doesn't have to threaten you. You brought this on yourself.

 

Mike was an ashole to not just Rachel. He was beyond to his former best friend. I hope he went directly to rat him out.

I hope I don't have to hear about how this is all Mike's fault, because they were all complicit.

 

He blackmailed Jessica into dealing with his fraud.

 

He's also had ample time to end this by leaving the firm. His continued stay endangers them all. That is his fault.

[mommalib]

I think it's safe to think that we won't see Mike in jail. Either they somehow beat the case, or there will be a fast forward.

 

Again, it might be cold of me, but a well-intentioned fraud is still a fraud. 

 

If Mike has these fundamental doubts about Rachel's loyalty that can be brought to the surface so easily, he probably shouldn't be getting married to her at least at the moment, and probably never.

Yes fraud is fraud and if this was real life we talking about I would be right there with you, but considering that it's not real life and considering the kind of person Mike i'm more inclined to not be as hard on him. As far as marriage to Rachel they clearly love each other but maybe having to hold off on the wedding is good thing for thing.

All of why I disliked the premier. I already see Mike walking given the approach the opposition is taking. If the show is not ready to bring the house down on all of then, they shouldn't have gone this route. It is incredibly easy to prove him a fraud so don't let it out openly only to have them "win"

 

And Jessica, Jessica's father doesn't have to threaten you. You brought this on yourself.

 

Mike was an ashole to not just Rachel. He was beyond to his former best friend. I hope he went directly to rat him out.

 

He blackmailed Jessica into dealing with his fraud.

 

He's also had ample time to end this by leaving the firm. His continued stay endangers them all. That is his fault.

Oh please they are all at fault. Jessica could have fired Mike if she wanted to but as Mike said she has used him as a weapon when it suited her and Harvey is the one who hired him in the first place. Rachel and Donna knew everything and went along with it and Louis used Mike's secret to get his name on the door and continued going along with it. Yes Mike is at fault but so is everybody else.

[Congo]

Everyone's at fault. I hope they all rot in 8x8 cells!

[Cranston]

I'm with you, Congo!  I have a grandchild working her ass off in law school.  A fraud is a fraud is a fraud. 

[Slovenly Muse]

Interesting little interview with Aaron Korsh here about the direction of this half-season, which contains things that are both heartening and dis-heartening about the thought and planning that went into this storyline. (He says some vague things about the upcoming arc, but nothing strong enough to qualify as an actual spoiler, I don't think) What I find MOST heartening, though, is this excerpt, where the interviewer pushes my buttons by calling Anita a "bitch," and Korsh says the exact right thing:

 

 

Q: I'm loving Anita Gibbs. She's a ruthless bitch.

 

Korsh: Yes, she is. [Laughs] I just want to defend Anita Gibbs for a second. She may appear to be ruthless and a bitch from our perspective, but looking at it from the outside in, we did what she's trying to put us away for. If you really think about it, she's really doing her job. Now the way she goes about doing her job is probably more realistic to how prosecutors can be. She may cross lines a little more than you normally would, but that's what they do. They find your pressure points and put pressure on you. She's not going to stop.

 

Obviously this interview was spoken, because the syntax is pretty fuzzy, but I like that he acknowledges that Mike and Co. are totally guilty, and that the big bad prosecutor trying to make them pay is actually the good guy here. At least he has the perspective that even though Mike and Harvey must win (being the protagonists), that doesn't mean they're in the right, or that they deserve the victory. It makes me feel better about where this is going knowing that the guy in charge hasn't lost his grip on these characters!

[catrice2]

Funny, I couldn't even watch the whole episode. I have been calling for them to deal with this for 3 seasons, and now that they have, I find I don't care. The idea of all the love interests coming back does not interest me.  I missed the whole thing with Trevor, even when he came back last season.  What is his story now? 

 

Jessica supported Mike for Harvey...it has always been terrible how Harvey put her at risk in the first place when she i so much for him, just because he was on a ego trip and thought it was amusing to have Mike around because he COULD. 

 

Trevor becomes important because he can testify that he told Jessica about Mike long ago. 

[Chicago Redshirt]

Trevor has apparently straightened up his act and told Mike that he should too, in the form of quitting because his fraud would always be over his head and Rachel's while he stayed. I think he also may have confessed to Father Plotdevice everything about his past and in the process implicated Mike as the fraud he is. 

[33kaitykaity]

 

 

I only watch because of the clothes anymore.  

[Aquariuz]

So many of you here hate-watching the show which is cool, but Suits still remains one of my favorites.

I'm really glad that they finally tackle this big elephant in the room, and it's really nice to see everyone came to Mike's defense.

