S06.E07: Shake the Trees

[yeswedo]

Harvey, Louis and Donna search for a missing link to Sutter's inside trading. Mike takes measures to get Kevin on his side. Rachel and Jessica deliver bad news.

[Cthulhudrew]

Suits: The Drinking Game

Every time someone says "Harvey. What are you doing here?" - 1 drink

Speaking of Harvey, what exactly was the point of the scene with him interrogating his client's employees to find the leaker, when he knows that the leaker is himself? Did they not otherwise meet their quota of scenes with people pointlessly yelling at one another this week?

EDIT: Oh, guess that was their way of demonstrating how Harvey was "investigating" to try and find whoever else is in on it with his client. Still a stupid scene, and a dumb way for him to try and smoke them out.

Edited August 25, 2016 by Cthulhudrew

[auntiemel]

Oh, man. This is such an arbitrary time to reach my breaking point, but I think I might be done. There was nothing different or MORE wrong about this episode, it was just that, when Mike lost the deal, I found myself not caring. I know there will be some magic machinations next week. The stakes are meaningless to me now...which makes the whole thing kind of pointless. :(

[FormerMod-a1]

I like Rachael so much better when she's not in a scene with Mike or about Mike.  Mike just annoys me now, no matter what he's doing.  Apparently he just knows best about everything and everyone.  I know a lot of the other characters act that way too, but they're not so...  I don't know...  pissier?... about it.  Mike just seems pissier about it, at least to me.  

[themadman]

9 hours ago, Cthulhudrew said:

Suits: The Drinking Game

Every time someone says "Harvey. What are you doing here?" - 1 drink

 

1 drink someone says, "I don't give a shit". Get drunk in the first 15 minutes of show.

This river of crap continues to flow. I might be watching this show only because it's the last season. When that last part about Mike's deal getting pulled happened, I actually shouted, "Oh, for fuck's sake! Enough!" at my screen.

[Slovenly Muse]

20 minutes ago, themadman said:

9 hours ago, Cthulhudrew said:

Suits: The Drinking Game

Every time someone says "Harvey. What are you doing here?" - 1 drink

1 drink someone says, "I don't give a shit". Get drunk in the first 15 minutes of show.

1 drink for the phrase, "Now if you'll excuse me," which is also bizarrely overused.

 

9 hours ago, Cthulhudrew said:

Speaking of Harvey, what exactly was the point of the scene with him interrogating his client's employees to find the leaker, when he knows that the leaker is himself? Did they not otherwise meet their quota of scenes with people pointlessly yelling at one another this week?

EDIT: Oh, guess that was their way of demonstrating how Harvey was "investigating" to try and find whoever else is in on it with his client. Still a stupid scene, and a dumb way for him to try and smoke them out.

My understanding was that he was trying to scare Sutter's employees into turning against him. Pointing out how little he's done for them, how undeserving he is of their loyalty, etc, while making them feel like THEY are in the most danger from Sutter's legal trouble. The guy who came forward to Cahill likely did so after Harvey's interrogation (was it the guy we saw him interrogating? I didn't catch his name). Basically, even though he knew none of them had given up the trading program, he was planting the seed in their minds that it would be in their best interests to come forward with anything else they DID have and try to cut a deal before they end up sharing in the consequences with Sutter (or, more likely, taking the fall for him).

Plus, they did not otherwise meet their quota of scenes with people pointlessly yelling at one another this week. As improbable as that sounds.

I was also a bit boggled at just how much Donna had to do in this episode. I have no inherent dislike for Donna, and I get how she's a magical character who can pull the occasional rabbit out of her hat, but here we have Louis unable to do anything in his personal life without Donna doing it for him, Harvey asking Louis for help with his problem, Donna magically providing the key to it all and giving Louis what he needs to solve Harvey's thing, then solving Louis' thing for him (the architect) AND solving Louis' OTHER thing for him (the trader). Can no one do ANYTHING without Donna? (She's turning into The Doctor's sonic screwdriver. Just wave it at whatever impossible situation you're in and everything's fine.) Actually, after Harvey walked in on Louis panicking about his romantic problem and got him to drop everything to work on his and Mike's case, I was really hoping that when Donna came back to see Louis at the end that her news was that Louis' date was all planned because HARVEY had called in a favour and gotten Louis access to something great as a gesture of thanks. (But I know it was a crazy dream on my part. Expecting the people on this show to start demonstrating mutual respect in a real way is nothing but a set up for disappointment.) But no! Donna just did EVERYTHING!

