S04.E03: Two In The Knees

[Tara Ariano]

Logan Sanders, a client of Pearson Specter, looks to Harvey to confirm that his relationship with Mike won't prevent them from winning the takeover battle. Elsewhere, misunderstandings arise between Louis and his new colleague Jeff Malone.

[Jediknight]

Oh Harvey can just fuck right off with that crap he pulled.  Telling the dad from Family Ties (sorry forgot his name in this) about Mike's past with drugs.  What a douche.  It would have been nice if Mike mentioned that Harvey smokes pot.

 

The show really needs to focus on Louis' storyline.  Because that's carried these first 3 episodes.  He had every right to be pissed at Malone for that crap.  Malone and Jessica just need to tell Louis, because with what we've seen of Louis, he wouldn't care, and would be concerned about the SEC.  He'd just want all 3 to work together to stop everything.

[themadman]

This show is turning into a spat between two 10-year-olds, isn't it? So ready to move on from it.

[marcee]

I get that characters are flawed and make bad choices but there's a fine line between empathy and dislike. It makes me sad that I'm starting to dislike two of my favorite tv characters.

[3girlsforus]

I got annoyed and turned off the tv when Harvey told Family Ties guy Mike was a drug dealer (I'll probably watch the rest later) so maybe he did say this at some point but all I could think of is that my first response would be 'well then why did you hire him?'. 

[marcee]

I got annoyed and turned off the tv when Harvey told Family Ties guy Mike was a drug dealer (I'll probably watch the rest later) so maybe he did say this at some point but all I could think of is that my first response would be 'well then why did you hire him?'. 

See? And that didn't even bother me. Harvey really was trying to save Mike by doing that. If Logan would've hired a P.I. it would have gone WAAAAY worse for Mike and, possibly, Pearson Spector too (all the cases Mike was involved with could've been thrown out). My irritation button was pressed when Mike confronted Harvey about it and held Harvey's father's tapes hostage. I think they turned Mike into a cruel and vindictive whiny-baby and it doesn't look good on him.

[mwcdeb8r]

See, I somehow missed what the big deal was with Harvey's father's tapes. What was on them that was so sacrosanct?

Was that scummy Logan insinuating that he still had feelings for Rachel? I'm finding that I actually like Rachel and Mike together, which I didn't think would be the case before they got together.

I may be in the minority, but I actually like this storyline. I like watching Mike go toe-to-toe with Harvey and match him. Part of the problem, which has actually been the problem all along, is that Harvey still sees Mike as his underling. He never treated him as a client, nor does he treat him as a worthy opponent.

[MortysCleaningLady]

I loved Jessica's button up the back gray dress.  And Louis -- I always love Louis.

[Curious5]

Yep - the dress was beautiful but the question of the hour is who had to button it up?  Supposedly she is sleeping alone again. 

[Slovenly Muse]

I don't think this was a particularly strong episode, but I do have to say that I'm enjoying watching Mike and Harvey square off. I completely agree that Harvey does not respect Mike as an adversary and still sees him as his associate and mentee. I get that Harvey was protecting Mike by telling Gillis about the drugs, but it seems like a very weak solution to something which, if this practice is as common and expected as it was shown to be here, is going to be a persistent problem. What will happen the next time Mike faces an opponent who tries to undermine him by digging up dirt? Will Lola's hack throw off a PI? It seems like Harvey should really be the one to find that out, rather than avoiding the issue and hoping it never comes up again.

 

I enjoyed how, at the beginning of this show, Mike was something of the "heart" of the pair, while Harvey was the one who would make cold-blooded decisions without always considering the emotions involved. I loved the way that Harvey taught Mike how to be a lawyer, while Mike in turn surreptitiously reminded Harvey how to be a human being. So, while I hated that Mike tried to hold Harvey's father's tapes over his head (and setting aside the practicalities of how Mike was able to acquire something that Harvey couldn't), I understood he did it because Harvey had treated him in a manner so hurtful and disrespectful that he was lashing out in anger and wanting to demonstrate that he also had the ability to hit below the belt (He didn't make a move with those tapes until Harvey stepped WAY over the line). And the fact that he did give them back at the end, even though nothing was really solved between them, to me that seemed like a nod to that early dynamic, like Mike was showing Harvey how to be the better man, despite the bad blood between them. He could have kept those tapes for leverage, but he didn't, because he wouldn't. Because he's a better man than that, and because despite everything, Harvey's friendship is worth more to him than this case. Like he said to Donna, he cares about and respects Harvey, and that's why he's giving him his best. Harvey doesn't quite see that yet, but maybe the return of the tapes will help him take steps towards understanding.