Call me crazy but I think Rachel turned Mike in. Because she said something like "I'll wait for you when you get out" or "At least it won't be hanging over our heads..." which I'd be glad if it turns out to be true, because we can kiss the wedding plot goodbye.

[Setra]

 

 

All of why I disliked the premier. I already see Mike walking given the approach the opposition is taking. If the show is not ready to bring the house down on all of then, they shouldn't have gone this route. It is incredibly easy to prove him a fraud so don't let it out openly only to have them "win"

 

And Jessica, Jessica's father doesn't have to threaten you. You brought this on yourself.

 

Mike was an ashole to not just Rachel. He was beyond to his former best friend. I hope he went directly to rat him out.

 

He blackmailed Jessica into dealing with his fraud.

 

He's also had ample time to end this by leaving the firm. His continued stay endangers them all. That is his fault.

 

Didn't his "former best friend" rat him out to Jessica? IMO that gives Mike reason to be an asshole towards him.

Edited January 29, 2016 by Seestra1

[PiggyRod]

Call me crazy but I think Rachel turned Mike in. Because she said something like "I'll wait for you when you get out" or "At least it won't be hanging over our heads..." which I'd be glad if it turns out to be true, because we can kiss the wedding plot goodbye.

 

I would love it if that was true! Rachel is my least liked character and I would really enjoy getting rid of her.

[Chicago Redshirt]

I think it cannot credibly be any of the main characters. Even putting aside that (at least at the moment) they all personally like Mike, mutually assured destruction states that if Mike gets in trouble, they and the firm are all likely toast as well.  

 

That leaves (off the top of my head) the following candidates who we know 100 percent are aware of the Secret:

 

Trevor

Scottie

Gambling-addicted Harvard Law ethics prof

Mike's ex-girlfriend who he formerly claimed to be a law student to

Hacker Girl who set up Mike's fake Harvard credentials

Jenny

Father Plotdevice

 

And then there are the following people who plausibly could have become aware of the secret:

 

Hardman

Forstmann

Tanner

Random black attorney who got Harvey to lay down on some case because he was close to Mike's secret

IT guy whose help Mike got to blackmail Jessica

The boss of Mike's ex girlfriend

Trish (the married woman Mike slept with)

Husband of Trish

Stephen, Darby's right-hand man

Jessica's ex

The SEC guy

Mike's old 1L rival or really any of the associates

The finance guy Mike used to work for

I suppose BigDaddyZane or BigMommyZane, but either seems like a longshot.

Harvey's ex-boss at the D.A.'s office

[bros402]

Trevor has apparently straightened up his act and told Mike that he should too, in the form of quitting because his fraud would always be over his head and Rachel's while he stayed. I think he also may have confessed to Father Plotdevice everything about his past and in the process implicated Mike as the fraud he is.

Unless the priest wanted to lose his job, he couldn't report what Mike told him.

though if he just talked about it in the open in the church, not in the confession booth or whatever, then it is fair game for anyone to walk in

[Slovenly Muse]

I really don't think Rachel turned him in. Then again, if she did, and wanted to clear the air once and for all so that they could really be together... it would go a long way toward explaining why she thought sending HER FATHER into this situation was going to help in any way. I don't think the show will go that way, but I kind of wish they would, because that twist has potential! Now she's not lying to her parents anymore, the "fake lawyer" situation will be resolved one way or the other, after she stands by him "through it all" their relationship will be stronger than ever, and once their house of cards comes down they can actually build something on a real, solid foundation. Plus there would be no reason not to have her dream wedding once the "secret" is resolved by a court of law. This is basically everything Rachel wants. If I thought she was cold-blooded enough to pull it off, I might actually suspect her!

[samfk2000]

I watched it but I think this will be my last season. Too many of the old faces are popping up and they were boring, dull and not worth watching first time around so constantly dragging them back annoys me. 

The whole Donna/Louis/ Harvey triangle is just cringeworthy now, she's a secretary so please for the love of all things holy stop saying coming back to me/ leaving me etc. 

I'm not going to enjoy the rest of this season as I have an intense dislike of Leslie Hope and I have a feeling we are going to be seeing lots of her.

I also have a horrible feeling that they have bowed to the Darvey crowd and will get them together by the finale. 

The thing that bothered me most about this episode was knowing that Gretchen just got bumped, which says a lot about how much I care about Mike and Rachel :-)

[MortysCleaningLady]

Count me among those who were wondering WHEN this would finally happen....

[l star]

I'm not sure how I feel about this episode. Full disclosure: I only started watching during 5A. I've seen a few earlier episodes (mostly Harvey/Donna heavy ones from a shipper friend) but I don't have the full history. So make of this what you will.