No surprises this episode. We knew Mike was going to have a hard time  betraying Kevin, so no news there. We knew this deal was shaky. On the Innocence Project case, we knew the missing witness was more or less useless, so her being dead is not exactly a blow. I don't even remember what else happened, but nothing great. Or terrible. Or unexpected.

You know, I wish this show would either take the plunge and BECOME the gripping legal drama it seems to want to be (or, dare I say, think it is?), or loosen up and go back to being fun, escapist entertainment. It takes itself so seriously, but has no grounds to, and it's just embarrassing.

[zomoskeptic]

I know it's absurd to look for even a modicum of realism or logic in this now-terrible show, but...New York State hasn't had the death penalty in 12 years and last executed someone in 1963. All death sentences from 1995 to 2004 were commuted to life sentences in 2007. 

Also, Donna mentions things Louis cares about and doesn't mention cats or mudding? 

[Dowel Jones]

1 hour ago, RogerDodger said:

Suits: The Drinking Game

One drink every time Louis's personal life is upended.  Oh, my aching head.  Although, I was amused by his reaction to her offer.  He definitely got Litt Up.  His next obvious question should be "What's my deadline?"

What I don't get is the premise that Gallo is transferred to a minimum security fed prison in order to get something on someone.  Presumably it is the corrupt administration and guards, but no matter.  He walks around threatening other inmates as if he can't be touched, when in reality someone could easily yank his rug out and he'd be gone back to his old clink.  And then there's Mike, demanding to know what Kevin knows, as if no one has ever heard of jailhouse informants before.  In reality, Mike would find himself chasing his teeth down the hallway.  And why did Harvey have to become Gallo's lawyer to file the petition?  Didn't Gallo have an original attorney when he was tried?

Snowflake has once again proven that she will never, ever be a lawyer, unless it's a backoffice deal with Daddy Zane.  She let the parent push her almost to tears until she was saved by Gretchen.  Her attitude should have been something like "I'm right and he's innocent, please excuse me."  Besides which, proving his innocence should put the police back on track to finding the killer.

And, from the shallow end of the pool, who was Donna dating?

[Vikitty]

3 hours ago, aquarian1 said:

I like Rachael so much better when she's not in a scene with Mike or about Mike.  Mike just annoys me now, no matter what he's doing.  Apparently he just knows best about everything and everyone.  I know a lot of the other characters act that way too, but they're not so...  I don't know...  pissier?... about it.  Mike just seems pissier about it, at least to me.  

I agree with this; Rachel’s scenes with Jessica have been some of my favourites lately.

[Slovenly Muse]

Ok, that does it. I'm starting a drinking game thread.

[chitowngirl]

Quote

7 hours ago, themadman said:

This river of crap continues to flow. I might be watching this show only because it's the last season. When that last part about Mike's deal getting pulled happened, I actually shouted, "Oh, for fuck's sake! Enough!" at my screen.

 

It's already been renewed for Season 7.

[CaptainCranky]

If you take out the Mike prison BS (I DVR so it's easy to do) this episode had some entertainment value for me. The show still has some off the wall story lines but for TV fare at least it was entertaining.

[l star]

This season is not working for me. The stakes seem to be whether or not Mike gets out, the guy gets executed and Louis gets laid. Of course Mike is getting out. The only question is if he serves the time he deserves or if he skates out early and they pretend it's justified. I'm supposed to care about the death row guy because Rachel's heart says he's innocent? Rachel's an idiot. And amusing as everything with Louis is, this thing with the architect (interior designer?) is not exactly something to carry a drama on.

