Suits Review: Compensation (Season 5 Episode 2)

All I can say is: wow.

Just wow.

When was the last time you just stared at your screen, wondering what the hell had just happened? Because for me? It was tonight’s Suits, entitled Compensation.

Last week, when Suits returned, I was completely on board with what they decided to do this season. They were changing things up a bit; Donna was leaving Harvey, Harvey was becoming more humanized, and Mike had a cool new hair style. It was fantastic.

But I did have my reservations about the whole ‘love story’ side of it. For a show that only dropped hints that could be called ‘subtle’ at best about the feelings Donna and Harvey had for each other, to just decide to dedicate a whole season to it, seemed unnerving.

But wow: has it paid off.

It’s nice to see Mike doing his own thing in regard to the pre-nup his soon to be father-in-law has decided to throw his way; I’ve never been a huge fan of Rachel and Mike’s relationship, but this episode is a nice shout out to all those over protective dads who just don’t know how to talk about their feelings. By the end of it though, when Robert suggests they work on a case together, It feels pretty uncomfortable; like something bad is going to happen.

What is even nicer to see is Harvey and Donna acting… civil towards each other after such harsh words were exchanged in the last episode. The hour continues to do what the last set up: humanize Harvey. We see him apologize and reach out to people. We see him care, and empathize, and just… let his guard down a little — and I love it.

Realistically speaking, I know there’s no way these two can be “over each other” so to speak, but gosh! Can they hide their feelings or what?

The namesake of the episode comes from the idea that another partner at the firm decides to change the way the company compensates it’s employees. It’s a lot of business talk, and I’m sure companies do this, but what I understood is one thing: Harvey gets paid a whole lot more than everyone else, and he’s been paying Donna’s salary since they both came to the firm together; a salary that Louis refuses to pay.

With Harvey feeling threatened, and Louis feeling shot down, they both say and do some incredibly stupid things. Then Louis conspires to get Harvey back. This is what hurts the most: Donna lets him. Sure, she tells him not to do it, and yes, she stands her ground, but she still lets him do it. She doesn’t tell Harvey, and when Harvey confronts her about it, she throws loyalty back in his face. After twelve years together, she tells him she was loyal to Louis after picking his side, and I hate it. I hate that this is what Harvey and Donna have become.

Do I think Harvey is jealous?

No.

I think he’s hurt more than anything else. Jealous is a horrible word. He’s not jealous, because no matter how hard Louis tries, in essence, he can never have what Harvey and Donna had.

Sure, Harvey’s not having panic attacks anymore, but he’s hurt. This is someone who’s been with him since his career started. This is someone who was there when his father died, and who saw him through every relationship that didn’t work out. This is someone who almost went to jail for him, and helped him keep Mike’s secret.

You cannot just get over that.

So no, he’s not jealous — and I don’t appreciate Donna throwing that word around when Harvey tells her he’s been paying her salary. And! If we are talking about jealousy, I would like to say that Donna does not seem entirely happy about the fact that Harvey tells her he’s interviewing secretaries. Is that jealousy, or just… sadness?

Either way, I like what Suits is doing right now. There’s a lot of lawyer talk, and the workings of Pearson Spector Litt; but at the same time, we see the human side of these lawyers — something we’ve only gotten a glimpse of in the past.

I’m excited to see what happens with Donna. I didn’t really like that Harvey and Louis are “claiming” her, but, I would like to see how this will all play out. If the first two episodes are any indication — it won’t be a smooth ride, at all.

Things to think about:

1. Shout out to Gretchen! This new secretary is an awesome second to Donna
2. Slow clap for Jessica, who delivers the line “I will slap the taste right out of your mouth” with absolute grace and finesse.
3. You are manly, Harvey. You absolutely are.

What did you think of this week’s episode of Suits? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

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Suits airs Wednesdays at 9/8c on USA.

Smriti Jasra

Smriti (a.k.a Sim) is a TV and comic book enthusiast, and has been since the days of Angel and Alias. She watches over 20 shows a week, and her perfect idea of a date is sitting on a couch with some pizza, while having the ultimate debate of Marvel vs. DC. When she’s not live-tweeting her favorite shows or working at her day job, she’s usually writing fan-fiction. Her favorite shows include: Arrow, The 100, Suits, The Flash and Kingdom. Follow her on Twitter: @simjasra