I think Harvey and Donna were reacting with the protective 'circle the wagons' mentality of family, not professionals which I'm okay with. I really need Harvey to show some awareness soon though. He knows the laws they broke and the legal consequences. At some point I need him to say 'we did this, but you're my buddy and I don't want to see you in jail. So I'm fighting for you anyway'. Because any self righteousness here is a no go for me.

I liked Jessica's sympathy towards Mike along with the much needed dose of looking out for the rest of them. I don't understand what solution she really expected from Louis though.

Now my problems: I do not understand what Mike, Rachel and Louis were thinking in this ep. Rachel comes off like the most sheltered princess. If this turned out to be a wake up call to the reality of what she agreed to in all this I would be very appreciative. Her father should have been yelling that she broke laws, she participated in a conspiracy to break laws, she knowingly committed fraud. This is more than just whether her fiancé goes to jail. It's is she going to jail and how much of her career can she salvage. Because she won't be able to pass the bar now.

I liked Mike when he wasn't sure if he should fight. I think he's known for awhile he shouldn't. And I really liked him when I saw the terrified look on his face when Robert Zane walked in. That was deserved. The way he treated his friend was not. Why did he feel the need to bully that guy into cooperating? It's not like he was being difficult. Then it takes one conversation with a man who told him upfront he was there to mess with head and he's turning on Rachel. He was awful in that scene. I suppose the theme here is selfishness sometimes plays better than other times.

Louis was just incomprehensible to me. He started out treating Donna like a child. Why was the freak out to fire Donna needed? These are adults. He could have just told her to go back to Harvey if she wanted. Everyone there knows it's Harvey for Donna above all else so it wouldn't be shocking to anyone given the situation Harvey's in. So why the drama? And why the kudos from everyone for it?

There were a couple of scenes I really liked. I really like the friendship shown between Rachel and Donna. They balance each other nicely. The other was the last Donna/Harvey scene. From what I saw of Harvey's behavior earlier this season, the vulnerability of his reaction made sense and I even found sweet. Her as his secretary and help in Mike's case are all just pieces of what he has really wanted which is her back. The two actors did a great job with that moment.

Only one other request: Gretchen cannot leave. Does Jessica have a secretary? That could be awesome.

[mwell345]

 

And then there are the following people who plausibly could have become aware of the secret:

 

Hardman

Forstmann

Tanner

Random black attorney who got Harvey to lay down on some case because he was close to Mike's secret

IT guy whose help Mike got to blackmail Jessica

The boss of Mike's ex girlfriend

Trish (the married woman Mike slept with)

Husband of Trish

Stephen, Darby's right-hand man

Jessica's ex

The SEC guy

Mike's old 1L rival or really any of the associates

The finance guy Mike used to work for

I suppose BigDaddyZane or BigMommyZane, but either seems like a longshot.

Harvey's ex-boss at the D.A.'s office

 

This is a good list - I think everyone is covered.

 

I had forgotten about IT guy, but I'm going to go with him.

 

 

I only watch because of the clothes anymore.  

 

LOL - I opened this page and this showed up in the middle of my screen and for a few seconds I wondered what I had downloaded!!!!  And yes, I actually clicked the X and Cancel to make it stop!

Edited January 31, 2016 by mwell345

[Happytobehere]

I really don't think Rachel turned him in. Then again, if she did, and wanted to clear the air once and for all so that they could really be together... it would go a long way toward explaining why she thought sending HER FATHER into this situation was going to help in any way. I don't think the show will go that way, but I kind of wish they would, because that twist has potential! Now she's not lying to her parents anymore, the "fake lawyer" situation will be resolved one way or the other, after she stands by him "through it all" their relationship will be stronger than ever, and once their house of cards comes down they can actually build something on a real, solid foundation. Plus there would be no reason not to have her dream wedding once the "secret" is resolved by a court of law. This is basically everything Rachel wants. If I thought she was cold-blooded enough to pull it off, I might actually suspect her!

I don't think it's Rachel either, but not because she is not cold-blooded enough, but because Rachel isn't smart enough to figure out that exposing Mike is the only way to get what she wants. Rachel is lucky Zane is her father because she is so out of her depth in all aspects of her life.

This needs to be the final season and the resolution should be everybody paying the ultimate price for their crimes.

By the way Donna -- STFU

[vibeology]

So I was really down on this show when we reached the end of 5A, but somehow I've just decided to not worry or stress about it anymore. I've been watching The Grinder, and I think the silly approach to these sorts of stories there is really helping me enjoy Suits as a silly bit of entertainment. 

 

There's no real tension. If the show was about to end, there'd be talk about it in the media. Mike can't go to jail, so all of this drama is really just about how Harvey is going to get Mike out of trouble. That's cool, because I've just settled into enjoying the characters and their relationships rather than worry about the plot.

