Suits Review: Toe to Toe (Season 5 Episode 5)

Have you ever sat down after watching anything, and then just sort of realized how deep the actual content was? Because that’s what happened to me this week while I watched Suits. 

In this week’s episode, entitled “Toe to Toe” we see Harvey at another one of his therapy sessions because of a dream he had of Donna — and Tanner. I really do think the fact that Harvey has agreed that he has a problem, and is sitting down to a British woman, talking about his feelings and emotions, really shows how nervous and scared, and just out of balance he is. Sure, he’s learned that he can live without Donna — but that doesn’t mean it hasn’t affected his life, deeply.

It’s affected those around him as well, which is really why I think he’s decided to fix this. Because when Harvey fails, everyone around him fails too. According to Shakespeare, that’s what makes him a true tragic hero. By the end of the episode, though, we learn that perhaps all this damage, and angst and confusion from Donna leaving isn’t all Donna’s fault. Maybe Harvey’s abandonment issues are just resurfacing- issues that were put there by his mother. And I think Harvey knows that already, and is just not ready to face it just yet.

A subplot of this episode is Louis trying to get Soloff to take back the vote for Harvey’s compensation. He jumps through hoops and lies and cheats his way, and in the end, is blind sided by Soloff. This guy is just mean, and I’m honestly not sure why they have him on the show, if there isn’t an arc for him soon. When Louis goes to Jessica to tell her all he did wrong, she handles it in the most badass, Jessica-esque way and lets Louis off the line… again. The only thing I had to say about this was, Louis should remember all the times Jessica has bailed him out of crappy situations the next time he decides to throw a tantrum.

An on going theme this season has been humanizing Harvey. He was so untouchable before, and everything always worked out for him in the end, that we took him for granted. How many times has Harvey looked at Mike or Donna, or Louis even, and said “I’ll take care of it”? But this season has pulled us back a little. We’ve seen Harvey break down; we’ve seen him on the verge of tears; we’ve seen him confused and angry and upset, and just… human. And that reminds us that not everything Harvey ever does, is rational.

Which brings us to Travis Tanner. One thing I immensely enjoy on this show is how they just bring back people, over and over again. And they’re always brought back to forward the story, or make a point. This episode’s point is that Harvey is a man of habit. And his habit, is that whenever Tanner’s in the picture, Harvey’s on the offense, and his main purpose is to just beat him. It’s great, to be honest- makes for fantastic television, but tonight, we saw Harvey not thinking straight. He was thinking about his client, and he was just blinded by his hate.

Sure, maybe Travis’ ‘I’ve changed’ speech is a little unbelievable, and I completely understand Harvey being apprehensive, after Tanner had stabbed him in the back so many times before. But these guys are Lawyers. If it’s in writing, and the client will benefit, why not just do it, Harvey?

What makes it awesome, is that Harvey realizes how wrong he is too, when Mike decides to change the lawyer on the case. The way Macht has played an exhausted Harvey, is enthralling. You can see the regret, and the tiredness as he tells Mike to take the deal, and I have pure hope that he’ll learn from his mistakes. Because he does. And he will. Maybe he’ll give others a second chance now. Maybe, he’ll give Donna a second chance now too.

What did you think of “Toe to Toe?” Tell us 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