 

Louis was gold, as usual, but Malone is starting to bug me. His flirting with Jessica was fun at first, but now that she's made her decision, set clear boundaries, and expressed her (very good and valid) reasons for doing so, his advances are starting to make me uncomfortable. I hope the show is wise enough to avoid that awful trope of a man disregarding what a woman firmly says she wants in favour of what HE "knows" she wants and pursuing her anyway. Jessica made it clear that the job offer severed their romantic relationship, and if he wasn't prepared to accept that then he shouldn't have taken the job. With all that talk about how Jessica had to decide what was more important, her work or her love life, I think it's about time Malone had a good long think about that same question. I'm all for Jessica having a love interest and deciding that she does want to be with Malone, but it has to be her decision on her terms, and not because her pushy ex disrespected her boundaries until he wore her down. She deserves so much better than that.

[yeswedo]

See, I somehow missed what the big deal was with Harvey's father's tapes. What was on them that was so sacrosanct?

I had the same question. I have missed some episodes and have an unreliable memory on certain things. What is on these tapes?

[Slovenly Muse]

Harvey's father was a jazz musician. Those tapes contained early recordings of his music, which Harvey had been searching for. Their value was purely sentimental. Had Mike kept them and attempted to use them as leverage against Harvey, to make him back down, then their dispute would have been taken out of the professional sphere and become personal. (Well, more personal than Harvey had already made it, anyway.)

[yeswedo]

Thanks @Slovenly Muse that is not what I was expecting them to be at all!

[twoods]

For me, the friendship between Mike and Harvey was a big part of me liking this show and now they are being petty and having a pissing contest, and it's not interesting. They could have had Mike being an IB interesting enough, with him missing the law and being stressed, but it became him vs Harvey. And since he's representing himself, he's still breaking the law.

[Happytobehere]

Luis continues to be the primary reason to watch this show, along with Jessica and Donna. Rachel continues to suck the life out of every scene she is in. I am over her, Logan, Mike and Harvey.

[needschocolate]

This used to be one of my favorite shows. It is not the same show anymore and this makes me sad.  I would be fine with Harvey and Mike fighting for an episode, every now and then, but this is the third week of this and the "case" is still not over.  I wish they could go back to have a case a week and having Harvey and Mike work together, but I don't see how that is ever going to happen - unless Harvey gets disbarred and becomes an investment banker - then they could have "exciting" (say "exciting" in a very sarcastic tone) stories about buying stock.

 

I, too, wondered how Jessica did all those buttons in the back.  I also wondered about a white blouse Rachel had on early in the episode (I think when Logan walked into her office) - it looked rather plain in the front, but it appeared to have ruffles in the back - I thought she put it on backward. 

Edited July 2, 2014 by needschocolate

[Chicago Redshirt]

For me, the friendship between Mike and Harvey was a big part of me liking this show and now they are being petty and having a pissing contest, and it's not interesting. They could have had Mike being an IB interesting enough, with him missing the law and being stressed, but it became him vs Harvey. And since he's representing himself, he's still breaking the law.

 

I don't think Mike is representing himself or his new firm. I admittedly don't know much about corporate law, but surely business people can negotiate broadly without getting lawyers involved. Presumably they would bring in lawyers to finalize the details.

[twoods]

I thought that Mike said he was his own council when someone asked who represented him. Must have been my mistake.

[catrice2]

No, you are correct. He said that when he and Harvey were in the chambers with the judge. Whatever motion Mike made he was representing himself or the firm and I think he explained that to her.

[romantic idiot]

I may be in the minority, but I actually like this storyline. I like watching Mike go toe-to-toe with Harvey and match him. Part of the problem, which has actually been the problem all along, is that Harvey still sees Mike as his underling. He never treated him as a client, nor does he treat him as a worthy opponent.

Harvey not treating Mike as a client I'm on board with, but maybe it's my age and culture showing, but I don't understand why Harvey should treat Mike as a worthy opponent. Harvey is one of the top lawyers in the city and has been for years. Mike has 2 years of experience as a lawyer. He has a cheat, with his eidetic memory, and with Harvey's mentorship, but I wouldn't expect Mike to be at Harvey's level yet. 

 

Louis was gold, as usual, but Malone is starting to bug me. His flirting with Jessica was fun at first, but now that she's made her decision, set clear boundaries, and expressed her (very good and valid) reasons for doing so, his advances are starting to make me uncomfortable. I hope the show is wise enough to avoid that awful trope of a man disregarding what a woman firmly says she wants in favour of what HE "knows" she wants and pursuing her anyway. 

This so much. He's really getting on my nerves now. 

 

For me, the friendship between Mike and Harvey was a big part of me liking this show and now they are being petty and having a pissing contest, and it's not interesting. They could have had Mike being an IB interesting enough, with him missing the law and being stressed, but it became him vs Harvey. 

I'm okay with the conflict for just about one more episode, but I'm getting to the point where I want them to stop fighting already and team up against Logan. 

 

I don't think Mike is representing himself or his new firm. I admittedly don't know much about corporate law, but surely business people can negotiate broadly without getting lawyers involved. Presumably they would bring in lawyers to finalize the details.

He was representing himself in the judge's chambers, as stated above. But even otherwise, in my experience, usually the business people would be doing most of the negotiations, especially the commercials. I don't know why these big firms don't have in-house counsel though. Usually it would be the in-house lawyers talking to the specialists.