 

One thing I do wish hadn't been abandoned so quickly was Louis taking over as managing partner. I thought that was a wonderful solution to their problem and I was sad that Louis isn't going to get the chance to run the firm. I think that would make for a pretty good plot.

[romantic idiot]

Nah, you can't had Boromir the ring. 

 

I really don't think Rachel turned him in. Then again, if she did, and wanted to clear the air once and for all so that they could really be together... it would go a long way toward explaining why she thought sending HER FATHER into this situation was going to help in any way. I don't think the show will go that way, but I kind of wish they would, because that twist has potential! 

Yeah, I don't think it is Rachel but would love it if it is only because I still don't like her (she's been better the last 2 seasons but they seem to have managed that by making her weirdly doormat-ty). In regards to Rachel going to Daddy Zane - that's a given. That's the Rachael default in any situation, much as she likes to think it's not. 

 

I'm not sure how I feel about this episode. Full disclosure: I only started watching during 5A. I've seen a few earlier episodes (mostly Harvey/Donna heavy ones from a shipper friend) but I don't have the full history. So make of this what you will.

I think Harvey and Donna were reacting with the protective 'circle the wagons' mentality of family, not professionals which I'm okay with. I really need Harvey to show some awareness soon though. He knows the laws they broke and the legal consequences. At some point I need him to say 'we did this, but you're my buddy and I don't want to see you in jail. So I'm fighting for you anyway'. Because any self righteousness here is a no go for me.

That'd be the trick given that it was Harvey's idea in the first place. 

[CaptainCranky]

To bad this season is going to be dealing with all the fraud BS rather than some good legal drama.

 

Hope this is the last season as this show like other USA shows Burn Notice and White Collar has run it's course.

[Kcat1971]

I watch faithfully for the first 3 seasons.  I speed watched season 4 on demand and I hadn't watched any of Season 5.  The mid-season premier happened to come on so I started to watch it.  But then my 9 year old came in the room so I turned it off.   Watching half of an episode reminded me of the following:

 

1. I used to really like these characters and their interaction with each other.

2. The "secret" has  been stupid and far too draining on this show.

3. The suits (clothes in general) are pretty amazing.

 

No matter how they deal with this prosecution regarding the secret it will not be realistic.  Just like its completely unrealistic that this would have ever happened in a major law firm or happened this long.  SO I say- GOOD.  Deal with it however you want.  MAKE THE SECRET GO AWAY.  I am so over it.  Then maybe, just maybe you can have a show about a bunch of lawyers, doing lawyer things and interacting with each other on a personal level as well.  And maybe, just maybe I'll start watching again.

[Cthulhudrew]

I've been hate-watching for a while now (at least a little bit) because of the way I feel this show has mishandled the premise and these characters for the last couple of seasons, but I have to say, seeing that they didn't pull a fast one and try to make Mike's arrest about something other than his fraud, they really, really handled this well. The writers didn't pull any punches on what this fraud means to Mike or to the firm or anyone he cares about. Sure, there were still some "really?" moments, but for the most part, I think this was the best the show has been in quite some time. It really felt like the stakes were high, and the argumentativeness of the characters didn't seem as out of place as it usually does.

 

I wish they could have gotten Jack on board with the rest of the team, as not only do I adore John Pyper-Ferguson as a performer, but he also isn't really the bad guy as writers sometimes seem inclined to portray him as (at least, they seem to vacillate on the matter), but otherwise, I thought this was really well done all around.

(At least up until the moment they had that Mike/Rachel argument where he thought she was thinking of betraying him, which was a bs scene. Otherwise, everything was great.)

[lizzyp]

It's a stretch, but I suppose one could federalize Mike's fraud assuming a) he practiced at all in federal court or b) he perpetuated his fraud using basically any form of communication used in interstate commerce. Both of which I think are almost a given.

I suppose there would be SEC issues as well, since many of their clients are publicly traded.

[Roseanna]

On ‎28‎.‎1‎.‎2016 at 6:52 AM, Chicago Redshirt said:

The thing about the AUSA is proving that Mike is a fraud should be easy as pie, once she bothers to look. Even though one Harvard database has a record of Mike Ross as a student, he is not going to be in every Harvard database -- the ones for financial aid/tuition, medical records, student housing, etc. Moreover, they could just cross-reference his so-called teachers and his classmates, and none of them would have any personal memories of him or records pertaining to him. (Well maybe the gambling problem ethics professor will pretend to have a record of him). All his extracurriculars would be easy to reveal as forged. And oh yeah, his real life records -- rent, credit cards, e-mail and what have you -- all would show that he was in New York when he was claiming to be aturyat Harvard. 

Then why wouldn't they do it? It seems unbelievable that somebody is arrested simply on the basis of the anonymous information that could be plain malice, without checking if there is evidence.