I wish I could fast forward Mike, but I don't watch alone. Way to be awful Mike. Harvey is working to get Mike out of prison, in a deal that Mike agreed to, so Mike withholds relevant information and lies to him. Kevin has tried to be a decent guy and friend to Mike, so Mike goes behind his back to try to bully his wife into a deal. Even Gallo- I know he's a Bad Guy, but he and Mike had a deal. Now Mike is blowing him off instead of following through. I have no doubt that whatever he told Donna to do that was now legal will come back bite them both in the ass too.

My main issue is the separation of the characters. I doubt Harvey knows or cares that Jessica is on this Innocence Project. If he even knows it exists, it's only because Mike's fiancee is leading it. He very clearly doesn't care about the firm. Louis is pulling Donna away from Harvey's desk very frequently and obsessing over the architect. I really don't think Harvey has even noticed because he doesn't need Louis right now. Speaking of Donna, I think that is the most striking distance. In the past, their bond was a defining feature of both their characters. Her moving down the hall gave him panic attacks. Now unless he's yelling at her or generally being a jerk, he really doesn't seem to notice or care whether she's there or not. It's like Harvey is on a different show right now and the loss of those connections are really hurting the show. At least Mike is only being a jerk over the phone.

There were a few good things. I appreciate that Gallo is not an idiot and that Mike finally said he resents that he's in prison and the others aren't. I know the deal was Mike's choice, but I still understand that feeling. I loved Jessica telling Rachel that the PI couldn't be Rachel's guy because then he wouldn't be Jessica's. That was perfect. Gretchen stepping in to back up Rachel was a really nice moment. As was Gretchen taking her donut and peacing out. I also very much enjoyed Donna's scene with the trader. I tire of her superiority, but it is also a significant part of what makes the character. In that scene, she was awesome. I like that Cahill finally came out and said that what he cares about is getting Sutter in jail, not Mike out.

The real bright spot for me has been Donna and Louis. I have a soft spot for Louis anyway, and seeing him with Donna just makes that spot mushy. I laughed at the rage on his face when Donna said she'd had a break up, but I also appreciate that he let it go. I like seeing two characters that I like have someone else who really likes them too.

[Cthulhudrew]

13 hours ago, Slovenly Muse said:

I was also a bit boggled at just how much Donna had to do in this episode. 

 

Agreed. What I found especially odd was how they inserted this whole "I'm hurting because I was dating someone and then broke it off" off-screen relationship with her from out of the blue. I still can't quite get what they were thinking with that. I guess they wanted to give her some pathos and elicit audience sympathy for her that they felt was somehow missing? But why not spend some time showing that happening rather than just pull it out of their butts, I'm not sure. Why not just have her get married, have children, and lose them all in a tragic car accident to a drunk driver offscreen as well, then she can have scenes with Mike and start yelling at people for their interactions with that Kevin guy, too. 

[Broderbits]

Dowel Jones said:

Quote

In reality, Mike would find himself chasing his teeth down the hallway. 

This is the most magnificent sentence I have read all week. Thank you!

[Roseanna]

On ‎26‎.‎8‎.‎2016 at 9:58 AM, l star said:

This season is not working for me. The stakes seem to be whether or not Mike gets out, the guy gets executed and Louis gets laid. Of course Mike is getting out. The only question is if he serves the time he deserves or if he skates out early and they pretend it's justified. I'm supposed to care about the death row guy because Rachel's heart says he's innocent? Rachel's an idiot. And amusing as everything with Louis is, this thing with the architect (interior designer?) is not exactly something to carry a drama on.

I wish I could fast forward Mike, but I don't watch alone. Way to be awful Mike. Harvey is working to get Mike out of prison, in a deal that Mike agreed to, so Mike withholds relevant information and lies to him. Kevin has tried to be a decent guy and friend to Mike, so Mike goes behind his back to try to bully his wife into a deal. Even Gallo- I know he's a Bad Guy, but he and Mike had a deal. Now Mike is blowing him off instead of following through. I have no doubt that whatever he told Donna to do that was now legal will come back bite them both in the ass too.

- - -

There were a few good things. I appreciate that Gallo is not an idiot and that Mike finally said he resents that he's in prison and the others aren't. I know the deal was Mike's choice, but I still understand that feeling. 

A good analysis of which I took Mike. Why was there those scenes with the priest in S5? He hasn't learned anything. Prison has made him worse.